Niki Bogin and Duckworth’s have teamed up for the season to create a unique and elegant pop up shop. East Gloucester Provisions soft opening today gave us a peak at just some of the chic home goods Niki Bogin has curated for the holiday shop.
Open now through Christmas, East Gloucester Provisions will daily be adding new gifts, food items, home goods, and hand made treasures.
And the cases are ready for a selection of famous Duckworth’s soups, baked goods, entrees, and light fare, to go. Niki shares that there may even be fresh brewed coffee and Nicole’s scones served at the counter!!!
East Gloucester Provisions is located at 197 East Main Street, Gloucester.
Open November 25th and 26th from 10am to 2pm.
Regular hours beginning December 1st. Check back for more specific hours of operation.
During the night of devastation wreaked by the nor’easter of October 27th, at around 1:30am, the magnificent Northern Red Oak neighboring Mandy Davis and Geoff Deckebach’s home on East Main Street came crashing to its demise. The tree was completely uprooted and toppled by the dangerously high winds. Fortunately, not a soul was harmed, including chickens in the coop, and bees in the hive. The tree fell dead to center between the main house and the little house; truly a miracle everyone was spared.
Neighbors and family gathered to help Mandy and Geoff with some of the more dangerous and inconvenient brush and branches. It may take many months to remove the massive trunk and larger limbs.
How to gauge (approximately) the age of an oak tree from the US Forest Service.
The most prolific oaks in the northeast are Northern Red Oaks (Querus rubra). The growth factor formula is slightly different for White, Black, and Pin Oaks.
Measure the circumference of the oak’s trunk at 54 inches up from the ground. For example, the tree that fell in Mandy and Geoff’s yard is 168 inches in circumference. Divide 168 inches by pi (3.14) to obtain the diameter. 168 divided by 3.14 equals 53.5. For a Red Oak, multiply the diameter by a growth factor of 4 to obtain the approximate age. Using this formula, we can approximate the age of the tree that was uprooted at 214 years old.
For a Pin Oak, the factor is 3 and for a White Oak, multiply the diameter by a growth factor of 5.
The tree may be even older than 214 years because a tree growing in a dense neighborhood or urban environment does not grow as fast as a tree in the forest. It’s fascinating to think that the tree was here when much of East Gloucester was pastureland and to imagine all the changes the magnificent old beauty had born witness to. Mandy shares that Geoff will be cutting through the trunk to count the rings, so it will be interesting to see how close the US Forest Service formula for aging an oak tree measures up to the actual rings counted.
Hole left from the massive rootball, filled with water.
Charlotte had a super fun Halloween last night with our wonderful neighborhood friends–it couldn’t have been more perfect! So many thanks to East Gloucester super Moms Mandy, Gillian, Michelle, Colleen, Nicole, and Dawn for including Charlotte, for all that you do, and especially for your fantastic kids!
I had to dismantle our ofrenda before taking photos, the wind gusts were so strong several offerings broke. I am putting it back this afternoon, after the wind dies down. Día de Muertos continues through November 2nd and will post photos tomorrow.
Esme Sarrouf’s fabulous gum ball machine costume that she made herself!!!
Saturday morning at 8:30 am, an injured Eastern Coyote was spotted In East Gloucester. The coyote was not bearing weight on its right back leg. He trotted gimpily up Plum Street, before heading down a driveway halfway up the street.
Note in all the photos the Coyote is holding up his right back paw.
Sick and injured coyotes can be unpredictable although, this one appeared nonchalant. I at first thought it was a large dog and was headed towards him to possibly help him find his way home. Despite its inability to put weight on its paw, his coat looks healthy and and he was almost jaunty, leg injury and all.
Please be on alert for a pair of very bold coyotes in the neighborhood. Over the weekend I was standing with a group of photographer friends and we were noticing the coyotes along the edge of a field. The coyotes ducked behind the shrubby growth and soon after, my friends left. I became distracted and forgot about the coyotes while photographing a chatty little Downy Woodpecker. Without warning, the coyotes were suddenly quite near, within twenty feet. I yelled and clapped loudly, which did not in the least intimidate one of the pair. The smaller trotted a few steps back toward the woodland edge while the larger one started to dig in the ground, similar to a bull marking his territory. It was more than a little eerie, and while yelling I began to walk backwards off the field.
When a gentleman came to the field to walk his dog, the coyotes headed back towards the shrubs. Reappearing a few minutes later, they had circled around in the shrubs and began to stalk the leashed dog. I walked towards the man to give the coyotes the idea that we were a group and they didn’t come any closer after that. This post is not meant to alarm anyone, but to let you know that we have some very hungry coyotes in our midst; I had the oddest sensation that they had an expectation of dinner. I sure do hope no one is feeding them.
The bolder coyote is on the left in the above photo. You can see in the middle photo in the first row that the bolder one’s coat is darker (also on the left).
Easter’s saturated sunset from East Gloucester was arresting, becoming even more so after the sun set. The colors on the water momentarily reflected the voluptuous hues of the twilight sky, when very quickly the horizon turned glowing coral-pink-peach before extinguishing itself in purple.
The violet-orange on the water’s glass-like surface in the foreground looked as though it had been applied by paint.
Gloucester’s Unitarian Universalist Church beautiful steeple.
Wednesday morning East Gloucester was especially beautiful although, is anywhere not magically beautiful after a new fallen snow? While photographing around the neighborhood, I nearly ran into Frieda on her way into her shop, Again and Again (with lots of terrific gift items for last minute shoppers). After photographing down by the North Shore Art Association I stopped in to say hello to Frieda and Beth at Again and Again (see yesterday’s post).
Leaving the shop, and while admiring Duckworth’s wreath and lovely holiday decor, I met Ken Duckworth outside his bistro. We had a friendly chat and I was reminded of what a fabulous neighborhood is ours. At that moment I was thinking not of the beauty that surrounds, but of our wonderful neighbors.
Maritime Center from Smith’s Cove
Duckworth’s in the Snow
Dinner at Duckworth’s Bistrot anytime of the year, but most especially during the holidays, is always a very special treat. Plan to go soon for your Duckworth’s fix because I believe they close for several weeks during. January.
I have posted many more photos on my friend Joey’s blog, Good Morning Gloucester, where you will also find tons more photos and videos of local storm coverage by GMG contributors.
Stills from my B-roll. Click images to view larger.
Niles Pond October Sunrise
One of the most gorgeous, interesting, and enjoyable aspects of filmmaking I find is shooting B-roll. I am swamped with design work, organizing lecture programs, and hoping to finish the edits on my Black Swallowtail film very soon, but there is no better time of year to shoot B-roll for my Monarch film than autumn in Gloucester; the light is simply stunning, and what I like to refer to as “atmospheric.”
Niles Pond September Sunrise
B-roll further tells the story in a beautifully subtle, and alternatively not so subtle, manner and gives the project a sense of place. While filming and waiting, for example, for birds to take flight (whether swans or homies) I have my still camera readily available.
Salt Island Sunrise
The most extraordinarily beautiful things occur spontaneously. I feel so very fortunate to see, and in turn share, the natural world through the camera lens. Only several weeks ago while filming a spider’s web in a tree, capturing the filaments of silky webbing dancing in the light of the setting sun (with the pinky schooner Ardelle and the Dog Bar Breakwater in the background!), the web’s maker came cavorting through the scene, with a capture of her own!
