Papa with the fisherman while the boys and I went bowling. This picture came from Papa's camera.
The boys and I had a giant hankering to go candlepin bowling (something that you can apparently only do in the North East). I really like it because it's hard to be good at it. You get three bowling balls, which are about the size of a large orange and has no holes, and hurl them down at the ten pins. The pins are tall and skinny, and don't get cleared away between plays. It's kind of awesome, actually, since you can use a downed pin to knock over other pins. Anyway, we went bowling because it's awesome and because it looked like it might storm. None of us did very well, but we had a great time - as documented by the pictures below.
Chris's alter ego was from...Wisconsin? Canada? Who knows, but he liked to hunt moose and wore his pants too high. Too bad he wasn't especially good at bowling.
The alter ego may have also been pregnant? After this, Chris said his stomach hurt from pushing it out this far for too long.
Then the boys stole my camera and proceeded to take pictures of themselves. 
...yikes. Though I think Mass is one of the only states in which you can marry both a member of the same sex and your first cousin (according to this map). So I guess they're safe here.
David really needed a shower
Our bowling names were cuts of meat: Bacon, T Bone, Rib Eye and Rump. I think David was Rump. I was Bologna, because it's not quite meat but close enough.
I have such attractive family members, don't I?
Next we met up with the adults at the beach. The boys scared Mom, a pastime that never gets old. Even though she was a little bit mad, Mom and Donna still pointed out the fact that they had found the real Greasy pole. Naturally, we had to try it.
The greasy pole is literally a pole that has been greased with something nasty. Apparently there is a contest every year in Gloucester to see who can be the first person to grab the red flag at the end. We didn't have the flag to grab, but making it to the end was a prize in itself. Even getting to the pole - which is waaay out in Gloucester harbor - is a challenge. The swim out felt incredibly long and freezing cold, but we all made it to the pole. David went first and made it, followed by Johnny who also made it. Then Pat got 3/4 of the way out and took a nosedive into the water, but not before he nearly racked himself on the pole. He emerged unscathed but covered in pole grease. By then, the storm was really rolling in. Chris got onto the pole about two steps, but we all decided that it was getting too dangerous. We were the tallest things out on the water, and the lightning was coming fast. I was getting out of there, thank you very much. The only way down, though, was over the side. The steps were way too greasy and complicated when we wanted to get down quickly. Johnny ran off the end of the Greasy Pole, Chris, Pat and I held hands and jumped off over the edge, and David stood as high as he could and did a cannonball. Maybe next year I'll try the pole itself, but for now, jumping off the edge in a lightning storm was adventure enough.
The greasy pole is literally a pole that has been greased with something nasty. Apparently there is a contest every year in Gloucester to see who can be the first person to grab the red flag at the end. We didn't have the flag to grab, but making it to the end was a prize in itself. Even getting to the pole - which is waaay out in Gloucester harbor - is a challenge. The swim out felt incredibly long and freezing cold, but we all made it to the pole. David went first and made it, followed by Johnny who also made it. Then Pat got 3/4 of the way out and took a nosedive into the water, but not before he nearly racked himself on the pole. He emerged unscathed but covered in pole grease. By then, the storm was really rolling in. Chris got onto the pole about two steps, but we all decided that it was getting too dangerous. We were the tallest things out on the water, and the lightning was coming fast. I was getting out of there, thank you very much. The only way down, though, was over the side. The steps were way too greasy and complicated when we wanted to get down quickly. Johnny ran off the end of the Greasy Pole, Chris, Pat and I held hands and jumped off over the edge, and David stood as high as he could and did a cannonball. Maybe next year I'll try the pole itself, but for now, jumping off the edge in a lightning storm was adventure enough.
The boys sneaking up on Mom. Apparently this wasn't the first time, but it was still hilarious.
She jumped out of her skin. And also made a noise that went something like 'awwAAHHHHHH'.
David attempting the real greasy pole
He made it to the end!
Johnny also made it to the end
Pat did not make it.
Neither did Chris
But Johnny ran all the way off the end a second time
Johnny
David, about to cannonball off of the Pole
