Goodbye Blog

  This summer has changed my life, it has shown me how to have a work ethic.  Work is not just showing up and playing with kids, it is going back to the office and blogging or spending hours with kids who may not be the most understanding.  I have learned to do things that are not even expected of you because that what work is.  I have created a schedule that is idle for me and I did it through work.  I did not get to visit all of the sites but that is alright because I like where I was.  I really liked all of the Senor Marine Educators because they helped me out when I struggled and helped me out when I was down or tired.

I Don't Lose

  The Boston Children's Museum is my site.  It was my second home this summer, I liked everyone I worked with.  Even though we did not get along all the time the Children's Museum we always got work done.  It was fun and easy the kids loved it all the times.  We caught about 20 crabs a day and a fish if we were lucky.  Thanks god I caught a fish and not just one I caught three in one day, it was not luck.  The fish just came to me the last week I was so happy.  But of course the camera was dead when I had the fish in hand.

Thanks for the great summer,
Chris DiMaggio

The Dream Team

     The Children's Museum had a change of pace Tuesday.  The group from all acces did not get to go to George's Island so they brought their children to the Museum.  The children fished and crabbed all day and they loved it.  The Children also got to play sports which is a good change from the normal fishing and crabbing all day.  The sports are just what the Children's Museum needs because the children will become more engaged.  Sports are a good engager for children because a lot of them baseball during the summer.  My team was made up Manny, Frank, Tom, and Bobby and we crushed the other team.  The children carried the team as I did not do as good as I could have.

The Team

     I like playing whiffle ball with the children because they get more into it than me.  I love when they talk smack to each other because it makes them perform better.  Davis did not allow them to talk like that because he knew his team could never win.  His team was just not as passionate as mine.  I always lead my team to victory because I fire up my team.

A Parade of Fish

Today we caught the most fish so far this summer at the Children's Museum.  We caught 5 total -- 4 herring and 1 small pier fish.  It is ironic that we captured so many herring, because we used herring as bait.  The sabiki works magic.  I have never seen so many fish caught on the same line.  A sabiki is a line that has 5 small hooks on it.  It is easy to catch fish because the small pier fish are easily captured by the small hooks.  One family caught three of the five fish we had to display to the other families; this family stayed at the Children's Museum all day.

Fishing the stylish way

While everyone was catching fish I was on the public dock across the channel.  This was the first time I had used the public dock while at the Children's Museum; I didn't even know you could use it for fishing!  It's not that easy to get there because you have to go under a bridge and then down a walkway/loading dock to reach the dock; I think that's why not many families came over to me.  It was not as fun as I thought it would be, because there was no shade and no fish.  I am not too happy about other people catching fish while I did not catch anything.  I feel like the fish know when I have the rod and they swim away from me.

Monday is staff day and I'm excited to go back to Spectacle Island and redeem myself at wiffle ball.  I hope I'm on Carolyn's team so we win.

Until next time,

Christopher

One Extreme to the Other

     The heat was unbearable last week.  I felt like I was going to pass out, but I continued to work to the fullest.  The kids were small in numbers but big in heart, they did not stop even with 90 degrees plus.  The work became strenuous, the sun felt like it was piercing my body.  Sunblock became my new best friend.  Safe to say it was hot.

When it was Hot

     The rain followed the heat.  It was nice to have it cool down but it was bad because it rained.  I like the rain as much as the next guy, but its only good here and there.  I'd rather have the 75 and sunny than 95 and humid.  The rain was not heavy enough to keep us inside, but it did pick up just as we were leaving.  Just our luck.

A Normal Day

     A normal day for me consists of fishing, crabbing, and kids.  Fishing is my favorite because it takes patience.  A lot of the kids at the Children's Museum do not have patience, and that is why they do not often catch anything.  On the other hand, I can wait on a fish for hours, I know they are out there, and I'm waiting to catch one.  After I fish, I like to crab.  Crabbing is fun and easy for the kids because they can just pull the net up and there are some crabs.

Spider Crab

     The kids are the most important part of the day.  Sometimes they come in bunches and sometimes they come one by one. It is hard when there are days when you only catch four or five crabs and seven kids want to hold them..  No matter how many there are, I am always ready to help whether it be ten or 1.

Solo but it's Always GoGo

           Hey Guys I'm Back!

  Last week was the most epic heat wave ever! Despite the heat, many parents, adults, and kids came to visit us at the Children's Museum! Earlier in the week it was only Iris and I at the museum, but even solo everything else was the same-- kids came rushing in and adults were also curious too!

Iris and I showing a group of parents and kids what we caught

Me, holding a fish I caught...with the help of the net of course!

    For the first time we started catching fish, in the crab traps of course! All the fish we caught were a decent size and were slimy! EW! I even called myself the fish whisper a couple of times, because I saved two fish!-- Once one small fish's head was caught in the net and wasn't able to move, so I knew just what to do! I jumped out of my seat and ran to the net to delicately pull the little head out of the net! I was elated that whole entire day!

All the crabs we caught packed together

In total, we caught about thirty crabs in one day! This was unheard of to me, so I had to take a picture of this metaphorical prize...

Although we are located at the Children's Museum, children are not the only ones invited! To my surprise so MANY adults had no idea hold to hold crabs, the difference between a girl or boy crab, or even that crabs are fortunate enough to grow back their limbs!

Chris and I showing and teaching adults how to hold crabs

Lastly, I caught our very first spider crab! It was HUGE... I was secretly scared to hold it!

1st Spider Crab we've caught

                             Peace, Love, and Happiness,
                                         Anicia Gillespie

Mystery Boat

     At the Children's Museum a mysterious boat has dropped anchor at the pier.  It is not part of the Boston Tea Party, but it is a replica of a boat from Pirates of the Caribbean, The Black Pearl.  The boat actually says "Black Pearl" on it.  It just floats out in the pier without moving because it actually has no sails.  I believe that another boat must have tugged it there.  I would like to see the boat up close.

Pirates Pier

      What amazes me about the boat is that all the children have yet to seen it.  I guess it is true that if you hide something in plain site it will stay hidden.  When this boat leaves I will be very sad because the boat and I have become friends.  I show kids the boat, and they ask me about it non-stop.  I have even come up with a story about how it got there.  I tell them the pirates were shrunk by a witch that the pirates tried to steal from and that is why the boat is so small.  I also tell them that the boat is there because they plan to steal from all of the naughty kids that disobey their parents.  Sometimes kids will believe anything you tell them.

Where are All the Fish?

     The Children's Museum is on a pier that seems to be lacking in fish.  As a team, we have caught a combined zero fish on the rods.  We have caught at least one crab with the rods every day but no fish.  I am still determined to be the first one to catch a fish.  The children deserve to see a fish or even catch one themselves.  I do not care if it takes all summer.  I will be the first person to catch a fish at the Children's Museum.

No Fishes

     One thing we have not been short of are crabs and kids love crabs.  Whether it is their first day or their tenth day, they can not get enough of the crabs.  They think crabs are the coolest thing ever, and I can not say I disagree with them.  As you can see from the picture the children are just perplexed by the crabs.  They love the facts about the light houses and hour glasses.  No matter how many crabs we catch, I will not be satisfied until we catch a fish.

When it Rains it Pours

     It only took two days for the Children's Museum crew to have a rainy day.  Instead of the usual showing children crabs and showing them how to fish, we went inside the Children's Museum.  It is not as easy as it sounds.  We had to catch at least five crabs on a day where the crabs just were not showing their big hands.  We sat under the smallest of ledges in order to stay dry.  We took turns running out from under the ledge in order to pull up the trap and the net.  Standing in the rain was not my favorite part of the day.

     We went inside the museum and showed the children the crabs inside. The children are always amazed when you show them the spikes on the crab (that shows it is a green crab).  While the space was restricted to standing room only we were still able to educate those who were there.  When it rains it pours children inside the museum, when one child came over they all started to come over.  Rain is not a friend of Save the Harbor Save the Bay.

Fishing before the rain

A Little About Me

     Hi, my name is Chris DiMaggio and this is my first year with Save the Harbor, Save the Bay and I am very excited.  I am currently working at the Children's Museum then going to the McDonough Sailing program in South Boston.  I love the water and want to keep it as clean as possible.  The children keep the team and I on our toes as we continue to catch and show crabs and fish to them.  I am determined to be the first person to catch a fish at the Children's Museum.   Not only for the prize but because I quickly became hooked on fishing.  I love showing children crabs because I teach them about crabs and they teach me too.  The Children's Museum is a great site because there are so many children that walk by and are amazed by the crabs.

Helping the Children

     Work is only part of my day.  I live in South Boston at the house my family has owned since the early 1900s.  My family is very Italian.  We make homemade meatballs and pasta.  My great grandfather is originally from Sicily and did not speak a lick of English when he arrived in Boston.  My father is the third generation of Vincent Robert DiMaggio.  I would have been too if not for my mom.  My mother's family is all Irish.  My mother's family is like fire and my father's family is like ice.  Even though they are different, they get along very well.

Chris DiMaggio