Author: Pat D

Two cannons have been restored and returned to Stage Fort Park. A recent project enhanced that portion of Stage Fort Park to ease access and it’s nice to see the cannons back in place. I understand David Dow was instrumental in this project, so thanks David!

Great job paving Main St! The work crews were very impressive in their task completion and were able to finish a day or so ahead of time. Lines will be painted Sunday evening, so heads up on the Main St parking restrictions.

Our backyard has been popping with familiar colors and sounds this week. Welcome back my friends! When I took these photos, it appeared that Mr. Oriole was still awaiting his mate, but she’s made an appearance as well. Looking forward to a fruitful spring and summer in the bird world!

As many of you know, we recently travelled to Ireland with my sister and her husband. I appreciate so many of you being interested in our adventures, so here’s just a few photos and some observations.

First and foremost, the Irish people are very friendly and helpful (though that seemed to come to a dead stop at with airport personnel). It was a joy to talk with the locals and get insights and advice….which came in very handy when we blew a tire and needed to have a repair done! Other random observations: bike lanes there make so much more sense. The tipping culture is a whole new animal there–there isn’t the feeling of “demand for tip” everywhere and tipping feels much more optional. They offer pizza crust dippers as side options with pizza (genius)! Most establishments we went to offered soft drinks in reasonable sizes (less than a quart like we are used to). Salad is routinely served with breakfast. And so much more! But we are glad to be back on our home turf and hope to see you around town soon. If you are interested in additional photos and details of our adventure, feel free to check out Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook.

I got a tip that the Ardelle was hauled out at the Railways so we went down to take a look. She seems to be getting a bit of a spit and polish in preparation for the upcoming season. There are several other familiar vessels down there as well. It was like greeting old friends. Speaking of which, special Happy Birthday wishes to Liza R today!

Sharing news from the Annisquam Village Players:

Join the Cast & Crew

Complete audition and crew details available at this link: https://annisquamvillageplayers.com/join-the-cast-amp-crew

Despite showers on a cloudy afternoon, I made my annual trip to Felix’s Family Farm in Ipswich to visit the tulips. I have made this trip a number of times over the years, but this time I was totally floored by how impressive the fields looked, especially on a dreary day. The beds have been moved around a bit and the result is very satisfying! This year’s theme is TIME but you are running out of time to see those tulips at peak so you might want to get yourself there by Mother’s Day weekend. It’s well worth the ride. The tulips are plentiful, healthy and GORGEOUS. It’s a little bit of a replacement for the tulips we lost along the boulevard this year.

Mondays are made for Detroit style pizza at Bravo by the Sea in Manchester. We ordered ahead by phone and ate it there in the dining area. Win Win. That “Great Wall of Cheese” is everything it’s cracked up to be. This is DELICIOUS pizza. And today’s Monday……so….

We came across a fox feasting on the beach rocks in the vicinity of Black Beach recently. the photo id suggests this might be a red fox, though it appears to have seen better days. When done foraging, it hopped onto the road and trotted close enough to us to make me prepare to get back in the car. But then it hopped back over to the beach and continued trotting along the beachfront. It seemed to be oblivious of the traffic going by so perhaps it’s become used to populated areas.

Maybe you’re thinking about sprucing up your yard now that spring is upon us. These garden flags from Pat D’s Photos (available at 44 Main St as well) might be just the ticket. Several different images are available, these are just a few. Many are local images (such as our very own Back Shore Snowy) and these make a lovely addition to your yard or porch. They are sturdy vinyl about 12″ x 18″ and printed on both sides. They are ready to hang (I even have some extra yard flag holders if you need them) and would also make an easy to travel or mail gift! Reach out in comments with questions or feel free to reach me on Messenger. Prices are plus shipping but we always offer free delivery to Cape Ann area. We also have larger porch banners available so maybe you prefer to stop in at 44 Main St. My current hours are Thurs-Fri-Sat 11-5 and Sundays 11-3. Hope to see you soon!

So many sweet canines prance past our window at the shop at 44 Main St that I thought it would be fun to capture just a few of them: Ronan, Bodie, Freya (so cute and enthusiastic that there are 2 photos) and Jelly of interstate media fame. Gloucester is indeed a Dog Town.

I mentioned recently that we went to Cogswell’s Grant on Spring St in Essex to observe Kite Day. We got there plenty early and had time to wander the grounds a bit. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been there and a spring day seemed like a perfect excuse for a walk around. The grounds are free access, the folk art museum has an admission charge if you are not a member of Historic New England (it’s worth seeing the exhibits if you care to). Anyhow, there’s something special about farms in the springtime.

There was an event happening behind me, but this fog seemed to dampen the noises and create extra peace as nighttime approached.

A short walk around Rocky Neck allowed me a closer peak at these sheds and shacks. They each exude their own character and that’s what drew my attention to them.

I was curious to see if I’d see osprey returning to nests other than at Lobsta Land, so we took an easy little road trip out to Ipswich to check out the Sally Weatherall Observation Platform on Littleneck Road. Though we saw nothing more than a soaring hawk, we were pleasantly surprised by the ease of access. The parking area is quite small, but the walk is very short and easy. The platform is a good size and allows an expansive view including an osprey nest. We were there at high tide on a very nice day. It’s a short ride and easy access so I think I will check on that nest again soon.

This young eagle has been spotted along Little River in West Gloucester several times recently. It’s often in the company of a banded adult. You may remember I have been calling these two Fred and Ethel. The one you see here is perhaps around 3.5 years old as determined by its plumage coloration and other indicators. Eagles of this age are sometimes called sub adults.

I have followed a number of eagles over the years and have noticed that they seem to have their own personalities, which shouldn’t be surprising. The adult of this pair (Fred, though I don’t know if it’s a male) seems particularly skittish. It doesn’t seem to sit for very long in one place. This younger one (Ethel though I don’t know if it’s a female) is more likely to “sit and stay awhile” so I appreciated the opportunity to watch and observe for a while recently. We are very blessed here to have eagles in our midst. I understand they are predators and can cause some issues for neighbors, but overall it’s a true blessing.

Jim was craving some Italian Fish Stew and so off we went to get the one he likes the best: Blue Marlin Grille on Eastern Ave in Essex. It was lunchtime but our meal choices were more than enough for an additional meal. We saw friends (hi Marcy) and were served by friendly staff (thanks Morgan). I got the meatballs, which could have served to fill in for the moon during the eclipse (they are large enough) and Jim got fried clams along with the Italian Fish Stew. PS They are open on Monday, so win-win!

We are excited that the whale watching options here in Gloucester will be opening soon and I cannot wait to get back out there. Thank you to the Women’s Community Club of Magnolia for offering Cape Ann Whale Watch tickets as a raffle prize, which I won!! Woot Woot. Here we come!

When our family visited recently, we knew the weather was going to turn rainy and we were seeking appropriate indoor activities to entertain a nine year old as well as a three year old. Luckily, our friend Chris Langathianos clued us in to the Aloha Mini Glow Golf course in the Northshore Mall. The area is BRIGHT and glowing though the space is a little small. There are 18 holes and you can play up to three rounds with admission. Admission was reasonable and the course was challenging enough for the older child and the adults. It was a quiet weekday afternoon so we had the place to ourselves for most of our visit. The toddler enjoyed it, but if there aren’t older children or adults that you need to entertain in the rain, I wouldn’t suggest that particular activity. The pricing is reasonable. The mall provided further distractions (including the play area for the younger children) so it was a win-win.

We are getting to the time of year when you may get family visitors, as we did recently. And if there are children, you may be wondering how to entertain them. This post continues to discuss the activities we experienced recently with a 9 year old and a 3 year old. We drove into Boston to visit the New England Aquarium. Normally I would recommend taking the train, but for various reasons we drove this time and paid to park in the garage next to the Aquarium. Not a deal breaker, but you do what you have to do.

They were experiencing some issues with the 3D offerings so we just got “Aquarium” only tickets. It’s a little on the pricey side but definitely worth the joy and amazement demonstrated by the entire family. We were lucky that is wasn’t that crowded and there was easy access to all the exhibits and talks. Of course, the featured aquarium tank that spans all the floors is the main attraction, along with the penguins. But there are plenty of other informational and attractive areas to explore. The sea lions were especially entertaining. It took us an afternoon to make this visit without rushing through so it’s a wonderful way to spend half a day and experience a little bit of Boston for a fuller day if you choose. Seal of approval from 2 kids and their parents as well as the grandparents!