Author: Pat D

Some scenery around town recently made me think these are good candidates for this year’s Cape Ann Plein Air Festival artists. I’m just calling them my own personal plein air photos! I will be gallery sitting at the pop up gallery 123 Main Street on Saturday if you’d like to stop by to see the real thing. Come on down and say hello from 11-3.

We took our company up the road a bit to the Village Restaurant in Essex for dinner recently. After making online reservations (easy-peasy) we were greeted and seated although one member of our party had not yet arrived. That’s a bonus when you have a young child with you! It was dusk and beautiful out back. I noticed chargers for electric vehicles (another bonus) AND the service was friendly and efficient. Our daughter ordered the bucket of rum which was literally a bucket and she was quite pleased. We also had broiled scallops, fish fry and a sandwich. It was a comfortable and relaxed dinner in a very pretty setting and I can’t wait to return.

We had a visit from our grandson recently and took him down to Maritime Gloucester to check out the touch tanks. It was a wonderfully immersive experience for him, approved by his zoo educator Mom. Thanks Maritime Gloucester! If you haven’t been in a while (with or without a child), make it a point to stop down. Inside and out, it’s a winner!

A fundraiser for the O’Maley field hockey team was held last week at the Magnolia 525 Tavern on Lexington Ave and it was a huge success. We stopped by for some of the fun and to help support the team as well as the local restaurant. It was easy to make the online reservations or you can call. The food was yummy: I had the Asian Short Ribs and Jim had the Eggplant Parm special. The strawberry shortcake was a sweet way to end the evening. The place was hopping especially with so many team members and their families in attendance. Special shout out to Josie Martell for organizing the event. If you want to offer a fundraiser, this is something to consider!

Open til 1 today! You still have time to stop by.

As I posted, we recently saw a young eagle in our nearby “resting tree”. The very next day, we spotted a pair of adults in the “nesting tree”! I believe these to be the same pair we saw last spring in that same nest practicing building skills. I am very happy to see them return! Any sort of eagle sighting is a blessing.

The newly completed Sea Level Rise Mural at Ocean Alliance as seen from the harbor as presented by the Cape Ann Climate Coalition. It’s quite striking.

I visited Medford this week to try to find some eagles at Mystic Lakes Park since my Facebook memories indicated that we’d seen some there a year ago. Although I did see an eagle in flight from a distance, I spent most of my time watching this heron patiently hunting for its lunch. Over the course of the hour I watched it, this heron did not successfully catch his prey for nearly the whole hour, but I was rewarded just as I was starting to think about giving up the ghost. The heron seemed to enjoy a hearty meal on this beautiful fall day.

I was surprised to see a large bird in the “resting tree” behind our apartment as we haven’t seen too many larger birds recently. But I knew right away from its size, appearance and behavior that it is likely a young eagle. I am very excited to see young eagles hanging around this area! Young eagles in the area often means there are adults around too though I did not see any this time. As is usual, the crows were not happy and felt the need to harass the young eagle, which it seemed to mostly take in stride. I hope it returns soon.

I was surprised to learn that the School Street Sunflower field in Ipswich is still open for a couple of more weekends with new patches of sunflowers expected to peak within that time. It’s a great take to stop for a visit and chat with Paul, the creator of the “Light” themed paths through the field. I took my sister there under threatening skies and gray clouds but it was still spectacular. The light was very interesting and added to the experience. If you go, I suggest purchasing the tickets online here and take notice of the field location on Lowe’ Lane (near the Dairy Queen) as Paul informed us this would be the location of the tulip field next spring. There’s something about sunflowers that just brings a smile out and the welcoming greeting upon arrival is a nice bonus. Well worth the short drive. More pictures, details and an announcement at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/Pat-Ds-Photos-and-Adventures-105596528079294

Big news from Cake Ann on their Facebook page!

We had a fantastic dinner at the Boat House Grille in Essex this week. My sister and FOB Paula is visiting and we took a ride in that direction and decided to have dinner at the Boat House. It was outstanding. Alyssa was our server and she was patient with our indecisions over our choices…..there were several tempting options. I had French Onion soup, which is TOPS! It’s the best around…..beefy and flavorful. Maple bacon wrapped scallops accompanied my soup and they were nicely done as well. Jim had a burger and Paula the fish and chips special–also good choices. It was on the early side but diners arrived at a steady pace. The atmosphere is cheerful and relaxing. Consider adding it to your rotation!

Progress is being made along the back shore at the site of the former Twin Lights Manor.

We took advantage of Cape Ann Museum’s guided “Historic Dogtown: A Walk Back in Time” last Friday and it was aptly named. About a dozen ticket holders met up with 4 guides (Monica, Roasalie, Beth and Suellen) at the Dogtown Road parking lot for a 2 hour walking tour filled with stories and tidbits about the past inhabitants, history and homes. In its heyday, Dogtown was not considered prosperous but it was at least respectable for a time. But then it began to deteriorate and fade as the times and economy changed. Most striking to me was that the area had once been mostly cleared of trees and wild vegetation to make way for the farms. Now we all know it is full of trees and overgrowth. One of the artist-poets drawn to the beauty described it as a cross between Easter Island and Stonehenge. That seemed an appropriate description.

It’s a long walk with several stops along the way and the path is relatively easy to navigate. I would strongly recommend bug spray however. Other opportunities for this walk are upcoming and you might want to consider going for a very enlightening tour. The guides are well prepared and informative AND a very useful map is shared. Check out this and other Cape Ann Museum events here.

Wave action along the back shore drew me nearer to the shoreline to take some pictures. These sweet little birds drew me to remain longer than I would have otherwise. About a half dozen of these were flitting back and forth taking advantage of the treats left behind by the waves.

We took family visitors aboard the Thomas E. Lannon Schooner for a sail last Saturday. Even though the skies were a little cloudy and grey, it was another wonderful experience with Capt Heath Ellis and the crew. There was a small incident with an inexperienced boat crew at the dock as we were returning, but the crew handled it professionally and calmly so we felt very safe. The season will be coming to a close very soon (mid October) and we still have some great weather days coming up so give some consideration to a sail! Kids (to age 16) free with paying adult on Saturdays! Tickets and information here.

If you are like me, you have started to think about the holidays with the potential of “supply chain delay” effects on your shopping. No issues with such delays when you shop local and at a craft fair such as the one being held today Saturday 10 AM – 3 PM at 44 Commercial Street (kind of behind Mom’s Kitchen). Stop down and say hi. I have a couple of gift baskets like this one ready for you! Also, notecards, prints, puzzles and other items featuring local scenes. Pat D’s Photos is ready to help with your holiday plans!

In case you were wondering about these signs in Rockport directing you to the Lobstermen Tribute Memorial , here you go. We followed our noses and found this lovely little bright spot on Pigeon Cove decorated with lobster buoys and water scenes as done by 4 children of lobstermen under the guidance of artist Leslie Heffron. Financial support was provided by an Awesome Rockport grant of $1000 for Robert Morris IV, Alysa Morris, Ben Morris, Cayla Place and Aaden DeLeon Job to work with Leslie Heffron at the beginning of the summer to create this tribute. More information can be found in the Fall 2021 Cape Ann Magazine. Well done by all! If you’re driving by Pigeon Cove, take a closer look.

I will be one of the vendors at the Cape Ann Time Bank Artisan Market this Saturday Sept 25 at 44 Commercial Street from 10 AM to 3 PM. Hope to see you there where I will be offering notecards, puzzles, prints and gift baskets using some of these images.

I could watch these guys all day scurry to the water’s edge, then hustle back just ahead of the tide coming in. We just took a seat at Pebble Beach recently mesmerized by these birds at the shoreline. I hope these capture that magic just a little bit.