Author: Pat D

The original musical Nothing to Hyde will be presented Aug 11-14 by the Annisquam Village Players. Here’s preview with Peter Nelson as Mr. Edward Hyde”

And a brief interview with Terry Sands:

Nothing to Hyde will be presented by the Annisquam Village Players this week August 11-14 outside between the town hall and the Annisquam Exchange on Leonard Street. We talked with director Terry Sands about this original musical written by Mary Curtis and Tony Hutchins. Tomorrow’s tickets have already sold out so get yours online as soon as possible ($35). Loosely based on The Strange Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, this production features Peter Nelson as Edward Hyde. He presented a number for our entertainment which I encourage you to review below! Very entertaining.

Get your tickets online for this outdoor event (spaced seating so limited tickets available)! You won’t want to miss this original production.

I have video to share but am currently unable to upload it. Please stay tuned!

Last week, we decided on George’s on Washington Street for our margarita Monday. Great choice on our part, I have to say. David was our bartender and server and he made up a great strawberry basil margarita for me. And, because it was the 2nd of August, I chose to have a second margarita featuring blackberry (YUM). We also had the Fiesta Wrap and Steak Bomb stuffed into a baked potato (genius). They are doing some nice work here with the food and bar menu.The experience was relaxed and a perfect start to our week!

We have been enchanted by the variety of Little Free Libraries that are blooming around town so we went to find some for a blog post. There are so many that they provide enough material for a “Part 2” post. You can find the locations of registered Little Free Libraries here. Not all are necessarily registered, but it happens that each of these treasures is. My favorite among these is the Girl Scout Book Bench on the porch of the Welcome Center at Stage Fort Park because of the color and the thoughtful seating. I don’t know about you, but I always peek inside when I see one of these around! And it’s a great way to recycle my books so that others may enjoy. Well done, all!

Our anniversary dinner (36 years!) was celebrated at the Antique Table in Manchester this week. We had not been there since the winter months and we have been wanting to return. Outdoor seating is available but I prefer to sit inside. Indoor seating is set up in separate rooms and we were in the bigger room toward the back. Easy listening music relaxes you as you look around at the interesting wall hangings. Jose was our server with prompt delivery of drinks, appetizers and entrees. We had the prosciutto rollatini; Chicken Francese and Antique Table Haddock and they were each delicious. For dessert, Jim ordered a cannoli. It was a wonderfully relaxed experience and we are glad we got back there again. I think we’ll try to make it a more regular stop.

There are a variety of displays of Gloucester history all around town but one of the most interesting appears in the Crow’s Nest. Probably not your first stop when seeking history, but the walls are rich in Gloucester heritage displays. This Norman Rockwell print is one such example at the Crow’s Nest.

“Lucky Catch” (sometime referred to also as “Mermaid”) by Norman Rockwell appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post Aug 20 1955 and created quite a stir. The story can be found here, but the significant piece of the story for Gloucester is the 81 year old lobsterman tapped to be the model: Walter E. Marchant. Walter was born in 1873, lived and lobstered in Gloucester all his life. He died just a few years after the cover appeared.

In my search for his identity, I sought assistance from Lois at the City Archives (thanks so much Lois!). I also went over the the library as well as to Cape Ann Museum; by the time I got home an email from Lois was waiting for me. This was a link to a Boston Globe article Sept 18 1955 verifying the identity of the pictured lobsterman. The article is very interesting and I encourage you to read it through. He describes Norman Rockwell as a “nice sort of duck”. Walter travelled to Stockbridge to sit for the artist which I imagine was no small undertaking for him.

As I sought out further information about Walter, I found a very intriguing story including his redesign of the lobster pot which was apparently successful in luring the lobsters. As a young man, he participated in a rescue off the breakwater of the Schooner Nautilus in 1905 out of the life saving station at Dolliver’s Neck. This article from the Boston Herald Sept 4 1955 shows a picture and we understand why this man was chosen as a model.

It’s a classic Gloucester story commemorated in true Norman Rockwell fashion for “Lucky Catch”.

I took a ride to Appleton Farms in Ipswich (I guess the official address is South Hamilton but it’s a short ride) to challenge myself by using only a particular rarely-used lens I have in my camera bag. The weather was OK but not especially pretty. The property, however, is picturesque and busy with activity. There was apparently a camp with young children having an activity in the barnyard; there were several young children there with parents hanging out watching the farm life; there was also regular farm work taking place. It made for some good practice with the lens. AND there’s a store! Our own local Pigeon Cove Ferments has kombucha and sauerkraut available there. It’s a Trustee property well worth a short drive for something a little different.

I took a little walk around some parts of Lane’s Cove that I don’t normally explore on a very pretty day. Sure is picturesque down there! In case you haven’t been able to see if for yourself lately, here you go.

Thanks to Joey taking us for a ride near dusk aboard Tide Together, we were able to see some of our favorite sights from the water. It was a beautiful night, perfect for a ride. Anytime you get a chance to take a ride in the harbor is an opportunity to give your eyes and spirit a real treat. Have we mentioned lately how happy we are to be here? Happy Anniversary of our honeymoon in Gloucester 1985, GMG Jim!

As you may know, I like to celebrate Mondays with a margarita but last week we found ourselves at Seaport Grille on Rogers Street on Monday. There was a special cocktail available: Strawberry Coconut Mojito. And, just like that, we were celebrating Mojito Monday instead of Margarita Monday! It was a fair trade off! Jim had the eggplant panini and I had my favorite there: filet with béarnaise sauce. My steak was done to perfection and Jim cleaned his plate. I finished the meal with another favorite: Seaport Coffee. We very much enjoyed our new Mojito Monday.

The Harvey Reservation trail in Lanesville MIGHT possibly be the shortest trail in the Essex Greenbelt collection of trails but it rivals them all the for views out onto the ocean. At one end is the Lanes Cove or Cove Hill Cemetery and at the other end is Lane’s Cove. It’s a very short and easy walk and along the way you will see granite encased in the pathway. The Cove end has a bench for contemplation or perhaps lunch as you look out over the vast waters. I suggest you check the website for additional interesting background on this area. We’d been intending to get there for a while and this summer has certainly allowed us the opportunity to check it out. Maybe you will too.

We had dinner recently at Fox Creek Tavern in Ipswich. We enjoy taking that ride partly because the service is so friendly and the food delicious. It’s very easy to make online reservations and the atmosphere is welcoming and warm. It happened to be rainy and dreary that night and several family groups chose to enjoy their dinner there as well. As has become our habit, we thanked our server Kate for working and serving us that evening. I don’t know if that helps, but we figure it cannot hurt!

I tried an item new on the menu, General Tso’s Shrimp which was just spicy enough. Jim had the other item I considered for myself: Seafood Alfredo, which was jammed with seafood in a yummy alfredo sauce. I had decided to splurge and we also got the peach empanadas, which were rich and satisfying. We’ll be back!

We don’t often get to Rockport especially during the summer, but we recently took a little walk around Bearskin Neck and Main Street. There are always pretty sights to see there! It was very busy for early afternoon on a weekday, and there was lots to look at and admire.

We stopped by Pauline’s Gifts on Essex Ave to deliver her prize for sharing the GloucesterCast podcast last week but I had an ulterior motive because I needed some gifts anyhow. As always, Pauline greeted us in a friendly manner and we chatted for a while. We wished her well on the upcoming final results of the 70th annual Retailer Excellence Award. Pauline’s Gifts is a finalist (!) and is looking forward to the August 3 announcement of the winners. This is a great honor for Gloucester as well as for Pauline herself. Congratulations! (PS you could also win a prize if you join us for the Good Morning Gloucester podcast livestream on Sunday mornings on Facebook, hit the share button and comment “shared”). And, bonus, I got the PERFECT gifts locally.

There is an endless variety of activities on the water during our beautiful summer days! From the Paint Factory, we saw Pretty Girl, Thomas E. Lannon, Lady Jillian and Theresa C going about their business.

I noticed this sign near the Rhumb Line last night so I looked for more information. The Blues Festival will be held Aug 14 from noon – 8 PM at Stage Fork Park. Info here. Welcome back!

From thehttps://gloucesterbluesfestival.com/ webpage:

We attended the flag raising for the Gloucester 400 flag at City Hall yesterday in the lovely (hot) sun. Several were in attendance as the Mayor, Tri-chair Bob Gillis and Tri Chair Ruth Pino raised the new flag in recognition of the upcoming 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of Gloucester. May it fly proudly over the next several months of events and activities.

As an update to my previous post regarding an up close visit from a fawn and its mother recently, today we looked out the window and were greeted by the sight of TWO fawns!!!! They came up even closer to the house, eating voraciously as Mom looked on. A couple of bicyclists startled them into running toward the woods but otherwise they seemed most fearless (as youngsters tend to be). What fun to watch them frolick and explore the yard! More photos and additional details can be found at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures Facebook page.

Just released from the Gloucester Harbormaster: Bridge closure to vessels and vehicular traffic 9 PM to 5 AM as stated below. Take note if traveling at these times.

From their Facebook page

As I have noted previously, we often see deer in the backyard but it is not often that a fawn comes for a visit. It was pretty close but mom wasn’t far away. The light and the greenery and the beautiful fawn coloring were irresistible. We love our neighborhood!