Author: Pat D

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!

We have been meaning to get back to the Cove Cafe in Lanesville for a while now, so we stopped to pick up sandwiches recently. I quickly remembered why this place enchanted me! So many options are available with efficient friendly service. It was perfect for our light lunch of “make your own” wraps with roast beef (for me) and chicken salad (for Jim). We also picked up some salad to go-with. the roast beef was tender and perfect. Jim’s chicken salad was loaded with cranberries and other goodies which he enjoyed.

I am intrigued by the Prep Meal Menu option and intend to head back soon to give that a try.

I took a little ride recently and found myself at Brace Cove on one of our nicer days. There, a woman equipped with binoculars asked me some questions about a nearby bird. I could not answer the question, so I re-affirm that we are NOT birders. However, there was an awful lot going on down there that I thought I could share. The appearance of a black crowned night heron convinced me to pull out my camera and start looking. I also found some killdeer which are among my favorites.

We were invited to attend the premier of the Apple TV movie CODA held last night at the Gloucester Cinema. The theater was packed with a wide variety of people with ties to the movies and the story of a teenage girl finding her way as a talented singer in a family where only she can hear. The writer/director Sian Heder described her work as a “love letter to Gloucester” and I think you will agree. Shot in Gloucester in 2019, you will see familiar sights and faces and connect with the struggles of the fishermen. Contemporary story lines will strike a chord and the main characters are well developed.

CODA is an acronym for Child of Deaf Adults but this is not thrown in your face as you watch the story develop. It also means an ending and this is the implication I found myself thinking about throughout the movie. I was surprised by the emotions the story evokes: we laughed heartily and felt a little tearful as well. It is a great story and I highly recommend you find a way to see it when it is released on Apple TV and to movie theaters on August 13 2021.

The after party was held at Mile Marker One and the chef and staff knocked it out of the park. Food stations were set up with hors d oeuvres inlcuding shrimp and flatbread pizzas. The staff was plentiful supplying drinks and restocking the food. It was a great setting for the cast and crew to enjoy the fruits of their labors. The LA premiere cannot be held due to COVID concerns out there, and director Sian Heder noted Gloucester’s premiere was THE premiere. It was an honor to attend and PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch the movie!

We discovered the parking lot at Halibut Point State Park has reopened, although construction there is still underway. It looks very different and is honestly a little confusing so take care to follow the signs when you go. The pathway we have always taken from the lot to the path down to the quarry is no longer available directly from the parking area. It appears the bathroom building is not directly available from the lot either, as least for now. Construction continues down there and seems to have a way to go to completion, but the lot is now available. See you on the trails!

If you listen to the GloucesterCast, you know that new-to-GloucesterCast-guests are asked for their choices of Death Row Meals and Subs. These choices need to come from an establishment and not someone’s personal kitchen. We have been asked to share the results.

An unscientific tally indicates that Virgilios St. Joe’s (including Chicken St. Joe’s) is the most popular choice with Destinos Cheesesteak as a close second. Sclafanis Italian comes in third for subs.

Dinner choices were more wide ranging but the local favorites include Hangar Steak at the Franklin, Bolognese at Tonno and clams at Causeway.

Here’s the sheet for your own perusal! What are your choices?

I thought it might be interesting to open my Gloucester Daily Times newspaper books to a random day in 1956 and see what was what. Always intriguing to find that as much as history changes, it stays the same. I noticed some familiar names and establishments on the list of licenses granted in April 1956. The “Dun Fudgin” boat landing was just a sparkle in the eye of the city. The high school baseball team played on. Young homemakers had new and modern furniture options available on Main Stree.t Enjoy your stroll.

Someone we have come to love recently celebrated her 16th birthday. To help make the day a little more special, we went to Audrey’s Flower Shop on Railroad Ave. The minute I walk in there, the smells and colors make me smile. I told Heather we wanted a bouquet for a 16th birthday and she expertly guided me through the selection. I was very pleased with the results and so was the birthday girl! I can always count on them. PS Heather tells me she is hoping to start classes up again soon!!! Hope to see you there!

As you may know, we spent the weekend at our New York house. The night before we returned to Gloucester, a fellow eagle enthusiast and photographer called to invite us over because a young eagle was hanging out in his yard. I don’t need to mention how fast we got in the car to make our way over there. He lives on the Susquehanna River and a nearby tree has an eagle nest which, this year, hosted 2 baby eagles. It’s a rare opportunity to get such a close up look at an eagle that is only several weeks old. It has fledged, but is apparently not entirely ready to be on its own (typical adolescent!).

This youngster wandered around the yard a bit, screeching and awkwardly attempting flight. A parent (we suspect the male) watched from above, occasionally responding with its own screeching. I was surprised by its size.

Due to concerns about its well being, a wildlife specialist was called in. He arrived to capture the bird gently and efficiently by throwing a net over it. It immediately fell onto its back so that the talons could be used in defense as needed. It was placed in an ordinary tote for transport to Cornell for examination and tagging before it is returned to its home turf as soon as possible. What a sight!

Additional video, pictures and story detail at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures Facebook page.

I recently returned to our tradition of seeking out places to enjoy margaritas on Mondays so I can revive my personal Margarita Monday posts. Where better to start than Jalapenos on Main Street? Frozen raspberry is my favorite one there. We also had dinner! Always delicious and friendly at Jalapenos. Where to today? Where’s your favorite?

There’s always something eye-catching down at Rocky Neck, so I love to take a stroll around every so often. It’s particularly enjoyable at this time of the year with blooming flowers and green grasses.

As I have mentioned, we got a new feeding station intended for hummingbirds. It is a plastic red tube with feeding holes allowing the birds to access the sugar water. It has performed perfectly and the hummingbirds love coming to our “bar” or “saloon” for a nip. It has also drawn the Baltimore Orioles and they are lots of fun to watch, except I would kind of prefer they stuck to the oranges and jelly we leave for them and allow the hummingbirds their sugar water. But, tis not to be…… Here, you see an oriole couple having the classic argument at the bar…………..we’ve all been there and witnessed such a disturbance between couples at a bar! The female really seems to be giving the male the business. In one picture you can see a green blur of a hummingbird trying in vain to get back to his spot at the saloon. It’s not easy to capture these guys through a window and in inclement weather, but it’s a story I had to share. Please go to Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook for additional pictures and details.