Author: Pat D

From the Gloucester Daily Times Twitter account: sharing news:

This beautiful example of a barn along the byway can be viewed along route 133 near the old Candlewood golf course in Ispwisch. I think it misses the company of the golfers!

It’s time to prepare for the arrival of our hummingbird friends in about 2 weeks! I have a new feeder in my arsenal being delivered soon. Just you wait, Joey….just you wait…….

It’s been too long since we’ve been to Willow Rest on Holly Street. This was proven by the outstanding lunch we had with some of the GMG gang a few days ago. Three of us had the Cuban (HUGE and delicious); one Rotary sandwich (turkey, cheese and yummy stuff) and one Under the Bridge (crab cake, bacon and yummy stuff) . It is also a specialty variety store full of crafts and healthy food items. There are also prepared foods available for take out. There are picnic tables set up outside and distanced indoor seating. It was hopping with take out orders the day we were there. Everyone is appropriately masked and following protocols. Thank you for taking good care of us Ben.

We like to wrap our weekends at favorite places so off to Minglewood on Rogers Street we went to enjoy an early dinner and wrap up a fantastic weekend. As always, the service was spot on; the food delicious and the atmosphere exactly what we wanted. We feel very safe there with distanced seating, sanitizers everywhere and masked staff. the deck was empty but it won’t be long before that’s jumping too! Jim had a cobb salad and we each had the fish sandwich. So yummy. Thank you Zach and staff for another great experience! Also, points added to our Serenitee account! Win Win.

I picked up several items at Ipswich River Craft on Little Neck Road in Ipswich recently. I love my new shirt…..the fit is perfect and comfortable. The hat is high quality and the sign is gorgeous. The signs are individually crafted with great care. These will make great gifts. Thanks!

Job Fair at the new YMCA at Gloucester Crossing today Monday April 12 from 5-7 pm. There are 20 or so businesses looking for employees! C’mon down.

We were surprised to find this snowy owl at Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Sunday as I believe it is getting kind of late for them to be hanging around here. It was delightful as this owl was very active in our time there grooming and hopping up and down from the ground to nearby posts. It also stared down some pretty brave crows. I don’t think I will be seeing another one until next year……..

As I have described several times, we have a nest nearby that the eagles and the hawks have each been grooming and building over the past several weeks. Two years ago, there was a hawk family in there but last year it was empty. This year it seems to be a popular spot for both a pair of eagles as well as a pair of hawks. This creates a great deal of activity in our backyard here in Magnolia. Today I observed what I believe to be mating between a pair of nearby red tail hawks. The female flew into the tree from a nearby perch and the male soon joined. Shortly after they seemed to be done, the male flew off. Not a comment on male/female relations, but take from it what you will…….

For additional pictures and story, please feel free to visit Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook.

It was VERY exciting to see the Schooner Adventure finally out from under cover! It bodes well for the upcoming season. Although I do not yet see an opening date for them, I do take note they are hosting an online fundraiser and auction April 30. Details here. So happy to see you Schooner Adventure!!!

Just a few hours after the red tail hawks were hanging around in our Magnolia backyard, we noticed an eagle in the nest again. It was just one eagle and we did not spot the partner. It left the nest twice to get sticks for nest maintenance. It took a little poop break between trips; did the nest-work; and took off toward the harbor. It was a spectacular spring afternoon show! I have missed a couple of their recent visits so this was a great treat for me to be able to record it for myself.

I reflect on how fortunate I am to be living here, not only because it is the city of my ancestors; not only because of the blessings of the ocean and the light; but also to have my spirit bird hanging around right in my backyard where I can photograph them sometimes without leaving the house…….WOW.

They are back and tending to the nest behind Lobsta Land! The osprey pair was spotted yesterday together in the nest. One flew off and returned with nesting material while the other worked on nest maintenance. This happened a couple of times in the half hour or so that we watched. We may also have observed some courting behavior. The nest is just a little out of reach for my lens, so I have sacrificed some clarity for closeness. They are so fun to watch. Lucky for us, the Essex Greenbelt Osprey Cam makes it easy to watch live. There is a current nest photo on the site but I am not sure the camera is live yet. Watch it here for clearer footage: https://ecga.org/Osprey-Cam

We almost missed brunch in East Gloucester yesterday. Darn deer eating new spring growth right along the street. These are obviously taken from the car, but 3 deer were having themselves a spring feast.

It appears a deck is being built behind Lobsta Land in preparation for their scheduled opening April 22. Awesome view. Cannot wait!

These have been updated as of April 8 2021. You will notice a few new opening dates and updates! Thank you Bex Borden for the assist here (most of the work actually!)

Take yourself up to the new YMCA on Gloucester Crossing Road and check out the job fair Monday April 12 5-7 PM!

We hadn’t taken the walk out to Rafe’s Chasm in a while. A beautiful afternoon encouraged us to return to this beautiful spot for a little reflection time. It’s a short walk from the small parking lot and the path is nicely cleared. There didn’t happen to be anybody else right there on the rocks with us, but several teens were exploring the area near the chasm. One even belted out a Disney song ( A Whole New World, if memory serves.) which echoed off the rocks in a beautiful way bringing a smile to my face. Welcome spring!

Cape Ann Handywoman Bex Borden shares the spectacular sunset she captured this week. WOW

I was irrationally happy to see the pansies being planted by our Generous Gardeners yesterday. These hardy annuals are a sure sign spring has well and truly arrived. They didn’t used to be my favorite flowers, but now I recognize their resilience despite their fragile appearance. So I have come to appreciate them, especially as a welcome back to spring. Thank you once again Generous Gardeners! You can help them here.

I love sending visitors to Harbor Loop when they ask where they can go to get a feel for Gloucester. And then I remind myself to stop down myself once in a while. Some scenes from the Harbor Loop on land and on the water: