Author: Pat D

Going Live at Mom’s Kitchen…..

We recently sent our daughter this “exploding” cake. It was meant as a surprise but I accidentally ruined the butterfly surprise. That actually turned out to be a blessing because I had the opportunity to ask her to record the box opening. It was a fun gift that cost about $60 to send….well worth it for this occasion. You may have heard Joey recommend I share this video for your enjoyment, so here goes the surprise! Check them out at http://www.SendACake.com.

We were treated to a few antics from the seals at Brace Cove recently. I hadn’t seen them in a while so it was fun to be “reunited”. We observed come cavorting and some “hey, this is my side of the rock” behavior.

GMG Jimmy’s go-to romantic gesture is to find eagles for me, so that’s what we set out to do yesterday in Medford. It’s a little bit of a drive to Mystic Lakes State Park in Medford, but we almost always see interesting wildlife there. And yesterday was no exception. We had only been there a short time before this banded eagle flew from the nesting tree to perch for a while before taking off over the mostly frozen lake, have a picnic on the ice then return to the tree for some preening and watching. It was quite a show! Gotta hand it to GMG Jim for the Valentine’s Day WIN. For some additional eagle pictures and details, please feel free to visit my Facebook page Pat D’s Photos and Adventures.

An almost invisible additional star was a blue heron hanging out on the shore, very well camouflaged and nearly overlooked. He was a little slow moving, perhaps because of the cold. I was pretty surprised to seem him come so close.

I hope you find the opportunity to share some love today!

Sights you do not expect to see on the horizon in February on Cape Ann include a sailboat out by Thacher Island. The winter sky made a very pretty backdrop. Made me think of summertime activities though, so …..

Triton saw his shadow recently. He’s one of the several watching over us every day; including Man at the Wheel and Fishermen’s Wives statues. Honestly, I never quite know whether 6 more weeks of winter is good news or bad news. Is is ONLY 6 more weeks or is 6 weeks longer than it is supposed to be? Regardless: rain, snow, sleet or hail…they watch over us.

We had great luck finding some of our favorites at Salisbury Beach State Reservation yesterday morning. This red tailed hawk brought its prey to a nearby branch allowing us to observe up close. The snowy owl was further away, but sitting prettily in the sandy snow. Oddly (in my mind) there were more people watching ducks than the snowy; which, of course, allows the snowy some extra peace. I highly recommend a ride to Salisbury Beach on a nice winter day. There is no admission charge, plenty of walking space and parking along with lots of wildlife to observe.

The Yellow Sub Shop on Pleasant St. is offering homemade cookies dressed up for Valentine’s Day at a very reasonable price! Stop by to check them out. You need to pick up lunch anyhow…

It might have been miserable during the recent snow, but the following day was nothing but beautiful and calm. It was especially quiet on Harbor Loop in the post storm peace.

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We went to Crane Beach just before one of the recent storms to watch the clouds tell the story. Always a spectacular sight.

We stopped at Oliver’s Harbor on Main Street recently for dinner. Virus restrictions are being followed so tables are spaced apart and staff are wearing masks while serving a limited capacity. I tried the apple martini as prepared by Scott (complete with cherry of course). It was nicely served and very tasty. Jim ordered the pork chop which was one of the specials and he thought it was GREAT. I was celebrating a small victory, so I ordered the filet mignon and it was PERFECTLY done. I couldn’t have asked for it to be better. The brussel sprouts were served chopped which I appreciated. Oliver’s is a secret gem on Main Street! Thank you Scott for the wonderful service.

I realize they are considered pests by some, but I was very happy to see swans recently. It was a welcome sight as I’d been seeing nothing but geese……. the sunshine and blue waters really helped!

I was fascinated by the color and shapes the ice and frost took at Niles Pond during the recent cold snap. The ice looks a little bit like frosting on a cupcake on that stone!

Minglewood Harborside is our go-to “Let’s have dinner and a drink” and be comfortable choice especially on weeknights. Jim really wanted to try the new Twin Lights beer and I had a craving for buffalo tenders. You can’t see it in the picture as well as I hoped, but these tenders were steaming when they got to the table. They were done to perfection: nice and tender with just the right amount of sauce! Jim enjoyed his fish sandwich which is another favorite for both of us. Sarah was a great server. When I opened the Serenitee app, there was an unexpected bonus of $10 off waiting for us!! Win, win.

For those wondering, seating is appropriately spaced for virus restrictions, staff are masked up, contact info is taken, limited capacity is strictly adhered to. It feels quite safe. Hope to see you there soon!

We watched an interesting story from our back deck recently as a hawk flew with great determination to a spot in the marsh. It was low tide, so the area was frozen over and some snow covered the area. After it landed, it looked around the ground for a bit and then began to claw and stamp at the frozen grasses, presumably seeking lunch. It stomped around, digging up the grass but coming up empty of prey. It was intriguing to watch deliberate moves I’ve never seen from a hawk before. He then flew off to rest in a branch to think about Plan B. We’ve been seeing hawks a little more often recently and are wondering if they will be returning to their nest in a nearby tree this year.

Of course, sweet treats play a pretty big role on Valentine’s Day so we are lucky to have Turtle Alley right on Rogers Street waiting for us. Hallie showed me the newly made chocolate bombs on my way out the door…..all kinds of treats sweet, dietetic and paper are available when you stop there. So lucky to have them here for us! Local curbside pickup is available and I saw several bags awaiting pickup when we visited this week.

We have been informed that Atlantic Road will be temporarily shut down at 2:30 pm today in anticipation of a very high tide compromising the roadway. stay safe and away from flood prone areas.