My View of Life on the Dock
I realize coyote sightings are not uncommon, but this was our first close coyote encounter. We watched this coyote for several minutes navigate the ice, have a rest and a drink then move on its way. We were in the vicinity of the Klondike water treatment facility. The coyote seemed relaxed, though I was a little nervous.
A variety of views of our beloved Paint Manufactory taken over the years. Some older (probably 2004), some newer, some at sunset, some from across the harbor………always stunning. I just love this gem.
The sky and the sea offered up some stunning views today. I was struck by the combination of snow caps, whitecaps and clouds today. fitting end to January. Rejuvenating and reaffirming.
And a short video from Magnolia:
Rocky Neck and the Paint Factory are always classic scenes of Gloucester and today I present boat traffic including Amber & John, Forbidden Zone, Arron & Alex, Indian Outlaw and Emily Teresa among others. Some coming in, some going out, one sitting still for the moment.
For my second Valentine’s Day suggestion post: Cake Ann is offering these wonderful heart cake pops which will help Show the Love in a very yummy way! Bonus: the wrapping is compostable!! And I am here to tell you they are rich and chocolaty and DELICIOUS. I ate it right in the car before I even got out of the driveway. Heading over for more in the next day or two…..
The drama “CODA” debuting today Jan 28 at Sundance, was shot entriely in Gloucester in 2019. The storyline is intriguing, CODA standing for “child of deaf adults” and revolves around a high school senior coming of age in a fishing family. We wish the film well in the competition and when released!
Images courtesy of WBUR at this story link. Thanks for the heads-up Scott Memhard!
Construction is coming right along on the corner of Fuller St and Norman Ave in Magnolia, home of the former Tony’s Magnolia House of Pizza. Tony’s suffered a devastating fire in October 2014 and the space has been empty until this construction began recently under a permit issued to Beauport Shores LLC for multi family or apartment dwelling last year.
Yesterday was a little dreary but brightened up considerably for me when I spotted an eagle on Rocky Neck! Sitting high in a tree, the crows were raising a ruckus which drew my attention. As I was repositioning for a better shot, the eagle took off over the harbor only to be harassed by seagulls in flight. As I waited and hoped for a repeat performance, a woman came out of the Paint Factory to let me know there was a large bird she thought might be an eagle resting out on Ten Pound Island. Sure enough, there was an eagle out there again accompanied by crows. They are majestic but seem to draw a lot of pesky attention! I checked a little while later from Oakes Cove Beach and there was still an eagle resting there; having some alone time finally.
Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! This is the first in a limited series of posts I plan between now and Valentine’s Day (Feb 14 by the way) to share some ideas to celebrate the day. This first one came from a Gloucester Elks Facebook post as you see here. Senior Care Inc is offering you an opportunity to Show the Love by donating a meal to a homebound senior in honor of Valentine’s Day. They cannot hold their annual fundraiser this year, but the need for funds is not diminished so this is a great opportunity to help fellow residents feel the love.
Here’s the link for the Senior Care Inc Valentine’s Day Meal on Wheel Un-Fundraiser: https://seniorcareinc.org/2021unbreakfast/ Easy to do online especially if you enjoyed the breakfast fundraiser in years past.
I recently saw that the Boston Globe in undertaking an initiative they are calling “Fresh Start” which is intended to allow people named in stories to “appeal their presence in older stories published on our websites.” The Boston Globe states that they are “looking inward at our own practices that have disproportionately affected communities of color.”
I find this to be very interesting and worth consideration for those affected. As many of you know, I consider myself a family historian and therefore rely heavily on newspapers to further that research. The idea that some stories might get a re-work initially caused me to think to myself “Hey, wait a minute….”. But, as I considered the stories of a number of friends and acquaintances whose lives were severely and adversely affected by news coverage, I sat back and thought about it again. When the news is sensationalistic, the stories often appear front and center especially in local newspapers. When people are found to be innocent or wrongly accused, that news often does not appear as prominently. The initial story often changes as it develops but isn’t always covered in the same manner.
So I applaud the efforts of the Boston Globe and others undertaking similar efforts to right past wrongs. If you feel you might qualify here’s a link for you to check out. If you do not live in the Boston Globe coverage area, a newspaper or media outlet in your area might be ‘revisiting the past for a better future.” I hear it’s all the rage…….
We had dinner at the Antique Table on Central Street in Manchester a couple of nights ago for our Friday night “date”. We hadn’t been back in a while and we had a gift card waiting to be used, so off we went. The online reservation system is easy to use and you can access it here at the restaurant’s website.
The manager Oscar greeted us warmly to make sure we were happy with our seating next to the fireplace. Our server Victor was friendly and thorough. My lemon drop martini was served in a chilled glass, making it extra refreshing. Jim ordered prosciutto roll ups and I had chicken vegetable soup (tomato based with lots of vegetables and big chunks of chicken). Our entrees included chicken florentine and shrimp scampi. Jim had lemon cake for dessert and I finished with a Mexican coffee. It was a lovely evening, not rushed yet efficient. We were safely distanced with plastic barriers helping. I understand they are also open for lunch but we haven’t tried that yet. We will be happy to return sometime soon!
I have mentioned previously that I obtained a copy of the 1948-49 Gloucester City Directory complete with a wonderful map. Every now and then, I get it out and wander through looking for historical inspiration. 1948 is the years Truman upset Dewey in the presidential race; Dinah Shore was singing Buttons and Bows; and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Rope was a popular movie. I do not have firsthand knowledge of these things, but the city directory and the accompanying map help give me a good picture. The Gloucester Daily Times provided a slideshow (link here) to some photos from the 40s and 50s which give us a more local glimpse into these bygone days.
I didn’t realize that we live in Fresh Water Cove Village, for example! This map also gives me a good lead on the schoolhouse locations….and that a city park preceded the current high school building. So much to learn!
We saw this very interesting barn when driving along a route near Rockport that is part of the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, which stretches further than just 133! This one’s a classic.
Good morning Gloucester! Just when I thought sunrise wasn’t going to be picture worthy, it blossomed onto something spectacular. It’s just a cell shot from our deck but WOW
Lane’s Cove Cemetery is also known at Cove Hill Cemetery and is tucked off a lane at the rear of 1052 Washington Street. It is not visible from the street, though it is only a short walk to this small cemetery. It sits just above the Lane’s Cove breakwall and the Greenbelt Harvey Reservation abuts the cemetery.
My copy of A Guide to Cemeteries in Essex County Massachusetts from the Essex Society of Genealogists c 1991 says “Abandoned, small yard in a grove of trees with stone wall. Vandalized. John Lane, Lanesville’s first settler, buried here. His original stone is at the Cape Ann Historical Association.” The Guide also notes this cemetery was active approximately 1729-1905.
I took a few gravestone photos to demonstrate something I have found interesting in nearly every cemetery I have studied. If you go by ages at death, people had longer average life spans than I had been taught in school. I’d been taught people “died young” back then. It seems not necessarily, as you can see here: I see ages 92, 86 (twice), 85,and 45 in these examples. Worth a walk if you combine it with the Harvey Reservation Trail, otherwise it’s a pretty short stroll.
It’s always a good bet that you will find a bunch of dogs walking the boulevard, especially on a beautiful day. Belle is the beautiful dog posing so nicely with the Fisherman’s Statue; a very good girl!
If you love dogs, you might consider following Thoughts of Dog on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter @dog_feelings. Makes me smile every time. Also We Rate Dogs is fun on Twitter @dog_rates, Instagram or Facebook.
Two well known local establishments have recently announced permanent closure: Sherry’s Corner Cafe on Lexington in Magnolia (which you probably saw here earlier, thanks Donna!) and the Cape Ann Brewing Company. Jim and I will sorely miss them both and I am sure we are not alone. It’s a reminder how hard we all need to work to end this pandemic.
Images borrowed from each Facebook page:
The Coast Guard appeared to be doing some exercises off shore yesterday. Someone would leap from the helicopter then be pulled back up. One Coastie seemed to stick the landing! Thank you Coast Guard for keeping your skills up to benefit the rest of us.
The Gloucestercast (#455 ) recently featured Matthew Murray and his @cape_ann_history Instagram account. This reminded me I hadn’t checked eBay recently for random Gloucester ephemera that I might have to add to my collection….and sure enough, I found and purchased this post card discussing visitors taking a trolley ride around Cape Ann in 1905. I loved the details provided by the author which matched up nicely with the information Matthew shared about the days of trolleys on Cape Ann. These visitors were staying at the Grand View Hotel in Annisquam and there’s a great blog post about Cape Ann’s grand hotels in 1905 found here.
It doesn’t take long for me to get totally wrapped up in the history with the assistance of our own Gloucester Daily Times and eBay!
Halyard has made a preview of a model apartment available (2 School House Road Gloucester) for those interested: https://realync.com/share#!/shareVideo/5fff6453a8e100f274fb8ae8/5fecb0ef9f170acd62caba1b/60006a6219f300523f7a77e4 PLEASE NOTE image is not a live link. Click link above for video
Application information available here
Good Morning Gloucester 