Author: Pat D

A pair of magnificent bald eagles came to rest in a tree in our backyard yesterday afternoon in Magnolia. One was calling out and it sounded as though “she” was right next to me. The call went right through me. If you look carefully at these pictures, you can see the one on the upper branch calling out. The pair flew off and a singleton landed again a few minutes later, so I can only confirm 2 in the area though it could possibly be 3. Hoping to see them again soon. What a sight!!!!

It’s not a song; it’s not a book title….it’s how the birds seemed to line up for us a few days ago on our ride around town. Egrets, herons and unknown small ones all lined up in pairs for the camera on a lovely sunny day. The egrets were checking out the other egrets on Jones Salt Marsh and the herons seemed to be waiting out high tide coming in on the back shore. Probably part of the blessings of fall migration.

These red rowboats were beautifully posed down near the Long Wharf Landing though they drifted just enough to make it seem they were signaling by Morse Code. Dash, dot, dot, dash. It feels like the beginning of a Dr. Seuss tale: Four Red Rowboats Sitting in the Water……

If you see this handsome guy today, say Happy Birthday! He’s officially a senior citizen but you wouldn’t know it from his energy levels. Thanks to Gloucester for embracing him. He was introduced to Gloucester 35 years ago on our honeymoon (see the honeymooner below) and we’ve been visiting regularly ever since. Today, in retirement, we have achieved our goal to live here. It’s a gift we gave ourselves. Happy Birthday Jim!

At work in Gloucester recently…..

So I guess this is called kitesurfing or kiteboarding. Whatever it is called, it’s pretty cool to watch the rider soar into the air on a windy day at the beach. I wanted to call this post “Getting High on Good Harbor Beach” but I thought it might be misconstrued……. Not sure how that woman apparently on her phone wasn’t gobsmacked as I would have been with this guy kind of soaring overhead…..

These lovely egrets made gorgeous reflections recently at Goose Cove.

The Studio on Rocky Neck is a lovely setting for a quiet delicious late afternoon lunch or dinner AND often has half price food options during the week. I had the haddock sandwich and Jim had a seafood platter. As a special treat, I ordered the fried pickles for my side dish. Oh, it was a very good decision and I recommend you consider going down to 51 Rocky Neck Ave for a safely distanced treat! Check here before you go for specials.

Our recent whale watch offered the bonus of viewing local boats from the water, which is always a treat.

My favorite times of the year to take a whale watch are the spring and the fall so we scheduled one for last week hoping we’d experience success similar to previous trips aboard the Hurricane II of Cape Ann Whale Watch. Once again, we were not disappointed!

Trips are available most days in October and this is a great time for a trip. Discounts are available and capacity limitations allow for a little more “elbow room” throughout the trip. Staff and crew are friendly and knowledgeable. It’s quite inspiring to see these big beautiful creatures in their home habitat. We were treated to two pairs of mother/calves hanging out together, and lots of calf activity. You will be able to see that the whales were VERY close to the boat on this trip! Very exciting.

We stopped by the Laneside Pub and Brewery at Cape Ann Lanes on Gloucester Ave recently to try their brew. Although I am typically not a beer drinker (except for the occasional Guinness), I ordered the Trophy and enjoyed it VERY much. As advertised, it was light and tasty. I would agree it’s perfect for bowling! I also tried the BLT. Jim ordered the loaded tater tots. The fare offered seems quite perfect for bowling in their beautiful lanes. Welcome to the brew game Laneside. Give it a try!

My heart just sings when I see eagles. I needed an eagle fix, so we went to Mystic Lakes State Park in Medford because we can usually find them there. Disappointingly, we had no luck near the Medford Boat Club and decided to go look at the swans instead. We found ourselves enraptured by the variety of wildlife there and were just stunned to see an eagle coming from across the water directly to us. She flew straight overheard as if to lead us back to the Boat Club where we spotted two of them!!! Great day. We had kind of given up on the eagles, but she came to us instead……

Looks like some work is being done at the WWII Memorial to spiff things up. Looking forward to the finished work on behalf of my Dad, a Gloucesterman who served.

I was taking some photos of the waves over the breakwater yesterday and had some company: a young buck checking out the neighborhood intruders.

The waves yesterday morning were pretty fierce against the boulevard wall and along the breakwater. The sky got a bit intimidating then beautiful. We are so blessed.

OK, not Golden Pond, maybe not even a pond, but after we thought we struck out at the eagle sight in Medford at Mystic Lakes State Park we stopped a little way up the road to watch the swans. It turned out to be a great decision as we watched swans, ducks, kingfishers, and others being very active on this nearby waterway. We met a woman who has been watching the swan family all season and apparently one of the young ones has gone missing. We saw what appeared to be a family of 5 happily feeding. It was a rich environment for those who like to bird watch or just watch nature unfold its stories. There actually was an eagle that greeted us here, but that’s a post for tomorrow because it’s worthy of a separate story for sure.

Beautiful Niles Pond cloaked in fog recently drew my attention.

We were able to visit Crane Beach a few days ago. It was one of those days when there was lots of wave action, so the kids were having a grand time in the water under the watchful eyes of their parents. It’s been a bit difficult to get one of their daily passes this summer even with a membership and parking pass, so I was gratified to note members are promised an additional three months next year upon renewal. Very clever! And appreciated.

I put my feet in the water; it is so soothing, I can’t help myself. I looked back upon my own footprints in the sand.

“Sometimes even a thousand waves hitting the shore continuously one after the other also can’t erase few footprints on the seashore.”
― Akshay Vasu, The Abandoned Paradise: Unraveling the beauty of untouched thoughts and dreams

We had dinner at the Village in Essex recently and it was very nice to be back there again! There’s a smaller menu, but the food remains delicious and the staff efficient and friendly. The tables are seated with distancing in mind. Seating is available inside and outside. It was a beautiful evening and the restaurant was lively. Several customers were greeted like the old friends they obviously are. It’s comforting to be in such a warm atmosphere.

I started with French Onion soup, one of my “ test dishes”. I like to try it everywhere I can to see how each kitchen makes it. This was as yummy as it looks. It was nice and hearty. I a

So tried the special Black and Bleu Steak. Jim had another special with a variety of broiled seafood. None was left to take home! No room for dessert, but it would have been key lime pie……

We took advantage of the opportunity to get a timed entry pass to the grounds at Castle Hill this past week. Beautiful at any time, but this time the Rose Garden was open and boasting several monarchs in addition to a relaxing landscape. You never know what creatures you might meet! Information available here.