Author: Pat D

My heart soared a bit when I came across this egret in the marsh. It felt very hopeful.

From Sefatia’s Facebook page:

Updating anyone interested

Thank you for this reassuring sentiment on Washington Street. And thank you health care workers among many others!

It’s strikes me that it’s a little bit like a “backwards” zoo. We are behind glass looking out. So much goes on out in the backyard! All we needed to do was take the time to watch.

The Baker-Polito administration today March 24 introduced a new tool for anyone interested in getting reliable COVID-19 updates for Massachusetts by text message.  Text COVIDMA to 888-777 to receive messages and links directly from state and public health officials. This new tool is intended “help connect residents to information that they are look for through other public information channels, such as the state’s information line, 2-1-1, and website searches on Mass.Gov.”  The link for further information is here.

The Ann B at Cape Pond Ice watching over the new dock work at the Paint Factory yesterday.  Life going on still!

Kissing the sun goodnight again……

I found this chart from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America helpful as well as reassuring and thought you might too:

I have been missing seeing eagles, so off we went to Deer Island near Amesbury. No crowds made it very easy to keep our distance. I went looking for eagles and we saw two adults in flight. Also saw some Goldeneyes; I am not very versatile in “duck”…I got the hint from a bird watcher (more than 6 feet away).  I was surprised to see the seal swimming up the river but it was a nice distraction while we waited for the eagles to show up. Watching nature unfold is a great reminder that we are not alone in this world; that we share it with other creatures.

Thanks to GMG FOB David Collins for forwarding this very sweet tweet. My eyes are leaking a bit. Thank  you David and thank you Neil. Sweet Caroline never seemed so sweet.

It has been hard for me in recent days to determine what tone to take with these posts. For myself, one minute I am panic planning and preparing. The next minute I feel pretty confident knowing I am doing my part along with so many others and that this will not last forever. I expect it is the same for many of you.

Many of you follow us from afar, longing to see familiar sights and hear what’s new. I’m not going to tell you anything new here today, but we took our daily ride-around and noticed a few things.  Mostly, we noticed “life going on”. Lots and lots of people were out on the beautiful sunny day, but perhaps that was because so many normal inside locations are not available. It was Saturday, but does that matter now? Tough to look at empty municipal lots……heartwarming to see kids playing in the sand……gratifying to see groups of people respecting distance recommendations. It’s life as we know it now. It’s life going on. Here are some shots from our ride today showing this for those who need to see it. Stay well.

 

An email notification I received this morning Mar 22

To Our Guests,

With an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our employees, their families and our guests, in recent hours we’ve decided to pause all operations at Beauport Hotel Gloucester, this evening through April 5th, 2020. At this current time, we plan to accept room reservations for arrivals beginning April 6th, 2020 and beyond. This timeline may be adjusted as we continue to assess the situation daily. We do look forward to reopening and welcoming guests just as soon as we feel it is safe to do so. Our reservations team is ready and available to assist you with future plans – please contact our team at info@beauporthotel.com.

Our Weddings and Events Teams remain fully available for future bookings and planning – we’re your virtual wedding planners! Pease contact us at events@beauporthotel.com for all questions and interests. While in-person visits aren’t available at this time, we’ll be doing virtual site tours, video conferencing and more, working closely with clients to plan future celebrations and events.

We’ll still be (happily!) taking overnight stay reservations for this Spring, Summer and beyond, and we hope you’ll continue with your plans to join us – something to look forward to.

We wish you health, safety and positivity during the time. Look toward enjoying the Beauport deck in the sunshine, relaxing in the lobby lounge, and taking in the BirdsEye Rooftop ocean views, very soon. Please stay tuned for news on our reopening.

Best,

Ray Johnston & Lauren Johnston

Managing Directors

Census Day is April 1 2020. The US Census is mandated by the Constitution to be taken every ten years and the data that results drives federal funding for local schools, roads, hospitals, fire departments and others. The resulting data is also used to determine seats in the US House of Representatives and helps determine those district borders.

And that’s all important stuff, yes…BUT census records are one of the most valuable tools for family history research! Individual census records don’t become available until 72 years later (for 2020, that would be 2092 and I’ll be forced to miss that one……). The most recent census available is from 1940 and we are lucky enough to have it available free from Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.  Anyone can look at them anytime…like under the current circumstances of our at-home time. Here’s an example from Gloucester that highlights some familiar family names…see Ciaramitaro and Orlando? These provide a glimpse into life just prior to our entry into World War II.

It’s very easy to do your part and submit your 2020 Census report. You should receive an “invitation” by mail. You can respond by mail, phone or online. It’s required by law  and you might have a little extra time on your hands anyhow. I filled ours out online in just about 10 minutes. Your descendants will be very thankful!  Here is a link to some common questions.  

It was one of those foggy/hazy days recently when I noticed a beautiful hawk hanging out on the Newbury Pink House. Pretty soon, he took off, landed but flew off again pretty quickly. It landed in a nearby tree.

It wasn’t until I got home and looked more carefully at the pictures that I realized the hawk caught some prey on that quick flight. Nature is fascinating. Also, lesson learned: keep on clicking!

I hope all who pray to St. Joseph are blessed today. Here’s a little acknowledgement that appeared in the Mar 18 1924 edition of the Gloucester Daily Times regarding St. Joseph’s Day.  I do not know why it was celebrated on March 18 that year, perhaps someone has a thought? Thinking of all the novena ladies today! Also, happy first day of spring to all!

Ocean Alliance is having new docks installed at the Paint Factory intended to be made available for temporary or seasonal rentals in the hope of getting more vessels coming to Gloucester! Very exciting. Here’s how the work is going so far. Thanks Alicia Pensarosa for the info and the heads up!

The recent Tom Brady news stories brought to mind some Gloucester High football stories I have been waiting to post. Here’s some memories of gridiron days gone by from the Gloucester Daily Times. You may see some familiar names in the GHS Class of 1959.

Gloucester Daily Times Oct 3 1958:

Spring is set to arrive Thursday March 19, for an early equinox! The earliest spring in 100 years is what I am seeing. Isn’t that good news??? Here’s a link for more information: https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

Here are a couple of small signs of spring around town. Pussy willows and early tulips blooming. A feast for the eyes and heart.