Author: Pat D

Quiet day at Niles Beach recently. This solo lifeguard had an easy job that day.

It was very windy at Salisbury Beach recently and the water was roiling at the mouth of the Merrimack River as well as off the shore at the beach.

Our patience with the wind and blowing sand was rewarded with a majestic sunset.

We always like to go down and see what’s new at St. Peter’s Square.

We visited Salisbury Beach on windy New Year’s Day and noticed this guy removing his shirt and running straight into the waves. I think the people on the shoreline just happened by and were unrelated to the plunger. His name is Shawn and he told me it’s his annual tradition. Good on you, Shawn!

I was struck by the differences between this solo plunge into the wild waters at Salisbury Beach and the numerous plungers into relatively calm waters on Rocky Neck earlier in the day.

We like taking a ride up to Salisbury Beach in the off season. A snowy sighting is a bonus.

We always enjoy a trip down to Cape Pond Ice. The outside is a study in the history of the company as well as Gloucester.

This time, we needed to stop inside and pick up a t shirt requested by a family member. As always, we were greeted in a friendly manner and we were able to complete our purchase easily (even if it did require a trip back for additional shirts!). Thanks, Cape Pond Ice! It’s always a treat.

I’ve been seeing rock piles such as these in more and more locations in recent months. I can’t quite decide how much I like them. They are a testament to someone else’s patience and engineering skills and they are made of natural rocks but they aren’t “natural” either.

I will admit I like looking at them while reluctantly understanding why some might urge us not to build them: moving rocks can disrupt nature; they can be mis-read by hikers and walkers who know the signage; or, as one website put it, they are “an unnecessary reminder of humanity”.

So, I guess I will leave it to others to decide. I’m not starting a debate: I don’t build them, but I kind of like looking at them. PS Some apparently call them “cairns”, but random rock piles are not cairns, which are meant as memorials or landmarks and are usually much larger.

A few of my favorite things (who’s humming right now?):

I almost missed that seagull resting in there, providing a nice contrast in Rockport Harbor recently.

A great day for scavenging on the beach.

Great job plungers and pit crews. The nice weather brought out a crowd and I hope the Open Door benefited from that! Well done all!

Starting 2019 with some classic views at the Marine Railways seems like a good idea. Welcome 2019.

Our friends the seals at Brace Cove seem to be a good way to say good-bye to 2018. Some of them even seem to be waving. Stay safe everyone!

I saw this ad in the Gloucester Daily Times and thought it was worth sharing. The 2020 Census will be held soon and I understand these jobs are interesting and challenging. As you may know, the US Constitution provides for census taking; its main purpose being to determine Congressional representation. The federal census is taken every 10 years and the details become available 72 years later.

The most current census available is from 1940. This screenshot is shows residents of Fort Square and includes many familiar area family names such as Frontiero, Favazza, and Parisi. If you are curious, the 1940 census records are available for free at Family Search, Ancestry and the National Archives. They are very interesting!

View from Fort Square 2018, perhaps not much changed from 1940.

Ahhh.  Very peaceful day at Pebble Beach a few days ago. Gently lapping water and bright sunshine. Can’t beat it.

I was taking pictures at Fort Square when Bobby (“from down the Fort” or “down the beach” as he described himself) tipped me off that a hawk had caught a rabbit nearby.  He noted there are a lot of rabbits down there, but it’s obvious that now there is one less. Thanks Bobby!

Blue jays in the backyard recently enjoying a feast enough to ignore the squirrel’s company.

I hope you are able to take the time to enjoy the beauty of the season. Merry Christmas to you all.

Gloucester High football has been in the news this week with the resignation of the current football coach Tony Zerilli after 8 seasons.  We wish him well.  I never know what I might find in my stash of treasures, but I found this Gloucester High football article from the 1958 season that I thought might make some of you smile. Shouting out to Red Rudolph, Henry Pascucci, Tim Ryan and Bobby Lopes.