Author: Pat D

Scenes from around Maritime Gloucester before winter melted away. Can’t help but wonder who’s in THAT doghouse?

Time lapse video spring morning in Gloucester. Thanks for the help Joey and YouTube with my new Yi Action Lite camera. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all. I hope it’s as bright and shiny as this!

It’s been about a month since Mass DOT began structural repairs to Blynman Bridge and it seems a good job has been done to make navigating the restricted lanes as easy as possible on commuters. For those who may be unaware, one big change that will be noticed is that the the bridge tender’s control house on the harbor side of the bridge has been removed completely. It’s been empty for a while now, but the open space on that side of the street may be a welcome sight for many.  (Thanks cousin Colleen for pointing this out to me!)

Here’s how it’s looking so far:

I decided to go to Halibut Point for dinner as I had not been there recently and it was quite delightful. I like to skip lunch and have an early dinner so table seating was plentiful. As time went on, the bar filled up with obviou “friends and family” well known to the bartender and staff. It was fun to watch the “Cheers”-like aspect to welcoming new arrivals and rearranging the seats to accommodate them.

I started with a hot cider drink. I always appreciate hot drinks at this time of year. While I waited for my Cajun chicken ( a little more Cajun than I expected, but very yummy), I looked around at the history told in pictures on the wall. I have always loved these pictures so it was a joy to see them again. A very pleasant dinner, thanks Halibut Point!

It’s going to be the bee’s knees. Hope to see you there.

I recently saw an article in the Gloucester Daily Times that the owners of the Farm Bar and Grille had plans to open a new restaurant on the site of Vasa Waterfront Kitchen and Bar so it brought to mind that I hadn’t been at the Farm in a while. Yummy Blood Orange Margarita! Good luck Ryan Cox, Brad Atkinson and Noah Goldstein. Looking forward to riding over this bridge to visit the new place.

Another sign that spring is near: Down River Ice Cream opening this weekend (Sat Mar 16 at noon) and White Farms in Ipswich opening March 15. I do not know what that means for the Gloucester location of White Farms. No sign posted yet.

Getting taken for ice cream when we were kids was a big treat as it involved a 20 minute drive with 6 kids. I think our dad took us to give Mom some peace for a bit. We would usually get soft twists (chocolate for me, why bother with vanilla?) but today I prefer hard ice cream. Now there are all kinds of ways to have soft twist ice cream….it’s a wonderful world.

Just so you know, Corliss Brothers isn’t taking any……..manure.

New signs on the Back Shore for Aquarius at Back Shores; looks like 2 different options.

In case you need something to fill that gap between the Ides of March and St. Patrick’s Day:

Linda Brown of All Purpose Flowers on Lexington Ave in Magnolia recently hosted a wreath making workshop that I decided to attend despite my clear lack of skill. Linda brought everything we needed and had the tables all decked out with clippers, glue guns and tape so we set to work.  The wine and cheese helped. I even got to witness FOB Sharon use a glue gun for the first time! It was such fun that Linda is considering offering another workshop in flower arrangement, which I am looking forward to. Making a spring wreath is a nice way to usher in spring…..hello? Spring? We are waiting….

The bucket is a great idea!

Here’s your opportunity to help in a really meaningful way. Bonus: there’s also a Game of Thrones incentive to consider! You can even make your appointment online!

Amazing light in the late afternoon as meteorological spring has sprung.

After the storms, there was plenty of beauty to go around. If you were careful taking your steps! Imagine how different it will look in just a few weeks.

Checked in on the Sylvina W. Beal following the storm; she’s looking good! It appears she’s weathered a few other storms in her lifetime.

It was sparkling and beautiful at Cressy’s Beach on a sunny morning recently. Won’t be long before summer days return!

As you may know, Adventureman is scheduled to end his run around the continental United States right here in Gloucester on or near March 27 and we need some help to make him feel welcome.

Runners are invited to join Adventureman as he approaches Gloucester and escort him into town. Please comment or email GMG to be added to the list for updates.

Host families are needed for a few of Adventureman’s family and friends who will be visiting from his hometown in Gloucester England. This would be for just a couple of nights around March 27. There is one set of 3 people, and 2 sets of 2 people if you can help out, please show our visitors Gloucester spirit by volunteering. Also email or comment.

Good Harbor Beach was simply showing off its natural beauty on a recent sunny morning. I began to believe spring is around the corner.

Sometimes you just gotta have a Fisherman’s down at Cape Ann Brewing. Home Port Pale Ale seemed appropriate with my French Dip sandwich.

I love the lobster trap style holders for condiments. There were several families with young children enjoying the atmosphere. I asked what brought so many children in and was told the staff theorized that Cape Ann Brewing filled the hole Friendly’s left behind ( and at least the parents could drink). Seemed a reasonable theory to me. Cheers to the Fisherman!