Author: Pat D

Today’s post is a result of a request from FOB Paula Ryan O’Brien, who found the weather vanes around Gloucester to be as varied as they are numerous.  We either don’t have as many weather vanes at home or I just haven’t noticed them, but Paula made a good point to “look up” and check out Glosta Vanes.  And this is some of what we found:

The variety and artistry of these seem to speak to the personalities of the property owners.  Though I realize wind direction is vital information for fishermen and boaters, it appears to me most of these vanes are more decorative than informative.  I’m pretty sure my own roof would be sporting one if I had a roof available around here.

And, of course, (because it’s me and I  can’t help myself) there’s an interesting history to the use of weather vanes throughout history that you might find interesting here. Before you scoff, did YOU know their use dates back to Ancient Greece???? I’m imagining Socrates studying a vane for wind direction. Or maybe he just liked the way it looked atop the Parthenon.

We found a Snowy at Salisbury Beach State Reservation recently perched at the top of a tree at the edge of the property.  A mockingbird joined briefly and it brought the lullaby to mind.

We also saw several turkeys that day, including one pretty high up in a tree. They looked (and sounded) a great deal like those lawmakers you see streaming out of a building looking all official and ready to burst with some kind of rhetoric.

On one of the beautiful days we had this week, GMG Jimmy and I headed over to the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.  Apparently we were not the only ones in the region to do the same thing and they turned us away because the lots was full.  Not to be deterred in our hunt for wildlife and/or scenic pictures on a gorgeous day, GMG Jimmy set out to find us some beauty.

We found the Bradley Palmer State Park nearby and pulled in.  Though we were delighted that the parking was free, we were a tad concerned about the number of people saddling up their horses for a ride.  It felt as though we should have brought one along with us so we could fit in better.

Again, of course, we were not the only ones seeking to enjoy the temperatures and the sunshine.  Kids on bikes, walkers, runners, and the aforementioned horses were all out to revel in the day.  Wildlife took a hike themselves and we didn’t see any.

But we did see some pretty neat reflections and shadows. We were a little surprised to see ice still covering the water.  Except for the texting teenagers, it felt a little primeval.

Somebody’s been busy on Plum Cove Beach.  I guess this could be another dreamcatcher.

I noticed these guys recently while waiting around downtown.  These three little guys seem to have made a home under the roofing of this building.  They seem to be very fond of their residence! I like the juxtaposition of the decay and lively birds.

Stairways around town have special beauty.  The trip up offers promise with each step; sometimes the destination can be life changing.  Rudyard Kipling, who has his own special place in Gloucester history said: “Never look backwards or you’ll fall down the stairs.”  Some of these stairs beg you to climb. Never looking backwards seems like sound advice.

Added bonus homage to Rudyard Kipling in case you haven’t seen this recently:

“Did you bring your card? I forgot mine.”

Ice Beauties

I just love the way old signs call to us from the past.  Some of these are current establishments and some are long gone, but they each have their own character and story to tell.

Up close and personal with our waves.  I cannot stop watching them.

Happy Valentine’s Day and thank you to those who have their doors decorated! I’d been seeking these kinds of decorations for a while and keep seeing Christmas wreaths instead.  Now, we all know what’s coming next on the calendar (March 17) so I’ll be hoping to find some pretty green a-door-nment for next month!

Ohmmmmmmm……..

Our Bald Eagle program at Joppa Flats was cancelled due to rain, so we decided to go on a Saturday Morning Birding tour with Mass Audobon guide Dave Williams.  GMG Jimmy and I are distinctly NOT birders, just interested in birds and taking photos.  Although the more experienced were disappointed by the number of birds we saw, we were very pleased to bring home several decent shots.

We found a snowy owl at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.  A note if you intent to visit: a large portion of the main road in was closed on Saturday due to icy conditions and you may not be able to get as far into the Refuge as you might like.

We also visited the Salisbury Beach State Reservation.  Our guide believes this is a juvenile bald eagle.  This is zoomed in quite a little and has lost a few pixels but is still pretty interesting. That’s as close as we got to an eagle on this trip.

Northern harrier taking off

These tours are only $10 for members and $12 for non-members.  No pre-registration is required.  Give it a try!

Free sandwich with your Serenitee card until Feb. 13.  We decided to check it out.

You had me at the blood orange cosmo…….

Clearly there are lacrosse fans in the room! Nice mix of customers for a weekday lunch hour.  The Larry Bird poster in the background reflected the red light in such a way that it appears Larry is sporting a red bow in his hair.  You can just barely see it here. Try to get the seat that shows that..it’s  hilarious.

Fish sandwich for me, eggplant for GMG Jimmy.  And one of them was FREE!!  We enjoyed our visit to Manchester and Cala’s today.  We’ll go back and see Larry again.

Nothing more to be said here.  Pretty clear signage.

On lunch break.  Back to the office soon.

We visited Crane Beach this week on a very windy day.  The parking lot looked like a fishing pond as it was covered in water still.  But it was sunny and quiet.  We enjoyed the quiet beauty.

Choppy water

Sand blowing across the shell

It looked a bit like a seashell graveyard, shells strewn for several yards.

CB joined us but didn’t appreciate the blowing sand.

From the 1947 Flicker yearbook, a full page ad seeking “girl graduates” to fill positions as telephone operators “helping to win the war”.

And here are some of the potential candidates for those jobs from the same yearbook:

It’s worth a reminder that telephone operators served as emergency dispatch in those days prior to 911. This is a YouTube video used in training telephone operators in the 1940s:

Thanks to all you “girl graduates” who stepped up into such positions.

Providenza and partners heading off into the sunset this week.