Author: Pat D

What a majestic sight! The CGS Warren Deyampert visted our harbor recently. Thank you Coast Guard (and special shout out to my CG nephew Tim)

It’s time for the occasional and random Irish Coffee reviews now that March has arrived. Between now and St. Patrick’s Day (March 17 in case you’re wondering), I’ll be offering my reports on the Irish Coffee offerings around Cape Ann. Up first, logically, is The James on Main St. in Essex (formerly the Village). It’s a great one to start the series with. Loved the presentation and it was served hot (seems logical to me, but I have had it served cold before…not a fan). It’s made with Tullamore Dew, Demerara and chantilli cream as well as the coffee, so it’s a bit “non traditional”, but it is VERY enjoyable. Highly recommended. Slainte!

We were treated to an episode of Mother Nature Doing Her Thing at Salisbury Beach State Reservation recently. We watched an eagle pounce on its prey and then carry it across the water to enjoy in the company of a flock of geese. Though I can’t be certain, I believe the prey was a duck. I recently learned that eagles like duck for a good meal and perhaps this is an example. Anyhow, the eagle feasted for a while and the geese moved a short distance away. A harrier hawk did a quick fly by to see what was what. The eagle moved its prey again landing closer to the geese. We watched for several minutes in awe of nature. Oh, and there was a hawk sitting prettily in a tree also! What a day. For additional photos and story details, check out Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook. This post is for FOB Paula Ryan O’Brien’s birthday! Happy birthday to you.

As I reported a while back, we ventured to Amesbury in search of waterfalls. We found the waterfalls and had a nice little walk around. We decided to stop at the Barking Dog on Friend St in Amesbury for lunch. I thought of all our Gloucester dog lovers as the whole place is themed just for you. It’s a small friendly pub very close to the waterfalls. Comfy and welcoming, the customers that day included a range from families to senior citizens so it obviously pleases a wide demographic.

I had a BLT on a toasted pita (genius) and Jim got the loaded tater tots. It was EXACTLY what we were looking for on that cold day. The menu is simple but varied enough to please most. The pub style atmosphere was comfortable and warm. If you’re in Amesbury, give it a go!

As I have mentioned, we take regular rides north to Parker River Wildlife Refuge and Salisbury State Reservation. We are seeking interesting animals, birds or scenery. This time all we were able to capture relatively close was this Northern Harrier hawk on the hunt. These hawks are nortoriously unpredictable and swift flyers. Sometimes they pause to watch the ground for prey as you see here. This time it decided not to swoop down and instead change direction and continue hunting away from its observers. They are quite striking though.

We often drive north to Newburyport and Plum Island area just to see what we can see. Recently we found this bevy of swans along the banks of the Merrimack. I thought they looked quite beautiful on the blue water in the sun.

The winter sunsets can bring extra beauty to a sometimes drab day such as this example.

It was a very frosty morning at Farnham’s in Essex recently but quite beautiful. Also breathtaking for a couple of reasons…..

I hope you will allow me to wax nostalgic for a bit and share an essay I wrote on one of those nights when you are thinking about life, love and the past.

Though this essay refers to my own family situation, it’s a fairly generic, well shared sentiment. As I have mentioned, my dad grew up in Gloucester and is pictured here with his two (much) younger brothers. Some of you may recognize these two younger ones and be surprised to learn they had an older brother. That’s because they are 13/14 years apart. So, their parenting was certainly VERY different as the brothers reflect. PS the more recent photo was probably at our family reunion held many years ago at Cameron’s on Main St.

But first, here’s the essay I hope you will take the time to read:

Someday That’s Going To Be Me

A Tale of Two Kids

They say children don’t really have the “same” parents since we are different people over time and certainly change with having children. So firstborn children do not have the “same” parents that the next child has. That makes a great deal of good sense. Thankfully.

We have two children. I have always thought one was more like her father and the other more like his mother. Now that they are adults, I am even more convinced. And it’s OK.

I remember with fondness the night I took our daughter (probably around 9 or 10) to a school production of “Hello Dolly”. When Dolly descends the stairs for the showstopper number, she sighed in wonder and said “Someday that’s going to be me.” The actress was wearing a glittering red evening gown, men were swooning and women were swaying. I don’t know whether our daughter’s dreams were of swooning men, glittering gowns or beautifully orchestrated scenes. But she has always been a bit of a dreamer, leaning toward creating Hallmark moments by hook or by crook. Forced happiness, such as what you see on stage night after night.

A few years later when our son was about the same age, my mother died after a short battle with cancer. When my children joined me at my mother’s house later that day and he saw the grief of the loss of our mother, he whispered fearfully “Someday that’s going to be me.” I tried to comfort him but those words stuck in my craw. He was right and there was nothing I could do to change that. He was observing tears and that dragging sadness that seems to slow everything down. I understood this adult reality he was taking on at 9 years old; he has always been an old soul. He’s a good anchor for his sister often looking on the darker side of situations.

Our daughter was raised by new parents. Though we were a bit older than many new parents of the day, we were teachers and were pretty accustomed to children being around. Of course, having one of your own 24/7 PLUS your own students impacts parenting styles. Our son was born to experienced parents and had an older sibling to boot. I am sure their experiences with their parents were somewhat different, despite our efforts to be consistent and fair. But we had evolved as parents and as humans so they clearly had “different” parents. So perhaps this answers why they each look at life so differently; maybe it doesn’t.

Meanwhile, I look at our children in their adult lives mostly settled and happy. They are beginning to watch out for us in ways we used to watch out for them. It’s Someday. It’s Us.

I needed dinner and did not feel like preparing anything so we decided to check out what was available at The Mill on Eastern Ave in Essex. They have a wide variety of sandwiches, prepared dinners, salads and more from which to select your favorites. I got baked haddock and laoded mac and cheese in addition to coleslaw. I also got a turkey and swiss wrap for the next day’s lunch so we left with our hands full and our stomachs looking forward to some good food! It’s a convenient place to stop and now we have some meals planned (always a bonus).

We rode over to check on the progress of the former Good Habor Beach Inn on Salt Island Road recently. Despite the cold and wind that day, the work was continuing at the new Inn at Good Harbor Beach. I understand they plan to re-open sometime this year following the complete reconstruction you see here: “blending modern luxury with its storied past to create an unparalleded guest experience”. We look forward to the results.

We noticed a new sculpture along Rte 133 gracing the frontage at Vita Bella. I took a closer look when I noticed the scarf accessory and found delightful inscriptions worked into the metal along the steer’s side. Great work! It’s quite striking and another good reason to stop by Vita Bella on Eastern Ave in Essex.

I love going down to the Little River Stubby Knowles landing any time of the year. The water, the sky, the birds all present differently at various times of the year. In this case, it had been frigid though the sky was magnificently blue. It makes a great contrast. I also noticed for the first time a Little Library down there. And of course, I imagine many already know there’s kayak storage available there as well.

It was a cold night but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming at Machaca on Rogers St. We ordered our dinners: chicken fajitas and Al Pastor while we munched the (seriously addictive) chips and salsa. I topped the dinner off with a Mexican Coffee (when in Rome…) which I enjoyed as an extra barrier against the cold outside. It’s a popular spot for families, couples and friends to gather as evidenced by the other customers. Food yummy with perfect portions; drinks cold, service friendly. Win Win.

It seems our eagles in West Gloucester are doing what northeast eagle pairs are doing these days: preparing to nest. I watched this eagle carefully observe its surroundings then take off across the water to grab nesting material and then flew back toward the nest. As it is often the males who bring the material into the next for the females to accept and re-arrange, I will assume this is the male of the pair. I was very happy to see this promising activity from our eagle friends.

We happened upon these two hawks recently in the Mussel Point area. I suspect they are a bonded pair because as one was devouring prey, the other seemed to keep watch as opposed to attempting to take it away. Just theory, of course but it’s a little unusual in my experience to have two hawks in such close proximity as one feasts and the other is on alert. It was an interesting story developing but we couldn’t stay to watch it unfold to its completion. Nature provides the most interesting tales.

Happy Valentine’s Day wishes from a couple of our favorite beaches. I hope you can make someone feel extra special today. Thank you all for following and the kind comments we hear along the way.

This new signage was recently posted along the new Sugar Magnolias location on Rogers St. Summer can’t get here fast enough!!

I was intrigued when I saw a post noting that Gloucester is hosting special visitors at the Cape Ann Marina following a sail across the ocean in the northern latitudes. The Snow Bear is anchored at Cape Ann Marina for several weeks as Skipper Stephen Bradley and First Mate Sarah Pederson contemplate their next journey. We met on this beautiful 40′ sailboat and talked a bit about their motivation and adventures. When I learned that Stephen is also an avid wildlife photographer, I knew I was in the right place.

They are warm and friendly and open to discussing their sailings. They left last spring from Ireland and took the Viking Route across the Atlantic which includes Faroes Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland & Labrador. This journey is about 4000 nautical miles. Their biggest challenge on such journeys is always ICE but getting around Greenland presented the greatest obstacle largely due to lack of updated navigation information amongst the many many fijords and harbors. Sarah also noted that the winds had been crazy this year so that’s an additional hurdle. They are very well equipped to handle such obstacles and have lots of experience supporting them. Stephen has been sailing since he was 12 years old and Sarah started about 11 years ago.

We asked about their Gloucester and Cape Ann experiences. They noted that entering through the Cut Bridge was “interesting” though Stephen says he hit it at slack tide so they were fine. They enjoy musical entertainment so of course they were directed to the Rhumb Line. They have met some of our favorite Gloucester people including Bill Wrinn (thanks Bill!) who have helped with rides and directing them to various events and establishments.

It was a lovely visit and I nearly forgot to take pictures. If you see them around town, please say hello. They each noted that the friendliness and helpfulness they have encountered on this continent has been a bit of a surprise and reassuring. While they contemplate their next move, Sarah notes they both love “Just Sailing”. For more info check out their website and follow their adventures aboard Snow Bear.

We decided to attend the Clicquot in the Snow event at the Beauport Hotel and take advantage of the special room rates offered for that evening also. What a great decision that turned out to be! First, Beauport staff does events very very well and the Veuve Clicquot in the Snow event was no exception. The crowd was happy and enthusiastic and we enjoyed quality time with friends in a stunning venue. We were welcomed in our room with treats as well as the always excellent standard of service for hotel guests. What a great little “staycation” for us as the snowstorm come down during the night! It was a nice midwinter break especially for those of us who don’t get to warmer climes at this time of the year. Thank you Beauport Hotel and staff for another outstanding event and a lovely staycation.