Author: Pat D

As soon as I saw this Puffin puzzle set offered by Pauline at Pauline’s Gifts on Essex Ave, I knew I would need one for Pat’s Puffin Emporium at 44 Main St. It’s turning into a challenge I wasn’t exactly expecting. 443 (!!) pieces, many of them pretty darn tiny, and 31 instruction steps before I have a completed puffin on my hands. I set a goal to have the puzzle done by the time FOB Paula Ryan O’Brien came back to Gloucester for a visit in mid August. Let’s just say we aren’t having fun with it yet.

We are up to step 11 and this is our progress. When I took the photo for this post was the first time I saw the puffin feet looking like puffin feet. Step 12 is proving a killer and I am ready to call the project DOA. What’s your call? Forge on or forget it?

I was walking in this area lately and noticed how spiffy the new Middle St housing complex is looking! The John J. Meany Senior Affordable Housing information is available at this link.

It was time to return to Jalapenos on Main St and Margarita Monday seemed a perfect opportunity. I just love the frozen raspberry margarita there! So refreshing. We were surprised to find their back room full of people enjoying sea shanties. Apparently every other Monday the sea shanty group gathers for some fun and the place was packed. We ordered flautas and carne asada which we enjoyed very much as we always do. It’s one of those places you go and are made to feel welcome and “at home”. Perfect Margarita Monday adventure.

I made my first stop ever at Kings Roast Beef on Main St for lunch a few days ago after hearing roaringly good reviews. I was not disappointed. We sat inside at tidy table set-ups and had a chicken salad club and an Italian wrap…. (no roast beef this time…). I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of items offered on the menu. It is definitely more than just roast beef, although that was clearly a popular order in the time we were there. Our sandwiches were fresh with generous portions. The service was friendly. It’s a win-win so give it a try especially if you haven’t already.

If you see this guy around today, wish him a happy anniversary of his first visit to Gloucester 39 years ago. Jim’s first visit to Gloucester was on our honeymoon in 1985 and he never looked back. We are very happy as Gloucester residents and thank you all for embracing us. A good deal has changed over the years, but our love for this place remains steady. Wait….this also applies to our marriage I guess….Happy Anniversary GMG Jim!

Our friend Chris L invited us out for a boat ride a couple of nights ago. It was a perfect Gloucester afternoon so we agreed. As we were returning, we ran into 4 of our local schooners together out on the water for the weekly Maritime Gloucester Schooner Challenge. It was a delight to find them there all together on such a perfect evening. Chris was patient while I snapped a few photos of Lewis H. Story, Ardelle, Thomas E. Lannon and the Isabella. The Tuesday Schooner Challenges are designed to give the Maritime Gloucester apprentices some experience captaining a schooner. It’s a great opportunity for a sail with a little “extra”. Thank you Chris L!

We took a ride up to Rowley to visit our favorite bakery up that way, Three Sweet Peas Bakery Cafe and discovered it has expanded and moved across Main St. We are VERY happy to see extra space and seating! It hasn’t lost the cozy atmosphere and the staff remains helpful and friendly. Previously located on Main St next to the Post Office, it is now directly across the street. You will see cheerful yellow outdoor umbrellas on the patio as you approach.

Once inside, you’ll see menus for sandwiches, salads and more. There are display cases with freshly baked cookies, cakes, scones etc. Several freezers contain take-home meals, soups, ice cream along with all kinds of other temptations. We brought home eggplant parm, chicken soup, pasta sauce, garlic bread, chicken parm and baked goods. If you’re going through Rowley you definitely should stop. Maybe you even want to make a special trip up there. It was pouring rain or we would have enjoyed some patio time. Next visit we shall!

You can find Pat D’s Photos in Manchester this weekend for the Festival By The Sea. The event is sponsored by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. We will be in Reed Park. Swing by and say hello. Looking forward to a great event. We have some new items to show off! We’ll be in store at 44 Main St. Thursday and Fri 11-5 and Sunday 11-3 this week. Hoping to see you soon.

I was finally able to capture one of the fledgling eagles we have in the area. The picture and video quality are not great due to the conditions but it was a joy to find the young eagle calling out along the river. One of the parents was in a nearby tree. As I was watching in wonderment, the young eagle lifted off with a great deal of power and strength. I could hear the wings beating and that sound has stuck with me. Watch the video with the sound on especially if you’ve never heard an eagle before. The helpful Merlin app also detected an osprey nearby!

We saw a social media posting from Vita Bella along Eastern Ave in Essex mentioning they were now serving pizza on Mondays so we decided to make that our Margarita Monday stop last week. Brett, our server and bartender, mentioned it was their very first day offering pizza after many experimentations in the kitchen. The pizza is only available on Mondays so take note.

My margarita was a strawberry flavored drink and I was pleased to be able to taste the strawberry. It’s a refreshing margarita! We ordered antipasta, pizza and apple crisp for dessert. I liked the pizza quite a bit. There’s plenty of fresh mozzarella and the toppings are generous. The sauce is savory rather than sweet and the dough was fresh and crispy as I prefer. The pizza was sized perfectly for the two of us. We have been to Vita Bella before but this was our first time sitting at the bar. It is very nicely set up and it’s a comfortable atmosphere. We’ll do that again. If you have suggestions for Margarita Monday, speak up! Remember it needs to be a place open on Mondays in the Cape Ann area.

Jim saw an unusual (for our yard) butterfly on our back deck a few days ago so it gave me a chance to work that new lens. This busy butterfly was extra interested in what bits it could salvage from the bird feeder which I found a bit odd. It hung around quite a while in the tree branch, on the railing and on the bird feeder. I think it is a Red Purple Spotted butterfly which is apparently not very uncommon in our area though I haven’t seen much of them myself. It was a treat to watch it as I unwound from the afternoon at the store.

We have an endless supply of backyard visitors in Magnolia including 2 deer. We’ve been hoping to see fawns this year but that hasn’t happened yet. These two were making a feast of the brush AND the neighbor’s garden.

We had a series of foggy days recently so I went down to my favorite beach to see how it looked in the summer morning fog. What do you remember about Half Moon Beach?

Playboy bunny? In Magnolia? On a Tuesday?

A reminder that John Abisamra’s solo show opens in Rockport this weekend and lasts through Aug 15.

Christmas in July at 44 Main St continues today and tomorrow noon to 5 PM. FREE magnet with any purchase. FREE reusable bag with min $25 purchase AND large banners reduced to $30 this week only. Stop by and see what else we have in store.

It’s time to unveil some of Pat D’s Photos holiday suggestions! Christmas in July will be held at 44 Main St this week today (Tuesday) through Thursday noon – 5 PM. I know it’s hard to think about the holidays right now so that’s why I’ve done some of the thinking for you. Stop down and browse early shopping options from Pat D’s Photos and Thirsty Seagull Gloucester Apparel.

Special offers include a free reusable shopping bag with every purchase of $25 or more from Pat D’s Photos (normally $5 each). NEW holiday themed ornaments, garden sized flags, notecards and more available this week noon-5 at 44 Main St.

I usually try to post Margarita Monday suggestions that you can replicate if you choose to, but in this case it’s unlikely you’ll be able to recreate last week’s margarita fun at the Bluefin Blowout Fundraiser event. Held at Mile Marker Marina on Essex Ave, it was a terrific evening full of food, fun, laughs and fundraising. It’s not too late to donate to the fundraiser to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association at this link: https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=ECCF&d2tool=BBDonation

At the end of the day in the shop, I am often thinking about what to do for dinner. Oliver’s Harbor is right down Main St and conveniently puts the specials board out on the sidewalk. Bam. Decision made. And we do not regret it ever. Welcoming and friendly staff is among the best things about Oliver’s. The delicious food and atmosphere are another reason to stop in even if maybe you weren’t planning to. I had the chicken parm special and Jim had sushi. Outstanding. We noticed 2 large group set ups in the dining area and larger groups are well accommodated by Oliver’s should you need a place for visitors to gather. Thanks to bartender Scott for another wonderful experience.

Submitted by photographer John Abisamra:

Good morning Pat…hope you are enjoy this nice summer weather. I have a solo photography show at Rockport art association with opening reception next Saturday July 27 from 1 to 3pm.

Shows runs through Aug 15.