Author: Pat D

Tomorrow’s the day! Cape Ann Maker’s Market is hosting a Sip and Shop at Cruiseport from 10-4 PM. Pat D’s Photos is happy to be among the fantastic vendors. We will be offering 2024 calendars, ornaments, puzzles, flags, prints and more. We have several great ideas for teacher gifts, Secret Santa programs and stocking stuffers. Stop by and say hello.

Happy Thanksgiving. My posts are published at 8 AM so maybe you are enjoying a quiet moment with your coffee before the day’s festivities. Perhaps you won’t see this until the end of the day. Regardless, I hope you can take a minute to sit with this video and contemplate gratitude.

Sharing information from Local Colors Artists’ Cooperative and downtown merchants:

I chased the setting sun around Smith Cove in East Gloucester late one recent afternoon and I think you’ll enjoy the results.

I’ve been hearing quite a bit about the fate of Apple St in Essex so I decided to take a ride to see this scenic roadway. I discovered a new (to me) trail and decided to explore a bit. The Warren Weld Woodland (say it 3 times fast) sits along Apple St and has a small parking area. The trail is leaf covered and surrounded by forest; though I did not go too far along the trail when I remembered I was alone and no one knew where I was! If you’re in a contemplative mood and need some time in the good old woods, I suggest taking the short ride and explore for yourself. I do not know what the residents will decided about Apple St but I expect to return to Warren Weld Woodland sometime soon!

Picking your favorite beach from among the crown jewels of Cape Ann is difficult and I know I shouldn’t….but Half Moon Beach at Stage Fort Park is my favorite. Easy access, small and friendly makes it overall “just right”. Maybe you agree.

I was drawn like a magnet to the breakwater at sunset recently.

Sharing news regarding the sale of Redbird.

If Pauline’s Gifts on Essex Ave is not on your list of stops when you are browsing or gift shopping, you are making a big mistake. The variety of well priced local items in combination with Pauline’s graciousness makes stopping by a win-win. Pauline supports local vendors and local outreach in big ways and it’s a pleasure to return the support. Thanks Pauline for all you do for Gloucester, the military, women and much more!

Pretty Isabella lit up at night.

One of our very loyal followers, David C., asked me recently to see what I could find out about the Oak Grove Cemetery on Washington St on behalf of a cousin seeking her ancestor’s gravesite. It’s EXACTLY the kind of challenge I relish. First off, I checked with Linn Parisi to ask her for guidance. Her advice led me to the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives. (Thanks a bunch Linn!) The staff guided me to the right resource and I was able to find some leads to share with David and cousin Janet. We didn’t get all the way to actually locating the gravesite (yet) but we found the information we needed. I haven’t done family history research in an actual archive much lately and this was a welcome reminder of how fortunate we are in Gloucester to have such a rich collection of materials available in the City of Gloucester Archives, the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives and the Sawyer Free Library local history section.

The Cape Ann Museum seems to be preparing for its upcoming special exhibit Above The Fold: The Photographers of the Gloucester Daily Times 1973-2005 opening Dec 2 as there are a number of older cameras on display in the library. It’s a lovely place just for a browse-around. There are amazingly specific titles available to cover all aspects of Gloucester history.

There are craft fairs and bazaars galore this coming weekend Nov 18-19! Opening day for Present at 273 East Main St (Last Stop shop) is Saturday at noon featuring some of our favorite vendors. St. Ann’s Bazaar also Saturday at St. Ann’s Lower church, a long time tradition. AND the Women’s Community Club of Magnolia will hold its Craft Fair and Luncheon Saturday Nov 18 at the Magnolia Library from 9-2. Pat D’s Photos will be featuring holiday gift ideas as you see in the images here. Stop by and say hello! Still time to take orders for Christmas gift giving!

We got a little bit off track in our normal Sunday routine for a while so it had been a little while since we’d had our Sunday at the Azorean on Washington St. until recently. No steps have been lost in the service, the tastiness and menu variety! It’s so relaxing and enjoyable no matter what food-mood we are in. I chose Shrimp Mozambique rather than my usual beef and I was not disappointed. It was a little spicier than I expected which I relished! Jim had Stuffed Shrimp (not pictured) and Kale Soup. We each indulged in dessert. As always, it was a lovely evening out and only a short ride from nearly anywhere in Gloucester.

The 29th annual Sal Grasso Memorial Ice Hockey Tournament was held this weekend in Gloucester. We were in attendance at the final Bantam contest Sunday afternoon and I think we agree that the ice hockey future is bright for Gloucester! Here are some of the photos, though if you see something a little funky it’s the barrier which is a little scarred. I’m a little out of practice with hockey photos but I think these tell a pretty good story for the players and their families.

The tree has arrived from Nova Scotia and is awaiting the annual Christmas Tree Lighting. You can follow the Kent Circle Tree Lighting Facebook page for updates; the lighting is traditionally held the Sunday following Thanksgiving: Nov 26 2023. The annual parade will kick off from the State Fish Pier at 3 PM and proceed to Kent Circle for the tree lighting. Hoping to see you there! **UPDATED SINCE POST CREATED: The tree is up! Thanks Ringo and crew!***

Don’t forget the Holiday Craft Fair today (Saturday Nov 11) at the Gloucester Fraternity Club on Webster Street from 11 – 3. Many of your favorite vendors will be there AND you support a good cause: Special Needs Dances and Cape Ann Timebank.

I am often asked what brought us to Gloucester and I answer that my dad grew up here so it’s been in my blood my entire life, but I have never given deep thought to my Dad’s time here in Gloucester before he left for college never to return on a full time basis. The key factor in his departure as a young man was his time in the Army. Paul M. Ryan Jr was born in 1927 and turned 18 in 1945. That was his year of Gloucester High School graduation and his first enlistment. He had been an active member in the ROTC as you can see from the yearbook photos and given that it was 1945, I guess time in the service was inevitable.

Following his first enlistment he went to St. Bonaventure, a small Franciscan college in upstate New York. I have never known why he chose St. Bonaventure but it seems pretty clear from his time in high school that he was not destined to work on the water or wharf. I expect his time in college further confirmed that for him. His studies were interrupted by the Korean War and another 3 year enlistment from 1950-53.

The 1950 census indicates he was a college sophomore living in Gloucester earning $390 in that year. From this information I conclude he did return to Gloucester during his college breaks but once he graduated in 1956 and got married, he never returned to Gloucester on a full time basis. His siblings did stay and their stories differ, as family stories tend to do. But I think it was his time in service to our country that molded his future which was not made in Gloucester.

But Jim and I love it here and feel we belong no where else, so when people ask how long we have been here, my answer is along the lines of “All my life because my dad grew up here, we took a sabbatical but now we are back!” And I think we have the Army to thank (at least partially). So here’s to Dad and to all the Gloucester men and women whose lives were impacted by their time in service to the country.

The former Mobil/Dunkin on Essex Ave is being reinvented for a cannabis dispensary, convenience store and gas station and it appears to be moving right along. The gas pumps appear to be installed, sidewalks constructed, and signage is appearing. The main building appears to be a pretty good size and the guys told me they hope to open in this calendar year. Giacalone Construction is doing a good job for the newest Reverie 73 location. The Haffner’s sign leads me to believe this site will be similar to one already up and running in Lowell. Thanks to the guys for chatting with me!

Sharing timely information from the Grillfriends Facebook page. You can find them on Lexington Ave.

Here are a couple different angles of the Burnham House and Essex Marsh taken recently at Cox Reservation in Essex. Fall looks good on the marsh!