Author: Pat D

Happy May Day! This post is appropriate for today. I made my annual visit to Tip Top Tulips in Ipswich (Lowes Lane right off 133 behind Dairy Queen) recently. Though I LOVE the Generous Gardeners Tulips along the boulevard, I also love to go to Tip Top Tulips. Part of the reason is that you can pick and purchase tulips there; the other part is the extra fun the baby goats, alpacas and young children offer. I was greeted by Farmer Paul, (who remembered me!) who introduced this year’s theme of Hope. The annual themes are another reason I love stopping by. You do need tickets (reasonably priced) which can be purchased online or at the gate. Tulips bloom only for a short period, so if you have time in your schedule maybe you want to stop over there and feast your eyes. Maybe you want to try the goat yoga! If you do, you can let me know what you think since you won’t see me doing that…..

We were invited back to the William Haskell house at 11 Lincoln St for a spring visit this week. I was delighted to go back and revisit the house which was very pretty in the springtime greens. I met Rick, one of the new owners and he welcomed me to look around at the rooms available through AirBnB. This would certainly be a unique option for visitors! Tours of this historic house can be booked through this link with Vijay Joyce. It’s lovingly cared for and full of history for all to enjoy. Thank you Natalie and Richard for reaching out!

I had a meeting to discuss some upcoming posts (stay tuned!) and we decided to meet at Willow Rest on Holly Street because it’s cozy and convenient. I had a coffee and a pastry and just enjoyed looking around a bit as I waited for a short time. Jim and I don’t get over here enough! There’s a little bit of everything: prepared foods and fresh veggies along with pastries, local goods and frozen items. PLUS the neighborly hustle and bustle of the morning crowd! If you haven’t been in a while, it’s worth a stop.

We went to dinner with our friends Susan and Leo recently and decided to go to Lobsta Land on Causeway Street to celebrate its opening for the season. We made reservations by phone which was a wise decision as it was as busy as always there. Leo had Seafood Risotto, Susan ordered baked scallops; Jim had the Paella and I had the Buffalo Scallops in honor of the scalloping season. Good company, delicious food, friendly service all add up to a great big WELCOME BACK Lobsta Land! Can’t wait for deck season.

You may have seen the demo of Pat D’s Photos new flags on a recent podcast. I think they make a great Mother’s Day gift idea at $35 with free local delivery. They are 28 x 40″ and ready to hang. They are sturdy vinyl and printed on both sides.

Check out Pat D’s Photos or the GMG blog post to order directly or reach out to me in the comments or by messaging me Pat D’s Photos And Adventures on Facebook. I can also be reached by email GMGPatD@gmail.com. Including a photo from a happy customer.

We recently visited AstroCats Cosmic Feline Lounge at 65 Eastern Ave Essex (same plaza as Blue Marlin and Cape Ann Pizza) to see what was what over there. Alissa was a wonderful hostess and introduced us to her 2 year old business watching over felines of all shapes and sizes. If you have a cat, you may find a need for her services for daycare or travel or whatever and her place appears to be just the ticket. She and her partner Matthew ( also at Googans Galley on Martin St in Essex) obviously care very much for the health and safety of their feline clients. There are a number of screened off small rooms lined with generously sized crate-style temporary homes with enough room for about 2 dozen visitors. The entire place is decorated to suit their needs including TVs running bird and nature shows with soothing music. If you’re wondering if this might work for you, give a call and check it out 978-890-5177

Yes we are interested! Our friend Chris Langathianos scheduled to perform tomorrow April 27 2023 at the Beauport Hotel on Commercial Street 6-9 PM. See you there!

Since the challenge was thrown down regarding who might document the first hummingbird sighting, I’d like to submit the following (not great) cell photos from yesterday on our deck. But, no photos–no proof, so here you go. I should have known this would happen the minute I decided to leave the camera in the car because we were heading back out shortly…… it was nice to return to the dock with most of the gang for yesterday’s podcast AND the hummingbirds returned yesterday too. I don’t think it was a coincidence. I expect to improve on these photos as the season goes along.

I spotted my very first bluebird recently and caught these shots through our window. It might surprise some to learn I have never seen one before so this was a big thrill. I actually saw it a few days ago but wasn’t quick enough with the camera. Of course, we went off to get ourselves proper bluebird accessories in hopes of drawing them back. I don’t think the accessories worked too well, but there’s at least one around for me to keep an eye on. I’ll be like Miranda Lambert and “Keep a bluebird in my heart”. I am grateful for the wide range of wild birds we see right from our vantage point, but this one was special to me.

As many couples do, we looked at each other and asked “So what do you want to do?” and we agreed the Gloucester House on Rogers Street in the late afternoon in dreary weather might be the ticket. And it was! We saw friends, had a good meal and relaxed over drinks. Jim tried the seafood pizza and I had the blackened haddock tacos. The atmosphere was pleasant and the service was outstanding. Jim enjoyed the sports on TV and I was people watching. See you there soon!

The gatekeeper at Magnolia Woods trickily relocated perhaps for a better viewpoint, perhaps as a security technique. After all, it’s good practice to be unpredictable in security measures, right?

We love Cape Ann Pizza on Eastern Ave in Essex especially for lunch but it was a special treat for us to stop by one day while our grandson was visiting. They have perfect kids meal options as well as delicious salads, sandwiches and pizza. Schooner had a hot dog, GMG Jim had a chef salad, I had a meatball sub and our daughter chose Jimmy’s wrap. Her wrap was large enough to bring home for another lunch the next day. The meatball sub is in my top 3 list. They are always friendly and efficient as well as busy.

The brand new Maritime Gloucester Science Education Center on Harbor Loop was among the activities we chose while our grandson was visiting and he LOVED it! The hands-on enrichment activities were a favorite for this two year old. Bailey, the guide that day, was patient and engaging especially at the touch tank. In a good indicator of his heritage, Schooner was fearless with the lobster and super interested in the lobstering sample equipment. Put it on your list for visitors or your own family! There’s still time this vacation week.

One lane is open on the new Essex bridge! They may be on schedule for the target date April 24!

We enjoyed watching Wizard, Amanda May and Joy Frances come in a couple of days ago. I noticed Amanda May crew included children and a dog so that was fun to see. The captains all waved and seemed to be in good spirits so I hope they had good luck out there.

I had a craving for pizza and Jim wanted to try the Tuesday Lobster Roll special so we went to Surfside Pizza on Thatcher Road a few days ago. It was high time for the lunch crowds during school vacation and it was nice to see the hustle and bustle. Though we were too early for ice cream, we were right on time to meet some FOBs from Peabody who had the same lunch idea as we did. I did not get your names, but cheers to the couple from Peabody at Surfside for lunch on Tuesday! There is no seating in there so we took our pizza and lobster roll to eat in the car while people watching at Good Harbor Beach. The pizza slice remains gigantic and delicious. Jim enjoyed his lobster roll on a grilled bun. And that’s how you make it feel like summer!

My hands-down favorite season in Gloucester is spring because of the tulips along the boulevard. Though it’s a little early in the short blooming season for tulips, it was exceptionally striking along the boulevard yesterday morning in the fog. Big fat heavy dew drops enhanced the beauty. For additional pictures and story details, please check out Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook. There’s a good chance you will see some of these photos on future products from Pat D’s Photos. Comment with your favorites to help me decide (including those on the Facebook page!)

It’s time to start looking for a couple of my favorite birds: Baltimore Orioles and Hummingbirds. To prepare my yard for the orioles, I place freshly cut orange halves out in a tree to draw them to the yard. When I start seeing them myself, I will add grape jelly to the feeder that holds the oranges too. I have had the oranges out for around a week now but haven’t seen an oriole yet though they have been reported in Essex County.

Our hummingbird equipment took a beating last year, so we refreshed with a new feeder this year. These photos show my hummingbird preparation over the weekend. I made nectar (4 parts water to 1 part sugar boiled then cooled) and filled our RED feeder as well as the new “drive by” tube. I noticed on the Hummingbird Migration 2023 Google map that a few hummingbirds have been spotted in our area already so perhaps I am a little behind schedule. If you are interested, I saw good information at this site Empress of Dirt.

I am including a recent screenshot of the migration map for our region though a live interactive version can also be found at Empress of Dirt and other places. Stay tuned for updates. What’s your over/under on me sighting/sharing hummingbirds first or Joey? Never mind, who would take that bet?????

Many of you read a couple of weeks ago that we spotted a pair of eagles nearby and they appeared to be an adult and a younger eagle. The first photo here might look familiar as I published it at the time. This photo was used to confirm that this eagle is likely a bird born in Amesbury in 2015; identified as MM by Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). Thanks to the input and efforts from Darlene (of Salem NH) and Laura (fellow eagle lover), I have put together my theory about this pair. It’s only a theory and we may never know for sure, but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

You see here also photos of MM as an eaglet in Amesbury with its parents as well as a photo of newly banded MM flying off presumably from the Amesbury area. These photos are provided by Darlene–thanks a bunch! I think MM is one of the pair of adults we were watching last year in the Gloucester area. We believe one of the adults likely died and MM has now paired up with this younger eagle. I believe it’s a little unusual for this to happen, but not unheard of. We spotted this pair flying into a local nest yesterday and (from a long distance) they seemed to be eating and communicating. It’s been reported that there’s a third eagle in the area also but I haven’t found the 3 together yet. Stay tuned. I hope you will agree it’s an exciting story. Further details and additional photos can be found at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook.

To anticipate the comments to follow, allow me to add that these photos are cropped as they were taken from quite a distance. I won’t be any more specific about location in an effort to protect the birds except to say this is in the Gloucester area.

Sharing information from the City and Cape Ann YMCA Facebook pages. Plan accordingly for Hancock St closures Mon – Wednesday April 17-19 2023.