Author: Pat D

Save the date for one of the area’s favorite events. Sharing information from the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce regarding Essex Clamfest to be held at Sheperds Memorial Park October 22. Follow here: https://fb.me/e/2UEQGFLkr

Jim wanted some fish stew for his birthday lunch, so we went off to the Blue Marlin Grille on Eastern Ave in Essex at midday yesterday. And it was hopping for noontime on a Monday, obviously a popular lunchtime choice. So Jim got his fish stew and a pastrami sandwich. I tried a grilled cheese with sliced meatballs. The grilled cheese just sounded so intriguing that I had to give it a try. It comes with a side of marinara, which enhanced the sandwich by quite a bit. All in all, a great experience: neighborhood grill atmosphere with comfort food offerings.

Special birthday wishes going out to my favorite husband GMG Jim. So glad we can celebrate another birthday together.

Photo cred: Joey Ciaramitaro

I hope you are planning to include Magtoberfest on Lexington Ave in Magnolia from 11 – 5 in your plans today. It’s going to be an even better event than last year. Shuttles will run from Stage Fort Park to alleviate parking issues. Music, classis cars, food, local vendors….and more! Pat D’s Photos will be there and I hope you will stop by to say hello. GMG Jim will be helping with the car show and he’s love for you to stop by and comment on his Mustang.

Here are some of the items and images available from Pat D’s Photos. Feel free to reach out via messaging if you are interested in anything at Pat D’s Photos on Facebook. You can also check here to view other offerings and keep up to date on new inventory. Come on down to Lexington Ave TODAY!!

The O’Maley Field Hockey team played Marblehead yesterday and though they lost, the team is looking very promising. The program has a bright future! Well done team. PS coached by our very own GMG Jim* Here’s a bit of a photo dump.

Good morning! I hope the start of your day and holiday weekend is as glorious as yesterday’s sunrise from our deck in Magnolia. It’s a weekend full of events and I hope you will make the time to stop by 44 Commercial St from 10-3 to visit the Cape Ann Time Bank Artisan Market. Pat D’s Photos will be there along with other great local vendors. Please stop by to say hello. Enjoy your weekend.

After I have been away for several days, it’s a great treat to return to Tonno on Main St in Gloucester. Lucky for us, there was a recent turnover to the fall food and drink menu. Sara was our helpful server and we enjoyed our cider and sangria. We each ordered the Sunday Sauce along with garlic bread with prosciutto (not on the menu, but ask…..you can thank me later). For the sake of the blog, we also ordered pumpkin creme brulee (mmmmm) and cheesecake. It’s such a relaxing dining experience that I highly recommend it for any kind of occasion, even if that occasion is Thursday night.

I have been away on a fall foliage photo tour in Vermont these past few days and it has been great. Though the foliage has not been brilliant in color this year due to drought/heat wave etc., it was still a wonderful experience to take this trip and open my eyes to some new places. I am sharing my favorite five photos from the trip for you to enjoy. For further story details and additional photos, please check out Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook. I took my trip with Slonina Photography if you are interested and I recommend him highly. I have taken several trips with him and would be happy to talk to you about it if you are interested.

Please remember to stop by Pat D’s Photos at the Cape Ann Time Bank Artisan Market Saturday at 44 Commercial St (10 AM – 3 PM) OR at Magtoberfest in Magnolia (at the library from 11-5). I’d love feedback on the Vermont photos so please feel free to share your thoughts.

We visited Boston Lights last year at Franklin Park Zoo and decided it was worth taking our daughter back to this year. I recall recommending you visit earlier in the evening for parking purposes as well as reduced crowds and this recommendation remains the same EXCEPT driving into the city at that time of day is a crap shoot. So if you can’t manage to get there, perhaps you will enjoy these photos. I was pleased to note that the displays are not just the same ones rotated in from last year. The show is open until October 23. The experience had a different theme (solar system/stars) and the displays additionally feature occasional blowing “smoke” in addition to motion and sound effects. We had a great time and I would go again another year with or without grandchildren.

As I have previously mentioned, my eye is drawn to the worn, tattered, battered objects around us. The peeling paint and cracks may hide the story but also reveal their glory and the dignity. So here’s the Evelina M. Goulart as she sits in the Essex Shipbuilding shipyard. She’s what remains of the only example of a schooner dragger and her majesty really struck me. More details available here from Essex Shipbuilding.

Rusty yet regal.

Two fun events are coming up this weekend you should put on your calendars. The Cape Ann Timebank Artisans Market will be held Saturday Oct 8 from 10-3 at 44 Commercial St and Magtoberfest will be held Sunday Oct 9 from 11-5 on Lexington Ave Magnolia. Pat D’s Photos will be at both events showing some new gift ideas and special offers. We hope you will stop by to say hello.

Check out Pat D’s Photos on Facebook for a more complete catalog of products and images you can look forward to. Ready or not, the holidays are coming!

We stopped by Hodgkins Cove recently and I noticed how pretty it was as well as some previously unnoticed details. I just love the old fence work detailing!

The wonderful Essex Shipbuilding Museum is currently hosting a portion the the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” and it’s well worth a ride over for a look-see. It’s the first time since its 1994 inception that the Museum on Main Street program has come to Massachusetts. It is open through Oct 22 and is spread out over 3 Essex locations: The Essex Shipbuilding Museum, the EHSSM Schoolhouse and Essex Town Hall. For additional information on hours and other details, click here.

The Smithsonian can be counted on for quality presentations and this is no exception. The exhibit presents various aspects of rural America over the last century. It’s well set up and contains a great deal of content and thought provoking materials. AND it’s free!

The day I visited, I was unable to go to the Schoolhouse portion of the exhibit as it had to unexpectedly close. But I did view the portions of the exhibit in the Essex Shipbuilding yard and at Town Hall (3rd floor). I had not realized the exhibit was set up in this manner, but I think you can get a great deal out of it even if you can’t get to all the locations. It can be a little confusing, but look for the well placed signage for guidance.

Photos taken at shipyard and Town Hall:

Sharing information from the City regarding water shut off.

When visitors arrive, we almost always take them on a whale watch and it never fails to amaze. Cape Ann Whale Watch took us north this week in search of marine wildlife so we passed Thacher Island and got to see the twin lighthouses “merge” in a way that is best appreciated from the water. Though there was plentiful sightings of dolphins, gannets and whales I did not get to take too many photos as our 2 year old grandson wasn’t as interested in that as his mother was. So I played “chase the toddler” while others watched the whales — they were close enough to the boat to smell their (awful) breaths in the blows.

Fall is a great time to go on a whale watch, especially since they tend to be less crowded. I believe the watches will sail into October, so it isn’t too late to book a trip!

It’s that time of year when it’s all about apples, pumpkins, cider and wine (of course) so it seems logical to make a stop at Russell Orchards in Ipswich. They are currently in full apple picking swing. Our daughter had never been apple picking (clearly there were gaps in her education) and Russell Orchards is a great spot to start! It’s very kid-friendly with farm animals and special treats inside the store. It’s also driver friendly as I noticed some outlets for electric vehicles. We took full advantage of the pumpkin displays, store treats and apple trees. I suggest you consider doing the same!

Our daughter is visiting with our toddler grandson so it seemed like a good time for our first visit to Stone Zoo. It’s a relatively short ride (maybe 45 minutes) to this lovely little oasis in Stoneham. I’d had the impression that it was a smaller zoo than Franklin Park, so I guess I had lowered my expectations, but we were very charmed by the layout, the atmosphere and the animals. We recently visited the Seattle Zoo and this was much much better. I think the flamingos were my favorites!

Our daughter is a zoo educator in Erie PA so her insights come from deeper zoo knowledge than I have. She commented that she was especially impressed with how the well designed exhibits blend into and reflect the environment so seamlessly. There are Lego displays throughout the zoo which were partly built by children and they are VERY inspiring! It’s a great little way to spend part of a day so if you haven’t been, consider a visit.

We stopped down to the dock to check in with Joey a few days ago. While Jim and Joey were engaged in deep discussions of football pools and the like, my attention got drawn to these birds who stopped by to watch what’s going on. Both Joey and Jim were intrigued as well so I took a few shots. And then was later rewarded with the birding tweet you see here. Truth hurts sometimes.

My eye caught this abandoned boat at Lane’s Cove last January. Weathered objects exude so much character and history that I find it to be irresistible imagery. But I’m a little sad that I’ve kept my eye on it throughout the year because the slow disappearance of this boat is disconcerting. Still beautiful and full of character though. These pictures were taken in January, May, July and September. I’ll be going back despite the heartbreak.

Persistent fog hung over Stage Fort Park last week but visitors were not deterred from stopping by the Welcome Center. It was actually one of the busier shifts I have experienced over the summer. The Welcome Center will be open until Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day.