Author: Pat D

Our backyard is ceaselessly entertaining. It’s August, so the bees start to gather in and near the hummingbird nectar. This poses a dilemma for the hungry hummingbirds. Sometimes they decide it’s best to all get along together for a common purpose. There’s a lesson in there! At the same time, a mother deer and fawn also come for a visit and seem unthreatened by much bigger creatures like us. They allow us to watch and photograph freely while they go about their natural business. We love our life in Gloucester!

We went for a ride in search of a nearby lighthouse (Cattle Point Lighthouse) and came across these eagles along the way. So pleased to be able to report I have now documented eagles on both coasts. On the path up to the lighthouse, we had a face to face with this fox. He’d been running off with an egg in its mouth (which you can see if you look closely) and then we ran into him further along the path. I assume it was the same one anyhow and he seemed to have little fear of us. He almost seemed to be asking us to follow him. I have never been that close to a fox! And he was the size of a medium dog, a healthy well fed dog/fox.

I was on my shift at the Welcome Center at Stage Fort Park with FOB Susan and she mentioned she had an email from Serenitee for $10 off lunch at Hale Street Tavern that day. Lo and behold, I had the same email as well as an appetite so off we went to Hale Street Tavern in Beverly for lunch with some help from Serenitee. We had not been there since the “before-times” (pandemic) so the email offer was a timely reminder to give it a go. (PS: we’ve said it before, but the Serenitee membership is free and a NO BRAINER)

Jackie was our server, the restaurant was busy on this Thursday afternoon. Jim had shrimp chowder and a Cobb Salad. I had the Smokehouse Burger. The food was served quickly and was tasty and filling. We needed to speak with Jackie regarding one of the food items and the minor issue was resolved quickly and in a friendly manner. We noticed a couple at an adjacent table being VERY specific in their requests for changes to their food as listed in the menu and Jackie was gracious and accommodating with them as well.

Sometimes pleasant service such as this goes a long way toward customer satisfaction as it did for us on this day. We all are aware that businesses are struggling with getting supplies and employees so when an employee is especially responsive, it’s a huge bonus. Well done, Hale Street Tavern.

Just how big ARE the pests in Washington state?

Thank you, Linda, from All Purpose Flowers on Lexington Ave in Magnolia for sending my husband home with this gorgeous arrangement of locally grown flowers! There’s something special about fresh flowers in the house. These are wonderful.

Make a stop at Ocean Alliance and the Paint Factory tonight foe the Cape Ann Makers Market. This is always a great event.

We are in the San Juan Islands specifically to see orcas and eagles. BINGO on both counts, but for this post I will focus on the orca adventure. Whale watching in this part of the world is similar to ours in many ways but different in others. One reason is that orcas can be seen here and they have some habits that are a bit varied from our own humpbacks. We took a ride out in a small boat (I’m told it’s a Nyack and there are only 3 in the US) with about a dozen other people and sought the whales nearly to Whidbey Island. Here we found a group of 5 Biggs Killer Whales along with another pair. They seemed very active and playful. We followed them along for a while and they even swam under our boat and a pair surfaced right next to us. Thrilling. The day prior produced zero whale sightings for that trip. We were very fortunate! Thanks to our friend Nichole Schrafft for giving us some tips for this trip which is panning out to be more than memorable.

For additional pictures and story details, please visit Pat D’s Photos on Facebook. If you have never seen an orca penis, you might want to check out more photos there! That should push the views up…….

Some of you may know we are vacationing in the Seattle/San Juan Islands. Much of coastal Friday Harbor is similar to our own island: fishing industry, whale watching, and stunning views. But here was a sobering reminder that we are most certainly no longer on the east coast. More travelogue to come!

Some views from St. Peter’s Landing on a beautiful summer morning several days ago. If you are not “home” (where you belong), maybe you need to see this…….

There’s never a shortage of dogs and their humans enjoying the boulevard. Perhaps you recognize some of these canines on a Saturday stroll?

The Barn Hairdressing Lounge is easily visible from the scenic byway route through Essex at 1 Main Street. More modern than most of the barns I am drawn to take photos of, it’s quite regal and handsome and has an impressive footprint. They do not appear to have a website, but their phone number is easily available using Google.

I love seeing our fishing boats returning to harbor when I am out on the water. Welcome back Opportunaty, Foxy Lady, Nicole Jean, Black Pearl, Jennie-n-Rose, and Carol Ann. Fare thee well to those going out.

We decided to go back to Rosettis on Brimbal Ave in Beverly for dinner last week. It had been recommended by our friends Chris and Charleen and we have been once but hadn’t been back in quite a while. There are so many fine restaurants right here in Gloucester, it’s hard to leave town for another but it was a special occasion and we have been wanting to return here for this Italian themed dining experience. We were not disappointed.

We had the half antipasti board as an appetizer and it was plenty for the two of us. I tried a pomegranate martini (very tasty) and Jim had a pinot grigio. There was a surf and turf special which I ordered and Jim got the Chicken Braciolettini with red sauce. My filet was done to perfection and I appreciated that our server Dan explained that the kitchen prefers to prepare the meat medium rare, which is my preference as well. After we enjoyed our entrees, I had an Irish coffee (not bad for an Italian joint) and Jim ordered the sorbet. In the end, the trip “off island” for this meal was well worth it.

It was busy even for a weeknight, so I would recommend reservations. There are a variety of seating options: bar, table booth, round, patio etc. There was plenty of staff which is tricky for establishments these days. The servings were nicely paced; I did not feel rushed at all. Servers were attentive and helpful. I was happy we made the choice to go to Rosettis.

I hope you can stop by Castaways Vintage Cafe on Rogers St tomorrow Saturday Aug 11 and say hello at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures for our very last summer show. We will be offering a couple of specials including a show special: pick your own magnet and 4 notecards as a package for only $15. Also glass ornaments will be available for $20….at the end of the month I will reluctantly be forced to raise the price. These are some of the images available on Cape Ann Giclee printed notecards and prints. There are also placemats, coasters, magnets, puzzles, ornaments and much more! Other vendors are scheduled to be there as well and there will be live music so stop by! Our next scheduled show won’t be until October, but some of my items are available at Maritime Gloucester too.

I have a touch lamp that turns itself on randomly and I have taken to calling it Emmanuel when I walk in the room and it has turned itself on again. This is after the up-and-coming media star Emmanuel the Emu: “Emmanuel, don’t do it!” I very rarely recommend social media sights to you all (excepting present company of course) but if you need a little humor and levity in your feed, I strongly recommend check out Knuckebump Farms and @hiitaylorblake on Tik Tok, Instagram and Twitter. You may find smiling. Here’s a compilation from Knucklebump Farms and Taylor Blake in Florida as posted to YouTube. You are welcome. Don’t be surprised to hear me say it on the podcast one day…..”Emmanuel, don’t do it!” To whom do you suppose I will be referring? Do YOU have an Emmanuel in your life?

The final Moonrise Market will be held Thursday Aug 11 at the Emerson Inn on Cathedral Ave in Rockport from 6-9 PM and we hope to see you there. The vendors will be on the lawn while fine food and drink will be offered inside (reservations recommended). The Cape Ann Makers Market runs a fine show and Pat D’s Photos will be there along with several other wonderful local artisans.

Pat D’s Photos will be featuring some new products such as Motif themed refrigerator magnets and glass ornaments such as these. ***Heads up advance notice* The prices of the glass ornaments will be raised at the end of August so this is a great opportunity to save yourself some money by thinking ahead a bit!***

There is a selection of magnets available at Pauline’s Gifts on Essex Ave along with so many other wonderful gift ideas! Thanks Pauline!

Sharing Facebook screenshot from Jason Grow for anyone interested.

It’s always fun at Maritime Gloucester on the Harbor Loop but Food Truck Tuesdays are even MORE fun. Last week, The Lobster Roller and Blue Bird Dessert Bar were there and today is will be Butter UR Biscuit with Latin Soul Cuisine starting at 4 PM. Hurry down, these food trucks sell out! We almost always discover something new: did you know about the Little Library down there? We have had a great time just hanging out down there. You never know who you will run into……..

We celebrated Margarita Monday at Tonno on Main St in Gloucester last week and think you might want to consider the same for tonight. It’s always a pleasure to go to Tonno for the delicious food, excellent service and friendly atmosphere. We had made a reservation but decided to go early and sit at the bar so we could have something from the Bar Bite menu. We were accommodated with an easy smile and enjoyed our time at the bar among old friends and new.

I tried a pineapple margarita (yum). Jim had a Veal Milanese Bar Bite along with his Chicken Parmesan entree. I had my new Tonno favorite Chicken Milanese. Our meals were satisfying and tasty. Our friend Joey recently reminded us that summer is going quickly so we need to take advantage while we can and Margarita Monday is one way we celebrate summer. Thanks Tonno for the assist in celebrating summer!

We took advantage of the Tuesday special ticket pricing for an afternoon sail on the Schooner Thomas E. Lannon. It’s buy one, get second at half price on Tuesday in July and August and I highly recommend considering this treat for yourself or perhaps for visitors. There are other opportunities to save money on ticket prices as well, so check them out.

The 90 minute sail around the harbor is relaxing and low key: just right for hazy lazy summer afternoons. Captain Heath and his staff make the experience fun and informative. We had a birthday celebration, visitors from Maine and the other cape along for our ride recently. And it’s so darn gorgeous out there, it’s hard to resist. Thanks Captain and crew for an awesome sail!