September 12, 2014

Why I Write

Feeling good about what you've seen, where you've been and what you've experienced. Wanting to share the smiles, laughter and warmth that one experiences with others so they may smile also. My writing motto, "Share the Positive."

Big weekend for Mississippi Football

This weekend saw Mississippi State entertain the #2 team in the country, the Auburn Tigers. MSU handed the Tigers their first loss since the national title game last year. 

My granddaughter Abby had an end zone front row seat with two of her best friends. The girls frequented the ESPN televised screen on numerous occasions during the broadcast. It is so heartwarming to see the youthful school spirit that surrounds a sporting event. Go Bulldogs, continue your march through the SEC.  

Just in from the Coaches Poll: 1:30 PM 10/12/14, Mississippi State #1 in the country.

Molly Redfern, Maddie Burrell and Abby Berthiaume Hail State - Go Bull Dogs DAK is the QB, their best running back is Robinson. So, we have DAK Man and Robinson! There Is Good Out There I recently read several posts by old friends and former neighbors, Jim and Pat Dick, from Connecticut.  These two neighbors of 20 years have been trekking the roadways in a motor home for the past 18 years. In recent years they have spent much of their time in Yellowstone National Park and their permanent site outside Titusville, FL named The Great Outdoors. This past week Jim and Pat were in Indiana and have two wonderful stories about the people of the mid-west. There is goodness out there folks and thanks for sharing Jim and Pat. From Jim's Post, with permission. Tonight was a very special night. One that happens often in this RV lifestyle which we have done for 18 years.  The other day we found a coffee shop in Monroe, IN. While we were enjoying our Latte's, a very nice young lady and her Daughter came in. They made their order and proceeded to sit across from us in a tiny four person sitting area. We had a very nice time talking about what we were doing and Nicole talked about their farm. Eventually she invited us over for a visit. We were not able to make it but subsequent phone calls allowed us to visit with her family and parents tonight. I can only say that this is one of the most wonderful nights we have had in our 18 years of full timing. We were invited for dinner which included pork chops from their farm. They not only farm many acres of land but raise 5,000 hogs for market!!!  We asked her parents if she used to bring home stray animals when she was younger. They said no but she does bring home strangers for a great home cooked meal!  My great enjoyment was her father is a photographer and has done many trips to Alaska. He showed us some awesome photos of their journeys. Not only is he a photographer but he was a Navy Corpsman assigned to a Marine Detachment in Viet Nam. He suffered many wounds and has a Purple Heart!!! God Bless the Man!!! This was a great time for both of us and, I think, we have made friends not only here in Decatur, IN but in Jacksonville, FL where her parents will be spending the winter.  I cannot say enough about how wonderful it is to be in this lifestyle!! After reading the Post and asking Jim's permission to use it in the Blog, the below was his response. Lee, You are more than welcome to use it. I have another that happened in the same coffee shop this morning. We arrived around 11:30 only to find the shop was really closed but the owner, Matt, was still there. He said he was closed but, since he was there, he would happily make our drinks for us. Another gentleman was also there, apparently a friend of Matt. Once the drinks were made Matt said he had to go to Walmart but would return in about an hour and reopen the shop at 2:00 pm. He said we were welcome to stay in the shop to enjoy our Lattes, just be sure the front door was locked when we left and leave by the rear door which would lock automatically. We spent the next two hours talking to Matt's friend about many different things, one of which was how friendly folks in the mid-west seem to be compared to many on the two coasts. Matt's theme for the shop is Hawaiian with lots of surfing and skating memorabilia on the walls. I noticed he did not have a Ron Jon Surf Company sticker. He will be getting one in the mail once we return home. I would encourage any travelers to head to the mid-west and spend some time with the local folks. It may well be an eye opener and you just might make friends for life!! I know we have! :-) Jim and Pat A New Job is born Our granddaughter, Rachael Palmer, graduated from Salisbury University in May of this year with a degree in Elementary Education. Rachael has puttzed  here and there, subbing at her alma matter, house and animal sitting and a buck here and there thing, when she could find it. Well by Jiminy, she has gone on the permanently employed list. She has recently been hired by two brothers involved in the Food and Beverage business who own a number of restaurants and a Brew Pub. This twosome corporation is named http://southernboysconcepts.com/ Their Brew Pub is http://evolutioncraftbrewing.com/  A great article in the local magazine.   http://www.themetropolitanmagazine.com/Editorial/08_12augusteditorial/08 Rachael is filling the role of Personal Assistant to the owners and has herself moving forward to Independence. We here at the Rooster wish you all the best Ray. In the meantime Ray's brother Tommy is preparing for a trip to China. This trip is part of the experiential travels at The Salisbury School. Up North in Connecticut I had a great email from my daughter in-law in Tolland, CT this week. She is a woman who loves Giraffes. Check out this web site to learn some things I'll be you never knew. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/science/our-understanding-of-giraffes-does-not-measure-up.html?_r=1  Who knows, you might get on Jeopardy some day and win a bunch of money if you read it. Besides, everyone loves Giraffes. Our oldest grandson David is having a great sophomore year at Champlain College.  Rest, after a hard night of cramming? Jill and Rebecca are still busy with 4H and their Alpacas. Rebecca has taken to the Saxophone and Jillian keeps honing her skills on the competitive Softball field. I'm glad I'm not buying the gas to cart them around. Kevin does turn 16 next month, so there's a taxi service waiting to happen, Kevin's still participating on the HS soccer team and in the DECCA Club. What a great organization that I never knew existed. As for Bell, Cody and Annie, the resident Poodles, we have got to get up there sometime soon and see them. Editorial  This morning I was watching the news when Newscasters started to report on a Lincoln, NB, school district that wanted to eliminate gender - specific identity in the classrooms. No boys and girls in this school district, less we offend someone. They even identified assembling the students by calling them Purple Penguins rather than boys and girls. An example given was, “Now all the Purple Penguins gather on the rug for reading time.” Why not hunter and gatherers? Have we not gone over the proverbial deep end? Everyone seems to take or make offense toward something that needs change. The Washington Redskins is a perfect example which I’d like to expound on. I mean, even our president has given his opinion on the subject. Let’s have a beer in the Rose Garden and chat about it. Let us venture off to Texas and the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Have we not shut out the poor Cowgirls? They have worked the range for those boys on their steeds while they ramrod cattle. And what about calling them boys? African-American males over two hundred years have taken offense for use of that word due to its reflection to the days of slavery when they were summoned by the master with, “Come here boy.” Let me get out of Dallas, too much controversy here. As I leave Dallas in my pickup and head north and east a bit to Kansas City I come upon another football stadium, Arrowhead. Now Arrowhead surely projects violence. Put that in your quiver. Very politically incorrect, the name of the stadium alone is a case for a law suit. The team that plays there, the Chiefs, what, all Chiefs and no Indians? Armies and corporations have failed historically when there are too many chiefs and not enough indians, we’re going back to litigation once again. I leave Kansas City in a blustery snow storm that’s sweeping down the plains. I’m headed for the Great Lakes, plenty of heretic problems up there. My next stop is Cleveland, and are there issues in this city. The “Browns” is the team name in this exclusionary town. Lorenzo Carter was the first settler in Cleveland. Carter was born in Connecticut and traveled through Canada to Cleveland in 1797. Why not the “Nutmegs?” After all Connecticut was the Nutmeg State. While in Cleveland, Lorenzo befriended Chief Seneca, ah, there’s those Indians in prominence once again. Hush one’s tongue! Just what does the word “Browns” refer to in this modern day of watch what you say? Obviously it’s the Hispanic community, right? According to the 2010 census only 10% of Cleveland is of Hispanic origin. What an affront to the communities of Slovaks, Hungarians, Czechs, Russian, Scotch, Irish and Poles who helped make this great city what it is. During the Industrial Revolution these hard working people made Cleveland. According to the same census English was the primary language of 88.4% of the population. Let us call the team “The English.” We can hoist a mug of tea to the victor. I guess that wouldn’t work at a Tail Gate Party. The naming of the team was left to the first coach. That was Paul Brown, back in 1945. A contest recommended the name be Panthers. There was an old team from years past named the Panthers. That team was a failure, so Brown rejected it. Since Brown was the coach, it was Brown’s team, thus we have the Browns. Brown was fired in 1963 ending 17 years of coaching. He eventually was instrumental in establishing the Cincinnati Bengals.  Cleveland kept Paul’s name and now we have political correctness gone way over the edge. Where does this end?  When does this end? For me, I’ll root for the “Wicomico County Eclectics.” There are those indians once again. What kind of tribe were the Wicomico anyway? I hope this finds everyone well.  Enjoy the week, bring a smile to someone other than yourself.  Eat well and exercise. Semper Fi

Journal and Things

Allen News

It sure is nice to have this guy, "John Culp," back in town. Now fix that collar Sailor, it's about to fly away.

The Davies Clan

Sam, Zed and the girls have been busy packing and getting things organized for the move to Oklahoma. Zed is currently in Washington State, just outside Spokane at Fairchild, AFB. He will be there most of the month going through SERE training prior to reporting into Tinker, AFB in Oklahoma.

Zed and Mia Davies on a Mini Getaway

Enjoying time together.

Ana Davies looking at her mom's iPad

A Fall Walk

The otherwise solemn fallen pine from a storm gone by becomes a picturesque resting place for the Majestic Great Blue Heron to search for a seafood meal below. This fellow could have been a descendant from Mitchner's Heron that walked the shore in search of a Blue Crab meal, so many years ago.

On Thursday, during one of my walks on 15 beautiful acres along the Wicomico River, the great fisherman appeared. I've often equated the mighty Blue Heron with the Air Force C-5. As the C-5 seems to glide effortlessly just short of a stall, so the Blue Heron replicates that movement through the air as he flies.

Quite often while driving north on routes thirteen and one in the Dover area, I’d be mesmerized by the immense size of the mighty C-5 Galaxy. This plane is the largest airlifter in the United States Air Force inventory. The mighty bird has a wing span of 229 feet and can carry 270,000 pounds of cargo. When I pull to side of the road near Dover Air Force Base and watch these mammoth critters do touch and go practice landings, it is a sight to behold.

We have lived directly on the water fifteen of our 26 years living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. For ten years we lived on an old mill pond and observed with admiration the flight of all kinds of different birds. The Great Blue Heron, <(great video), was a frequent visitor to our shore line. It is the largest Heron in North America. Its head to tail length can measure up to 54 inches with a wingspan up to 79 inches. Should the opportunity ever present itself, just sit back and watch this creature fly. It is also captivating to watch the Heron slow walk the shore line with deliberate steps when finding a seafood meal.

When we lived on the pond, the Canadian goose took up a lot of observation time. We would have geese bearing young around the pond to observe. We would count 5, 6, or more furry yellow goslings following the elder through the water. When the goslings were only a few days old, they sometimes became a meal for a Large Mouth Bass or Snapping Turtle. It was in wonderment that we watched these animals grow and eventually join the flock after flight training. To be able to sit in our kitchen and observe the flight training process is captivating.

Geese on Allen Pond as daybreak emerges in fog.

Maryland is such a unique state, with a wide range of topography. From the sand at the ocean to the mountains in the west, it has what you seek in nature’s beauty. The colors of the spring and fall foliage have their own distinctive beauty among the trees and bushes. The dreary grey of winter begins to awake with the lush green fields of winter wheat. In summer we have the advantage to seek respite from the day to day grind in the mountains and along the sea. We are blessed in the Old Line State.

My sister Donna Brodin and her husband John (far right). The dedicated a 5 K run/walk money raising event for the "Children's Tumor Fund." Congratulations guys.

Kathy and Jeff

Kathy, Jeff and Mary Agnes are in Mississippi this weekend getting their Mia and Ana fix. They will also check on Abby's well being at MSU and attend the MSU vs Texas A and M football game. I'll just be they'll fall in love with those "Cow Bells." The Texas A and M Band is world renowned, check out their web site.

The Connecticut Clan 

I'm still waiting for one you up there to pick up a pen and write something of your doings for me. A picture of this or that would be great once in awhile also. Come on guys, help me out here.

http://patch.com/connecticut/tolland

Mary Agnes

Mary Agnes had a birthday celebration recently. No, I shall not give out the years. For her birthday she wanted to do a half marathon. There were no runs being held close by so she clocked her own route and took off at 0630 on the anniversary of her birth.

I placed water at spots along the route for her. Our home was at the 8 mile marker. It was a much better respite than those Porta Potties in an actual race.

.
Kathy ran from her house to ours, 3.8 miles, and then completed the last of the route with her mother.

The route ended 500 yards from Kathy's. Here's the little woman crossing the finish line. Quite appropriate the American Flag was flying at the Howard home in Allen. Mary Agnes is truly a Patriot.

13.1 miles later. What a Woman!

After her accomplishment we gathered at Kathy and Jeff's for Mimosas and a Cream Chipped Beef breakfast. It was the start of just a great day for Mary Agnes. She can now add a 13.1 to her 26.2 on the back of her car.

How about them O's !

Have a great day one and all from, "The Land of Pleasant Living."

The Last Day of Summer

Journal of W.L. Fiddler

09/21/14

I awoke alone this morning at 0458 beating Casper our Rooster by a good 45 minutes. Maggi stayed in her cage and Simon remained curled up on my chair as I ate a Peach Yogurt. As has become the norm, I sat at the kitchen table, reflected on the previous day and began to write. With this being the last day of Summer I shall now reflect on my thoughts of the Autumn Solstice.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire

Thoughts On The Last Day Of Summer

We awake today and it's the last day of summer.
Tomorrow we march to the beat of a different drummer.
With fall in the air and geese on the fly,
the crops in the field all start to dry.

It's a transitional period as the colors do change,
were you off in New England you'll notice the range.
The reds of the Maples, the gold on the Ash,
the orange of the Pumpkin which soon you will mash.

In fields you'll see bundled, the harvested corn,
and each day we shall dress, to try keep warm.
Soon children will dress in costumes galore,
in hopes of some candy, when they knock on your door.

Tailgates and football on weekends, attracts a big crowd, with
friends bundled in blankets cheering real loud..
With the sun setting early and the moon on the rise,
we have visions of holidays locked in in our eyes.

Thanksgiving is coming with friends and family so dear
and a hot cup of wassail is toasted to cheer.
The smells from the kitchen as the bird cooks away,
is the highlight for all, at the end of the day.

For our wood burning stove, we cut up our logs and split up the wood,
and clean last year’s soot, out from under the hood.
The fire will burn and we'll stay toasty warm,
just waiting to experience, our first winter storm.

For this month and year, it's a Sunday you see,
I'll hop in the car and off to church I'll be.
And when I come home and sit in my chair,
I'll take a deep breath and know falls in the air.

W.L. Fiddler
09/21/2014

Sam, Ana and Rachael

The three ladies mentioned above got to spend a few days together in our nation's capitol. 1st Lieutenant Davies, USAF was on assignment with her foreign student pilots as they oriented about the ways of the U.S. of A. It is quite a perk to be able to bring your 2 1/2 month old daughter to work with you.

Rachael went over to D.C. on Friday to catch up with and visit her cousin Sam. With Sam in Mississippi and Ray on the Eastern Shore, they don't get to see each other very often.

Rachael and Ana in DC

Kathy and Jeff

Last night Kathy and Jeff hosted us, Sarah and Scott for a gourmet Italian dinner. Upon arrival their porch was as inviting as any Italian restaurant could possibly be. The table was set to perfection with a pressed checkerboard tablecloth. A fine Chianti sat upon the table to compliment a meticulously prepared Brochette adorned with shaved Parmesan cheese. The main course was a Fettuccine dish of Italian Turkey Sausage crumbled in a delicate Basil Tomato sauce. A Peach Arugula salad with an Olive Oil, Lemon and Honey dressing accompanied the main course. The taste of this dish can only be described as magnificent. The coup de gras for anyone even thinking of dietary moderation came in the form of dessert. Our waitress Caterina brought to the table an immoral Tiramisu for closure to an evening of the finest Italian dinner. Truly we were dining in "Restorante Eden".

Thank you Jeff and Kathy.

We now have another restaurant to add.

 

 

September 10, 2014

The Rooster Crows in Eden

As I mentioned in my previous blog we took a trip north and ventured the length of Seneca Lake. Sitting at the headwaters of the lake is the town of Geneva, NY.  Hobart and William Smith College is located in Geneva.  Elizabeth Blackwell, our nation’s first women doctor was a graduate of Hobart and William Smith, Geneva Medical College. Many other notable graduates have gone forward in leadership positions around the world. The campus is beautiful, large stately turn of the century homes along the lake serve as residences for some of the students. The atmosphere just shouts out, come here to learn. 

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell

Geneva, NY on Seneca Lake

Geneva's Row homes

Wine Vineyards prevail in the Lakes region.

We will have to make a return to the Lakes region and get to spend four or five days there. There is just so much to see and experience. 

Our trip into Canada was an adventure, a lot of traffic crossing the Rainbow Bridge into the country of our neighbors to the north. Once we arrived at the entrance gate we were greeted by a very polite Tattooed female customs officer. She asked the usual questions, purpose for going into Canada, carrying any weapons, how long we were staying. Upon completion she smiled, told us to enjoy our visit and we were on our way.

We traveled along the QEW, Queen Elizabeth Way, towards Hamilton and Toronto and took side jaunts along the way to sight see and visit a few wineries. One in particular was the 13’th Street Winery, St. Catharine’s, Ontario. I found it interesting that they are located at 1776 Fourth Ave.(Fourth of July and 1776 ?) And they call it the 13^th Street Winery. (13 Original colonies?) I never did ask anyone, was that the significance, I must do that some time.Our Sommelier was wonderful and kept us and the other guests well educated on their wine processes. We purchased a wonderful bottle of Chardonnay and a Riesling which we will share at our own tasting come cooler weather. Should you be venturing along the QEW one day, make the 13’th Street Winery one of your stops. They have a great gift shop where we purchased the most delicious Caramelized Onion Confit from Au Printemps Gormet, excellent. 

·  13th Street Winery

·  1776 Fourth Ave., St. Catharines, ON

·  Ontario, Canada L2S 0B9

·  Local Phone: 905.984.8463

·  Facsimile: 905.988.1384

After sightseeing in Burlington and Hamilton we started to head back east to Niagara Falls. Taking secondary roads this time. As we traveled along Lake Ontario we stumbled upon the Lake House Restaurant. This was another good stop where we enjoyed a fine late lunch. I had the Fish and Chips which were as tasty as they were picturesque. The chips were curled around the fish and then baked, awesome. www.lakehouserestaurant.com   This was another positive selective stop to enjoy Canadian hospitality.

The trip back into the United States was less than pleasant. Traffic was horrendous and once again we had to cross the Rainbow Bridge. We were in line for just over an hour until we approached the gate and a miserable U.S. Homeland Security representative. All in all I can only say, he was just a miserable person and a horrible representative for anyone crossing the border. It was not a moment of pride. We were held up several minutes prior to our interrogation as this individual was just starting his shift. God help those who came after us.

We spent the night, our second, at the Towne Place Suites (Marriott), Buffalo Airport. We had a wonderful stay and highly recommend this hotel.

On the way home we strayed to Lancaster, PA, a longtime favorite place to visit. We just cruised the area taking in the gorgeous farm country, neat and tiny farm houses and felt an appreciation for these hard working Amish people. We had a late lunch once again enjoying Lone Star Steakhouse steaks.

We were up early on our last day on the road and went on a nostalgic trip home. We took to back roads from Lancaster to the Maryland line onto route 40 in Northeast, MD. We headed south over the Susquehanna into Havre de Grace. Our second daughter Sarah was born in this town a few years back. We walked the streets for a bit and took a respite overlooking the Marina on Chesapeake Bay. It was nice remembering days gone by and what was what in the late 60’s.

We then ventured on south via route 40, crossed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Mr. Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner for you non history people. Also starting today in Baltimore is The Star Spangled Celebration.

 After a nice stop for lunch at the Crab Deck on Kent Island we continued on home to our dog, cat and chickens.As always, it was good to be home.

Where in the World? / The Berthiaumes.

At the moment Jeff and Kathy are at the local yacht club participating in a Poker Run. Jeff will be departing for Barbados in the morning. I really think December through March would be a much better time to make that trip. I’m sure Jeff will endure while at the embassy.

Jeff and Kathy now have an apartment in the Curtis Bay section of Baltimore to flop in when they are across the bridge. They even have a little dock to hang their feet over to distress.

The last I spoke to Abby she was leaving an SEC football game early due to the heat. Perhaps Maine or Vermont should have been chosen for a school of learning. Congratulations to Abby on her recent 18’th Birthday. Granny sent her a couple of Shoo Fly Pies for the event. Two missing pieces were due to a taste test by Granny and I.

When all are gone we kind of look after the dog (Liberty), Cat and the fish.

One of Jeff's co-workers from the State Department, Matt Luck, is an avid fisherman. This year he was a mate on a boat entered in the Ocean City White Marlin Tournament. Matt shares pictures from all over the world while traveling for his job. Quite often Matt will go fishing in a foreign land and he will share his fishing exploits through photo's.

Matt at the Marlin tournament, unfortunately not a Money Fi$h. Love your pictures Matt, keep them coming.

 

The Davies

Most of you have heard by now that Sam, Zed and the girls will be relocating to Oklahoma come November. So you can keep up with them, I’m adding a link to their blog. Their blog is titled Cowboy Boots, Combat Boots and Baby Boots and can be found at sz2937.blogspot.com  In case you’re wondering S for Sam, Z for Zed, 29 was Sam’s squadron at USAFA and 37 was Zed’s. Check out their blog, say hi and keep up with defenders of our country. Thanks for your service Sam and Zed.

The Palmers

This week Sarah flew out to Orange County California once again for Phillips Seafood. She seems to be racking up the Frequent Flier miles of late. Tommy is busy with settling into tenth grade and playing on the Soccer Team. His school, The Salisbury School has it’s own site. September 10 Salisbury will play soccer against it’s arch rival, Worcester Prep. Rachael does some house sitting and child care in addition to subbing at The Salisbury School. while she awaits a reply from job applications. Granny and I provide a few meals on wheels for Tommy and Rachael from time to time when Sarah’s out of town, it keeps us old folks moving. 

The Connecticut Fiddler’s

Beth’s sister Melissa and her husband Greg just put on a backyard wedding for their oldest daughter Kala. The entire family has been preoccupied with that event for the past few weeks. I’m going to get the kids to do a little post for me to include in the blog. I’d really like them to be a part of sharing what's going on. Do you hear that David, Kevin, Jillian and Rebecca?

The Alaska Connection

  
We have a nephew from the Romspert side of the family and a niece from the Fiddler side living in Alaska. Our nephew John Michael Romspert, a Captain in the Alaska National Guard and his family live in Anchorage. John’s wife Rebecca and daughters Casey and Reese reside there with them.

John and Rebecca

My sister Donna’s daughter, Sue Zimmerman lives in Soldotna with her husband Joe.  Soldotna is about two hours south of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula. Sue’s son Johnny and his girlfriend Maile are presently residing with Sue and Joe.

Johnny and Maile with a recent catch of Halibut.

Eden /Allen

The past year has been a busy and sad one for our little town of Allen’s Methodist Church community. Six members of the church flock have passed away over the year. Two groups, the Allen Methodist Women and the Allen Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary jointly prepare and serve meals for the gathering of the families and the community after funerals. 

It is amazing to watch this tiny little Eastern Shore community bond together, providing food dishes and preparation for the post funeral events. Tables are set, flowers placed, food served and cleanup accomplished much like a choreographed caterers business. In addition to the funerals, the regular Lion’s Club meetings and County Fire Association meetings are carried out with coordinated precision.

This same group of women can be found in our local firehouse earning money for the Fire Company by selling food on Presidential Election Day. Homemade Vegetable soup, Hot Dogs, Chicken Salad sandwiches and homemade baked goods.

We'd like to say congratulations to our old friends Mike and Nancy Krause on gaining three new grandchildren. Their daughter Kristin and her husband Jeff Phoenix became the parents through a lengthy adoption process of three beautiful girls. 

The proud grandparents and parents with sisters Shianne, Chelsea and Savannah.

This past weekend we had a great Crab Feast at our home courtesy of our friends, the O’Leary’s. It seems they won a bushel of crabs at some fund raising event and said they would like to have us for dinner – at our house. Having a large yard and patio to host such a gathering, we were delighted that they shared their winnings with us. In addition to crabs we had fried chicken, Beans for Eighteen and everyone’s beverage of choice. We consider the O’Leary family an extension of our own. Edmund is a native of Kilkenney, Ireland. We shall refer to it as an O’Fiddler and O’Leary event .It was a wonderfully joyous evening for 14 well fed people. And I must thank the rain God’s, who held back the rains until cleanup was complete. And might I add, those Maryland Blue Crabs were delicious.

Some of the crew enjoying the fruit of the Bay.

 On Friday past Mary Agnes and I joined all at Sarah’s condo on the river to watch the practice by the Waterman in their boats for Saturday’s Boat Docking at Brew River Pub. Brew River is just across the river from Sarah. Our vantage point was such that we could almost reach out and touch the boats. If you’ve never seen a Watermen’s Boat Docking contest, add it to your bucket list, it’s a great event. A much more exciting event than a Tractor Pull.

Chatting with the participants from the condo deck.

Lastly, today I go back to school once again and take a creative writing class at our local community college. The pool I’ve been taking care of at the local club for the past ten years is now closed so I have some time on my hands. I've officially retired as a Pool Boy.  I also have a house sitting gig coming up in two weeks to keep me busy. Come November I’m planning a trip to Mississippi to drive one of the Davie's vehicle’s to Oklahoma. A busy few months are coming up. What keeps you busy, keeps you going. Who said that?

I hope this finds all of you out there in readership land well. Until the next time,

Semper Fi,   Lee