Some Flowers For You...

I've always liked this flower pot in front of Watermen's Inn Restaurant in Crisfield. I featured Watermen's Inn in a earlier post on food about town. You can view their menu and see more here.



“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ Mother Teresa

Work Shoes

I saw these work shoes sitting on a porch and had to take a photo of them. Thought it would be a good way to start your Saturday.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Get out and plant some seeds this weekend!

Happy Birthday to Tim Howard

"Why to you want to take my picture?" I think he suspected.

Yesterday I went to the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum in Crisfield where Tim is curator. I was on a mission. Well, two missions. I wanted to get a sleeveless Crab Derby shirt in "my" color before they were all gone. I also heard it was Tim's birthday. Soooo...

Tim, you will have to click on the photo to enlarge it so you can blow the candle out. Yes, there is a candle on the crab - just for you.

With a little help from his wife, Valerie Howard of the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce, I found out a few things about Tim and put together the above greeting.

Tim is holding a drawing done by Myra Betts, a student at Crisfield High School. Each year, the museum sells hundreds of beautiful t-shirts during Crab Derby; sales help fund the museum. Students at the high school get to submit their drawings and one is chosen to adorn the backs of our famous Crab Derby t-shirts.

And this is the one I chose...



Want one? Pick your color. They come with and without sleeves for ladies. Men can also order black or white; and they have sweat shirts, too. Don't forget your matching hat!

So let's all help make Tim's birthday extra special and help out the museum by ordering those t-shirts. Everyone coming to Crisfield for Crab Derby weekend should head on over to the museum when you arrive and get your tee, before your color is gone. Last year, I waited too long and ended up with yellow - yellow is not my color.



Thanks for all you do, Tim. You are a great guy. Hope you have a super birthday.

Friday "My Town" Shoot Out...

“Music creates order out of chaos: for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous” ~ Yehudi Menuhin

Mary picked this week's theme, INCONGRUOUS, meaning odd, out of place, not in accord or consistent with something; all those things that we don't have in our small community. Everyone and everything is in its place in Crisfield. How divine. So our little corner of the world is reliable, steady, dependable, constant, unswerving, unfailing, regular, and stable. At least, I think so.

Though I still participate in the town shoot outs, I did request that my name be removed from the list so no one would have to find a dead link when trying to wade through some 70 odd shooters. But, so far, I have managed to pull something off without missing an assignment. Thank you for your applause. Please be seated. And don't get excited. You might not see me for weeks.

For this assignment, I actually had some spare time and went in search of something incongruous. Nothing. Nada. Zip. So I used filters on the first photo - That is a pretty incongruous sky (click to enlarge) Darn, I wish I had time to do HDR like Dan.

The second photo; old chair sitting on the porch of an abandoned house, weeping ghost vines, long dead leaves dancing in the wind. Certainly does not look like summer to me, and I took it only yesterday. So I would say that it was an incongruous scene. And there you have it.





“...Upon the clothes behind the tenement,
That hang like ghosts suspended from the lines,
Linking each flat, but to each indifferent,
Incongruous and strange the moonlight shines...” ~ Claude McKay

How to Dance with a Maryland Blue Crab

First, you find a crab.

Then you introduce yourself.

Approach gently with your foot.

Let the crab take your toe.

And doesy doe you go.

How fresh are they? Right off the boats.

Pretty in Yellow

Mike Hardesty waves to the camera outside the new yellow and orange exterior of the Olde Crisfield Crab & Steak House, opening Labor Day. Mike is the son of Jerry Hardesty, owner of the restaurant.

For you out-of-towners (we all know each other around here), that is Cindy Gerald shown with Mike. She is a super gal who loves Crisfield - we all do! She has been helping out around the restaurant, pitching in to get it ready for the big grand opening. Thanks, Cindy. You look pretty in both yellow and blue.

See recent posts on the Olde Crisfield Crab & Steak House, as well as info on Crab Derby, our big Labor Day weekend happening:

A sneak peak.

Getting Closer.

Crab Derby.

Small Boat Harbor in Crisfield...

You will never be any younger than you are today. Relax. Play. Have fun. You don't have to wait for a weekend to do that, do you?

“Life is short, wear tropical shirts.” ~ Marc Lampe

Wally Byam Club Visits the American Legion in Crisfield

In 1985, I went on a one week assignment with another photographer to the Adirondacks to do a shoot on the Wally Byam Club for the Smithsonian Magazine. It was the most amazing event I have ever seen. In one day, the members of the club set up an entire city consisting of 4,000 Airstreams, along with their own post office, medical team, police, and communications system (no cell phones in those days). They brought out measuring tapes to make sure that each Airstream was parked in exactly the proper manner and at the right angle. I was impressed. I wanted an Airstream. I wanted to be a member of the Wally Byam Club and travel the world - they do travel the world. I wanted a Bambi, the little darling of the models.

Spending a week back in '85 with such wonderful people who invited us into their homes was a real treat. They treated us like family. I was in awe to see the workmanship inside those silvery domed rolling homes - some even had organs. The Airstream is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to traveling. And the people who drive them are some of the finest people I have ever met.

Recently, I was shooting a feature for the newspaper on the beach in Crisfield. I looked towards the American Legion where I saw a small caravan of Airstreams set up along the waterfront. I was like a kid in a candy shop. Airstreamers are infectious people; always happy, accommodating, and they have a twinkle of adventure in their eyes. Once you spend some time with them and their magic carpet with wheels, you can never pass an Airstream on the road without feeling like you are seeing an old friend.

I ran over to talk to the people who had come down from Delaware for a sock hop the following evening, and to take some photos with the little time I had left to get my photo back to the newspaper. Unfortunately, most of the people had gone into town to do some shopping.

I chatted with this member for a few minutes.

Then, I chatted with his wife. He is cutting up with her, pouring water on her head

I had an assignment the next night so I did not make it to the sock hop, but I dropped by and caught a halfway decent sunset. No time for tripod shooting. For you photo bugs out there, I had to use a high ISO, a low shutter speed, and hold my breath. The sun sunk on me like a lead balloon. Sometimes I think the sun was created just for Airstreams. With a tripod and a little time, you can get some spectacular sunrise and sunset photos.



.

When the sun set, I captured a shot of some of the members enjoying a fire. Sorry I could not stay long on either of my visits, but assignments and deadlines were looming. I really would have loved to have spent a few hours with the lovely folks and their rolling homes.

I never got my Airstream, but I have always loved the quote by Wally:

"Don’t stop. Keep right on going. Hitch up your trailer and go to Canada or down to Old Mexico. Head for Europe, if you can afford it, or go to the Mardi Gras. Go someplace you’ve heard about, where you can fish or hunt or collect rocks or just look up at the sky. Find out what’s at the end of some country road. Go see what’s over the next hill, and the one after that, and the one after that." ~Quote used with permission from the Wally Byam Club.

Several times, I have threatened to stowaway on one of the Chesapeake Boat Builder's boats. After I get back (or when they boot me off at the next port) I might set my sites on an Airstream bound for Brazil. Or Canada. Who knows?

Visit the Wally Byam site for more info. And if you have an old Bambi sitting around that needs a good home, give me a call.

Oh, and you don't need an Airstream to enjoy the beautiful sunsets at the American Legion, or anywhere else in Crisfield. On the water, there is always a million dollar view.

Back to School - in the Rain

Today was the first day of school. I had to get up early and cover it for the paper. What a morning! Torrential rain, thunder, and lightening. I sure would have liked to have slept in.

I wonder...is there a law against driving in the rain while taking photos? Sorry. I really did not have time to make any adjustments on this photo. I did not want to be late for school.

“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Last Days of Summer

The last days of summer, at least as far as school goes. Some of us still have the heat to contend with for several more weeks. But like these young people, who were enjoying a relaxing day at the beach before going back to school and work, we can all find creative ways to cool off.



How do you cool off on hot days?

St. Martin's Summer

As swallows turning backward
When half-way o'er the sea,
At one word's trumpet summons
They came again to me -
The hopes I had forgotten
Came back again to me.

I know not which to credit,
O lady of my heart!
Your eyes that bade me linger,
Your words that bade us part -
I know not which to credit,
My reason or my heart.

But be my hopes rewarded,
Or be they but in vain,
I have dreamed a golden vision,
I have gathered in the grain -
I have dreamed a golden vision,
I have not lived in vain.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

A Little Tour Around Crisfield, By Water...

Are you ready to visit?

Entrepreneurs Cut Grass for Homeless Cats

It always pleases me when I see kids working, knowing they are not glued to a TV or video game. I saw these young entrepreneurs while on my way to shoot an assignment and had to stop to get the scoop.

They told me they were cutting grass around town so they could buy better equipment and save money to help homeless cats. Being a cat person, I thought that was wonderful!

They made it a point to let me know they they charge by the size of the yard and on how high the grass is. So, all you locals give them a call and help save a cat.




"Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving and understanding animals, perhaps we humans shall come to understand each other." ~ Dr. Louis J. Camuti (the first US veterinarian to devote his practice solely to felines).

Enjoy Your Weekend Like You Were Living in Crisfield!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys what their communities have to offer. In Crisfield, we know how to have fun!





What are you doing this weekend?

“Relaxation means releasing all concern and tension and letting the natural order of life flow through one's being” ~ Donald Curtis

Firday "My Town" Not-So Shoot Out Shoot Out

As all of the members of our shoot out gang know, I have handed over my crown to the GingerV in Brazil and ChefE in New Jersey. Gordon, in St. Augustine, took Reggie Girl's place when she left. They are all doing a great job!

I have not left...just taking a break because this is my busy season and I have a million things going. I requested that my name be removed from the Friday Shoot Out site because I know how it is to click on a site and find no Friday Shoot Out. With some 70 shooters, it can be time consuming.

But when I can, I participate. This week's assignment was "Interesting or Amusing Signs", chosen by Si in Exmore, VA. And since I saw this interesting and amusing sign, I had to stop and get off a click.

I have always admired this old house, located outside of Crisfield in a farming community. I never had time to shoot it until inspired by Si. As I was taking a photo, the owner of the farm came pulling in with his tractor and explained to me that someone in Berlin, MD had actually bought the house and was going to have it moved. The house was built in the early 1900's. Now, I really want to be there when they move that house! Berlin is a, "Good far piece." - as we used to say in Georgia - from its present location. So without further ado, here is my interesting and amusing sign:



I am glad this house is being saved. I hate to see anything or anyone die away and be forgotten.

"When and elder dies, it is as if an entire library has burned to the ground." ~ African saying

The Carnival is in Town!

Well, the carnival is not in Crisfield - it is in Princess Anne, a short drive up the road. The Somerset Ruritan Carnival runs through Saturday. For more photos, visit the Daily Times web site (see side bar) and look for the photo gallery. You just might see yourself there! Oh, and don't forget our carnival will be here Labor Day weekend during Crab Derby. Whoo hoo! I love a carnival.

Let's all get out and support our local organizations whenever we can. They are the backbones of our communities.





"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live." ~ George Bernard Shaw

I love that quote!

For You Birdwatchers Out There...

"You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird . . . So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing - that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something." ~ Richard P. Feynman

Another little get-about in our boat begot these photos. You birders need to polish off your binoculars and head to Crisfield. We got lots of birds!

Be sure and click to enlarge.

Remember the Old Swimming Hole From Your Youth?

Around here, we have the bay...Come on down and cool off, bay style. It will put the 'kid' back in you.





Tom Sawyer would have loved Crisfield.