Negative Wednesday...

Every blue moon, I take a few minutes to stick my hand into one of my very disorganized negative boxes and pull out a sheet of negatives. I pick one or two and scan them into my very organized "days of working the news"  folder (not really named that). This one surprised me, as I had forgotten about it.

I must have set down my camera bag and handed one of my cameras to the nearest person so they could photograph my receiving the gift of the bracelet at a refugee camp in Thailand. 

I miss the days of film.

Soft Crabs Fresh or Frozen

Get your soft crabs here

Maryland State Fair, 2012...

Maryland State Fair, 2012 

 No, this is not a photo of the Maryland State Fair. It is a file photo of the Ruritan Carnival in Princess Anne, MD., and yes, it is over. But the Maryland State Fair in going on now! Hit their web site for info.

Labor Day Weekend Skipjack Festival Deal Island, 2012

Looking for something different this Labor Day weekend? Check out Deal Island for boat docking, skipjack races, car show, parade, live music, and more!

Enjoy an old-fashioned Gospel concert on Saturday: 4 pm: Theophilus Outreach Ministries. 

Also, check with marina for day fishing trips. 

Sunday:
9:30 am: Car show registration followed by parade at 1:00 p.m.

3-6:00 pm: Front Page News band (you will love them)

7:00 p.m. Dance Under the Stars to music by Borderline band.

Labor Day Monday:
8:00 am: Blessing of the Fleet (I love this tradition)
9:30 am: 53rd annual Skipjack Race
1:00 pm: Roland Parkinson Memorial Swin Race
2:30 pm: Deal Island Boat Docking Contest
4:30 -6:00 pm: Music by Rock Creek Band
6:00 pm: Awards ceremony.

~~~

Experience Americana this Labor Day on Deal Island.

Crab Shanty at Tangier Island

Crab Shanty at Tangier Island

Hop a ferry to Tangier Island...

The Best Tiki Bar on the Eastern Shore...

The Best Tiki Bar on the Eastern Shore...

From St. Michaels to Chesapeake City, I have a lot of favorite tiki bars and restaurants in both Maryland and Virginia - I even have some favorites in Georgia and California. This is also a restaurant and technically, may not be called a tiki bar, but I will go out on a limb here.

It has a private beach with breathtaking views, good food and entertainment, and a truckload of Eastern Shore fun to fill your evenings. I put it at the top of my list because when I am there I feel like I am on some remote island like Long Island, Bahamas, my favorite island. Ever had conch jerky there? Try it.

Where is this paradise of a place? I am not going to tell you. Not now. I will be going back next weekend when there is some action and post some better photos, and of course, give you the location. 

These photos were taken last week with my iPhone. Yes, I actually went somewhere without my camera. I am getting used to that.

Sunrise, sunset...

Tree at sunset

“The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire.” ~ Pamela Hansford Johnson

VA Outpatient Clinic Ribbon Cutting in Pocomoke City, MD

VA Outpatient Clinic Ribbon Cutting in Pocomoke City, MD, August, 18, 2012

Eastern Shore veterans have a little more to be happy about these days. The old VA clinic in Pocomoke has moved to a bigger and brighter location (still in Pocomoke), and expanded their services. This past Saturday, I was on hand to photograph the ribbon cutting. Members of the public gathered with government officials and representatives and VA staff and representatives for the ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new facility.

Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison, left, greets U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin.

Readying for ribbon cutting.

Spectators gather for ribbon cutting.

No ribbon cutting would be complete without a few speeches, this one being given by Director of the VA Maryland Health Care System Dennis H. Smith.

From left: Delegate Michael A. McDermott, Karen Windsor, Nurse Manager for the Pocomoke City and Cambridge VA Outpatient Clinics, Mayor Bruce Morrison, Senator Benjamin Cardin, Dennis H. Smith, Director of the VA Maryland Health Care System, Congressman Andrew Harris, M.D.,

Linda Prochaska, Representing Senator Barbra A. Mikulski's Office, Dr. Martin Garcia-Bunuel, Deputy Director of the Managed Care Clinical Center for the VA Maryland Health Care System, Senator James Mathias, Jr Shelly L. Cheesman, Clinic Coordinator for the Pocomoke City and Cambridge VA Outpatient Clinics.

Ribbon cutting, in 3 parts...

Great job!

Here are a few photos of the tour of new clinic...

 Random photos:

Del. Mike McDermott, left:

Left to right:  Congressman Andrew Harris, Linda Prochaska, Representing Senator Barbra A. Mikulski's Office, and Dr. Martin Garcia-Bunuel.

Senator James Mathias, Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison, and Sen. Benjamin Cardin

 VA representatives pose with Sen. Cardin, right.

The new VA Outpatient Clinic is located at 1701 Pocomoke Marketplace.

Directions to the Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinic:
 
From the Salisbury Area and Points North: Take Route 13 South toward Pocomoke City. After entering Pocomoke City, turn right at the light onto Old Virginia Road (Rt. 113). Take an immediate left into the parking lot for the Pocomoke Market Place. Drive straight ahead and the Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinic is located at Unit 211, next to Aaron’s Rental Supplies.

From the Lower Eastern Shore Area and Points South: Take Route 13 North toward Pocomoke City. After entering Pocomoke City, turn left at the light onto Old Virginia Road (Rt. 113). Take an immediate left into the parking lot for the Pocomoke Market Place. Drive straight ahead and the Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinic is located at Unit 211, next to Aaron’s Rental Supplies.

·     Veterans on the Lower Eastern Shore can enroll for VA health care at the Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinic by bringing a copy of their DD-214, a photo I.D., and financial information from the previous calendar year to facilitate the enrollment process. Veterans may also enroll for VA health care by calling the Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinic at 1-866-441-0287 or 410-957-6718.

Get your apples NOW!

2012 apple shortage 

Speaking of whacky weather, apples are coming in early and there are shortages in a few apple producing states. According to the Department of Agriculture, the apple bounty will be the smallest since 1986. 

What happened in 1986? The first 7 months of  '86  went down on record as the worst growing season, due to extreme drought. The Southern states were hit especially hard by drought. 

I remember working for a newspaper, and having to head out to a cattle farm to photograph loads of hay being trucked in from the North. Many farmers donated hay and in some cases, truckers delivered it for free. I do remember there was a shortage of trucks as the hay to be donated piled up, but in the end the farmers pulled together and the hay was distributed.

If I recall, there was a Northern drought in 1988. Who came to the rescue? Southern farmers paid back their debt by sending hay to the North.

Fall Replay, Crisfield weather for August 20, 2012

Dark Sky weather app

I am rebooting my blog with an old weather photo from Garrett County, Maryland, my favorite getaway place.

Why a fall photo in August? The temps dropped into the 60's last night and according to NOAA, the fall-like evening weather will be with us through Wednesday night.

It had gotten so damp and cool in the house last night that I turned on the pellet stove this morning. Yes, in August, a pellet stove is heating my house. Not to be overly dramatic, I am about to hit the "off" button. To be overly dramatic, this has been an extremely strange year for weather.

We had a mild winter on the Eastern Shore (no one is complaining about that) followed by an early spring, followed by the hottest summer on record. It wasn't too long ago that the heat index was 110. If this cool snap is indicative of what is to come, this can be called the year of the "fast and furious" summer. 

What's in store for the remainder of August and September? No one knows, but if my garden is any indication, summer is over. My tomatoes, full of blossoms and tiny green tomatoes that should be turning into the last batch of summer tomatoes went into dying mode last week. They seem to know it is time to go. I never argue with Nature.

Certainly, the weather will heat back up again, but when the weather turns whacky, no one can predict what will happen, but I think the hot days will be short-lived and my tomatoes are telling that Fall is creeping in early this year.

This has also been an extremely dry summer, at least on my block, so I figure Mother Nature has a whopper of a hurricane in store for Crisfield before hurricane is season ends. A little more heat, a whole bunch of rain at one time, a cool day here, a hot day there...those are my predictions. Maybe Farmer's Almanac has a job for me.

Weather today through Friday, August 24, 2012:

Today: showers. high 76 - low 66

Tuesday: possible showers. High 80 - low 66.

Wednesday: possible thunderstorms. High 78 - low 67.

Thursday: Partly sunny. High 80 - low 71

Friday - sunny. High 82 -low 70.

Almost too good to last.

~~~

FYI: for those who do not have access to my private blog, let me share a weather app tip with you. Check out the Dark Sky app. It only gives you the next hour's weather, rain wise. It is extremely helpful if you have to go out and you want to avoid the rain. It pinpoints where you are and tells you, with pretty good  accuracy, how long it will rain, up to an hour.

Last week, I was stuck in a downpour on my way to Bel Air. I decided to pull over and check my Dark Sky app. It said it was going to rain for 8 more minutes. It was about a minute off, but I knew I could sit there and be safe for 8 minutes while all the cars and trucks hydroplaned by me. Had is told me it was going to rain for another hour, I may have squinted my way onward.

Last week, we went to sleep with all the windows open, and I woke up to loud thunder and lightening. I grabbed my iPhone and looked at my Dark Sky app and saw it was not going to rain. I rolled over and went back to sleep. It didn't rain. On any other night, I would have been running around closing windows.

Dark Sky got started through Kickstarter. Keep an eye on this app. It is only going to get better. It will also tell you if it is going to snow, and it has a beautiful radar. More accurate than the other weather sites.