Explore

Eagle Day Trip

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Charlie and I spotted eagles when we took our September sojourn to Assateague Island.  Then Charlie told me he spotted one soaring over our house.  Once you’ve seen one close up and personal they’re unmistakeable.

Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River

We were eager to see more so we headed up to the northeastern part of Maryland near Conowingo Dam which is located on the lower Susquehanna River and has served as Maryland’s largest source of clean energy for more than 90 years.

Conowingo Fisherman’s PArk

After driving for about an hour we parked at Fisherman’s Park just as the sun was rising then walked around the paved area that fronts just below the dam on the Susquehanna River. Fisherman’s Park opens an hour before sunrise and stays open an hour after sunset.

Photographers and anglers enjoy Conowingo Dam.

Charlie packed some snacks and drinks in a cooler so we were happy to sit with our binoculars and wait for the birds.  There were a number of fisherman, some photographers with large zoom lenses, and a young man and his mother hunting for sea glass.

We saw cormorants, vultures, ducks, and the great blue heron pictured above.

Everyone was welcome and happy to engage is socially distanced conversation about the area.  We were told that in November and December so many people come to watch that there is barely space for everyone along the very long fence.

The tiny white speck on the promontory of the island is the heads of two bald eagles — a local pair.

Finally, after about an hour, we heard the high pitched giggle of the bald eagle.  Two or three soared back and forth along the opposite shore.  Then two settled on the point of an island in the middle of the river.  We observed them for a long time through binoculars which allowed us to see their noble features.

Highway 1 goes over the dam.

After watching for awhile we got back in the car and rode over the dam which is US Route 1.

Large carved eagle at the visitor center — about 7 feet tall.

We also made a stop at the Visitors’ Center on the south end of the dam.

Conowingo Visitors’ Center

The building itself is only open Monday through Friday but we took some photos with the large carved eagle near the entry.

We always stop for a bite to eat.

On the way home we stopped for sandwiches at Vagabond Sandwich Company in Belair, Maryland.  I can recommend their hearty, home-cooked food.

The eagle tried to peck Charlie in the head.

The eagle hunt continues.

Jo

October 2020: Goals

/ Jo / 2 Comments

In the month of October I’m looking to:

  1. Install threshold in laundry.

    A wood threshold will reduce the space under the laundry door.

  2. Read a book: Misty of Chincoteague.

    Chincoteague ponies live on Assateague Island for most of their lives.

  3. Day trip to view bald eagles.
  4.  Check old computers for available files then get rid of them.
  5.  Frame some paintings.

    Strips of wood are the basis of my floating frames.

  6.  Empty desk in pink bedroom.

    The desk on the left is moving to the shore house when I unload it.

  7.  Remove one item or box from attic.

    Clutter in the attic is getting whittled down but we have more progress to make.

  8.  File financial papers.
  9. Work on  kitchen at shore house.
  10. Wash treetops bedroom windows.

    This room is bright with a triple aspect.

  11. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: SATISFACTION.
  12. Write a goal list for November.

Jo

September 2020: Making Progress

/ Jo / Leave a comment

We started September with a quick overnight trip to the beach which helped our moods considerably.  Then we completed a few projects which is always encouraging.  

  1. Wax dining room table. 

    Waxing bare wood gives it a delicate glow and protection.

    I have been waiting until cool weather to wax our dining room table which I stripped earlier in the summer.
  2.  Read a book:  Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  I hadn’t read this classic since high school.  I appreciated reading this much more now than I did then.  I didn’t race through; I paused to read some of the poetic passages out loud.  The language is so beautiful.
  3. Celebrate wedding anniversary.  Generally we’re on a trip for our anniversary but this year we’re not only staying in the country, we haven’t left our state. As matter of fact we stayed home and worked on small projects together all day. 

    Anniversary Creme Caramel — one of my favorites.

    Charlie steamed shrimp for lunch and I made creme caramel. We celebrated our “steel” anniversary so I got 2 gifts for Charlie: one for work –circular saw blades — and one for play — and ice cream scoop.  
  4. Paint outdoor window trim on master bedroom.  Charlie set up the tall ladder and started the painting.   

    Freshly painted trim and washed windows on the old part of the house in the center of the rear elevation.

    We took turns finishing.  We could paint a little trim every month and never get entirely finished.
  5. Visit Assateague Island.   We spent a whole day at Assateague Island National Seashore.

    Ponies wander all over the island, even the beach on Assateague Island.

    This coastal island in Maryland is on my bucket list. Check!
  6. List Halloween costumes to sell. 

    Aladdin dreams of a whole new world.

    I have started listing costumes on Facebook Marketplace. They take up an entire closet for which I have a better use.  
  7. Remove one item or box from attic.  I have 3 plastic bins of fabric in the attic.  I brought down a select list of fabric for some projects I plan to work on this fall. 

    Clutter in the attic is getting whittled down but we have more progress to make.

    I also sorted through 2 more large boxes of toys some of which have been sold on Facebook Marketplace.
  8. Move tools from master closet to basement.  This was more difficult than I planned but all hardware, tools, and paint supplies have been removed from my master closet.  

    Clutter has been moved from the back of our closet.

    Some of the tools that I use often I relocated to the closet in the laundry room.  Everything else went to the basement.
  9. Work on kitchen at shore house.  Using my plan, I purchased paint and supplies for the cabinets. 

    Painting kitchen cabinets is a slow, tedious process.

    Sug and I spent 2 Saturdays painting and changing the hinges.  It was very satisfying and really transformative.
  10. Wash window in pink bedroom. 

    The window in the pink bedroom was surprisingly filthy. Now it sparkles.

    It won’t be long until all the windows in the house have been washed. Woo hoo.
  11. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word:  CREATE. 

    Wall mural for the Cottage.

    We got creative a couple of times during the month with these projects:  shell pendant, wall mural, cashmere donation.
  12. Write a goal list for October.  Hoping to maintain the momentum.

Jo

A Small Souvenir

/ Jo / Leave a comment

While Charlie and I were visiting the beach recently I found a delicate shell a little larger than my thumbnail.

A pearly shell.

The inside is covered with a peachy nacre.

I was hopeful a hole could actually be formed when I put the point of a pin into a pencil mark I made near the top of the shell. (The newly-started hole is just visible at the center top.)

I wanted to do something special with this shell but I wasn’t quite sure what. I decided to try to make it into a lavalier.  I was hoping to poke a hole in it so I could suspend it from the chain I generally wear around my neck.

A hatpin was easier to rotate than a needle (which I also tried).

After a little research I discovered I might be able use a needle or thumbtack to make the hole hopefully without breaking the shell.

After about 10 minutes of “drilling” the hatpin pushed through the shell.

I started with a hatpin working it back and forth like a drill.  I kept on (without losing heart) until it pushed through and made a very small hole.

A pushpin slightly enlarged the diameter of the hole.

Then I used a pushpin through the same hole to enlarge it slightly.

I was careful to pull the jumpring through  the newly formed hole with the help of tweezers hoping the shell wouldn’t break.

I worked a split-ring-style jumpring through the hole.

I love my new souvenir.

The ring slid easily on my chain and I plan to wear it until it wears out.

Jo

We Haven’t Left the State

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Covid-19 has forced Charlie and me to cancel all our major travel dreams this year from a cruise to Bermuda to seeing the Northern lights in Iceland.  We even had to cancel our day trip to Washington DC when the government closed down all the sites we had reservations to visit.

All our pre-entry questions were answered at the Visitor Center.

But we have found that our state of Maryland is worthy of exploration.  Since the order to stay put has encouraged us to stay local we have flown in a hot air balloon, taken a cruise on a schooner, and visited a local 50-acre garden.  We are careful to wear face masks, keep a large social distance, and repeatedly wash our hands.

A boardwalk leads through the dunes to a soft white sand beach.

We recently took an overnight jaunt to the the Eastern shore of Maryland to visit Assateague Island National Seashore which is on my current 101 in 1001 list. We entered the park on my Lifetime National Park Pass which saved us $25.

Ponies wander all over the island, even the beach.

Wild ponies have roamed the beach since the 1600s.

It is possible to get a close-up photo since the ponies are accustomed to people.

The ponies are wild — not to be fed nor petted.  Charlie and I just enjoyed watching them roam around along with myriad other wildlife.

Sandpipers are more skittish than wild ponies.

The beach is really nice and the park uncommercial.  I ALMOST wish we had decided to camp there which is permitted in certain areas on the actual beach.  I haven’t camped in a tent on the beach since about 1976 or 1977.

The east wind was perfect for kite flying.

We stayed near Berlin, Maryland in an AirBnB rental.  Berlin is a charming small town with a fun Main Street.  In non-Covid times we might have spent more time there.

An egret is hiding in the marsh.

On our second day we drove into Ocean City and chatted with some old friends at their beach rental which they have owned for 45 years.  As we headed home from there we took our time stopping along the way to peruse a garden stand and detouring to try and get a glimpse of a bald eagle which in fact we did.  We saw one eagle perched atop a tall pole and just as we thought that was the best sighting ever another one swooped in front of us into a committee of vultures and stole their lunch.  He flew with a large piece of carcass in his talons up into a nearby tree where we watched him with our binoculars.  The bald eagle with his yellow beak and yellow eyes was magnificent. (We were too entranced to take a picture.)

The ponies do NOT disappoint.

We had a great time on a short trip and we never left our state.  And although I loved the ponies, the eagle sighting was fantastic.

Jo

September 2020: Goals

/ Jo / Leave a comment

The month of September is like the new start for the year.  This year is a little different since school buildings are remaining closed.  Still we have things to celebrate.

  1. Wax dining room table.

    Planning to use clear BriWax on this recently stripped table.

  2. Read a book:  Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  I fully expect to be adding a few Shakespearean phrases to my everyday language. It should drive Charlie crazy. (“But soft” — in other words Shhhhhh.)
  3. Celebrate wedding anniversary.  Last year we were in Serbia for our wedding anniversary. This year we’ll celebrate closer to home.
  4.  Paint outdoor window trim on master bedroom.

    The sunflowers can’t hide the fact that the back of the house needs tweaking.

    While the ladder is up wash the exterior master bedroom and dining room windows. Clean the bump-out rain gutter.

  5.  Visit Assateague Island.  This coastal island in Maryland is on my bucket list.
  6. List Halloween costumes to sell.

    I designed this costume when my then young son said, “Robin Hood doesn’t wear green, you know, Mom.”

  7.  Remove one item or box from attic.
  8.  Move tools from master closet to basement.
  9. Work on kitchen at shore house.
  10. Wash window in pink bedroom.

    There is only one window in the pink bedroom.

  11. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word:  CREATE.
  12. Write a goal list for October.

Jo

August 2020: Enjoyed Goals

/ Jo / Leave a comment

In August, 2020  we were hot and busy. We finished up the summer with a few diverse projects, trips, and more clean up.

  1.  Work on weave poles with Dash.  As soon as I say, “Dash, do you want to weave?” he perks up his head and cocks his ears.  I think he enjoys weaving.

    Dashie working the weave poles.

  2. Read a book: W is for Wasted .  This book in the alphabet series by the late Sue Grafton was a fun read.  She wrote 2 more — X and Y. Unfortunately Ms. Grafton succumbed to cancer before writing Z.  I fully intend to read numbers 24 and 25 since I have read and enjoyed A through W.
  3. List toys to sell.  I sold some wonderful toys which I listed on Facebook Marketplace from the 1980s which I’m sure a new generation of tots are enjoying.

    This classic toy had been in the attic for decades — the bell still rings when a car drives over the yellow hose.

  4. Design and order grave marker.

    This is the approved final design.

    After discussing all the pros and cons of marking our future graves, we decided to use a local monument company (instead of the cemetery) which gave us many more options for personalization.

  5.  Cruise Baltimore Harbor.  We took the Baltimore History cruise on a Friday morning and enjoyed both the 1.5 hour trip and the information.

    Charlie and Jo aboard the Summer Wind.

  6.  Check workability of Cuisinarts.  I pulled out all of my food processors to see what would work for me and what I could get rid of.  In the long run everything had to go — some in the trash and some for sale online.  I’m planning to get a smaller replacement machine.

    I had a couple of old Cuisinart food processors taking up lots of room in a kitchen cupboard. They are gone, gone, gone.

  7.  Remove one item or box from pink bedroom. I removed a pile of previous year income tax returns and filed them in the appropriate box in the attic.
  8.  Remove one item or box from back bedroom.  I removed a box of toys from the back bedroom and the rug (which is now in the laundry).  I also pulled a bin of music and papers belonging to Charlie.
  9. Work on pond at shore house.  I bought some barley straw and asked my son to read up on how it works to reduce algae in a pond.  After putting the straw into the pond it’s difficult to discern improvement.

    We’re going to try a natural cleaner for the shore house pond.

  10. Wash dining room windows.  Almost finished windows in the entire house. Yippee!!

    There are only 2 windows in the dining room.

  11. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word:  ENJOY.  And we did!
  12. Write a goal list for September.

Jo

Garden Respite

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Number 5 on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days is to visit Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County, Maryland, about a half hour drive from our house.

The entrance is easily reached by GPS. The entry road is protected by a deer-proof roadbed which is very loud and bumpy to cross.

After meticulously perusing their website Charlie and I chose a pleasant 80-degree day to tour the over 50 acre-garden.  It’s open from sunrise to sunset and the admission is free.

The Visitors’ Center was planted with sun-loving, hot-colored plants.

We arrived just before 2 p.m. and parked in the convenient parking lot in front of the Visitors’ Center which is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Although we arrived just at 2 p.m. when the buildings were closing, the volunteers suggested we take a photo of a map of the gardens.

We walked toward the teahouse (bottom of the map) when we really wanted  to see the the perennial garden, rose garden, and butterfly garden (top right of the map). Since there are no signposts to advise our wanderings we did the best we could with the phone photo of the map.  Unfortunately using the phone map in the sun was difficult and I had to switch from my sunglasses to my reading glasses each time so ultimately we just stared roaming.

The butterfly garden was humming with bees and butterflies.

We finally figured out where we were when we happened upon the conservatory (which was closed) and began our ramble through connected gardens.

Large specimen trees anchored the colorful garden beds.

The hardscape of the gardens is laid out in rooms with water features, shaded benches,  and wisteria covered pergolas.  We didn’t stop to sit but other people were enjoying the garden from a restful vantage.

Charlie and I were both interested in the look of this bamboo grass that surrounded the party patio. We noted it was contained on all sides by concrete.

After strolling for about an hour we headed back to the car.  I would like to return in spring to see the azalea, wisteria, and iris in bloom.

Keeping it local.

Jo

Harbor Cruise

/ Jo / Leave a comment

Charlie and I enjoy traveling but recent intelligence tells us we shouldn’t leave the state of Maryland.  We also shouldn’t engage activities with large crowds. (Earlier this year we took a balloon ride.)

The Summer Wind, a junk-rigged schooner, is docked at the Ritz Carlton wharf in Baltimore.

With these guidelines in mind we booked a sail around Baltimore Harbor on a junk-rigged sailing schooner that only carries 6 passengers.

The mainsail is hoisted manually by the fist mate while the captain sails away from the dock.

There were lots of options: morning sails, afternoon sails, sunset sails, evening sails.  We chose the morning Baltimore History sail.  Having had our own sailboat for many years we wanted to do more than just look at the sights; a little learning is always good. (We had taken a sunset gondola ride last year in Venice and an informative ride down the Thames in London the year before.)

We were greeted at the dock by the first mate and welcomed aboard by the captain (pictured here) who scanned our foreheads for with a thermometer.

Charlie and I were the only two passengers hosted by a crew of two.

USS Constellation — a ship with a complicated history.

We sailed around Baltimore Harbor and were regaled with histories and details of old Baltimore and its modern development.

Baltimore’s modern skyline includes the recognizable triangular prism top of the National Aquarium.

The fleet at Living Classrooms.

This cruise was a real treat.

Charlie and Jo aboard the Summer Wind.

I’m so glad we found something new to enjoy.

Jo

August 2020: Goals

/ Jo / Leave a comment

In the month of August we’re looking to finish up a most beautiful summer with a few diverse projects and more decluttering.

  1.  Work on weave poles with Dash.

    Dash needs a new challenge — weave poles.

  2. Read a book: W is for Wasted .
  3. List toys to sell.

    This classic toy has been in the attic for decades — the bell still rings when a car drives over the yellow hose..

  4. Design and order grave marker.
  5.  Cruise Baltimore Harbor.

    Charlie and I plan to sail around Baltimore Harbor.

  6.  Check workability of Cuisinarts.

    I have a couple of old Cuisinart food processors taking up lots of room in a kitchen cupboard.

  7.  Remove one item or box from pink bedroom.
  8.  Remove one item or box from back bedroom.
  9. Work on pond at shore house.

    We’re going to try a natural cleaner for the shore house pond.

  10. Wash dining room windows.

    There are only 2 windows in the dining room.

  11. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word:  ENJOY.
  12. Write a goal list for September.

Jo