I was sitting in the hotel room talking to John when my cell phone rang. It was the girls saying, “You need to hurry to the pier! The waves are hitting it!” The pier at Ocean City is reserved for amusement rides close to the boardwalk, and further into the...
Hurricane Bill In spite of the storms that have hit Maryland and a hurricane off the coast, we have had great weather so far. Today it became obvious that the two fronts, the storms and the hurricane, are soon to descend on us. The sky looking to the east. Storm...
I woke up, looked at the clock, noted the time was precisely for sunrise, dashed out of the bed grabbing my camera at the same time, and managed to photograph a nice sunrise.
Today was our first full day at Ocean City. After watching the sunrise, we went out for breakfast. As it turns out, my favorite place in the world (The Dough Roller) to eat breakfast, Donna likes too! And now Laura is a convert too! The pancakes are simply the BEST....
We got a wonderful invitation from Jenny’s mom and dad to go to Ocean City. We left today. Traffic on the Bay Bridge was strangely busy. But once through we were here in no time! The view straight out from our hotel. Our hotel is very close to the Kite...
In the first time, in my adult life, I went to a flea market today. I think as a child I remember once going with Chris and her family, but as an adult, this was indeed a first. I went because Jenny and her mom were setting up to sell...
Avalon Area of Patapsco State Park that is. Enric, Miranda, and Silas are still in town. Enric and Miquel decided to go mountain biking and Miranda and Laura went hiking. I got to spend some time with Silas. Silas climbed mountains at the playground there. Here, I show off my...
Our July 4th started with a sit-down family lunch of Tortilla de Patatas. With everyone’s tummy happy, we decided to get some tennis in before heading out to the harbor. Already happy to have spent most of the day with my two children, I showered and looked forward to meeting...
Today Laura and I were invited to Heather’s dance recital. This was the 16th Annual Dance Recital of Dancer’s Dreams, and held where I used to attend High School, Northeast. The first number, danced to Mercy: The next number was called, Busting Loose It was a great show. I took...
Each year the Blue Angels come to Annapolis. The first time I saw them was unexpected and almost scary! |A few times back now, it’s just a thrill to see what it is they can do. This was my first time though with my new Canon camera using the 70-300mm...
Well it’s been on and on raining here in Maryland for ages, and yesterday the rain stopped and the sun came out for a time. I had a day playing taxi driver (and not an easy task as the driver door won’t open) to Miquel and Laura, but still managed...
We made Thursday our day trip to Blackwater Falls in West Virginia. It is a good four hour drive to get there. It had been a long time since I had visited there, and I wanted John to see it too. This was going to take an John, having lived...
Yesterday, John and I took our cameras (and his new lens) to Conowingo Dam. We had heard of eagle sightings and went for a long drive in hopes of seeing one. Conowingo Dam is rather interesting in and of itself. The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station)...
It’s always interesting to view your own area from the perspective of someone from somewhere else. Last October, John from Perth, Western Australia visited the USA. He was whisked out of his plane into downtown New York City by four crazy women and then we flew down Interstate 95 to...
Two days before we were with freezing temperatures and under a blanket of ice and snow, and then Saturday we woke up to a balmy 60 degrees. So, rather spontaneously, Laura and I decided to go to Kilgore Falls at Rocks State Park, located in Northern Harford County, one of...
First a question. How come almost every time they have a Global Warming protest, it gets snow? Do you think God is trying to tell them something? Anyway….We waited all winter for a good amount of snow and finally we turn the calendar and March brought us about a foot...
Being John’s last full day, and having walked nearly as far as our legs would allow us, we spent it close to home, but again walking. Anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I love to walk and use this time for thinking, and when walking with someone,...
We took a day to do some shopping for John’s boys, Jeff and Jamie. We went to Annapolis Mall to a shop called Zumiez. We found a few items exclusive to that store and not available in Australia. While in the area, I thought it would be a good time...
I have long wanted to go to the Renaisaance Festival, but for one reason or another, I never got to go. While still in Australia and his trip still in the planning stages, it ended up that Maryland’s RenFest was one of the items that helped decide when John would...
In the past, I have taken a lot of teasing from my friends who spent summers going east with their families to Ocean City, and my family always went west to visit family in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. So when I finally got to experience Ocean City, they...
We have had so much rain and cold, and the warm days we’ve had up till now have been very busy. It was good to go to one of my favorite spots and just walk in the park with my camera… Â
The quintessential early bird, American Robins are common sights on lawns across North America, where you often see them tugging earthworms out of the ground. Robins are popular birds for their warm orange breast, cheery song, and early appearance at the end of winter.
In my efforts to photograph Pasadena, Maryland, my last stop was Venice on the Bay. Lisa and I went in the afternoon Sunday. It was a perfect day. One glitch we did run into was a poor little goose with a fish hook caught in its tail feathers. Didn’t...
I don’t know how many times I went to this beach with a dear friend or loved one. I think it started out Lisa and I on our bikes riding almost daily to Chelsea Beach in the summers. I also went with Chris, Donna, Flavio, and for Petra and...
“Babies are such a nice way to start people” Today, one of my oldest and dearest friends gave a baby shower for her daughter, Britney. Naturally Laura and I were invited. It started with a very treacherous snowfall as seen from their basement window… Britney was totally surprised She had...
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Both parents feed young “pigeon milk.” Young leave nest at about 15 days, usually wait nearby to be fed for next 1-2 weeks. One pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year in southern areas.
Unlike the treecreeper, which only moves up the trunk of a tree, nuthatches will move both up and down.
Gulls, or colloquially seagulls are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers and even more distantly to waders.
Sturnus vulgaris All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York’s Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned. It took several tries, but eventually,...
Turkey Vultures are majestic but unsteady soarers. Their teetering flight with very few wingbeats is characteristic. Look for them gliding relatively low to the ground, sniffing for carrion, or else riding thermals up to higher vantage points. They may soar in small groups and roost in larger numbers. You may...
American Goldfinch Spinus tristis One of my favorite colors is yellow. This bird really gets my attention!
(My friend and longtime neighbor Lisa passed this on to me) You know your from Maryland when… You know more than 10 people who own boats, all at the same marina in Solomons. You can pronounce and spell “Pocomoke,” “Mattaponi,” “Accokeek,” “Havre de Grace” and “Silopanna” (Annapolis backwards). You...
We live in an area that isn’t very large. Pasadena has a population of about 12,000. It is definately ever growing, and I suppose with growth, comes some uninvited “excitement.” This week Miquel had some such excitement where he works at a local pharmacy. It seems he had a male...
It used to be called the Baltimore Zoo, but the news is that due to some mismanagement, it is now the Maryland Zoo. Today was opening day and everyone got in free. I took the girls for a fun day. We had a wonderful time in spite of many animals...
and...
