Greetings from Solomons

Nationwide is coming Friday to tell us what they will and won't do re: the basement, so there isn't a lot more we can do till they arrive. Right Restoration says they'll pack up what we haven't already rescued from downstairs to store it in a pod while the carpet, walls, bookcases, etc. are dealt with, but insurance has to sign off on it first. So on Thursday morning, we took the van for its regular emissions test and on Thursday afternoon, we went to Solomons. 

We first visited Jefferson Patterson Park, which we had never done before and now I really want to go in warmer weather because it has a beach on the Patuxent! At this time of year, there's not much visible wildlife though the Canada geese are very loud. The main visitor center was closed and the Patterson estate is undergoing restoration, but we took the trail to the Eastern Woodland Indian village, which is fascinating and we had the buildings and canoe to ourselves. 

Then we went to Annmarie Garden, which is having its annual Garden in Lights display. I think it's even better than previous years -- there's little Christmas-y and there are lots of animals, lots of Marvel and Star Wars, lots of undersea creatures, an "erupting" volcano, a "swamp" with lily pads, and the visitor center is open with live music, plus there was hot chocolate. I got home in time to chat with friends and see most of the Alamo Bowl. 

Greetings from Chestertown and Annapolis

I spent a lovely Saturday across and around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with Paul and Cheryl -- though we left home under stormy skies and stopped at a Burger King for lunch while it was still raining. But by the time we got to Chestertown for A Dickens of a Christmas, an annual Victorian-themed Christmas festival (though the American Rogues' music was more Irish Renfaire and the candy store had crab and terrapin shaped chocolates), the rain had stopped, and we had a gorgeous afternoon along the water! 

We visited most of the vendors and many of the shops and got hot chocolate, fresh cheese pretzels, and fudge, plus we went to the festival petting zoo and walked along the waterfront to see the Sultana and Elsworth, then headed toward Annapolis, stopping for dinner at the Harris Crab House (I had a salad instead of seafood but we all had hush puppies). Then we went to Lights on the Bay at Sandy Point State Park, where there were lots of nautical-themed displays, and now we're watching the B1G championship! 

Greetings from Solomons

I spent most of the day in Calvert County, where Cheryl met us -- first at Annmarie Garden's Artsfest, where we bought assorted tiles and glass decor and looked at lots of jewelry and pottery, then at Flag Ponds Nature Preserve, where we walked down to the beach and swam until closing time in water as warm as the air (you can see us holding up oyster shells below). Then Cheryl took us out to dinner at the Panera in Prince Frederick (which has the awesome seasonal squash soup). 

 

We had some traffic on the way home because of people heading to College Park for the Maryland-SMU football game, but we just watched the Terps on TV pulling themselves together and winning that game after some terrible playing and a lot of penalties. So all's well that ends well. And we brought our cookies from Panera home to eat during the game and they had mini M&Ms in them, so that's all good too!

Poem for Friday and Sandy Point Pond

To the Queen
Attributed to William Shakespeare

As the dial hand tells o'er
The same hours it had before,

Still beginning in the ending,
Circular account still lending,

So, most mighty Queen we pray,
Like the dial day by day

You may lead the seasons on,
Making new when old are gone,

That the babe which now is young
And hath yet no use of tongue

Many a Shrovetide here may bow
To that empress I do now,

That the children of these lords,
Sitting at your council boards,

May be grave and aged seen
Of her that was their fathers' queen.

Once I wish this wish again,
Heaven subscribe it with "Amen".

-------- 

I had a bunch of plans to get things done on Thursday, but then the Queen died and I wound up watching news and talking to a couple of British friends and a couple of U.S. friends I knew were interested in the monarchy, including a long-ago friend from camp who was going to marry Prince Andrew while I was going to marry Prince Edward (I think neither of us has any regrets that didn't come about). It's a strange, sad feeling -- I understand a lot of people hate the monarchy and the colonialism for which it stands and has long promoted, but this Queen started working during World War II and kept working up until two days ago. 

We took a walk on this lovely cool afternoon -- no toads today, but there were bunnies and blue jays -- and had fake beef stroganoff for dinner. Then I watched She-Hulk around the start of the football season; it's fine with me if Wongers and Madisynn remain a thing, and if the tribulations of dating as a Hulk remains a subplot given that we haven't seen Bruce date anyone (except maybe Tony in the jungle love shack) since the atrocious Natasha storyline. Plus I talked to my Thursday night fan group which is always fun! From Mezick Pond at Sandy Point State Park, where we saw boats, crabs, geese, gulls, and an egret: 

Greetings from Solomons

Since we didn't go to the coast for the Fourth of July weekend like lots of people we know, we spent most of Saturday in Solomons in Calvert County doing beachy summery things! We started at Annmarie Garden, which was having a sea glass and beach craft festival similar to their Artsfest and winter holiday market, so lots of jewelry, mirrors, and household items made of glass. We ate sandwiches at their picnic tables, then headed to the Calvert Marine Museum, which we haven't visited since we had kids at home -- the aquarium, fossil, and Maryland history sections are larger and we got to see rays and skates, pet starfish, watch otters sleep to avoid the heat, tour the Drum Point Lighthouse, look at lots of boats, and spot crabs in the water. 

 We stopped at Cone Island on the Solomons Island Boardwalk to get soft serve dipped in chocolate and admire the gulls, cormorants, and Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge to St. Mary's County over the Patuxent River. Then we drove to Flag Ponds Nature Park and walked the half-mile path through the woods to the beach on the Chesapeake Bay, where we waded -- there were a few too many jellyfish for us to want to do any serious swimming -- and saw schools of fish and a few crabs in the warm water. We stopped for Impossible Burgers at Burger King in Dunkirk on the way home, which involved driving through the thunderstorm that crossed the Eastern side of the state, and now we're watching the season finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

Greetings from Gardenfest

My Friday was scheduled around a plumber who came to do our annual home inspection and repair the toilet in the upstairs hall bathroom, which we discovered while the kids were here had a problem with the tank flapper staying closed so water was often running when it shouldn't have been. Now that is fixed and all the things we had to move for the drywall and paint repair yesterday have been replaced, so hopefully we are done with homeowner tsuris for the week! I also got a bunch of chores done and it was a gorgeous afternoon for a walk. We had dinner with my parents, who had more early birthday cake for me. 

Then we watched Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, which reminded me all the reasons I didn't care when the show was canceled! Almost no Simon! Mo used as negative-stereotype attention-hungry comic relief! And Max, whom I tried to like because I was so irritated at the "Jews ruin Christmas" Hallmark Channel vibe, but as always Max was so obsessed with himself that Zoey had to make him feel better about ruining Christmas by not making her feel better about the death of a family member. Thank goodness cishet white people are so good at Christmas. The alphabet in holiday lights at Annmarie Garden: 

Greetings from Calvert

Quickie while watching No Time To Die after a lovely long day in Calvert County, starting at Annmarie Garden for the Holiday Maker's Market, a smaller, more holiday-oriented version of their Gardenfest with local crafters, where we ate lunch at picnic tables after buying fudge and looking at lots of glass and nautical decorations. 

Then we went to Calvert Cliffs State Park, walking the nearly four mile circuit to the beach through the woods, where we saw volunteers repairing the boardwalks while ducks squawked objections and where son managed to get his shoes thoroughly wet, necessitating a stop at a CVS to get him socks and slippers for the rest of the day! 

After that, we went to Burger King for Impossible Whoppers, then returned to Annmarie Garden for their winter light festival, which incorporates some of their permanent sculpture and includes a train display in the arts center. Now we're eating the nuts and popcorn we got earlier and trying to decide whether we care what happens to this iteration of James Bond or if the plot is too contrived.