Eastern Shore

This seagull lives over on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, which is directly across the Chesapeake Bay from Mathews, about 15 miles east as the seagull flies and about 4,000 miles south/southeast/east/north/then north some more as the car drives.

In a previous life, the Eastern Shore was the backdrop for many memorable camping trips, one of which was immediately after Chesapeake Bay Son spent seven days in the hospital due to a ruptured appendix. During another Eastern Shore camping misadventure, I wound up in the hospital with a bad back, but really there's no need to equate the Eastern Shore with hospital trips unless you're me in the Chesapeake Bay Family. Then you can pretty much equate any vacation anywhere with a disaster.

I was there this weekend for a potential trip to Tangier Island, a short boat ride from the Eastern Shore. That excursion was cancelled because of the weather forecast, which included all sorts of small-craft advisories. (A small-craft advisory is a warning for boaters which translates into, "Unless you wish to die a swift and sudden death, keep your landlubbing feet on terra firma. Thank you.")

However, even though Tangier didn't happen, there's still quite the story to tell about my weekend on the Eastern Shore. This story would consist of all the words below, if only I had the energy to weave them all together.

-Elvis
-fried chicken
-state politicians
-sand crabs
-a dead hard crab
-periscopes
-butterfly trail
-boat trip to Tangier
-campaign strategies
-no directions, no GPS, no ESP
-Don Valerio's Mexican Restaurant - all three locations
-the man with the hearing aid
-El Yucateco chipotle hot sauce
-high winds at a breezy point
-up the creek
-down the creek
-a judge and a cupola
-a 1969 truck
-photo ops
-Paul and Sandra F.
-a squirrel
-running for local office
-dove hunting
-big boat
-four-alarm fire
-three a.m.
-Elvis, really

Because I have neither the time nor the energy to relay my story, please take a stab at using any combination of the words above to create your own version of events. Whatever combination you come up with will likely be very close--if not identical--to what actually happened. Trust me.

Happy Columbus Day, Feliz Dia de Cristobal Colon, one of my favorite federal holidays. Of course any paid holiday is my favorite but those which fall on Monday are the very best.