New Point

On Saturday, after going for a long walk, I took my new camera for a drive down to the southern end of the county.

My new camera and I are still getting acquainted, 

a process that's going to take forever a while. 

One of the places I stopped was Bayside. 

The Mathews Land Conservancy runs the site, which used to be 

a bustling wharf and fish-packing plant back in the day.

The weather this weekend was remarkably warm for February.  Daffodils are already starting to bloom, certain trees have buds, and my back yard already could use a good cutting.

Most everything is still this dull blah brown of winter, though.  

Last weekend I was in Dillon Beach, California, where everything was green and beautiful.  We took a day trip to Calistoga, my new favorite small town where I would like to spend the winters when I win the lottery.  

Note to self:  Start buying lottery tickets, please.  Thanks.

In other news, I'm traveling to Atlanta this week for work, but when I return the weekend weather promises to be warm and wonderful once again.

I'll definitely spend more time becoming acquainted with all the gadgets and gizmos and settings on my camera, because there's way too much much to learn.

I hope all is well in your world.

-CBW

Deep Thoughts

Look deep into Nature,

and then you will understand everything better.

-Albert Einstein

The poetry of the Earth is never dead.

-John Keats

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.
It will never fail you.
-Frank Lloyd Wright

Then again, there are exceptions.
-Chesapeake Bay Woman

Three Things

Welcome to the day of the week known as Three Thing Thursday, where we share three things related to whatever happens to be first and foremost on our minds at the particular time we are writing reading this.

Who else is exhausted just from reading that opening sentence?

Let's begin.

1.  I need a nap.

1.  These photos were taken last week from the pavilion near the site of the former Bayside Wharf down at Bavon.What a gorgeous day this was. The reflections and colors in the water were mesmerizing.

2. The daffodils, my favorite flower, are finally blooming.  In a week or so there should be plenty of daffodil stories to retell pictures to share.  

3a. This weekend will be spent with friends I've known since kindergarten.

3b. By the way, the kindergarten we attended was the tiny, nondescript, orange-ish cinder block building adjacent to the Food Lion in the courthouse.  At the time that tanning salon building was not in front of it;  I remember a big tree in its stead. The A&P, Western Auto and post office were where the Food Lion stands. Mrs. Janice Hudgins was our teacher (and also my piano teacher).

3c. To give you an idea how heavy my accent was at the time, when Mrs. Janice asked us to provide examples of words that rhymed, I raised my hand.  When called on I confidently replied, "Iron and barn." At the time I pronounced iron as arn.

3d. What this has to do with the friends I'm meeting this weekend is precious little other than some of us attended that cinder block kindergarten together and one of us remembers vividly that arn is not how you pronounce iron. 

The End.

Now it's your turn. Please share three (or more) things that happen to be on your mind at this particular moment, arn and barn notwithstanding.

Bayside

Last Friday I had the privilege of touring the southern end of the county with a former classmate of mine who had information and old photographs for the book I'm working on. One of the many places we visited was the site of the former Bayside Wharf.

The wharf, which he said stretched waaaaaaay out from where we were standing, was obliterated by Hurricane Hazel.

Today, the site is marked with a pavilion which is available for rent from the Mathews Land Conservancy. These pictures were taken from that pavilion.

 Click here for information on the wharf and the MLC.

Here's a picture of Johnny Pugh, my high school friend who was ever so happy to tell me what he knew.  And what he knows are facts and details which cannot be read in books or studied in school.

What he knows may be my next book.

Thank you, Johnny.