Landmark

Yesterday, in between various errands I was running in the cold hours of the early morning, I stopped in Mathews Court House to take a few pictures.  These are of the Confederate statue on the historic court green.

The statue was unveiled in the early 1900s on what was reported to be a very hot day.  

It was not hot here yesterday morning.

As I stood in the middle of the completely deserted road 

gazing up at the statue, along came a car.

In it was Mathews Mark.

(This photo is slightly blurry because I was trying to take his picture without him noticing.  

It's hard to be discreet when the person is looking directly at you.)

Mathews Mark stopped, rolled down his window and caught me up on his activities, which include a recent trip to South Carolina for his mother's 60th high school reunion.  This conversation occurred like so many do around here: in the middle of the road with nary a car coming for miles.  

Reason #634 why I love Mathews.  

Spontaneous conversations in the middle of the road.

Click here and here for two of many blog posts I've written featuring the one and only Mathews Mark.

Weathered Wood

If you look closely, there's a  faded cross on the front of this boathouse.

These pictures were taken from the dock at the Tides Inn in Irvington.

The Tides Inn is a rather swanky resort and marina that for many years offered sunset cocktail cruises and dinner cruises aboard their very own boat, the Miss Ann.

There is nothing swanky about these photos or what they highlight. However, as I stood on the grounds of the resort admiring everything so perfectly in place, not a stray stick or errant leaf to be found, I felt myself drawn to this adjacent property, visible from the dock.  Thanks to my camera's zoom I was able to get a better look at the old house so close to the immaculate grounds of the resort.

(Just to clarify, I find the house beautiful not an eyesore.)

Speaking of beauty, the Miss Ann is legendary around here.  A former Mathews resident who is an artist, gifted writer, college professor, brother of commenter Mathews Mark, and good friend to the Chesapeake Bay family wrote a beautiful ode to the Miss Ann several years ago that I published on this blog.

Click here  for that post, which includes a poem.


p.s. The author was also my former high school track coach.  Without his expert guidance on form and technique for hurdling, high jump and long jump, I'd have just been another washed up forgotten memory.  

Oh, wait....

Family Tree

Sometimes I am utterly amazed at what's placed in my path courtesy of this blog.

This family Bible is a perfect example.


Many, many months ago, Mathews Mark (remember Mark?) asked me to come by to look at a bunch of things from his grandfather's attic. This Bible and the names inside were of particular interest to me.

Although I intended to research the family listed, my paying job and lawn mowing responsibilities family commitments got in the way.

The Bible sat in the back of my car for weeks.  It's still there.

Then one day I received an email from someone who stumbled across the blog while researching a project otherwise known as a biography of the Peyton family of Mathews.

One of several other family names she's interested in is Marchant.

Guess where this Bible, sitting (temporarily) in the back of my car, is from? The note above says the home of one Dr. Melvin Marchant.

Guess how many Marchants are listed in this Bible?

Lots and lots.

And then some.

(What are the chances? I find myself randomly in possession of a Bible loaded with Marchant family history, and I dawdle before returning it. Then an email from someone researching the Marchant family appears. Eerie, almost. Time to buy a lottery ticket.)

Tomorrow I am meeting the person conducting all this genealogical research.

In addition to the Peytons and Marchants, she's interested in any info on the following families:

Long/Longest
English
Forrest
Keeble

I know a very little bit about some of these families and feel confident I can point her in the right direction.

But if you have any info you'd like to share, please leave a comment or send an email to ChesapeakeBayWoman@gmail.com.

As always, thank you for reading, contributing and tolerating and indulging me.

A Tentative Plan

For those who have not yet visited the Blog Fest website, below is the latest and greatest information coming out of thin air Blog Fest Headquarters, Mathews County:

Tentative, Completely Flexible Schedule of Events
(Emphasis on "tentative" and "flexible.")

Thursday
3:00 – 6:00 Arrivals; Wine and Cheese at CBW’s house

6:00 – 9:00 Opening Remarks (CBW/BHE/Gustav the Goose, etc.) and Dinner/Shrimp Boil. Locals including Mathews Mark will be in attendance despite claims of having a date with a fishing pole. I've also invited Hallieford Jim and his wife and a few others who hopefully will be able to make it.

Basically, if you are local and you're reading this, you're invited to attend and bring the family. The more the merrier. This holds true for any/all other Blog Fest activities. Please join us.

Friday

9:00 – 10:00 Coffee and Continental Breakfast at CBW’s house

10:00 – 2:00 Tour A – Mathews Tour (Mathews Mark? Are you listening?) with Lunch at Court House or
Tour B – King and Queen Tour with Lunch at Shackelfords

(We will discuss these options Thursday night.)

2:00 – 5:00 Free Time (Shopping; Napping Gwynns Island Museum if time, etc.)

5:00 – 6:00 Happy Hour at CBW’s House (Margaritas)

6:00 – 8:00 Dinner at Sandpiper Reef
(Dear Anonymous Hallieford Resident: I need to make a reservation. Hopefully you can accommodate us. Because one attendee has respiratory struggles, we'd like to sit indoors if possible, I won't know the number until Thursday night, but plan on about 20?)

8:00 - ? Karakoke and Margaritas at CBWs House

Saturday

9:00 – 10:00 Coffee and Continental Breakfast at CBWs house

10:00 – 12:00 Boat Tour

12:00 – 1:00 Sea Breeze for lunch

1:00 Gwynns Island Museum for those who wish

2:00 - ? Gwynns Island Beach including fun in the sun (and shade);
Cornhole Tournament; Boat Rides ;
Cookout; Bonfire; Fun and Frivolity

Sunday

9:00 Breakfast at CBWs house

The End.

Ongoing activities:

Fun
Frivolity
Hijinx
Tours of Noe Noe Girl's Camper
Tales from Mathews Mark
Tours of Chesapeake Bay Mother's Garden
Boat excursions Up the Creek
Gustav Appearances and Autograph Signings
Fiddler Crab Infestations
Mosquito Swatting
Fun
Frivolity
Hijinx

This schedule is subject to change depending on the weather, the whims of the attendees and Gustav the Killer Goose, who may have plans of his own for this group.

The Jolly Spot

This is a shot of Mathews Mark walking back from an old cemetery the other day when he took me on a little photo tour. As a reminder to any available ladies who might be reading, Mathews Mark is an eligible bachelor - tall, dark, handsome, funny and sweet.

During our photo outing he showed me one of the old shot houses, where liquor was bought and sold illegally years ago when it was otherwise difficult to acquire.

Back in the day, a shot house might have been a legitimate commercial establishment or it might have been a shack in the middle of the woods. Even worse better were the old stills we'd happen upon as kids playing in the woods.

This (below) is not an old still, nor is it an old shot house, but it is a chicken coop shack in the middle of the woods. It stands in back of a gorgeous old house that happens to be for sale. Regrettably I had the camera set to "video" mode--even though I don't know how to shoot videos on my camera--and the picture ended up a little wonky. (We can thank Daryl for introducing me to the word "wonky." It's one of my favorites.)

In spite of the inability to use the proper setting on my camera slant of the shack, no illegal liquor was used in the making of this photo:

Below is what used to be called the Jolly Spot. "Jolly" was a ubiquitous term slapped on just about every underaged drinking establishment gathering place around for youth young adults looking to engage in some frivolity.

My personal favorite was the legendary Jolly Lobster, across the river, which had no official relationship whatsoever with the Jolly Spot but which relied on very similar products to ensure the jolliness of its patrons. As long as you had a pulse you could get in to that place, and even then blood flow to the brain appeared to be optional based on some of the characters I saw running around there. (I much preferred the Spectrum, and once or twice visited the Inn Place, but all that's for another day.)

Anyhow, the Jolly Spot was not just a shot house or a juke joint but a place where Chesapeake Bay Father played when he was the drummer for a legendary band known as the Dynatones. He said one night at a dance there, someone got stabbed. Thankfully the person was not seriously injured but I'm sure he was quite a bit wonky a far cry from jolly leavin' out of there.

Here's what the Jolly Spot looks like today:
What I really wanted to share about this place is one of Mathews Mark's stories that he left in the comment section on an earlier post. It was downright hilarious, plus now I have the photo to go along with the story.

Here's Mathews Mark:

"...At one time we had over 10 local shot houses (bootleggers) in Mathews. They had names like Jolly Spot, East View Inn, West View Inn, R. Jordans and Wormlys to name a few. Mathews was a dry county on Sundays therefore you would go to one of the local shot houses for a drink . 1/2 pints of old crow, rum etc. were $4.00; a six pack was $4.00; and a chicken sandwich (a whole breast or leg slapped between 2 pieces of white bread was $1.00.

For those of us that were under age, as long as the owner knew your father and you had cash (cash being the main thing) you could get whatever you wanted. I spent many a Saturday night banging on the back door of one of these joints.

It went like this:

(tap, tap ,tap )

Owner: WHO IS IT?
Me: IT'S MARK.
Owner : MARK WHO, YOU A COP?
Me : NO, I AM WINFRED'S BOY.
Owner: WHO?
Me:WINFRED'S BOY!!!!
Owner: OH, YOU'RE NOT HERE TO COLLECT A CAR PAYMENT ARE YOU?
(CBW's Note: Mathews Mark's Daddy sold cars, and it was right about here that I cracked up laughing.)

Me: NO, I NEED A PINT AND A SIX PACK.
(Forgot to tell you we are hollerin' thru an old oak door that weighs about 400 pounds.)
Owner: DAMIT YOU AIN'T PAYED ME FOR THE LAST PINT YET!!!!!
Me: YES I DID!!!
Owner: OH, OK, JUST CHECKIN.' TELL YOUR DADDY I WILL BE UP THERE MONDAY WITH MY CAR PAYMENT...

Then the door would crack open and out would come a box for your money then a bag with your spirits. This went on for years..."
-----------------------------------------------

As I was working on this post last night, I called next door to confirm with the Chesapeake Bay Parents that CB Father did in fact play at the Jolly Spot. After a brief conversation with my mother about the stabbing, she asked, "Why do you need to know all this?"

"Because I'm putting up a picture and a post about the Jolly Spot tomorrow," I replied.

CB Mother: "Oh, we're so proud."

CB Woman: "Thank you."

House Hunters

Once upon a Friday morning, Mathews Mark took me on a little drive around town in search of places to photograph. This was very exciting for me, because I'm not used to having a driver when I trespass am out taking pictures. Mark isn't just a driver, he's a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about this county.

He obtained permission for us to visit a house which dates back to the 1700s and has been in the same family for who knows how many years. After driving down a long, wooded lane, we were greeted by this chimney from the original kitchen, a separate structure from the main dwelling. The sun was shining just so through the trees.

While I spent about 10 minutes taking pictures of this beautiful chimney, Mathews Mark wondered why on Earth anyone would want a picture of a pile of bricks went to talk to the property owner who was out in the yard.

Although we had permission to be on the property, we did not receive 100% clearance to post photos of the house on the internet, so to be safe I'm just going to show you a few glimpses of the yard, including the one below of the lovely creek out back. This was taken as we were walking to the family cemetery, which contains the grave of a man who helped build Poplar Grove, another historic Mathews estate.

Next, we hopped in the truck and drove down below Port Haywood to a rather desolate lane that was loaded with old, abandoned houses, some of which were barely visible from the road.

One of these houses happened to be for sale, so we pulled in to take a look around.

Mathews Mark happens to know the owner of this property too, so between that and the house being up for sale technically we were still trespassing we felt reasonably sure it would be OK to snap a few photos.

Below is one of my favorites from a cute little closet bedroom upstairs.


The house below represents yet another pit stop along that same desolate road. Unfortunately I couldn't get as close to this gorgeous house as I'd have liked because I was wearing flip flops. These aren't just any flip flops either. They're flip flops with a heel on them. Because I am just that much of a slave to fashion that I must wear heeled flip flops on a photo outing in the jungles woods of Mathews County.

Jumping ditches and maneuvering through briars is way more difficult in flip flops, fyi.

Jumping ditches and maneuvering through briars in flip flops with heels is just plain ridiculous. FYI.

Isn't this window precious? Is it even possible for a window to be precious?

After our little jaunt around town we returned to my disaster house where I showed Mathews Mark several projects I'm hoping he can help me with.

All in all it was a very productive outing even if I was wearing improper footwear.

Thank you, Mathews Mark - I can't wait for the next excursion!

If anyone out there owns property in Mathews and would like it plastered all over the internet photographed and featured on this crazy little blog, just e-mail me at ChesapeakeBayWoman@gmail.com. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to legally trespass photograph your place and preserve it for posterity. Of particular interest to me are the older buildings and houses, but beggars can't be choosers I'm open to anything. Including brown and pink plaid Rocket Dog flip flops--with heels.

(They were on clearance and were so ugly cheap they were practically giving them away.)

Hunting

Yesterday morning I drove down to Aaron's Beach to see how The Green was coming along. In the winter, the marsh grasses and reeds turn brown and grey just like my hair everything else. When the green finally returns all is right with my world.

As it turns out, The Green has taken over most of The Gray, but these reeds have some more growing to do. Normally they're over my head, just like my laundry pile.

But today is not about laundry piles because if it were I'd be asking how it is humanly possible for there to be 4,685--and a half--white socks and nary a one matches. Or perhaps it's just more difficult to match 4,685 1/2 white socks when you are blinking back tears because you've never seen so many unmatched socks in your life.

No, rather than ascend Mt. Laundrest, today I am going on a Blog Hunt with Mathews Mark and possibly Bay Man, if he can make it off the island at all in time.

(Bay Man has his own pace--I'll call it on par with a periwinkle--as well as his own time zone over there. Although Mathews Mark and I are meeting at 8:30 a.m., that translates into 10:00 Eastern (not so) Standard Gwynns Island time. Hi, Bay Man!)

Anyway, Mathews Mark, possibly Bay Man and I are going on a Blog Hunt, which is not where we stalk blogs but where we search for places, things or people to blog about.

Based on what Mathews Mark has told me, there are some very exciting prospects lined up for this hunt, although with Mathews Mark I'd have enough to blog about in the first five minutes of conversation, which may or may not involve blow toads (see yesterday's comments).

Stay tuned early next week for the results of this Blog Hunt. I'll be off-line most of the weekend and it will take me atl least that long to download, then upload, the photos from today's escapades.

Hope your weekend is fantastic, devoid of unmatched socks and blow toads.

And now a few questions for you, even though this post was declared a laundry-free zone a few paragraphs earlier:

1. For those of you who are organized types, what is the secret to taming these beasts known as mismatched white socks?

2. How often do you do laundry?

3. From the clean clothes basket to the kids' closets and drawers - how does this happen? When I make them do it, they stuff the basket in a corner of their room, then pile dirty clothes on top of that, and then I end up inadvertently doing loads of already-clean laundry, which is truly the last indignity.

He's Back

Here's a picture of my house complete with out of control vines and shrubbery.

No, actually this is one of my favorite old houses on Route 17 in Gloucester, right before you get to the Farm Fresh shopping center, on the right. I was stuck in traffic there the other day and happened to have my camera handy. I love it when that happens. (Having the camera handy, not being stuck in traffic.)

Guess who I heard from last night? Mathews Mark. Yes siree, Bob. Not only is he coming to the rescue on some of my house-related disasters projects, but over the next couple of weeks he is taking me on a couple of tours which should provide enough blog fodder to last us until Christmas.

Hallelujah, because all of my post-Womanless Beauty Pageant posts just haven't had any ummph. I've been in a funk, a sort of post-men in dresses depression.

Of course that could also be due to the myriad of disasters projects I'm juggling behind the scenes here.

Also, Mathews Mark has internet access again. So he's liable to show up in the Comments section today while I'm at work, and if he does I'm sure he'll provide you with plenty of bad jokes stories for your amusement.

Just don't let him get started about swallowing the oyster with a string on it...

Have a great Monday.

-cbw

Redart

This gorgeous vista can be enjoyed at the end of a very long dock in the heart of bustling downtown Redart, which is the word "trader" backwards. As I've mentioned many times, there isn't a lot to do in Mathews, so for entertainment we just sit around and spell things backwards, then slap it up on a sign and assign it a zip code.

Anyway.

Mathews Mark, who has been missing in action for weeks now due to lack of internet access, was working down Redart last week. He gave me a call.


(Ring, ring...)

Chesapeake Bay Woman: "Hello?"

Mathews Mark: "Hey, CBW, I'm working down Redart at a gorgeous place that would make some really good pictures. What are you doing right now?"

CBW: Is not even on the line any more because she's spinning gravel out the driveway to get there post haste. An opportunity for legal trespassing does not present itself ever every day.

Mathews Mark was right. This piece of property was gorgeous, ideally situated on a point with not one but two docks, one of which was about a mile long if it was a foot.
Prior to coming out here, I ventured to the other dock closest to the house, over on the other side of those pine trees.

Scoping out the views for the ideal picture, I happened to look downward since I was approaching an incline onto the dock. There, lying inches in front of me in all his sunbathing glory, was this:

The rest of him was stretched clear across the dock, and he wasn't in any hurry to move. He'd probably just swallowed a small pony or something and was just taking an after-lunch nap.

The trip to Redart was productive, black snakes and huge herds of fiddler crabs notwithstanding. I'll share more photos of the place when I can.

But before I forget, the other night Anonymous Hallieford Resident invited several of us over to her restaurant, Sandpiper Reef. While she was busy pouring drinks from their new margarita machine, Mathews Mark regaled the crowd with stories.

A platter of fried oysters was placed in front of him. (They were delicious, by the way.)

Mathews Mark: "Did y'all ever used to tie strings around raw oysters?"

CBW: "Ummm. What did you say? Strings? Around oysters?"

Mathews Mark: "Yeah, you know, you take a string and tie it around the middle of an oyster and swallow it.

CBW: "What the ... why in the world would anyone want to swallow an oyster with a string tied around it?"

Mathews Mark: "So you could pull it back up."

We won't ask the ever-so obvious question of why at this juncture, because that is not germane to the point of this story, which is this: There ain't a whole lot to do around here.

And this: There is a killer boa constrictor on the loose in the vicinity of Redart, and he isn't afraid of anything, up to and including small ponies a frizzy-haired woman carrying a camera.

And also: Dear Reality TV Show Producers, there is a gold mine of television fodder here in Mathews County, Virginia. Truly.

The Building

This structure was either a school or a church, and at one point here recently I could tell you which one, but welcome to yet another fact-filled post written by Chesafreak Bay Woman, who can barely remember her own name.

Perhaps one or more of our local readers will help fill the gaping holes in the sieve known as my mind, but first a little background on this structure's location and how the photo came about.

Coming from the Court House past Moon, you eventually come to a T in the road.

(If anyone reading this is not from Mathews, please note that no errors were made in the construction of that sentence, particularly the parts that say "Court House" and "Moon" because they are actual places here. Although there may well be other errors in the sentence, those two words are correct.)

Anyway, at the T past Moon, make a left, and just before you bear right to head in the direction of Siberia and also the Eastern Shore Haven Beach there's an old building on your left sitting next to a house. This is the building.

Now I've passed this place eleventy scrillion times going to and from the county beaches. But on this particular day, what caught my eye was the open door. Each and every one of the previous eleventy scrillion times, the door has been shut.

From the car, stopped in the middle of the road, I rolled down the window and took this shot, hence the pine limb obstructing the full view of the facade which might have been avoided had I been able to go into the yard for a better angle. Beggars can't be choosers.

Speaking of beggars, that door beckoned. It called my name.

Today it gives me great joy to announce two things:

1. I did not risk breaking the law to dash into the building above no matter how much it called, and for the moment we will not dwell on the legality of taking pictures from a car stopped in the middle of a road. Thank you.

2. Today I will be legally trespassing on a Gwynns Island property--the very same house where I was officially nabbed for trespassing a year or so ago--at Miss Pookie's grandfather's house.

Pookie and Mathews Mark will be on hand to tell stories and provide some hysterical historical background, and I can take pictures inside the house without risk of spending quality time in the Saluda jail.

Stay tuned. Pictures and stories will be forthcoming and nary a one will be from Saluda. The good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

Click here for a picture of the house and the original trespassing story.

Mark's House, Part IV

Today is another chapter in the book called, "Chesapeake Bay Woman Doesn't Have to Go to Jail for Trespassing." This book is available courtesy of friend Eligible Bachelor Mark, who is the caretaker of this house which dates back to the 1700s.

The photo above is not a photo of the house--although it's there--nor is it a photo of the well--which has a padlock on it. (I just happened to notice the padlock in passing. I wasn't going to peek inside or anything.)

No, the photo above is of that magnificent tree in all its glory. Look at how majestic he is; how broad his shoulders are; how tall he towers.

It's possible for a tree to be a he, no?

(That last sentence may well be the winner in the next Name the New Dr. Seuss Book Contest.)

Above is a closer view of Mr. Tree. I like the contrast of the stark tree with the lush green grass and the little river of sunlight to the right. To me the tree and its couple of downward reaching branches look like someone trying to touch that glowing river. But I have a vivid imagination which includes winning the lottery and creating a reality TV show, so don't pay me any mind.

Here's Eligible Bachelor Mark stepping out of the woodshed. He was loading up that wheelbarrow with firewood to heat the house. That tractor just to the left of the wheelbarrow has definitely seen better days, but it didn't stop me from wanting to take her for a spin. See above about a vivid imagination, which is essential when trying to start up a tractor which has been sitting outside of a woodshed since the 1700s 1970s.

Now we have arrived at the photos which tell one more tale relating to Ms. Hijinx, who is the resident ghost. Mark explained that earlier this week, while passing through the dining room from the kitchen to the living room, he noticed a chair had been moved. Mark did not move it. His son did not move it.

Below is the position of the chair exactly as he found it.

Below is the same chair, photographed from a different angle. It appears that whomever was sitting there wished to glance out the window.

This concludes this chapter of "Chesapeake Bay Woman is Ecstatic To Be Legally Trespassing." If anyone wishes to contact Mathews Mark directly his email address is mtodd0129@gmail.com.

If anyone wishes to contact Chesapeake Bay Woman to feature a house as part of her Legally Trespassing series or about that reality TV show, send an email to ChesapeakeBayWoman@gmail.com.

As a side note, although today's post contained 4-5 pictures, it took me 1-2 hours to upload these courtesy of my speedy dial-up sprinternet. Ordinarily 4-5 pictures would last me, oh, 4-5 days since I usually only post 1 shot per day.

(And now I will be swallowing 1-2 aspirin since these 3-4 references to my enemy called numbers have caused my brain to sputter and my synapses to smolder.)

Tune in tomorrow for Three-Thing Thursday followed by Who Knows What Friday; at some point I will figure out announce the dates for Blog Fest 2010: The Hijinx Edition.

Mark's House, Part III

Today we continue our discussion about the house at Mathews Court House which dates to the 1700s. Mathews Mark is the property's caretaker, and as I mentioned yesterday he recently gave me a tour.

The tree above is one of the first you see as you approach the house, and it's enormous. This picture doesn't do it justice. I can only imagine what it looks like dressed in its greenery. There are several other stately trees in the yard, but this one has the most personality. Trees can have personalities you know.


Above is a window in the second-story servants' quarters, which is supposedly where the resident ghost engages in her high jinks.

High jinks, or hijinks, sounds like a combination of hygiene and tiddly winks, but it popped into my brain whle contemplating a word to describe the mysterious resident and her antics. However, since I've been known to confuse cormorants with pomegranates, I decided to check the dictionary to be sure this word exists; of course you all know that it does. High jinks means boisterous or rambunctious carrying-on or unrestrained fun. High jinks may be the theme for Blog Fest 2010 and is now my new favorite word.

This side note of ridiculosity is brought to you by my self-diagnosed attention deficit/rambling disorder. We now return to the original topic which may not have presented itself yet due to the interruptions.

As Mark took us upstairs and into the servants' quarters, he explained that Ms. Hijinx makes noises, slams doors, and most recently was upset by a picture Mark brought with him when he moved in.

Pardon the very poor quality of the next photo, but I wasn't using a flash and the picture is important to the story.

This is an ancient Vortex woodstove in the kitchen of the house, directly under the servants' quarters. If you look carefully, there on the floor next to it is a picture of an Ernest Hemmingway-looking fellow. Mark hung this sizable picture on the wall to the right of the woodstove.


One morning, he came down to the kitchen and noticed the picture had been removed from the wall and placed upright--but sideways--on the counter next to the sink. In other words, the portrait was turned to the right horizontally so the man was looking up at the ceiling--the servants' quarters are overhead.

There is no way it could have fallen and bounced to this particular place (never mind that pictures don't usually bounce), and nobody else moved it. The picture was so oddly placed that he struggled to recreate its exact placement and never did get it to stand the way he found it that morning.

Hopefully soon we'll have more information on this lovely home's history and its former inhabitants, but for now it's nice to know there's a place I can legally trespass stop by now and then to take pictures.

Thanks, Mathews Mark!

p.s. Mathews Mark now has an e-mail account. You can reach him at mtodd0129@gmail.com. If you have questions about the house, about Mathews or about Mark, send him a note.

p.s.s.t. Does anyone know anything about this old Vortex wood stove? The only Vortex stoves I found on a google search were modern ones. This thing is old--and gorgeous.

Mark's House, Part II

Here's a side view of the 1700s house where eligible bachelor Mathews Mark lives as caretaker.

Saturday I stopped by to legally trespass take a tour.

Although we're not 100% sure who originally owned the house the current property owner sounds nothing short of a Renaissance Man. Mark said the man has been a pilot, a ski resort owner, a lawyer--I could not keep up with all the job titles.

(When I say we're not 100% sure who originally built the house, nor are we sure about all the job titles, what I mean is that Mark told me, but I did not retain those details thanks to ADD the wonderfully photogenic yard and house which distracted me. Same thing with most any other aspect of the narrated part of the tour except for the ghost story. I always pay particular attention to ghost stories.)


Here's what Mark looks like when he catches someone trespassing in his yard. He smiles and appears happy to see you; welcoming.

His mother Pookie, on the other hand, does not smile when she catches me someone trespassing on her property on Gwynn's Island. Ask me how I know, or click here to find out.

Mark invited us in and led us all around the house which is so full of character words do not apply. You have to feel it; smell it; see it; experience it.

You must crouch and duck your head as you ascend a narrow, winding stairway into a section of the house evidently reserved for 18th-century leprechauns. (We tall people were not in abundance in the 1700s I suppose.)

You must twist and wind your way through this room which adjoins that room which then leads to another cozy nook, and then to the servants' quarters which is where the ghost lives. The ghost story is for another time, but it's a good one.

In addition to the house and the resident lady ghost, there are stunningly gorgeous elm trees in the yard - one looks so old George Washington himself may have slept under it. Or maybe it was Blackbeard. Maybe Blackbeard buried some treasure down Haven Beach and to distract would-be thieves he traveled to Mathews Court House and slept in the Hardees drive-thru after waiting thirty-two minutes for an order under the tree in this yard.

Or maybe--just maybe--Chesapeake Bay Woman's imagination is so daggone lively that we've gone from a post about Eligible Bachelor Mark and his 1700s house to Blackbeard falling asleep under a tree, and it's time to snap out of it and act like we have some sense.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more shots from Saturday, including one of the aforementioned tree and another which pertains to the lady ghost.

Just don't hold your breath waiting for me to act like I have any sense.

Mark's House

Here, Lady and Gentleman, is a house in Mathews that dates back to the 1700's.

Yes, it does.

This house is hidden way back in the woods just past Hardees.

Hardees has the worst drive-thru line in the history of drive-thrus so please understand that although their chicken fillets and summertime peach milkshakes may be delectable, I will need to boycott it all due to eleventytwelve one very bad experience that involved pounding on the steering wheel.

The caretaker of this house is none other than Mathews Mark, the person who saved my boat during Hurricaneaster Ida; the jack of all trades; and the very eligible bachelor.

Yes, him.

Tomorrow I'll post more about this lovely house as full of charm and character as its caretaker.

Meet Mark

Mark's from Mathews.



That's probably why he's smiling, because living here is good. He's also smiling because he's a genuinely nice person from the inside out.

And he happens to be single.

During Hurricaneaster Ida a couple weeks ago, Mark very selflessly waded through pelting rain and flood waters to pull my boat out from the boathouse, where it surely would have sunk and/or pushed through the roof - or both. He did this out of the kindness of his heart, and when I asked how to repay him all he said was, "Tell all your single friends about me."

What better way to spread the word than by announcing to the entire planet on the internet?

Before I introduce Mark, let's talk about what happens next because I'm not quite sure what does happen next. Because he's a wealth of local knowledge, Mark's going to be a regular feature here -regardless of whether we find him a friend. In addition to sharing his stories about Mathews--which will entertain everyone--he could answer any specific questions that readers may have. I've already sent him the list of questions asked thus far. Hopefully this will become a weekly thing and by next week we'll have some answers to those questions.

Ideally, though, I'd like to find a date for Mark. If there is mutual interest, we could arrange for a tour of Mathews (for anyone not local to the area) and sponsor a dinner at Sandpiper Reef. Another idea is to hold a group event at Sandpiper - a singles mixer perhaps. No matter what we end up doing, anyone traveling from out of town could stay at my house for the weekend if lodging is a concern. We'll figure all this out when the time comes. No matter what, it will be fun.

While these details are being pondered, let's introduce you to Mark.

Here's how one of his friends describes him: He is smart, polite, old school, very much a gentleman, a historian, a story teller, handy, witty, possesses a great sense of humor, fair, honest, nice looking. He is also strong, brave, a person of honor, a good athlete.

What an excellent description, and it's all true.

Mark was born in Charleston but moved to Mathews County as a freshman in high school, where he was a linebacker for the football team and a member of the track team. After high school he played football at Ferrum College before leaving to help his father run a car dealership back home in Mathews. He drove a tractor trailer briefly and then joined Anheuser Busch in Williamsburg. He's currently self-employed and does just about anything and everything (including helping a crazy woman with her boat).

He's divorced and has two boys, 28 and 18.

Another friend describes him as the Dog Whisperer, because he has such a calming effect on dogs. He has two himself, one of which he rescued from a ditch, along with her puppies.

He built his own house. Oh yes he did.

His parents, who live on Gwynn's Island, have been married 54 years. His 98-year-old grandfather is the oldest living citizen on the island and has deep, deep roots there.

What does Mark like best about living in Mathews?
"The people. Everybody's your friend." He also loves being so close to the water, which he knows like the back of his hand having spent so many years on boats.

Where would he take a first date?
He would show her Mathews, introduce her to the sights and to the people, and take her to a local restaurant for dinner.

What about the second date?
He'd like to do the same thing where she lives; have her introduce him to her town.

What is he looking for in a companion?
"I want an honest woman who is fun-loving, and who'll stand by her man."

He's a good-hearted soul from a wonderful family with strong ties to Mathews. Kind, compassionate, generous to a fault and willing to take unnecessary risks to help a friend in need, Mark is an all-around wonderful guy. I feel honored and extremely fortunate to call him a friend.

If you or someone you know is interested in knowing more, e-mail me at ChesapeakeBayWoman@gmail.com. Otherwise, tune in again next week for another installment of Meet Mark, coming soon to a blog near you.