Heron

Well, here it is the last day of May, and all I have to say is, where has the month gone?  

It seems like there was one sunny day, when I managed to see this heron across the creek.  

And then the rest of the days it rained.

(Please disregard the strange object in the upper left corner of these two photos.  Not only am I a self-taught photographer, I still haven't mastered use of my new camera, which is immensely smarter than I am.)

Yes, the month of May flew by in a blur of wind and rain interspersed with a day or two of the normal sunny, warm, gorgeous clarity that is typical this time of year.  Whether it's due to the rain or I don't know what, we've noticed the stinging nettles have arrived much sooner than normal.  There are tons of baby nettles lounging about in Queens Creek.  They normally don't make an appearance until late June.  Farm-grown oysters are growing at a very rapid pace, and there are way more snakes than usual for whatever reason this year.

Aside from those casual observations from this unscientific observer, life is whizzing by at break-neck speed.  I am looking forward to something settling down soon, but until it does I take solace in staring out the back window at sights such as these for instant blood-pressure-lowering relief.

Sunrise

This beautiful beginning to a day occurred several weeks ago, at the end of April.

May is my favorite month, and this year I seem to have missed it--all I did was blink and it's practically over.  All I remember is it was hot for a day or so, then it rained for what felt like weeks, then it turned cold, and now it's all but done.

It's astonishing to me that Memorial Day weekend is upon us so soon.

I'll be ushering in the summer with a cookout on Sunday.  Middle Sister will be in the creek on Boyfriend Ronnie's boat.  Baby Sis and Boyfriend Mills will be here from Richmond.  And my blog friends Lauren (from Nashville) and Angie will be in attendance.

It's my favorite weekend of the year.

Speaking of weekends, this one was a pretty busy one here in Mathews.  The bikers who visited for the county's annual Tour de Chesapeake enjoyed breezy but beautiful weather.  The party at Williams Wharf was once again spectacular.   You just can't beat dancing to live music watching the sunset over the East River.

I hope all is well in your world.  Thanks for stopping by for a small glimpse into mine.

May Faire 2017

Saturday was an interesting day in Mathews.  The inaugural May Faire, devoted to springtime, May Queens, funnel cakes, clam chowder, and local history from 1600-1791, was launched.  

OK, so it wasn't necessarily devoted to funnel cakes and clam chowder. But from my booth, that's pretty much how I saw it.  The frigid brisk winds kept ushering the smells of food my way, making it very difficult to stay focused on telling passersby about the lovely items for sale in the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center.

In addition to a working blacksmith, an archaeological dig, musical performances and funnel cakes a pound cake competition, there were representatives from the Wolf Creek Cherokee Museum in Henrico on hand to talk about their culture.

This was sort of like a mini-Market Days, spring time edition. 

I sat at the Visitor Center booth with my friend and across-the-creek neighbor Frances.  

We were lucky enough to be situated right next to Ed Jordan and his wife, who is a remarkable artist.

They came to Mathews several years ago, all the way from Idaho!

Although the day was way too windy! brisk, and there was an episode or two of light rain, the foot traffic was light but steady.  Former May Queens (CBW represented the class of 1982) were recognized and Bayside Youth Ballet performed maypole dances.  

A good time was had by all.