Oyster Shells

The other day I went for a walk down Williams Wharf Road.  Stepping out of the car, I was greeted by this scene. The sunlight was perfect and the colors were radiant.

These next two are the same two poles from a different angle.

Do you see all the oyster shells there in the mud?  That's reason enough to have No Swimming signs posted all over the place down here, even though most of us already know that the combination of creek/river mud and oyster shells is a recipe for disaster when it comes to bare feet.  Those shells will slice you wide open if you aren't careful.

Still, a few cuts and sliced off toes were never enough to prevent the Chesapeake Bay Sisters from swimming in the creek - only the stinging nettles could do that.  To avoid the dreaded shells, we used to slip on an old pair of tennis shoes and jump right on in.  This was well before the days of electricity the aqua shoes that are so prominent on beaches these days.

(You'll never catch me in a pair of those things, thank you very much.  I'd sooner put on a pair of sandals and white tube socks than wear aqua shoes, and could someone please--please!--explain why anyone wearing sandals would ever wear socks, much less white tube socks?  Isn't that defeating the whole purpose of sandals? But this is really not what we're here to talk about.)

I'd wager one good oyster shell could put a hurtin' on those thin-soled aqua shoes.  Give me the good old tennis shoes any day.

Speaking of oyster shells, but not about white tube socks and sandals,  the 53rd Urbanna Oyster Festival is this Friday and Saturday.  I think it's time to pull out the ole crab hat, because I will wear one of those.  Proudly.

Have you ever worn shoes while swimming?

Have you ever worn white socks with sandals? 

Do you know why people might wear socks with sandals?

While I have a very strong opinion on the subject, I would never judge anyone except Chesapeake Bay Middle Sister, who used to wear white tube socks with Tevas back in the 1990s!

But then again, I wear a crab hat, so to each his own.

The Islander

This beautiful moon, hovering over Gwynn's Island, visited about a week ago.   

The Islander, once a flourishing motel, marina and restaurant, is there on the right. 

As we've said many times on this blog, the Islander is a little piece of heaven and local history in dire need of some attention. Sitting on one of the best pieces of real estate in the county, it has the potential to return to its former status as one of the premier vacation destinations for boaters, tourists, and locals alike.

But money (lots) and resources (considerable) would be required to complete such a project. 

For the moment, let's pretend that I own the property, which I don't, but for purposes of what is to follow let's just pretend. Daydreaming and pretending are pretty much how I survive. It pays to have a vivid imagination.  It doesn't seem to pay actual money--at all--but it pays in other ways such as physical and mental endurance when dealing with the day of the week called Monday and it is Sunday night as you write this.

Note to self:  If you use the word "it" any more in this post, a hand will reach through the computer screen and slap you. Not once, but twice. 

Why is the Commodores song Three Times a Lady starting up in my head?  

With the DIY Network people coming in town soon to begin filming for their next  Blog Cabin series, I see  a grand opportunity to match resources with potential projects.

Dear DIY Network Folks,

Mathews County is thrilled you'll be here soon to film your Blog Cabin show   featuring one of our lovely older homes.  We hope your project is a huge success and that your crew adjusts quickly to the unique quirks of our sometimes eccentric community which includes an oil-and-water blend a unique blend of Come Heres and From Heres, all of whom are engaged in a daily battle with insects, yard work,  heat and humidity every month of the year except January and half of February. 

When you've completed your project in Susan, could I take you for a drive over to Gwynns Island to visit the Islander?  I am convinced once you saw it* you'd find good reason to spend another couple of seasons here in Mathews.  

Also, if it* isn't asking too much, I'd like to take  you over to another house in Hudgins with a quasi-flooded basement, an electrical system gone awry, a malfunctioning hot tub, a pop-up camper that won't pop-up, three leaky faucets, some drywall damage to the ceiling where CB Son stepped through some insulation in the attic, a shoreline that needs bush hogging, and a worn out mother dock/boathouse that needs attention.

I really appreciate it. *  

Love,

CBW

What would you ask DIY Network to help you with?

* Slap! Slap!