Life on the Bay

Every time we see one we are in awe

at their size, power,  and majesty.

~ Author Lonthebay

    Source Her Blog

 

     M & I have chosen to embrace new technology as it unfolds. I spent a good  part of last year learning file management, which seems to be the heart of working with a computer. We are both gadget nuts, and always try to have a camera at our fingertips. This morning was a test. We were sitting down to eat when M said "Is that an Eagle"? I glanced over and saw a Bald eagle with a fish in it's talons swirling and dodging as several Gulls tried to steal the prize. Around and around they went in the gleaming sun before my very eyes as M changed a lens, fired up the camera and flew outside to try and get a shot. The tumbling mass of birds rolled straight at us and then whoosh,,,,they were gone over the cliff behind the house. The whole event probably took around eight seconds.

     We were both shook up in a happy way. American Bald Eagles sightings are still  new in our neck of the woods, having made a successful comeback only a couple of years ago. Every time we see one we are in awe at their size, power and majesty. A lot of times we just drop our jaws and look, letting our minds take the picture.  If You are lucky enough to watch one, you will walk away with absolutely no question as to why they were revered by Native Americans and became our National Bird.

     So,,,,shaky,,,,quick,,,,and mostly out of focus,,,,let me share with you a frozen slice of what we saw this morning. How can it not be a great day?

Eagles are seagulls with a good hairdo.
~ D. Coupland

 

We were always intoxicated with color,

with words that speak of color,

and with the sun that makes colors live.

~ A. DerainThe bay has calmed down after a few days of hard wind and waves.  When this happens even mundane scenes can reflect on the water and create beautiful colors.    As the storm left last night, the sunset created muted shades of purples and blues on the bay, before it quietly settled into night. The reflections this morning make me want to get out my paints and enjoy the color....

Colors are brighter when the mind is open.

~ A. Alarcon

There is no better way to enjoy a day

than sitting in my Kayak

on the bay at sunrise

waiting for the first hit on my line.

~L

~L

Fishing is just something that's almost taken for granted where I live.  As long as anyone could remember, our little village was boathouses and a livery,,,all in the name of fishing. My house was actually a boat house from the turn of the century that M&I tore down.  We love historical things and are not those people that tear down something perfectly good just to make something newer or bigger,,,,but,,, Our little boathouse had a spring running through it and it's main structure was broken.

   

The main fishing season starts in the middle of April and runs until the middle of the following April. It's a sure sign of summer coming to see the boats piling up on a school of Perch.

 

There's plenty of room to fly fish here. M & I always enjoy pulling on our waders and throwing small poppers for pan fish. We use barbless hooks and if you've ever used a fly rod with a popper, you would know it's really a game of cat and mouse. It somehow always seems peaceful when you have the fly rod in your hand.

 

It's not all small fish around here. M runs home every night and catches bass from the docks in front of the house. He rarely misses and confides in me that his secret goal is to catch three before dark (about 1/2 hour). A lot of nights he reaches that goal. Most of the neighbors know the secrets of the lake for the Walleye and Trout. This is my friend and neighbor with a couple of nice Lake Trout he picked up a few weeks back.

 

The really big deal in April is the official opening of Trout season. The thing is, they close Trout fishing for six whole weeks and then re-open the season in the middle of April. I can't remember M not fishing the opening day of Trout and at work they know this day is sacred. This year did not disappoint. Although we don't actually eat very much fish, you can just about count on pan-fried Trout around my house in April.

 

Good Luck with Your fishing This year!

If they are old enough to bite,

they are old enough to eat.

~ George

My favorite weather

is bird-chirping weather. 

~ T.  Guillemets

I love my office with the dark wood floor to ceiling book shelves.  I work on photos here with my husband. It's just a small office in the back of the house but it faces into a hill side and I can hear all of the wonderful woodland birds. It's a peaceful, comforting place that gives me time to reflect on how lucky I am.  I feather this tiny office with special art work that I collect in my travels and the many books I treasure.  I just found this sweet bird at the Washington DC Crafts show and the artists Jim & Tori Mullan have become my new favorite find..... I just thought you might enjoy this sculpture and wise advice from the artists....

Feeding & care of your bird:

Please do not over feed - a fat bird is a lazy bird.

Keep his perch clean - no one likes a dirty bird.

Do not cage your bird, a happy bird will sing a thousand songs without a single word.

~ Jim & Tori Mullan

"I'm tired of trying to sort this all out. I'm happy

when I'm traveling, and I'm happy to get back home.

I guess I'm just happy! "

 

~ L

The trip always has to end. This time, the weather called the shots. Our beautiful vistas turned into sloppy puddles and gusts of wind.

 

We left the rainy beach in Rehoboth a day early, bought and chilled some steamed crabs,  and made our way up to Philadelphia to visit a Gourmet food  Di Bruno shop that calls to us anytime we are anywhere near Philly.   This is not a plug for their web-site but don't pass through Philadelphia without visiting this store.

 

Our GPS has a mind of it's own and decided several times to black-out. M defends it and reprograms it but,,,,,,,I'm not convinced.  The last couple of hundred miles were raindrops and taillights.

 

We were greeted in the morning with gray crashing three foot waves. The April showers need their time too. It's always exciting to travel, but always nice to get home.

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

~ Yogi Berra

 

Finding a worm in your apple

is not so bad as finding

only half a worm.

~ Unknown

What, does a worm do when it's raining outside and his human buddies are bored?  Well...if he is being held captive by two cold and rather wet travelers he gets put into very compromising places.  This is what happens to M & I when we get stuck inside on vacation rather than being at the beach enjoying some sun.... we have too much time on are hands to think up silly vignettes about what a worm would be doing......Ok...so where are all the super sweet photos of the boat show? How about a few shots of surfers on the beach at Rehoboth? ...I guess we will need to come back soon when mother nature is more cooperative, or when I'm not too lazy to put on a rain slicker,,,...ah, not today.   Oh yea,,, the poor worm is kinda hoping for M & I to find a new victim......

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness

has never danced in the rain.

~ Unknown

I travel not to go anywhere,

but to go.

I travel for travel's sake.

  The great affair is

to move.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

What fun. We are already having a blast, and still hve the shows lying ahead of us,,,as is typical,,M&I are happiest if we are on the run. So, for today,,the real reason and only goal to be here in DC is to visit the National crafts festival being held in one of the outer buildings of the Smithsonian.  

The weather favors us and is perfect. The show is much smaller than we had anticipated. It’s  not small in quality, it’s just small in that we are fast and only need about two hours until we are satiated.

So,,,,,M picks the museum of natural history,,,,also knows he wants to see big airplanes,,,,and then discovers that there is a museum of American history (The same one we have seen twice),,,,,,I choose to be simple and see the Castle,,and the peacock room.

 

We are staying at the Embassy Circle Guest House ,an amazing B & B, that's the perfect walking distance from Georgetown, museums and great resturants...

Life is great and it is almost too hard to leave this quiet sactuary but on the road we go....to the Boat show and Rehoboth Beach.....

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment. 

~H. Belloc

 

Bread feeds the body, indeed,

but flowers feed also the soul.

  ~The Koran

 

We are off and the road feels good as it always does. The first days drive is to put down some miles and reach our room to recharge the batteries. We stay at a lovely B&B in Kennett Square, PA. They grow 95% of the USA’s mushrooms in this town which M soon starts calling the place of the Mushroom  ---- smell.  . Later,,,in a quiet tone,,, he admits to me that he likes the smell. hmmm.....

 

We dine at a small Bistro and discover Calamari salad with a nice hot cayenne sort of dressing that leaves you craving more,,,,topped with cilantro and breaded deep fried lemon slices..

 

Our reason for coming here is simple. It’s another notch in my wish list from the book I always talk about “ 1000 things to see before you die"  Just nearby are the Longwood Gardens.  Now you know that I don’t get too historical, but here’s the short version. A super rich family inherits hundreds of acres from William Penn 300 years ago. Several generations later, they develop a love of horticulture. The gardens are planned and big trees and designs are started. Enter the DuPont family around 1910 when it’s about to be timbered. They fall in love with the place and throw DuPont money at it until it virtually rivals the tuileries of France.   Gardens,,,,walkways,,,castle like structures,,,,,,massive ponds and fountains,,,,Lucky You and I.

 

            We enter  the gates and right away M and I have a difference of opinion. He says there are already way too many flower photos in the world. At the same time that he is saying this,,,,I am seeing Tulip displays, and plantings, and colors, that I never even dreamed of. I tell him I disagree, but it’s not necessary. When I turn towards him he is already drooling and his eyes are wide opened. Everywhere we look it is a feast for the eyes. Yes,,,there are hundreds of cameras here,,,,well,,,,my camera wants some too and soon we are making our own way.

The flowers are Easter colored, and Purple colored, and pistil and stamen colored and drippy dreamy colored. It’s everything I had hoped for.

 

 

The light is sublime,,,there are kids areas,,,there are spooky laboratory places where they make perfume,

 

and there was the most amazing display of antique perfume bottles one could imagine.

 

I love it so much I made M look at a photo of my shadow and ,,,,,,,sure enough,,,,,,,I had begun to sprout flowers.,,,,,?

  

Later,,,And we are off to Georgetown. We are off to find a familiar place where the beer and the Oysters are waiting for us. Georgetown tonight and  D.C. tomorrow!

 

P.S. I have cupcakes waiting for breakfast,,,,,,,ohhh sweet vacations.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.

  My garden of flowers is also my garden

of thoughts and dreams.

The thoughts grow as freely

as the flowers,

and the dreams

 are as beautiful.

  ~Abram L. Urban

The Journey

is the reward.

~ Tao

 

M & I are on the road again...yeah!!!

As much as I like to travel to far away exotic places, there is something special about traveling within the States....I remember the first time I ever flew over Washington DC. It was a small plane and a more innocent time. Seeing the monuments from above was breathtaking and I felt a true sense of national pride.  I think everyone should be able to see the  awe inspiring  National Parks  ...To see the Grand Canyon or the National Seashore is amazing and makes one feel truly free...I'm certainly not trying to be political in any way, just expressing one travelers view of visiting her own countries beauty, nature and monuments.

...so off we go, follow M and I if you wish...

There is nothing so American

as our national parks....

The fundamental idea behind the parks...

is that the country belongs to the people.

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt 

You don't need somebody

to interpret for you

what a beautiful

sunrise it is.

~ Rajneesh

There is so much to be thankful for....

I wish I didn't have to remind myself of this on a regular basis. Maybe it's normal to forget to be grateful for the little things in life.  Living at the beach gives me a constant reminder that we should not sweat the little things. We should take the time to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning with the neighbors, say I love you to the ones that matter most to us, and remember to always appreciate the ever present beauty of the bay we live on......

Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.

~  Michelle Held