It an’t the end of the world…

19 Sunday May 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Eastern Shore, nature, Road Trips

Tags

Beach Life, boats, bridges, Chesapeake Bay, Crabs, Hiking, nature, oysters, photography

The one thing I really love about the Eastern Shore is the abundance of new adventures that await Kathy and I. Today we headed to Deal Island. Lots to see here. Starting with a Wildlife Management Area.

We took a gravel road, passing marshes, seeing a gazillion dragon flies. They were feeding on all the mosquitoes. Looking out over the marsh.

We parked and headed across the marsh on foot. This may be duck hunters paradise.

So flat down here. There are water elevation levels throughout the island. Most read at 4″ above sea level.

A boat ramp in the middle of nowhere.

Molly lost track of where Kathy was so she headed into the water…

There she is!

A sandy path.

A place to rest and to meditate/contemplate.

Egg shells and a hole?

Molly needing a break.

And a little attention.

We leave the wildlife area and drive towards the end of Deal Island Road. A group of little communities along the way. Dames Quarters, Chance, Wenona. A couple historical markers.

Where Kathy’s family spent their summers.

Next was Deal Island Marina and beach. Molly has had enough of the water.

Best beach/trail sign ever.

A little windy but some kayakers were out.

Seafood processing – soft crab area?

Tons of oyster shells.

Heading down the road we came upon this church. Someone is trying to restore it. Google maps shows where restoration had once started but it seems to have stopped. The John Wesley Restoration Project.

Not too much further to the end. Another marina of sorts. Crab bushels waiting.

Many abandoned work houses. The water men and their businesses are dying off.

It looks like this bank has been converted into someone’s home.

A gargoyle to protect it.

And then, at the end of the road…

Heading back we decided to take the ferry.

Warning sign.

Ever vigilant.

On the other side of the Wicomico River.

Happy thoughts.

Another great adventure!

Birthday Down the Oshun Hon

04 Saturday May 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Eastern Shore, nature, ocean city

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Boardwalk, Crafts, nature, ocean city, photography, Springfest

What a great day my birthday was yesterday! I just might have to start celebrating being 29 every year! Kathy was helping her friend Sandy at a conference/workshop for Kennedy Krieger down the ocean and I was to meet them for dinner, but they said I should come down at lunch time. So after sanding and touching up the floor and two doors on the house, off I went.

We ate at Dough Rollers and then headed to Springfest. It is a craft show held every year at the inlet parking lot.

Kathy and Sandy.

Kathy and I.

Lite crowd which is my favorite.

Nice crafts. One of my Baltimore favorite artist was not here – Charlene Clark.

But someone I do know was there. Ron from Jaded Love. I’ve known him and his wife Lisa for 25 or more years.

After some roaming around the fest for a while, we headed to the beach. That water tower made the front page of the local paper. It was just painted and is now peeling. Probably another low-bid contract.

One of the functions of my photo edit tools is called ‘Memories’. My memory must be shot because I don’t remember the fishing pier ever looking like this.

Oh my God! Look at this cute couple with their pants rolled up, heading into the water!!

That is some cold water! There were a couple kids swimming! Kathy asked if I had ever stood in the surf on my birthday before? I came to OC on May 3, 1972 to work, but don’t remember being crazy enough to get my toes wet. I did however stand in the water on May 8, 2015 when I came here to find my friend Eric’s grave.

Sandy’s turn. Wave dancers.

Headed back to the boardwalk towards bay side. Not a bad crowd for early May.

Over to Sunset Park and saw these guys. They look to be Ruddy Turnstone birds? Kathy got me a 16-300mm lens for my camera. It hasn’t come yet. Can’t wait to be able to have a zoom lens and do close ups without carrying a bunch of equipment around.

Our selfie down the shore.

I missed this history sign and Kathy got on me about it. Usually I just stop dead in our tracks (and on the highway) to read these things.

A great day and way to celebrate my birthday! Thanks God, Kathy and Sandy!

Cypress Park Nature Trail

11 Thursday Apr 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, nature

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bridges, cypress, Hiking, nature, Parks, photography, Pocomoke City, State Parks

While watching the local news for Delmarva, a segment came on asking for volunteers to help with a small park near Pocomoke City, adjacent to the Pocomoke River. We decided to head down and check it out. It was a short 30+ minute drive to get there. Here is the map. The park is right off of Rte. 13.

There was no one there except for Kathy, Molly and myself. And as will be seen in later photographs, the park/trail is in need of some TLC from volunteers! The path is made up of woods and boardwalks.

Kathy and Molly checking out the boards. The overall length of the hike is about 1/2 mile. Nice day for a walk, but beware – Ticks are out in full force!

After a walk along the water, the trail heads into the woods. This is looking back towards the pond.

Then lo and behold what do we see?

A bridge. A foot bridge.

And there we go.

The feed to the pond is from the Pocomoke River. Up river a ways, at Snow Hill, Kathy and I kayaked. Deep dark waters.

This next section of the trail could really use some help.

The cypress off-spring (Cypress knee) are covered with all sorts of growth.

And take many shapes.

Freshly gnawed beaver tree, toppled over.

Kathy getting a close-up view…

…of beautiful tree markings. Do you think it is a dogwood? No. How can you tell? By its bark! woof-woof. Molly thought it was funny.

Across another little stream to the opposite side of the pond. This puts you right next to Rte. 13, headed towards a cemetery.

Stay to the left to remain on the trail.

Bird holes or a screaming tree? It is your imagination to do with as you please.

Kind of early for this to be blooming out here in the woods don’t you think? It’s an artificial flower, probably blown over here from the cemetery. Oh! duh!

Well, this one is real!

Heading back to the parking lot.

Looking over at the foot bridge, two of four geese on the pond. Not much wildlife around.The silence was actually nice.

i won’t even go there, about mustache rides!

Mushroom condo.

Not a long hike so from here we headed to Ocean City for some Thrasher Fries.

Early March Hike

03 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Eastern Shore, Hiking, nature, Photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bridges, Dams, Eagles, Hiking, nature, Pemberton, photography

Retirement has been hard work and it seems like forever since we have been able to find the time to enjoy a really nice hike. It was really cold and windy when we hiked Chincoteague a couple of weeks ago. Today did not seem like a good day to hike with the impending storm on the way, but we said the hell with it. We need to get out!

So off we went. We decided on somewhere local in case the weather took a turn for the worse. Pemberton Historical Park is just southwest of Salisbury and just a few minute drive from home. Here is the historical marker as you enter the park.

Sme more history can be found on their website. Very interesting. The trail map below. We hiked the Bell Island, Osprey and History trails, along with part of the Handy Hall Trail.

Entering the park is a nice fence…

A man-made fence vs. a fence Mother Nature is making…

The trail head consists of various older buildings. Including this restroom.

This looks to be an old bunker/storage building of some sorts.

A nice theater.

And a rounded dam. I can almost picture years ago this being made of wood and then maybe stone.

A little island picnic area.

Kathy taking a photo of me…

taking one of her.

Dreary yet some nice colors.

Boardwalks

and bird boxes.

Molly hears it…

I see it.

And kathy sees it.

An eagle on the top of the lone tree dead center

Hard to get a good shot this far away. (I do not carry a bunch of lenses and stuff with me when hiking)

More colors.

This was in the path. nicely strange. Kathy took this one.

When one tree fell, I guess it took the other one with it.

Dead center and this thing was humming.

Lone growth up in the trees.

A beaver house.

As I walk away…

A penny for your thoughts (I’m thinking – Don’t touch it! It looks like a booby-trap!)

A wonderful adventure in our new neck of the woods!!

Thanks God.

https://www.pembertonpark.org/pemberton-park/index.htm

Chincoteague

15 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, National Parks, nature

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Tags

chincoteague, Hiking, Lighthouse, nature, snow geese

We haven’t hiked here since May 2017. It is nice living close by. Less than an hour away. Kathy and I needed a nice little road trip. Selling homes, moving, moving again and retiring is a lot of work!

It was chilly and very windy on both the ocean and bay sides of the island. One large sand dune blocks the ocean from the parking lot, for the whole length of the lot. Kathy and Molly climbing over the dunes.

Glad I didn’t take my good camera – I’ve ruined two of them over the years from sand getting into them. The sand was stinging our faces. Looking up the beach.

After getting sandblasted on the ocean beach, we headed to bay side – Tom’s cove.

Windy still but nice. The snow geese were hanging out.

Including I believe, the Adult Blue Morph.

Seagulls were plentiful and a delight to watch (Always better watching them on the beach than at Thrasher’s!)

This guy, below, kept picking this object up, dropping it to crack it open and then taking it to the pool to wash it off. He discovered that it wasn’t edible.

Heading away from the ocean and driving to the mainland we saw this guy.

And this guy off in the distance, standing away from the rest of the herd.

Seeing the lighthouse off in the distance we headed that way.

Belongs to the Coast Guard. Last time we were here, there were way too many people to get a half way decent shot.

Historic info.

Nice day for a much needed hike. The park police did stop us to inform us that it is illegal to bring a pet onto a National Wildlife Refuge. Never would have guessed that Molly doesn’t count as wildlife!

First Hike 2019

02 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, nature

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Calvert Cliffs, Chesapeake Bay, Hiking, Lighthouse, nature, State Parks

A couple weeks ago, Kathy signed us up for a State Park First Hike at Calvert Cliffs. Although overcast, the weather was great for hiking.

Here is the State Roads Commission historical marker.

The one thing about organized hikes, there are usually a lot of people. One of the rangers giving the tour said there were about 200 hikers here and about 50 dogs.

Heading down the path (like lemmings headed towards a cliff) it was somewhat congested.

But then, because of the different rates that people hike and how much a dog pulls you along, it started to thin out.

Trail was muddy but it was a really nice hike. About 3.6 miles. Many small streams that fed a lagoon. Geese frolicking in the water.

Nice boardwalk along the water.

An unnatural naturalist looking for wildlife.

Signs of beaver activity.

Looks like lightning struck this beaver feeding tree.

Not sure if the lagoon was man made or beaver made.

A lone turtle trying to catch some sun.

The road to nowhere.

Actually, on the other side of the water is a natural gas company. We made it to the cliffs, beach, along with everyone else. Too many people for me.

But that didn’t stop Kathy from kicking off her hiking boots and going into the bay.

Out in the bay is this monster. A natural gas loading/unloading structure.

And off in the far distance there is a light house. Pretty bad shot, but got me curious.

A nice hike but disappointed that the cliffs were blocked off.

I guess I was thinking they were more like the White Cliffs of Dover or something like that. Kind of small.

When Kathy was finished playing in the water, we took a casual stroll back, enjoying the colors on a less crowded path. Then we came upon this guy. sitting alone, so we stopped to keep him company.

For a couple years we have been looking for natural letters from the alphabet. Kathy found a small r –

And then an o –

I told her she now needs to find an n! (she wanted to find a g also, because that is what I am – (W)rong!) Anyway, personal humor aside, we found this little bridge.

Then back out, beyond the ranger’s station, Kathy saw this metal hoop.

Looking closely about, we found an old structure.

Another shot of the area.

Some purple/blue/black berries.

Then finally, a Bee Hotel and Kathy very happy at the end of our First Hike of 2019.

Leaving Calvert Cliffs we went in search of the light house. And here it is.

Locked up behind a fence!

All in all, a super nice day!

Thanks God.

Last Hike Before First Hike

31 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, nature

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Gunpowder Falls, Hiking, Loch Raven, nature, photography

Saturday was a nice day for a hike, so we thought we would end our year hiking somewhere new. This will be our last hike of the year. We decided to hike the Gunpowder Falls, in a section neither of us have been to. Loch Raven Blue Trail off of Merryman’s Mill Road. We hiked to the Overshot Point and back. A little over two miles, but we spent a couple hours enjoying the sun and trail. AllTrails says we walked further, but I doubt it! This would be pretty damn good if it was true!

Not a lot of parking at the trail, so get there early. By the time we left, the lot was full.

Some spots were wet. Mostly a rocky, rain-runoff-ditches terrain.

Not sure who R.C. Dye is but they have their own sign.

Other than some debris in the reservoir, the trail was clean. We never take in more than we can carry out – leaving only our foot prints and our love of nature.

The Blue Trail goes all the way up the hillside then cuts over to the power lines. We like hiking along the river, so we found a log and crossed over one of the many streams. Molly not too happy about that.

I always liked these alien writings on the logs.

And I am so glad we went off the trail like we did! Otherwise we may have missed this!

Another view:

While at work I will try to find an old property map to tell me who this structure belonged to. It appears to be a nice size house.

I think someone lost a Christmas wreath.

Taking the Blue Trail, we probably would have missed the Overshot Point. Nice view of the upper reservoir.

Windy, causing the waves to lap at the shore.

The geese, hanging on a rock.

Kathy and Molly, hanging on the shore.

My turn to enjoy and reflect on my upcoming retirement. (If you could only see the grin on my face!!)

Time to head back. Our contribution to Art in the Park – acorn tops placed like fairy houses on the tree shrooms.

Nice roots.

I like walking in the winter because you get to see things that were hidden by all the growth of summer. We probably would have not seen the remains of that house in the summer. Sometimes in winter hiking, everything looks so desolate, but then you come across a burst of color and get to enjoy the beauty of the moment.

This was our last hike of 2018. I look forward to our first hike of 2019 – Calvert Cliffs!

Thanks God for another year of hiking!

A September Walk on the Little Gunpowder Falls

10 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, nature, Photography

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Gunpowder Falls, Hiking, nature, photography

A nice little hike we took last month. A little over a mile and a half. The green highlight is our path; from Belair Rd. to Harford Rd. and back. Use caution once you get to Harford Rd. to cross over the bridge. People are flying down that road and approach a curve. It is hard to be seen.

map2

From the parking lot on Belair Rd. we head under the bridge. 003

Additional graffiti is added every year. And yes we do – 005

A nice pattern for the walkway under the bridge. 006

Looking towards Harford Rd. 008

The trail. I have nothing against Mountain Bikers, as long as they are on a trail that I am not on, but quite a few act like they have the right of way on these narrow spots – you don’t! Common courtesy is the rule of the day. 014

Across the Falls. 018

A sandbar up ahead. 019

Time to look for some river glass. 023

Not much glass but Kathy found this. Possible arrowhead? 028

Lots of debris in the Falls – lots of rain all summer. Molly looking for a way around it. 045

A pond off to the side of the Falls, before Harford Rd. 052

A foot bridge over the stream that feeds the pond. 054

After crossing over the bridge at Harford Rd. we head back. This path is pretty narrow. In all the years I have hiked the Gunpowder Falls, I have never taken this path for some reason? Kathy practicing her dance moves. 064

Rot inducing pathogens or fungus, whichever you prefer. 074

Looking thru a leaf to see what I can see… 081

Heading to Belair Rd. the path swerves north along the road a few hundred yards before you can climb up and over. Belair Rd. is a 4 lane highway at this point. Speed limit, well doesn’t matter, people again are flying by… 082

Blue Bird vs Tree Swallow

15 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by Ronald Parks in Eastern Shore, Farm, nature

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Barn, Blue Bird, Farm, nature, photography, Turtle

While down at Kathy’s parents, I saw a bunch of birds dive bombing each other over the field. Then one landed on a bird box. I thought it was an Eastern Blue Bird. Turns out it was a Tree Swallow. Not having a tripod, I used the next best thing, which still was not stable enough.

A makeshift steady support – deer fencing around a tree.

What I thought was a Blue Bird.

The actual Blue Birds have always been hard for me to get a good shot. They are finicky and don’t sit long in the same spot. This guy was preening himself.

Heading over to the barn, this goose was on the lookout for his mate…

Who is on the nest, keeping the eggs warm.

Just a random hole.

The barn – ready to come down soon.

Random sliding door hardware.

Back at the pond.

And that quick, he is gone. Another nice weekend!

Terrapin Park

14 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, National Parks, nature

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Beach, bridges, Chesapeake Bay, Hiking, photography, Terrapin

The last couple of times we visited this park, last summer, we were unable to hike the trails – too many people and too many cars in the parking lot. It was packed. I like that people and families go to the parks to enjoy themselves, I just don’t like it when large groups of people set up camp and stay all day – not allowing others to enjoy the park. It was so bad last summer, that the park service had to install Spot-o-Pots along the beach path. Here is our path:

It was a short hike. We just wanted to see and enjoy the Bay.

Along the Cross Island Trail, we stopped long enough to enjoy some of the beauty that is all around us.

Hitting the beach, our first view is of a ship going under the Bay Bridge. I don’t know how many times we travelled over that bridge and saw anywhere from 4 to 12 ships just parked on the other side. This is the first time we saw one actually heading to points north.