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Tag Archives: nature

The Quarry

03 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, Photography, water history

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

engineering, Hiking, HISTORY, nature, photography, Research, water history

While doing research for my book a few years ago, I came across reports that mentioned a quarry on the filtration plant property. I had even seen glass plate negatives showing the quarry with its mills. But for the life of me, I could not find it or figure out where on this 300 acres it was located.

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This 1894 map shows the quarry in relation to Lake Montebello.

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This photo taken in 1913 shows the quarry and mill.

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Another view of the quarry.

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And another.

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In 2011 I was on a mission – to find the quarry. I started roaming around in the woods, in search of it. I was not able to roam too much though – the area was really overgrown. From atop a rock, I saw water.

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So I climbed down to take a look. It was just too overgrown to make an accurate assessment as to whether or not this was it. I tried to match the rocks to the 1913 photos.

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One of my bosses back then said that he remembered the quarry in the late 60s. That his father and others in the neighborhood use to dump stuff in there. He believed that the quarry was filled in back in the early 70s.

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Then in 2013 the Federal Government said all the sewers in Baltimore needed improvement. A contractor went to the area and moved the sewer pipe out of Herring Run stream and into this area. In the process, clearing the area I was unable to get to before. Doesn’t look much like a quarry.

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Another view.

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The other day I went back down to see how it looked. Soon it will look like it did in 2011. In just 3 years it is becoming overgrown.

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Another view.

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The one good thing about my job – I get to hike thru areas like this!

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My lucky day!  A green Mushroom!

Oxford Pa. and Stafford Md.

28 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, Photography

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

books, bridges, Conowingo, engineering, HISTORY, nature, photography, trains, Travel

The other day Kathy, Molly and I decided to take a ride to Oxford, to an old used bookstore just south of town. It has been a couple years since I was there. I met the author, Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down) the last time I visited. The place has changed since then, but still nice. (Anywhere that sells old books is nice!) We left there and roamed around town some. Being a Sunday, most shops were closed.

The old train station now converted into Borough Hall?

Molly smells food and is wondering where the gravy train is (Sorry Molly, Purina does not make Gravy Train!)

Historic Marker

Niblock Alley train over-pass.

We left Oxford and decided to head to Stafford on the Susquehanna Trail. This was a nice 4-1/2 mile hike. Unfortunately – no Fall Foliage.

Uncertain of which way to go…back into the woods then.

Not sure the purpose of this fence, but I like it.

The path is over old train tracks. These tracks were put here when the Conowingo Dam was built. Carried supplies and men to and from town.

The Stafford Flint Furnace. This structure is a couple hundred years old. It took a beating during the great quake of 2011.

As can be seen in this photo. They put seismic measuring devices on it. That won’t save it.

Triple headed shrooms and our hike is done! Nice day!

Dundee Creek

30 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in kayaking, Photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

boats, bridges, Gunpowder Falls, kayaking, nature, Parks, photography

After our vacation to the Eastern Shore, we returned to one of our favorite kayaking spots – Dundee Creek. My first time there was to paddleboard. I did not like that at all. Just couldn’t find my center of balance and I kept falling off. The following week, Kathy showed me about kayaking. I had never done that before. I enjoy it immensely! So peaceful and relaxing. Dundee Creek merges with Saltpeter Creek and then into the Gunpowder River and then onto the Chesapeake Bay.

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Before heading out to open water, we always like to head into the cove. Calm waters that dead-end at a stream and bulkhead.

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As many times that we have been here, neither one of us noticed this little opening.

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Nice and quiet. Looks like some logs up to the right.

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I went up and moved them out of the way.

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Kathy was then able to pass under the trees, along the shoreline.

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Once through, I let Kathy go first – you know, in case there were alligators, wild boars or Adrienne Barbeau.

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We found our own little cove. Not very big but nice.

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After a while there, we headed out towards Marshy Point. This is the Marshy Point Osprey Cam. It is shut down now – the osprey have all headed south. This is fun to watch when they come back. So is the Osprey Cam on the Chesapeake Bay.

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Favorite little foot bridge at Marshy Point Nature Center.

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Under the bridge we go.

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After the bridge and spending time watching life in the marsh, we headed back to the marina. Water was getting a little choppy. Duck blind.

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