Daffodil Lane

March 26, 2007

Yesterday was Maryland Day!!!

Maryland Day is a legal holiday in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is observed on the anniversary of the March 25, 1634 landing of settlers in the Province of Maryland.

On this day settlers from The Ark and The Dove first stepped foot onto Maryland soil, at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River. The colony was granted to Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore two years prior by Charles I of England. In thanksgiving for the safe landing, Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated mass for the colonists, perhaps for the first time ever in this part of the world. The landing coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation, a holy day honoring Mary, and the start of the new year in England's legal calendar (prior to 1752).

The holiday began in 1903, the date chosen by the state board of education to honor Maryland history. In 1916, the legislature authorized Maryland Day as a legal holiday (Chapter 633, Acts of 1916).

Well you learn something new everyday I guess. Usually these kinds of things would be covered in an elementary civics class, but I had Arkansas and Georgia Civics, I wasn't in school when I came to Maryland. I'm not sure what the appropriate celebration is for Maryland Day, somehow it seems a little ouster for drunken debauchery or anything fun like that. I suspect a moment of silence will suffice. ;)

Read more over at Wikipedia and Maryland State Archives.

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February 14, 2007

Over A Million BGE Customers Without Power In Maryland

There's going to be an awful lot of cold Marylanders tonight!

So far we've been very lucky. Knock on wood! The power blinked a couple of times earlier today, but we've been up and running since. BGE is going to be very busy over the next few days! Ice is a nasty foe for powerlines! Just a tip, perhaps you should bury them! ;o)

Click on the picture above to go to BGE's updated page as things change they update it there.

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Posted by: katherine at February 14, 2007 8:27 PM

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January 6, 2007

A Busy Warm Saturday

When I saw the forecast for today called for weather in the 70's I knew at some point today we'd have to go outside and do something in nature. We had decided last night to take Alexis to the library this morning, since she had never been before and she's majorly into books now. When we left the library we decided to take Alexis over to Lake Waterford to see the ducks and to check out the path around the lake to see if it was conducive for Alexis and I to use on a regular basis so I could get a little exercise (turns out it isn't really for just the two of us, but the three of us had fun!) We looked at the ducks and walked around a bit then headed home for lunch.

After lunch we promised Alexis that if she'd take a good nap we'd take her to the playground. She was ecstatic and went right to sleep. I woke her up around 2:30 (on the days Alexis actually naps she usually takes a 3-4 nap and I knew if we waited too long we'd loose the sun) and we got ready to head over to the playground. When we got to the playground it was completely packed! We took one look at all those people packed in together like sardines and knew it wasn't going to happen. Alexis thankfully is very laid back and changes path in midstream pretty easily, so when we asked her if she wanted to go see the ducks again instead she said "Sure!" and off we went.

Lake Waterford itself had a lot of people milling about, but it was no where near as crowded as that playground! We decided to walk further around the path than we had this morning and we walked to the top of the lake and back. It's a nice little walk, with lots of roots, so sort of difficult, but it's a nice work out for your legs. Alexis and I had a ball and well Jamison tolerated it and that's about as good as you're going to get with Jamison and nature! ;o) We spent a couple of hours walking around the lake and then headed home.

When we arrived back home I decided to take a picture of my daffodils in front of our house, which have sprouted:

They are a little confused! It's been warm lately and today we reached 74 degrees...In January! And while it was nice to have a warm day to explore with, it begs the question...If it's this warm in January how hot is it going to be in July?

Anyway, overall we had a very nice day. Sure we didn't really find a nice walking area for exercise close to home for Alexis and I, but we found a nice little adventure area for the three of us, not far off the beaten path. We'll conquer hiking soon enough, but for now we've got Lake Waterford!

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December 26, 2006

Insurer to limit policies in Maryland

Allstate Corp., one of Maryland's largest insurers, will stop writing homeowners' policies in coastal areas of the state, citing warnings by scientists that a warmer Atlantic Ocean will lead to more strong hurricanes hitting the Northeast.

The company will no longer offer new property insurance beginning in February in all or part of 11 counties mostly along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Existing customers won't be affected; a spokeswoman said Allstate intends to renew those policies even in coastal areas. It will continue to write new policies in Baltimore and Baltimore County.

......
Allstate's move will affect residents in Calvert, Dorchester, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Charles, Prince George's and Queen Anne's.

If other insurers follow suit this is going to be extremely bad for this area. You can't buy a home with a mortgage if you can't get insurance on it. As we've seen from our neighbors to the south that once the big boys move out of the insurance business in an area, it gets filled by much more dishonest and expensive replacements that slowly drain an area of the vitality. In places like Florida they have the tourist industry is able to prop up the drain on the local economy, but further North without that kind of offset, it's not clear to me how we will be able to keep the drain on our economy from happening. Definitely speaks to the need that once we get some real representation in the Governor's mansion and that we need to need to join West Coast and the other Northeastern states in restriction CO2 growth in our state and our country. I fear the people of District 31 are going to regret the lack of serious legislators in Annapolis during the next few years as things get worse.

[via America Blog]

Read more over at Baltimore Sun.

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Posted by: Ted at December 26, 2006 4:52 PM

Posted by: Jamison at December 27, 2006 9:30 AM

November 26, 2006

Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services launches recruiting campaign

Children are near and dear to Dianne and I, we've both spent many years working with children. From Space Camp and Upward Bound, to mentoring and teaching students in the classroom, to the good old baby sitting jobs we had as teenagers, we've spent most of our lives around children taking care and educating them. I personally get a big kick out of people that are baffled by how easily we handle kids. After a few decades of experience it sort of becomes second nature to you. Dianne's better at it than I am, but given that most men have never been alone in the same room with a child in their entire lives, I sort of get to shine anyway in comparison.

Which brings me to the problem here in Anne Arundel County. We've got a severe lack of foster parents in the County. Nearly two thirds of our foster kids are having to be placed outside the County because of the lack of foster parents. This is definitely a matter of great concern, because you want to keep kids a close to possible to their native environment to make transitions easier for them. Uprooting them completely puts a lot of the possible progress that they could be making in danger. If you can make room in your home and hearts for a kid that has suffered a bad break, you should definitely consider getting involved. If you don't have the time or the resources to take care of a child in your own home, there are many other ways you can help out the program. Here's the list they provide for Anne Arundel County.

* Become a respite parent for a foster child * Mentor a child in foster care * Hire a foster child to work for you and/or your company * Have your business or civic groups sponsor a special event or activity for foster/adoptive families * Donate goods and services for children in foster care, such as computers, or school supplies * Call our Volunteer Office at 410-269-4461 or 301-261-1756 ext. 4461 to get more information about being a mentor

The article also had an interesting discussion of how they are expanding their website to provide online support to foster parents and children in foster care. I had always assumed something like this already existed, because it's such an important tool for parents to work together to get over the tough spots with kids. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes on a problem will yield impressive results. So if you are already a foster parent in Anne Arundel County thanks for your hard work and now you will have another resource at your disposal.

Read more over at Baltimore Sun and Anne Arundel Foster Care.

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October 12, 2006

Let's Go To Annapolis! No, Then How About Baltimore?

We set off this morning to take Alexis to Main Street in Annapolis and let her ride on one of the boat tours in Annapolis Harbor, while letting me get some walking in and a good seafood lunch. I did not know when we set off that there was a boat show going on and already at 9:20 in the morning there were not parking spaces in any of the nearby lots, nor on any of the nearby streets. So we had to make a quick decision and as Jamison was navigating us out of Annapolis I started thinking.

At first I thought we might just go over to Arundel Mills to see the "big fish", but that was too dull given we were supposed to be on an adventure and we go to Arundel Mills all the time. That's not an adventure, so I suggested we go to the Inner Harbor and possibly take a boat over to Ft. McHenry. But Alexis had her heart set on fish, so we decided to go to the aquarium instead.

Tomorrow we set out on another adventure! More to come! :O)

Click on the extended entry below to see some pictures of the dolphins and such and of course go on over to Flickr to see some pictures of Alexis in action! :O)

This picture was taken in the underground observation area that let's you look into the tank:

One of the dolphins jumping:

Jumping through hoops:

Can you find Alexis?:

Thoughts on the trip:

1) Boys are loud. I am glad Alexis is a girl! There were various school groups there and the little boys were just out of control! Obnoxious in fact. Little girls can be catty, but for the most part they aren't beasts!

2) I go back and forth between feeling sorry for the fish/animals/reptiles etc. in the aquarium and marveling at what a learning opportunity is provided under one roof. Though the dolphin show always brings me to the verge of tears when I think about the fact that they are confined to such a small space in the grand scheme of things.

3) Food in those type places costs way too much and sucks royally. Ick!

4) Alexis' bladder of steel never ceases to amaze me! The child refuses to go to the bathroom in public, yet she makes it home dry every time.

5) Jamison did very well with the change midstream from having to leave Annapolis, to going to Baltimore on the fly. I was very impressed. ;o)

That is all! I'm off to post Flickr photos! :O)

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October 6, 2006

"Little Island" Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

About 35 miles east of the Smithsonian's museums on the National Mall, a marsh walkway and a sanctuary for wildlife, including wild turkeys and great blue herons, make for scenic hikes and outings. A deep country quiet, without a trace of city noise, completes the contrast to Washington, Baltimore and nearby Annapolis.

"People tell me, 'I've always driven past and don't know what happens here.' And I say, 'We're here, come see us,'" said Karen S. McDonald, the center's first outreach coordinator.

"This is its own little island, but we're trying to change the view. We'd like people to see what we're doing for the Chesapeake and the world."

The concerted effort at the research center is a way of saying that what happens there is not only academic. Scientists working there would like more residents of the county and state to know about the jewel in their midst.

"The science we do, such as studying ultraviolet radiation and habitat destruction, provides answers to how to improve stewardship, both to policymakers and the general public," Anson H. "Tuck" Hines, the center's director, said yesterday.

"The bay is the shining star of the coastal zones, but it's also had enormous problems. Our natural resources illustrate directly the science of the ecosystem to visitors."

Hines, a scientist who has worked on the SERC campus for 27 years, estimated that the center draws 12,000 visitors a year, most of them schoolchildren.

The center's secluded 3,000 acres by the bay includes 14 miles of shoreline for 18 main research divisions to study. Forest canopy, jellyfish behavior and the depletion of overfished oysters on Maryland's side of the Chesapeake Bay since 1987 are among the subjects scrutinized.

What a fantastic concept! I must admit I had never heard of this place until I read the article, but I most definitely plan to check it out. I think Alexis would enjoy it too! A learning center that is dedicated to educating people about the fragile Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is worth noting. It's amazing how many people don't understand how they effect the system as a whole, because quite frankly in this area we all do. Though my concern as always is that the people that really need to hear this message don't care and won't bother, but it's an interesting concept one the less.

Found via the Baltimore Sun.

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May 20, 2006

Gibson Island

When Alexis got up from her nap we headed out toward Gibson Island to see the horses along the way. Alexis loves to drive out to Gibson Island, see the horses and then we turn around and come back because Gibson Island is a snooty gated community of rich people who don't let you visit their community, but I'm not bitter. ;o)

Anyway, as you approach Gibson Island the Chesapeake Bay is on one side and an inlet off of the Bay is on the other. During the Spring through Autumn in the inlet to the right there are a bunch of sailboats anchored and Alexis enjoys seeing them just as much as the horses along the way, even though they don't have their sails up.

The drive takes about 10 minutes to get there and 10 minutes to get back, given traffic and how you catch the traffic signals sometimes it can be about 15 minutes, but it's a nice little drive and it lets Alexis see her beloved horses and it gives me a chance to see my beloved water.

Alexis recently got a horse figurine she has named "Chocolate" because he is brown. (And it is a he...It's anatomically correct, but that's a rant for another time!) And each time we head out toward the horses she usually asks if we will see "Chocolate" although she didn't ask today, but she's kind of droopy today, but again that's a story for another time.

One of these days I'm going to meet someone who lives out on Gibson Island and they are going to love me because I'm a loveable sort of person and they will invite Jamison and I over for dinner. After I make it through the gate, I will roll up my window and laugh maniacally that I finally broke through the barrier to the exclusive community. Heck maybe when my book is published I'll buy a house out there...That is if I even like it there. I've found that many times in life the things you can't see, and the things you desperately want to see, are often massive let downs when you get the opportunity to see it in person, not always but sometimes and I guess that is just how life works.

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Posted by: Moni at May 20, 2006 5:12 PM

February 13, 2006

Maryland Monday: Annapolis

Annapolis is the capital of the state of Maryland and was founded in 1649. The city even served as the United States capital after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. It is home to the United States Naval Academy and its harbor is one of the busiest pleasure ports in the United States and the City Dock is always busy no matter what the season.

Annapolis Harbor

Main Street Annapolis, conveniently located near the Naval Academy, gives a quaint view into what life was like with its brick streets, narrow alley ways, easy access to the city dock and a view of the Severn River leading out to the Chesapeake Bay. All of this comes with charming little shops and restaurants to spend time in. You can easily and happily spend an afternoon enjoying the charms of historic Annapolis.

Maryland State House Dome

Maryland’s State House is also located in Annapolis and is easily seen from most of historic downtown Annapolis. The State House is used today for legislative activities and is the oldest State House still in use within the United States. Both the governor and the Lt. Governor of Maryland have their offices within the building. The State House is also the dome you see on the back of the Maryland State Quarter.

Overall Annapolis, Maryland is a very charming city which exudes history and charm. From a tour of the harbor, to walking up and down Main Street perusing the shops or enjoying a fine meal, to the Naval Academy there is plenty to do within the city and you’ll definitely enjoy your stay in Annapolis.

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February 6, 2006

Maryland Monday: Historic Main Street Ellicott City

Ellicott City, Maryland was founded in 1771 and was know at that time as Ellicott Mills. It is the county seat of Howard County. In 2005 CNN Money and Money magazine ranked Ellicott City as the 20th Best Place to Live on their annual 100 list. Ellicott City is named after the Ellicott brothers from Pennsylvania who moved to the area started a mill in Elkridge in the 1700s. Their mill, unlike many others in the area, processed wheat instead of tobacco. It was a raging success, so much so that a railroad stop was put in at Ellicott Mills in order to carry their cargo. This railroad stop is now the B&O Railroad Museum, although the tracks next to the museum are still active tracks to this day. In 1867 Ellicott City officially became Ellicott City. Up until that point as mentioned above it was actually called Ellicott Mills after the wheat mill. When the city charter was made for Ellicott's Mills the name was changed to Ellicott City. Ellicott City is no longer charted however. It lost its charter in 1935. In 1973 it was given the designation of a historic district by Howard County.

Historic main street itself has been had quite a history! In 1972 it was flooded by Hurricane Agnes. In 1984 and 1999 respectively it suffered massive fires. And if you believe in ghosts historic Ellicott City is apparently jumping with paranormal activity. They even have ghost tour you can go on. I have always wanted to do this, but haven’t as of yet. They have a special tour on Halloween that is supposed to be a lot of fun.

When we first moved to Maryland in the fall of 1999 we lived in Ellicott City and I immediately fell in love with its historic downtown area, which reminded me of pictures I had seen of old European villages. It was just up the road from where we lived, walking distance in fact, and chances are if you’ve come to visit me since we’ve moved to Maryland I’ve taken you to historic Main Street in Ellicott City. From charming antiques shops to the bakeries and cafes to the train museum, there is plenty to do in Ellicott City to fill in your day.

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January 31, 2006

Maryland Monday Postponed One Week

I forgot about Maryland Monday yesterday in the haze that was Alexis with no sleep and my fish tank woes. I had planned to put in an entry today, but decided instead to just do an entry next Monday instead. That will mean two Maryland Monday's on back to back weeks, but that's ok. See you then!

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January 16, 2006

Maryland Monday: The Spruce Forest Artisan Village

The Spruce Forest Artisan Village located in Grantsville, Maryland is well worth the trip. Jamison’s mom and I stumbled across it when we popped over to Western Maryland one day for a quilt show a few summers ago. We attended the main quilt show at the elementary school and then were told that there was a craft fair up the road at the Spruce Forest Artisan Village. The minute I set foot in the village I fell in love and have gone back many times! I’ve even dragged Jamison over there, much to his chagrin.



The Spruce Artisan Village itself is very charming:

Spruce Forest Artisan Village, with its mission to preserve and showcase Appalachian culture by educating and promoting crafts people, is a home to the living craft tradition in the Allegheny region. Village Artisans learn and teach traditional designs and forms, and develop contemporary variations. Early classes in wood carving, pottery, weaving and spinning have produced a world-class bird sculptor and other award-winning craftspeople. Visitors are able to meet the artists inside their studios and glimpse some aspect of a lasting lifestyle in Western Maryland. Integral to a viable home- and studio-based economy in the region, the uniquely American mountain craft tradition survives and evolves at Spruce Forest Artisan Village.

The shops are amazing! And the crafts people are very knowledge about their trade and also very friendly. They are more than happy to talk answer any questions you might have.

Directly across from the Artisan Village is the Penn Alps restaurant and craft shop, which has a very good menu along with a very quaint, homey atmosphere. The quilts and craftworks of local artisans are also featured in the gifts shop. They are gorgeous and it is well worth the drive, just to look at the crafts alone, if not for a hot apple dumpling with vanilla ice cream from the restaurant!

Also onsite is Stanton’s Mill which was originally built in 1797 and continued operation until 1994. The mill has recently been restored by a local miller and in 2005 it was converted to water power to grind grains and such. It’s also worth a look.

Grantsville, Maryland itself also has a lot of history and the stone bridge that is adjacent to the Artisan village is breathtaking! Other attractions include Casselman Inn, Cornucopia Farm and the Fuller-Baker Log House.

The Spruce Artisan Village, Stanton’s Mill and the Penn Alps restaurant are but some of the reasons to visit the Grantsville area. If you enjoy looking at crafts, seeing how things were done in years gone by and generally enjoying a relaxing, laid back atmosphere you should definitely visit. I think you’d really enjoy the trip.

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Posted by: mums at January 17, 2006 5:43 PM

January 2, 2006

Maryland Monday: Tilghman Island

In our first, inaugural installment of Maryland Monday if you will, I would like to point out the charms of Tilghman Island. As mentioned before on this blog I adore this area and would love to have a house on the island itself. Today I'll tell you a little about the island's history and provide you some links that will help you if you choose to check out the island for yourself.



Tilghman Island was mapped by Captain John Smith in 1608 as he sailed up the Chesapeake exploring and mapping the whole area as he went. The island itself wasn't named until 1775 when it garnered its name from its first owner Mr. Matthew Tilghman. In the late 1800's a steam ferry was set up to service the island and this service continued until the mid 20th century. Once ferry passengers set foot on the island they were taken to their chosen destinations by ox and horse drawn carriages. As of the 2000 census the island is home to 854 people, 368 households and 262 families. The area remains to this day a popular tourist destination due to excellent fishing and its laid back yesteryear charm.

Tilghman Island prides itself in being the "pearl of the Chesapeake". This quaint little island is accessible via drawbridge or by boat. This water oriented community has a laid back way of life that reminds you of years gone by. Whether you enjoy fishing, dining, boating, quaint shopping experiences or even a tour of Chesapeake Bay Lighthouses then Tilghman Island is for you!

Tilghman Island is also lays claim to the last commercial sailing fleet in North America. Known as the skipjacks this fleet is on display at Tilghman Island's own Dogwood Harbor. The islanders are very proud of this distinction.

The island itself is an honest to goodness working watermen's village where the fisherman bring their catch in to local restaurants. I've eaten at several of the restaurants on the island and I've never had a bad meal! My particular favorite is the Bay Hundred restaurant, but you really can't go wrong eating anywhere on the island.

Check out the Tilghman Island website and of course Wikipedia's entry on the island has a lot of food information as well. It's a quaint little island and if you enjoy an easy, laid back, charming sort of day you'll definitely find the island to your liking. It's a hop, skip and a jump away from many places in the DC Metro area, Delaware and Philadelphia and well worth the trip.

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Posted by: dar at January 4, 2006 5:22 PM

Posted by: Dianne at January 4, 2006 5:24 PM