Double Dogged

Emory Grove Hotel Nov. 2007

2007-12-05T19:06:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of the hotel at Emory Grove Md. I caught the maple tree with about half of the leaves. To bad I didn't get it sooner.

Emory Grove is where my cottage is located. I want to show some of the before and after photos of the work we have been doing on the cottage these last couple of years.

I wanted to practice uploading photos and the hotel is the first one I have done. I am sorry I didn't get this tree with all of the leaves still on it. The photo was taken a couple of weeks ago.

The hotel was built in 1887 and was one of three on the grounds. It is the only one left standing. Emory Grove is in Glyndon Md. and was a Methodist summer camp and retreat. People would come to the grove for worship services and to get away from the Baltimore hot summers. Emory Grove dates back to 1868 and predates Glyndon by a few years.

People would come by street car, carriage and trains. In the early years they had very large tents on wooden platforms. They would have furniture and other amentities in those tents. They would bring their servants and nurses and stay the summer months of July and August. The summer cottages were built starting about the mid teens. There are 47 cottages on the grounds and haven't changed much since they were built.

I will try and get some more photos up soon. I just need to practice the best way to do this.

If You Have Been Wondering About My Cottage, Now You will Know!

2007-10-04T07:16:00.000-04:00

Through the last couple of years I have been posting about A Cottage my wife, sister in law, brother in law, and I have been restoring. It is a summer only Cottage and we use it from April Through November. It can be used during the winter, only there won't be any water to use as it gets turned off in Nov. We bleed the pipes, so no toilet to use. Yet it is nice to be there anytime.

It is like going back in time when there. Yes I do have a television there to watch the sports etc. Our Cottage is a shotgun type. It is all on one floor and as the name indicates, shotgun, meaning could fire a shotgun in the front doors and it will exit the rear door and not hit anything else. Hence the name shotgun.

This area goes back to the year 1868 when it was first formed as a Methodist camp. Tents were use then. There are 47 cottages and they were built after 1900, most around 1920. No insulation just the outside walls. Yes they do have some kind of heat, electricity and water.

They are nestled in among the tall Oak and Maple trees that date back a long time ago. Peace and tranquillity is the norm. It is only about a 20 minute drive from where I live in Timonium. When the 4 of us bought the place a little over 2 years ago we gutted it and have been improving it ever since. It is very livable!

The place is Emory Grove, which is located off of Butler Rd. in Glyndon Md. Emory Grove pre dates Glyndon by a few years. On the property it still has the great Victorian Hotel built about 1887. Though the many rooms cannot be used to rent, as was in the past, the very large main room is still used and can be rented for special occasions.

Being in the Grove as we call it, is like living back in the 1930's and 40's. You have this feeling when visiting and just about everyone feels it. You get this peaceful feeling of belonging when you enter the gates.

Us Grover's are very patriotic. We celebrate the 4th of July by decorating our cottages and having a parade. After the parade we go to the outdoor Tabernacle where we sing Patriotic songs. It is almost hokey, but you won't see much more patriotism in one place as you do at the Grove.

Style Magazine http://www.baltimorestyle.com/index.php/style/features_article/fe_place_of_peace_ja07/

has a nice article about the Grove and some photos. My cottage is very much like the photos in the article.

Emory Grove has a great history and can be Googled to see other articles about it. If you were wondering where my cottage was located, now you know. It wasn't any big secret, but a great place to getaway.

Good Ole Patterson Park

2007-09-28T06:35:00.000-04:00

I have been a Friends Of Patterson Park for a number of years. This morning I received a newsletter from them showing that the City Paper have voted them the "Best Park"
http://www.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=14154

I can't you tell how good this made me feel. Since I grew up a block from the park, it became a second home to me and my family and friends. During those years we had the good fortune to play just about any kind of ball you can think of. This includes curb ball, stick ball, softball, baseball, kill the man with the ball, you get the idea. You mention it, we did it. I had the pleasure to swim in the old swimming lake before in was filled in and a new cement pool was built. The old swimming lake was located where the Ice Rink is now.

The boat lake was used for fishing or just sailing model boats. At one time The Boat Lake actually had boats you could rent! The many hills in the park was used for sledding in the winter and skating in the summer. I remember when they were putting up the Pulaski Monument that is still located near Linwood Ave and Eastern Ave. At that time we didn't know who General Pulaski was! Check him out here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011010-4.html

At one time Patterson Park was used as a Civil War Camp and a Civil War Hospital, this was back in the 1860's. I have an original letter written by a soldier stationed there telling about how it was at the camp and Baltimore. He was from New York State.

Patterson Park has a great history. Life around it even now, has benefited living near by or visiting the many functions that goes on during the year.

There is plenty of Patterson Park history on the net if you are interested. I am glad to see that the personnel of the Friends Of Patterson Park who have worked so hard to bring this park back to life get the kudos from the City Paper. They sure worked hard in bringing the park back to life.

For Awhile I wasn't A Double Dogged

2007-09-25T07:12:00.000-04:00

My Double Dogged name was taken from our 2 West Highland Terriers. This past June, we had to put down our beloved Tory. She was a Westie Rescue dog that had special needs when we rescued her. Tory became the companion of our other Westie, Katie, and for 7 years there was lots of love to give and receive.

Tory was the love of my life even is she couldn't hear, and couldn't go up and down the steps anymore. She was getting blind and we would practically have to carry her in and out of the house when she had to go and do her business. Tory, was the most lovable dog and the best friend our Katie ever had.

It was a hard decision no matter how much she was suffering. She just was not our old Tory! I miss her and I always will. You just don't forget someone that was a part of your family.

Katie is just about 16 years old and now we will be facing another hard decision soon. Though not in pain she is failing every week.

After Tory left us, my wife and I, or at least I didn't want to get another dog. I just felt I needed some more time before I could make the decision to bring another dog into my life.

My wife didn't have the same feeling about getting another dog. She wanted to get another rescued Westie. She was surfing the internet for a few weeks on all of the rescue sites. I knew this and we talked about another Westie and it didn't matter if it was a male or female. We wanted a Westie puppy and finding one to rescue was difficult to say the least. It had to be a rescue!

She came upon a site from a woman that was finding homes for dogs especially terriers. She bred Scotties and showed them. She had a network of other like minded breeders that rescued dogs through out the US and helped them find proper homes.

She contacted my wife and gave her the name of a breeder in Virginia that had a male Westie puppy for rescue. That was on a Friday. We got pictures of the puppy on their rescue site and the phone number of the people with the Westie. I called the number and made an appointment to see and get the puppy on Sunday. That was a good time for them. They lived in Virginia right on the North Carolina border and was at least a 6 hour drive.

We drove the 6 hours and my wife was on pins and needles the whole time thinking that they would let the Pup go to someone else. I told her that they wouldn't do that to us and that we would get the Pup.

We called them as we were nearing their place to let them know that we would be there soon. When we arrived the wife, led us into their place and met the husband and this tiny white Westie puppy. The puppy came right up to us and greeted us with kisses and was not shy at all.

Just a point of information about rescuing any kind of dogs. Most rescue dog lovers and or breeders will not just hand over any dog to just anybody. Having being active with Westie Rescue for the last 7 years or so, we had good credentials and was screened big time before you will get a dog from them.

This puppy was one of four that this breeder rescued and was the last one to be had. They were Scottie breeders and showed their dogs all of the world. Yet they would rescue just about any dog that was in trouble. They found out that a female Westie was bred with a male Westie. When the female was ready to have the pups she would have to have it cesarian and the original owner didn't want to have that expense for one reason or another, and was going to put the pregnant female down. The nice Scottie people found out about that, and offered them money for the dog and got it. They paid for the birth and the care of the four puppies and put them up for adoption through the rescue network. We got the last one! That 6 hour drive down and another 6 hours back was a very happy drive.

That was back in July and now we have a 5 month old male Westie puppy by the name of Murphy. I am so glad we got this little puppy! It is the love of our life and lifted our spirits having another dog to love. I can't imagine missing out on the joy of having our Murphy even if I was not quite ready for another dog. I am so glad I relented and that wasn't hard to do.

So now I have a Double Dogged home again.

You Know How It Is When This Happens!!!

2007-09-25T06:52:00.000-04:00

It has been 6 months since I have posted on my blog. All I can say is that I got burned out on my computer and I am just getting back on. I didn't stop everything, but I sure did slow down. I did check my E Mail and dropped in to check out the blogs here.

I belong to several fishing boards and I hardly have been on them. Sheeeeesh!! No selling on E Bay, just buying a few things and that is about it. It must be the weather! When it was warm I would sit on my screened in porch and read. Books, newspapers kept me occupied, and I just didn't feel like being on this ole computer.

Now that the mornings are cooler, I just feel better being back in the house and on line again. Sorry about not being around and posting as much, but I hope to post more in the future. I missed Ya!

Steppin' Out to the Tropics -Benefit for victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse

2007-03-26T07:39:00.000-04:00

This will be my third year attending one of the best bargains for food and drinks while helping Turnaround with their fund raiser. This year my wife Sherry is the Co-Chair along with our friend Rosina for this great event. http://turnaroundinc.org/ It will be held this Thursday at M & T Stadium and there is no dress code, so you can come as you are from work or home. I will be dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and will have a Lei around my neck. With all of the food people setting up you can't eat everything they serve, well, maybe at least try to. The food and drinks flow all night long.

The 17 piece band called the Mood Swings were there last year and was requested by so many people they are going to be back on Thursday. If you can't get into the mood when they are playing, you are just not hearing them! They have 2 kinds of auctions, 1 silent and one live. I have seen some wonderful things go cheap in the past. This year we have a great boat in the auction donated by Offshore Performance in Grasonville Md on the Eastern Shore (click link to see it) it is a 18' Monterey 180 FS Sport Boat. I stopped in their showroom in Grasonville to see it. Nice boat, retails for over $23,000. This along with great vacations being donated, art work, autographed sport items, soooo many things to be had come and see for yourselves.

Tickets are $75 and you can deduct $40 of it for tax purposes. Lots of single people with be there! This event is something I look forward to every year! I get to sit and talk to Art Donovan and his wife Dotty. They will be having their vacation home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico available for a two week stay in the live auction, always a popular item.

Grey Goose Vodka will be there serving drinks at their tables. Last year it was Martini's! I don't know what kind of drinks this year, I know you will find me close by. Admission includes all foods from about 40 restaurants, with beer and wine included. Tio Pepe will be serving their famous pine nut deserts, just try and walk away from that!

It will be held at the North Club Level at M&T and parking is just $5 in Lot B. Entrance to the event is through gate A off Hamburg Street.

I hope to see some of my blogging friends there, look for me!

Ha! I Laugh At This Weather!

2007-02-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

Here in Maryland, one of the greatest pleasures is catching The Maryland Blue Crab. What is even better is eating them! Saying that, yesterday I attended the annual Tidal Fish Crab Forum's Snoodfest. It is a bunch of crabbers who get together this time of the year to eat, drink, and be merry, and of course talk about the upcoming crabbing season here in Maryland. Everyone brings a dish, dessert or appetizer to share. BYOB for what ever you want to drink, beer, soda, or wine etc. One of the most enjoyable things at the fest is eating Oysters and Clams on the half shell. Steamed or Raw they are good. The weather was predicted to be miserable and it was somewhat. It was to be snow changing to sleet, changing to frozen rain. It is the frozen rain that is nasty. The Snoodfest was held at a community center on the water just outside of Baltimore City. My church cancelled services on that weather prediction and was justified in doing so. Our services are 5 p.m. every Sunday. That prediction didn't keep me from going to the Snoodfest! I know many members were coming from out of town and a long way, They made the right choice not to come.It started snowing about 10a.m. and was covering cars, grass and driveways. I picked up my friend Mike on the way at about 12 noon and the snow was coming down hard. No problem getting to the center where it was being held. The forecast changed a little and the freezing rain was expected till later in the evening. As the weather being what it was, we still had a good turn out, about 50 men, women and some children. The snow was coming down hard and was about 2 to 3 inches at this point. We put our food on tables along with all of the other food being brought in. The Oysters and Clams were outside under a tent on tables set up for shucking and eating. A large grill was under the tent with us and gave off plenty of heat if needed. Oysters and Clams were being steamed in a pot set up on a propane burner. Soon hot dogs, hamburgers along with oysters and clams were on top of the grill cooking in their own juices. The raw oysters were outstanding in their taste, salty fresh and cold. I shucked and ate quite a few of the bivalves after putting on a little of the hot sauce, and slurped them down. Who cared about the snow, this was fun! The snow was still coming down hard and accumulating more and more!Filling up on Oysters, I went back inside to see what else was put on the tables. There was homemade Italian sausages, pasta, smoked salmon, shrimp bisque, soups, cold cuts, and cheeses just to name a few things. It was a plethora of food. Wonderful desserts and appetizers abound. Some one was in the kitchen frying up clam fritters. Outstanding! I only drank one beer since it was snowing so hard. I didn't want to drive home being impaired in any way. Getting a chance to meet other people and putting a face with the forum names was a pleasure. We talked boats, crabbing, equipment and where the good spots were in the summer. Some use trot lines, some collapsible traps, and even hand lining to catch crabs. There were displays on what to use for crabbing and also how some of the crabbers steam them . Quite of few of the crabbers using a trot line would use a snood tied onto their trot line. The snood was and extra piece of line that dropped about 6 inches and the crabs eating the bait from one of the snoods would hold on to the bait much longer as the line was being brought up to dip them. I got to see first hand how to tie them on and how they were used. Very informative! Members Polecat and RJ gave us an education! Sitting around and talking shop the snow kept coming down and sometimes it sleeted. It was about 5 o'clock when Mike and I decided to leave. Brushing the snow from the car (about 5 or 6 inches) we headed for home. We got much more snow then was predicted and was glad it was snow and not the freezing rain. Dropping off my friend Mike, I made it home before the snow stopped and the freezing rain began. Some of the roads were slippery and you just had to slow down and take your time, which I did! Being out with a bunch of like minded friends even with the snow coming down made for a good afternoon. I am glad I went! Ha! What's a little snow when you can have this kind of fun!

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Being In The Baltimore City Fire Department And The 1968 Riots

2007-02-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Back in April 1968 when the Riots hit Baltimore City, I was in the midst of it all. It is something I will never forget! I spent most of 4 nights and 4 days fighting fires. I was located on Caroline and Gough Sts. which housed Engine Co. #34 and Hose Co. # 5. I was in Hose Co. #5 which had 3 monitor pipes mounted on the engine and carried hose up to 3" in diameter. The 3" hose would put out much more water than the 2 1/2" hose carried on regular engine cos. when needed. The Hose Cos. came about after the great fire of Baltimore in 1904. The city installed an underground water system with a high pressure pumping station. All around the downtown area there are underground portable hydrant connections. The hose cos. carried portable hydrants which could be hooked up to these underground connections. You could connect up to 4 hoses to these portable hydrants and the high pressure pumping station would add the pressure and water. This added so much more water for any Engine Co. that needed it to fight any major fire. If you are downtown and look for what looks like an large iron sewer hole cover, and it has many tiny stars on it, that is where the underground hydrant connections are. They are still there!

Just after Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis Tennessee, The Fire Dept. was alerted that a riot would be going down, but did not know when. We fire fighters were on call at home and were to report back to work when word was sent down. This went on for some time and you just never knew when you would be called or you might be on duty when it happened.

I was working day work on a Saturday, and at the end of my shift went home. I was home less than an hour when I received the call to come back to work ASAP, the riots and fires have started. I remember driving back, and as I approached the inner city intersections, there were mobs of people on all corners. They were turning over cars and setting fire to them. I just never stopped and went through the intersections and kept going until I reached the Fire Station. I was lucky that I got through!

The station was empty as both 34 engine and 5 hose were out fighting the many fires that arose. The only people there were a couple of us firefighters and a Captain that made it back in.
A couple of hours went by and we could hear what was going on through the radio intercom on our watch desk. At this point not many other fireman were getting into the station house. The city was closed off and the mobs wouldn't let anybody get through.

Engine 34 made it back to the station to get more men, as the city was afire and needed all of the help they could get. We piled on the back and out the door we went. As we were responding to a fire, the mobs where throwing rocks at us. Back then the engines didn't have rock shields cages or separate sitting compartments as they do now.

Every piece of equipment in the city and I believe some county Cos. were in use. There were so many fires that there wasn't enough companies to fight the fires as a unit. A normal alarm of fire had 4 engines and 2 truck cos. and a chief. We were lucky just to have another company with us. As time went on most fires would only have an engine co. pumping water on it to keep the rest of the surrounding buildings from catching on fire and destroying.

The fire we arrived on was in a large building and the Truck Co. were throwing ladders up to the 2nd floor windows. You could see the smoke escaping from the building and hear the crackling of fire. I had a hose over my shoulder and I was wearing my air mask with a air tank on my back. The hose wasn't charged with water yet, and that made it easier to carry it up the ladder. Smoke was pouring out of the window and I could hear and see the fire inside across the large room. The Truck Co. men were on the roof cutting holes to relieve the pressure. I gave the sign to charge the hose with water and the Pump Operator slowly opened the valve to give us water. I had the nozzle and our other men were right behind me on the ladder controlling the hose. As the water was hitting the fire, the black smoke was turning white and into steam. This was good! We climbed into the window and hit the fire and was driving it back and not having it curling above and around us. AT this the worst thing that could happen to any Fire Fighter would be to lose your water. It was your lifeline! You could put it on spray, if you lost your air mask, and would have air to breath being behind the spray while keeping the fire off you.

As we drove the fire back and making good headway, the smoke was subsiding and the fire was finally out. It is amazing how much fire you can put out with an 2 1/2" hose and some good men behind you helping to control the hose. It is very hard to have a charged 2 1/2" hose at the nozzle and to be able to move with it without help.

This fire was controlled and put out with 1 engine co. and 1 truck co. We also had a Deputy Chief with us. It is amazing what you can do when you don't have all of the other engine or truck cos. with you. At the time Baltimore City had the number 1 Fire Dept. in the USA. The training and schooling was copied by most other Fire Depts. in the US. They came to Baltimore to see how we trained. Baltimore City still is one of the top Fire Depts. around.

Just a point of information, just about all of the fires were set on the businesses of the city. Houses next to a business would catch on fire because there were not enough apparatus at the fire to put it out. We would then try and put out the fire of the private houses and the business would just have to burn.

We were out all night fighting the fires and getting exhausted. We got back to station house to be relieved with what men made it in. A couple hours of rest and we were back out fighting fires. There were reports of snipers and gun shots firing at us, and rock and bottle throwing was common.

It was daylight and I was out with my own company Hose Co. #5 with various people from other shifts that made it in. We were fighting fires that would normally call for 2 or more alarms and all we could do most of the time was use our monitor pipes from outside and flood the building to keep it from spreading to houses or other buildings etc.

Owners of some of the businesses would come out and bring us food and tell us to take whatever we needed as they would be fire bombed soon. This was true! We were on West Baltimore St. and would see the fire bombing going on and the store owners knew that they were next. We got a call to tell us that the National Guard was set up in our quarters and to get back when we could.

The rock and bottle throwing stopped as the people realize we were there to save their houses. What a relief that was. It wouldn't be anything unusual to have mobs of hundreds of people around us watching us trying to put out the fires.

We finally managed to get back to our home station after being out all night and part of the morning. When we got back, there were cots set up in the upstairs rooms and the National Guard were waiting for us. With some relief from other Fire Fighters I got a chance to get some needed shut eye. As tired as I was, I couldn't seem to fall asleep right away. Later on getting up with some rest, my appetite was apparent. There was plenty of food brought in and what the merchants gave us before being Fire Bombed we ate pretty well.

# 5 Hose came back in so it was time to go out again. With the little bit of rest I got and a good meal in my belly out the door we went. This time the National Guard was riding in our hose bed with their rifles for our protection.

Headquarters sent us to Central Ave and Lombard St. which was close by. They told us that there were several buildings fully involved in fire which are located on Lombard St. the heart of the Jewish district. This area is just east of Little Italy and is the Corned beef Row of the City. One of my favorite places to eat!

When we arrived at the intersection, one of the Battalion Chiefs and other apparatus (Fire Engines and Fire Truck) were parked around the corner. Police were everywhere at that intersection. The places that were on fire were still burning and no Companies were in there fighting the fires. We soon found out why! Just to the Northwest of Lombard St. were the ghetto High Rises. It seems that some of the rioters were taking target practice at any Police or Fire Fighter that tried to come into the area to put out the fires. So the business just burned.

Frantic calls to headquarters by citizens to report that no one was trying to put out the fires caused headquarters to keep calling us to go in and put out the fires. The response back to headquarters was that snipers were firing on us. Not being on the seen, headquarters had no clue at the time what was going on.

All of us including the Police were behind walls or some kind of protection so we wouldn't be shot at. The Police were in contact with their headquarters and were told that their men were swarming the High Rises in search of the snipers. In the meantime our headquarters are still telling us to go to the fires and do what we could. Our Battalion Chief had just about enough of headquarters trying to put us in harms way. I will never forget what he said to headquarters.
"When I see the Police walking up that street and not hiding under the cars and not being shot at I will take our men in to fight the fires." This Battalion Chief later became Chief of the Fire Dept. ! He was a Fire Fighters Chief whom I knew well when he was a Capt. in my Battalion.

The Police did clear out the High Rises and we all got to go in and control the fires. Yes, there was some serious damage to a few of them, but no one was hurt or killed.

As time went on, we all were tired and weary! At this point It didn't matter where we were sent we just went into the building and put out the fires as best as we could. Looking back we Fire Fighters did a lot of good and save many places from burning down and saved many houses.

After 4 days and nights the word got out that the riots were being called off. I remember cars driving around with megaphones calling for an end. Eventually it did stop! The riots were planned and now it was over. Thank Goodness! We all were tired and weary and relieved to have it ended. Later on talking to people that lived in the different neighborhoods, they were hurt by the riots as much as anyone. Some of their houses were badly damaged, the stores where they shopped were burnt out, so it affected everyone in the city where it took place. In all of these year, the riots are one thing I will never forget!

Being home felt good, but I was seriously on edge and couldn't come down, my nerves were on edge. I grabbed my fishing gear and headed up to the Susquehanna River and by the end of the day I was finally relaxed.

Who said fishing wasn't good for you!!!!!

Things You May Not Know About Me Or Care To

2007-01-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

In no particular order:

My roots are in Canton and Highlandtown!

The first part of my life, my parents owned a bar and restaurant in Canton. Yep, in my early years I grew up in a bar! Actually it wasn't a bad place to grow up in. The regular patrons always treated me great. The bar was open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. That's a lot of hours! Being open that early in the morining it would get very crowed, as the shift workers from Standard Oil were getting off work early and filled up the place. My father was a part owner in 2 other bars in the Canton and the Highlandtown area. I learned to count on the Juke Box!

As I got older, I would carry groceries home for patrons of grocery stores in the area. Yep, I was self-employed and an entrepreneur at a very early age. This was always something I did on a Saturday to earn extra spending money beyond my allowance. The tips added up fast! You always needed a new water pistol to keep up with the water pistol fights in the hood!

We had a summer home on the water that was in my family since about 1920. My great grandfather had a large truck farm and raised horses there back then. I lived there every summer and was fishing and crabbing every day. On weekends family and friends would come down the shore (as we would call it) and have fresh caught crabs. We kept them in large live boxes and dipped them out as we needed them. Of course, you had to catch them first to put them in there. That was one of my favorite jobs! We always had fresh soft shell crabs. We kept peelers (hard crab turning into soft crab) in small boxes in the water and when they got soft, we got them out and in the fridge before they got hard again. I still love fishing and crabbing and being on the water!

I have one of the original bedroom sets that I use to sleep in when I was a kid at the shore. It is a matching ornate Victorian Walnut 3 piece set with marble tops and a high back bed. It predates the shore as it was bought during the 1870's and descended through the family.

I worked for a major oil company in downtown Baltimore. I would take a bus to work and home everyday. It was easy to do as they did run on time. I was in their accounts payable office, then moved up to an office where we closed the books every month. At the end of the month I worked a lot of overtime.

I had a couple of cousins that lived on O'Donnell St. between Linwood Ave and Curley St. At the same location as where one of the upscale bars is now located. It is in the 2900 block on the north side even numbers. It had a storefront but, no store and rented to my cousins as a house. They would tell me about the Ghost or Ghosts that were in that place. They would hear them walking around and opening and closing doors. There were stairs leading up to the second story from the back yard on the outside. Many a time they would hear the footsteps of a Ghost coming up those steps and there would be nobody there. Even when it snowed and heard the footsteps coming up, there were no prints. They just lived with it, as it didn't do anyone any harm.

I became a Fire Fighter for the Baltimore City Fire Dept. I loved the Fire Dept. While there I would have side jobs painting houses and sometimes doing lawns. I didn't like doing the lawns, maybe that is why I have someone do my lawn today! Being in the Fire Dept. you had lots of free time to work a second job or go fishing and crabbing. Which I did! While in the Dept. I started a Furniture restoration and paint stripping business. I worked for the Fire Dept. and my furniture restoration business for about 4 years at the same time, putting in 80 + hours some weeks. I left the Fire Dept. and continue to this day, doing furniture refinishing and paint removal.

I like doing research! I have researched my family genealogy and still enjoy doing it.

I have been a collector of antique and collectible glass for over 30 years. I have some of my glass on loan in some of the major glass museums on display. I at one time would give talks on glass to the different glass clubs in the mid Atlantic States. I don't anymore! I do research on glass and have a very large library of glass books. I have written articles on glass and was an advisor for other glass books.

I like E Bay and have been buying and selling since the mid 90's not just glass but, lots of other things.

As a young teen, a bunch of us boys would go skinny dipping in a fresh water pond located in the middle of the train yards in Canton near S. Clinton St. It was located where the Harbor Tunnel is now.

Patterson Park was our best play ground. We played softball, hardball, curbball, stickball and basketball there after school during the summer and winter. Swimming in the summer and on occasion tennis. We skate boarded (home made) down the hills near the Pagoda and sledding during the winter. My mothers cousin was the supervisor of Patterson Park and lived in that neat old house that now houses the "Friends Of Patterson Park" Off Patterson Park Ave. and Lombard St.

During the hot swelter summer nights people would bring blankets and pillows to sleep in the park to escape the heat. Me and my brother included!

I am a supporter of the "Friends Of Patterson Park" and they are certainly doing a great job of creating enjoyment for the people who use the park.

At age 14 I worked part time after school in a store called "The Candy Kitchen" The owners were our neighbors and friends of the family. I made 60 cents an hour and all of the food and chocolate I wanted to eat. My job was to melt large hunks of milk chocolate in a large copper bowl. The chocolate was then poured into molds of various shapes like the Easter Bunny, Chickens and any thing Easter. They had hundreds of those molds. The store was always packed with people during the season to buy these homemade milk chocolate bunnies etc. I never got my fill of chocolate and still eat it today. I love chocolate!

I had the privilege of shaking the hands of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson! They landed in a helicopter in Patterson Park in 1959. They got into a motorcade at the corner of Linwood Ave and Eastern Ave. Sitting in an open convertible I got the chance to approach them while the Secret Service was keeping a bigger crowd at bay. You know, the second mouse gets the cheese! They both shook my hand as the crowd surrounded the car. They couldn't move being surrounded and that gave me the chance to shake their hands.

I was at the very first Baltimore Orioles game at Memorial Stadium. It was in 1954 and I was in the right center field bleachers. Clint Courtney, our catcher won the game with a home run hit into the right center field bleachers. The ball tipped my hands as I reached up to catch it. Somebody that was in back of me has a real treasure!

Well, that's enough for now, try not to be too bored.

Now, Back To What Really Matters

2007-01-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Now that this football mess is over, it is time to get my thoughts back to what really matters, fishing. There are a couple of shows I want to attend in the next few weeks. One is the Eastern Sports and outdoor Show in Harrisburg Pa. It is too much to see in one day if you like hunting as well. Last year I couldn't attend. It snowed here and we had 27" of snow in our driveway during the show. It kept me busy at home. http://www.easternsportshow.com/app/...ignid=27177568The next show I want to attend is The Baltimore Boat Show. I am still kicking around the idea of getting another boat. I want to keep it under 20', easy to handle and trailer. I will just be kicking some tires at this time. http://www.baltimoreboatshow.com/I have the last of January and the first part of February covered. The weather here in Maryland has been very mild with temps in the upper 60's, but a cold front is moving in tomorrow. So far we have been having a very mild winter and that is fine with me.

Comcast Is Coming To My House Today

2007-01-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

This time it is a pleasurable visit, I hope. I just bought a new flat screen Sony Hi Def Television. It is a 46 inch LCD Bravia 1080 p. Comcast will be here between 1 and 5 p.m. to set it up and getting it running. The TV that the Sony is replacing is a 15 year old 32" RCA. It has been a great TV and I had added surround sound to it some years ago. I had the windows shaking with that system.

I figured a year or so ago that it would finally give up the ghost and I could get the new flat screen. Nope, it didn't. It still plays as good as it did when new. I will just use it in another room. I began looking and doing the research on the Hi Def's last year. One of the first things I decided was that it will be an LCD instead of a Plasma. I just prefer the LCD. The Plasma's have just as good a picture. I just didn't like the reflection of any light or back ground light showing up in the Plasma's front glass producing a glare. The LCD's don't have that reflection, because there is no glass covering the front screen like the Plasma's have.

I also chose to get the 1080 p definition so when they all change over to the higher 1080 p later, I will have it already. The 764 definition they all have now gives the same good quality picture as the 1080 p. When all the stations and most movies start having 1080 p I will be have it already. This does not mean that the DVD's that don't have 1080 p won't play well. It probably will be hard to discern the difference.

The only place around that had the 46 incher was Sam's Club. That is a good thing as they are usually less money than the other stores. The price of these flat screens of all kinds have come down considerably in the last 7 months. My good. I have been on line and to all the stores that sell them. Circuit City, Best Buy and the other stores didn't even offer a 46" screen in my model. I could get a 40" or 42" but not the 46" which I wanted. The 46" Sony fits perfectly in my large antique entertainment cabinet. The cabinet was made about 1840 and I converted it into an entertainment cabinet with out hurting the integrity this beautiful old antique.

I was almost going to get the TV just before Christmas, but held off. Good thing I did, it dropped down just over $200 in price after Jan 1st. Happy New Year to me! I hauled it home and my daughter Allison and I brought it in. That is when I called Comcast, and today was the soonest they could get here to set it up. I missed the playoff games this weekend, but it will be up and running for next weekend. Of course I will be at M&T Stadium for the Ravens/Colts game.

The Bass Pro Shop And Shopping With The Girls

2006-12-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

Having the day off yesterday, I didn't know what I was going to do with it. My daughter had been staying with us for Christmas and wanted to go shopping. Usually shopping with the women doesn't interest me. My wife asked me if I wanted to go with them and another friend. Before I could answer she said that they were going to the Arundel Mills Mall. The Bass Pro shop is located in the Mall, and I haven't been there since early summer. So now I am the driver for the 3 women and we were setting up boundries of time and where to meet. No problem, I parked in front of Bass Pro and we used that as and entrance and exit. We had our phones, so communication wasn't a problem. They went their way and I trudged off to get some lunch.

After a little lunch, I was back in The Bass Pro Shop to do some checking out. I first checked out any new equipment in the Rod and Reel depts. They all still look the same to me. I am glad I don't need any new Rods or Reels.I checked out the Plano tackle boxes, as I need a couple of the slide in plastic boxes that goes in them. My box is the 759 model where the front opens and they have 2 slide out trays and 2 of the plastic slide out boxes that come all the way out. http://www.epinions.com/pr-Fishing_G...Tackle_Box_759 They take the slide out box # 7592 and Bass Pro didn't have any. They told me to contact Plano directly. If I remember, I went through this same senerio over a year ago. Talk about deja view! I then checked out the Seaguar Fluorocarbon Leader. Yep, it is still about $20 for 25 yards. I believe I still have enough for fishing this coming year. Something for me to check out later. http://www.anglerscenter.com/termina...er_seaguar.htm The next thing I wanted to check out was the Horny Toads by Zoom. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage-ZF.html They had a color that I haven't seen before. It was a green and white swirl that I will be trying out next year. Next to the Horny Toads was a display of Yum Buzz Frogs. They look the same as the Horny Toads except you get 6 to a pack instead of 5. The one thing that I noticed about the Yums is that they have a lot of salt and scent on them. They call that LPT meaning Live Prey Technology. It says on the package that it imitates what a real dying minnow smells like. I know I will be trying them next year. http://www.yumbaits.com/lures.cfm?d=...1%2F2%22&m=Yum The women checked in on me as they were going to get some lunch and wanted to know if I wanted to join them. I declined as I had lunch earlier. I stayed in Bass Pro to check out the boats. They had a nice Mako 17' center console with a 90 h.p. Mercury on it. It is surprising how big a 17' boat looks out of water. Nice rig, just about what I would be looking for when I am ready to get a boat. Something easy to trailer and 17 to 20 feet. That will be another adventure later on.I wondered through Bass Pro and look at just about everything to do with fishing. I had a good time and was getting tired of being on my feet. The girls then called and said they were done and we all left feeling good about getting out even if it was the day after Christmas. Now on to the New Year!
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Seasons Greetings

2006-12-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Tis the season!

History And Word Origins Fun Read

2006-12-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

I am sure that some of you have seen or heard about some these word origins before. It is always interesting to find out how these words and sayings came about.

These are quite interesting. There are plenty of things that our origins have come from these are just a few. Today's History Lesson - Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

"Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs.

"There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.

"Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave.

When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."And that's the truth...

Now, whoever said that History was boring ! ! !
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Last Week Was Black Friday And I Was

2006-12-01T07:23:00.000-05:00

One of the of the early birds waiting in line at 5:30 a.m. for a good buy on a new refrigerator. My wife and I were in line along with a bunch of other shoppers at the Sears Outlet on York Rd. in Timonium. My wife had the Sears ad stating that all Sears Kenmore products were 1/2 price and the first 25 people in line would get an additional $100 off. The doors were opened at 6 and we piled in and got our certificate for the extra $100.

The fridge we were going to replace was still working very well and we had it for 15 years with no problems. The new one would replace it and the old one will be used as an extra, as our other extra fridge bit the dust last month.

At the Sears outlet they had quite a few fridges to choose from. Many brands along with the Kenmore Sears brand were lined up from one end of the store to the other. Just about all of them had a cosmetic problem and we just kept looking for the kind we wanted. Minor dents would not do unless it was on the side or towards the back which would be hidden in the space under the kitchen cabinets. We wanted one with the automatic ice maker on the freezer door rather inside of the freezer at the top like our old one. Due to the freezer door being against the wall we couldn't pull the ice bin out unless we pulled the fridge all the way out so we could open the door all the way. The ice dispenser on the outside of the door was fine and when I need a lot of ice for a cooler, I kept putting a glass under it and dumping it into the cooler. It was a pain in the ass, but better than pulling the fridge all the way out to get at the bin.

We had measured the place where the old fridge was, and were looking for one that would fit. No luck there, all the new ones were taller. Oh Oh, that could be a problem. I went back home and remeasured to make sure and came back with the exact measurements. I was right the first time. I had checked out the cabinet above the fridge and decided I would have to move the cabinet up about 3 inches. It could be done with a little work and it wouldn't hurt the integrity of the cabinet.

We finally found what we wanted and the goodies that came with it. Sure is a big difference from the older fridges of 15 years ago. It was a Kenmore Elite 2 door with the ice maker and dispenser in the door. Everything is electronic with plenty of little buttons to do what you want it to do. It didn't have any dents at all on it and just 2 tiny scratches which could be touched up with paint. At half price and the extra $100 bucks taken off the price, it was an excellent buy. My wife and I are good buyers and will do our homework on any large purchase before buying. We usually know a good deal when we see it.

On Monday a friend and I removed the kitchen cabinet from its space over the old fridge, cut enough off to accommodate the new fridge. It was surprisingly easy, it just took time. When the job was finished you couldn't tell that the cabinet was moved. I then made arrangements for the Sears crew to deliver the new fridge and move the old one to my laundry room where the old one used to be.

They delivered on Wednesday at 7 a.m. , moved the old fridge and was off to their next delivery. The new fridge being on easy move wheels was a dream to move about. The only thing left for me to do was connect the old water supply. With a part that cost $1.44 at lowes I had that done in no time.

We love the new Kenmore and hope to have it at least another 15 years. I will say this much about Sears. All the people we came in contact with at the store were just delightful to deal with. Very helpful and cheerful they made shopping a pleasure. The 2 men that delivered were just as nice and they sure knew what they were doing. Kudos to Sears! I just wanted to give some praise where it is due. You hear about the bad things that happen when shopping and not the good experiences.

Black Friday for us was not so bad!

Nashville And Other Experiences "The Trip"

2006-11-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

My friend Mike and I did get a good start at 4:30 a.m. for our trip to Nashville to see the Ravens and the Titans play. By the time it was good daylight we were on Rte. 68 in the far western part of Garrett County Maryland. It was nice to see a good sunrise even if it came up in back of us as we headed West. Our first stop was in Fairmont West Virginia for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Wow, they give you more food then 2 people can eat, but I managed to lick the plate. Yeah, you can lick your plate if no one is looking, or you will never see these people again, so what is the difference. We were heading south to the area where the notorious feud between the families of the Hatfield and McCoys lived and died. The feud started between the 2 families around the time of the Civil War. The feud ended many years ago and they even have reunions of the 2 families. Mike's Grandfather was a McCoy and decended from the family, he has always wanted to go to area where they lived and died.

Continuing south in W.Va. We were in awe of the Mountains and the colors that were still about on the trees. We made it to the town of Williamson which is in W. Va. and a place where a lot of the Hatfield/McCoys were located. Kentucky was on the other side of the Tug Fork river that separated the 2 states. The Hatfields and McCoys lived on both sides of the Tug Fork river with the Hatfields mainly in W.Va. and the McCoys in Kentucky. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield-McCoy_feud

Getting off the main roads we got an eyefull of what rural country was really like. Jeff Foxworthy sure knew what he was joking about with the Redneck Jokes. We saw more abandoned trucks and household appliances in front years with the grass growing up and around them. We went into Kentucky and stopped in a few small towns for information. I must mention here that all of the people we talked to were friendly and helpful as can be. We stopped at a large general that sold souveniers of the Hatfield and McCoys. Mike bought a couple of shirts with the Hatfield/McCoys name on them, one of them for his brother.

The store had just about anything you needed and it carried items you have never seen as it was located out in the sticks. Mike had to take a whizz and they directed him through a door which when he entered were other doors. He didn't know what door the restroom was in, so he started to open them. The one door had a guy in the room by himself filled with smoke and he was playing some kind of Slot machine. He closed that very quick like and he told me he found the right door and led him out in back of the building. They had an out house out back with regular toilets and running water.

We hit the road as we had about a 5 hour drive to get to LaFollette Tennessee to see my son Frank http://www.airwave64.blogspot.com/ who was working late at the Radio Station that evening. We got into town just before dark and met Frank at the station. We planned on the time to leave the next morning to head to Nashville. Mike and I were hungry and Frank recomended the small family owned Italian Restaurant where he goes for Pizza and anything else Italian. Mike and I got the Pizza and it was one of the best we ever had.

The next morning we were to meet up with the other Mike at the Cracker Barrel just outside of town. Mike's girlfriend was driving him over to meet us while my friend Mike and I went in to fill our gut up with more food. The manager came over to our table to pour us more coffee and asked if everything was ok and told us we didn't have lick the plates as they had a dishwasher. Frank waited for him on the porch rocking in those big Rocking Chairs while a big storm came through the area. Frank had already had breakfast so he watched the storm while rocking away. Little Mike arrived with his girfriend and we said our good byes and we got into our cars and hit the road to Nashville about 3 hours away.

We arrived safely in Nashville and drove to the Hilton where we were staying. We have stayed at this Hilton before and is one of the best rated hotels in Nashville. The rooms are all suites and is just a 15 minute walk to the Stadium where we were going to see the Ravens and Titans play each other the next day. Nashville was loaded with Raven fans and all the hotels were booked in town. I had made the reservations in June and got 2 rooms. The hotel has one of the best watering holes in town. We met people we knew from Baltimore and the place was loaded with Raven fans. Having a bit of lunch and drinks we walked around town as we usually do when in Nashville. Later in the Evening we went down to the bar to get something to eat and we couldn't even get near the bar for a seat. They had a waiting list for tables so we just had some brews and stood around talking.

The next morning we ate breakfast in the Hilton at their buffet. It was good! We headed over the bridge to LP Field to try and hook up with Nasty Nestor http://www.wnst.net/index.htm Bobby Nyk http://www.bobbynyk.com/ and the rest of the Ravens that were meeting there.

At this time I have to mention that Frank and Little Mike are dyed in the wool Titan fans and Big Mike and I are of course, Raven fans. Last year the Titans beat our Ravens and it was not a pretty game. The Ravens just stunk and was not a fun game for the Ravens fans. This game I am now talking about happened a couple of weeks ago, you know who won. This is the game where Steve McNair returned to Nashville for the first time since leaving. He go a very warm welcome from everyone there. The Titans were beating us during the whole first half, Frank and Little Mike were elated. I told Frank that the Ravens are a team that comes back toward the end. The Ravens did come back and won the game in the last few seconds. Air McNair knows how to come back and win for a team. Needless to say that the crowd was stunned! Frank and little Mike were not happy campers. I almost felt sorry for them, but that soon passed in about 1 second. I must admit that the Titan fans are some of the nicest you will come across. They told us congrats and welcome to Nashville and hope we were having a good time. Now that's good ole southern hospitality. I will take it anytime. Thanks Titan fans!

To be continued later.

Off To Nashville To See The Ravens And Titans

2006-11-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

I am leaving tomorrow morning and driving to Nashville. My friend Mike and I will be meeting up with my son Frank and his friend Mike. That's two Franks and two Mikes. Sounds like a deli order doesn't it! This is the first time I have driven to Nashville in about 5 or 6 years. Normally I would fly down and back. Monday, the day after we beat up on the Titans, Mike and I will be head for ports unknown. We are going to be driving around for the next 6 days with no special plans other than just go and stop at any interesting place we want to. Our wives told us both to go and have a good time.

I do know our first stop will be in Lynchburg Tenn. at the Jack Daniels Distillery. It is only an hours drive from Nashville. We might head down to Florida where we have friends that would like to see us. We don't really have to be home in 6 days, but I want to be home in time to see our Ravens play the Atlanta Falcons. If we decide to go to Florida, I want to check out some Condos in the Vero Beach area. I wouldn't mind having a winter place to go to during our cold months.

Savannah Georgia and Charleston S.C. have always been places we like to visit. Charleston also is a place I could spend the winter months. One place on the way home we are going to stop is the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk Va. Across the way into Hampton Va. is the Hampton National Cemetery where my Great Great Grandfather is buried. He was wounded in the second battle of Fair Oaks in Virginia in 1864. He died 20 days later at the Hospital at Fortress Monroe and buried nearby in the Hampton National Cemetery. While doing the genealogy of my family I could not find where he was buried until recently. He joined the 5th Maryland Infantry Regiment Co. K in Baltimore and was a sergeant when he was shot. After visiting there we will probably leave for home.

My friend Mike is descended from the McCoys of the Hatfields and McCoy battles. I believe we will stop at Williamson West Va and Pikeville Kentucky the area and Museum for the Hatfields and McCoys. From there It will be off to Tennessee and the next morning arriving at Nashville.

It is getting near the time for me to hit the hay and be off at 4 a.m.

Later Dudes and Dudettes.

Watch The Wild Animals Live, From Africa

2006-09-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

National Geographic has a wild live cam at a place called Pete's Pond in Botswana Africa. It is a watering hole during the dry season and all of the animals come to drink. It is one of the most fascinating site you will find. It is on 24/7 and also fun to watch the elephants and other animals night or day.

If you check out the site, they have a list of what wild things will appear at some time or another. You can hear them and then see them. They will get into the pond to play and wash or just come down for a drink of water. Warning, you might not be able to stop watching.

You can click on the screen to make in larger in another window. I keep it on for hours and just keep it in the background till I hear something going on, or just check on it once in awhile.

It usually starts in August when the dry season is upon the area and runs through Nov. when the rainy season begins. The Warthogs are interesting to watch as is everything that shows up.

Clicking on the National Geographic site will fill you in on how it all came about and what to look for. Humans actually are there to move and focus the camera. Just because it is night, don't let that stop you from watching as you can still see what is going on. They are 7 hours ahead of our time. Oh yeah, there is a crocodile in the pond that can cause some havoc when it makes an appearance. Enjoy!

http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamafrica/index.html

E Bay The Baltimore Ravens The Tennessee Titans And Nashville

2006-09-08T08:01:00.000-04:00

Every year I meet my son Frank (left of the dial) in Nashville to see the Tennessee Titans play the Baltimore Ravens. When the Ravens are not playing the Titans, we still hook up to see the Titans play whomever. We plan this visit when the Ravens are not playing at home so we can watch The Ravens play on TV so I don't miss their away game.

Frank will get us 4 tickets through his Radio Station so we are all set for the game. This year I needed 2 extra tickets to the game as it will be 6 of us going to the game. The game will be played at LP Stadium in Nashville on Nov 13th. My brother and nephew will fly to Nashville, while my friend Mike and I will drive to meet Frank and his friend. Mike and I usually fly to Nashville, but this year we are driving. We decided to drive and take about a 10 day vacation after the game. We have no plans of where we want to go when we leave Nashville on Monday the day after the game. This is one of those just get in and go vacations. The kind with no schedule or time frame. Our wives told us to have a good time.

This is where E Bay comes in handy. I bid and got 2 more tickets to the game and they are very close to where the other 4 tickets Frank has. Getting them early was a good idea as I got them for face value and the only difference was the postage. That doesn't happen often!

Nashville is one of my favorite cities to visit. We will pickup my brother and nephew at the airport sometime in the early a.m. on Saturday and go to the Downtown Hilton to check our luggage till we can get into our rooms. The Hilton is one of the best hotels and about a 15 minute walk to LP Stadium. Eddie George has one of the best bars in town at the Hilton and we spend a bit of time there as does lots of other Ravens and Titans fans.

One of our first stops is at tootsies the honky tonk bar thats famous for quite a few country and western stars getting their start there. Sometimes they drop in and mix with the crowd. They always have someone singing and playing even at 10 a.m when we get there for our first beer.

Sometime during the weekend we always seem to meet people we know that came to see the game. The Ravens have a good showing anytime we play the Titans and we all wear the purple wherever we go. My son Frank and his friend Mike, yes there will be 2 Franks and 2 Mikes there, are Titan fans. We have some fun with each other during the game teasing about plays or who wins which we usually do. Except for last year when the Ravens played so poorly and lost. This year we will win and it will be fun to win with Steve McNair, Derrick Mason and Samuri Rolle former Titans. Ha Ha!!

It will be a weekend of drinking, eating and good football. The main thing, and this is what it is all about, is being with Frank and having a good time.

Damn, They Can Jump Too Far Sometimes

2006-09-07T07:56:00.000-04:00

Recently one of our large Goldfish jumped out of our little pond. My wife found its body out on the grass where it died. We only have one large goldfish left in the pond with a school of freshwater Shiners that are getting larger. The Shiners are the same ones you buy and use for bait to catch Pike and Bass or any other game fish.

The Goldfish that we lost was a tiny little thing when we put him or her in the pond. So, it has been a family member for several years. Larger Goldfish like any Carp like to jump. We have seen this many times, but it never jumped out of the pond. We were saddened to find it dead.

The Shiners were put into the pond by me a couple of years ago. It was only 2 of them and they were small. I thought they would be a good addition as the pond had plenty of room for them. Now there is a school of them. Damn things reproduced! We feed all of our fish Cheerios cereal, not the expensive fish food from the stores. They love the Cheerios and it's good for them.

The Cottage

2006-08-31T20:49:00.000-04:00

I haven't written anything about the progress of our Summer Cottage since Feb. 25th. We have been busy getting it into a livable condition since we gutted it. The electrical work was completed a few weeks ago and now we have lights and receptacles for our power tools. We did get 200 amp service and all of the wiring, etc. is new. As each faze of the work was being done the County Inspector approved of the work and he came out in a good timely manner. Then the final inspection was approved after all the work was done. Hooray!!!

The plumbing is now being installed. We have a new bathroom with tub and shower. My wife did an excellent job putting in a marble floor, it looks good. We are going to put in a toilet that only flushes about a pint of water. It is made for Cottages and Recreation Vehicles. The underground tank will serve us well with that toilet using such little bit of water.

The original sliding front doors have been stripped of the paint as have all of the windows and back door. We have the dining Room Set that I painted in place along with a sofa and other comfortable chairs. We installed 3 overhead fans to move the air. Two inside and one on the front porch. I bought a TV with an DVD player for when we want to chill. It has an inside antenna that sits on the TV and we get stations from Baltimore, Washington and York Pa. Not bad for that little antenna.

The Cottage is now quite livable and is a nice little get-away place to go to and chill. Some of the Oak trees that surround us are over 300 years old. There are over 50 acres surrounding us for our use. The acorns are dropping making a pleasant sound as they hit the ground.

The kitchen is being used now that the electric is in. It's nice to have hot food. We have owned this place less than a year and a lot of progress has been made. Maybe next year we will build an extra room and use it for another Bedroom and storage room. That can wait until we finish what needs to be done this year.

There are other Cottages there and we all get together for different activities. This Sunday the men will get together and have a Pancake Breakfast for everyone in the Cottages.

Like I have mentioned before, being there is like living back in the 1940's and 50's. It has that laid back feeling.

Tonight It's The Ravens Playing The New York Giants In Baltimore

2006-08-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

I am looking forward to seeing the Ravens/Giants game tonight. It is an exhibition game and the 1st game this year. Steve McNair will start at Quarterback probably for the first quarter only. It will be good to see if there is any fire on defense and how well the offense has come together. Maybe by the first regular game the two will have jelled and good things will happen this year.

I will be at the Cross St. Market having a few brews and getting something good to eat at Nick's Seafood. I am up for it. I hope to hook up with my daughter Allie and her good friend Nicole. My brother and my friend Mike will be with us. It will be a fun night.

Maybe see ya there!

Where I Wuz

2006-08-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

I have been away on vacation for 2 weeks getting back home on Wednesday. I was in Canada fishing on O' Sullivan Lake in a remote part of Quebec Providence. The location is about 200 miles above Ottawa. I have been going there for the last 5 or 6 years fishing for Northern Pike and Walleyes. Fishing was good and the weather was much more to my liking than back here in good ole Baltimore. While Baltimore was sweltering with temps reaching 103 degrees with the humidity to go with it, I was enjoying pleasant weather. On 3 occasion we had to turn the stove on to take the chill off the cabin. It was mostly sunny during the day with temps in the 70's and low 80's.

My largest Northern Pike on this trip was about 18 lbs with many more in the 8 to 15 lbs range. These toothy critters were well filled out and heavy. They have plenty of forage fish to feed on to get that way. My fishing partner and I are catch and release anglers, so all of the Pike we caught are back in the lake to grow and for others to have fun catching.

We also caught our share of Walleyes, which is one of the premier fish that fisherman are after. They are way more plentiful and are about one of the best tasting fish to be had. Though they are more plentiful than the Northern Pike they can be elusive to catch if they are not in the mood. Weather has something to do with that.

We stayed in one of the 10 cabins on this lake and is not much in the way of amenities. It does have a toilet and a hot and cold shower. The beds leave something to be desired in size, but are
are ok for the time we are there. The cabins have a full kitchen if you want to bring food with you. We had our 3 meals in the lodge and the food is plentiful and good. No skimping in this department. Actually they pack us our lunch and we eat it while out on some remote part of the lake.

It's an overnight drive to get to the Lake. We have the longest part of the drive the 1st day, stay in a motel then drive to the Lake the next morning. The last 75 miles to the lake is on an logging road and it takes about 3 hours for that 75 miles. We usually get to see some wildlife on the way into the lake. Bears, Moose, Deer, and Wildcats is what you get to see if you get lucky.

We always meet some of the same people in the cabins next to us every year at this same time, so it is like old home week when we get there. If you don't fish you better like to read, because it is not much else to do. At times we get out to pick fresh Blueberries. They are around in quite a few places on and off the trails. When they are growing wild they are actually Huckleberries and they look and taste the same as Blueberries. Nothing like Blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

You never know when you will run into some of the wild animals mentioned above, but they are there. The will avoid humans as much as possible.

We had a great trip again, but was glad to get back home safe and sound. Besides I missed all my bloggers friends.

Wow ! Was That A Surprise !

2006-07-03T18:10:00.000-04:00

The other night I ate some Pizza loaded with Pepperoni and Cheese and drank a few beers. It was good and I enjoyed it very much. The next morning (Saturday) I woke up my usual early time around 5 a.m. My mouth and throat was dry and I was thirsty. I went into the fridge and brought out a large container of pure Cranberry juice. Nothing like a good glass of juice to slake your dry thirst. I poured myself a glass of the juice and emptied it on one long swig. Something was wrong. Then I remembered that my wife had made up a large batch of Cosmopolitans and had used that container to store it. It wasn't just Cranberry juice anymore, it had about a half a bottle of Vodka and almost the same amount of Triple Sec in it. Talk about a sensation. My thirst disappeared and I was feeling good baby. Just to make sure I wouldn't get thirsty, I had a second glass. I then had my coffee. It was a great morning, I will have to do that again.

The BMW and a Rosary

2006-07-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

Last evening my wife, a female friend, and I were driving down Charles St. from the beltway when a BMW convertible went whipping by us. The guy driving pulled into the left lane where we were and stopped at the traffic light, we were directly behind him. Hanging from the rearview mirror on the Beemer was what looked like a glass bead necklace. Then we spotted a cross dangling on the end and sure enough it was a Rosary. We were saying, what the hell is that there for! Our friend quipped that the Rosary was a trophy for screwing a Nun. We couldn't stop laughing for the next 5 minutes as the BMW sped away. Anyway it was funny at the time.