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The Weather Pages

Guess what?? Tomorrow (or today, or yesterday, depending when your eyes fall on this) is the first day of spring!!  Meteorologically speaking.  Practically speaking, we still got snow on the ground and are expecting more (or a wintry mix, or rain) tomorrow.  Seems like it will never end.  And, I believe to further rub it in Daylight Savings Time starts next week..  Lions and lambs…

Living “on the water” as they say, always provides something interesting to see, whether it is bright sun illuminating the same three crafts that I somehow never tire of photographing

Or maybe a fresh sunrise when the oyster boats start arriving to work the beds

And spend most of the day in (lately) the icy waters harvesting the bivalves

Perhaps a subject for a future post, while in the “old days” they used hand tongs for gathering the oysters. But, most of what we see today are referred to as “patent tongers”, and described from one source: “the patent tong is similar to the metal part of hand tongs, but they are larger. They are hinged so that they open as they are lowered and close as they are lifted. They are attached to a cable instead of wooden handles. A motor aboard the boat raises and lowers them. The patent tongs allow the watermen to gather a larger amount of oysters in a shorter time.”

So they spend their long day dropping their clamshells down to the bottom, closing them, haul them up, dump on the sorting table, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat……

We often see them in groups

A hardy breed of people.  Hope the bay and oysters (and crabs) survive our assault on them.  That culture needs to remain..

The Food Pages (Can’t escape)

Well, I had no choice but to break my more or less solemn vow to never support chains when I can possibly avoid them.  And, the other night a board meeting of one of the civic associations I belong to held at

So I had no option but to go in.  Actually, to be brutally honest (as I sometimes am), I have had a morbid curiosity as to what the inside was like.  I had watched it rise from the ashes of its chain predecessor McDonalds at the same location.  I gather the process is that you come in the door, pay some fee, and then you are turned loose to consume as much as you wish, or can.  It seems to be larger inside than what you might expect from the outside.  The “food side” consists of more steam table stuff than you can possibly imagine (and this isn’t the whole lineup)

And, as you can see tables on the other side.  There is probably one of every kind of item you can imagine all grouped below clever signs denoting the type available in that section

And while I didn’t partake some did. 

With apologies to the owner of the plate it isn't very appetizing.  We were in a separate room, but I kept my eye open on the main space and noted people trooping up to the bar time after time.  Oh, and they don’t serve any type of alcohol, so our Board won’t be using them again.  So hopefully that will be the last time the Bottom Feeder steps foot inside this latest entry to the chain.  By the way, the place was quite full..  sigh..

More bites:

The new Popeye’s near us seems to be doing gangbuster business.  Don’t know if it is the newness factor or the food, but have seen their drive through line wrap around the building. Of course I never have sampled their fare (and won’t – despite that despicable commercial on TV begging me to try “her” shrimp… hunny).  A facebooker recently complained her fries were cold.  Awww, too bad.

Apparently the Jamaican place south of the base’s gate three will be leaving the old “Charlie’s Deli” location to occupy the spaces once used for Cerro Grande here in “the Park” behind the Belvedere – oops I mean Day’s Inn.

There’s something going on in San Souci, with rumors circulating that the strip of stores along the Coffee Quarter side (including Bollywood) will be vacated for a Burlington Coat Factory.

In Leonardtown, the old Winegardner used car show room near the corner of Hollywood Leonardtown Road and Rte 5 will become a Dunkin’ Donuts.   Guess it could be worse, but will mark the “chain” camel’s nose under the tent near the downtown. 

What we used to know as The Tides, will soon become Elements Eatery and Mixology, presided over by the former proprietor of Blue Wind Gourmet, which is now presided over by the former proprietor of DB McMillan’s. 

And finally, those of you/us that are pretty much driven to patronize “chain” grocery outlets (Shoppers, Giant, Food Lion, etc.) might enjoy an occasional jaunt to Prince Frederick and visit “Nick’s of Calvert”, sister to the one in Clinton.  They feature custom cut meats at very reasonable prices, and somehow, unlike St. Mary's, can sell beer, wine, and liquor, also at very reasonable prices, and have a great variety.   They have a large section devoted to (kind of) local beers from breweries like DuClaw, Raven, Heavy Seas, Mully’s, and others. They did not, however have the Gin I am seeking, Half Moon Orchard.  I have also found that the staff is very helpful and nice (are you finding everything?).  A nice place, too bad it (seems) so far away.  I think the Prince Frederick location is much nicer that the (yes, older) one by Waldorf.

So that’s it, enjoy your spring and please don’t forget to

DFD