Happy Birthday Shawn!

All dressed up and ready to go!

Maryland Fishing Challenge, 2007

Though we caught a LOT of fish this year, Daniel was the only person to catch a fish off our boat big enough to qualify for the grand prize drawing. Sadly, he didn't win the Toyota Tundra, the Tracker bass boat, or any of the other grand prizes. We did get him an excellent t-shirt!

Here, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley congratulates Maryland anglers on a successful fishing season.

Okay, so she's not Queen of the Chesapeake...

.... she IS the Princess of the Kent Island Yacht Club!

Moonlight Cruise

Shawn took me to my Supper Club tonight after we dropped the boys off at the airport. From there, he went down to Georgetown to grab a bite to eat and watch football while I had my girls night out.

He jumped on a harbor cruise on the spur of the moment. This is one of the pictures he sent from the deck of the boat.

The Old Bay String Band rides again

Last night at the Marlboro Hunt Club...

.... with a couple special guests from Knoxville!

In the Butterfly House

Thanks to Dr. Bob Seem for sending this picture he took at the open house to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY.

I was there for meetings on Friday and stayed over to attend the festivities this morning.

Mmmm.... rockfish!

Crockett on the bow

With the Sea Ray in the shop, Shawn has been using his little bass boat to go fishing. Crockett likes the view much better when he's closer to the water!

Tow Boat

When the boat overheated this afternoon on the way to the Bay Bridge, Shawn learned the hard way that the towing insurance we bought earlier this year was worth every penny!

Lazy Sunday in Montana

Shawn on the rim rock trail above Billings.

At the boothill cemetary above Billings.

The Zimmerman Trail above Billings.

Shawn on the rim.

Driving into a thunderstorm in the Big Sky.

The end of the fences.

Whistle stop in Comanche, Montana.

Prarie barn.

Wandering through Custer Country

Okay, so we never made it to the Custer National Battlefield Monument or Yellowstone National Park -- not enough time. After breakfast, Shawn had to go back to his conference, so the rest of us spent the day looking for adventure.
Jay & Gigi play with the kinetic sculpture outside Charles Ringer's gallery on the way to Red Lodge.
Jay and Gigi beside a stream in Red Lodge.
Driving up the Beartooth Pass....
... in the snow! The temperature fell from 65 in Billings to 55 in Red Lodge to 35 at the top of the pass!
We decided to turn around when we realized that we were driving through the clouds and we couldn't see anything except the falling snow.

At the Prarie Wind Cafe

Paige took us for breakfast at her favorite place - the Prarie Wind Cafe - in the tiny crossroads town of Molt. It was perfect -- good food...
... good music! Shawn can't resist sitting in with the local band to play a couple old-time country numbers....
... and good friends!! Paige and her daughter Virginia Lynne, affectionately known as Gigi.

Welcome to Billings

We're in Billings, Montana for four days. This time, it's Shawn who has the conference and me who's tagged along. It wasn't hard to convince me to make the trip - my old roommate Paige Darden and her family (watch this space for pictures) lives in Billings. Though I've made lots of noises about visiting during the nine years she's been here, I've never managed to do it. Until now!

This is the scene at the Billings Logan International Airport (not to be confused with the Boston Logan International Airport!) baggage claim tonight. I fell in love with this statute of a pinto pony, a mosaic entirely in - what else!?! - pinto beans!!

From the vault

Thanks to Uncle Bill for providing this little Miller family blast from the past! This gem is from January 1994.

You'd think after all this time I could come up with another way to wear my hair!

Monster crab cake

When the waitress said "softball size," she wasn't kidding!

The crabcakes at Solomons Pier are HUGE (and good)!

Sunset at Solomons

Fishing 'til dark off Solomons Island, where the Patuxent River empties into the Bay.

Rockfish Twins

AAAAAUUUGGGGHHHH!!!

These gnomes have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to smile about!!

Needless to say, it is not a happy Sunday morning in the Miller-Kimbro household....

Boys & Boats

Cory & Jacob flew up for Labor Day weekend. We haven't seen Jacob since Fourth of July, and Cory since the beginning of June, so it's good to have them here.

Compared to last year -- when Ernesto was roaring through the area and we lived without power for a day-and-a-half (check out the archives - Judy still hasn't come back, even though she keeps threatening...) -- the weather this holiday weekend is perfect.

So perfect that Shawn and the boys couldn't resist spending the day on the water chasing fish.

I wasn't there, but these are some of the highlights of their day.