At the Zoo

Looking at the birds.
Posing with an anteater.
Ella looks at her reflection in the bear cage.
Pandas!

What Daniel Does When He Comes To Visit

On The Way To Rock Hall

Baltimore Light

I think the thing I'm going to miss the most when we move is my view of Baltimore Light. I've come to think of it as MY lighthouse. I'll be able to see it as I drive across the bridge, but somehow, it's not the same as looking at it from my backyard!

The Blues Are Back In Town

In case you were wondering - fishing is dangerous when the fish have sharp teeth!
Bluefish come into the Bay when the water warms up. They're a lot of fun to catch because they put up such a fight.

They can bite through fishing lines, bait, and fingers if you're not careful. (Notice that Shawn does not hold them by the mouth like he does with rockfish!!)

They're good eating, so definitely worth the effort!

Fossils and Fishing

Taking a break from the race to our closing date, we took our friends Liz & Andy Clark down to Calvert Cliffs for a day of fishing and fossil hunting.

Andy grew up in Portland, and has done a lot of salmon fishing on the rivers out west. Liz is from upstate NY, and like me, up for an adventure.

We anchored the boat offshore and waded to the fossil beach. It's easy to find scallops and other pre-historic marine fossils at Calvert Cliffs, but sharks' teeth are the real prize. Shawn, who cut his teeth picking up arrowheads in East Tennessee, found a couple.





Shawn did a great job making sure everyone -- even me -- caught fish.

Crabbers

Kent Island

Okay - so we decided to buy the house across the Bay Bridge in Stevensville. The last couple weeks have been full of negotiations, inspections, and faxing forms to the bank. I don't know who was getting those "liar's loans" that brought Fannie Mae down, but it sure isn't us! We've had to prove everything several times over.

We're supposed to close on May 31. Keep your fingers crossed!

To get to know the new neighborhood, Shawn took Crockett exploring tonight. They fished a pond in an industrial park not too far from the new house. It looks like they're going to like life on the Eastern Shore!

Some Highlights from Creig's Visit

Creig came to visit this week. He was in D.C. for a conference -- one that I was invited to speak at -- and stayed for a long weekend.

As you can see from these pictures, I didn't see my brother-in-law very much. He and Shawn spent every waking moment on the boat. Catching big fish.

I think they both thought it was the perfect vacation!

Shawn's First Rockfish

From the archive: a picture of Shawn in 1970, holding what he said is his first rockfish ever!