Odd Fellows, Northern Necks, Dog & Oyster and Hope & Glory

Sometimes you can be too busy for a proper vacation and a long weekend is the next best medicine.  This past Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon served as a much needed respite from the day to day busyness in our lives. Deb created this get-away and all I need to do was pack and turn the car in accord with her direction.  It was wonderful.

As you might guess we didn’t travel terribly far, about 120 miles, to keep the driving to a modest amount of time.  Well at least that was the initial plan.  The drive consisted of as many back roads as Deb could find.  The few rolling hills and trees were a nice change to the acres and acres of corn and soybeans.  All was well, we arrived in Irvington, VA in a little over 2 hours.  We then headed back out to find some dinner in a nearby town.  That’s when things our driving schedule became three times longer for the day.  Getting out of the car in Kilmarnock I realized that my mini-backpack was missing.  This is the pack that my much needed insulin and blood sugar test meter calls home.  We quickly confirmed that I had, indeed, left this necessary medication at home.  Time for a road trip.


The trip back home was a little quicker and more direct, but still took over 2 hours, as did the return.  There may have even been a couple turns that were nearly taken on two wheels. The planned relaxing dinner was replaced with fast food on the go. We did manage to get back to the Hope & Glory B&B before 11, and all was well for the rest of the weekend.







The Hope & Glory Inn was a school in a former life and the main building makes use of the classrooms as guest rooms now.  There are also small cottages on the narrow and long property, all connected by a path through a gorgeous garden.  There are small signs in the garden with interesting quotes, which are also found along the few shops in the town.

Your very own outdoor shower!

Or bath!

I kept running into this beauty.

Speaking of the shops in Irvington, my favorite has to the gallery called Object run by Terri.  The variety and quality is simply astounding and reminded me of Carmen’s Gallery on Solomons.  There are paintings, sculpture and jewelry as well as some other odds and ends. There is a small row of shops including the Local, which is a very nice deli with an adjoining kind of souvenir/clothing store. I might have to show you my latest hat purchased from there.

You need to be careful while walking around as the bicyclists may sneak up on you.  There are quite a few beach cruisers from the nearby Tides Resort and possibly from the Inn as well.
Like southern Maryland the towns of the Northern Neck…  wait, why is this part of Virginia called the Northern Neck anyway? Google to the rescue..

The Northern Neck (NNK)  is the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Depending on which site you cite, the term Neck is either based on its specific shape or a more general sense of a ‘peninsula.’  By the way, three of the first five presidents hailed from The Northern Neck.

The three initial identification of NNK will be found on T shirts, hats, decals and other trinkets.  For me it makes a nice shorthand so let’s run with it.  As I said the NNK is a lot like SOMD.  There is a long history dating back to pre-colonization, and plenty of ties to the sea food industry and agriculture.  Along the waters of the river you can observe the “haves” and “have less.”  The stately homes of the wealthy contrast against the very modes dwellings away from the water views.  You won’t find friendlier people anywhere.  From the owners Peggy and Dudley of the Inn and their amazing staff, Terri at Objects or the random two guys that wave as you drive by the farm they are working you are bound to find easy conversation.




The conversation may regard the building a clothing shop in Kilmarnock.  After commenting on the beautiful woodwork, you find it dates back to the early 1900’s and was a “kit home” supplied by Sears & Roebuck!!!  It’s a stellar home!  There is a main stair case that has three sections and landings almost emulating a circular stair. It was gorgeous.  A separate stair was found in the rear of the home and it too was constructed of spectacular wood.

A Sears & Roebuck home!!!

Art work at the Front Porch coffee shop in Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock was a true town, while I might call Irvington an oversized hamlet. Kilmarnock welcomes you with flags and posters.  It’s a decidedly touristy town and I mean that in the nicest way possible. The posters are of decades old photos of local war heroes – how cool is that!  There are also some good eateries (like the Front Porch Coffee House), 2nd hand shops and art in the downtown section.  You are just a stone’s throw from WalMart, groceries and pharmacies.

I also took a photo of an old car while in Kilmarnock.  I didn’t recognize it, but could tell it was likely from the 50’s. Google to the rescue again.  What I had found is Kaiser Manhattan.






















A few other highlights of the trip included a short walk in a park, which was cut short by the nagging mosquitos.  The fact that there was a large marsh as part of the park was not noted before we started the hike through the tall pines.

There's that lovely woman again!

art on the tables at The Dog & Oyster

The winery in Irvington is rather small yet has an intriguing story behind it.  The Dog & Oyster vineyard was created by the same gentleman that originally opened the Hope & Glory.  The entrepreneur was an Ad Man, and overcame challenges in interesting ways.  For example, the town only allows very small signs, maybe 3 ft by 2 ft., and this would not be large enough to create any interest of people motoring by the small entrance.  A waiver from the town was requested.  The push was that the venture would be as successful as the Hope & Glory and would bring much needed revenue to the town.  The Town would not give in, largely because it feared other businesses would also ask for larger signs.  They didn’t want to set a precedent. The owner of the fledgling vineyard decided some art was in order.  He had two of the largest corkscrews in the world created.  Now visitors can clearly see the 40 ft tall sculptures from a long distance off!!!!  Another story is that to get the vineyard started you need some back-breaking digging to plant the vines.  This Ad Man took out a full page ad in the local paper offering the opportunity for anyone to pay $100 to take part in the initial plantings for the vineyard.  You would have a story to tell your family for generations.  It’s said that 800 people showed up! So instead of paying a working laborer, you are PAID by someone so they can labor.  This sounds like the Huck Finn getting his friends to pay to paint the fence!  The last tibit is that dogs (rescues) are in the vineyard and their presence and scent ward off the dear.  The dogs also get lots of treats that are available for the guests to hand out to the pups.

The next set of photos are exercises in using my newest purchase - a very bright, wide angle prime lens.  I'm hoping to get some shots of the milky way once the full moon relinquishes the night sky.

The photo above is of the Steamboat Museum.  It packs a lot of history in the modest sized building, and worth the visit.

On a walk one evening a deer came out to meet us.

He was a bit shy and kept some distance..and trotted into the road... where he STOPPED to play chicken. Fortunately there were no cars to play..

So he walked into the field, and only there did he start to run...  silly deer.

It's hard to get enough of the Northern Neck, where folks refer to "the Rivah" and the pace of life seems to slow to the drawl of their words.  A few more parting shots...



I had to look this up as well.  Odd Fellows is an organization dating back to the 1700's in England. This international organization is said to have over 600 thousand members interested in Friendship, Love and Truth.

The fountain as well as the water falling into the pool in the rear of the inn maintain a subtle soothing sound.

Breakfast, at least in the summer, is served on this lovely patio.































 The interior is equally stunning..








Some parting wisdom...

we all grow old...   but we're hanging in there.  ;)





















Eventually, you will reach the following point....

Treat everyone well, even when they're not like you....  give them the same space you would like...

And last but not least...

Till next time...

Peace,
Brian

Jellys, Bees and Blooms

This trek around the island took me west along Solomons Island Road, rather than my usual eastward circuit.  The stroll took me past the end of the River Walk, past the sole sandy beach where there are some catamarans stored or perhaps abandoned.  In an effort to participate in the latest FitBit craze, I walked on watching my steps increase. It wasn’t a very aerobic walk simply because there is always something to grab your attention.

For instance, on the River Walk a visor, like you might see on a golf course, was laying on the deck next to a water bottle.  My thought was that the couple tending to a toddler in a stroller had left the items there temporarily. Yet, on my way back they remained right where they were.  I can’t help but wonder if they are still there tonight.  So, if you have a Calcutta visor and a Lockheed Martin water bottle you might be just be able to go back and claim them.

The Crepe Mrytles are in bloom now.  There are many such trees in a variety of colors all around southern Maryland, and Solomons is no exception.  The pink blooms were on trees right in the parking lot along the water, as too was the white one.  The close up of the white flowers and unopened buds made me think of popcorn!

There were other flowers to note just past the trees.  The entrance to the beach as some vegetation before you reach the water.  There was a beautiful flower there.

The farm on the shore has often captured my gaze.  There are so many sight lines to admire here.  The view just past the beach along Solomons Island road provides a glimpse of the tops of the barns with the Thomas Johnson Bridge gracing the upper horizon while the field provides for a beautiful contrast of green foreground.

The trek up Woodburn Lane and then Calvert Street presents numerous quaint houses and just a hint of Back Creek.  These house sport some wonderful gardens with lots of color.

From there Zahniser’s Marina is a short walk up C Street.  If you want to see some amazing water craft, mostly sailboats you won’t be disappointed.  Based on my timing, it seems that their restaurant The Dry Dock opens at 10:00 am on Sunday mornings.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Dry Dock, but my guess is there must be a wonderful Brunch served as there was a line waiting to get in.

There are so many gorgeous yachts at the marina, yet there was something that surprised me a little.  The slanted masts of a wooden schooner stood in contrast to the aluminum poles on the majority of the craft. 

The schooner gets a bit lost in this photo, but right in the middle you can espy her if you look closely

It is always amazing to see just how large some of these vessels are.  The mast of one boat that was in dry dock stood out above the two shop and trees.

The moon trying hard to reflect a little light back to earth

Heading back to Solomons Island Road and walking further north west to the Calvert Marine Museum brought a new sight.. an ARK!  I’m not sure at all what the purpose of this structure, but it’s an interesting sight none the less.

At this point it was time to turn around.  On the way back a solo shoe and a can of Sprite were perched on stairs to a property.  How awesome was their evening?  We’re left to guess at the story behind these scene.

One last visit to the beach, this time walking on the beach.  It’s fun to imagine just what story the Cats hold.  Imagine, if you will, these creatures are grown from the ground.  They emerge from the grass nearly ready to sail.  Or perhaps this wild Prindle Cat is lurking in the tall grass ready to pounce on an unsuspecting soul, shanghaiing them into service as her captain.

The Prindle Cat ready to strike!

look!  a catamaran growing out of the ground!

There were some Trumpet Vines along the edge of the parking lot near the beach, and a big bee was climbing down into them, raiding them of their pollen.  After cropping and zooming in, you can see the yellow pollen on the legs of the bee.  Then the fast beating of the wings, making them nearly invisible to the camera, and she’s off to the next trumpet.

IF you look closely, you can see the pollen on the leg of the bee

The Jelly Fish are back now, and there were a few very near the edge of the river where it is bounded by a jetty.  It took some manipulation of the image, but I found these images captured them pretty well.

All in all, just another beautiful day on Solomons Island.  I hope I see you out there having your own adventure.

Peace,

Brian