Living in a rural area in the summer is a magical time. Gardens are in full bloom, and all over the countryside, local fruit and vegetable stands are busy, presenting fresh and just-picked produce used in our favorite summer recipes. They may be a formal market, a lean-to on the side of the road, or even just a small table at the end of a driveway (where payment is made on the honor system), but no matter where you find…
This week marks the 248th anniversary of the Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It’s a big day in our nation’s history. But it’s not the only significant event in our nation’s history that has happened on that day. If you’re really in the mood to celebrate (or somberly remember), here are some other things that also happened on that day (all of these events are listed on the history.com and Britannica.com websites, in case you’re wondering):…
Well, I hope all of you summer fans out there are happy. It’s not even July yet and we’ve already hit the mid-90’s on several days here in June, the corn is already rolling up from heat stress, and as usual, there’s hardly a drop of rain in sight. July and August haven’t even reared their ugly heads yet. It’s shaping up to be a brutal summer. Welcome to the new normal. This past week, the thermometer touched 95 degrees…
Early June means a lot of different things here in the four-state area. The kids are getting out of school for summer vacation, farmers are busy planting their corn crops, seasonal farmer’s market sales moving into high gear, and one other annual tradition gets kicked-off for the summer months. The local carnival. Every summer, each small town or municipality features a week where the carnival comes to town. It’s a cavalcade of food, arcade games, questionable rides, and musical entertainment…
While spending these longer evenings on the front porch, my wife and I routinely bounce business or invention ideas back and forth off of each other, trying to come up with that “million dollar” business idea. Sometimes we’re serious, sometimes it’s all in good fun (one of her great ideas was a cat food that was just canned broth, named “Auntie Leigh’s Happy Lappin’ Cat Gravy” – just the name alone was worth seeking a copyright, in my opinion). I…
Ahhh, climate change. You are really messing with my “four seasons” mojo. Not only have you pretty much eliminated any significant snowfall from my winter wonderland (we’ve barely even seen a trace the last few years), but now your summer heat is encroaching on my mild spring months. I’ve just gotten the screen door installed on the front porch and was starting to open the windows at night, savoring the cool breeze and fresh air to sleep in – and…
Yes, you read that right. After many years of absence, Hagerstown has finally rejoined the ranks of cities with a professional baseball team, which kicked off its inaugural season play on April 25th. A warm, Western Maryland welcome to the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars! The Boxcars play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), and independent league covering the Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the United States. The league has been around since 1998, and its play is considered on-par…
The changing spring weather means a lot of things each year. It’s time to get the garden going (my own is well on its way, with peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, onions, radishes, beets, lettuce, spinach and carrots all in and doing well), getting that first lawn mowing in the books, and setting up one of my favorite “rooms” of the house. The front porch. For those of you who may not know what I’m talking about, I cannot express the…
With the summer heat reaching record-breaking temperatures, wouldn’t it be nice to step out of the back of the house and take a refreshing dip in your very own swimming pool? It’s the dream of a lot of homeowners, right? Be careful what you wish for. I know quite a few friends who happen to have swimming pools in their backyards (both “above ground” and “in ground”), and to a man (or woman), whenever I pose the comment “it must…
The heat of summer has me longing for the shade of my front porch, where I can leisurely sit in the evenings with a good book or just watch the world go by. There’s also nothing better than sipping on a summer cocktail whilst I enjoy a good parch sit, but what to drink? I’ve seen plenty of videos and tik-toks on summer drink hacks that look fun, refreshing, and tasty. Here’s a sample of a few that you might…