Family Camp at MLR

Summer camp has always been magical for me. I started out at my all-time favorite camp Mar-Lu-Ridge in 1981 when I was just 9 years old. I went every June for seven summers to "Ark" camp during the first week of the season. I loved it. I loved it so much that I went back in 1991 as a counselor and stayed on through some pretty tough times for the camp until 1998 when I transferred from staff member to the board of directors. I did that for four years and ever since have given every bit of volunteer hours and charity dollars that I can conjure up. This summer they brought back Family Camp. I signed us up as soon as I could. It lived up to my expectations and the food and staff went way beyond them. What a magical time.

Scavenger Hunt! Cousin Ella just figured out a clue!

The famous beautiful view

the best staff on Earth

relaxing out front on the deck (Sylv is sporting my t-shirt from MLR circa 1983)

Miss Julia teaching Sylv to play "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (Sylv's shirt MLR circa 1982)

Grandma and the girls at "Shock Rock" at the Powerlines - that's the Middletown Valley below - absolutely beautiful - always

Potted Growth

I've never had much of a green thumb; however, I've always relished my memories of helping in the garden when I lived on my grandparents' farm. Earlier this spring, the girls convinced me to pick up a few plants at the market, so we are giving it all a go together. The girls water the plants most mornings while I'm at work, and already we're seeing some fruits of our labor.
This is some kind of pepper - not too hot, I'm sure. I'm a bit worried about him as there appears to be some mildew around the crook of the stem. We definitely can cut back on the watering, I think. These are some lovely roma tomatoes! Can't wait for them to mature!
The Gerber Daisies came from my lovely Daisy troop as a thank you gift - they are beautiful, just like my girls!And the basil . . . the girls looooove how this plant smells!

Brunswick's Skies

Inevitably, when you drive west on 340 between Jefferson and the Potomac bridge, you'll see some awesome weather in the skies around Brunswick. I know this area well, and a few weeks ago I just happened to have a camera . . .

Egg-citing Stuff!

Creepy Cloud

a few days ago this huge black cloud crept in . . .

Got an Ark?

That's G's mom - flooded in!

in front of G's parents' and aunt and uncle's houses

poor guy has new riverfront property

this is the new river on Lime Kiln Road

crazy fool on Harpers Ferry Road down close to Mills - she made it!

this is torrent coming out of the actual Frog Hollow - water is coming off the ridges from around off Chestnut Grove Road

G's dad doing his best to keep ahead of it

It hadn't been this high in the hollow in a long while.

Today the river and creek will rise, but all the branches in the hollow have gone down. We had lost power for most of last evening, but all was back on by about 8:15 p.m.

Spring on Canal Road

Fun with Fungi

The hunters return successful!

Those are mountain morels, ladies and gentlemen.
(in George's special mushroom bag that supposedly allows for the seeds to fall out and spread around as he continues to hunt . . . do mushrooms have seeds??)

Wash and rinse . . .

the only thing he cooks anymore . . .

Ready to soak overnight for some frying tomorrow night for dinner!

The Yellow Season

over yonder in WV

yup, Harpers Ferry from MD

Stacy and Marlin's house in Antietam proper

blooms on the turn in Antietam

our own yellow beauties

And guess what Miss SG found ~ the first mountain morel of the season ~ up by the wood pile ~ it seems too early for them, but it is the yellow season (forsythia then daffodils - now the pink tree blossoms are out and a few white ones too -- soon the tulips and redbuds will bloom - that's the good time for mushrooms) ~ The last two seasons have been horrible - very few and far between -- maybe this is a sign of a fun fungi harvest to be!

An Afternoon Up to the Ridge