The Chesapeake

Someone made the comment to me that it was weird that I live at the feet of the Rocky Mountains and that I write so much about the Chesapeake Bay, the Eastern Shore, and Florida.  They found it strange that I have a continued interest in places that I have lived, and where my ancestors had a very defined history.  I don't think that is weird, strange, or odd in any way...  I have memories of the area and places and people, and most of the memories are extremely pleasant.  I think that keeping up with the news about those areas - especially the health of the Chesapeake Bay - is important.  To me, the health of the Chesapeake represents the health of the entire east coast...  Anyway...
  Yesterday, the 53rd Annual Skipjack Race was held at Deal Island (in the Chesapeake).  The winner of yesterday's race was Captain Wade Murphy, and his boat the Rebecca T. Ruark.  This was Capt. Murphy's eleventh win.  Captain Arthur "Daddy Art" Daniels has had nine wins going back to 1965. Now 91 years old, Daniels raced again this year on board his skipjack, the City of Crisfield.  Skipjacks are the last sail-powered work boats in North America. Most are nearly a century old and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Used for dredging oysters, many skipjacks around the bay are now owned by nonprofit groups, but they still have dredge licenses and use them to harvest oysters as part of educational programs.

The skipjack Thomas Clyde participated in the Deal Island race yesterday

 

Lovey has been stuck to me like glue since I arrived home yesterday.  Nedi decided that he needed to nurse on my right arm three times during the night.  Nedi is out in the yard, hunting anything that moves this morning.  Lovey is sitting between me and the keyboard, which makes blogging an interesting event.  I have three more nights at home before I head out again - I'll be at Alexy's with Cloudy and Shady for a week, and then, while I'll eat and sleep at home with my kits, I'll be spending the daylight hours with Sasquatch and Tugger until October 4.  That will be an interesting 3 weeks.

   And I feel the need to salute the life of actor Michael Clarke Duncan.  He passed away this weekend, having never recovered from a heart attack he suffered in July.  He was only 54 years old.  No matter the role he played, I always felt an affinity for Mr. Duncan - and I truly loved him in the movie Armageddon.  I have to admit that I have never seen The Green Mile, for which he received an Oscar nomination.  Now I'll have to see it - as a final salute to a wonderful person, a wonderful man, and a wonderful actor.