Toddville Tidewaters

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May 08 Around Dorchester County
2008-05-08 03:22:00
Throughout the month of May:Birds to See Around Toddville and Blackwater: Songbird migration peaks during the beginning of the month with warblers being the most conspicuous. Bald eagles begin fledging by the end of the month and continuing into June. Deer give birth to their fawns and the first waterfowl broods appear.Normally, I follow the birds to see with a list of various events occuring throughout the month. After reading the fine print of the source for my listing, I have learned that nothing can be reprinted, in whole or in part. For this reason, only events sponsors email me will be posted in this section. For the month of May, there are quite a few flower shows, a vintage airplane show, and, of course, dinners and buffets that benefit our local volunteer fire departments. If you want to list an event for June, please email me with the details and I will include it in the next edition of Around Dorchester County .© 2008Mark DarienAll rights reservedPlease include this...

Apr 08 Around Dorchester County
2008-03-31 23:08:00
In case you have an itching to come visit Toddville and Dorchester County , here are some happenings around the area (taken primarily from the monthly, What’s Happening…In Dorchester County)Throughout the month of April:Birds to See Around Toddville and Blackwater: Ducks and geese begin their nesting and bobwhites, turkeys, and osprey begin nesting. Middle of April sees the return of the majority of the migrant shore birds. April to May is the peak shore bird migration time and late April into May is the peak song bird migration time with warblers being particularly abundant. Blue- and green-winged teal are passing through. Delmarva fox squirrels give birth and bald eagles hatch. 04 Apr, FridayFourth Annual Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Minnette Dick Hall, 2002 Hambrooks Blvd. Benefits the less fortunate of Cambridge. Adults - $9 Children 5 to 12 - $4 Children under 5 – free. Carryout available. Sponsored by St. Vincent De Paul Society.07 Apr...

In Search of the Elusive Stars of Toddville, Part III
2008-03-17 22:35:00
Saturday, we once again headed out in search of the wood duck (Aix sponsa). If you’ve read Part I and Part II of this series, there’s no sense in building excitement for Part III. No matter how many words I type, the climax will be the same as in the other stories – we saw none, on Saturday anyway.Saturday’s trip started out on a sad note. Coming down Maple Dam Road about a mile before hitting Shorty’s Wharf, a painted turtle had ventured onto the road to get to the other side. I saw it last minute and swerved to straddle it. Before I could safely stop so we could back up and try to save it, the car behind us splattered it.Yup, it’s that time of year again. The weather is warming up and the turtles are stirring out of hibernation. It’s also the time of year when Keith gets super pissed off at all the people down here blindly racing through the roads and running the turtles over.“If I were governor, I’d kick all these people out of here. This is a wildlife refuge. I...
More About: Stars , Search

Problems Getting Home
2008-03-07 22:22:00
Keith is an avid American Idol fan. He has been since season one when Kelly Clarkson won the honor. In season two, he swore he would never watch the show again if Ruben Studdard won. After judge Simon blasted a woman contestant about her weight, but consistently gave glowing praise to Studdard, he couldn’t stand the show.“Why doesn’t Simon say anything about Ruben’s weight?” Keith exclaimed. “I have to buy a new, wide screen TV just to fit his wide ass on the tube.”Ok, at this point I should say I don’t know why Keith isn’t writing this article. When he gets on a roll, he can speak things a hundred times better than I can write. I would never have thought of the above classic line on my own. He’s a comedic genius. If only he would learn to type so he can capture these moments.Needless to say, season three came along and the show had him glued to the set. It didn’t matter that he said, emphatically, that he would never watch the show again if Studdard won.He beg...
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In Search of the Elusive Stars of Toddville, Part II
2008-03-06 08:35:00
This past Sunday, Keith and I headed out in search of the wood duck (Aix sponsa). We are determined this year to see one. Supposedly, there are over a million birds in the Atlantic Flyway zone, so one would think we’d have no problem finding one of them.We headed out towards Le Compte Wildlife Management Area. We found one small pond and one manmade duck nest. No wood ducks. We drove through the whole area keeping our eyes peeled in the trees and on the water. We saw a couple of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and that was it in ducks. Over a million wood ducks and we can’t find one.Keith asked some people at work, who were born and raised on the Shore, if they ever saw a wood duck. Not one of the three or four people he asked ever saw one. We’re beginning to think the wood duck is a public relations ploy to lure bird watchers here, but the duck really doesn’t exist.The whole day wasn’t a total loss, though. We did see a barred owl (Strix varia) and six or seven female wi...
More About: Stars , Search , Part

HB 1345 Riles Us Up
2008-02-29 23:59:00
While I never really wanted to turn this blog into a political forum, something we saw on Maryland Public Television really riled us up last night. The station aired the proceedings going on in our State House yesterday, and the piece of legislation up for debate was HB 1345, a bill that would prevent same sex marriage and put the question to the voters of Maryland.Keith and I would never have had an idea that the legislation was even proposed much less debated. It's amazing what one can learn watching late night public television. Needless to say, I spent this afternoon filing off letters to my representatives, both who not only support the bill, but are also co-sponsors of it.Keith and I have always taken a lackadaisical attitude towards same sex marriage. If it were ever legalized, yes, we would get married. Even though everyone down here in the boondocks appears to support our relationship, we keep to ourselves and try not to make waves. We love the country life. We love the Ea...

In Search of the Elusive Stars of Toddville
2008-02-27 23:19:00
A very large and diverse wildlife population lives in the Toddville Tidewaters. In the year and a half we have lived here, we have seen more wildlife than either of us have seen in our entire life. A lot of that wildlife includes animals (and plants) we never knew existed in Maryland.In the plant line, we have saltmarsh fleabane (Pluchea odorata), swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus mosheutos), and our favorite, slender glasswort (Salicornia virginica). The glasswort is our favorite because all summer, you don’t see it. Its slender, green branches blend invisibly in the grass. When the cool weather of autumn sets in, though, it transforms into a scarlet red. The marshes appear to be dotted with colorful coral that somehow washed ashore.While we have always loved plants and are avid gardeners, the diverse animal life is what fascinates us the most. Keith always thought pictures of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were exaggerated to make them look bigger and prettier than they really are...
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Never Become a Car Salesman
2008-02-23 08:18:00
Times are tough. They’re even tougher down here in Toddville. Unless one is self-employed, Toddville residents can expect to travel a minimum of thirty miles, one way, to get to a job that pays wages slightly above minimum wage. If they are willing to travel forty to sixty miles, one way, they might fare better with a job at wages ten to fifteen years behind the wages offered by employers in major metro areas.Keith, for example, took a little over a four-dollar-an-hour pay cut to do the exact same job he did for sixteen years in Baltimore. His employer is a major health care supplier on Delmarva, but they pay pennies on the dollar to their employees compared to comparable health care companies in the Baltimore area on the Western Shore.Big companies aren’t stupid, I guess. They move into an economically depressed area and think, “Hey! Look how much money we can save in wages because these dumb rednecks will be happy for any sort of income!”Now, I know the first thought city-...
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The Shanty Shoppe Opens in Toddville - Sort Of
2008-02-01 00:32:00
There’s no hiding the facts. Toddville, and Dorchester County, is a poverty-stricken area. There is no real industry in Dorchester County, and what jobs are available barely pay above minimum wage.For those of us living in Toddville, that means driving a minimum of thirty miles to Cambridge, one way, every day to get to a job. With today’s gas prices, half the paycheck goes to getting to and from work. It’s not like we have public transportation down here.A good portion of the residents down here are either retired or their home is a summer home. Mr. Pritchett, down at Pritchett’s store, said back in the forties and fifties, there were about 800 families living here, all making their living off of the Bay. The Bay isn’t producing like it did in the good ol’ days so many children of the last generation or so have sold or abandoned the family home and moved to where the jobs are. The few watermen who hang in carrying on the family tradition of generations since the first s...
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A New Member to the Family
2007-12-04 20:35:00
Thistle is an old lady now. In human years, she’s around fifty-three. For the last couple of months, she’s been acting like a cranky old lady, too. She moped around the house and demanded our constant attention.She knows better than to try to get on the furniture, but she’d weasel her way up on the couch anyway. First, her front paws. Nudge a little closer and stare at you with those brown, hound dog eyes. It’s her way of saying, “Give me some attention, daggonnit!”Tell her to get down, and she’d nudge a little closer. There’s nothing left to do but scratch her behind the ears so you can watch TV uninterrupted. Then the one back leg is slowly lifted onto the couch.“Get down!”So the other leg gets up on the couch as she presses her head into your chest as if she’s lonely and just wants some love.Keith and I decided she needed a companion – another dog. A couple of Saturdays ago, we went to the Dorchester County Humane Society to find a canine companion for Thi...
More About: Family , The Family

Oct 07 Around Dorchester County
2007-10-03 03:39:00
In case you have an itching to come visit Toddville and Dorchester County , here are some happenings around the area (taken primarily from the monthly, What’s Happening…In Dorchester County)Editors note: I apologize for missing SeptemberThroughout the month of Sep:Birds to See Around Toddville and Blackwater: (Oct-Dec) Autumn colors peak. Blackbirds, the last of the songbird migrants, peak in October and November. Abundance of ducks and geese gradually increases. Peaks occur in late October or November. Tundra swans from Northwest Canada usually arrive in early November. Several hundred remain throughout the winter. White-tailed and sika deer breed from October to December. Bald eagle numbers increase with the arrival of migrants from the north. Golden eagles are occasionally seen during winter. Waterfowl numbers decrease. Some remain all winter, others move south or disperse throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. Prescribed burning of the marsh begins for regeneration of specific ...
More About: Chester

Aug 07 Around Dorchester County
2007-08-02 03:51:00
In case you have an itching to come visit Toddville and Dorchester County , here are some happenings around the area (taken, in part, from the monthly, What’s Happening…In Dorchester County)Throughout the month of Aug: Birds to See Around Toddville and Blackwater: Wading bird numbers are on the increase. Blue-winged teal arrive from the north on their southward migration. Bald eagle numbers are down as they disperse after the breeding season. Be forewarned! Expect large concentrations of mosquitoes and flies. Wear light clothing and bring the Deet.One Hour Walking Tour of High Street Every Saturday, 10:00 AM through Oct 27 (weather permitting). Cambridge. West End Citizens Association. Meet your colonial costumed guide in front of the Wallace Office Building, 301 Gay Street. Adults: $8.00 Children under 12 free if accompanied by an adult. Reservations are appreciated, but not necessary. Contact 410-901-1000 or weca@cambridgemd.org.Farmers Market Every Thursday, 3:30 PM – 6...
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Hazards of Driving Through the Marshlands
2007-07-27 06:40:00
One thing I hated about driving in the city of Baltimore was the hazards of too many people. Roads are crowded with drivers who got their license out of a Cracker Jack box and pedestrians crossing the road everywhere except in the crosswalk when and where they are supposed to cross.“Ahh, the country life!” I thought. “No people and quiet roads.”Almost.First, the locals down here don’t know what “Stay in your lane” means. Through all the twists and turns, they do their best to straighten out the road – at seventy miles per hour on a road best traveled at thirty. That I haven’t rounded a turn and into a head-on collision is nothing short of a miracle. (Of course, I now travel those same roads at seventy, but I do stay in my lane. That’s a hazard of becoming too familiar with a road. I need to slow down.)On the thirty-mile trip through the marshlands, I might meet one or two cars. During rush hour, I might meet as many as five. While the occasional time I round a sh...
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A White Buck and Turklets
2007-07-23 23:40:00
Yesterday held a wildlife surprise for us. Heading home down Buck town road, past the SPCA by a mile or two, were three whitetail deer grazing in the field. A young buck, probably his first year, sported a white coat with a brown splotch on his side. It is the first white deer either one of us have ever seen. Turns out, white deer aren’t uncommon, but a true albino is. Since the deer we saw had a definite brown splotch, it wasn’t a rare albino. Rare or not, it was our first and a special treat to see. It was as special as the black deer we saw last winter, although we’re sure he was a sika deer and not a whitetail.As we turned off of Bucktown Road onto Maple Dam Road, we spotted a female wild turkey running across the road. We slowed down to a stop as we watched her run across the drainage ditch, up the hill and into the cornfield. As she wandered through the first three rows of corn, what at first looked like a small quail flew out of the tall grass on the side of the ditch an...
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98 Rock Invited to Toddville
2007-06-06 16:38:00
When it comes to the radio, Toddville is severely limited. As someone who commutes to Baltimore daily, I figured it was time to get a Baltimore station on the dial to keep us commuters informed of what's going on in Baltimore so that we would know what to expect on our daily trip.It'd be nice if the two radio stations we do get would keep us informed, but, like most residents on the Eastern Shore, their philosophy is that the state is everything east of the Bridge. Anything west of the Bridge is international territory so is of no concern to anyone.98 Rock wasn't my first choice. It was my only choice. Mick and Amelia are a big city dude and dudette and are more interested in travelling to exotic places than to Maryland towns that don't even make it on the state map. Toddville isn't Iceland (their trip last year), but maybe they'll surprise us and at least get us a signal.In case any station managers from other radio stations are reading this, consider the letter below an...
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Daphne Makes a Return Visit
2007-05-04 03:38:00
Daphne, the tree frog who stuck her self to the outside of our house under our light, made a return visit. Last summer, she enjoyed an all you can eat buffet under our light every night. She would get so full, she’d fall asleep there and would periodically wake up to snatch another bug. She returned a couple of nights ago, but hasn’t been back since. The light, apparently, isn’t attracting enough bugs to keep her hanging around.© 2007Mark DarienAll rights reservedPlease include this copyright notice if you share this article
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Sika Deer Rescued
2007-04-12 04:38:00
Yesterday morning, on our way to work, we spotted a sika deer lying on the side of the road. She was alive, but not moving.We swung the car around to check her out. As we approached her, she struggled on wobbly legs to get up. I reached out to touch her and she slowly took a few steps to the woods and stopped. She was too weak to go any further.I scratched her behind the ears and she started to go to sleep, swaying back and forth on her wobbly legs. Except for a touch of blood around her eye that appeared to be from a scratch, she wasn’t bleeding. Her hind legs, though, were weak. We figured a car must’ve clipped her hindquarters and bruised her pretty badly. Fortunately, her legs weren’t broken.I gently nudged her towards the car. In her condition, we couldn’t leave her unattended on the side of the road. Our biggest fear was a car speeding through might hit her or, being helpless, dogs in the area might find her. She would be safer in our yard.(For our readers who may not ...
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Early Spring Snow Storm Whimpers Out
2007-04-08 02:48:00
This morning, we woke up to a light snow. The quarter inch is a far cry from the one to three inches forecasted. It ended by ten in the morning, but the rest of the day was mostly cloudy, windy, and the temperature didn’t make it to forty. The rest of our plants we dug up from our garden in Baltimore and didn’t finish planting yesterday are sitting in the yard waiting to be planted. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer, so maybe we’ll finish up.For the life of me, I can’t figure this out. Back in the winter, when it is supposed to snow, it rained. My thermometer registered 25 degrees, but it rained. Spring is here, my thermometer registered 38, and it snowed the whole time. The spring trees are in flower and the first leaves are unfurling, and it’s all covered in a quarter of an inch of snow.Go figure.I really need to make a list of the backwardness of Toddville. It rains in the winter, snows in the spring. Damp wood won’t burn, but marsh grasses dredged out of the ...
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The Critters Venture Out – Three Critters Rescued
2007-03-27 05:05:00
This weekend saw temperatures near seventy. The first hint of spring brought out all the animals. To Keith’s and my surprise, the frogs, snakes, and turtles emerged from their winter hiding. We thought for sure spring would have to settle in for a couple of weeks before these cold-blooded creatures would make their appearance.The warmest place to be for them is on the road. The heated blacktop must feel as cozy as an electric blanket to them. Unfortunately, the warmest place to be is also the most dangerous. The carnage littering the road attested to that fact. On out trip to Cambridge, we must’ve seen a couple of dozen dead snakes and turtles, splattered by drivers who mustn’t pay much attention to what is in the road and most likely driving way too fast to avoid the animals even if they did see them. The snakes, we’re sure, were purposely targeted for slaughter.Two times of the year are particularly depressing in Toddville: spring and fall. It’s heartbreaking en...
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Complaint Lodged Against H&R Block
2007-03-22 02:54:00
Mark and Keith of Toddville filed a formal complaint against H&R Block located in the Dorchester Square Shopping Center (next to the Walmart) today. They filed the complaint through H&R Block’s website.The complaint alleges that they were misled on what they would be charged to have their taxes prepared, but zeroes in on the rude treatment by the H&R Block representative, Ms. Juanita. They further claim that they have never felt so embarrassed and belittled by a business simply because they can't quote you a good figure” before rendering their services.H&R Block quickly responded to the complaint stating that they wish to have the district representative contact them to discuss the complaint. The email then provided a link to re-file the complaint since the original complaint didn’t make it clear which store treated them rudely. After clicking the link, Mark was directed to the complaint form he originally filed only fifteen minutes earlier.“Now this don’t make se...
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Close Encounters of the Strange Kind
2007-03-20 03:15:00
Editor’s Note: While the story below may read like a tall tale (a section that will be added to this blog in the near future) the account described below is 100% factual with no embellishments.Before I relate Keith’s and my close encounter of the strange kind this morning, please bear with me as I fill in the background first.Even though Keith grew up in the county long before it became another suburban blight of Baltimore and I grew up on the Eastern Shore, we both had grown far too accustomed to city life. We hold our fond childhood memories of the pitch-black night sky speckled with millions upon millions of stars, the eerie night sounds echoing in the dark woods, and things that go bump in the night.City life erased all the stars; replaced the eerie night sounds with cars, sirens, people out and about, and an occasional gunshot; and the only thing that went bump in the night was someone begging for spare change.Living far from the city lights – and people – every night ...
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Gilligan Passes Away
2007-02-27 05:20:00
Gilligan died peacefully at approximately 10:15 PM tonight. Burial services were performed at 10:30 PM in a quiet ceremony attended by Keith, Mark and Thistle.Cause of death is unknown. On Thursday, Gilligan appeared to be on a strong road to recovery after losing his wing in a car accident. Overnight, his health took a turn for the worse. His appetite waned and his right leg became stiff. As the weekend progressed, he ate less and less and he lost all use of his leg.His final days were peaceful. He rested on his old towel next to his water and feed bowls where he could easily stretch his neck to drink and occasionally nibble at his food. Every once in awhile, he would hop on his one good leg to a new position on his towel. Today, he refused to eat, but he did drink his water.The weather had warmed on Saturday and he spent a couple of hours resting in the sun. Last night, he sat in Mark’s lap and watched an episode of Star Trek. He dozed throughout the show as Mark gently stroked ...
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Gilligan Takes Turn for the WorsePostpones Public Appearance
2007-02-23 17:12:00
Last night, Gilligan, the sea gull Keith and Mark rescued last Sunday, showed possible signs of failing health.“When we got home from work,” explained Mark, “I took him out of his box and placed him on the floor so he could eat. He did eat, though not as much as he did last night, then he just laid there watching everything going on around him.”In addition to his waning appetite, another sign something was wrong became evident when Gilligan had trouble standing. It appeared his right leg was weak and in pain. He refused to stand on it for long. When he lay on the floor, he leaned his body to the side.One positive sign that he may be alright is that he continued to preen himself. That glimmer of hope for Gilligan’s health, however, waned this morning when Gilligan refused to eat anything.Gilligan had shown problems with his leg when he was first rescued and continued to show slight problems after he was brought home from the hospital. There are no physical indications of in...
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Gilligan Scheduled for a Public Appearance
2007-02-22 15:27:00
Sometime this weekend, Gilligan, the injured sea gull rescued last Sunday, is scheduled to make his first public appearance since his accident, his publicist announced this morning.Last Sunday, Gilligan was found stuffed in a Walmart shopping cart with a broken wing and blood-stained body. Exactly what happened to him is unknown, but it appears he was feeding in the Walmart parking lot when a car hit him - nearly severing his wing - sometime around Friday. Someone scooped him up and placed him in the shopping cart until Keith and Mark found him Sunday evening. Two days later, Gilligan’s doctor had to amputate his wing.He is at his new home recovering from the trauma. His appetite is returning. For the first time, he ate a hearty meal. He enjoyed a bowl of Friskies whitefish and tuna cat food.After his dinner, he tried to take a bath. At first, he used the water to clean his bill and even drank some of his bath water. As the water level rose, though, he wanted out of the ...
More About: Public , Schedule , Liga , Pear , Appearance

Stella Loses Wing – Gets New Name
2007-02-20 17:44:00
The injured sea gull we found Sunday evening arrived at the Choptank Animal Hospital safely and in style. Resting in a box of fresh grass, it was well-received by the hospital staff. Its spirits were strong as demonstrated by its constant pecking of the side of the box. Last night it discovered this new game and must like the sound of its beak hitting the side of the box.Unfortunately, the gull’s wing was completely severed from the accident and was only being held on by a piece of skin. The doctor estimated it had its accident a day or two before we found it since the bone had turned completely brown and all the nerves were dead. There was no saving the wing and it had to be removed.Stella is a first-year gull still in its juvenile plumage. The doctor is fairly certain it is a ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), the common “scavenger gull” found in suburban areas around fast-food restaurants. These gulls are believed to live 3-10 years in the wild though some have lived as...
More About: Name , Gets , Wing , Ella

Injured Sea Gull Survives the Day
2007-02-20 04:08:00
After a long day of worry and an impatient two-hour drive home, we came home to the injured sea gull we rescued yesterday expecting a dead or dying bird. The good news is she’s alive and doing well. I fed her some sardines, but she only ate a little bit of those. She gobbled down the whole grain bread soaked in water, though. I suspect she doesn’t care for the sardines. If she keeps her strength up for another nine hours, she’ll be in good hands at the animal hospital. Hopefully, the vet will be able to save her wing and maybe after a few weeks of careful nurturing, she’ll take to the air again. We’ll learn the prognosis tomorrow.I may be jumping the gun, but this severely injured bird has survived a full 24-hours plus and appears to be alert. From here out, she will no longer be referred to as “the bird” or “sea gull”. I feel comfortable to use her name – Stella.Stay tuned for Stella’s continuing story of her recovery from her terrible collision with a ...
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Injured Sea Gull Survives the Night
2007-02-19 21:50:00
The injured sea gull Keith and I rescued yesterday survived the night. This morning it was resting peacefully, but bright eyed and alert. I fed it a mixture of whole grain bread and water. Like last night, it first attacked the spoon. Once it figured out the spoon had food on it, it ate on its own. The gull is still frightened, but starting to show signs of becoming accustomed to us being around it. My only concern is that although it is trying to eat, it eats very little. If it doesn’t gain its appetite back, it’ll surely weaken and die.When we got to work, today, Keith hit me with the first bit of bad news. He asked the head nurse where he works how we could get the bone set back in and to get it to stay there so it could heal. Her response was that the bird was in a lot of pain, and, by the description of the injury, the wing may need to be amputated. If we let it heal as is, the protruding bone would always be prone to infection and the bird would always be in a lot...
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Injured Sea Gull Rescued
2007-02-19 03:46:00
The cold, northwest winds blew strong all day today and are blowing even stronger tonight with a light dusting of snow accompanying the winds. It’s certainly not a good day for the animals much less an injured one.Keith and I stopped at the Walmart to pick up some canned dog food for Thistle. The Ol' Roy canned food is the best and it’s the only reason we stop at Walmart. I parked the car at the door so Keith could run in and get a few cans. Keith started towards the door and then turned around to come back to the car. He opened the door and, before he said anything, I said, “You’re slick. You forgot your wallet again.” (That is a joke between us. He always forgets his wallet and I end up paying for everything.)“No. There’s an injured sea gull in the cart and it’s still alive.” Keith’s eyes and tone of voice conveyed a helpless, please-do-something plea.I got out of the car to take a look at it. Its wing was inverted and sticking up over its head like a...
More About: Rescue , Red Sea , Injured

Spring Is Right Around the Corner
2007-02-14 03:30:00
How do I know? A little bird told me. Actually, a few little birds and one big bird told me. Birds are much more reliable than the weatherman so I believe them.The last two and a half weeks have been brutally cold. The Choptank river is frozen over, the water levels in the marshland are lower than the lowest tides because all the water is locked up in ice, the ground is rock hard instead of spongy, and our pipes froze.Despite the brutal cold, we’ve seen a few robin redbreasts - the familiar harbinger of spring - and a bald eagle. If one bald eagle is here, the other bald eagles should be coming soon to start nesting.After two-weeks of below freezing temperatures, the first winter storm has hit today. In Maryland lingo, that means freezing rain. As the storm moves up the coast, temperatures are forecasted to rise above a balmy forty tonight and heavy rains will pound the marshlands. As the storm exits the area northward, gusty northwest winds of up to 50 mph will sweep thro...
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Truck Lands in Marsh
2007-02-08 05:17:00
Note: In the article, The Mars h! The Marsh is on Fire!, I mentioned the way the roads down in the Toddville area have more than one name and there’s no clear markings on the road to tell you when the name changes. I used Maple Dam-US MD some number or other-Shorter’s Wharf road as an example. Yesterday, I discovered it had a fourth name at the other end – Andrews Road. The story below takes place on this road and, while I am fairly certain it doesn’t take place on the Andrews Road section nor the Maple Dam Road section, it does take place somewhere in between those two names. Since Keith and I always refer to this road as “the back way”, for clarity in the article, that is how I will refer to this multi-named road.The back way is a thirty-mile stretch of country road that winds through the marshlands. Many of the turns are ninety-degrees or sharper. Most people who drive the road for the first time don’t go much past thirty miles per hour. The locals who drive ...
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