Category Archives: Community

One Year Old

Posted on November 2, 2012 by AnnieRie

Today is the anniversary of launching this blog. I looked back at my first month of blogging to see what I wrote and what I thought I would do with it.

I uploaded wordpress and tried out the software. Used a friend’s sunset pic, and off I went. I wrote mostly about my CSA the first month, and a few random posts. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a food blog …

my “frozen” pizza

… or if I wanted to post about retirement, or the west county where I live. Turns out, I run all over the place, so I suppose I fit most in the category of personal.

Life in retirement in west county keeps us busy, between hobbies, projects, volunteering and traveling just a bit. I settled on being a locavore, locapour, foodie, retiree. Too many interests? I think not. Add to that our birding, and amateur radio, and we keep out of trouble most days.

Life continues out here as we clean up the small mess the storm left behind. This puppy is one of our favorite purchases, as it becomes invaluable to me as a gardener.

the leaf vacuum, branch chipper, my mulching friend

Right now my better half is creating mulch from all the small tree limbs I collected off the property, for me to use to cover the garlic for the winter. The garlic has sprouted, so it needs a warm cover to overwinter. It obviously loved all that moisture the past week and came up with quickly. I noticed it this morning.

organic garlic planted in October

Besides the tree limbs, the mulched leaves turn into compost for us and our rake and take partner.

Also around here at home, the antennas were re-hung yesterday in advance of this weekend’s contest. I will be hitting markets and shopping, and my husband will be calling CQ. He got the 80 meter antenna up yesterday with a little help from me, and is now on all bands but 160 meters. Not bad with wires. The crank up towers should be going up soon, which will get him better directionality once he gets a beam or two in the air.

Obviously we have enough to do and I have enough to write about, just here in Howard County. Let’s see if I can continue to find inspiration and new topics, as well as report on what’s happening. Saturday I will be popping up to Glenwood market, then heading over to the Fairgrounds to check out the Craft Spectacular. Sunday, up to Olney to see how they are going to transition to an indoor market this winter. I want to talk to their organizers.

Out at the Conservancy, we are working on having a one day, market fest, winter style, in January. Who knows? Maybe we can get something going more often here in Howard County. Can’t hurt to look into it. At least, by having a market in Olney this winter at the Sandy Spring Museum, we have some local goodies to buy year round.

Another project I will love to put on my plate. Year round locavore. With lots of friends around here getting interested in supporting our farms, we could do this.

hocoblogs@@@

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Making A Difference

Posted on October 31, 2012 by AnnieRie

LisaB, Mrs.S had a great post about how lucky most of us were, when it came to the end of the wind and rain. In her update she mentioned The Volunteer Center and what they recommend in terms of helping out in the aftermath of the storm. I am monitoring that site to see when they get requests for help, and will post any opportunities I find.

I agree we were extremely lucky. A little bit farther south if the storm had turned up the Chesapeake Bay instead of going at New Jersey, and we could have had more damage across the area and the state. Right now, as I write this, 50000 people in the BGE coverage area still have no power 48 hours after the beginning when the earliest bands of bad weather started hitting Maryland. Anything we can do to assist our neighbors in the county and state will be helpful.

I agree that any financial help we can give the organizations that regularly assist others is the best way to help. But even little things mean quite a bit, and helping the other organizations in the area as well as the disaster relief organizations is just a way to give back if you were one of the lucky ones.

I will take some of my items to the Food Bank. They always need assistance, County residents who could use the help whether or not the storm affected them. I spent some time this morning looking through the pantry for items I bought and didn’t use, and to gather up those tuna cans and other staples that I can easily spare, and replace later, like pasta and sauces.

a bag for the food bank

I will also finally get the bag together for the local clothing collection bins, like the St. Vincent de Paul bin down at Kendalls Hardware. The contributions to them go to local residents in Maryland. I really do need to let go and donate all those extra work clothes I no longer need. I mean, one or two blazers, a few skirts, that’s all I need. Not the huge work wardrobe I still have sitting in a spare closet. Gloves, hats and shoes, too. I had way too much stuff left after retiring. Time to have it help another, who would like to have nice work clothes, or dress clothes.

Besides all that, I will make a point to help the disaster organizations with a donation. If you, like us, were relatively unaffected by this disaster that hit the east coast, consider helping out in whatever way you can, even if it is something as simple as helping an elderly neighbor clean up debris, or giving blood, or writing a small check.

Making a difference. Here at home.

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Surviving Sandy

Posted on October 30, 2012 by AnnieRie

Lessons Learned for the next crazy weather we have in this area.

Only buy a UPS if it has a mute capability. The UPS devices we have, on the TVs and the computers and the phone and the chargers, all six of them, are not all the same. We have three different models. One model muted. Two won’t. We got to listen to chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp for about 9-10 hours until they finally died. They were the ones that lasted the longest though. They were APC XS 1000’s. We had the iPhone on one of them until 11 am today when it finally died. The internet and modem one died about 9 hours in, but since Comcast stopped working five hours before our power went out and just came back thirty minutes ago, so much for having internet on the iPad.

Modify the bleeping cellar area where the sump pump is installed so a battery backup unit will fit in it. We procrastinated after the derecho and didn’t do this modification and spent most of the night with two hour sleep intervals interspersed with bailing sessions. Five gallon buckets every two hours, more after the wind shifted and rain ran down the south wall of the house into the cellar drain at the bottom of our basement stairs.

Always go to Giant and buy ice as soon as you can after the storm ends. It will guarantee that the power comes back in a few hours. We lost power last night at 11 pm and got it back today at 3 pm. Six hours after going to Giant and getting four bags of ice. Now, I need to find a permanent place for it, or let it melt in the coolers.

The seven cubic foot freezer did well. It was full, and when the power came back and I went down to check the temperature inside, it had only risen from -2 to +10 degrees. We had packed it with everything we could including plastic containers of water frozen solid. It worked well.

The fridge and freezer did OK. Not stellar, but OK. Fridge got up to 46, but the only things in it were fruit, veggies, a couple of bottles of wine and iced tea. Oh, and weird condiments like tabasco and some flavored vinegars. All the perishables were in the two coolers with bags of ice on top and they stayed below 40 degrees.

The freezer in the kitchen unit got up to 26 degrees, from the setting of minus 6. Still haven’t opened it, and the meats are buried below four bags of ice. Before the power went out, I did lower the temp settings on the fridge and freezer by four degrees more than the normal settings, so that helped.

I left one small feeder out for the birds, which got quite a few visits before, during and immediately after the storm. I went out this morning and brought back the big feeder, and it got mobbed almost before I could get inside. We even had a rare visit to the vertical of a hairy woodpecker, bigger and with the long beak, but looking just like our regular downy woodpecker visitor. When I grabbed the camera to photograph the hairy woodpecker he flew far up into the cherry tree.

the feeder I left up, with our resident downy

The weather radio and the iPhone were invaluable once we lost power. I am so thankful we only lost power for sixteen hours this time. The derecho 24 hour power outage was our worst experience here. This was the second longest. For us, we still have to decide if a generator is needed as long as we don’t get multi-day outages.

NOAA weather radio and iPhone, our links to the world for 16 hours

We used none of the bottled water as we had filled pitchers of water and put them in our small beverage fridge with containers of ice. We went through them. Never used any of the water in the tubs, as we were sleeping downstairs where it was quieter and we weren’t far from the sump pump. The well pump actually held pressure for about six hours and made it through quite a few cycles before finally cutting out. Now, we get to clean up and dump buckets that were sitting in the powder room.

enough water when you have time to prepare

Now, it’s back to cleaning up, and eating all this weird stuff I made in case our power stayed out. I have lots of egg salad and potato salad and tuna to make salad. Fruit, yogurt, and granola. I do think we are extremely lucky and am grateful for the dedication and professional attitudes at both Comcast and at BGE. I never expected to get a live person on the line at 1115 pm from BGE, but we did. She asked if we knew if any of our neighbors were out, and explained why they couldn’t do estimates due to the uncertainty of when they could begin. Plus, the Howard County government twitter updates kept us informed all night.

Just glad we did OK and that we live in such an amazing place, even with this strange weather. Now, we get to go out and clean up leaves and pine needles and tree branches for a few days, or maybe a week. At least I get exercise. Here’s to living in Howard County and enjoying fall even when it is chaotic.

hocoblogs@@@

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A Chicken in Every (Crock) Pot And Ready for Sandy

Posted on October 28, 2012 by AnnieRie

While we run around filling bath tubs and clearing leaves out of the rain gutters, and positioning a trash can near the sump pump, and all those lovely other things, my crock pot is happily making dinner. I put half a chicken in it with CSA veggies and it is close to being done. I will microwave a few potatoes and we have a quick easy dinner before getting back into the waiting game. I will have a local dinner tonight. Open a VA wine and relax now that all the preparations are done.

frozen half chicken from tlv tree farm

I need to thank howchow for letting us know Harris Teeter wasn’t crazy crowded. We decided to err on the side of caution and get six more gallon jugs of water. Some fruit, since I didn’t get to the farmer’s markets, and a gallon of honey crisp apple cider from Zeigler’s. Not local, but still family made. The bath tubs will be filled tonight with water to flush toilets, and the coolers are ready to go if needed. Ten bags of ice are in the freezer now. Two will come out tomorrow into the cooler with the refrigerator foods we want to consume if the power goes out. That way we won’t be opening the refrigerator at all, or the freezer if we lose power.

All day today the birds went nuts trying to buzz feeders that aren’t there. Finches were sitting on the patio chairs (left out there since we can’t carry them far and there is no free place to put them) looking for the bird bath and the feeders. Ever watch a bird make a beeline for the feeder pole, then find nothing there but the pole. Very confused. The furniture was all moved over to the far edge of the patio near the area where the feeders and bird bath were located, and which now are all safely in the shed. I did remember to spread as much food as I could on the ground so the birds get something. They really are accustomed to coming here for food in the fall and winter.

The antennas are all down. The side of the house looks weird with no wires. This is the view from a few months back. Spring when the cherry trees were blooming. All the wires had to come down and tension taken off the ropes so they won’t snap. Here’s hoping the trees all hang in there the next two or three nights.

amateur radio antennas off the attic

On the local 2 meter repeater, we are reminded that CARA will appropriate the frequency tonight to support RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service). Amateur radio operators will be supporting the county in emergency communications traffic during the storm. We will have our hand held transmitters here at our house available with charged batteries so we can monitor communications (and communicate if we need any assistance in our area).

All in all, we are now even more resigned to a long, frustrating, series of days watching this storm cross over the east coast and impact our lives.

hocoblogs@@@

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The View from 20,000 …

Posted on October 26, 2012 by AnnieRie

… views, that is, not feet. 20,000 views. Yesterday morning the geek in me saw my dashboard on wordpress read 19,999 total views. I was going to write a post next Friday when my blog is one year old, but who knows, with Sandy heading in our direction, and the talking heads on TV telling us power outages possible past November 5th, I may or may not have power next Friday.

20,000 views in less than a year. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but it does tell me that there are definitely people reading what I write. I am also happy to say I still have new things I want to write, and have been pretty good at posting almost every day.

I was a mathematician (my degree major) for many of my early career years, and numbers fascinate me. Statistics of course can always be interpreted the way we want. Still, it is nice to see my numbers increase as my blog “ages”.

Thanks mostly to hocoblogs and to howchow, in the beginning, who linked up my blog when it was just one month old. HOCOBLOGS is where I went to find local readers.

And, there was the Dark Days Challenge, where I found fellow locavores.

local ingredients for dinner

Setting up a local resources page was a good move, too. I found many people came there to search for grains, products, and farms in the area.

local foods

I have to admit though, being interested enough to check out my most read posts, that I did not expect which ones continued to gather views. If you are new to blogging in Howard County, and want people to find you on google or other search engines, I can tell you two phrases that guarantee traffic around here.

brighton dam azalea gardens

and

tractor supply baby chicks

The most read posts on my blog. I still get hits every week on the tractor supply post. And, I had hundreds of searches registered for azalea blossoms being at peak, or still blooming. Weeks went by and they still were being viewed. I know that I will be monitoring those blossoms again next spring. They are only five miles down the road and we go there often.

Besides those, the series on amateur radio in Howard County got a huge number of views thanks to being placed on a feed for amateurs around the country and the world to see. W3AO gets lots of hits still, when clubs and operators look to see the Field Day records for one of the biggest radio operations in the country. Right here in Howard County.

Here’s hoping this hurricane fizzles out, far from land, or just glances us. Now, off to fill up a spare propane tank and get a few more gallons of spring water. I know if we are totally prepared for “Frankenstorm” as they are calling it, then it will definitely become a non event. It is only when we don’t get ready, that we get slammed.

Stay safe and dry, all our friends near and far.

hocoblogs@@@

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The First Fall Clean Up Day

Posted on October 22, 2012 by AnnieRie

At least the first major clean up. We have been puttering around doing little odd jobs, but today it begins in earnest. I have been researching the long term effects of using pine needles to mulch areas of the plant beds in the back of the house. Today I wanted to gather pine needles to create a winter bed over the rhododendrons and the azaleas. This analysis that I found a while back is what prompted me to look into pine needle mulching in certain areas. We certainly have enough pine needles.

carpet of pine needles

The leaves are just starting to come down. Add to that, the grass under the shrubs and around the raspberry bushes needs its final cutting of the year. We use a clear bag method to collect green material, brown material, and pine needles. Then, using the county rake and take program to be matched to a neighbor we divide the bags to use in our compost piles. Getting that right mix of browns and greens. This is our second year doing rake and take. We get enough from our trees to keep many compost piles going. If you want a way to see your leaves put to good use, consider contacting rake and take.

As for the rest of my clean up I went into my neglected garden to start pulling out the tomato cages, and to bag the tomato plants to take deep into the woods to leave them. They do not get into the compost bins, as they can spread disease from year to year. For example, from late blight. I hadn’t been out there for two weeks, and surprise, there were dozens of green tomatoes all over the garden.

I think I will put these away in a paper bag and let them get close to ripening, then make one last batch of green tomato pasta with pesto.

Tonight dinner will be fairly simple. Although we had to resort to plan B. I had intended to pop a chicken in the crockpot to cook while we were working outside. They don’t make them like they used to. The crockpot gave up the ghost. Would not let me program the temperature and turn on.

As soon as you let up on the button, the lights went out. And, you could not advance it to the longer low cooking times. Thankfully, I never gave up my original crockpot from my first apartment thirty some years ago. You know, one of these antiques.

So, I loaded it up with half a chicken in tomato garlic sauce, over collard greens and onions. Let it go, and soon dinner will be ready. This chicken is falling off the bone, and I started it at 10 am, directly from the freezer. The best way to cook chicken.

Now I need to find a good programmable replacement crockpot as ours gets lots of work making soups, stews and chili. This old one is too small to do brisket, or turkey, which we like to make also. I also like the programmable options not found on my original. I am glad I kept it around though, to save the day today. Off to dinner and to watch Monday night football.

hocofood@@@

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My Cyber Circles

Posted on October 15, 2012 by AnnieRie

I have been meaning to write a post about the three different circles where I travel in cyberspace, in other words, talk about my cohorts in posting. I started my blog in November 2011, mainly to document my CSA, and to learn how to use social media. Something we didn’t do all those years I worked for Uncle Sam. The Navy wasn’t keen on us using social media.

Now that I am retired and looking around to expand my circle of acquaintances I found this blog has triggered email correspondence, and in many cases, it has resulted in meeting people, as we do in the hocoblogs community.

I think we are due for another get together soon, as it has been awhile. Linking and reading each others’ posts is how I keep updated on what happens around here. Food, politics, social events and life in hoco in general. Plus, it got me into using facebook, and twitter, with connections made on both. Including Marshmallow Man and Gingerbread Girl.

The second circle is the locavore circle. I got into it, with a Dark Days Challenge, by attempting to find local meats, dairy, produce and staples during the down period when farmstands and farmer’s markets are not available. I learned that there is actually quite a bit around here in the county and surrounding Maryland counties, that make it easy to cook at least once a week using locally sourced items. My local resources page was built during that challenge.

Now, our group of ten women, who blogged all last winter, are continuing to read each others’ blogs, swap recipes, learn new techniques and keep in touch. The Soffrito, another hocoblogger, and I have met for coffee at the farmer’s markets and keep in touch by email. I have the list of all ten of us on my challenges page, and we have a file folder on the google reader, where we keep up with posts. Their blogs touch DC, VA, MD, SC, NC and TX. Rebecca at Eating Floyd is my source for learning to preserve foods. Emily at Sincerely Emily was our coordinator in last year’s challenge and kept us motivated throughout the long winter season. We intend to keep posting even if the Dark Days Challenge doesn’t materialize this winter.

SOUTHERN SOLE FOOD CHALLENGERS
AnnieRie Unplugged – me
Backyard Grocery Northern VA
Bumble Lush Garden near DC
Eat. Drink. Nourish. South Carolina
Eating Appalachia Blue Ridge VA
Eating Floyd Southwest VA
Family Foodie Survival Guide Northern VA
Sincerely, Emily Texas
The Soffritto right up the road in Woodstock
Windy City Vegan North Carolina

My third circle is the “What’s in the Box” circle. Started by Heather at In Her Chucks, this circle is the CSA and farmer’s market bloggers who link up weekly. I get a good source of information on what to do with strange new veggies, and have expanded my resources. Plus, In Her Chucks is a fun blog to read.

my CSA box

I almost feel like these blogging circles are the modern day equivalent of pen pals. I know that really dates me, to remember when we had pen pals and we, ***GASP***, sent snail mail, only we called them letters back then.

On November 2nd, my blog will be a year old. I am surprised that I still find enough to write about. Thankfully, there are lots of opportunities around here, and lots of inspiration. Thanks to the community here for linking us up, and spreading our thoughts around the area, and far beyond.

hocoblogs@@@

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Retiring “To” Something

Posted on October 9, 2012 by AnnieRie

Great Advice. We heard it twice last weekend. Once at the wedding, and again, while talking at the dinner at RdV. My uncle was talking to someone who was considering retirement. His first advice. Don’t retire in the winter unless you have something lined up and ready for you to do. And, I don’t consider digging out of Snowpocalypse a highlight of retirement.

blizzards 2010

Even if you retired like I did, in spring. Or summer. When there is an overload of things to do outside. Or even now, in October, while we are still activity-driven for weeks until the weather changes and days get shorter. My first winter was easy, because I did the HoLLIE training twice a week. Spring naturalist training, as well. With HoLLIE gearing up, the info program tonight at Miller Library 7 pm is a good place to hear about opportunities for active Howard Countians, who are retired or thinking about it.

Moving from a circle of work friends to that new circle of fellow volunteers, or hobby sharers. Finding people with like interests is difficult for many of us. Especially when we worked in DC or Baltimore. I found that after 18 months, even if I got together with old working buddies, we had no bond to keep the conversations going. So many changes in their offices. I knew few names, and finally knew we had to build our retirement circle.

Now, filling my hours with fellow naturalists, gardeners, wine lovers and the amateur radio community, oh yeah, almost forgot, the bird club and my fellow bloggers, I hardly have time to think.

Somewhere in there, we do get housework and yard work done, and a few home improvement projects. Traveling not as much, but we did way too much of that for our jobs. It is actually nice to stay home for a while and see the local world. And, make a difference.

nature photo program for families at Conservancy

Whether it is leading programs for families. Leading hikes for the schools. Cleaning up the streams that feed the Patapsco. Working on the watershed programs. Caring for the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Or any of the other activities my fellow retirees are doing, the satisfaction of a job well done keeps us feeling that we matter.

One recent example this past year. Greenfest was filled with countians who focused on their interests while having a great time.

Greenfest at the Community College

I love the work the Master Gardeners have done, creating different historical garden plots at the Conservancy.

And, all the volunteers who organize and support Earth Day. Besides the Day itself, volunteers spend hours planning and preparing materials for events.

Earth Day supplies

Many times in conversations, at clubs, or at events, we hear how shorthanded the nonprofits, and the service organizations have become. I have heard that the numbers of people who stay retired is smaller. Many go back to work due to those long term effects of a slow economy. Others, who now are supporting elderly parents, have limited free time. If you have retired, or are thinking about it, take time to consider where you might find your calling. Your thing. What makes you smile, and feel good at the end of the day.

HoLLIE 2012 class heading out for a hike at Sharps

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Event Overload

Posted on October 7, 2012 by AnnieRie

This weekend is second in a string of picture perfect fall weekends when it seems every community, farm, winery and/or entertainment organization is creating a pile up (an amateur radio term used when large numbers of operators simultaneously try to contact one rare station). I couldn’t even begin to list every event happening in Howard County and the surrounding area.

Today, my husband popped up to the Columbia Amateur Radio Association (CARA) annual HamFest to pick up a few supplies and visit his radio compatriots, even though it is raining. He had to dodge biking racers on the way, I suppose, as the Ulman Cancer Fund half full triathlon originating at Centennial winds through our rural roads between us and the fairgrounds.

The Farm City Celebration ends today, the 7th. Here is a list of what remains on their schedule.

Howard County Farmer’s Market – three more weeks of markets until season ends
Oakland Mills Village Center
9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Apple Fritters, Hayrides, & Pick-Your-Own Apples, Beets, Broccoli, and Spinach.
Straw Maze & Boo Barn (ages 4 to 9)
Larriland Farm
9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Teddy Bear Farm Visits (Free hayrides for children who bring Teddy bear)
Folk singer Tony McGuffin entertains from 12 noon – 4:00 PM
Clark’s Elioak Farm
Open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

2 crop large maze of corn & cotton opens.
Farm animals, Pick Your Own Pumpkins, Fall Decorations.
Scarecrow Making Workshop from Noon-3 PM
Narrated Hayride at 1:00 pm
($1.50 per person 2 and under free)
Sharp’s at Waterford Farm
Open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Any of these events are a good trip now that the weather is changing. The leaves definitely rained down yesterday as the front whipped through. We dodged traffic that was backed up on I-97 heading into the Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, and the Boat Show traffic going into Annapolis. We were trying to get to a family wedding at the Academy. Made it in time only because we left super early. The Renaissance Festival ends the 21st of October. The Sailboat Show ends tomorrow and the Powerboat Show starts this coming Thursday. A short trip down to Annapolis gets people to major entertainment options the next few weeks.

Add to that, the Ravens play at 1 PM. thankfully, it is an away game or could you imagine the traffic there since THE ORIOLES have a playoff game tonight at the Yard.

For us, we will be trying to find the games on satellite radio while getting to a winery dinner today. Many festivals at local wineries. We made arrangements weeks ago to hear Luca Paschina, Jim Law and Rutger de Vink talk of their vision for where Virginia wines could go. A picnic style dinner prepared by Chef Eric Ziebold of CITYZEN will be served and the menu includes a 1998 Barboursville Cabernet and 1997 Fiery Run Linden, as well as the RdV 2009 release. An event we have been anticipating for a while. RdV’s chef dinners are just awesome events. Worth the splurge occasionally to attend. Or, any winery events this month. The red grapes are being picked all over the area. Festivals every weekend.

merlot at RdV

If we recover enough tomorrow, we will pop up to see the dedication of the new Glenwood Fire Station. With this station, we now have Glenwood, Clarksville and West Friendship, all equidistant from our home. The fire station is being dedicated Monday morning at 10 am. Tours following the dedication.

Add to all this, the next three weekends are just as event laden. How can anyone say there isn’t enough to do around here?

hocoblogs@@@

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Thirty Months

Posted on October 2, 2012 by AnnieRie

Two and a half years. Today. That’s how long I have been retired now. April Fool’s Day 2010 was my last day of work.

People told me I would get bored. I would want to come back as a rehired annuitant, or become what we called in DC, a beltway bandit. A contractor. But, that hasn’t happened. I have no desire to return to the work force.

My retirement “jobs” are way more fun. Jobs like volunteering at the Conservancy, and completing the HoLLIE program. I spent most of my career in DC and VA, while living in Howard County. Finally, I feel like I live here, instead of just sleeping and eating, between commuting and traveling for 30 years. I experienced some lovely days at places like Sharp’s Farm, with a talk about farming, and a guided hike by Denise Sharp. My interests in local foods and farms shaped my volunteer efforts for this past two years.

Denise Sharp, leading a hoLLIE hike on the farm

What is HoLLIE? Howard Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment. I found out in 2011, when I completed the six weeks of lectures, field trips, reading and discussion, with 12 other class members. I did my internship at the Conservancy, where I am now a volunteer naturalist, leading field trips for local schools. Getting trained for it, using opportunities like a guided history tour of the property.

learning the history of the farmhouse at the Conservancy

I also am a member of the program committee. It was part of my placement to become a part of the committee and assist in planning Wonder Walks and other events. The cool thing about HoLLIE was learning more and more about local, regional, national and global concerns. But, we could focus on what mattered to us. Like for me, working with the local farmers, to bring programs to the Conservancy about their farms and food.

breezy willow at the glenwood market

Want to help the public school system with activities like the Our Environment in Our Hands activities for fourth graders, held at the fairgrounds? Or, volunteer at Robinson Nature Center, as the Gift Shop Leader, or maybe the Discovery Room Leader? Or, help keep the Patapsco clean by volunteering with the Friends of the Patapsco Valley? Or, with Parks and Rec?

All sorts of things for those of us who have retired, and want to still be useful. To make a difference. There is an information night being held at Miller Library, on October 9th, from 7 until 8:30 pm. Many graduates of the program will be there to talk about their experience.

If you are like me, retired and wanting to give to Howard County, check out this program. You can’t say you are bored if you do. My calendar is as full as I like it, with hikes and festivals and more.

hocoblogs@@@

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