Category Archives: Nature

Over the River

Posted on December 19, 2014 by AnnieRie

Yesterday I headed out to combine CSA and Friends and Farms basket pickups with a few Christmas preparation errands. A cold blustery day, but sunny for the most part. After the third time I crossed the Patuxent River, I realized how dominant the branches of the river are in our landscape, and in our travels.

With the leaves down you can see more of the trails along the river. From Rte 32, Broken Land Parkway, Guilford Road, Murray Hill Road. Over and over, I crossed the Patuxent and thought to myself, we really need to get out on those trails along the river and reconnect with this part of our community.

Howard County is bordered on most of its south and west sides by the Patuxent River, and on the north and east sides by the Patapsco River. Both rivers have thousands of acres of parkland and pathways.

I decided for my New Year’s resolution this year to get back out there and hike the parks on the rivers. And, to learn more about those rivers.

If you are still looking for stocking stuffers, or last minute gifts, check out a couple of books that Ned Tillman has written. I already have the first one, The Chesapeake Watershed, and need to get one of his new book, Saving the Places We Love. Ned is a local resident and one of our Howard County bloggers.

You can find his books at Barnes and Noble, and Shoemaker Country in Ellicott City, at the Robinson Nature Center, and at the Howard County Conservancy.

I first met Ned when he was a hike leader for a HoLLIE class. He still leads many hikes in the area. He also teaches one day at the Legacy Leadership Environmental Institute, which is the newer version of the HoLLIE curriculum. Check this out if you are inclined to learn more about our community.

Me? I just think I’ll spend more time out on our rivers. It’s a big part of why I love living here. The Triadelphia Reservoir and the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area are close to home, and good places to start. Maybe I’ll see that eagle that was in our yard the other day, and was down the road again yesterday.

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Posted in Adventures, Commentary, Community, Howard County, Nature, Volunteering, West HoCo and tagged commentary, community, day trips, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, volunteering, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

The Eagle Has Landed

Posted on November 29, 2014 by AnnieRie

Literally.

In the back yard. Less than 100 yards from the kitchen window where I took this really awful picture, but I rushed it hoping he wouldn’t fly away. Which he did, about 10 seconds after the picture. The crows went nuts and he flew down the side of the property and hung around for a few minutes high in my neighbor’s tree. Then, tired of the crows circling and yammering at him, he headed off back towards Triadelphia Reservoir.

What brought him here? The dead deer out there. Probably a car-deer casualty. Which is now mostly hide, hoofs, head and chest cavity. The third one we know of, in our almost ten years here. Usually, we only know about them because of the turkey vultures.

But this morning at 7 am, my husband yelled up the stairs. EAGLE!!! In the back yard.

I’ll have to get up early tomorrow and see if he’s returned.

Just another Saturday in the rural western part of our little Central Maryland county.

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Posted in Birds, Howard County, Nature, West HoCo and tagged birds, community, eagles, Howard County, nature, photography, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Ethanol Free

Posted on November 17, 2014 by AnnieRie

We finally gave up and had to find an ethanol free gas station. I swear that ethanol is doing us more harm than high fructose corn syrup. Neither one of them is good for us.

The closest place for us to buy it is in Littlestown PA. Full serve. In the rain today we drove up to fill up the gas cans for the snow blower, the lawn mower and the leaf vacuum. So far, in the past year, the string trimmer, snow blower and lawn mower all had carburetor work, because of the E10 gas gumming them up.

Other than the Eastern shore of MD, where the marinas are located, there are few choices near us. Charles Town WV. Front Royal VA. The one above in Littlestown. All on our short list are sources when we go on other trips in those areas.

We were really careful with our small engine equipment, draining when not in use. Using the additives. This has been the year we had major issues, including losing the lawn mower for 10 days while it was fixed. Thankfully, the tractor is diesel powered.

So, on a rainy Monday we drove 40 miles to get gas. Decided to stop on the way back at Baughers in Westminster to get a few items. Like my husbands favorite ice cream. Pumpkin.

The last quart in the case. Perfect for his birthday dinner this week.

As for Littlestown, it is just up Rte. 97 a few miles north of the Mason Dixon Line. On the way to Gettysburg.

Downtown is already decorated for Christmas. It reminds us so much of my husband’s home town in PA.

As for finding ethanol free gas, here is a great website.

And if you aren’t using ethanol free gas in your 2 cycle engines, it’s only a matter of time before it bites you too. Now, back to our regularly scheduled leaf removal.

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Posted in Commentary, Day Trips, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged commentary, day trips, fall foliage, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Autumn in West County

Posted on November 9, 2014 by AnnieRie

Sure signs that autumn has arrived in western Howard County.

Boarman’s changes their signs from beer specials to ordering meats for the holidays. I was there today to order my Maple Lawn turkey, some of their homemade pork sausage for stuffing, and oysters to make an oyster stew. To be picked up for Thanksgiving weekend. Also to get a BotaBox to use for cooking. One stop shopping, including wine, beer and spirits. Gotta love the place.

WSSC has their signs up, telling us when deer management hunts will take place at Pigtail and Big Branch (on our side of the reservoir). The water level is low. Not sure how easy it is right now to get canoes or kayaks in at either of these sites.

Further up the road, TLV has their tree sign next to their pumpkin bale.

As for hay bales, it looks like many of the farms have their hay cut and baled for collection.

And then there are the last of the leaves coming down, and the sound of leaf blowers and vacuums. Like here at home.

Over 100 bags already done this season, with our rake and take partners picking them up regularly to use in their compost piles. We have a small one behind the shed, but trees this big and this old put out one heck of a mountain of leaves.

It is pretty, though, isn’t it?

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged community, Food, Howard County, local businesses, nature, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Sunday Drives

Posted on November 1, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s the height of leaf peeping season here in Central Maryland. That cool couple of nights really made a difference in the depth of the colors. Sunday drives will be rewarded with stunning views like these.

This was Larriland, but today I want to recommend heading farther afield. So to speak. Like to Sugarloaf Mountain, to visit the winery, maybe hike a few of the trails and check out the artisans in the Dickerson area.

Wineries have tremendous views in the fall, when the vines turn color to match the scenery.

Some grape leaves on the vines turn red. Others yellow or orange.

If you want other close options that include time spent driving on back roads filled with color. Consider Black Ankle, just out Liberty Road. Or maybe Breaux just south of Harpers Ferry. Breaux now sits on a road with at least a half dozen other wineries. We haven’t tried any of them yet, except for Notaviva. We may have to plan a trip soon. Besides, Harpers Ferry alone is worth the drive.

If you want a new place to find pumpkins and apples, check out Baughers in Westminster.

Besides the farm, just west of the city off of Rte. 140, the restaurant near McDaniels College has some of the best ice cream, and lots more at the farm stand.

This is also the last weekend for the Fall Festival at Gaver Farm, outside of Mt. Airy.

Any of these local farms have their final weekend events, too. Like Larriland for their straw maze for the little ones, Sharps, Mullinix, for those maze enthusiasts and apple/pumpkin pickers.

Who needs to drive all the way to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, when there are all sorts of events in Howard, Carroll and Frederick Counties.

Before autumn leaves us, it’s a great weekend to enjoy the local colors. All of them.

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Posted in Community, Day Trips, Family, Farms, Food, Local Businesses, Nature, Travel, Weather, Wine and tagged community, day trips, fall foliage, farms, Food, local businesses, MD Wine, VA wine, weather, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Tromboncino

Posted on October 18, 2014 by AnnieRie

Quite a prolific producer and one that I will be putting in our garden next year.

These little wonders, which can grow really long, are very hardy, and can produce far into the fall. I have had the pleasure of getting them from a friend’s garden, while they are away, and yes, even when they are here. They are such a high yield plant, they can’t keep up with the production from just a few seedlings.

And, they love to hide in the center of the vines, where you can’t find them until they get quite large. I missed this one last week while we were food bank harvesting, and another one even bigger, at the top of one of the trellises. Thankfully, they came home and could get the latest monsters out of the vines.

This Italian heirloom is not the same as a zucchini, but is closer to the butternut squash. It is a cucurbita moschata.

What is interesting to me was finding a picture from a trip to Italy years ago.

I never noticed the tromboncino hanging to the left of the door in the above picture. They obviously can grow to great lengths.

I have been making fritters with them. Freezing the fritters. Also freezing the shredded vegetable in two cup bags. Perfect to pull out to make bread all winter. They are a little more like yellow squash in taste, and definitely not as water logged as zucchini.

Thanks to a fellow gardener, I have a new vegetable to try. I am currently drying out some of the seeds from the last one I harvested. Next spring, I will be planting my own.

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Posted in Food, Gardening, Nature, Real Food and tagged Food, foodie, gardening, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Deer in the Headlights

Posted on October 13, 2014 by AnnieRie

Or, at least off the patio.

Fifteen feet away. And, they don’t run if they see you. Eating the acorns under the oak trees. There were six of them total this evening. Two here, and four in the driveway.

Only a two point buck currently.

Believe me, I will not be happy if they start eating my rhododendron and my evergreens again, like they did last year. Last year the snow cover made it really difficult for them to survive. Obviously, those who did, had quite a few offspring.

For some reason, we had a banner year of young ones. They seem to go in cycles. Every two years, we get inundated.

About a week ago, we counted at least a dozen in the meadow.

It is sad, because there isn’t enough for them to eat in the developed land. As more and more of their habitat turns into McMansions they become more desperate to find food. Last winter they were eating our pine trees and the leaves off anything green in the yard, not their normal choice of food, but all that was available.

When does hunting season start? Because we need to get the numbers back under control. I don’t relish another winter with dead deer in our yard after cars hit them or people running off the road into the fields getting injured. It’s that time of year. Most of us try to avoid them, but the first time you have to deal with a decaying carcass and masses of turkey vultures in your yard, doing their thing, you learn to really love the hunters who keep our population somewhat under control.

Hmmm, maybe we need a few wolves or coyotes to even the odds around here. Right now the major predators seem to be Fords, Chevys, and their “brethren”.

Seriously, though, we have been inundated this fall. I have never in our ten years here seen this many, so close to the house. And, it’s only October.

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Howard County, miscellaneous, Nature, West HoCo and tagged commentary, community, Howard County, nature, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Behind the Scene

Posted on October 7, 2014 by AnnieRie

This week I think I am spending almost as many days at the Howard County Conservancy as I did on my job before I retired. Sunday. Tuesday. Thursday. Saturday.

The Fall Festival was an immense success. As usual. Lots of my Facebook friends went. Loved the hayrides. Pony rides. And all the other things offered. I was there early to set up.

Putting up the apple peeling, and apple cider tasting table. Thanks to MOM’s for their contribution, and to Harbin Farms for their collection (labeled) of all the varieties available here in the MidAtlantic.

Then, helping with the tent (which we took down because it turned the welcome area into a wind tunnel)

then checking out the “bee people”.

The honey is awesome, by the way.

After about an hour helping set up, I went off to tend to my garden. Today, I returned to spend time harvesting food bank vegetables.

Thursday I am there for the new kindergarten program, for Northfield Elementary School.

Saturday, I can’t wait to hear about bats. A free program presented at 10 am.

Such an asset to the area. The Conservancy really does have universal appeal.

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Posted in Birds, Day Trips, Gardening, Hobbies, Howard County, Nature, Volunteering, West HoCo and tagged birds, community, gardening, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, volunteering, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Fall Festivals

Posted on September 29, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s festival season. The changing of the seasons and the leaves brings out the best of this area. The best weather and views in Howard County.

The leaves are already starting to turn color. The month of October is full of festivals, and mazes, and pumpkin picking, and more.

My favorite, of course. The fall festival at the Howard County Conservancy.

Hay rides. Pony rides. Crafts. Animals. Story telling. Basket weaving. And so much more.

Definitely something to do this coming Sunday.

As for other festivals. There are certainly many of them out there. Highland Days. The corn maze at Sharp’s Farm. Pumpkin picking and more at Larriland.

I am certainly looking forward to many fun days out and about. Enjoying the weather and the colorful leaves.

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Posted in Community, Day Trips, Farms, Howard County, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged community, day trips, fall foliage, farms, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

T’storms

Posted on September 3, 2014 by AnnieRie

As in one of the more prolific storms that have hit us this summer. Almost half an inch of rain in ten minutes last night.

To me, thunderstorms and massively heavy rainfall impact my garden. To me, that garden is a luxury and not my life. I feel for all our local farmers dealing with these deluges.

At least I got most of my tomatoes off the vine yesterday morning, before the skies opened.

I did learn one very important lesson from my winery friend. When the weather is periods of heavy rain for much of the summer, leave your weeds around your vegetables. Some vegetables, like my tomatoes, don’t like more than an inch of rain a week. The weeds compete for all that moisture, and the tomatoes do better. In periods of drought, you need to weed aggressively.

This year, the weeds may look bad, but they are keeping my tomato plants from rotting.