Birds, Cars and Cardboard Boats, Oh My!

On Saturday, for reasons beyond my control, I got a late start on what I had planned for the weekend. I had planned to get up early and head for Oxford, Maryland to see the annual Cardboard Boat race on the Tred Avon River. Oxford is on the Eastern Shore about 35 miles miles or so south of Chestertown. So I figured, go see the race and spend the rest of the weekend on my parent's houseboat vegging out. Although the day started and ended on the wrong foot so to speak, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.


Given I was late, I decided a little later wasn't going to hurt, so I took the road to Bellevue which is linked to Oxford by a ferry boat. The day was bright and brilliant, and I arrived at the ferryboat ramp just in time to miss the boat. Oh well, the beach at Bellevue looked very inviting and it would be only a short wait for the next trip!


While I was patiently waiting the ferryboat's return, I looked at the sights at the Bellevue town dock. A long, graceful crab boat rested in the water - but I saw only the really useful orange round bucket alien (ORBA to those "in the know") busy keeping the elements out of the boat's exhaust pipe.

The watermen on the Chesapeake Bay are notoriously "cheap" - they work hard and work long hours - and certainly don't throw their money away on things like fancy chrome plated, spring-loaded stack-covers.


Under the dock are a large number of swallow's nest. Here a busy Tree Swallow parent pants in the hot sun waiting clearance to fly under the dock to the nest to feed their little ones.


Soon, the ferryboat chugged into view, its not a large boat, carrying about 10-12 cars at the most, and the ride isn't all that long, but the view from the boat always makes me want to take the ride.


Quickly docked and the ramp lowered, a yellow Rolls Royce rolls off! Ahh-rooooo-ga!


This is the view from the ferryboat I spoke of...here is where I learned how to sail a boat only slightly larger than a sunfish many years ago.


I see from the ferryboat I am in time to watch the last sinkings, errr, cardboard boat races! The water is warm and shallow at the beach. The boats usually sink within minutes and the folks just step out of them and walk back ashore dragging their soggy lumps of painted cardboard behind them.


No, YaYa, its not a slasher or snuff flick. I'm still working on that. It's just the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry coming into the town dock in Oxford, Maryland.


After watching the race and the winner get their first place trophy (made of cardboard, what else?) I wandered around town taking in the sights... such as the Swans preening in the river.


...and the Chevy BelAir for sale at the local garage, before I stopped for lunch at the Masthead at Pier Street before driving back to Chestertown for a swim in the pool and walk with the dogs and settling in for the night being rocked asleep in the boat.


When I got to the wharf, my boat-door neighbor had a little surprise waiting! She had in her hands a little peacock chick. This is the woman that has only one leg but goes boating and swimming and everything despite the challenges. She is also a delight to talk to.

She and her husband are retired and own a small chicken farm in nearby southern Delaware. They grow eggs for sale and have a pair of Peacocks. Mama Peacock had eight little babies last week and one of them had a hurt leg. The hurt leg meant that he wasn't able to keep up with his siblings and Mama Peacock was getting more and more upset as she couldn't keep her little flock together.

So the hurt little chick got to go to the wharf and enjoy rocking around in their boat. He may or may not have enjoyed some wine. I do think he looked a little sleepy. They soon set off on a sunset (dinner and wine?) cruise and I set off on my walk. I was walking back down the hill to the river and returning to the wharf when the sun settled on the horizon.


For me, the view was like imbibing a fine wine. A slow start or not, I had a most excellent day.


If only the day had just ended at this point it would have stayed a most excellent day!

Someday, I might explain if I can get over feeling really, really stupid about what happened shortly after this.

:)