weekend away

This weekend, on a getaway close to Springs, Pa., near the western Maryland border, I ventured back a country road and saw this farm and its fence. The weathered wood of the fence posts exudes character. The junk is another thing.

day away at North East, Maryland

That's the name of the town; it's 42 miles away from Monterey, on the Chesapeake Bay. Go another 9 miles and enter Elk Neck State Park and walk a mile to the preserved lighthouse, which was last used in 1948, when the woman (see life-sized photo cut-out at door) retired. Step inside and look up at all 31 steps. Then climb an 8-step ladder and squeeze through the hatch to the look-out. We both made it to the top and down again. Cecil County bird club had a watch point along the trail where we sighted several eagles and ospreys. That was our Sunday sabbath.

Millers in Maryland

Dorcas grew up in Maryland, 40 minutes west of Cumberland. So it was a nice surprise to visit many of her family Saturday just over the line in Bel Air, Maryland, at the ocassion of her sister Miriam's grandson Dayne's marriage to Amanda. The wedding was in the bride's Wisconsin. Dayne's area reception is what we enjoyed. The food theme was "our favorite things." Add to that goldfish in goblets, a chocolate fountain with fixin's, deep fried dill pickles and you've got a memorable array of food. Such a good time! Thanks to all!

poetry of farms

The sun was bright last weekend over the hills of western Maryland. Why do people let rusty rakes clutter up the hedgerows? I always wondered. Now I know--it's easier than actually writing poetry. Just look at visual poetry.

Cumberland moment

Monday was a quick day in western Maryland, including Queen City Creamery in Cumberland, where the sign reminded me--only five days until spring. Oh, dolce de leche tastes like a very mild caramel.

Maryland pick up

"Attacks and counterattacks swept across Miller's cornfield and fighting swirled around the Dunker Church." That's a sentence from wikipedia's entry on Antietam, which was the bloodiest battle in the Civil War, it adds. Antietam is close to this MacDonalds in Maryland. Twenty-three thousand soldiers were killed here on Sept. 17, 1862. And they weren't shoving in line to get a hamburger.

This is exit 9A of Interstate 70, just east of the 81/70 intersection close to Hagerstown.

One single death brought me here last Monday--Rachel's. I came here to pick up Evelyn Brown, a retired colleague of the Yoders in the work at Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church. She had come from Charleston, S.C.

The Maryland state flag salutes the power of the mega-hamburger joint. We're all looking for some authentication, I guess.

last hurrah of the suitor's coat

Here's me, wearing for the last time what we called my Russian coat, heavy enough to tough out whatever chilly tortures nature had in store for me in New Hampshire or Grantsville.


Bought during my first church job, in Exeter, N.H., at a rummage sale for (do I remember correctly?) $2.50, it saved my life, kind of, during my first, solo trip to Grantsville, New Year's Day, 1977, in a green VW bug with a totally useless heater. In this coat, coasting on a sled on a hill near Mapleshade Farm and probably on Dorsey Hotel Road, Dorcas thought, she tells me now, that maybe things will work out with this guy. I was already hooked.


The rest is history. She was right. I was right. Over 110 trips to western Maryland later, time to junk it. I'll put it on one last time.

The first year we were married, travelling again in the VW with no heater and by now a rust hole in the back floor, this coat helped me survive. At Chambersburg at midnight we stopped at a Howard Johnsons along I 81 and warmed up in the lobby. The graveyard shift clerk was either apprehensive or afraid, but what could she do as we stood over the hot air vent. If I were superstitious I might call the coat a talisman. The coat did hold me when the big moment came--choosing Dorcas.

Actually, it's that beauty by my side that did most of the keeping warm.


After about 15 years of just hanging in the closet, it's time to put it down.

Western Maryland leaves

I won't even tempt you with a single photo here. Just hit the link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lehmangd/GrantsvilleOctober2007