The Oyster Festival is more than just oyster shucking; it's a cornucopia of good eats!  There's pit beef, chicken and ham, barbecued beef, pork, ribs and chicken, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, crab soup, crab cakes, steamed shrimp and, of course, oysters just about every way imaginable!  That includes scalded, on the half shell, fried, grilled and in shooters.

The event is dog-friendly and family-friendly.  There's soda, hot chocolate and coffee as well as livelier spirits for the over-21 crowd.

I hope to see you at my FAVORITE fall festival in Southern Maryland!

Let me know if you have ever heard of any of these people before. Some are complete strangers. Quite a few have come before the board for one thing or another and haven't gotten their way and are now running. Others are just…you've go to be kidding me

Ready Willing and Abell

A committee was comprised of county residents, staff, and students to review the submitted suggestions. The committee came before the board on June 28, 2010 and presented their unanimous top three suggestions in no particular order.

-Zekiah
-St. Charles
-Lagrange Point

Other suggestions submitted to the committee are listed at Ready Willing and Abell

SUNSET CONCERT FESTIVAL AND FARMERS’ MARKET CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING THIS FRIDAY; MUSIC, FOOD, ART DISPLAYS, classic cars AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

SAINT CHARLES, MD.— The Sunset Concert Festival and Farmers’ Market will celebrate its grand opening this Friday at O’Donnell Lake in Saint Charles, featuring a performance  by the local bluegrass band the Port Tobacco Pickers. The event kicks off at 4 p.m., and the concert starts at 7 p.m. All events are weather permitting.

            Classic cars, cartoon superheroes, and Pinch from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will be on hand, and Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza restaurant will be distributing dessert samples from their delicious menu. Various local artists will have their works on display and for sale at booths along the boardwalk, and their will be performances by local dancers from The Studio Cooperative, a Saint Charles-based business whose instructors and staff provide a safe, modern and clean facility for the study of Ballet, Pilates, and Yoga.

            “From local farmers to local artists to local entertainment, the Sunset Concert Festival is designed to celebrate the best of Southern Maryland,” said Craig Renner, vice president for community and public affairs. “For several weeks people have been enjoying the market and the concerts, and this event will make more people realize that the best way to start their weekend is at the Sunset Concert Festival.”

                This week’s featured band is the Port Tobacco Pickers. According to their website, ”the Port Tobacco Pickers (are) a seven piece bluegrass band, with a twist, that hails from Southern Maryland. Sets with this band cover traditional bluegrass favorites as well as the Southern rock standard, an Irish whiskey tune, and train songs both familiar and old. Three finger banjo picking, mandolin tremolos and runs, and acoustic guitar form the backbone, backed up by a pulsing electric bass, bass dulcimer, and twelve-string guitar, all punctuated with melodic flute leads. With their eclectic instruments, and twists on even the old standards, the energy of this down-home group is sure to entertain and keep the audience on its toes.” For more information on the band visit http://www.ptpickers.com or visit them on Facebook.

            The Sunset Concert Festival and Farmers’ Market will be held every Friday through Labor Day weekend. The farmer’s market, featuring locally-grown produce from farmers around Southern Maryland, is open every Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Concerts begin at 7 p.m. O’Donnell Lake is at the intersection of Saint Patrick’s Drive and Smallwood Drive in Saint Charles, and includes Boston’s restaurant and the brand new Hilton Garden Inn.

            The Sunset Concert Festival is a summer-long arts festival sponsored by Saint Charles,, the Charles County Arts Alliance, and the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. Featuring a variety of local artists and musical genres, the concerts are being held every Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. through Labor Day weekend. 

For more information, visit us on Facebook at Sunset Concert Series.

            Bands perform in the promenade area of the boardwalk, which is in the center of the property. Plenty of free parking is available, and concert goers are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs for seating. Coolers are permitted, but alcohol and glass containers are not permitted. Concerts will end at dusk, and all performances are free and open to the public. The O’Donnell Lake Restaurant Park is located at the intersections of Saint Patrick’s Drive and Smallwood Drive West in Saint Charles, across from the movie theater and the Saint Charles Towne Center.

            For more information call Craig Renner at 301-843-8600, ext. 5211 or via email at crenner@acptruSaintcom

Directions: From Route 301, turn onto Smallwood Drive WeSaint Go through two lights, and O’Donnell Lake will be on your right, just past Sears Automotive. For directions using internet-based map programs, use the address 10440 O’Donnell Place.

I have been quiet around here lately, but I am thinking of other ways this site could be used, for good and humor maybe.  Politics is ok, but I don't want that to be all this site is about.  Some of the sites I was lumped in with had folks running them and frequenting them who I just had a hard time tolerating.  All of the arguing was burning me out.  Ol' Brucy boy is just scary to me – what with that stuff he wrote on DD a while ago about having guns all over his house – Tracy do you remember that?  Somebody sent me the link to that and was like, WTF!?!?  Then there are the things he has written about gays – it freaked me out, I'll be honest.  He probably really enjoys knowing that.  Well, how sweet is your victory, Bruce?  You are scary to me (well not JUST me.)  WOO HOO YOU WIN!!!  Win what?  I dunno – whatever scary people win when they scare somebody.

Then there is Phil Coons – oh, excuse me – PhiLIP Coons.  I still don't really know what the deal with that dude is.  I never did anything to him.   I do owe it to Phil for inviting me to write on his site, then locking  me out, without warning, because now I'm totally cool with it.  In fact, ol' Phil boy, I owe you a thank you.  It worked out fine because when stuff like that happens I just get mad – then I figure out how to deal with it.  That was how this site was born.

Then there was WMD, who sometimes had a good point, but mostly was offensive.  He actually taught me something about myself.  Sometimes his anger in his crusades reminded me of anger in my own crusades.  There is a lot of stuff that is fucked up in this world and being angry all the time won't fix it.  You actually have to DO SOMETHING about things.

Anyway – once things slow down – since my last post my dog got hit by a car, I got separated from my husband and I am helping organize an artist's market, along with doing my work.  So, right now, things are busy, but I will try to keep you up to date on cool summer stuff that is happening. 

The doggy is ok, by the way.  She had a deep puncture wound and had to have surgery.  The dude who hit her, didn't stop.

First, they banned texting and driving.  Now, they are banning hand-held cell phone conversations while driving.  What the heck are they doing?  Trying to make us pay attention to the ROAD?  How boring!  (Yes, that's sarcasm.)

Md. lawmakers ban hand-held phones while driving

By BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press Writer

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Maryland drivers will have to use handsfree devices to talk on cell phones while driving under legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly on Friday.

The House of Delegates voted 125-14 to pass a measure already approved by the Senate, sending the legislation to Gov. Martin O'Malley who plans to sign the bill.

Drivers will only be able to use their hands to turn a phone on and off, under the legislation. They also will not be allowed to hold a cell phone during the conversation while driving.

Drivers could be fined $40 for first violations, but could only be pulled over if they are committing another offense as well, such as running a stop light. (read more)

This morning I "became a fan" of the Facebook group "Elect Candice Quinn Kelly" and upon seeing this my friend Brian  (Shedman here on the cafe) asked, "Is she a Democrat now?"

Hey Brian, were you saying I would only support a dem?  Hmmmm?

Anyway, there was then some discussion about why she changed parties. 

Did she change parties simply because being elected as a dem is much easier in Chuck County? 

I don't know.  And I don't know if that matters as long as she says what she plans on doing, it's the truth and then she does it. She may be a very conservative D or a very liberal R. In which case, it's smart to register as a D if she still aligns with D values, but can't get elected as an R around here. Makes sense. I am not totally a D even though I am quite liberal. It's not her fault it's a two party system – that is just the way it is.

"It's a two party system."

Sure, only a "dusting" is predicted, but that never stopped our area's residents from crowding grocery stores and driving like idiots.

Dusting of snow predicted for Metro area

WASHINGTON – A "southern storm" is expected to dust the Washington metro area with an inch or two of snow.Charles County Public Schools and St. Mary's County Public Schools have already decided to cancel events and activities this weekend. For a complete list of closings and delays, click here.

"I think we'll see some snow developing before sunrise tomorrow," says Channel 7 Meteorologist Doug Hill.

"The guessing game continues here with how much snow we're going to get," he says. "This is going to be a bigger storm south of here."  (read more)

Spa with prostitution shut down in Charles Co.

I know that this is not the reaction that this gentleman intended, but now I wonder how the average child in Pennsylvania is treated. (read more)

But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.

Watermen Fight to Protect Oyster Harvesting Techniques

By JENNIFER HLAD

ANNAPOLIS (Jan. 20, 2010) – More than 150 watermen took a day off from the water Tuesday to protest a proposed oyster restoration plan and support a bill they say will help them hang on to their livelihood.

The bill would protect the watermen's right to use certain equipment and techniques — power dredging and patent tongs — to harvest oysters. The areas where oystermen can use that equipment is already limited, and the bill would prevent the state from further restrictions.

"We see this as a preemptive bill," said Sen. Richard F. Colburn, R-Caroline, who sponsored the bill and introduced it Tuesday in the Senate's Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Watermen also say their ability to harvest oysters is threatened by Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan.

The 10-point plan includes increasing oyster sanctuaries from 9 percent of the current habitat to about 25 percent, leaving less area for struggling oystermen to harvest. Watermen worry the state's next step will be to ban power dredging and patent tonging all together. (read more)

Poe Toaster is 'Nevermore'

No gift of cognac and roses left at poet's grave, ending decades-long tradition

By Liz F. Kay | liz.kay@baltsun.com Baltimore Sun reporter

A longtime tribute to Edgar Allan Poe may have come to an end with the absence of the "Poe Toaster," who for more than half a century has marked the poet's birthday by laying roses and a bottle of cognac at his original grave site.

This is the first time since Jan. 19, 1949 that the person, whose identity is unknown, failed to arrive, said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Edgar Allan Poe House. [...]

The curator was surprised that there was no indication that the toaster would be nevermore. "You would have thought he would have left a note saying it's over," Jerome said, since the toaster has left notes at the grave site before.  (read more)

Of course, marrying for love is the real reason to put a ring on it, but this news doesn't hurt.

Report: More men get economic boost from marriage

By DAVID CRARY, AP National WriterNEW YORK (AP) – Historically, marriage was the surest route to financial security for women. Nowadays it's men who are increasingly getting the biggest economic boost from tying the knot, according to a new analysis of census data.

The changes, summarized in a Pew Research Center report being released Tuesday, reflect the proliferation of working wives over the past 40 years _ a period in which American women outpaced men in both education and earnings growth. A larger share of today's men, compared with their 1970 counterparts, are married to women whose education and income exceed their own, and a larger share of women are married to men with less education and income. (read more)

Merida, Venezuela – You might imagine that the shop selling the largest number of ice-cream flavours in the world would be in Italy or perhaps the US, but in fact it is in the Venezuelan city of Merida, as Will Grant discovered. After looking in the windows of a couple of ice-cream parlours but finding nothing more exciting inside than strawberry and vanilla, we eventually find Coromoto, opposite a church. The neon sign outside, with the words “Guinness Book of Records” written in pink, is an instant give-away but, once through the doors, it becomes even clearer that this is the place. The selection includes chilli, tomato, gherkin, onion, mushrooms in wine, garlic, and cream of crab.  

READ MORE HERE