Off to Maryland!

I was up bright and early and waiting In the foyer for Virginia ( new third cousin) and Amy her daughter. They were driving down from Maryland to pick me up and take me back with them to Virginia's home.

Was no problem  recognising each other, (I was the only woman in the foyer lol).

First we were to visit Amy's daughter Meagan in her new military apartment in Mount Vernon, which we did. Although we didn't see her as she was working, but Paul, her super husband was and a big sloppy gorgeous boxer dog.

We continued up to Maryland in pouring rain. The first I've seen since I've been away, apart from half a day of drizzle in Oregon. 

We crossed a beautiful bridge over the Monocacy River and I was cross with myself for not having the camera handy!

The rain had pretty much gone by the time we got to Virginia and Dons home out in the country. I honestly don't know what I was expecting Maryland to be like but it is beautiful. As we look over the cornfields in the distance are the Blue Ridge Mountains and also Camp David. The Appalation trail goes through them. However, plenty of rattlers,other types and bears live there, so I was happy to just look at them from afar.

The road past the house.

Don wanted to go crab picking at dinner time so off we went to Dave and Janes Crab House.

I was taught how to pick it,clean it and which pieces to eat!  We had a big plateful, 12 I think.

They looked dirty because they were covered in a brown mix of salt and seasoning but they were delicious.  Delicious but rich, I could only manage to eat 2.

Don, having a good hammering!

This was my 2nd one!

Back home and after watching tele for a while I took off to my bedroom. I had a choice of bedrooms and I chose this one.  

It was so high I needed the steps to get into it! But so comfortable!

Virginia told me to go and look at the quilts in the other room but I didn't do that until the next day and wished I had chosen that one. It's wonderful. A cupboard full of quilts that Don's mother had collected over the years. I had a look at a couple and the hand quilting was just beautiful.

I've never seen a beautiful bed like this before!

The next morning we had a leisurely coffee on the deck and I sat watching the hummingbirds at the sugar water. I hadn't got the camera with me so didn't get the birds in flight but later got this one sitting in the tree.

Loads of buzzards about as well.

The family were coming to lunch, it was a birthday and anniversary get together there have been and will be many over the next month. There were 20+ of us and there was plenty of food, plenty of kids and plenty of noise! Wonderful. I met Barbara who brought me a lovely gift of handmade soap and a herb tag with a brooch on it. Barbara runs a herb business with her husband. People over here have just been so kind.

Just as it had all quietened down Mary Ann phoned and invited us down to there place just down the road so I could see her quilts.  She was going to take us out visiting fabric shops and her Menonnite friend was going to show us how they make the quilts. However, her aunt died and she had to call the trip off.  So off we went down and this is where she does all of her work. Fabulous place, has a wood burning stove, a bathroom, sink etc all to herself to do her work! She does all sorts of crafts as well.

This is Mary Ann and Otis. A lot of land all around.

We were there for a couple of hours, coffee, cake, biscuits with cheese and the offer of a turkey sandwich!  We had a really good laugh and I suddenly thought how great is this  I have met a lot of people in the past 5 weeks but not had a really good laugh until I came to Maryland. Don has a really infectious laugh.

Mary Ann's quilts were amazing and she has been making them less than 10 years.

A great end to a great day!