July 20, 2012 - Cobb Island, MD to Tangier Island, VA to Solomons, MD

You last heard from us via Melanie, who apparently did not know that what happens at Scuttlebutts stays at Scuttlebutts. How can she send out scuttlebutt about Scuttlebutts?

Since then, we moved down to Point Lookout near the mouth of the Potomac for three nights. The trip was most memorable for the lengthy and heavy thunderstorm that we pushed through. Melanie was there for one night – Bob and Peg for two (see pic). We really enjoyed spending time with them, but like everyone who shows up with a car, we also ended up in extra debt. Debi developed a sudden and severe case of sciatica. Her responsive doc was able to call in some prescriptions to the closest drugstore (about 15 miles), but we would have been out of luck without access to their car. Her leg is getting better every day – she rode a bike today.

When Bob and Peg left on Monday, we were without guests for the first time since July 2. We love all of our guests, but this brief break is also welcome. It will last until tomorrow or Sunday when Marcia arrives.

Two weeks ago we were in the heart of urban life in D.C. – but after leaving Point Lookout, we traveled to the opposite end of the spectrum – the isolated and remote society of Tangier Island. This is a place that is really untouched by many of our modern amenities and no cars (a few trucks). The first internet (still rare there) and TV became available only two years ago – sent by microwave from the shore. It is an island of about 500 residents – all of whom are descendents of the original British settlers hundreds of years ago. The majority of the residents are named Parks, Pruitt, Crockett and a few others – just a few family trees for the whole island. Their dialect sounds like a twisted British, but unlike anything else you’ve ever heard. They have one school, K-12, and graduated a large senior class this year – 3.

The island is marsh, beach, canals and a little land. It’s sort of like Venice meets Appalachia on the marshlands of south Georgia. We stayed at the only “marina” – a couple of docks on the main canal owned by 81-year-old Milton Parks – an ex-crabber who lives at the docks and can still tell quite a story or two. We were surrounded by fishermen – this is virtually the one and only means of employment on the island. Working fishing boats rushed by at all hours of the day and night – many go out at 3 a.m. All of the “driveways” on the canal were slips – and the “garages” were the little sheds built on pilings over the water – where the fishermen more or less live in between their shifts – little man caves over water. There are open-air structures holding tanks with water running through them non-stop. This is where crabs are held until they molt – this being “the soft-shell crab capital of the world.” We had some at the restaurant run by the fishermen’s wives – fresh that day and delicious.

We made friends with fellow visitors Marshall and Patty. Marshall ended up helping Debi and I learn some more secrets of boat maintenance down in our engine room - valuable lessons.

We left yesterday morning for neighboring Smith Island - a very similar civilization and economy (at one point islands were joined). When we arrived, there appeared to be no reasonable deep place to dock at the "marina" (again, a couple of short docks in front of someone's house). So we docked temporarily next door and I went knocking on the door of our marina hosts. Pam came to her door in her t-shirt and boxers apologizing for oversleeping (10 a.m.) and for the abnormally low tides - there was really no place to stay.

So we moved on to Solomons MD - a place with all of the comforts of modern society, for better or worse. It was a little embarrassing to realize how much we missed phone and internet for 48 hours. But as Debi points out, we are still running two businesses from a distance - so I guess it makes sense that we need these things. Last night we biked to a brewpub that could have been in suburbia anywhere - and met a jazz singer who is performing at the bar/restaurant right next to our boat on Saturday.

Today is a scary day. Debi says she's about to give me a haircut - something she claims she did 20 years ago or so, but....options are limited.

Below is the rainbow after the storm in Point Lookout - and the sunrise the next morning as we left for Tangier Island.

Hope to see many of you during our visit to Atlanta next week!

J&D