Celebrating Baltimore’s Babe Ruth And The Final All-Star Game At The House He Built

“The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball.”  So said Babe Ruth.  Agree with him or not, I have no doubt that the grand-daddy of home runs is up in the baseball heavens, prepping himself to bid farewell to his iconic home.

Uh-huh. Yankee Stadium is going down and the ensuing countdown - considering the All-Star break typically marks the mid-point of the season - inevitably brings up times of reflection and moments to remember.  While Yankee fans and baseball fans in general might mourn the destruction of the House That Ruth Built, they can take comfort in knowing that just because his stadium is getting bulldozed, the Sultan of Swat isn’t going anywhere - he’ll always be in our hearts. Continue reading Celebrating Baltimore’s Babe Ruth And The Final All-Star Game At The House He Built

Dance, Eat, Play And Plunder In Havre de Grace With The Pirates Of The Chesapeake

Three hundred and seventy-three years ago, or thereabouts, a small ship attempted to trade with Native Americans at Palmer’s Island, now known as Garrett Island, on the Susquehanna River at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. The ship never made it to the island - it was captured in what was dubbed the first act of piracy in Maryland.

 

Several centuries later, the Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House in Havre de Grace is celebrating the history of piracy on the Chesapeake with a Pirate Gala on July 12. Aside from eye patches, peg legs, shoulder-mounted parrots, plank-walking and an unimaginable number of scurvy-mouthed “arghs!,” the event will also feature a reggae band, an auction, food and beverage, a costume contest and a re-created pirate encampment. Continue reading Dance, Eat, Play And Plunder In Havre de Grace With The Pirates Of The Chesapeake

One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out At Ye Olde Ball Game: Vintage Base Ball Club In Havre de Grace Is Looking For Players

It’s our great American pastime. Other sports might be more action-packed, hard-hitting and in-your-face, but there’s just something special about the pace of the game, the crack of the bat and the thrill of a home run.

Nothing symbolizes summertime in America more than the underhanded toss of the pitcher, the smack of the ball into a bare, ungloved hand and the unmistakable colored shield adorning the chest of each “ballist.”

There’s nothing quite like good old fashioned base ball - played 19th century style - and it’s coming soon to a field near you.  Continue reading One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out At Ye Olde Ball Game: Vintage Base Ball Club In Havre de Grace Is Looking For Players

Roam Through Nature/History At Redication of Eden Mill Nature Center and Historic Mill Museum

The land, the water and the wildlife have been there forever, at the confluence of Big Branch and Deer Creek in Pylesville, but the forward-thinking nature center designed to provide environmental education as well as preservation, interpretation and management of the ecological and cultural resources of the site is a relatively recent amenity.

Eden Mill Nature Center and Historic Mill Museum is celebrating 17 years in operation with an open house and rededication party Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eden Mill was once an actual, functioning mill built in the early 1800s. It became a power plant with the rebuilding of its dam in 1917, but functioned as a mill up through the 1960s. Harford County then purchased the land for park property and in 1991 a group of local nature-lovers, led by Frank Marsden formed Eden Mill and began the laborious process of cutting trails through the forest, building a nature center and rehabilitating the historic mill for public display. Continue reading Roam Through Nature/History At Redication of Eden Mill Nature Center and Historic Mill Museum

“Do Not Mourn The Dinosaurs.” Instead, Let’s Try To Avoid Their Fate

Dinosaurs! The name itself infers impending awesomeness. It is derived from the Greek words ‘deinos’ (terrible) and ’saura’ (lizard). Already you know you are in for a show. Where do I find these terribly awesome lizards? Nowhere. You can find bones, fossils, footprints and even coprolites (fossilized poop).

I have been enamored with these ancient creatures as long as I can remember. I was even rewarded for being potty-trained with a trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum to see the bones (I remember that trip clearly, I mean I was 17). I had dinosaur sheets, shirts, and books galore. I also forced my mother to take me to the Maryland Science Center every spring when the animatronic T-Rex came to town. I am even currently reading Stephen Jay Gould’s, Bully for Brontosaurus. Continue reading “Do Not Mourn The Dinosaurs.” Instead, Let’s Try To Avoid Their Fate