Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Why, Wye, why?

Day 2 of my trip in MD....
Went with Kiera to do horse chores (no, I didn't actually 'do' anything). Met some cute horses and ponies. Also very bravely went into a paddock with two crazy thoroughbreds and did not totally freak out when they freaked out. It was a life or death moment and I handled it very well.

Next, it was decided to explore the Eastern Shore. Unfortunately the weather did not fully cooperate and it was a bit rainy and overcast. Still, it was great to get over to that area of the state and see how Kiera's bridge-a-phobia has improved. She drives over them nicely now, and the one over the bay is frikkin huge! We immediately stopped for lunch in what I like to call "Crab Ghetto." I decided I had to have at least a little bit of crab while I was in MD because, you know, I'm that touristy. A very filling and very good meal of stuffed softshell crab, cole slaw, a bazillion hush puppies, and a cornbread muffin (there might have been something else, too...). I almost didn't finish it, but I soldiered on.

On the way to Wye Angus, we made a detour through Pintail Point properties. Pintail Point Farm is home to some great cows, but also an impressive racing stable and track. Impressive to me, anyway. Also a boatload of ducks. As driver, Kiera was not a fan of the ducks hanging out in the roadway. As we passed a group of mallards and went to the visitor center to turn around, I did a double take as I passed what I thought was a small gazebo. It was actually a bird cage for a peacock and hen.

Next we went to Wye Angus facilities. As most of you know, I'm not the biggest fan of Angus. At least not the black ones. But with the cloudy day lighting, and the super green grass, the black cattle can be picturesque. So I got some great cattle pictures, and also some close-ups of one dumb bunny. Well, maybe not so much dumb as trusting, but.... no, that bunny was dumb.
As we continued to explore the area, we observed some great wildlife, including an osprey who seemed to contemplate attacking the Jetta, and a fox with some tail issues. There was also a gopher-squirrel, which along with the fox, makes me wonder what is up with Wye.

Finally, it was time for the portion of our trip that we relied on an area guidebook. We wanted to see the the old Wye Mill, Wye Church, Wye oak - a 600 year old oak tree - and Orrel's Beaten Biscuits. The old Wye Mill was the first item we saw. About what you'd expect an old grist mill to look like. Then I was in the middle of a great story when Kiera yelled at me for missing Orrel's bakery. But that actually led us to the Old Wye Church. So clearly, I was navigating us properly.

When we turned back around, we slowly drove past Orrel's Bakery, which I don't think is open to the public. At least, it wasn't on that Sunday afternoon. So we drove a little further down the road to check out a curious sight we noticed earlier: a metal fence surrounding a tiny, three foot tall tree. As we got closer, we noticed pieces of stump around the small tree and were stunned to see the remains of the original Wye oak, and its genetic clone. Kiera was pissed.

For anyone keeping track out there, that is the second sight that we have attempted to find and have been sorely disappointed. The first was the world's oldest coral reef, located up in Lake Champlain on one of the islands. Well, according to the Gazetteer. We can't say for sure.
Well, those are basically the highlights of the Day 2 trip. We did manage to get some Beaten Biscuits at a local grocery store, and I enjoyed them. They were, however, nothing like how the guidebook described them. I'm not sure, but I think that book may have gone the way of the trash.

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