heading north on the 301 towards the DMB (del. memorial bridge)
i almost drove past the tuckahoe steam & gas association's annual steam and tractor pull event. BUT this was an event not to miss, chock full of steamers - antique and new, tractors, trainlovers, trainriders, snocones, funnel cakes, and your reccomended monthly intake of odd balls and spectacular local southern farming folk.

i rolled into the steam & gas event about 11am, and right then was the big Antique Tractor Pull. phew, let me tell you what an event that was! "by-golly" brian, the announcer, said over the loudspeaker, "the winner pulled over 311 feet on a tractor over 100 years old".

nothing like hot humid days and dusty steam engines to get my appetite going. at high noon the whistle blew for lunch, i grabbed a watermellon snocone and strolled around the grounds meeting people and talking steam engines. fun conversations and interesting people, i'll be back again.

it was about 1.30pm, a cooler full of crabs and friends in brooklyn awaiting, i regretfully pushed on. i could have stayed at the steam show and tractor pull for days. but now i was brooklyn bound with live crabs in tow, crabs legs, crab meat for crab tacos, old bay seasoning, white corn, cheesy maryland biscuits, yellow watermellon, juicy peaches and bunches of other tasty treats. i arrived Carroll Gardens and about an hour later we were feasting Maryland Style in Brooklyn. oh, What a feast it was!!!

a Maryland style crab feast in carroll gardens

have you ever tried yellow watermellon?

July 4th weekend was spent relaxing the bus away.

i headed down to the Eastern Shore of the chesapeake bay in Maryland, about a 3 1/2 hour ride from nyc. take the NJ turnpike south and then hug the interior maryland coastline south. until you hit bunny lane.

my parents just purchased a lovely house located in the northern chesapeake bay watershed with a dock. the house is completly empty, with the exception of my sisters furniture. dad and i spent the weekend tearing down ugly built-in furniture and attempted to figure out where each wire / cable / gas line went, a truly daunting task.

last night was a huge 'old bay seasoning' crab and shrimp fest, complete with hush puppies, crab soup, corn and so much more. then we watched the sky light up and the fireworks from a distance. happy july 4th america!

now i'm just resting away a nagging sour throat that won't go away and catching up on much needed rest and quite time. Returning to the city: TBD

the new shore house on the intercoastal leading to the ocean.

dad freezing and mom with a sourpuss, on the dock at night on july 4th .

bunny lane sunset