Christmas in Annapolis

Christmas in Annapolis is an extremely festive and lively time of year. The decorations and lights are up and down every street and on all marinas and boats. Like all towns, it's bright and colorful, but here we also have the history, the Naval Academy and the Bay which makes the town so appealing to those of us who live here ... and so fascinating for the crowds who come from great distances to visit. The churches are filled, the music is everywhere, fireworks fill the night skies and boats sail by aglow with decorations. It's just so very alive ... just one of the many reasons this town has become such a wonderful and popular place to live.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!

Fall in the Harbour

Fall in The Harbour is my favorite season. It's peaceful and quiet, and allows me to spend my spare time walking on the beach collecting beach glass with my two granddaughters. The full moon at night is just spectacular, casting a silvery glow over the bay. It's a reflective time of year as we begin preparing for the holiday season.

Light Parade

Last night Annapolis had its 24th Annual Lights Parade on Spa Creek. It was brisk outside, but 30,000 people came to watch over 50 boats participate. They watched from City Dock, Spa Creek Bridge, Annapolis Yacht Club, Fleet Reserve and side streets to see the glittering boats pass by during the two-hour extravaganza.

The City is festively dressed with trees, lights and ribbons, and downtown is just bustling with activity. We had one Midnight-Madness shopping night, and another one is planned for next week. The stores offer a variety of refrehments, and people obviously love shopping in this warm welcoming "days of old" kind of neighborhood.

Living in a Historic Town is always a wonderful place to visit, but it is at this time of year that those of us who live here realize how grateful we should be to live on the Bay in this wonderful Historic Town and be able to enjoy it every day of the year.
Happy Holidays to All!

Winter in Annapolis

This is the time of year that locals can walk the streets of a "very quiet" town. Restaurants no longer require reservations, and many even offer specials to locals, sidewalks are far from crowded, seeing familiar faces downtown is common and life just moves slower because we are missing our largest support group -- the tourists. The weather is not always cooperative, but enjoying this town without the traffic is something many locals take advantage of, knowing spring will bring the warm temperatures and the crowds that will remain until next winter.

Spring in The Harbour

Spring has arrived in Chesapeake Harbour ... the absolutely most beautiful season we have ... pictures are of view from my deck and one of downtown...and while you are sitting on your deck enjoying the sailing races and great views, our landscaping crew is hard at work behind the scenes.

The Echoes of Carr's Beach

Edgewood Road which brings you into Chesapeake Harbour is in the process of being renamed "Carr's Beach Road", and the City of Annapolis is considering making a five acre parcel of land where Carr's beach was into a memorial park. During the 1950's and early 60's, Anne Arundel County was still segregated. There were only two beaches that Blacks were allowed to use, and they were Carr's Beach and Sparrow's Beach in Annapolis, both located where Chesapeake Harbour stands today.During the week, the beaches were used for friends and families to get together and visit, cook out and swim. On weekends, however, the beaches became the place for people from all over the Baltimore/Washington area. That's when the adults would come to see stars such as Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder and many others. Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., it was show time, and people would pack into the pavilion to listen and dance to the music of Major R&B stars of the day, who's voices and music could be heard throughout the area for miles. There was Little Richard, James Brown, Lloyd Price, Etta James, The Shirelles, The Coasters, The Drifters and Fats Domino, just to name a few. ALL the great names came to Carr's Beach. Over the years, I got to know one of the resident's, Annie Crawford, who resided in the cottages during that era and lived directly behind my condo, and she said they could STILL can hear the music on late Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday morning all summer long ... the music of times gone by; a great era that should be preserved for her and all those who were a part of that great time.