My Hometown

One of the biggest advantages to being (hopefully, temporarily) unemployed is having the ability to fully experience my community. Deale, for those of you who have not been here, is really more a village than a town. Nearly all the businesses are locally owned and there are only few franchises such as 7-Eleven and Subway. We have our own public library, a post office, several banks and some nice cafe’s and restaurants; no fancy cuisine, but good basic food. Charter fishing and the boating industry in general, are the reason that a lot of people come to Deale. On the weekends, the parade of charter boats files down the creek navigating the narrow channel to the Chesapeake Bay. The water is not deep and more than once, we have passed a boater “grounded” in the shallows just a few feet from the channel markers. We have water all around us and it is bustling with activity at this time of year.

This aerial photo shows Deale bordered by creeks and the Chesapeake Bay. Farmland and fields cover the inland hillsides.

I have been riding my bike several times a week. Today I rode up the hill, away from Deale, and explored the winding roads that are lined with farms and simple frame houses. A good 10 mile ride by the time I got home, and I was ready to take a little break!

Our backyard is an “oasis” as a friend of mine commented recently. Bordered by very large trees, our neighbor has a great old barnwood shed with a rusty roof that creates a backdrop for the view out back. The shed, so it seems, is the home of another community of sorts. Woodchucks. Plural. We have had a woodchuck visit our yard every year around this time. I had been fearful that our garage floor would collapse from the tunnels underneath and I convinced my long-suffering partner to try to help me eradicate the creature. Well, we’ve been here 16 years and so has Chuckie. Well maybe Chuckie or Chuckie Jr.. How long is the lifespan of a woodchuck? Today, I was introduced to Chuckie’s family. I hope it was the WHOLE family but, probably not. I watched from inside as two smaller chuckies came out from the hole by the compost pile to enjoy a meal of the mulberries that fall from the tree behind the garage and a third smaller chuck was peering out of the tunnel under the garage! I’m sure they have probably been enjoying the vacant splendor of our backyard all these years while we’ve been at work! Later, as I was explaining all of this to hubby, we looked out to discover that a fifth family member had joined the party. Mulberry dessert at the house behind the shed! I tried to get a picture of the whole family, but the kids were a little shy...

Lest you think I have just been spending my time idly watching woodchucks and going on cross-country bike rides, I applied for my LLC yesterday and am working through the maze of software demo programs to find the right program to use at Second Wind Consignments. I’ve talked with bankers, insurance agents, bookkeepers and attorneys. No, I haven’t committed to a location. I’m sure it will happen when the time is right. Maybe I haven’t found the perfect one yet! Maybe tomorrow....