Mid-Shore Life

by Mary McCarthy

On my regular humor blog, www.pajamasandcoffee.com, I made a very small mention about how, when I was a kid, you used to be able to buy Jelly-Filled Munchkins. The internet and twitter and social media being what they are, SOMEHOW the CEO of Dunkin Donuts got ahold of it, sent me a tweet on twitter, and before I knew it, I found jelly-filled Munchkins have been added to our local DD! The first batch were AMAZING, very jelly-y, but the ones I bought last weekend had like hardly any jelly inside. Careful, DD, me and Dunkin Dave are tight now and I will rat you guys out if you get cheap on me!

The former Hayden’s Alley, which was opened-then-closed by Just Plain Joe’s and has been sitting empty for months and months is A-BUZZ with activity! How exciting is THAT?! When the “Coming Soon” sign went up I was so excited! You know what I miss the most? The little upstairs room that overlooks the courthouse (plus, unfortunately the UGLY POWER LINES that need to be BURIED when the state rips up the road again!). As a writer (and former council member), that spot was always one of my faves to hang out with a latte and a laptop. So, I hope the new shop still has that upstairs room open. I will post more details here when I know them- stay tuned!

by Mary McCarthy

If you frequent downtown Centreville, you've probably seen him. At first, he appears to be walking beside his owner but soon you notice him jump vertically into the air. Vertically...as in STRAIGHT UP!

This aerial canine is known as Jumping Jack, owned by the Gearharts on Chesterfield Avenue (he's shown in the pictures with his mom Trish). Believe it or not, he's 4 years old. The family adopted him to join their other dog Molly, a cocker spaniel, from the Caroline County Humane Society. What kind of breed is he?

Owner Paul says,

"People often ask or try to guess what kind of dog he is.  He obviovously has some terrier in him.  Maybe some aikido too because of his curved tail.  We often tell stories about our mix breed dogs and for jack we often use the Jumping Japanese Terrier story.   They are quite rare because during the famine many of them were eaten, however Zen Monks took the breed in and some have survived to this day!  Most people have never seen one."

Kids in town love Jumping Jack. They always ask why he jumps. Paul says,
"The jumping is something that he has always done and we don't know why.  Why do teen age boys jump up and down on their skateboards?  It is the same maybe for Jack the Jumping Dog of Centreville."

Well it's no doubt that Jack is quickly become the energetic mascot of downtown Centreville; he brings a smile to all who see him.

Jump on , Jack!

Good Dogs aren't born - they're Trained!

by Cyndi Paxton Johnson

with special thanks to Dan Salb of Dan's Elite Dog Training

In April we adopted a young black lab that had been rescued from a kill shelter in Georgia. Instantly our somewhat chaotic household was immersed in constant insanity - the dogs fought, the cats hissed, the children screamed, and the young male dog was a force in motion - constantly chewing, jumping, biting, destroying, etc. Even our animal-crazed children begged us to get rid of him. He was, quite frankly, the canine spawn from hell.

In desperation I emailed several dog training groups around the Mid Shore. I've trained dogs before, but had never encountered a Beast such as this. I was concerned about joining a "rewards only" dog training class. Even with smaller, calmer dogs I've always had the best results from a combination of rewards and a properly used choke chain collar. But nothing in my past prepared me for this unmanageable, wild beast. We had just about admitted defeat and were prepared to return him when I spoke with Dan Salb from Dan's Elite Dog Training in Easton.  Dan was confident that our Beast could be trained - and guaranteed that, if we followed his program, our dog would be OFF-LEASH reliable at the end of the 10 week training program.  He sounded so confident that I instantly felt better - the feelings of hopelessness and defeat were GONE.  We had a plan!

I was very encouraged following our first class - I could already see a difference with his behavior outside, on leash. Unfortunately that didn't address his MULTITUDE of problems indoors. I was told to keep him crated unless I could devote my time to him, and to return him to the crate if he became unmanageable.  He spent a LOT of time in that crate. (and yes, I felt guilty about that!)

by Susanne Sparks

My mother helped me remember my great-grandfather’s age by telling me he was a year older than the year. Born in 1899, he was wheelchair-bound from a youthful bout with polio by the time I formed any memory of him. He lived until I was in 7^th grade; a greatly revered member of the family. My final memory of him is the most poignant and clear-cut. As we said our good-byes after a brief visit, he took my hand in his and said, “Soon, the boys are going to be taking your hand and saying, ‘May I have this dance?’ ”

Turns out, he was right.

The QAC Fair hosts a Rodeo the final Saturday. Everyone should experience at least ONE rodeo - here's ours!

by Cyndi Paxton Johnson

I live in the country, surrounded by farm animals and miles of corn and soybeans. I lived in New York City for close to a decade, surrounded by concrete, steel and six or seven million people all wanting to live on the same three square miles. For the remaining years I existed in Suburbia, complete with strip malls, parking lots and overprotective mothers. My point being – I have not lived an isolated life – I’ve been around. I didn’t think there was much left on U.S. soil that could surprise me!

And then my family attended our first rodeo.

One Tough ChickenIt has started getting cold here on the shore. (Not as cold as Tok, Alaska, -78F last I heard) It has been getting down into the 20s at night and, of course, we are concerned for the newest members of our family.

This is our first winter with chickens and I have been having nightmares about getting up one morning and finding 8 chicken-sicles hanging upside down from the perch in their chicken coop. Guess what, chickens are a lot tougher than they appear.

We were commenting on the many contrails jets had left over Cambridge Friday night. Then we noticed the circular one highlighted by the sunset - and can't explain it. Even if the pilot had changed his mind and headed back to BWI - how could a jet make such a tight circle? It's a mystery.... But it's a beautiful one! Enjoy!

The Secret is out – and folks are flocking to the mid-shore in record numbers! Why? What’s so great about living in the middle of nowhere?

Well, the answers vary slightly – but the following are ALWAYS at the top of the list:

10. No traffic jams! (assuming you avoid Routes 50 & 404 on weekends)
9. Farm fresh foods and great restaurants!
8. Less than 2 hours from DC and Baltimore!
7. Friendly neighbors!
6. Biking and running on country roads!
5. Centrally located: an easy drive to Rehoboth, Ocean City, Salisbury, Dover, Newark
and Annapolis!

What is it?

By: John K Johnson

I can tell you that this is not an alien torture device, other than that you are on your own.

Do you know what it is and where it is?

Add a comment to tell us what you think.