Tuesday Morning Ramblings

If you haven't taken a long, winding road trip through Kent County yet this summer, I suggest you get a move on. The crops are very green, there are some magnificent trees and creeks and vistas, eagles are a common sight, and the kudzu is creating huge monuments as it covers everything in its path along Still Pond Creek. Each corner of the county is unique and there is not a bad turn anywhere you go. Quaker Neck, Piney Neck, Still Pond Neck, Gregg Neck. Drive slowly and enjoy the show.

We take our two days off a week very seriously, with Sunday (or RubyDay, as it is known in our household) being a prime eating day. This week the drink of choice was Watermelon Juice - with or without vodka - made by Kevin with the help of a china cap and a big, red Redman watermelon. We first enjoyed this colorful beverage at the beach last week and now we are addicted. I love watermelon anyway, so making it into a drink is not a bad way to inbibe the fruit - summer in a glass personified!

Speaking of drinks, my brother sent me this link for a BLT cocktail that uses bacon infused vodka, tomato water and lettuce ice. Could Kent County be craving a drink like this?

Food wise, Sunday was a big success. We visited Five Rivers Tavern in Betterton for lunch, on our way to Still Pond Creek for a swim for the Ruby. We enjoyed a crabcake sandwich and coconut shrimp at one of their tall tops while we watched other people work for a change. After the swimming and stick retrieving we traveled cross country to Redman's stand on Route 20 to pick up some hot peppers for the pickle we like to make every year, and then headed downtown for coffee at Sam's. Sam's seemed to be pretty much all that was happening in Chestertown on a gorgeous Kent County Sunday afternoon. RubyDay ended with multiple courses at Sushi Yama, a favorite Sunday night dining spot. Highlights were the Beauty Alaska Roll and the ever popular Super White Tuna (also known as escolar).

Andy's - or the lack thereof - is still a big topic these days. We are in the corner with those who don't care who owns the new place, we just want a place to go. We want late night - at least late night Friday - dining, at a bar with decent wine and possibly Guinness on draft. Who doesn't want that? Downtown Chestertown wants a place to hang out, don't they? The hearing for the liquor license change - which I gather was rather contentious - was last week, with a Class B license granted for both places, even though the new LuLu's will be a bar, with no one under 21 admitted...hmm, interesting. We'll see how that works; I know I wouldn't want to monitor the two places. No matter what, we look forward to a re-opening

The start of the school year marks the end of having a busser during the lunch week. We will miss having the help, that is for sure, especially "moi", since that is who will be picking up the slack...

The start of school also marks the ending of summer, which means the season of crabs and corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes and peach pie is waning with it. Luckily we have finally gotten a source for soft shells - we got three dozen more in today - so at least that has been an improvement over last year. The weather this year however, with it's late start at getting summery hot, makes the season seem as though it just got under way. No wonder we like to put up pickles and jams, peaches and cherries - it's one way to carry a little summer into winter!

Okay, I guess I've rambled enough here. Time to do some "real" work!