There and Here

THERE

Today I took a guided driving tour up Route 9. We met at St. Jones Reserve south of Dover and made our first stop at a Delaware fish and wildlife office at Little Creek. Those folks stock the ponds and rivers and test waters from Cape Henlopen and on up the Delaware Bay. All of these towns along the Bay were once thriving ports and/or fishing areas for oysters, crabs, clams and muskrats. In the early part of the century, muskrats were so plentiful and sought after that many along the bay made fortunes. As you drive along Rte. 9 you can see hundreds of muskrat mounds. Our next stop was in Leipsic, a once thriving town and home to many waterman. We talked to two such men outside the local fire house. For me, that was the most interesting part of the trip; to hear their stories of life on the water, then and now. If anyone would like to know more about the life of these historically important, hardworking people, check out the book, Beautiful Swimmers, by William W. Werner. It is about watermen on the Chesapeake Bay and a favorite of mine.
After Leipsic we drove to Port Penn, yet another once lively town along the Bay. In a small museum we saw relics from the early days of settlement there, along with some information from the curator. Another stop was to visit with two farmers who have farmed in Delaware for over 50 years. Due to time constraints we had to miss a couple of other sites. It was agreed that the trip was a success and that another trip to see the sights we missed would be fun. Not to mention that the weather was perfect for viewing occasional wildlife along the way.

HERE

I stopped by the house on the way back from the tour to find the house has windows! I would have taken more photos, but my cell phone and camera batteries quit this afternoon and the car chargers were back in my room. I did manage to get these two. After each one, the camera shut itself off. After the second photo, the camera closed and refused to take another shot.