Editor’s Letter James

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How’s your summer been? Not quite as normal as we all hoped by now. Am I right?

T H E R E A R E S I G N S O F L I F E T H O U G H … O F

COMING OUT OF THIS…WELL, YOU KNOW.

So we’ve reached the hot, humid dog days of what some consider the best season in the Bay region. The season of pool parties, boating, beach trips, and strolls downtown with an ice cream cone in hand, which we’re sort of enjoying…carefully…cautiously (at least, I hope you are). Of course, there’s usually many more activities filling our calendars—concerts, festivals, and feasts to name a few—that, unfortunately aren’t on the bill this summer. As much as that’s a shame, I hope you, like me, have plunged into rediscovery. The rediscovery of, perhaps, a long forgotten hobby or interest. The rediscovery of a once-favorite park or hiking trail. The rediscovery of exercise (I know I could do a bit more after quarantining). The world is your oyster, after all. (And that’ll be the first and last time I use that idiom, much as it rings true so very often.)

Here, in Chesapeake country, we love our fishing, crabbing, cooking it all up, and all manner of waterfront dining and lifestyle. Thank goodness, we still have that. And we can even dock beside our favorite watering holes that dot the bay and the rivers, for a cold drink and some crab pickin.’ That is, if catching ’em ourselves didn’t pan out so well. And so, for me, my rediscovery has been fishing—a passion of mine developed decades ago that took a back seat to parenthood in more recent years. Over the years I’ve been a lucky dog, having fished several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, the cool running rivers that snake through Kodiak Island in Alaska, and, of course the Chesapeake wide over. But my new favorite honey hole?

The end of my street, where the road meets the river.

Having the good fortune of living along the Severn River coupled with working from home lately, has afforded me the opportunity to wet the line early in the morning (I’m talking 5:30 a.m. to rise) and late in the evening, ’til dusk saunters into the night. Some outings have been spectacular; others, duds. But, I’ve been having consistent luck and keeping some of what I catch. In fact, when the white perch bite has been on (god bless those little suckers for an in-line spinner bait), I come home with enough keepers for dinner. My daughter even caught her very first fish, a keeper at that. So, my family has been eating a lot of fish this summer.

Fish fry, fish tacos, fish filets sautéed with butter and Old Bay seasoning. Dang! I sound an awful lot like Forest Gump’s combat buddy Bubba, when he rattled off dozens of shrimp dishes, in the famed 1994 movie. But I digress.

Point is, we’re a lucky bunch in many ways, not the least of which is figuring out the many unique ways to enjoy Mother Nature, her bounty, and, along the way, the company of close ones—our family and friends. Speaking for myself (and hopefully others), I’ve really come to appreciate all that we have…right here…in and around Annapolis, on the Shore (I love fishing Unicorn Lake in Millington for bass), and throughout our counties—each one with its hallmark landscapes, trails, waterways, and such. There’s good exploration beyond our front doors. I think many of us have renewed that sense of James Houck, discovery, and brought along Editorial Director our family members and closest friends. And if you, or they, couldn’t make the trip… there’s always…vicarious living through Instagram.

To tight lines and rediscovery,