Archive for May, 2019

“Art & Music on the Farm” 2019 – A Huge Success ! Again !

Thursday, May 30th, 2019

DSC_5442From traditional music rooted in rural Virginia to art in many forms and mediums, from Hog Island fig trees to twirling wind whirligigs, the Barrier Island Center and Museum’s annual bash, “Art & Music on the Farm”, was an exceptional event ! As always ! Even the weather could not have been better – – breezy, blue skies and mild temps conspired to make last Saturday a perfect day for an outdoor festival. This annual Machipongo event is one of the largest art/artisan festivals on the entire Shore, offering something for everyone. Dozens of little white tents filled with amazing decoy carvings, Windsor chairs, sculptures, bronze work, ceramics, plants and garden art, stuffed animals and children’s books, paintings in oil, watercolor and acrylic mediums, hand-crafted wood pieces, pottery and so much more were on offer for the numerous enthusiastic attendees. For animal lovers, 2 rare Hog Island sheep from Island View Farm were on hand, sweet woolly characters, Opal, and her week-old baby, Beep-Beep, wowed the crowd. Plus there was toe-tapping live music ! And lush Chatham Vineyard wines !

Of course, all that walking, talking and shopping was bound to work up some serious appetites. Fortunately, delicious aromas floated everywhere, originating fromDSC_5573 vendors like Kitchen Sync, with fresh strawberries in cream, shrimp orzo and chicken salad on its savory bill of fare. Around the corner, while Gordos Food Truck was wowing the crowd with tacos and gorditas, Cape Charles Lion’s Club was rapidly turning out burgers and crab cakes. Over at the Kielbasa tent, grilling was amped up to a fast pace to keep up with demand, their mouthwatering subs pairing well with ice cold liquids from the adjacent Beer Garden. For those craving a little caffeine, Coastal Roasting had its famous Marsh Mud iced coffee and fruity iced teas ready to pour. Plus their beautiful new custom ceramic coffee mugs were available to add a little pop of color and pizzazz while sitting on the porch enjoying your morning Joe.

DSC_5559For many, the music was unquestionably the highlight of the day. From 11 am till closing, over on the main stage 4 talented groups performed throughout the day. Adjacent to the stage, a tiny dance floor was in place for those who might want to accompany the lively music with a little free style dance. Fortunately, local clogging enthusiast Bill McLaughlin was on hand – he and several energetic youngsters added some impromptu entertainment with their spirited flatfooting. Toe-tapping and delightful, rooted in the genres of old time rural Virginia bluegrass and country, with styles and traditions that go way, way back, the music absolutely captivated the audience. In the Education Building, various Musician’s Work Shops were held- although we didn’t make it to any, they were likened to being “on the porch of the Floyd General Store during Floydfest – but right here on the Eastern Shore”. All in all, simply a terrific day, filled to its fresh, breezy brim with beautiful art, delicious food and timeless music. In short, another wonderful Art & Music on the Farm ! And hats off to all the volunteers, vendors and sponsors who make this fabulous event possible each year – thank you !

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE ! CAPE CHARLES FARMER’S MARKET SEASON 4 NOW OFFICIALLY OPEN

Friday, May 24th, 2019

DSC_5415How delightful it was to once again be able to look forward to Tuesday afternoons from 3-6 pm, May to October, as that special time each week to be able slip into the Cape Charles Farmer’s Market and stock up on super-fresh goodies. Rain or shine, hot or cold, our favorite vendors will be there with our old favorites plus new offerings, always something special to try.

On Tuesday, for those looking for veggies, Copper Cricket and Perennial Roots had plenty of just-picked DSC_5325selections on hand. Into our basket went some sweet May peas, peppery white radishes, lovely fresh scallions plus a tray of beautiful brown eggs. Fresher-than-fresh, tender asparagus was on offer from Pickett’s Harbor Farm, definitely couldn’t resist that, so great in an omelette or quiche. Further down the line, the Honey Guy from Eastville was ready for his customers, offering a sweet smile and even sweeter local honey from his busy, buzzy bees.

On the flip side of sweetness was the Horseradish Lady, whose creamed horseradish stood ready to make the ideal spicy cocktail sauce, perfect for the crab cakes and clams being sold at the Edward’s Seafood tent. Further down the line, Kitchen Sync was ready with freshly prepared ready-to-eat-good-food which can also be ordered for pickup at a later date at the Eastville Inn. So into our basket popped some chicken salad – – it was delish on toast for lunch on Wednesday.

Beauty got double billing in flowers with gorgeous offerings from the ever-popular Chatham Flower Farm ( keep an eye on their Facebook page for ticket availability to their amazing “Farm to Table” benefit dinner) as well as a colorful display from the Blooming Farmer. Nothing like a lovely bouquet to cheer up any room in the house ! Snagged a jar of bath salts with dried flowers for a friend, both beautiful and aromatic, a nice little gift. So many interesting items on offer from other local vendors including handmade cutting boards, intricately woven macrame, artful hand towels from She Seeks Wool and much more.

So don’t forget to mark your calendar. When the clock strikes 3pm on Tuesdays, it’s time to grab your basket and head over to the Cape Charles Farmer’s Market located on the grounds of the Museum on Stone Road. What a fantastic opportunity each week from now until October to buy fresh, buy local, buy delicious and nutritious ! LOVE it !

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This stunning custom bayfront Coastal Living Idea Home, nestled on over six acres, is top of the line inside & out!

Friday, May 17th, 2019

CG1_9138This home offers all the bells & whistles for the most discerning buyer. Dramatic entry foyer with vaulted ceilings, welcomes you into the heart of the home featuring a huge open great room, dining area, gourmet kitchen, and two master suites. The impressive custom window package brings the outside in and allows for dramatic views of the deep blue colors of the Chesapeake Bay. This home is practically maintenance free allowing for more fun in the sun. Full length porches & decks provide lots of entertaining area for both intimate and large get-togethers. 1 bdrm apartment w/wraparound decking & exquisite bayviews means your guests may never want to leave. A STEAL AT $965,000!

 

 

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Head ‘Em Up, Herd ‘Em Out !! Spring 2019 Eastern Shore Trail Ride.

Thursday, May 16th, 2019

DSC_5169A sight one doesn’t often see on Bayside Road in Machipongo are horses on the loose, happily cantering down the center line. So imagine my surprise, when driving to the office last Friday morning, keeping an eye out for any early bird trail riders, I had to come to an abrupt halt as I saw 2 horses, gaily unencumbered by riders, come racing across a farm field. They jumped the ditch just in front of me and continued on down the middle of the road, traveling at a pretty good clip. Fortunately, the driver of a pickup going north jumped out, and with some energetic clapping, yelling and arm waving, got the 2 runaways turned back into the field. As I turned towards the Trail Ride campsite to alert folks, an ATV came racing down Cedar Grove Farm Road, apparently a 2 person posse on the move, ready to round up the renegades. The chase was on, Round 1 of “The People vs. The Horses” and the horses were winning ! Those bad girls were tasting sweet freedom and being captured was not part of their action plan. The posse jumped off the ATV, lead ropes in hand, but every time they got within a 100 feet of the horses, off they galloped ! Stop start, stop start, until herding them with the ATV was obviously the only viable solution to move head ‘em up and move ‘em in ! After 15 minutes of this motorized round- up, the horses got bored with the game and headed back into camp where a very relived owner led them away, scolding softly.

With that, the Spring 2019 Trail Ride got off to a pretty exciting start ! The rest seemed like a pretty normal Station 16 Northampton Fire and Rescue Company DSC_5278sponsored Trail Ride, headquartered at the Smith Farm in Machipongo. Arriving attendees were busily unpacking, lighting fire pits, feeding, grooming and just generally making their horses comfortable after what had been, for many, a long trip to the Eastern Shore. Lots of folks were chatting with friends, getting ready to cook, walking dogs or saddling up for a relaxing ride. So many beautiful horses there, of every color and stripe, even a huge Shropshire draft horse, Devon, who was hanging close to his little buddy Isaac. We also met Callie, a sweet Australian sheep dog, whose grateful owner said that he had rescued her but then she turned around and rescued him right back, staying by his side for months during recuperation after he fell from a ladder and broke his pelvis in 4 places !

DSC_2010The big draw for attendees is the opportunity to soak up the Shore’s relaxing coastal ambiance, exploring winding trails through farm fields, riding along woodlands bordering large waterfront farms, past little freshwater ponds, across cross dams and over roads and out onto sandy Chesapeake Bay beaches, horses splashing enthusiastically through saltwater shallows. Saturday is always the biggest day, offering a long ride followed by a BBQ dinner and Silent Auction put on by the Fire & Rescue Company. And nobody lets some evening rain dampen their spirits, it’s just water going pitter patter on a horse trailer roof. So…. the beat goes on until the next Trail Ride, coming Fall 2019.

 

 

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AND THE WINNERS IN THE BLUE HERON LOVE RUN PRIZE DRAWING ARE ……………..

Thursday, May 2nd, 2019

DSC_5070A big thank-you to Susan Russell from Gull Hummock who helped Blue Heron Realty agent Barrett Cree do the honors in our free drawing. We now have 2 lucky winners ! The beautiful miniature blue heron, carved by talented local artist John Harlow, went to Carol Cargill from Northern Virginia. Carol, who was here in Cape Charles on Saturday, not for the LOVE Run, but for the wedding of her nephew-in-law Mitch Steele, said that she was astonished and delighted to win such a lovely piece of art. The second prize $100 gift certificate to the Oyster Farm Eatery went to Phillip Dail of the Cape Charles Candy Company on Mason Avenue who thought it was a sweet reward, pun intended.

These 2 prizes were part of Blue Heron Realty’s celebration of the 1st Annual LOVE Run whose proceeds will help maintain the LOVE Sign, an incredibly popularDSC_5059 landmark for visitors to pose for pictures. Folks truly love standing on the LOVE, sitting on it, laying on it, straddling it, hanging off it, peeking through it, posing their toddlers on top of it and just generally making it a focal point of thousands of photos every year. So much love for the LOVE equals a lot of wear and tear. So, Annual LOVE Run to the rescue ! Congrats to the 3 winners of the inaugural 5K Run, 1st place Matt Boynton, 2nd place Alan Killebrew and 3rd place Christina Corollo. And kudos to Main Street and all the volunteers, you pulled it off in style ! Blue Heron was delighted to be one of the sponsors of that whole inaugural celebration – – early hour, gale force winds ( well, nearly), purple spray and all !!

 

 

 

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THE 1st ANNUAL CAPE CHARLES LOVE RUN WAS A HUGE SUCCESS !

Thursday, May 2nd, 2019

IMG_7057Even 25 MPH winds couldn’t blow away the festive spirits of the 100 or so competitors in the inaugural LOVE Run held in Cape Charles this morning ! Everyone was in great spirits, further buoyed at the early start hour by hot coffee and some luscious fresh pastries from Coastal Bakery. The very enthusiastic crowd was comprised of folks of all ages, young, seniors, kids, teenagers, parents pushing toddlers in strollers & buggies plus tots on scooters ! It was great ! ( We were delighted to have a son-in-law and 3 grandkids participating in the Run shown in the photo by our literature table.) Ready, set, then GO ! And then they were off, pacing briskly for a 5k Run, starting down Mason Avenue, continuing through town, out to the Oyster Farm, continuing down Washington Avenue, heading to the finish line back at the LOVE sign. 1st place was claimed by Matt Boynton, 2nd place went to Alan Killebrew and the 3rd place winner was Christina Corollo of the newly opened Ambrosia Cafe.

Half the fun for runners was traversing through 4 Color Stations sited along the course, manned by the sponsors of the Run. Blue Heron Realty’s station color was DSC_4977purple and runners dipped, swirled and twirled in the bright lavender mists. ( Completely washable, of course). In fact, getting one’s hair sprayed seemed pretty popular, especially with the kids. Blue Heron Realty Co. was proud to be a Premier Sponsor for the Run. And as part of the celebration for the Run, we included prize drawings for a lovely heron carving by well-known local artist, John Harlow and another drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the Oyster Farm Eatery. (The Winner of each will be announced in a subsequent Facebook post. ) So, a great day for the LOVE sign, made even better by being the opening day of the season for Brown Dog Ice Cream, the perfect spot to revive energies expended in the Run with a yummy dose of chocolate or coffee ice cream.
PS- Giant kudos due to all the volunteers who made this event come off so beautifully ! They did such a terrific job !

 

 

 

 

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