Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia

Tangier Island, Virginia — This Tiny Island In The Stream Hits The Big Time On ESPN !

September 21st, 2010 by Marlene email

Most people have heard about Tangier Island, Virginia at some point ( the Island has been the subject of various articles now and again) but who could have guessed that Tangier would be the forcus of a national marketing campaign by ESPN ? ? Until now the biggest thing I knew about Tangier is this—it is sooooo small ! Only about a mile wide and two and a half miles long, Tangier Island stands literally in the middle of the stream, the mighty Chesapeake Bay stream, a mere speck on the horizon as you approach it. The approach being strictly by air or by boat because unless you are Johnny Weissmuller redux ( or Michael Phelps ), ain’t no other way to get there since there is no bridge and the nearest land is the Eastern Shore of Virginia, nearly fourteen miles away. This isolation is reflected in the Tangier “dialect” which is a bit of a throwback to Elizabethan English and sometimes can be a little hard to understand, especially the old-timers. ( True story— when we first moved to the Eastern Shore, my husband was having lunch at Paul’s Restaurant , gone now but not forgotten and people still reminisce about Ron and Gerry Crumb’s chocolate cream pies. A group of six older fellows were seated at the table next to him, talking animatedly. The conversation was floating around him and my husband, who is not particularly a language buff, was trying to figure out what language they were speaking. Curiosity finally got him, he leaned over and said ” Excuse me, but what country are you fellows from ? ” They all stared at him and one guy finally said ” Well, matey, what the heck country are YOU from ? ” And that was his introduction to Tangier- style pronunciation of our native tongue. )

Originally settled in the late 1700’s, the Island’s population has shrunk from about 1500 in the early 1900’s to under 600 today and that’s counting every man, woman, child and parakeet. Golf carts, bicycles and feet ( yes, actual walking from place to place on shank’s mare ) are the main forms of island transportation. One place visitors always want to stop at on Tangier Island is the Chesapeake House, a quaint B&B and excellent restaurant serving veritable feasts of crab cakes, crab soup, crab fritters, fried soft shell crabs, Virginia country ham, the best hot yeast rolls ever and other delicious home cooked, mouth-watering foods. Homemade pound cake with strawberries in season, yes, yes, yes. ( www.chesapeakehouse/tangier.com). And, of course, everything crab is so fresh it was probably still swimming around the night before because the seafood business is the main business on Tangier. So, if it’s crab and it’s from Tangier, it has got to be good.

It stands to reason that a person would definitely be ready for a little fun and entertainment after a busy day out on the boat, hauling crab pots in and out of the water, busheling up the catch or a long day in one of the myriad crab houses dotting the harbor, watching for the hard shell crabs to get ready to moult ( the “peelers” ) and then quickly scooping the just “busted-out soft shells” from the water before the new shell can harden, which is a fairly narrow window of time so paying attention is important. After work, it seems that a big part of that fun and entertainment is sports. According to the ESPN3 web page, Tangier has been named the “The Biggest* Sports Town In America” . *Per capita, of course ! Having fun themselves with that theme, ESPN3 just filmed a series of eight commercial spots on Tangier, each featuring various Island residents talking about and cheering for their favorite college football teams. ESPN’s ads, two of which are attached to this blog post , were filmed on Tangier over the course of a week . They are pretty funny ( just watch the crab races ) and down-home authentic, and are scheduled to be streamed on Monday Night Football. Great for ESPN, great for Tangier, a tiny island in the stream which has finally hit the big ESPN time ! Go, Tangier, go ! (And if you love the videos of Tangier and want information on buying real estate on Tangier Island, give Blue Heron Realty Co. a call– we can help you.)

Tags: Eastern Shore Virginia real estate, ESPN ads, Tangier Island Virginia, Tangier Island Virginia real estate
Posted in Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends | No Comments »

The Fun-Filled Cape Charles, Virginia Annual Tomato Festival ! It’s Right Around The Corner, Don’t Miss It !

September 21st, 2010 by Marlene email

Putting on the Ritz at the Tomato Ball

When is the only time of year when dressing up like a tomato is not only acceptable, it’s de rigueur ? Tomato Festival time, of course, that wacky, fun time of year in Cape Charles, Virginia when marinara sauce meets “Beautiful Baby” contest. And where you must wear red ( and preferably a tomato-like Mardi Gras style costume ) in order to get into the annual Tomato Ball. Talk about putting on the Ritz, it’s definitely time to dust off those zippy red slingback heels and get ready to step out with your baby tonight !!

Second only to the fun events scheduled for the 4th of July week-end, Cape Charles’ Tomato Festival week-ends offer a wide variety of events, something for everyone. For art aficionados, there is the Mason Avenue ArtWalk where many of the best artisans on the Eastern Shore of Virginia will have booths to show their latest work. The ArtWalk exhibits in many mediums including watercolors, oils, pottery, mosaics, photography and carvings and features many fine . Several categories will be judged and winners selected by a regionally recognized art professional. ( One of the art booths is always set up outside Blue Heron Realty’s office at 113 Mason Avenue. So if you are thinking about buying real estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, please stop in to say hello and pick up our free property catalogue. )

Into the hole on the next shot

On Friday, September 24th, the 3 rd Annual Cape Charles Open golf tournament will be held at Bay Creek, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the United Way of the Eastern Shore. This event is open to the public and is a great chance for non-member golf enthusiasts to strut their stuff on the incredible Arnold Palmer Signature course, which was designated last year by Golf Digest as one of its “Best Places To Play”. This 7204 yard beautiful waterfront course, with perfectly manicured greens and fairways, is built along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and Old Plantation Creek, a bay inlet. Most golfers say that it’s hard to keep their eyes off the scenery and on the ball, so participants in this event will just have to try to ignore the sparkling waters, soaring ospreys and gorgeous landscaping to focus instead on less interesting matters like stance and swing. A golfer’s life is hard but someone has to do it …..

Marinara Sauce In The Round

For foodies, there are mouth watering tomato pies, bubbling, wonderful fragrant aromas for as far as the nose can smell. I’m sure the local tomato pie champions ( who actually were invited to Washington DC to cater an Inaugural event in 2008 ) will be there, holding forth with their ambrosial offerings. ( If you’ve never had tomato pie, think a perfection blend of tomatos, cheeses, herbs and spices in a rich, rich crust. ) Other food vendors will be there preparing regional specialties plus wine and beer tastings usually are held as well. Definitely no fear of hunger at the Tomato Festival. And of course the week-end “Pizza Train” luncheon ride and evening gourmet dinner trip will be running on the usual schedule, as always, advance tickets required. All aboard, all aboard, train buffs.

Grand Finale And Perfect End To A Fun-filled Day In Historic Cape Charles, Virginia

For kids, special contests and events are scheduled including the always fun Face Painting booth. Also for kids and kids at heart, there will be an antique and classic car show, always a great hit. For the girls there will be a no-swimsuit “Miss Hot Tomato” contest as well as a pre-teen tomato contest. The demands of the baby lobby are covered by the “Beautiful Baby” contest. Last year music lovers were entertained by the Pop, Rhythm and Blues concert featuring Clarance Smith, presented by Art’s Enter at the Palace Theatre. So I think that just about covers everyone — foodies, golfers, music lovers, babies, teens and pre-teens, kids, car enthusiasts, art aficionados, train buffs, tomato costumes, dancing the night away at the Tomato Ball….. is there anything else that can be piled into this fun, wacky, tomato week-end ? Just one more thing ? Yes, of course…. for everyone out there who loves a parade, the Tomato Festival Parade kicks off on Mason Avenue at 10 AM. Last call, anything else ? Yes, the fireworks ! High in the sky above the Cape Charles beach and reflected in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the brilliant flares and ka-booms of the fireworks show brought the 2009 Tomato Festival to a ( http://www.capecharles.biz/fallfestival.html ) to a dramatic close. Yep, with the parade and the fireworks, there truly is something for everyone. So, everyone, remember, it’s coming, it’s right around the corner. Get ready, get set, mark your calenders, it’s tomato time in Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore !

Tags: Arnold Palmer golf course, Cape Charles Art Show, Cape Charles golf tournament, Cape Charles Virginia
Posted in At the Beach, Crafts, Events In Cape Charles, Golf, Just Having Fun, Regional Foods & Wine, The Arts | No Comments »

An Entertaining Lunch On The Island House Veranda In Watchapreague, Virginia

September 18th, 2010 by Marlene email

Crabcakes And A View At The Island House Restaurant In Watchapreague, Virginia

Enjoying a meal at the Island House Restaurant in Watchapreague, Virginia is not merely about the food. Definitely not ! Perched at water’s edge on Finney Creek, a deepwater inlet from the Atlantic Ocean, which languidly winds its way through the emerald green marshes and out to Metompkin Inlet, a trip to the Island House offers a unique little peek into the Seaside on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Watchapreaque itself , now a quiet little residential town with a population of about 300, was the site of the once bustling Hotel Watchapreague, now gone, a well-known resort frequented by all sorts of celebrities in the early 1900’s. Now home to a large private marina with an impressive fleet of charter fishing boats, greater ” downtown” Watchapreague also boasts a town marina, a marine railway and several boat ramps, all catering to those who love the excellent sports fishing and boating nearby.

A Toss Up - Eat Or Launch The Boat ?

Clearly, after a brisk morning out on the water there are going to be some mighty hungry people coming ashore looking for sustenance and who better to provide it than the Island House Restaurant Needless to say, it offers seafood of all kinds but specializes in a fresh catch of the day as well as local crab, oysters and clams. My husband and I especially enjoy their delicious clam chowder and crabcake sandwiches, a perfect lunch harvested from our salty Eastern Shore waters. And what better place to eat it than out on the Island House’s large veranda, watching all the activities going on around us. The restaurant is nestled in between a boat ramp and Watchapreague’s largest marina so there is always lots of interesting stuff happening on all sides. Smaller boats being launched at or being pulled out at the adjacent ramp, little snatches of conversation and laughter floating up, big boats gliding into the marina, people waving and calling out to each other, tides rising and falling, seabirds on the wing trying to catch a little lunch for themselves.

Looking to the horizon, one gets glimpses of Cedar Island, ( part of our off-shore Barrier Island chain, a United Nations Biosphere) and also sightings of what appear to be boats traveling upon the marsh grass itself. They are, of course, moving in the water but because the deep channel winds through large expanses of marsh grass, when boats are landward of Cedar Island, the illusion is created that they are floating upon the grass itself, quite an interesting phenomena . Anyway, there’s always someone or something to see or hear, so definitely lunch at the Island House is quite entertaining as well as tasty.?( http://www.watchapreague.com/theislandhouse.html )

Tags: Eastern Shore Virginia Barrier Islands, Eastern Shore Virginia boating, Fishing, Virginia Eastern Shore towns, Virginia seafood, Watchapreague Virginia
Posted in Boating, Fine and Casual Dining | No Comments »

To The Cast Of “Two Mrs. Carrolls”, Take Another Well Deserved Bow !

September 16th, 2010 by Marlene email

Historic Palace Theatre In Cape Charles, Virginia

My husband, a friend and I spent a delightful Sunday afternoon last week at the historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, Virginia watching the matinee performance of ” The Two Mrs. Carrolls”. It was one of those cool, rainy, constant drizzle Sundays that usually make me feel like staying at home with a hot cup of tea, listening to The Splendid Table on NPR or thumbing through the latest Contessa or Mario Batali cookbook, wondering if there is a delicious recipe of less than five ingredients that can be whipped together in 15 minutes ( good luck with that ! ) . However, we had matinee tickets for the play and off we went, rain or no, to see the Mrs. Carrolls.

I was not familiar with that particular play, written by Martin Vale, but the playbill indicates that it is a film noir classic from 1947 and starred Hunphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck. A comic thriller set in the South of France, it revolves around a lovey-dovey, newly- wed English couple ( but the husband, an artist, has a roving eye ), the wife’s old flame who visits a lot, a beautiful young neighbor who also visits a lot and a very funny French housekeeper, Clemence , who can speak English but insists on speaking French throughout, sans peur et sans reproche, played with good comic effect by Susan Kovacs, a Blue Heron customer . The wife soon falls mysteriously ill and the play is off and running !

Bravo ! Take Another Bow !

Staged and directed by Sheila Cardano, whose daughter, Clelia Sheppard, is the Executive Director of Art’s Enter, the play came off wonderfully– the years of Sheila’s hard work and efforts to put together a talented local amateur theatre group and stage crew and to renovate the Palace Theatre have really paid off handsomely. The theatre, now fully restored, truly looks great. ( Years of fund raisers together with grants and donations have restored this lovely Art Deco building to its former 1940’s glory. Wow ! And you should see the seats now, comfy and beautifully re-covered, to the tune of hundreds of dollars each and the gorgeous golden wall murals. Before and after pictures really tell this amazing restoration story and illustrate how far the Palace Theatre and Art’s Enter have come in these last 15 years. ) On stage, the props and scenery looked great– so authentic, you felt like you really were in an artist’s home. Lots of well done lighting and sound effects too, especially the mistral wind, which blew on and off for much of Act 3.

Eva Takes The Lead Role And Dave Makes His Stage Debut

Best of all was the cast, who vividly brought this story to life. Consisting of nine amateur actors from various walks of life, including a recreational director, a vacation rental associate, three retirees, a real estate sales agent, a real estate broker, a Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue plus Clelia Sheppard, the Executive Director of Art’s Enter and one of the Eastern Shore’s great multi-taskers, this cast came together seamlessly to create the story’s realistic voice. It was an excellent performance, thoroughly enjoyed by the entire audience. I realize that I am biased but the three of us really loved seeing our two colleagues from the Blue Heron Realty Co. Cape Charles office , Eva Noonan and Dave Kabler ” do their thing” on-stage, both presented an accomplished performance, with Eva cast in the leading role of Sally Carroll. And so, to the entire cast, at the next performance go ahead and take an extra bow— you deserve it !

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Clelia Sheppard, Palace Theatre Cape Charles Virginia, theatre restoration
Posted in Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, The Arts | No Comments »

Looking To Buy Beachfront Property In Virginia ? The Eastern Shore of Virginia Has Some Great Beach Real Estate Deals !

September 13th, 2010 by Marlene email

Who doesn’t love the beach ? Duh, everyone loves the beach ! ( Well, everyone I know loves the beach and I know a fair number of people, so let’s just extrapolate from there…..) And the only thing better than sitting out on the sand, under a huge beach umbrella, reading the latest Sara Gruen novel or maybe re-reading a Tony Hillerman mystery ( I so love Joe Leaphorn ) is sitting in your beach house in a chaise lounge, out on your own deck, overlooking the beach, inhaling soft briny breezes, maybe smiling through “Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie” or trying to unravel the latest Pynchon literary offering. But the frosty iced tea pitcher, the pantry and the CD changer are sooo much closer, just reach out and touch someone. Well, what might be just as good, or maybe even better, is sitting on your beachfront deck, wine glass in hand, as the sun slips below the horizon and paints the sand and the water in brilliant sunset colors. Which, of course, is why so many of our real estate customers contact Blue Heron Realty Co. with a request to help them find a great buy on a beach lot or home. ( www.blueheronva.com )

Great news ! If you’re looking to purchase beach real estate in Virginia, the Eastern Shore is the very best location in Virginia to find both beachfront and beach access property at affordable prices, great prices that make the heart beat a little faster and fingers itch to grab a pen and sign some papers. Sure they have beautiful beach property in Virginia Beach, less than an hour away. But who wants to pay about a million dollars for a 40 x 175 lot and share with about a billion tourists ? Fine if your job places you there and you love the beach. But if you’re looking for a leisure home, a retirement home or just plain relaxed, low key year-round living and would prefer private and pristine low density neighborhood beaches at an actually affordable price, then Virginia’s Eastern Shore could be the place for you !

In this blog post I’m featuring a beachfront home, a waterfront cottage with deeded beach access and a beachfront lot for sale. All of these properties are great deals ! The beachfront home at $995,000 is a truly wonderful purchase opportunity. It’s a lovely 3 bedroom home on nearly two acres, wooded, with almost 200 feet of magnificant beach shoreline in a small, very upscale beach neighborhood. ( Plenty of room to add- on if more bedrooms are desirable. ) This intimate little neighborhood offers a swim & tennis facility and access to a private freshwater lake, nice for those who like to canoe or kayak.

The cozy 3 bedroom waterfront cottage with deeded beach access for sale for $359,000 is located in a tiny waterfront neighborhood of only 50 homes. The cottage is sited on a one acre waterfront lot on a small inlet from the Chesapeake Bay, only a couple miles from Cape Charles and the Palmer and Nicklaus signature golf courses. It’s less than a five minute walk to the neighborhood’s 10 acre private sand beach— the perfect place to build sand castles or do some surf fishing at sunset. Or enjoy catching some of our famous Chesapeake Bay blue crabs from the backyard dock. If you are thinking of buying a leisure home and would like to get some rental income to help off-set mortgage payments, this could be a good property for doing some weekly summer rentals. ( Blue Heron Realty Co. has a vacation rental department and we can handle all the details for you. Just call us at 757-678-5200 )

Last, but not least, is a one acre plus beachfront homesite located on a bluff overlooking 500 miles of sparking blue waters at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, one of Mother Nature’s very best addresses ! Here is an opportunity to purchase a sizable beachfront lot for just $429,000. Pick custom home plans perfect for your particular needs, get rolling with construction and be living in your dream beachfront home by Spring. ( Blue Heron can help you find a contractor.) So relaxing, just sitting out on your deck, golden sunshine, listening to waves lapping and seabirds calling, feeling the soft salty breezes, neck muscles totally loose, some Dave Brubeck playing in the background, happily reading the National Electrical Code 2011 Handbook due out this winter. No, no, sorry, just a bad joke ! I meant reading Pat Conroy’s new book “My Reading Life” , also due out this winter. Anyway, the point is that if you are looking to buy beachfront property in Virginia, come take a look at the fabulous beach real estate for sale here on the Eastern Shore. You’ll be amazed and delighted at what you’ll find, I guarantee it !! ( Call us at 800-258-3437 for more particulars on these properties and don’t forget to check out our website for some other great buys– www.blueheronva.com )

Tags: affordable waterfront, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Eastern Shore Virginia real estate, Real Estate, Virginia beachfront property
Posted in At the Beach, Just Having Fun | No Comments »

Planning To Feed My Murder Mystery Addiction At The New Play At The Palace Theatre In Cape Charles

September 11th, 2010 by Marlene email

For better or for worse, I’m addicted to murder mysteries. No point in trying to deny it because an entire room, a very spacious room even, that was planned as my husband’s home office with space for my books, CD’s and DVD’s has now evolved into my library with space for my husband’s desk and file cabinets at the far end, by the full wall of windows. ( Well, at least I let him keep the windows, which are floor-to-ceiling, south-east facing and overlook our beautiful rolling lawn, bird feeders, trees and pretty sunrises. I feel that makes things even-steven but I don’t think he really agrees. ) Six tall bookcases, books I’ve already read but want to keep stacked at least two rows deep, books I’m planning to read sitting on my “read this next” table, about 30% of which are murder mysteries or courtroom dramas, not the gory ones, just the good, old-fashioned sleuthing- through- clues to find the bad guys kind. ( I think I could probably write a book, a thick, heavy tome, about the books that I love…. I do read a lot of non-fiction too but let’s face it — not as much fun ! Currently reading “The Immortal World of Henrietta Lacks”, fascinating but not nearly as satisfying as a John Grisham thriller. ) Two tall bookcases of DVD’s including, more or less, the complete sets (or working towards complete ) of most of BBC’s great mystery series. (Let me recommend www.bbcamericashop.com as an absolutely “must view” website. ) Inspector Morse, Foyle’s War, Sir Peter Wimsey, Rumpole, Prime Suspect, MidSomer Murders, Last Detective, Poirot ad infinitum, Sherlock Holmes, P.D. James, etc., etc. (all on the dramatic side) on stand-by on the shelf, ready to be watched or re-watched at a moment’s notice. Plus light and humorous favorites like Hamish McBeth (was TV John a delightful character or what ? ), Campion, the new(ish) Miss Marple series staring Geraldine McEwan ( BBC’s best Marple ever ), Rosemary and Thyme, Hetty Investigates and the wonderful series we are currently viewing, Pie In The Sky…. impatiently waiting for UPS to deliver Series 3 ( which was originally shown in the U.K. about a thousand years ago but just released in the U.S. on DVD September 7 th, why on earth BBC waits so long I can not imagine. ) Anyway, hopefully Monday. What the mystery lover’s life would be like without the British Broadcasting Corporation — well, I shudder to think ! ( We love British comedy too but no space for that commentary now — except to say that anyone who doesn’t practically fall right off the sofa laughing while watching Black Adder, Faulty Towers or Vicar of Dibley simply doesn’t have much of sense of humor. Watching an episode of Father Ted is like eating potato chips– you cannot stop at just one ! ) But enough already about BBC videos.

So naturally I’m really looking forward to seeing the latest production this week-end at the Palace Theatre, ” The Two Mrs. Carrolls” , a mystery, produced by Art’s Enter. A word, or three, about Art’s Enter, actually headquartered in Cape Charles’ historic Palace Theatre, and its successful efforts to bring the visual and performing arts in the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore under one roof. Lucky ! Fortunate ! Favored ! That is what Cape Charles is to have Art’s Enter as a vibrant part of the town and its culture ! And flipping to the other side of that coin, that’s what Art’s Enter ( http://www.artsentercapecharles.org ) is to have the love, support and participation of the people of Cape Charles. So, a synergistic relationship, benefiting all. This truly amazing arts group, headed up by Co-Directors Clelia Sheppard and Mary Ann Roehm, has brought such well known organizations as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Opera Company, both headquartered in Norfolk, to the Palace Theatre for performances. ( It tickles me no end that the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, which has performed at many national venues including the world renowned Carnegie Hall, has actually also performed, several times even, here on the Eastern Shore at the Palace Theatre. Thanks Clelia and Mary Ann — you’re amazing ! ) And dozens and dozens of other high quality vocalists, dance companies and orchestras recently including the Cab Calloway Orchestra, David Leonhardt Jazz Group and Lee Jordan-Anders have lit up the Palace’s stage.

It is also a beehive of activity for the Eastern Shore of Virginia’s growing thespian community, providing a wonderful theatre season right here in our own community. The performances last season included an evening of one act plays, “The Wizard of Oz” and “A Christmas Carol”. In addition to “The Two Mrs. Carrolls”, the 2010-2011 theatre season at the Palace Theatre also features “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Oliver”. But for all of us at Blue Heron Realty Co. , the icing on the cake for the performance of “Two Mrs. Carrolls” is that two of the actors on-stage are Blue Heron agents ! Maestro, drum roll, please ! Eva Noonan, an agent in our Cape Charles office, an effervescent gal who has performed in a number of Art’s Enter’s previous plays, takes the lead role in “Carrolls”. And David Kabler, our Cape Charles managing broker, will be making his stage debut. And so this week-end I will not only be feeding my mystery addiction at the Palace Theatre, I will be on hand to enthusiastically applaud two of our own. Break a leg, break two legs even, Eva and Dave !!!!!

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, BBC videos, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore performing arts, Palace Theatre Cape Charles, Virginia Eastern Shore
Posted in Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, The Arts | No Comments »

My Customer, My Hero!

September 10th, 2010 by Davidk@esva.net email

Wednesday night, September 9, 2010, in the fabulous AQUA restaurant perched on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline in the historic Town of Cape Charles, Virginia I was enjoying a wonderful, relaxing dinner with my customers to celebrate a full day of touring the most incredibly beautiful waterfront properties on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Little did I know that my last bite of rice might be truly my last bite, ever ! We three had been completely engrossed in happy conversation about the events and places of the day, and especially the sunset walk along the beautiful beach in the little neighborhood of Bay Ridge. I swallowed a small spoonful of rice and tried to wash it down with a sip of water only to find that it lodged in my trachea! Suddenly, without warning, my world turned upside down when I gasped for breath and not a molecule of air could pass into my straining lungs! Richard and Eileen knew immediately that I was in trouble. Unable to talk, I could only signal my crisis by grabbing my throat, bulging my eyes and pounding my chest. Eileen asked me if I could talk and I desparately shook my head while Richard quickly grasped the nature of my emergency, wrapped his strong arms around my chest from behind and administered five quick hugs of the Heimlich maneuver. Finally, on the fifth hug I expelled the blockage and sank back into my chair, taking my first breath in what felt like an hour but only proved to be about a minute or so. Granted a new lease on life, I have determined here to share this experience in the hope that all who read this blog will learn how to perform the Heimlich hug. Check out instructions on the Heimlich webpage at www.heimlichinstitute.org/page.php?id=34 . Take it from me, you’ll never know when you might use it and believe me when I say that it is truly a lifesaver !

Tags: Aqua restaurant Cape Charles Virginia, Chesapeake Bay real estate, Heimlich maneuver, Virginia beachfront property
Posted in Fine and Casual Dining, Odds and Ends | No Comments »

Seaside Shore Art Adorns Oyster, Virginia Harbor

September 10th, 2010 by Davidk@esva.net email

Mural in Oyster, Va.

August proved to be an interesting month for Oyster, Virginia residents when six young artists from the Atlanta, Georgia metro area descended upon this quaint little waterfront village on the Seaside in Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Perched on the deep water harbor overlooking the huge expanse of emerald green marshes, tidal sounds and barrier islands is the remains of an old seafood processing plant. Having roots in graffitti art, these artists were provided equipment and materials by the building’s owner and turned loose to “decorate” an eyesore in such a beautiful natural setting. For almost a week they labored under the hot sun and cloudless days to produce a truly unique vision on a virtually unspoiled coastline. At week’s end, dozens of curious residents appeared to unofficially christen this colorful masterpiece of street art. Even today, a month later, the building is attracting to this quiet, hidden village art afficionados and the just plain curiosity seekers who have caught wind of this special mural project. ( P.S. I have a great waterview house in Oyster which is being offered for sale. Give me a call at 757-331-4558 for details on how you can buy property in this tiny, sleepy seaside town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.)

Tags: Eastern Shore Virginia seaside, Oyster Virginia, real estate for sale Eastern Shore, real estate for sale Eastern Shore Virginia
Posted in Crafts, Odds and Ends | No Comments »

It Takes A Town To Grow A Park

September 7th, 2010 by Marlene email

Sunday evening my husband and I, along with 2 grandsons, attended the dedication of Central Park in Cape Charles, Virginia. Untold hours of work by hundreds of “Citizens for Central Park” volunteers and thousands of dollars raised by them plus various State of Virginia grants the over the last ten years have “grown” the Park into what it is today– a lovely five acre green area ringed with winding walkways and beautiful landscaping. A flowing fountain greets visitors at the Park’s entrance and a large Gazebo proudly stands mid-way. On the north side you’ll find “Cape Kids”, a large playground with substantial play structures for imaginative, safe play including a short climbing wall with the “rocks” inset over a mural of a mountain. On the other side of the “Cape Kids” playground are two top notch tennis courts with night lighting.

The history of “growing” the Park is fascinating. In the late 1880’s, when the town was being laid out, the streets of Cape Charles were originally designed around the Park, although the Park itself was not developed. When Cape Charles High School was opened in 1912, the Park served as its athletic field with a football and baseball field. In 1993, the Cape Charles schools were consolidated with the Northampton County schools and the Park was closed. It wasn’t until year 2000 that a large group of residents came together to form “Citizens for Central Park” , kicking off the effort by hosting a “Design Your Own Park Day” to draw in as much community energy as possible in creating the Park. The Women’s Club of Cape Charles planned the “Cape Kids” playgound. The garden areas were planned by the Eastern Shore Garden Club. Leon Parham, a long time resident of Cape Charles and a creative local architect, pulled all these ideas and plans into the beautiful final design approved by Town Council and the various community groups. (Leon designed the Gazebo as well.) The landscaping plan includes many interesting trees, including a Copper Beech, a Golden Rain tree, a Yoshino Cherry and a Gold Atlas Cedar, most of which are memorial trees donated by individuals in honor of or in memory of loved ones. Funds for the brick pavers and the benches were also donated by dedication including the 2002 Commonwealth Award which was presented to the Garden Club of the Eastern Shore on behalf of the Central Park Memorial Garden by the Garden Club of Virginia.

And so the lovely Cape Charles Central Park, the fruit of so much thought, community effort and participation, receipient of many grants (over a million dollars) was proudly dedicated on Sunday, September 5, 2010 . Speeches were made, children were deputized, members of the Cape Charles Coast Guard Station presented the colors, the Star Spangled Banner was sung, the Cape Charles Fire Department raised the flag and Mayor Dora Sullivan, a long and staunch supporter of the Park, officially switched on the fountain. The waters gently flowed, Cental Park was officially open ! Let the fun begin !

And so it did. The first official Central Park concert was held in the Gazebo, with four different groups playing throughout the evening– mostly country and rock and roll classics. Along the winding pathways, delicious aromas floated through the air as the food vendors offered tasty wares including crabcakes, BBQ shrimp, sub sandwiches, goodies from the dessert tent and, of course, the official food of kids everywhere, pizza. Being kids or at least kids at heart, the four of us enjoyed some of Veneto’s pepperoni and Italian sausage pizza before heading over to the playground to get into the swing of things — literally. Out on the long, wide Green, people were walking dogs, tossing balls, playing Frisbee, chatting in groups, sitting in beach chairs simply enjoying the music and the sunset — just having a wonderful time, enjoying the spirit of their town and their new Park. As we left, Veneto’s Pizza, its tent strung with twinking lights, was still going strong, the Gazebo’s live band had given way to a brilliant laser light show accompanied by recorded disco music …. Come On, Baby, Let’s Do The Twist. Strolling out past the murmering fountain, my husband and I both agreed that Citizens for Central Park had selected a great motto — “It Takes A Town To Grow A Park”. The town of Cape Charles has grown a beautiful Park, one which will enhance the lives of its residents and visitors for decades to come. To all those who worked so so long and so hard to make it happen, Bravo !

Tags: Real Estate
Posted in Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends | No Comments »

Have You Seen The Muffin Man, The Muffin Man, The Muffin Man ?

September 1st, 2010 by Marlene email

How many tens of millions of toddlers over the ages may have sung this Mother Goose song, I wonder ? At any rate we have do have a Muffin Man— well, actually a Muffin Lady— right here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. And you’ll find Beth Flynn, in her sweet glory, not in Drury Lane, but in the Yellow Duck. That would, of course, be The Yellow Duck Bakery Cafe on Main Street in Exmore, Virginia.

What I can never figure out is why Yellow Duck’s muffins always taste better than my muffins ! I consider myself pretty handy with a baking pan when I’m in the mood but mine never seem to be as good. (It’s like fried rice- why is fried rice always, always better from a Chinese restaurant than what one prepares at home ? It’s like a Law of Nature or something ! Or maybe it’s just me…. ) Anyway, Yellow Duck also offers scones, cakes (including some excellent cheesecakes and beautifully decorated special occasion cakes ), pies and pastries but the headline attractions are its 36 varieties of delicious muffins. ( www.yellowduckcafe.com ) Quack if you like muffins !

Watching calories or sugar ? Not to worry — you can choose from their three no-sugar varieties, including the “Morning Muffin”, my husband’s favorite. I, of course, have many favorites. Quack, quack, quack ! Hard to choose between the cranberry orange, the blueberry crunch, the lemon poppy or the toasted almond, maybe pumpkin with a cream cheese filling. And when one cannot decide, there is only one solution — just get one of each ! ( Which is why I try not to drop by Yellow Duck too often– too much temptation, too little will power ! ) And when I arrive at the office toting a large white bakery box with a Yellow Duck sticker, you should see the anticipatory grins and the eager outstretched hands — – it’s a Muffin Morning at Blue Heron Realty Co. , the start of a quacking good day !

Posted in Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun, Regional Foods & Wine | No Comments »