Posts Tagged ‘Cape Charles Virginia’

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Wiley, My Eastern Shore of Virginia Arabian Horse. The On-Going Saga, Part 5. Wiley Learns About The Birds and The Bees !

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

This is Wiley’s second spring here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  a 2009 Christmas gift to me  from my son.   He has settled in so well, but then who wouldn’t love life on a huge waterfront farm south of Cape Charles, Virginia,  just grazing on the lush grasses,  cool Chesapeake Bay breezes  blowing through your mane,  dining on gourmet oats  every night in your  comfy stall in a  brand new barn ?    As  the very smart horse he is,  I’m  sure  Wiley  realizes  he’s living the life of Riley.

Week old colt with his mother

Welcome To The Eastern Shore, Little Guy !

Spring has sprung here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and with spring comes new life.  Wiley now has a brand new stable mate,  a little colt  which came  unexpectedly early,  born  quietly in the middle  of the night  and found bright-eyed and bushy tailed at  Bayview Farm’s  morning feed.   Now Wiley,  being a young bachelor,  had never actually been told about the  “birds and the bees”  or,  in this case,  about the mares and the stallions.   So he was pretty curious.  He knew it wasn’t a pony but was not quite sure if  was actually a horse.  It walks  pretty funny and  looks like it’s all legs,  with a head too big for such a small body.   But all in all,  Wiley thought he was a cute little fellow,  bay with a long white blaze and 4 white sox,  described by one of the  mares  who is  a serious  NASCAR   fan  as having  “lots of chrome” ,  and he has welcomed him as an additional stable mate so long as he  doesn’t  cry a lot during the night and  disturb his beauty sleep.  And he’ll need all the deep beauty sleep he can possibly get because this is the time of year that every horse aspiring to be a show ring star needs to get to work to get back in shape.

As anyone who owns  equestrian property here on the Shore knows,  the gorgeous Eastern Shore of  Virginia’s  spring weather also brings the need to shed any excess  winter  pounds  as  the 2011 show season is just around the corner.  No more lazy short winter days  just lounging around in a warm blanket,  chatting with friends in the pasture  or cozy evenings playfully horsing around in the stables.   No,  now it’s time to work,  work, work to get his  boyish figure back.  Wiley is currently evaluating what meal plans and work-out routines he’ll use to get the most from his efforts and he  wishes there was a  TV  set up in the barn so that he and his buddies  could look at a  few  YouTube videos from leading health and fitness experts on  the most  up- to- date  methods of  slimming the flanks,  firming up  the withers,  toning neck muscles, etc.   Wiley knows that the time to get serious about fitness is upon him,  his first show appearance of the season is coming up in Raleigh, North Carolina  in just a few weeks.   Oh,  the price to be paid for being a beautiful horse !     ( P.S. If  you’re  thinking of a farm or farmette here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  equestrian or otherwise, please visit our website,  www.blueheronva.com , and click on the listings link– we currently have some outstanding  farm and farmette real estate opportunities.)

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The First Flowers Of Spring 2011 On Virginia’s Eastern Shore. They’re Here At Last !

Monday, February 28th, 2011
Picture of deep pink camillias with golden centers and deep green leaves.

Such show-offs ! Early Eastern Shore of Virginia pink camellias with blazing gold centers, nestled among leaves of deep, deep green.

I’m not sure what it is about the first blossoms of Spring that I find so exciting,  invigorating actually.  We have such a moderate climate, 4 mild seasons,  here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia so it’s not as if we have suffered through 5 months of  the miserable freezing  weather that folks to the north and mid-west have endured.  After all, the temperature here is going to be nearly 70 degrees  today while a customer who just visited from Connecticut reported that it was snowing when they left to come down here last Friday !  And most of our winter days are sunny and pretty mild.  So really,  bad weather is  not the reason that seeing the camellias begin to bloom  puts a smile on my face every year,  but smile I do.  

Masses of pink camellia bushes at Bay Creek Golf Resort in first Spring bloom.

Throughout Bay Creek Golf Resort, masses of red and pink camellias have begun their annual Spring Show, delighting property owners and guests.

My  ” Camellia Watch”  starts not too long after New Year’s– about the middle of January I start to think, well– the camellias will be blooming pretty soon.  And by the middle of February I am truly longing for the bright reds and deep pinks of the very first flowers.  Near our Machipongo office we have a huge bush,  at least 30 maybe even 40 years old, which seems to have literally nearly a thousand blossoms every year,  in a very pale, delicate shade of  pink.  I have  several at home, both the fall blooming as well as the spring blooming,  but they are still small as camellias are  slow growers.  Number Three Daughter who lives in Cheriton, a tiny town about 5 minutes from Cape Charles,  has at least 10 amazing spring blooming camellias.  Their house was built about 1925 so their plants are  fairly old and quite large,  really more like trees than bushes,  unbelievably spectacular when they flower.  She has one variety which is quite unusual, a variegated red and white,  a  late spring bloomer,  and it puts on a real show every year !    ( I’ll post a picture when it blooms,  it’s worth seeing if you love flowers.)  One of my favorite places to see masses and masses of  blooming camellias is at  Bay Creek Golf Resort in Cape Charles, Virginia, which has just amazing landscaping throughout.  The  roads are built  with  one-way lanes  and wide  medians separate  the two lanes.   The medians are  lushly landscaped  with a huge variety of  showy plants that bloom throughout the spring and fall and  the colorful  “Knock-out”  variety roses which bloom here from early spring until very late fall.  Needless to say, the camellias there are simply gorgeous,  massed under tall pines and hardwoods. ( One of the benefits of buying a home at Bay Creek is that the landscaping throughout is so beautiful,   it’s just eye candy all the way home !  )   So, it’s official  !    The robins are here, a few gold finches have already been seen and the brightly colored flowers  of  camellia japonica  have stamped  their imprimatur upon the landscape.  Spring has sprung on Virginia’s Eastern Shore !      P.S.   Check out    www.easternshoremastergardeners.com   for some great gardening tips on gardening on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

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The On-going Saga Of Wiley, My Eastern Shore of Virginia Arabian Horse. Part 4

Monday, January 31st, 2011

It was a very happy holiday season for this Virginia's Eastern Shore horse.

I just can hardly believe that Wiley,  my beautiful Arabian horse,  first arrived on Virginia’s Eastern Shore one year ago last month,   my most unique Christmas gift  ever from my son !   As they say,  how time flies !   Wiley really, really  loves it here on the Shore,  romping around with all his new friends, soaking up the cool breezes off the water,  enjoying the Eastern Shore’s temperate climate,  munching the delicious pasture grasses, visiting friends on other farms because the Eastern Shore really is an equestrian paradise.   At Wiley’s cosy anniversary party,  the guest of honor calmly munched carrots and sugar cubes in his stall while my son and I  toasted his good health with some pretty nice champagne.   But truth be told,  Wiley’s first Christmas in his new home,  a brand-new and spacious barn on a large waterfront farm just south of  Cape Charles, Virginia,  was just about more than the poor little fellow  could handle.  Just trying to figure out which stall buddies to give apples and which stall buddies would prefer carrots was pretty taxing,  plus having to decide whether it was truly necessary to put a bow on them all.  And then having  to decorate his  stall because he didn’t want to seem like the barn Grinch !   Not to mention that the older horses were all  party, party, party  into the wee hours,  keeping Wiley and the other colts up half the night.  It was enough to give a young horse dark circles under the eyes.  Although he loved  all his Christmas gifts,  including a  new  halter and a beautiful new green plaid blanket,  soft and warm as a down comforter,  ( nicely gift-wrapped for him by  Dover Saddlery  www.doversaddlery.com ),   Wiley still insists that  it’s  lucky that Christmas comes only once a year !   He  thinks the craziest thing is that the barn is already looking forward to the Christmas holidays next year.   But I let him know not to worry,  come next December,  he and I will  face it together.  P.S. If you love horses and are thinking of a move to the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  please    call me at 757-678-5200  and I will e-mail you some data sheets on our great  “horse-friendly”  properties.

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Swing Into This Luxury William E. Poole Designed Home Overlooking The Greens And The Chesapeake Bay In The Bay Creek Golf Resort at Cape Charles, Virginia

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Homes  designed by renown architect William E. Poole are best known for two things– their warm and romantic living environments and the great attention paid to the myriad of  little design details that transform a house into a luxurious home.  I think  the Poole motto,  “Make The Place You Live The Place You Love”  really says it all.  And this exceptional Bay Creek Golf Resort home,  a classical   design  in the southern tradition,  certainly lives up to William Poole’s  fine  reputation as a remarkable  luxury home architect.

Front view of Heron Pointe luxury home at Bay Creek Golf Resort designed by William E. Poole

Located on an over-sized lot in the prestigeous  village of  Heron Pointe at Bay Creek in Cape Charles, Virginia,  this is a like-new home that boasts two excellent views.  To the east,  a stunning view of the  green on the sixth hole of the  Arnold Palmer Signature course.  ( Golf Digest has included   Bay Creek  on it’s “Best Places To Play”  list,  Golf Week on its “Best Courses You Can Play”  so overlooking a Palmer hole is a terrific location.)   The kitchen and breakfast room  are located on the eastern side of the house so you can imagine how beautiful it is at sunrise,  coffee in hand,  watching the sun peek over the  horizon,  pennant waving in the breeze,  green grass set against pink morning skies.  Or if you’re not an early riser,  how about the spectacular sunsets over the Chesapeake Bay from the western side of this beautiful home ?   The elegant full house length front porch is the perfect place for relaxing  with an iced tea,  refreshing breezes wafting by,  watching the setting sun paint the waters in shades of reds and golds.  Featuring 4 bedrooms and 3  1/2 baths,  this luxurious  home is one of the lucky few in Bay Creek Golf Resort that has both a golf course view and a Chesapeake Bay view,  truly a great  combination.

Spaciousness and natural light from the floor to ceiling windows make the great room so enjoyable

From the exterior brick to the interior five piece crown moldings, outside and inside,  top of the line materials and quality craftsmanship  were combined  with luxurious interior appointments  to make this a very special home.  The floor plan, open and airy,  with 10 foot ceilings on the first floor,  allows for casual  as well as formal areas — the formal dining room and library include lovely raised panel wainscoting.  I especially love the large  great room,  its amazing floor to ceiling windows really bring the outdoors in— the natural light is simply wonderful.  A  chef’s kitchen  ( with large center island features custom cherry cabinets,  built-in wine rack, granite counters and a very nice built-in wine cooler ),  stands ready for whipping up sumptuous feasts.  ( All appliances are GE Profile, the refrigerator front panel matches the cherry cabinets. )  Sugar and spice and everything nice plus much, much more can be stored in the huge walk-in pantry.  Spacious first floor master bedroom suite includes custom walk-in closet with built-in dresser, tray ceiling, custom windows with designer shades overlooking the golf course with double shower and double vanities in the bathroom.  Fireplace person ?   There are two.  Particular as to entry foyer  ?    A perfect size,  proceeded by an oversized door with leaded glass surround and overhead fan window.  Recessed lighting throughout.  And much, much more !

The state-of-the-art marina is just one of the many terrific amenities available to Bay Creek Golf Resort homeowners

And did I mention the other terrific Bay Creek amenities available to its homeowners in addition to the world class golf  ?    Miles of glistening sand beaches,  a new state-of-the-art marina,  multiple swimming pools, tennis courts,  amazing landscaping throughout,  shops, fine and casual dining, clubhouse, pro shop,  easy access by golf cart to all the shops, galleries, restaurants, etc.  in the historic town of Cape Charles, Virginia  ?   Truly,  for an alluring combination of  luxury and charm,  golf and water views,  sited on a large lot in one of the nation’s top 100 golf communities,  it would be very, very difficult to beat this elegant 4200 sq. ft. William Poole designed home in Heron Pointe village at Bay Creek Golf Resort  in historic Cape Charles, Virginia !  For more information and a personal tour,  give Blue Heron a call at 757-678-5200 or click  the link,  www.blueheronva.com/property.php?print=1&propid=841

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Where In The World Is The Eastern Shore Of Virginia ???

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Virginia's Eastern Shore has a prime address- the corner of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean

One of the most frequent questions we get from people from out of the area who are responding to  our  ads  is  “Where exactly is the Eastern Shore of Virginia  ? ”   Mother Nature has  created this remarkable little  slice of the earth as a slender peninsula, bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean , on the west by the Chesapeake Bay,  to the north bordered by southern Maryland  with access to  mainland Virginia via the engineering marvels of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel complex   (  www.cbbt.com  ) .   Being at the corner of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is  a truly primo address,  clearly.  But when we moved here  nearly twenty five years ago,  almost nobody I knew had ever heard of  the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  period– except people who lived here, obviously.  About twenty years ago Blue Heron Realty Co.  sponsored  a  “meet and greet”  booth at  the annual Homarama  builder show   in an effort to raise greater awareness  in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area of the real estate possibilities here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  It was funny,  in a sad sort of way— people would stop for a brochure and comment  that  they  had never heard of the Eastern Shore,  although  we are less than an hour away from almost anyplace in Virginia Beach or Norfolk.   That experience  and a few others  like it led us to write a little book  in 1989  (out of print now),  replete with lots of photographs,  about life and real estate on Virginia’s  Eastern Shore.  Back then the Shore was an extremely rural area and definitely not for everyone,  no shopping centers, almost no restaurants, no world class golf,  just exquisite waterfront property.  Having the book enabled us to lend out copies to people who were thinking of coming to look real estate so they could get a feel for the area,   in advance of making a trip,  see if it matched up with their needs,  contemplate whether or not this was an area for them. 

And now,  22 years later,  the Shore has changed a lot,  we have amenities galore.   But even in 2011,   many  people still have never heard of the Eastern Shore of Virginia  although they probably recognize the names of some of our little towns,   Cape Charles,  Onancock or Chincoteague  ( the Shore’s  great tourist area and home to the famous annual pony swim and auction   www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?featureid=711).  It’s easy to see where we are on the Eastern Seaboard from this  little map graphic– about 3 & 1/2 hours from Philadelphia, about 4 & 1/2 from most of New Jersey,  about 6 hours from New York City,  about 4 hours from the  Washington DC/Baltimore area,  1 & 1/2 hours from Williamsburg, 3 1/2  hours from Charlottesville and from Cape Charles,  less than a  1/2 hour from Virginia Beach and Norfolk.   Our area is really so close to a great many major metro areas– easy for friends and relatives to visit or  to visit them.   Better still,  not only is it easy to get here but when you live here it’s so easy to access wonderful events and attractions in other areas !   The Eastern Shore of Virginia is  “easy trip”  paradise.    Hankering for the mountains ?   Zip to Charlottesville.   Nordstrum’s having a big, big sale ?   Zip to McArthur Center in Norfolk.   Want to visit Capitol Hill,  the Library of Congress,  the amazing National Zoo or go to the annual National Book Festival  ?   Zip to Washington D.C. .   Annapolis Boat Show calling ?   Zip, zip.  Longing  to see Wicked on Broadway ?  Zip, zip, zip, pass go,  have dinner in Chinatown,  then on to the Great White Way.  Like State Fairs  ?   Zip to Richmond,  just 2 & 1/2 hours away.   You get the picture….    Virginia’s Eastern Shore  has a fabulous central location,  with easy access to and from some really great places.

  So  that’s  “Where In The World”   the Eastern Shore is located  — right in the middle of  many of  the good things of  life !

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Start Your Coastal Lifestyle In This Like-New Condo At The Bay Creek Golf Resort In Cape Charles, Virginia Listed At Just $199,000

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Bay Creek Golf Resort's Private Beach For Residents And Guests Only

If you are thinking of  starting your coastal lifestyle with a care-free Virginia condo,   “The Fairways”  at  Bay Creek Golf Resort in Cape Charles, Virginia may be just the place for you.   With Fairways Condos’  prime location  within the Resort,  just a hop, skip and jump from its  gorgeous  sand beaches or the clubhouse and within walking distance  to the tennis courts and swimming pools,   you could be enjoying the many great Bay Creek amenities without giving a  thought to lawn mowing,  leaf bagging,  landscape watering or unclogging the  blasted gutters !  Nestled between the up-scale single- family home villages of Plantation Pointe  located on Old Plantation inlet  and  Heron Pointe located along the Chesapeake Bay,  The Fairways Condominiums are a great opportunity to enjoy a vacation home,  retirement home or full-time living  without any responsibility for the actual maintenance outside your own four walls,  the  popular condo  “Lock It and Leave It”  concept.

Arnold Palmer Hole # 1, Overlooking The Chesapeake Bay And The Lighthouse At Bay Creek Golf Resort

And did I mention the exciting  Bay Creek waterfront golf,  the Arnold Palmer 18 hole Signature course  and its companion course,  the 18 hole Jack Nicklaus Signature  course,  listed by  Golf Week, Golf World and Golf Digest  as among the top US courses ?  A Fairways  condo is also a great way to begin Living Green and enjoying  the  “Golf Cart Life”.  In Cape Charles,  this  includes not only the cart paths within the  Bay Creek  community but also the town itself as Cape Charles is one of the very few towns in Virginia where electric golf carts are street-legal.   “Park the Car,  Use the Cart”  is the watch word of many residents– zip on over to the Marina,  zip to Aqua’s for lunch,  zip to Rayfield’s Pharmacy to pick up your prescription and maybe grab a milkshake at their old-fashioned soda fountain,  zip to Sullivan’s for some office supplies,  zip to Cape Charles Medical Center for an appointment with much loved Doc  Dalessio,  zip to Stage Door Gallery to see their latest art exhibits,  zip to Kelly’s Pub for a carry-out of their delicious  Fish&Chips dinner,  zip, zip, zip– no gas, no oil, no fumes,  just the quiet and relaxed electric  Cart Life.

Looking Across Lake To Fairways Condos

You can acquire this great Beach-Golf-Marina-Pool-Tennis-Clubhouse-Cart Life-Coastal Lifestyle  with this  3 bedroom, 2  bath condo listed at just $199,000, making it the most attractively priced condo at The Fairways.  In excellent condition,  this spacious 1500 sq. ft. home with 2 car garage features an open and airy floor plan.  Numerous upgrades including  fireplace,  corian counters, etc.  Being sold fully furnished,  just walk right in, sit right down, this condo truly is a terrific buy.  And as an added bonus,  with a purchase now you will be there  in time to enjoy the spring beauty of the incredible  landscaping installed throughout  Bay Creek Golf  Resort.   Featuring  literally thousands of  flowering plants and bulbs including camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, primroses, columbine, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths,  all of which  will  be putting on their showiest show of the year,  the Bay Creek Spring Bloomers are the  resident’s delight,  an amazing  profusion of  colors and shapes,  wonderful to behold.  So give Blue Heron Realty Co. a call at 757-678-5200 for more information on this terrific condo buy– and don’t miss  the 2011 Spring Bloomers show !   Be there or be square !

                                      

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Be Careful What You Wish For……..

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Last year  ( actually a  few posts ago ) I was bemoaning the brisk breezes off the water but hoping for a little snow.   Ha !   As my father often said,  be careful what you wish for because your wish might come true.   And did it come true,  in spades.  On Christmas Eve Day,  Don Slater,  my favorite weatherman at WAVY tv 10 in Norfolk, Virginia was forecasting that the whole East Coast was  in for a whopper,  that  instead of blowing out to sea as previously thought,  the storm would be blanketing most of  North Carolina with up to 6-8 inches and would then work its way towards us,  bringing 4 inches, maybe more.  Although I was already re-thinking my  little wish,  I’m sure many a child here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore  was gazing  out the window,  thinking  WOW,  bring it on !  ( And at our house, definitely our two Newfies,  Pumpkin and Honey,  had visions of snowflakes dancing through their heads. ) 

The Weather Outside Is Frightful, Inside It's So Delightful, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

The snow actually started  just as we were sitting down to dinner on Christmas Day.  It had already been a  long but exciting day, starting with the arrival of  Group One consisting of two “big kids”, two little kids and two brand new puppies for brunch  ( everybody had a wonderful time, the puppies were adorable ),  moved on to phone calls to those far away,  a  visit  from those having dinner elsewhere, then on to Group Two for  dinner.  Actually, at our house,  Christmas dinner is always a  simple affair,  unlike Thanksgiving where my eldest daughter thinks dinner isn’t complete without at least six or seven different side dishes, including  the always mandatory homemade mac and cheese  and collard greens  ( I’m not originally from the South but have taken well to the Southern notion that collards,  cooked with a little bit of country ham for seasoning,  are a  “must”  on Thanksgiving ). Offerings of  pecan pie,  pumpkin pie and possibly coconut cake tempt one from the dessert table.   The Christmas menu in contrast is quite simple and always the same– roast beef,  twice-baked potatoes,  a green veggie,  a big green salad,  cheesecake  and pecan pie for dessert.  Potatoes and pies  made ahead,  salad greens washed, spun dry and popped into Tupperware  ahead,  mushrooms for the peas or green beans all sauteed,  everything tucked into the refrigerator,  the  cheesecake courtesy of  The Cheesecake Factory,    my world- famous, well,  family-famous,  port wine gravy started a day ahead so flavors can marry overnight— absolutely no cooking to do on  The Day,   just pop the roast into the oven and finish the gravy.   But back to the snow,  which started  just as we were  getting settled into dinner.

Pumpkin and Honey, The Snow Dogs

I flipped on the outside lights so everyone could enjoy the sight of  big,  fat flakes slowly drifting down—  they were indeed big fat flakes but they were not slowly drifting,  they were pretty much twirling and swirling at a pretty rapid rate,  giving me my first clue that  Slater’s  forecast might be right on the mark.  It was a beautiful sight though,  large white flakes set against the night sky.  Snow is a  rarity on the southern tip of the Virginia Eastern Shore– usually if  it snows nearby,  it  just rains here because of the moderating influence of having the Chesapeake Bay as  our western border and the Atlantic Ocean as our eastern border– it just doesn’t get cold enough.   But not Christmas night– it was cold,  it was snowing,  it was sticking !   I think it is hard for people from areas where lots of snow is simply routine to fathom how on earth a few inches of snow can snarl up an entire region.  But if you seldom have snow then you seldom have snow tires,  snow chains are unheard of  and you have no practice driving over snow and ice.   And your municipality has very little snow removal equipment.   So trust me when I say that 4 inches of snow here closes schools, offices and the county– it’s an official Snow Day,  break out the hot chocolate and marshmallows !  So if you’re still braving winters in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and other icy places but are considering real estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, relax, take heart,  usually it warms up right away,  within a day things are generally back to normal. 

Dawn, Clear But Chilly

But not this time– according to official reports, this was our biggest snow in nearly a quarter of a century and it was the 7th largest snow on record in Norfolk !  As everyone was saying their goodnights on Christmas it was snowing hard and by the time we woke up on the 26th it was just about a white-out.  The Newfies were so excited,  they dashed out,  practically did summersaults  in the snow,  raced around wildly,  then plopped down in a  little drift,  just chilling out !  Dawn on the 27th brought bright pink skies over a thick blanket of  dry white flakes.   By the end of that storm Cape Charles, Virginia  had officially had about 7-8  inches  of the cold white stuff and it was pretty clear that  it wasn’t going to disappear overnight.   However,  I was prepared to relax and just enjoy it– office closed, new Christmas book at my elbow ( autobiography of Mark Twain) —- let it snow, let it snow. let it snow !  (  Of course the forecast of  50 + degrees for Thursday was very comforting !  )  And  when I saw the snow totals from New York City (23  inches)  and parts of New Jersey (26 inches)  and Cape Cod– well,  let’s just say that I felt pretty doggone lucky to be here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  where our  mere 7-8 inches was  one for the record books.   But I will be a bit more careful next time about wishing for snow— because we might actually get some !

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Season’s Greetings From The Blue Heron Realty Co. Crew

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

It’s that time of year again,  the season when just about everybody pauses and takes a time-out from some of the  daily grind  to reach out to help others  who are less fortunate.   And,  as well,  to say thank you and express  appreciation to those who are so important to us,  our family, our friends and of course,  our clients and customers.   The year 2010 has been a very difficult year for many,  not just on Virginia’s Eastern Shore  but throughout this entire country.   However,  hope springs eternal and we are all hoping for a much better year for everyone in 2011.  In the meantime,  we would like to simply say  “Thank- you”  to all those who have listed or purchased property through the Blue Heron Realty Co. crew as well as  to those who have been taken the time to read this blog on life and real estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  So from Lemoin,  Marlene,  Montaigne,  Mike,  Gerry,  Heather,  Kay and Lisa in our Machipongo, Virginia  office and from  Dave,  Eva  and Jennifer in our Cape Charles, Virginia office,  thanks so much,  our  best wishes for the holidays and have a very happy,  healthy and prosperous New Year.   See you in 2011 !

From Our House To Your House, Season's Greetings And A Happy And Prosperous New Year From The Blue Heron Realty Co. Crew !

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Candles And Carols, Lights And Smiles Highlighted The 1st Annual Grand Illumination In Cape Charles, Virginia

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Follow The Luminaries To Find The Gazebo

Newly dedicated this past September,   the Cape Charles, Virginia  Central Park was the site of  the  1st Annual Grand Illumination scheduled for  6:30 Saturday evening,  December 4th.  My granddaughter and I arrived  early after having had a nice afternoon on the Victorian Stroll,  touring three lovely Cape Charles Victorian B&B  historic homes.  ( If you are thinking about buying a Victorian home on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,  check out our website,  www.blueheronva.com . )  Volunteers,  like busy elves, were lighting the hundreds of  luminaries that had been placed on each side of the  Park’s long curved walkways and around the perimeters of the fountain, welcome  points of light gleaming in the falling darkness.   About 6:15  people started to arrive,  eager to participate in this very first Illumination event for the Park, young,  old,  teenagers,  toddlers,  everybody wearing  a smile,  ready with cheery  holiday hello,  heading over to the Gazebo,   following the curving path outlined by glowing  luminaries.

Chris Bannon, Master of Ceremonies, With The Choir

Chris Bannon  ( of  Seagate B&B,  part of the earlier Victorian Stroll ),  dressed in a bright red Santa jacket and hat,  acted as Master of Ceremonies.  Once everybody had gathered round the huge Park gazebo,  organizers passed out candles and a  choir sang a selection of carols,  audience joining in.  It was a pretty chilly night by  Eastern Shore Virginia standards and I hadn’t brought a coat,  just a blazer and scarf,  having not properly accounted for the strong breeze factor.  So  by the time everyone was singing  Jingle Bells,  I was stomping my feet to the beat of the music to keep warm.  Jingle bells,  stomp, stomp, stomp,  Jingle Bells,  stomp, stomp, stomp…  You get the picture.  Fortunately,  my granddaughter had come prepared —  jacket,  beanie,  mittens,  so at least she was toasty warm even as I was doing  jazzercise steps.   The candles were then lit,  in honor of  and in memory of loved ones,  by the  Town Manager, the Chief of Police and a representative of the Cape Charles Coast Guard Station who all came down into the audience to do the honors after being introduced by Chris.

Candles and Carols

Candles burned brightly,  another round of carols was sung,  more jazzercise for me.   Then the big moment was almost there,  time for the Countdown to Illumination,  time to turn on the thousands of lights that had been strung to decorate  Central Park by the Cape Charles Public Works Department.  Mayor Dora Sullivan did the honors ….  5, 4 ,3, 2, 1.  Simultaneously, as instructed,  the audience blew out their candles and as they did so,  Mayor Sullivan threw the light switch.  Voila,  lights shone brightly throughout the Park,  beautiful to behold,  a reward in sparkling  colors,  a gift to everyone there from  “Citizens for Central Park”,  a  group  which worked tirelessly over the years to help make the Park and moments like this possible  for the Town and its residents ! 

Straight From The North Pole, Santa And Mrs. Claus

 With  the dazzling blue lights  decorating the roof  of the  gazebo shining brilliantly above them,  Santa and Mrs. Claus made a  “surprise”  appearance,  even did a little  North Pole style do-se-do for the delighted crowd,  then settled down to visit  with some very excited kids.   Santa dispensed smiles and hugs,  kids shyly whispered their gift requests,  then said goodbye,  smiles on their faces,  candy canes in their hands,  no doubt visions of sugar plums dancing  in their heads.   Candles, carols and candy canes,  lights,  smiles and friendship —  highlights of  the very first of what we hope are many more Grand Illuminations to come at  the Cape Charles Central Park.

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A Jam Packed Day — The Victorian Stroll And The 1st Annual Grand Illumination In Cape Charles, Virginia

Friday, December 10th, 2010

It’s that time again,  the celebrations of  the holidays  are upon us !   This year,  three of the  Bed and Breakfasts  located in the historic area of  Cape Charles, Virginia offered a new afternoon event,  the Victorian  Stroll.  Entirely fitting of course,  because Cape Charles is Virginia’s prettiest  Victorian coastal town, especially during the holidays.  ( See our listings  of  Victorian historic homes for sale in Cape Charles at  www.blueheronva.com )  Throughout town,  eves,  gables and front porches are aglow with thousands of twinkling lights in reds and greens, blues and yellows.  I especially love the strings of  white lights,  they glitter and burn with such intensity.  Also scheduled for early  evening that same day was the 1st Annual Grand Illumination in the newly dedicated Cape Charles Central Park.  So my six year old granddaughter and I decided to do the town pink and go to both events.

Seagate B&B

First off  on our tour was  Seagate B&B,  located just a stone’s throw from Cape Charles’ excellent sand beach. ( www.seagatebb.com ) Proprietor Chris Bannon gave us the grand tour of his lovely home which has the notable distinction of being the  longest continuously operating  B&B  in Cape Charles.  Chris had his entire home dressed to the T  for the holidays but our favorite room was the formal dining room.  Featuring  a library area and lots of antiques, the beautiful  dining room looked as it must have looked in yesteryear,  mantel decorated with pine roping and other greenery, elaborate stockings hung  for Santa to fill,  sideboard festive , classic table set with holiday candles,  plush oriental rug in deep reds gracing the hardwood floor.  And presiding over it all, lounging in her antique chair with soft  red velvet cushions, was Raggedy Ann,  large as life and awfully cute,  keeping a close eye on the nearby Christmas tree, watching for more presents to appear.  Then we said goodbye to Chris,  who was off  to Central Park to help get ready for  the 6:30 Grand  Illumination.

Cape Charles House B&B

Next stop,  Cape Charles House. ( www.capecharleshouse.com )  Walking into the wide foyer area, we were greeted by Carol Evans, who together with her husband Bruce, operates  this elegant  B&B,  a recipient of the coveted Governor’s Hospitality Award.  Carol said that Bruce had been a bit short of time and hadn’t finished all the planned decorating but the house looked lovely to us,  festive garland strung around the doors, stockings hung beneath the mantel.   The large dining room table featured a luxurious arrangement of magnolia cuttings, the deep green shiny leaves perfect for the season,  tastefully complementing the green wall color.   Upstairs, I especially loved the decor of the   “Thomas Dixon Room”, with its spinning wheel,  dressmaker’s form hung with a 1900’s silk dress  and  ladies’ old fashioned high boot hung from the mantel.   However, the hit of  Cape Charles House  for  my granddaughter was not the great decor or the festive Christmas greenery– no,  it was a huge,  fat and furry white cat asleep on the bed, completely undisturbed by the swirl of people  touring thorough.  When  she decided to pet it,  kitty  just raised his head,  stared at her,  then lay back down again,  completely bored by it all— until suddenly up he jumped,  making  a beeline for the back stairs to the kitchen,  leaving all his admirers behind !

Sterling House B&B

Final stop on the Victorian Stroll tour,  Sterling House  ( www.sterlinghousecapecharles.com ),  run by proprietor Steve Hairfield with  his rescued greyhound, Duelin,  as the second in command.  When we entered the long foyer with its gorgeous  hardwood floors,  Steve was kind enough to ask Duelin to come downstairs to greet my granddaughter.  Definitely it was love at first sight !   Child and dog settled on the sofa to discuss secrets of the season,  lights from the beautifully decorated tree glowing softly beside them.    Steve has a great deal of  Cape Charles artwork displayed and the paintings of scenes from the beach and marina really add to the flavor of  this home where the Chesapeake Bay can be seen from the front porch.  Like Seagate and Cape Charles House,  the dining room at Sterling House was dressed in its best,  decorated for the season and looking  picture perfect,  with greenery, candles, mantel pieces, striking  red tablecloth and poinsettias.  Dusk was well settled as we were leaving about 5:30.  Outside,  the long strings of  bright white lights  sparkled and glowed,  illuminating this striking home and the be-ribboned wreathes hanging from its windows,  a dazzling holiday sight.   And more festivities yet to come at the Grand Illumination later !

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