Angel’s Share Studio

 I spent the past week working with a colleague of mine, Susan Argo, Poet in Residence for the State of Maryland,  with the fourth graders at Bainbridge Elementary School in Cecil  County, Maryland.   Susan is a fairy princess working wonders with young minds.  She called on me last year to join her in one of her schools (again, this was Bainbridge) to work with ‘her’ kids.  I was simply blown away by what the kids were able to produce in just five days of working with Susan.  I was inspired last year to write four poems for the kids at Bainbridge (two appear in my book.)   I was inspired again this year to write two poems for the group.   The following poem resulted from a sadness that welled up in me.  Today’s children are so inundated and preoccupied with TV and video games that they spend little time in the out-of-doors - hearing, smelling, touching, tasting and seeing the wonders of nature and the world around them.  [I recounted my week - two days kayaking with friends and myself,  one evening spent with the Poet Laureate of Maryland, another evening listening to the music of a group of incredible singers from Russia,  and just driving to and from the children’s school (I observed a pileated wood pecker from the school’s parking lot - to a child, they claimed never to have seen a live woodpecker!)  It was then that I wished that I could have each child in my ‘pocket’ for a week or two to observe and experience some of the wonderful things of this world.  Thus the poem -

I Wish I Had You In My Pocket
by H.E. McIntyre, 5/16/08

I wish I had you in my pocket
We’d travel the stars in a man-made rocket
We’d fly to Jupiter - the Milky Way -
And return again some future  day.

But all is not out in the stars
Or planet hopping with stops on Mars
We have the world in which we live
A wonderful place to grow and give.

The wonders of our small  world abound
All one needs is to look around
To see a tree, and hear a bird
To smell a rose - to ‘feel’ a word.

A simple walk around your neighborhood
Not looking for bad but seeing the good
Smiling at a friend who lives next door
Look all around - there’s more - so much  more.

A bird that flies across the sky
Your poet self may ask you why
Birds fly all day and sing their song
Why Christmas Night seems soooo, so long!

Why oil ‘rainbows’ in a spring downpour
Why some things happen and your not sure
If you should laugh or your should cry
Why all that live must surely die.

The world around is a puzzling thing
A smoking man can blow a ring
A clown can make you cry or laugh
Why’s the neck so long on an orange giraffe?

Are clouds flannel or fluffy cotton
Why’s my brother sometimes so rotten?
Why do bears hibernate -
And mothers get mad when you get home late?

If you, like me, wonder about those things
And share the joy that inquiry brings
I think this means that you are alive and well
Use your poet gift - and cast your spell.

If you have anyting to add or a poem to share, please do.  Until next time - lay claim to your muse.   HEM

On Friday, May 4th, Billy Beals, my friend, fellow guide and instructor, and I took a group of ten friends paddling on Church Creek. My previous report on Bogles Wharf - ENNWR paddle provides a way to get to Church Creek from the public ramp at Bogles Wharf. We were launching from a private residence located on Church Creek.

The launch was delicate - one boat at a time.  While Billy saw to the launching I circled those already launched and provided additional instruction and practice. Once assembled we paddled from mid-point in Church Creek, south toward the mouth of the creek and the Eastern Neck Narrows. (Last year we took the same group up the creek while providing basic and advanced instruction.)

Tide is an essential factor in paddling through the Eastern Neck Narrows as at low tide it is nothing but sand and mud flats. The almost non-existant channel is difficult to find and navigate. We were on a rising tide. We fought the current of the rising tide toward the Chesapeake bay turning into long cove about fifty yards beyond the wooden bridge over the narrows. This cove is a protected meandering cove. (Good fishing for perch, catfish and in the fall, Rock fish.) The narrows opens to the Chesapeake Bay on the west side and the Chester River on the east. One could paddle around Eastern Neck Island (a ten mile paddle), north up the bay shoreline to Tolchester and points north depending on length of paddle. Or paddle the Chester River shoreline north toward Chestertown (about a 15-20 mile paddle) passing Cliffs City (the Corsica River on the Queen Annes side of the river), Quaker NecK and other points of interest along the way.

I mention all of these paddling opportunities because the place from which we launched is a beautiful six room cottage that, for a group of paddlers willing to share the cost, is an incredibly beautiful place to rest your head at a very reasonable price. The cottage, Riverside House at Alton Farm, looks out over Church Creek, Napley Green penninsula and on into the Chester River. For more information on cottage rental call J.P. Ridgely at 410 639 7970 - ask for Miss Julia (tell her Howard, the kayak guy referred you.) Believe me the location and accomodations are worth the call.  Rock Hall has many fine bed and breakfast accomodations as well - with several public put over points.
I hope to get out Wednesday of this week - possibly Southeast Creek. Have a great day. HEM

In prepartation for guiding a group of ten friends in the area of Church Creek between Eastern Neck and Napley Green I put over at Bogle’s Wharf at the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge (ENNWR.) The Refuge is six miles south of Rock Hall. Take a left off of Route 20 at the blinker light and proceed through Main Street which becomes Eastern Neck Road, continue six miles until you cross the Eastern Neck Narrows Bridge and on to the Refuge. Follow the signs to Bogles Wharf public ramp. This is the starting point of the Eastern Neck Island Water Trail ( part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.)

[The water trail is a circular route of about ten miles around the island. (To learn more about this and other Kent County and ‘Greenways’ water trails visit www.kentcounty.com/paddling or www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/watertrails.html.)

I have paddled the ENNWR water trail several times both in setting up the trail and guiding groups around the trail. I have soloed in each direction several times and taken side trips up Church Creek , Gray’s Inn Creek and of course the many tiny coves on the Island itself. The most ambitious trip around the island was to put over a Tolchester and paddle south past Rock Hall past Eastern Neck Island then back up the Chester River to Cliffs City. (This one way paddle is about 25 miles. And you obviously need a drop off and pick place. I’ll report on this and other long paddles in future entries.) If you choose to paddle the water trail you may get an inexpensive waterproof map at the Refuge Visitor’s center.]

Sorry if I got off track. Today’s paddle was (Eastern Neck, Bogles Wharf to Chruch Creek and back) a warm up and recon trip for the trip from Church Creek two days later. My friend John Foehrkolb and I did the paddle in two hours of leisurely paddling. We put over at Bogles traveled north past points 1- 6 on the watertrail. Bogles (1) and two marked points on Bogle Cove (2 -3) past Duck Inn Trail water entrance (4 - a stopover beach point from which you could walk the winding nature trail) past Boxes Point Trail (5 - another beach area stopover where the trail may be accessed via foot.) Beyond Boxes Point in slightly west of North direction is the mouth of Church Creek. From the mouth of the creek to its mud flat head is 2 mi. There are no public put overs on the creek.

During our paddle we saw great blue herons, mallards, three eagles - two mature and one immature, several osprey and one white tail deer. It is best to paddle this area during the spring and fall. July and August in addition to being very hot are months of the flying tormentors - mosquitoes and various fly species. If you do paddle these waters bring sun screen and insectrepellant. As usual, have a nice paddle. HEM