Dodder or Devil’s Hair: It Kills
We have a parasitic plant belonging to the morning glory family that is a hazard to the High Tide bush in the marshes. Dodder has many names, including colorful folk names such as strangle tare, strangleweed, scaldweed, beggarweed, lady’s laces, fireweed, wizard’s net, devil’s guts, devil’s hair, devil’s ringlet, goldthread, hailweed, hairweed, hellbine, love vine, pull-down, angel hair, and witch’s hair. Those known and used locally include devil’s hair, devils guts, goldthread, angel hair, and witches hair.
Message from a Captain – The Solitary Box Turtle
Moving box turtles outside of their home territory can cause confusion. Maryland Department of Natural Resources has tips if they look like they need help crossing the road. Cap’n Jack reinforces with his own twist upon the advice.
Message from the Cap’n – Lightning Bugs = Flying Beetles
Many as children have been fascinated by lightning bugs or fireflies. (As the Cap’n has lately become fascinated with rhyme.) He offers some observations of these amazing creatures, in his new stanza style.
(And here he puts it all together:)
Cap’n Jack Gets Fishing Tips from Cap’n Orem
Here are some tidbits for fishermen in the Chesapeake. We all can all use some help. And this comes from experience, from 100-year-old Cap’n Orem Hammett. Orem, a softspoken man of few words, has a unique outlook from fishing over his years.
Message from the Cap’n – The Poetry of Trot-lining
Trot-lining is a method of catching Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs by tying hunks of bait (eels chopped into 2-inch to 3-inch pieces, or bull lips, are especially favored) and netting the crabs as they munch away at the delicacy. For the Cap’n, trot-lining is pure poetry.
Southern Cicadas May Emerge in St. Mary’s
2024 is the year that the ginormous Great Southern Brood of cicadas are expected to emerge from extreme Southern Maryland. Some spots in the US will see the emergence not only of this Brood 19 but also the Northern Illinois Brood 13.
Captain’s Message: Crab Season Opens … But …
The Blue Crab season opened April 1, but the crabs arrive in their own time, which should be soon now that NOAA is reporting surface water temperature in Chesapeake Bay is approaching 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Poetry from a Captain – Martins Ahead
A few Purple Martin scouts, early visitors to the string of nests strung across the piers at Sea-fruit Oyster House, inspired Cap’n Jack to burst into poetry in anticipation of this year’s arrival.
Message from the Cap’n — Muskrat on the Menu
“Let me tell you a story. When we were growing up as children on our little farm in Piney Point, we had a lot of stuff to eat. And it included muskrat.” – Message from a Cap’n: Never know what you might find yourself adding to the menu.
Captain’s Message: All Storms Are Different
The Storm of 1933, 10 years before I was born, caught everyone by surprise. It ended maritime transportation and commerce in St. Mary’s County by knocking out the wharves. Here’s a look at the major storms in my lifetime, 1943 to last month.
