MDP has to appologize for the unannounced hiatus of the last few weeks.  There was a lot of stuff going on at MDP photoquarters and the effort of posting a daily photo, as trivial as it sounds, was actually a bit much for a while.  That said, and now that you may think that the last full weeks were full of stress and work, today’s picture came from… well it came from a cruise ship.   Yes, we’re sorry to say that part of why MDP was not available was because of a vacation.

So here, is a shot from the ship during sunset, just south of the key bridge.

There isn’t much to say about Concord Point Lighthouse that isn’t covered by the phrase, “It is awesome.”  

The lighthouse was manned for the majority of its life (which started in 1827) by the O’neil family of Havre De Grace.   (more Havre De Grace posts to come)   One of them actually defended the lighthouse with a cannon and there is a monument to this action on the water-side of the light.  The keeper’s home still stands across the street form the tower.  It too was built in 1827.  

According to the sign in front, it is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the bay.  

However, it is not the oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake, at least not according to the National park service.  So where is the oldest? 

What’s a bad thing to do when driving over a bridge?  Take a picture?  I disagree.   What if its a really high two lane bridge and you are 1 mile out from land?  I say its still not a problem. 

 Special thanks to corresponding photographer Shelly for today’s photo.  (Though let it be known that I will do what it takes to get the scoop for the Maryland Daily Photo Community….tell your friends) 

It’s really neat how the motion has created such a strange effect on this photo. It’s as if the whole thing was captured underwater.   It’s also amplified by the dusk of an already overcast day, which gives it sort of a creepy overtone.  

What’s the source of the bay?

While his reputation is far reaching, and he has been the source of inspiration for many a purchase of milk and sports apparel, Cal Ripken is not the source of the Chesapeake Bay.  If you’re looking for another link between the title of the post and the subject, you are on the right track.  I’ll tell you the following to help you along.

The bay is not 2,131 miles long.  It’s only about 200 miles long.

There aren’t 1995 species of fish in the bay. There are around 350.

If you’re really stretching it, you could point out that:

The average depth is 21 feet.  

There is a part of the bay, somewhere that is 31 miles wide.  (It’s widest part is 35 miles)   

So together these could be 2131.

However, none of these are the answer I’m looking for.  .

The link between the bay and Cal, is that the source of the Susquehanna River, which feeds the bay from the north, is Otsego Lake, located in Cooperstown, NY, where Cal was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the reason why Cal gets a nod after yesterday’s entry about the bay.

All these bay facts came from this site, just so you all know. 

Also, this photo was taken from the sidewalk in Fell’s Point. 

As we’re only posting on weekdays (MarylandWeekdayPhoto is just too odd to have as a domain name) Maryland Daily Photo will return on Monday with all new posts.    Thanks for making this a great first week.   

What’s one of the most important features of Maryland?  The Bay, clearly, right?   I have spent a lot of time here without really focusing in on the bay, but all the while unconsciously enjoying its proximity.  I know it is there because I am subtly reminded of it when I see a seagull fly overhead, when I cross a bridge over a river which empties into the bay, and when I realize that beyond the Domino plant there’s actually a big body of water out there which is attached to the inner harbor.  A little while ago I decided to take advantage of my proximity to the nation’s largest estuary and this photo is the result of that decision.   While taking it I learned a few interesting facts about the bay. 

First of all, the funny thing about the bay is that, at certain points, it can be difficult to find a good area to just sit on the shore by yourself and relax.  This is because the bay has two discernable shorelines: public shores and private shores.  There are probably plenty of places that are just obscure enough to avoid crowding and which are not under the claim of private ownership.  The problem is that they just aren’t close to my office.  As a result, to take this photo I walked the line between public and private until the signs (literally the signs that say “keep out”) weren’t exactly clear, at which point I moved in for the shot.     

While this shot makes it look like the bay is this tranquil and placid all the time, it is just a single moment in time; a piece of the much larger experience which is the observation of the bay for just a half hour.   While you could never stare at this photo for half an hour, you could absolutely lose yourself in the goings–on of the bay at this location for half an hour.   While I was sitting there boats went by, ducks came and went, families (who probably owned a piece of this shoreline) walked in front of me, and the sun moved far enough to completely change the color of my surroundings.   When you find a good public place to sit and make your own for a few minutes, I’d suggest doing just that.  In the mean time, I’ll capture a few of my bay experiences and bring them back for you.