The Chesapeake Bay is in My Blood

By Elaine L. Orr

As a child, we visited beaches along the Bay -- much closer to Washington, DC metro area than the ocean beaches. I remember the beaches had nets around them to prevent sea nettles (small jellyfish) from stinging us. 

In the 1970s, my friend Barbara and I bought a cottage on the Western Shore of the Bay in the town of Chesapeake Beach. At the time it was a sleepy place, though it's been built up since then. 

The photo here reflects questionable judgment on our parts. We bought this cottage on the Western Shore in the late 1970s. It had been built in the days before indoor plumbing (though someone had added a cinderblock supplement in the back) and desperately needed a new roof. 

Turns out it had seven (yes, seven) layers of roofing. A wonder the place hadn’t flattened under the weight. This is us hammering shingles. The picture was taken from the house behind us by a horrified neighbor.

I'm not sure my thinking has gotten a lot saner, but I no longer climb on roofs.

Now you know why I'm writing the Bay View Harbor Mystery Series!

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