There's No Place Like Down Home

There are many reasons to love life in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties: the area's natural beauty, its farms and rural traditions, its connection to the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and waterways, its small towns, and the warmth and respectfulness of its people. All were cited by readers when we asked them to tell us why they have made Southern Maryland home. Here is a sampling of their

Life's Cycles on Indian Creek

We like looking out on Indian Creek in Golden Beach and marveling at all the migrating ducks: canvasback, ruddy, pintail, merganser, mallard and some we can't identify. They are there, sometimes in the hundreds, in early morning; and if feeding is good, they will stay all day. Then all of a sudden, they lift off and are gone, leaving for warmer climes.

Year after year they come back, letting us know that the river is healthy with an abundance of food.

They leave us with an indication of Mother Nature's welcome and never-ending cycles, an anticipation of seeing them in spring, a knowledge that life goes on, an appreciation of the seasons' bounties.

Erin and Warren Hayes

Golden Beach

Kind Words, Friendly Smiles

I sincerely like living in Southern Maryland (Calvert County) because of the respect and neighborliness I receive as a senior citizen.

For more than a decade, I've been saying and receiving "good mornings" when I pick up my papers. I smile and feel good when I say and receive the kind words "Have a nice day" or "Have a goodun' " when I do my grocery shopping or go to my doctors. It's also nice to see people of all ages holding doors open so that others can enter more easily. What's most important for me is that the people holding the doors are all ages, colors and sexes.

When I go to the recycling center, I enjoy talking with the attendants, who always help me unload the bags from my truck. Just last week, a lady with a cane was dropping off her recyclables. The attendants told her they would do it and she should just stay in her car.

I live in a small community on Battle Creek with neighbors who are weekend visitors as well as permanent residents. We include people who have lived in Calvert for many decades as well as those who recently moved to the county. We all respect one another's need for privacy as well as neighborhood fellowship. I especially like Halloween, when all the children in our community and their parents go from house to house as a group. Although my children are grown, we get into the spirit by carving pumpkins, buying candy and decorating our home. The thank-yous from the children and their smiles are worth the effort.

As a Native American, I love the opportunity to volunteer at our nature parks and to help educate our children. I thoroughly enjoy the invitations to speak at schools, civic groups, senior citizen centers and other venues on Native Americans and our history in this area as well as throughout the United States.

I've worked in the District for more than 30 years and lived in large Beltway communities. I can assure you, I have never received the respect and neighborliness that I've enjoyed for more than 10 years here in Calvert.

Robert P. Gajdys