Milo's Meanderings... Baltimore!

Ft McHenry Baltimore MD

The rain stopped and the skies turned blue and the air felt clean for the first time all summer so we three went on a walkabout to Baltimore!

 I admit to feeling an attachment to Baltimore with it's many neighborhoods, and nice people, and history. We went to Ft. McHenry, a national monument, to pick up a lifetime pass to state parks and monuments for moi.

The price is $10 til August 28th, then goes up to $80. As long as I don't lose it, it's my lifetime pass to all National parks! Woohoo. (you have to be fairly ancient to qualify)

 This is the Fort where our flag waving through a major battle of the Revolution, inspired Francis Scott Key to write what became our National anthem.



Canons! The canons made us all leap out of our shoes when the reenactors set them off. I couldn't help imagining myself during the revolution, having a British man o war shooting at me, me shooting back, and fighting for independence, right where I was standing on this peaceful day. We listened to the park ranger tell us about the time period .

Dark areas are the Chesapeake Bay, white is land around it.
We met so many people, and Milo was charming. There were so many dogs there, mostly with terrific owners. A couple owners were too busy on their cell phones to notice their dogs were all over the place, but mostly everyone was on their good behavior.

My favorite discussion was with a woman named Neela holding the leash of a magnificent white labradoodle. In a few minutes we realized we were kindred spirits, going through similar changes and moving, felt the same way about the state of the union, compared notes on holistic remedies for ear trouble (olive oil and oregano oil), we are both artists (she's a potter and I'm what ever I am) and she was interested in the spiritual energy centers in CO too. I had just brought that up to my husband this morning! She wanted to take her best friend along when she and her husband moved to a retirement area. I've always wanted to have a place for artists to live after they retire, so they can all be happy together.
I wish she and I would end up in the same town.
\
We talked to two ladies with recent knee surgeries.

I loved chatting with a couple who told me they grew up in Canton, an area of Baltimore, they met in high school, married, and moved out of the county later in life. I asked all about growing up in the city, and they got this nostalgic look on their faces that was beautiful. I imagined it as they told me about it...

We decided to end our afternoon at Little Italy at Vaccaros for treats. There was a glitch in the GPS which took us to a Vaccaros in... wait for it... Canton! not little Italy (Fells Point) as we expected. Funny the coincidence.

We were surprised to find the cutest little area, surrounding a green park, with lots of restaurants and atmosphere and history.

 It's near the harbor, so we enjoyed a little walk around while our delish sandwiches were being made.

you can almost see the painted window screen here... although I couldn't get a good angle for photo

Almost every house has a patio on top!







little scenes in front of the row house stoops

Old mixed with new, meaning this is a vital area, has been for a long time and continues to be.

Nice.









I thought we'd just get Italian cookies and maybe a gelato but they now make panini's and Mufallatos .

I'll just have what you're having!

I noticed another sign in the window... and the photo became a selfie!

hat and all!

there will be a sidewalk painting festival here in Sept!

Fun!

 While we were waiting a homeless woman walked by and yelled at another woman and myself, calling us names. I was a bit stunned, but the woman told me the whole story, of how the homeless woman lives there in Canton, how people take care of her, how the homeless woman hates the person I was talking to for no reason in reality and we both just shrugged.

 Life is hard.
 No offense taken by either of us of course, and we had one of the best conversations as a result. We comiserated on global warming, and how to cope with it. My native Florida is going under, the glaciers in Alberta where I spent two very happy years, are melting.

I mean, she and I could be friends too. I realized I like Baltimore a lot.
We were brought together by the homeless woman's verbal attack and our mutual response to understand how someone could be brought to that mindset.

Lovely.

there is room for all kinds

While Drew was inside  waiting for our lunch, I met so many people who wanted to know Milo.
Lots of dogs passed by with happy owners, on a Sunday afternoon

some of them left their pawprints on the sidewalk!

Look at my baby... so tall! He'll be 5 months old this week!
 check out Milo's latest video...

Linking to a few parties...
http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/
http://nicholasjv.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Travel_Tuesday