(Click any photo to enlarge.)
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| Lenten Rose at River House |
Snow Hill, Maryland, is where I landed my first teaching job. I felt extremely fortunate to get this position, because there was a glut of teachers on the market in 1973, so when I heard there was a possible opening at the middle school, I jumped on it. I ended up staying with Worcester County Schools for 36 years, although I was only in Snow Hill for seven, but landing that position was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Worcester County consistently ranks as the best school system in Maryland, and I am proud to have played a role in that.
When I arrived in
Snow Hill, I felt that I was entering a different world. I had come from a large metropolitan area outside of Washington, DC. Now I was in a small town where children in my class came from families who could claim many generations of living in Snow Hill. These kids had never seen escalators or rocks or hills. But they knew farms and rivers and local lore. I was the one who had a lot to learn, and they taught me well.
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| All Hallows Episcopal |
Snow Hill is still a small town, but it is the county seat of Worcester, which helps to bring in visitors and revenue. It has undergone a transformation in recent years with newcomers arriving to purchase and restore the many Victorian homes and to establish art galleries and small businesses. Various buildings in the downtown area have been renovated and now house restaurants and boutiques. New sidewalks have been installed in many locations, or the brick sidewalks that were lumpy and rutted are now regraded and level.
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| Makemie Presbyterian |
Snow Hill has some historic churches, such as Makemie Presbyterian, which is the oldest Presbyterian congregation in the U.S., having been established in 1683. The town of Snow Hill itself was established in 1686. Another historic church is All Hallows Episcopal; the brick to build the church was used as ballast in an English ship, and the ivy that covers its walls came from Kenilworth Castle in England.
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| River House Inn |
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I met another photographer, Jay, who is a Facebook friend who lives near Snow Hill. We had never met face to face before, so it was great to finally meet him for my walk today. He had recently had surgery on his vocal cords, so I mainly chatted and he occasionally whispered to me about where we were going. First we went to the
River House Inn, which is a B&B on the Pocomoke River. The Pocomoke has played a major role in the establishment of Snow Hill as a port town, and today the river is an important part of the tourist trade here, with visitors renting kayaks to explore its waters.
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| Jay at River House |
After the River House we parted ways, so that he could continue his recuperation, and I walked along the main street and then up Church Street and along some of the side streets, looking for the house of my friend Mary, who is also retired from my school. We chatted outside her home, and I continued on my walk, admiring the homes undergoing renovation and those that are complete. A number of homes are for sale in Snow Hill, a reflection of the economic times, but it was evident from the amount of restored homes that there is a lot of civic pride in Snow Hill.
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| Mary's House |
I ended my walk at an antiques/flag/coin/art gallery called Artiques at the river's edge, across from the library. The owner is a retired principal from the Washington metro area who said that he and his wife feel like they have found a piece of heaven in Snow Hill. They are restoring one of those previously mentioned Victorians. He has gotten involved in local efforts to keep the downtown growing and alive.
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| Veil of Weeping Willow |
Who knows how many people I passed on my walk today that could possibly have been the children or grandchildren of the students in my first class back in 1973. I'll never know, but hopefully, a few of them remember fondly the young teacher with the long hair who did not have a clue about small town life, and that
they had to teach
her a thing or two.
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Visit my photography show, "My
Maryland," at the public library in Urbana, Maryland, on the lower level
of the building. It is there until the end of April.
Hurricane Sandy Relief: Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.
Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.
Click on any photo to enlarge it.
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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:
- walk every day
- the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
- post a photo every day
- use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps
- no weather excuses
- walk only where it is safe to do so
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