Outdoor Sports Show in McHenry, MD

On the first weekend of spring, Saturday, March 22 to Sunday, March 23, 2014 the annual Outdoor Sports Show will take place at the fairgrounds in McHenry, MD. The show will be open Saturday from 10am to 7pm and on Sunday from 10am until 4pm offering the perfect occassion to get informed about the latest gear and outdoor toys. On Saturday, a bow shoot will be held at 11am, there will be three classes, one for Juniors, age 10-16, as . . .

Groundhogs

Another 12 days until Spring if you believe in Groundhogs. If you don’t, it’ll be another 16 days until the Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring. Either way, considering the 73 days of winter we’ve already survived since the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2013 , it seems to be safe to say that the worst is over. Even better, for April and May the Farmers’ Almanac predicts warm and dry weather and a hot (and rainy) summer and . . .

Snowshoeing in Garrett County, MD

As winter still is in full swing and there is plenty of snow on the ground, make the most of it! A really nice alternative to skiing are the snowshoeing tours offered by All Earth Eco Tours at Swallow Falls State Park. The tours will be guided by a professional outdoor guide and start Saturday and Sunday at 10:am and 1:00 PM. While moving through the State Park you can learn about the plant and wildlife in winter and enjoy . . .

Goosebumps and Grapes

On Friday, February 21, 2014, from 6 to 9pm, Goosebumps & Grapes will take place at the HoniHoni Bar at Deep Creek Lake, MD. The event features a bonfire as well as a wine sampling. The wines are courtesy of Republic National Distributing Company and will be sold at Arrowhead Market on Friday and Saturday. $3 from every bottle purchased will be donated to Special Olympics Maryland. Admission is $20 (Donation to Special Olympics Maryland). So far $98,099 have been . . .

DO THE DUNK!

It’s this time of the year again, the 2014 Deep Creek Dunk is coming up soon! The 16th Annual Dunk will take place on February 22, 2014. So far the weather seems to be cooperative – Deep Creek Lake will be very cold, if not frozen… All proceeds will benefit children and adults with intellectual disabilities participating with Special Olympics Maryland. So far they have raised approx. $65,000, this year’s goal is $170k – way to go, only ten days . . .

7th Annual Winterfest in Oakland, MD

Next weekend, Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16, 2014 the 7th Annual Winter Fest will take place in d0wntown Oakland, MD. Enjoy a stroll through the Great Small Town, there will be so many things to see and do. For example, you can watch how ice sculptures are carved and admire the finished sculptures, there will be more than 36 on display!. To warm up again you can visit the train station for book readings or have a hot . . .

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

Today, February 1, 2014, is the first day of the Chinese New Year 2014, the year of the Wood Horse. Unlike in the US and Europe where we celebrate for only one evening, the celebrations for the New Year go on until the 15th day of the month. Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals, namely a rat, an ox, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a . . .

This ole house….

As we have been confronted with real winter temperatures the last couple of weeks you probably came to realize that your house is not exactly up to the task. Very likely you have noticed that there always seems to be a little bit of a draft and that your heating system just doesn’t seem to be able to keep the inside temperature steady, although it is literally devouring fuel oil or propane. You probably are trying to stay away from . . .

WEEKEND!

This weekend there are a lot of things you can do around Deep Creek Lake! There finally is enough snow on the ground to go cross country skiing, also the slopes at the Wisp should be in perfect condition for skiing and tubing now. Swallow Falls are definitely frozen by now – always a beautiful photo opportunity! On Saturday evening there will be Live Entertainment at the Black Bear, the Moonshadow Cafe and also at the HoniHoni. Another -very tempting- . . .