Fun For Friday and Saturday Night !!

DON'T FORGET !!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10
GARDEN TRACTOR PULLING and 200 FT. DIRT DRAG

















SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11th

TRUCK & TRACTOR PULLING & MUD HOP

REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS @ 5 PM

EVENTS BEGIN @ 7 PM

Admission $5.00

Bring a chair and come join the fun!!

Refreshments available

9343 Guy Ward Road

Parsonsburg, MD. 410-896-4597

Rain Dates for events: September 17 & 18

Babe Ruth Museum Has A Mystery To Solve

It hangs in an upstairs display case at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum on Emory Street, an old baseball card at the center of a Baltimore mystery.

Inside the faded red border is a photo of the great Babe Ruth gazing off to his left, somehow looking pensive and mischievous at the same time.

The future Hall of Famer is 19 years old, tall and lean, not yet showing the effects of a prodigious appetite for beer and hot dogs that developed over his lifetime.

This is the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card. It's one of the most valuable cards on the market, priced at a cool $500,000 in good condition. No more than 11 of the cards are believed to exist.

Museum officials are ecstatic to have it in their possession. While displaying the card for 12 years, they learned only recently that its value had skyrocketed.

"The Honus Wagner tobacco card used to be the Holy Grail of collectibles," says Mike Gibbons, the museum's executive director. "Now the Ruth card is the Holy Grail."

Gibbons and his staff are so excited about the card that they plan to make it the centerpiece of a "blockbuster" display on the history of baseball card collecting.

But before they do, they want to contact the card's owner, the Baltimore man who generously loaned the card for display. They want to let him know about their grand plans for his wonderful gift.

Except … they can't find him.

In this age of computer databases and search engines and 24/7 social media connectivity, the man has flat-out disappeared.

He vanished in a way that seems almost impossible to do in this day and age.

And all he left behind was one of the most expensive baseball cards in the world.

An offer they couldn't refuse

If you ask Babe Ruth Museum officials, they'll tell you the story begins in June 1998. That's when a local man named Richard Davis approached them with an offer.

He was in possession of the 1914 Ruth rookie baseball card in good condition, along with 14 other cards issued that year, mostly of Ruth's teammates. Davis agreed to allow the museum to display them on a long-term basis, with no time-frame for their return.

The cards were from a series issued by the old Baltimore News when Ruth had only recently left St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, the Baltimore orphanage where he had been consigned at age 7 by his parents for "incorrigible behavior."

A 19-year-old pitcher, he had just signed his first professional baseball contract with the Baltimore Orioles of the International League. The team was managed by the legendary Jack Dunn, who had agreed to be Ruth's guardian. As the story goes, Ruth's teammates took to calling him "Jack's newest babe," and the nickname stuck for the rest of his life.

Museum officials were delighted with Davis' loan. Even back then, they knew the card was valuable. But they didn't think it was worth anything approaching the amount the 1909 Wagner tobacco card was fetching. A card of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame shortstop had sold for $640,000 in 1996.

"We're in the sports heritage business, not in the business of buying and selling memorabilia," Gibbons says of why the Ruth card wasn't appraised back then.

Still, Gibbons knew the Ruth card was rare. Not a lot of people had come across it back in 1914. And the ones who did apparently weren't excited enough to hold on to it.

"It had a very limited distribution, just in the Baltimore area," says Brian Fleischer of memorabilia evaluator Beckett Media in Dallas. "And couple that with the fact [Ruth] was a rookie."

In addition, World War I had just begun, in July of that year, about the time that baseball card experts believe the Ruth card was issued. And even though the U.S. would not enter the war until 1917, Americans seemed to have little passion for frivolous pastimes such as collecting baseball cards.

"There could have been more important things to worry about than the … card of an unknown future Hall of Famer," notes Fleischer dryly.

Richard Davis died in August 2001. His son, Glenn Davis, then entered into the same loan agreement with the museum concerning his father's card collection.

And for the next eight years, the Ruth rookie card was displayed with little fanfare in an upstairs room adjacent to where Ruth was born.

Then last year, Gibbons and his staff were alerted to a story in Forbes magazine on the world's most expensive baseball cards.

There, at the top of the list, was the 1914 Ruth rookie card. And now the price listed for the card was an eyeball-popping $500,000.

Not only had its price taken off, but the Honus Wagner tobacco card had nose-dived in value. Now a Wagner card in comparable condition was worth only $300,000, according to Beckett Media.

Part of the reason, according to Fleischer, is that experts now believe there are some 50 or 60 Wagner tobacco cards in existence, compared to the far smaller number of Ruth rookie cards. So while a Wagner card in almost mint condition sold for $2.35 million three years ago, it's estimated that a Ruth rookie in similar condition could command between $3 million and $5 million.

At this point, museum officials had their Ruth card photographically appraised by Beckett Media. The judgement was, yes, the card was in good condition. Therefore it was worth a half-million dollars.

Hearing this, museum officials quickly decided the Ruth card needed to be displayed more prominently. The museum, which opened in 1974, has struggled in the down economy. A blockbuster display of a rare Ruth card would only help attract interest.

"We knew we had a valuable piece" before, Gibbons says. "But what Forbes was saying made it a totally unique and rare situation."

In search of the owner

Their first order of business was to try to contact Glenn Davis to let him know of their plans for the card.

But he was no longer at the address he had listed on the original loan form. He had left no forwarding address, either. And an Internet search and dozens of phone calls also failed to turn up the right Glenn Davis.

On the original loan form, Davis had listed his employer as Duron Paints. But the company, which had been taken over by Sherwin-Williams, told Gibbons and his staff that it couldn't release private information about an employee.

When museum officials persisted and sent a certified letter to Duron headquarters in Beltsville, they say, the company promised to try to locate Davis.

But they say Duron never got back to them. Calls by the Baltimore Sun to Duron's Human Resources department Monday were not returned.

The search for Davis had arrived at another dead end.

Not that museum officials are giving up.

Now they're hoping a newspaper article will help them locate the mysterious Glenn Davis.

They're eager to find him, eager to get started on their new display. And they're anxious to tell the world that the Baltimore museum that celebrates the most iconic figure in sports also has one of the rarest, priciest memorabilia items associated with his name.

"For a long time, we've had this jewel, this gem," Gibbons says of the card. "And we never tooted our horn about it. Now we're proclaiming publicly that we have this incredible artifact. And we're hoping the public will come to see it."

It would be nice if Glenn Davis comes to see it, too.

Although right now, museum officials would probably settle for a phone call.

www.baltimoresun.com

For All Interested "Ham Radio" Operators..........

The Eastern Shore "Radio Hams" will join in National "Field-Day" Exercises on June 26 and 27 to practice and demonstrate emergency communication skills.

"Hams" from Accomack and Northampton Counties will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators to showoff their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across American including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio, often referred to as "Ham Radio", was often the only way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer "hams" traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radios people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications.

On the weekend of June 26-27, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities. This annual event, called "Field Day," is sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan "When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works" is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be comprised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.

The Eastern Shore Amateur Radio Club (ESARC) will host the Eastern Shore activities, at the Farmer's Market pavilion in Parksley for the 24 hour period beginning at 2:00 PM on Saturday June 26. The ESARC, in cooperation with other country agencies, rehearses throughout the year to prepare for whatever emergencies might arise, needing communications support. To learn more about Amateur Radio, even how to get your own FCC radio license, visit the Field Day activities in Parksley, and/or go to www.emergency-radio.org.

www.shoredailynews.com

Mudbogging Time Again............

Three team members of 187 East Coast Performance Bowden Racing Team received trophies during the 2009 Gumboro Mudbog Banquet.


Pro-stock- Barry Wise - 1st place
Pro-stock- Loriann Long - 2nd place
Mini-open- Johnny Edwards - 3rd place

The team will be ready to run through the mud when the season opens today!

The 2010 Mudbog season opens today in Gumboro!

Gates open at 11:00 am ---- Races begin @ 1:00 PM

Price of admission $7.00 -- children under 10 FREE BUT all children MUST be accompanied by an adult.

For more info go to www.gumboromudbog.com

2 Year Old Catches 20 lb. Fish With Barbie Fishing Pole

ST. FRANCIS, Minn. - A muskie, a two-year-old girl and a Barbie fishing pole combined for the greatest fishing story of the 2010 Minnesota walleye opener.

2-year-old Ella was fishing with her grandparents at Round Lake near Randall, Minnesota on Saturday when she reeled in the big one. Ella, who comes from a long line of anglers, had never caught a fish until Saturday.

She caught her first fish at Round Lake not with the star plastic lure on the Barbie fishing pole, but with a hook and worm.

"Ella had her sunfish on and she's reeling it in," her mom, Carrie Haag, said. "Here comes this big muskie that went and ate her sunfish. So I grabbed the pole and yelled for grandpa David."

Grandpa grabbed a net and soon they landed a 30-inch muskie weighing in at a little under 20 lbs -- a fish bigger than the fisherman who caught it. The Barbie fishing pole survived it all and little Ella was so excited, she said the first thing that came to her mind -- "I caught a shark."

After snapping a photo, the family snapped the line and let the muskie go.

The state record muskie according to the Minnesota DNR is 54 lbs and 56 inches, caught in 1957. That's about 34 lbs more than Ella's catch.

Becomming A Bluebird

I've been watching these bluebirds for a few weeks now and I must admit that creatures in the wild are such hard working beings that perhaps some of us could learn a lesson or two from them.

These two photos were taken on May 9...........Mother's Day. For a few days the male bluebird has been very active in seeing that his family is not only fed but protected. There has been a black bird, similar to a Grackle, trying to stir up trouble for this family. I have seen the male bird go directly at this black bird to knock him out of the air. The female bird has made numerous attempts to tap the bird on the head with her beak........which she has. Bluebirds are shy birds normally but it has been quite clear to me that like most parents, they will protect their home and their family.

Yesterday morning those same black birds (there are two) were at the bluebird house again with wads of dried grass this time........trying to force it into the hole of the house. These grackle-like birds are so very aggressive and if I could get my hands on just one of them life sure would be easier....... not just for me but for this tiny mommy bluebird.

I noticed all day yesterday that the male Bluebird was missing.
He is missing again today and I have been trying to help this pitiful mommy bluebird protect her nest from predators. Now I don't know if there is such a thing as a "dead beat dad" in the world of birds or not. I have no clue as to his whereabouts except that maybe he lost the battle trying to fight the Grackles.
So, the mommy bluebird continues her struggle to feed and protect her family and I am doing all I can to help. She has seen me so many times flapping my "wings" at the Grackles and understands that I am trying to help. In just a few more days these small fluffy birds will be leaving the nest and fly off into the world....................leaving the female bluebird and ME alone.

I'll take care of those Grackles....................

You can't see them very well in this picture but there are two in the house and I'm quite sure there are four.Two years ago these same birds stuffed my bluebird house with dried grass and suffocated FOUR babies that within a day or two would have left the nest and I vowed it would never again happen in my yard!

Hummingbirds Have Arrived!!

Usually around the 19th of April every year the hummingbirds return to my yard. I've been a little lax on looking for them this year even though I have seen small dark images dart past the kitchen window and some of my friends have already been feeding them. Rudy, our resident cat, has been in "my" kitchen window a little more often than in his recently and I should have known why.

It was my mission yesterday to get at least one of my seven feeders filled with fresh nectar to hang just outside the kitchen window. That accomplished I went about the rest of my morning leaving Rudy our resident cat to stand guard in the window. Within a short period of time the hummingbirds were there! That's fine with me and Rudy seemed proud of his discovery. The more the merrier!!

This morning, just at the crack of dawn, they were feeding and Rudy began his watch. He's still standing in the window watching.......... Clearly, when you stop and observe them they are quite amusing and hummingbird watching is not for slow movers. Did you know that hummingbirds are attracted to bright vivid colors, not just red? If you wear a brightly colored shirt and sit outdoors you'll be surprised to see that you can attract them.

So, if you have hummingbird feeders get them out. If you don't have a feeder because you don't think you have hummingbirds I suggest you invest in one anyway to try to attract them. The feeders can be purchased at any dollar store for just a few dollars. No need buy the commercial nectar you see in the stores. Hummingbirds will drink the clear nectar you can make right at home. I've done it for years.

This year I will have seven feeders for these delicate tiny birds and by June all of the feeders with be occupied off and on from dawns early light until almost dark and even after dark. My favorite time is when the mimosa trees in our yard blooms and the hummingbirds along with the honeybees head for the trees and go into a nectar feeding frenzy.

And as soon as I have the time Rudy, the resident cat, is getting his own bird feeder for his own window. He's been in my way for two days.

Hummingbird Nectar
Add 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water
Boil solution for 1 to 2 minutes to disolve
Be sure to allow water to cool before filling feeder
Leftover solution can be stored in the refrigerator

What's Lurking in Loch Ness?

There's something lurking in the depths of Loch Ness, Scotland, and it has nothing to do with monsters.
On a recent expedition to try and find evidence of the Loch Ness monster, U.S. research teams came across something quite unexpected -- not a prehistoric creature of the deep, but thousands of plastic covered golf balls.

Embedded video from CNN Video

Mike O'Brien of SeaTrepid explains: "At first we thought they were mushrooms, there were so many. But when we lowered the camera, we were surprised to see that they were in fact golf balls."

The balls were found roughly 300 yards from the beach and 100 yards from the shore where it is thought locals and visitors have been using the loch to practice their driving skills for quite some time.
One witness, conservationist Adrian Shine, told CNN he had seen locals launching balls almost 300 feet into the waters.

However, Shine doesn't believe this to be an environmental threat: "Certainly it's undesirable, but I don't think it will have a significant environmental impact on the loch."

It seems missing and discarded golf balls may not be bad news for all concerned. David Roston has built a career out of wading through rivers and diving in lakes to collect and re-sell discarded golf balls.
His online company, www.lakeballs.co.uk, had been retailing "lake balls" for almost 10 years, but even his powers of retrieval would be challenged by the monstrous task of recovering balls from the bottom of loch.

"I've dived in various lakes and found 10 to 15 thousand golf balls at a time, it's incredible -- but we've never attempted to clear a loch!"
Bobbing along at a depth of 754 feet, it's unlikely these balls of Loch Ness will ever see the light of day again.

VIA

Golden Tapestry Created From Spider Silk

This is not your everyday knee-warmer.

Woven entirely out of spider silk, a shimmering, 11-by-4 foot golden tapestry has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

According to the museum's Web site, the spectacular textile is the brainchild of British art historian Simon Peers, who studied previous attempts to use spider silk to produce fabric.

More than 1 million golden orb spiders from Madagascar were "silked" to produce enough thread to weave the stunning tapestry, the museum said. To extract the surprisingly durable thread, a special harness was used to hold the spiders in place.

It took 70 hired workers four years to make the tapestry, the museum said, at an approximate cost to Peers of $500,000.

Believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, the cashmere-soft creation will be on view at the American Museum of Natural History until traveling to London next year.

Bill Harris' Ace Hardware Truck and Car Show

Saturday, September 5, 2009
If you missed this it is a shame. So many wonderful looking cars and trucks were lined up as far as you could see. Here are just a few of the many vehicles that participated. Again this year Bill did a great job making this happen.