Maple Dam Road
Maple Dam Road… what a colorful name for this scenic road that winds through the open marsh on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where the land gradually gives way to the water. I spent a beautiful Monday morning watching the sun rise while a loud chorus of birds and animals played at my back. It felt like I was the only person on Earth... and I was here because of a shortage of leaves and gas.
I’ll explain… several weeks ago in late April I had planned to photograph in Shenandoah NP. But when I got there I found there weren't yet any leaves on the trees above 2000 feet - and all my photography hikes were planned for locations above 3000 feet. I was simply too early, so I decided to go back three weeks later. Excited for my second attempt at Shenandoah, it coincided perfectly with the Colonial Pipeline shutdown which caused a severe lack of gas exactly where I was going - Virginia. So, I revised my plans again and decided to visit Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the southern part of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I’d been interested in this place for photography and kayaking for years and now was my chance.
I spent a couple days exploring this unique area of wetland. The highlight of this first trip was a beautiful Monday morning sunrise as shown in the image above. I saw several bald eagles... could hardly hear over the "roar" of frogs, birds and other animals... and watched and listened in amazement as a beaver worked on its lodge. I did all of this in the hours before most people even start work. In my enthusiasm, I sent a text with the image above to my wife and grown daughters at 6am on Monday morning... they didn't share my enthusiasm until much later that morning! :)
There is much for me to see here and I definitely plan to go back!