There’s a war going on, right here in Ocean City.  Summer with our hero the sun is challenging the cold of winter driven by the wind and the fight is from the chill of drizzle and rain.  I got caught in the middle last Tuesday; as I was about to enjoy the best of summer, it got snatched away by the rage of winter.  I’d been walking to my favorite crabbing spot with the sun and blue sky in front of me.  I put out several “chicken necking” lines, caught one 6-inch crab, then the clouds swallowed up the sun and blackened the sky, and drenched me with icy rain from a nasty thunder storm.  Dark storm clouds had crept up behind me and stole what could’ve been a wonderful day of catching my first crabs of the season.   That was it for summer that day, winter won; but the sun won at SpringFest and didn’t Mary Lou and the Untouchables put on a show ending with a standing ovation by the crowd who demanded one more song, and got it with Mary Lou’s solo a’capella.  As for the crab, it was a keeper, which I steamed & ate - delicious, a true tease of summer.  If you’re hoping to catch blue crabs this summer you’d better check out the new rules.  You don’t want to pay a fine. They’re at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations/recregchrt.html.  There’s different rules for the Chesapeake Bay than here in Ocean City.  Basically if you catch less than two dozen 5-inch crabs, no females, with hand lines all you need is the bait and chicken necks work!  Good Luck, there’s no better eating.  
    Wow, sixteen days in the wilds of Big Bend N.P., Tex., but crabs, SpringFest, and thoughts of Ocean City have brought me back home.  Big Bend is so gorgeously picturesque and has been part of my winter meanderings for the last seven of the 11 years.  All that time with no TV, computers or cell phone.  Outstanding!  The canyon on the river (St. Elena that the Rio Grande flows through) and camping with the canyon on the horizon is my reason to go to Big Bend.  I kayaked, sat along the river and listened to the echoes of the canyon wrens, photographed the sunrise, relaxed and enjoyed myself there.  Also I did lots of walks in the desert & mountains, watched many gorgeous sunrises and sets from those vistas, too.  The color of one sunset from Sotol Vista went 360 degrees around the horizon.  Before that spectacle I watched an unfortunate rattle snake get run over on the road.  I can’t imagine why the driver couldn’t see it.  He/She had to see me taking pictures of it.  It gave me the most memorable episode of the two weeks as I eviscerated, skinned, cooked, and ate it, then dried the skin.  The taste was a little bland.  Maybe I cooked it too much or as most big things we eat, the taste is much better in the smaller ones.  The largeness makes them tough and this one was a 46 incher.  I ate it all, though.  I’ll be displaying the skin, skeleton, and rattles, all 11 of them, for sure!  I found a 1919 wheat penny in the desert at the ruins of Terlingua Abajo mining town near my tent, walked along Terlingua Creek, enjoyed the wild flowers, watched the birds & javelinas and saw many cat prints and maybe antelope or Big Horn Sheep tracks.  The creek was also a very relaxing place to sit and soak my feet in the evening before climbing the bluff behind my tent to watch the sunset.  That’s also a great vantage point for sunrise.
    One of my goals was to eat some tasty Texas BBQ. I mentioned this to another camper and they said they heard the La Kiva Restaurant had what I wanted.  Wow, am I glad I had that conversation, because the meal fulfilled my goal and the restaurant made my Don’t Miss List instantly!  I was served a huge heap of succulent brisket & pork ribs with great sauce, so big that I had enough for fajitas as I sat on a cliff overlooking the river in the canyon where I’d paddled the next day.  As I was tearing down my camp I found another 2 1/2foot or so rattler coiled under one end.  It watched me tear down and pack.  I thought maybe I had stepped on it or injured it and maybe I’d get to eat another one.  I got a long stick and agitated it.  It became very feisty and headed for a big prickly pear cactus.  It would not be dinner!
    Some the nights the temperature plunged to the upper 30s, then the next day would raise to 100 degrees.  I hadn’t seen any rain since early February when I was camped in Big Cypress, Fla. We sure know that changed when I got to OC. The car sure could have used a good washing to get rid of the layers of Everglades and Texas dust.  One night as I sat in the screened-in room I attach to my tent, something dropped on my arm.  I reacted by rapidly brushing it off.  It hit the tarp that makes a floor with a thud.  I shined my light on it.  It was translucent and scurrying under the edge of the screen.  That fits the description of a scorpion.  I was lucky not to get nailed!
    One of the most relaxing parts of this adventure was a hot shower and a cold ACB which I had whenever I wanted.  They were facilitated by my solar shower and the “refrigerator” I constructed. After Big Bend I recharged my body’s “batteries” in motels in Van Horn, Tex., Deming, N.M. and Tucson, Ariz., as I went west, where I hoped to transform my appearance from a dried-out over-done-in-the sun free-loading desert bum to a partially respectable traveling vagabond.  The dryness and heat that turned the peel on my oranges hard as a rock also worked over my feet.  A dollar jar of Vitamin E cream from the $ General did wonders for them. The rest of me did pretty good.
    Then I went back to the wilds in the hummingbird oasis of Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument, and then to Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, a new place for me.  The best of my photos are posted at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy.  Check them out and let me know what you think.  If you want to set a family photo session or wedding photos on the beach give me a call at 410-289-7339 and look at my website at photosasyouwantthem.biz or send me an email at ocfotoguy@aol.com.