The weather was perfect, but the cars were better.  There were dozens of them, ranging from an extremely rare 1913 National to Porsche 911s fresh off the showroom floor.  Where were these spectacular cars?  At the Oxford Community Center awaiting the checkered flag marking the start of the annual Oxford Road Rally.

This Spy was sent to observe the start of the rally.  A 1970s Trabant, an East German car built by communists, had been spotted at the OCC earlier in the month, at the Cars N’ Coffee event. 

 

Cars lined up early for the race, providing spectators with an opportunity to see some of the finest automobiles on the Eastern Shore. I was thrilled to see a 1940 Packard 110.

 

 

And a 1954 Buick Eight Super woody station wagon, restored to perfection.  

 

 

This spy admires the courage of the owners entering these museum-quality cars in a road race.

Among the more remarkable entries was a 1953 Jaguar XK 120 race car.  Look at that windshield.

 

Have you ever seen the 1913 National?  The Smithsonian Institution doesn’t have one, but, last Saturday one was parked in front of the OCC and participated proudly in the rally.

 

 

More modern cars at the rally included an early Dodge Viper. The car boasts a 10-cyclindar engine that is sometimes described as sounding like a milk truck.

 

 

And I always love seeing Ford GTs.  A red one looked ready for this year’s Le Mans.

 

 

At 9:00 a.m. Oxford police led the cars out of the OCC.  The race was on!

 

 

The race was a fantastic success.  This Spy recommends that anyone with a sports or classic car participate in next year’s rally.  Fun is guaranteed.

On the advice of a good friend, this spy travelled to St. Michaels early on Sunday morning to board the Patriot at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. My mission was to observe and photograph the log canoe race held on the Miles River. 

Because the agency is committed to monitoring everything that goes on in St. Michaels, I considered my trip to be an agency mission. The mission was a success.

Pictures often provide more intelligence than written reports, even when written by the best spies working for the agency. That is the case here. My photographs give an accurate record of what transpired at Miles on the morning of June 29th. 

If asked, and to date I haven’t been asked, to provide a one-word assessment of what I witnessed, my response would be “beauty.” (Yes, I know, that word does not often appear in this spy’s reports.)

Without further description, here is a sampling of the photos I captured last Sunday morning:

Note that the log canoes are not all the same size. The difference in boat size is factored into determining the winner of the race. The larger log canoes, because they travel faster than the smaller ones, are awarded “time” based on their size. Thus, even though a large log canoe may cross the finish line first, it may not win the race.

Yes, I know it’s a bit complicated, but accuracy in our assessment of the outcome requires us to understand, at least superficially, the rules of the race.

This small log canoe necessitated careful coordination of the crew to avoid an unscheduled swim in the Miles.

This spy wishes he were a sailor, but he’s not—difficulty in determining which boat was doing what was experienced. 

Observing the log canoe race was most enjoyable. I am available for future races.

One last photograph. I took over 200 . . . 

Additional log canoe races are scheduled for July 27 and 28, and Sept. 7, 8, 14, and 15. Information on the races, the Patriot, and the opportunity to purchase tickets can be found at: https://cbmm.org/resources_tags/log-canoe-races/.

 

Agent 8 filed their report on the 14th Annual Easton Airport Day event held on October 12:

Hundreds of spectators were on hand for the annual Easton Airport Day, held in perfect weather, on Saturday, October 12. The event was spectacular.

Attendees browsed dozens of historic military and civilian airplanes, including a C-47 that saw service on D-Day, Stearman biplanes, crop-dusters, helicopters, an A-10 Warthog, and even Engine 25 of the Oxford Fire Department.

The airport’s F-104 Starfighter was available for photo opportunities. Dozens of attendees, most born well after the F-104 left active service with the Air Force, had an opportunity to sit in the plane. 

There were many highlights of the event, including an impressive flyover by 20 aircraft, led by the C-47 “Placid Lassie.”  

Vintage and other aircraft participated in the famous Rubber Chicken Drop Contest, sponsored this year by Bluepoint Hospitality. None of the competitors managed to drop a chicken into a white pickup truck parked in the airfield. One competitor, however, came close, depositing the bird four feet in front of the truck.

Attendees enjoyed two parachute jumps by the Naval Academy Parachute Team. The midshipmen-parachutists demonstrated incredible skill, landing safely in the middle of the airport. Spectators greeted the team with smiles and applause.

Youth had the opportunity to learn about careers in aviation in the Aviation Career Education Tent, sponsored by AECOM.

Gourmands were offered bacon and other delicacies from food trucks. This spy, wary about his cholesterol levels, did not sample the bacon, but reports it looked delicious.

As has been the case in previous years, the much-loved event enjoyed broad community support, including from Qlarant, The Oaks Waterfront Hotel, and Bluepoint Hospitality.

This video is approximately two minutes in length.

Spy Agent 8 filed their report of the annual Small Craft Festival below:

The weather cooperated for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s annual Small Craft Festival last week.  Dozens of kayaks, canoes, sailboats, powerboats, and even a few cardboard boats were on display on museum grounds or in the water. This Spy particularly loved the wood kayaks. Are they too nice to put in the water? Some would be at home in an art museum.

The sky was cloudy on Saturday morning, but as a large and enthusiastic crowd gathered to share their passion for small boats, the sun came out.

Many of the boats  are hand built and as sea-worthy as a Boston Whaler.

Participants were universally friendly and ready to share how they got into the hobby and how they built their boat.

A good time was had by all.  This Spy has requested assignment to cover the Festival again next year.

This video is approximately one minute in length.

 

Spy Agent 8 Reconnaissance Report: Annual St. Michaels Classic

Auto enthusiasts from across the Eastern Shore and beyond came to St. Michael’s on Saturday for the second annual St. Michael’s Classic. The Classic Motor Museum of St. Michaels event featured six categories of cars:  English Grand Tourers, European Sports Cars, Performance; American Muscle, American Luxury, and Trucks and Wagons. The show also featured a People’s Choice Award—attendees voted on their favorite car.

The weather cooperated nicely, and the cars wowed attendees. Spy 7 was on a mission and directed to be objective, but was excited to see a 1949 Bentley MKVI Drop Head Coupe, a 1951 Kaiser Henry J, a 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire, several 1950s Jaguars, and a lovely 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air.

The proceeds of the event will benefit the museum’s Automotive Technician Apprenticeship Program and the planned and much-anticipated expansion of the museum. The museum is buying a former service station at 906 South Talbot Street and plans to convert it into a 1950s gas station. The museum also plans to acquire a large steel building that will provide additional work and storage space.

To learn more about this exciting museum and to donate towards the project, visit classicmotormuseum.org.

 

No doubt the entire Mid-Shore was a witness to one of the most remarkable lightning storms in recent history last night, but it took an article this morning in the New York Times that indicated that it had achieved national attention.

On Saturday afternoon, Academy Art Museum’s gathered together hundreds of friends and artists to celebrate its 65th birthday this year. It was done on the museum’s wonderful South Street lawn with music, complimentary ice cream, and some fun screen-printing of the AAM’s commemorative poster.

But the fun part for many was to help recreate a historic photoshoot the Museum originally staged for its 25th anniversary. In this case, it required professional equipment for the photographer to find just the right angle to match the original. The Spy can’t wait to see the final edition.

A few spies were at the event and filed this report.

This video is approximately one minute in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum please go here.

 

Alfred Hitchcock, indeed, would have been delighted by the recent gathering of turkey vultures at the Easton grain elevator plant off off Dover Street. Still, one suspects that most residents that pass by the large processing center might find the sight of the bird conferees a tad off-putting. 

That was the response from one of our Spy readers, and they inquired as to what the town might do to disband this rather spooky convention of hundreds of vultures. We don’t have an answer for any municipality response, but we have seen this phenomenon before. 

Ten years ago, Spy editor Kathy Bosin explored a similar occurrence on an AT&T cell tower off St. Michaels Road. In that article, she explains that these remarkable gatherings are called “wakes” because it mirrors a traditional wake where family and friends gather to pay their respects to a loved one. And while the birds do not express grief of any type, their bowed heads and black silhouettes remind the solemn atmosphere of a funeral.

We asked one of spies to capture some reconnaissance film to share.

This video is approximately is less than one minute in length. 

 

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The Spy’s favorite Baltimore Magazine writer, the Mid-Shore’s very own Lydia Woolever, continues this month with her ongoing special stories about the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay.

This time around, with the help of photographers Jay Fleming, Timothy Hyman, And Mike Morgan, Lydia takes on the complex impact the Chesapeake Bay Bridge has had on Maryland since it first opened 70 years ago.

Read on here.

Readers of the Spy might enjoy a recent article by Martha S. Jones of the New York Times that was published yesterday.  The historian marks the 200th birthday of a conductor of the Underground Railroad with a visit to her birthplace, only to learn how climate change is washing away memories of “the ultimate outdoors woman.”

Please read the article here.