Part II, Loy's Station Covered Bridge, Frederick MD Photographer

Part II

Continued from Part I

Success!  I got a crayfish!

It won't let go, Mom!

Let go!

Like two old men!

Part I, Loy's Station Covered Bridge, Frederick MD Photographer

Part I

How to beat the heat?  Each year my sons and I visit Loy's Station Covered Bridge near Thurmont, Maryland. Yesterday we got to share it with friends (nets, buckets and all).  We had a blast and not only did I capture some of our fun on camera, but I was also a subject for Bill Green's photos and our picture is in today's Frederick News Post.  We are pictured after the cow photograph so please don't get confused.  Funny, I did not get any shots of the bridge itself!  

Arrived

We're going on a crayfish hunt

Liam found one!

Our bucket

Love this image

The Adams Boy's bucket

Go to Part II

Liam's Tree House

Liam is completing his second grade year and he was asked to design a tree house.  He is just like me and has taken a lot of time coming up with the perfect design.  This is the type of project that I excelled at and it looks like Liam has given it a lot of thought.  Below you will find everything an eight-year old boy needs.

To begin your tour start at the bottom and walk up the stairs.  Thank goodness he installed a "sicrity sistum" for safety as well as fire alarm (you know how often tree house catch on fire!).  It looks like he sleeps in the "hamice"on the first floor, has a pool with built in shower and water slide on the top floor.  He was smart to include a toilet (his female classmate thought that was gross!) and a "Cooking Buttler".  And no tree house is complete without a TV, Kindle charging station and prison! Looks like he not only covered his basic needs (shelter, food, cleaning area and security) but also found room for some fun!  Do you think he'll build a mother-in-law suite?

Frugal Frederick

Frugal Frederick

I have always been frugal out of necessity and for the love of the environment.  I don't like tossing something that is perfectly usable (hence the reason we waiting so long to buy a fridge to replace the 17-year-old almond colored appliance in our home).  Here are a some ways to save while living in Frederick County, Maryland.

·      Recycling Plant-Ryan went to the dump to toss broken and over used baby items and the told him that most could be discarded (for free) at the Recylcying plant next-door.  He had plastics, metal and car batteries and did not have to pay the dumping fee.  With all the plastic items that are made for kids this is a good way to dispose of these things.  

·      Make your own compost.  You can pick up a compost cylinder for $20.00 from the Solid Waste Facility.  I put everything from weeds and yard leaves, kitchen scraps such as eggshells, veggies leftovers and coffee grounds.  It fills up fast if you have a big yard. 

They also have compost/leaf mulch for a reasonable price if you don't have your own.

·      Plant your own garden.  Then you can use the homemade compost. 

·      Use newspaper not landscape fabric to keep out weeds.  Place a layer of about 5 sheets and then mulch.  It is better for the environment and your garden.

·      Shopping in downtown Frederick lends itself to some fun thrift stores on Patrick Street such as Chic to Chic Consignment Boutique and Venus on the Half Shell and Select Second Hospital Thrift is worth a look too.  Check out Lucy’s Quality Children’s Consignment and Sweet Pea Consignment for children’s items.  I love to shop at Plato’s Closet.  It really is geared towards teens, but it’s worth a look.  In addition to the numerous antique stores in Frederick a new consignment store in Buckeystown just opened called,  Addison's Attic.

·      Free stuff include summer children’s programs in Baker Park, Library Story-times, visit each Frederick County Public Library for a tour of the county and a new perspective of sharing reading materials.  My sons and I love to visit the Earth Science and Space Lab (ESSL) in downtown Frederick for evening and summer programs.  It's a great way to beat the heat while educating yourself as well.  Tickets for the planetarium shows are reasonable and worth it!

·      Take out a map and locate all the children’s playgrounds owned by Frederick County.

·      Water Fun: We don't have a pool in which we belong to so we have to be inventive.  The Potomac River which flows next to the C&O Canal, Monocacy River (very shallow at Buckeystown Park) and Cunningham Falls ($3.00 per car) are all great places to cool off in the summer.  At Cunningham Falls we visit the aviary and then play in the shallow stair-step waterfall, and tire park (1st entrance from the South).  There is also a beach area, which I have not tried in the summer, but looks great-just get there early!  We also love a nice dip a Loyes Covered Bridge.  It has a playground but skip that for the water!  I'll have another post on the fun to be had there.

·      MARC train is a cheap, stress-free ride into Downtown DC if you can visit Monday through Friday.  Early morning departures puts you there in time for a quick breakfast and museum opening hours.  Kids under five are free.  Depart from Point of Rocks, Brunswick and Frederick.

Feel free to send a comment with more ideas.