Samuel Mudd House 2025

Even though we have lived in St. Mary's County for quite a long time, we never took the time to visit the Samuel Mudd house, only the Ford Theater in DC.  So, to see something nearby that we had never visited before, we decided to visit there.  Camera in hand, we stopped by and were greeted by a costumed docent, Ms. Jody Wathen and Mr. and Mrs. Norris in the gift shop.  The tour was excellent, with lots of historical details including where John Wilkes Booth was treated for his broken left leg after the Lincoln assassination, from possibly the leap from the President's box to the stage at the Ford Theater or from his horse stumbling.  Mr. Mudd was imprisoned for quite a while and there were crafts that he made during his prison time on display.  An extra bonus from our tour was a barn swallow in a nest living just outside the entrance door.

Day lily

Escape Route

Kitchen

Medical treatment bed

Samuel Mudd

Point Lookout Lighthouse Summer 2025

 

We visited the newly renovated Point Lookout Lighthouse June 9th (which is open on 4 day weekends through the summer). I wanted to see if there were any photos of one of my friends who grew up there, Eunice Knott, and finally found one photo of her on the wall in her graduation gown. There was a nice exhibit about different types of buoys, including a tall spar buoy (red and white) and newer 6x20 LR (green). Inside the lighthouse, the Friends of Point Lookout put in some furnishings. The clock resembled a clock I grew up with that my grandparents owned. I once took a bad photo of Mr. Raymond Hartzel, enlisted Coast Guard, who worked for George Gatton, last civilian lighthouse keeper on July 11, 2009 while he was visiting. Raymond Hartzel link. I didn't go up to the very top when I noticed the entrance was very small for someone with a large camera and poor balance, but I found the old photo I took on July 11, 2009.

2009

Old clock like my grandparent's clock

Lighthouse low view

Eunice Knott in the middle, friend who lived at the lighthouse

Last civilian lighthouse keeper, George Gatton from an album

Ranger taking down the colors

Buoy exhibit

Bald eagle

River Concert Series Summer Finale July 25, 2025

The concert  on Friday night at 7 pm called "Rhapsodies with Blues" featured George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and Maurice Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G" among others by the Chesapeake Orchestra.  It was a warm night at St. Mary's College of Maryland on the green, but there was still quite a large crowd looking forward to hearing Thomas Pandolfi playing the popular pieces on piano with much skill and finesse.  I didn't even melt, and we actually had a brief unexpected rain shower, because I left my umbrella at home.  

Mr. Pandolfi has played at the college a few times in the past and one of my photos of him with Jeffrey Silberschlag is currently on display at the Lexington Park Library (and will probably be moved to the Leonardtown Library August 1 to August 4th).  It is also featured in the concert program on page 17 and won a few small awards.  My friend, Robert Hayes also played the piano for several pieces, with Jeffrey Silberschlag (music director), also accompanied by a drummer and bass player.

Jeffrey Silberschlag and Thomas Pandolfi

Ray Wernecke, SMCM Board of Trustees

Thomas Pandolfi, pianist

Jeffrey Silberschlag, music director

Robert Hayes, pianist

The Finale