The Flag House and Someone Is Now 50

I am a happy guy this morning.  My Dad has been away on a business trip since Sunday, but he came home last night.  I wish he didn't have to work today, but he will be home tonight.  Mom and I did fine while he was gone, but I sure hated seeing him walk out the door with his luggage on Sunday.  Mom had the pleasure of picking him up at the airport last night during rush hour. She was thrilled about that since it was her first time driving to that airport.  Oh and if you are wondering, I did not hold a peaceful protest like I did last year.  You don't remember that?  Check it out here:  Peaceful Protest

Saturday, the folks drove to Baltimore to visit The Flag House.  The Flag House is the house that Mary Pickersgill lived in.  She is the lady that sewed the Star Spangled Banner Flag.  It is the flag that flew over Fort McHenry.  We told you about that last week.   Here is the post if you missed it: Visit To Fort McHenry.

The Flag House was built in 1793.  Mary began living there in 1806.  Visitors are allowed to take a tour of the house.  There is also a museum on the same property which includes a short video about Mary and the flag.  Admission is $8 a person.  Mom didn't consider that bad because it includes a parking permit.  The folks would have had to pay to park if they hadn't parked next to the museum.

The Flag House

This is the museum.  The windows represent the true size of the flag that Mary made.  The flag originally measured 30 by 42 feet.  Each of the fifteen stripes is 2 feet wide, and each of the stars measures about 2 feet in diameter

The flag was sewed by Mary, her mother and her daughter.  They actually had a flag making business, but this was the biggest flag that they ever made.  It took them six weeks.  The flag was so large that it had to be assembled in a warehouse.  They lost money making this flag, but in the end, they gained more business.

Scraps of material from the actual flag.

Dishes that belonged to the family.

This flag is a re-creation.  It was made out of wool though and when it was put on the flag pole, it bent it.  It now just sits on a table collecting dust.

This was the office in the house.  Mary and her mother were both widows.  It was rare for women to work during this time period and even more rare for a woman to own a business.

The kitchen.

The master bedroom which also served as the room where they made flags.  It was on the 2nd floor of the house.

The folks thought the house was interesting.  Some of the items in the house belonged to the family, but many were just period pieces.

After they toured the house, Dad wanted to eat at a restaurant that he really liked when he was in Baltimore last winter.  The decor needs updating, but the food is good.

Since it was his 50th birthday, he decided to splurge and order two meals.  He ordered a crab cake and also blackened scallops.  He said both were excellent.

Crab Cake

Blackened Scallops and coleslaw.  Mom ate the coleslaw.

Mom can't eat seafood and they didn't have a lot of selection for land lovers.  She thought they would have fish and chips, but they didn't.  She decided to go with just a cheeseburger.  It was good, but pickles and onions would have made it even better.

Cheeseburger

The folks went to a Chinese buffet for dinner.  They seek out Chinese buffets. Some are good and some are really bad.  I usually get the fortune cookie.  This last one was okay, but probably will not result in another visit.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy To Have His Dad Home

Miss Scout Is Home

Friday night, we drove to the vet's office to pick up Scout's ashes.  It is the first time that the folks have had a private cremation for a pet.  Mom wanted to do it this time because we live on the road now.  She said she couldn't bare to leave Scout behind in a strange city. 

Mom is very happy with Paws To Heaven, the company that did the cremation.  The box that was included with the cremation is very nice and has Scout's name on it. The ashes are wrapped in a white cloth with a seal on it.  They also made a paw print.  It has a few of Scout's hairs on it.  Mom asked Dad if he thought they included the hair on purpose and he said no.  Regardless, Mom likes that it is there.

At first, Mom didn't know if she would display the box.  She asked Dad if it would bother him and he said no.  So, she has it in the bedroom with a few of our photos around it.  She said the bedroom was Scout's favorite room and that is where she would want to be.  

Mom put Scout's collars and tags inside the box.

Private cremation is not for everyone, but Mom is very happy that she did it. She feels much better now that Scout is home.  She promised Scout she would not leave her behind and she didn't. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy His Sister Is Home

A Visit To Fort McHenry

 Thank you for the comments asking if I am okay after my encounter with the yellow jackets.  I am fine.  It has been hot here (not as hot as in St. Louis), but high dew points and humidity.  Mom and I have been taking shorter walks the past few days. We spend our days inside.  I sleep and she reads on her Kindle.

Sunday, the folks visited Fort McHenry.  They said they visited there in the 90's.  Mom said it looked different.  BOL!  Actually, they both agreed the visitor's center was not there when they visited the first time. The first time, they took a water taxi to it and this time, they drove.

Fort McHenry is what inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner.  In 1814, the British attacked the fort.  After the battle was over, Key saw that the American flag was raised and that is what inspired him to write what is now our national anthem.

Entering the fort.  Notice the number of stars on the flag.  It is not our current flag.

Inside the fort.

Beds that soldiers used.

The flag became tangled and the Ranger along with a visitor worked to untangle it.

Other visitors then joined into help. They had to move the flag to the other side of the pole so that it could be raised again.  It took a lot of people to do this.

The guard room. This is where the flag was stored during the battle.

A re-enactment of soldiers holding drills.

The fort was very well protected.

The folks ate lunch at Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen and Bar.  Guy is on the Food Network.  Dad ate there when he was here over the winter and thought Mom would like it.

Inside Guy's Restaurant

The restaurant is located inside a casino.  The folks had to wait for a while to be seated.  It wasn't crowded. There was just no one around to seat them.

The folks started out their meal with an appetizer, of course.  They chose the Vegas fries.  The fries are tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce, topped with clue cheese crumbles and served with cool blue-sabi dipping sauce (blue cheese + wasabi).  Mom said it was delicious.  She really liked the dipping sauces.

Vegas Fries

Mom ordered the Off-Da-Hook Burger.  It is a cheeseburger with an onion ring, bourbon brown sugar BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, donkey sauce on a garlic buttered bun.  Mom said the flavors were amazing.  It was one of the BEST burgers she has ever had.  What is donkey sauce? It is a mayonnaise based sauce which is enhanced by roasted garlic, Worcestershire, and mustard for a well-rounded flavor smash.

Off -Da-Hook Burger

 Dad ordered the '68 Cajun Sandwich.  It has blackened chicken, andouille sausage, cheddar cheese, creole trinity and Louisiana hot sauce. He said it was good, but I don't think it was as good as Mom's burger.

'68 Cajun Sandwich

The food was great.  The service was not.  The place was not busy and the staff didn't seem motivated to work.  Mom found a large group of employees standing around the beverage area instead of waiting on customers.  The restaurant will probably not make it at this location due to the employees and the location.  It is located in a casino and the older crowd may not like the type of food that Guy offers.  The prices are high.  Mom's burger was $15 as was Dad's.  The appetizer was $13.

I was able to try a bit of the burger and a few fries and I agree that the food was great.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Enjoys Sampling Food From Around The Country

Yellow Jackets And Civil War Museum

Mom and I have been walking a lot.  On Friday, we walked six miles.  We were pretty proud of ourselves, but our legs hurt on Saturday.  We decided to scale it back some.  BOL!   Yesterday, we were out on our morning walk and then BAM!, I stepped on a yellow jacket nest.  I started running in circles because one of those mean guys got on my back leg and wouldn't come off.  Mom couldn't get him off either.  It was CRAZY!  Finally, Mom grabbed a stick and got him off that way.  They got me in my back leg and my front leg.  Basically, I had one good leg left because my other leg is connected to the foot that has a corn.  Let me tell you, it is not easy only having one good leg.  We were about 1/4 mile from home.  Mom encouraged me to keep walking. I had to stop at one point and rest in the grass.  Mom was concerned I might be having a reaction, so she encouraged me to get up and walk. We finally made it home.  Then, I had to make it up the steps.  That was not easy.  I attempted once and I couldn't do it.  Mom started to help me, but I don't like being helped.  I gritted my teeth and jumped up the steps and made it inside.  I was trembling.  Mom grabbed the Benadryl and the peanut butter and I downed them.  Mom gave me a Frosty because she thinks they solve all problems.  BOL!  I ate it and then attempted to take a nap.  It took a while for me to get comfortable, but then I slept.  I slept all day. 

I am in pain here.

I can't get comfy.

That is better.

I was all better when I woke up at 5 p.m.  This morning, we took our walk, but we didn't go near the area where we found the yellow jackets.  We walked less than a mile, but I am not complaining.  Yesterday was not fun.

Saturday, the folks visited the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA.  The admission price is $11 a person, but Mom a Groupon deal and she was able to get two tickets for $12. 

The Civil War Museum

The museum is very nice.  It takes you from before the war to the very end.  Mom liked the videos that are shown of six people throughout the war. They discuss their thoughts about what is going on and what happens to them during the war and after it.  One of them had a change of heart in his feelings and two died.  Dad wasn't interested in that.  He preferred learning about the battles, but Mom didn't like that part.  They said it is a good museum to visit because it had interesting things for everyone.

There was a re-enactment by a few soldiers outside the museum. They showed how they loaded their guns.  One soldier shot an apple to show the power of the black powder.

Their uniforms are made of wool.  HOT!

You can see the apple in the smoke. 

After the museum, the folks drove to a restaurant that Mom wanted to try.  The restaurant had been on Restaurant Impossible which is a show where a restaurant that is in bad shape is turned around.  Mom didn't care about that. She just read the reviews and wanted to try their fries because they were supposed to be great. They weren't.  BOL!  Mom said they weren't even good.  :::shrugs shoulders:::

The restaurant is called Dodge City Steakhouse. 

The folks started off with an appetizer.  They chose Mozzarella Triangles.

The mozzarella triangles were really good.

The folks both ordered rib-eyes.  The entrees only come with one side, no salad.  Mom wanted to try the famous fries.

The steak had a very smokey taste.  Mom thought it was different, but not something she would order again. The onion rings were much better than the fries.  I had a little of the steak and some of the fries and I liked them both.  BOL!

The folks both said they were not impressed by the restaurant, but glad they tried it.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Thankful That He Didn't Get Stung Today

Hope This Is Not Our New Normal

Dad leaves for work at 5:40 a.m.  He called us at 6:40 a.m. and said he was still here.  "Still here? Where?"  He was stuck at the gate.  His gate card wasn't working.  The guy who came up behind him also couldn't get out.  Another guy came along and his card worked.  He tried to let Dad get out, but then his card quit working.  That is how the cards work here.  They keep track of you and if you try to let anyone in or out, it kills your card. Last night when Dad came home, the gate was open, but the instructions say if the gate is open, you still have to use your card.  Dad did, but it still killed his card.  The office doesn't open until 8 a.m., so Dad was stuck.   He called their "emergency number" but no answer or response.

Mom and I decided to walk up to the gate and keep Dad company.

Our car waiting to escape the park.

Me, in the wet grass. I kept Dad company.

It was pretty boring, but I refused to leave.

Our neighbors came up at about 7:35 a.m.  They also couldn't get out, but they were not as patient as Dad.  They decided to drive up on the hill and over some shrubs to get out.  Dad could have done that, but he doesn't want to get us thrown out.  We hope there is a video of them doing it. Seriously, they didn't even wait two minutes before doing that.

Finally, the office person showed up at 7:45 a.m.  She opened the gate and Dad left.  He will get a new card tonight.  He would have had to wait for the computers to warm up and he was already two hours late for work.

On the way home, Mom and I walked through the Chipmunk section.  This is where the long term people live.  They have nice sites and they are very neat.  Usually, the long term people have a lot stuff and it makes their sites look junky.  We have a lot of rules here and that is not allowed.

Sites are large and shady.

Do you want to see some of the hills we walk every day?


See, it is hilly here.

It helps keep my butt muscles tight.  We don't know the guy walking up the hill.  He passed us though.  BOL!

Hills, hills and more hills.

I think being an only dog is exhausting.  Mom just doesn't let me rest.  BOL!

I couldn't even make it all the way into my bed.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Has A Very Patient Dad