Happy Monday everybody! I wish you all a productive and fun week! Here is a nice quote I read in my friend Margaret C. Taylor's book:   "EVERY DAY THAT YOU SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN IS ANOTHER DAY LOST", Jennifer Flavin. This picture I took yesterday, Sunday Jan 31st, before a nice dinner in Stoney's. Route 4, if you don't know, this is the Thomas Johnson Bridge (lower Patuxent River Bridge), it connects St. Mary's County and Calvert County. 02/01/2010

 Southern Maryland Tips to Save Electric in the Winter This winter sending your bills to the moon? Here's some tips to cut them down a bit. Space Heaters  are actually cheaper. They burn 1000 to 1500 watts of power an hour. Compare that to common bedroom 15 amp breaker, or central heaters that use TWO 60 AMP breakers. (15,000 watts per hour) Yikes! Room Isolation  Shut the doors to ANY room you are not using. A space heater in a room with the door shut takes about ten minutes to warm up, and only 800w, on the low setting. Better than heating the whole house while you sleep right? Dress Warmer- You can easily try on the wool socks and sweat shirt and keep the house at 60F instead of 80F. Come on, it's not summer, 80 degrees is not necessary. Cook! The Heat from cooking and baking really ... 01/30/2010

  Bright and Bold: Roll in the red carpet! ...I mean, couch! Since wall colors are becoming more neutral (grays, off whites) a bright something has got to stand out. Don't over do it though. Pick one piece, a bright carpet, a vibrant green chair, then decorate around it with softer tones.   Modern Shine- The sleek modern home is jazzing up the living space with metallic accents. Surrounded by more black and whites.Dinner parties are going to feel more like the Oscars. (Or maybe like a Lady GA GA music video) Go sheek, clean and fabulous.        Go Green- It seems social consciousness is the new black. Not only does environmentally friendly furniture have a cool back story (i.e. this used to be toxic waste and now its wood!) but it really is helping us save the planet. They look great! ... 01/26/2010

First FREE Friday at Calvert Marine Museum On February 5, 2010 - 5 PM to 8 PM! FIRST "FREE" FRIDAY Location: Calvert Marine MuseumDate: Friday, February 5, 2010  Time: 5 PM - 8 PM First Free Friday presents the Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition in concert beginning at 6:15 p.m. in the museum auditorium. FREE Concert series is funded by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Boeing Company.  Museum is FREE from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. with docents in all of the galleries. Welcome to the Calvert Marine Museum Located in Solomons, Maryland, the Calvert Marine Museum is a public, non-profit, educational, regionally oriented museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and interpretation of the culture and natural history of Southern Maryland. Explore the history, culture, and ligh... 01/25/2010

CENTURY 21 New Millennium Ranked #1 in The Nation!  Monique Hailer - CENTURY 21 New Millennium O: (410)326.1700 Mobile: (443)532.5407 Email: moniquehailer@mris.com Web: www.somdforsale.com © 2010 CENTURY 21 New Millennium - Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Opportunity Employer. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.CENTURY 21 and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks used under license from Century 21 Real Estate Center LLC. 01/25/2010

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp - Calvert County is Proud of their Swampland. That's right. The jokes about buying swampland in Florida are pretty much thing of the past with Wetlands having taken on a whole new status as protected areas due to ecological and environmental importance. Calvert County is home to the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp - the northernmost stand of Bald Cypress in the U.S. . Cypress are typically sub-tropical, found mostly in the Carolinas and Southeast, and unusual this far north. A portion of these unique wetlands is now a public park with a nature center and a quarter mile boardwalk through the swamp.  National and international attention turned to the environment in the 1970s, and UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention designated the Everglades as one of only three wetland ... 01/25/2010

WELCOME TO HOMES IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND We are experienced Southern Maryland real estate agents who are dedicated to helping you find your home of choice in Calvert, St. Mary's and Charles Counties.  Each of these counties offers unique benefits to Maryland home buyers and we will help you find the best home that can be found for your budget and location of choice. CALVERT COUNTY REAL ESTATE The Calvert County real estate market offers a variety of home styles and types in prices from luxury waterfront to small lot communities in the beach communities & the Chesapeake Ranch Estates developed on 1/4 acre lots offering the best value in the county.  Calvert County homes is unique for it's beauty & highly ranked public school system.     ST. MARY'S COUNTY REAL ESTATE The Patuxent River Nava... 01/23/2010

CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM HAS BEEN RANKED THE #1 CENTURY 21 COMPANY IN THE NATION    Congratulations to Todd Hetherington, Mary Lynn Stone, agents, staff, branch leaders, and directors on this accomplishment.   Century 21 New Millennium serves Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. with offices in: Virginia Locations AlexandriaCentrevilleCulpeperFredericksburgMcLeanStaffordWarrentonWoodbridge Maryland Locations CroftonDunkirkLaPlataLexington Park Solomons 01/22/2010

Bottled Water Drive for Haiti. Our daily news is filled with images from this devastated country. Throughout the United States our citizens are trying to find every way possible to help the people of Haiti in this time of crisis. Here is an easy way to make a great contribution to the thousands in dire need in Haiti. 01/22/2010

Date Night at Annmarie Garden Looking for something to do with your friends or significant other? Enjoy an artsy adult evening at Annmarie Garden with great art, wine & beer, music and special gift shop discounts. Perfect before or after dinner! $3 non-members/ $2 members. Adults only. Saturday, February 14, 6-9pmSponsored by Solomons Island Winery Annmarie Garden                                        13480 Dowell RoadDowell, Maryland 20629 (410) 326 - 4640 Directions From Washington DC: Take Route 4 South to Exit 11 (Prince Frederick). Continue on 4 South, following signs to Solomons. Left on Dowell Road at Solomons Firehouse. Garden is less than 1/4 mile on left. From Baltimore (Beltway I-695): Take I-97 (Annapolis) to Route 301 South (Bowie). Continue on 301 to Route 4 and follow s... 01/21/2010

The Alumni Players present "I'll Get My Man" I just have to share this great local event. Every year the Alumni Players present the play for the dinner theatre (this year the dates are February 5, 6, 12 and 13th) as a benefit for the school at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Solomons, MD This is a great way to take a break from the movies and see a play where the actors, while they may not be professionals (although some of them have pretty impressive resumes in the acting arena), are a group that volunteer their time and are committed to presenting quality entertainment. If you haven't gone to a play in a while, what a fun way to experience live entertainment, enjoy a catered meal - for a great cause. olsss.org  01/17/2010

Owners of detached single family homes pay condo fees, they just don't know it. You say, "What?" When buyers are considering a single family detached home purchase vs. a condominium purchase, one of the biggest objections for buyers is the monthly condo fee. For those considering a condominium purchase, they need to look at the condo fee differently. The amenities offered by many condominium communities are services that owners of single family detached homes are paying for anyway. Those expenses really add up, the difference being they are not included in a lump sum in the mortgage payment. Some of the more obvious expenses include (numbers are just examples and vary from area to area, property to property and facility to facility): - Lawn mowing, leaf removal, etc for a single family ... 01/08/2010

               The Humane Society of Calvert County                                      presents                            Rock-N-Roll for Rescues                                            featuring                              The Fabulous Hubcaps         When: Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 8:00 PM              Where: Holiday Inn Solomons Island         90 Holiday Drive. Solomons, Maryland 20688                                                                      Do you like a little bit of Rock-N-Roll and have a passion for animals? The Fabulous Hubcaps will be hosting a Saturday night fundraiser for the Humane Society of Calvert County February 27th 8:00pm-11:30pm. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30.00 each and will be on a will call basis and can be purchased at the Fishing ... 01/03/2010

PET ADOPTION EVENT Location: Pepper's Pet Pantry - SolomonsDate:  January 10, 2010 Time: 12 Noon to 3:30 PM Come to the meet and greet with some of the St. Mary's Animal Welfare League's adoptable dogs and cats at Pepper's Pet Pantry in Solomons from 12PM to 3:30 PM. Information will be on hand regarding adoptions, volunteering with SMAWL, and SMAWL's spay/neuter program. Pepper's Pet Pantry is located at 13858 Solomons Island Road in Solomons, MD. The store is in a strip mall south of Boomerangs ribs. Look for the bright yellow "PET ADOPTIONS TODAY" banner. For more information, call SMAWL at (301) 373-5659 or Pepper's Pet Pantry at (410) 326-4006. Visit:  SMAWL or Peppers Pet Pantry   Southern Maryland Is A Great Place To Visit...... An Even Better Place To Live! Discover Southern Ma... 01/02/2010

BAY'S LIFE IN STORY AND SONG: A Celebration of Tom WisnerA live concert and CD release celebrating Tom Wisner's life and work: Follow on the Water: A Celebration of the Bay's Life in Story and Song will be held at the Calvert Marine Museum on Friday, January 29. Tickets are $20.00/advance or $25.00/door and may be purchased at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited and advance purchase is recommended. Wisner has dedicated his life to chronicling the rich traditions of our regional waterways. He will be joined on stage by local musicians and long-time friends and associates, Frank Schwartz, Teresa Whitaker, Mac Walter, and John Cronin, singer/songwriters and powerful performers. "This new production, Follow on the Water, is a... 01/01/2010

ELEGANT & IMMACULATE "COLONIAL" FOR SALE LOCATED IN WATER-ORIENTED COMMUNITY Location:  Solomons County:  Calvert List Price:  $464,900 Year Built:  1997 This beautiful home offers 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths with 2,706 sq. ft. of living space.  A few of the many features include 2 car garage, formal foyer, living and dining rooms, main floor office, full bsement with rough-in for future bath, deck, fenced back yard * professional landscaping.  Boat dock is available to rent in community marina. Walk to Solomons!  Convenient to shopping, restaurants, marine activities & Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Easy commute to DC/VA, Annapolis and Baltimore areas. For additional information or to schedule a viewing appointment, contact Chris Minion or Rita Minion.     Southern Maryland Is A Great ... 12/29/2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009Celebrate Under the Stars with the Fabulous Hubcaps Holiday Inn Solomons Conference Center & Marina 155 Holiday Drive, Solomons, MD  20688 (410)-326-6311 Ext. 2198, 2181 & 2172 For and an evening to remember come to Solomons and celebrate the New Year!  New Years Eve Package One Nights Accommodations for 2, Hors D'oeuvres, Dinner Buffet, Dessert, 3 complimentary bar drinks per person, Party Favors, Champagne toast, Live entertainment, 7:00pm-12:30am. For package information, visit: New Years Eve Celebration       Discover Calvert County.....where relaxation is a lifestyle, not a vacation. We consider Calvert County an excellent place to reside and would love to share with you our enthusiasm for the many neighborhoods that encompass it.  We pride ourselves on ... 12/21/2009

SATISFACTION - A Rolling Stones Experience Date:  Friday, January 15, 2010  Time:  2 Shows - 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM Location:  Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD County:  Calvert   Friday, January 15, 2010SATISFACTION - A Rolling Stones Experience Celebrate the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band of all time! The Rolling Stones Experience, honoring the Rolling Stones and their legacy, will host two shows at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. This will be a rare opportunity to enjoy classic hits like, I Can't Get No Satisfaction, Beast of Burden, and Angie to name a few. Tickets for the show are $30.00 (additional service fees apply) and are on sale NOW. The show will feature over 45 years of classic hits with the likes of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards; see the most authentic cast and costuming o... 12/19/2009

  The "B" word is pretty rare in this island village. Solomons Island is located in southern Calvert County and the latest weather report map has this area designated as blizzard conditions for this Super Saturday. You wouldn't know it at the point this idylic picture was taken just as it was getting light - 10 inches of snow on the ground at the point this picture was taken, with predictions for up to 2 feet and winds in excess of 35 miles per hour. This storm is expected to be of the proportion of storms that hit this area in 1996 and 2003. Not the best scenario on this Super Saturday in an ailing economy, but I am sure there will be those who tough it on this tough weather day.      12/19/2009

  Southern Maryland Real Estate News! Winter 2009! It is almost certain we will look back on this economic cycle as the catalyst for the most significant transfer of wealth in our lifetime. Our retirement accounts have probably lost much of their value. Home values are certainly not what they were. Each of us has a friend or neighbor that has lost a job. Deficit spending has taken on a very brisk pace and is likely to accelerate. There is no question we will see equity and real estate values surpass their previous highs...it's just a matter of time...perhaps a long time. In the short term, what goes up and what goes down will be influenced by spending initiatives as much as by fundamentals. Government stimulus programs will guard against systemic failure, but eventually, we will return... 12/17/2009