Is it a cow? A bull? A steer?Whatever, the life-size brown and white bovine perched atop Bowen’s Grocery in Huntingtown is a community fixture. And a handy navigational aide: Turn right at the store with the cow on the roof. Long-time locals, accustomed to the roof adornment, barely give it a passing glance. But newcomers and passers-by want to know What’s with the cow? So Bay Weekly asked owner Gordon Bowen to explain. “We were visiting my daughter while she was at college in...

I am going to test your patience and write about geology. This means you will be tempted to immediately turn to the News of the Weird. Please don’t. Memorize the following sentence; it is your five-second speech on what makes Calvert County special: Calvert Cliffs contain the largest exposed Miocene marine deposits in the world. That, and a geological mystery. The Miocene marine deposits that form the famous, fossil-laden, Calvert Cliffs are roughly 10 million years old. That’s...

Wood ash is a great source of calcium and potassium, also providing some phosphorus and lots of essential trace elements. A 12-quart pail full of fine wood ash can be spread over at least 100 square feet of garden soil. Make certain that the ash is cool before spreading, especially if the soil is covered with dry leaves. Wood ash should never be stored in cardboard, paper or plastic containers. Always place wood ash in a metal container and store under cover. Most of the calcium in wood ash is...

Dear Bay Weekly: I enjoyed reading Diana Beechener’s article, What’s With It: Finding the Source of a Local River, in the recent Bay Weekly of January 13. As a county resident who lives close to the Magothy, I never knew the meaning of the word until now. Also, in my role as editor of the Lake Waterford Community Association newsletter, I would like permission to reprint the article in our next edition. We have run several articles about the history of the Pasadena area over the...