Pocomoke

[Bruce Jones]

"Pocomoke"
Many people don't know there's a Prehistoric Primeval Swamp in Maryland called "The Great Cypress Swamp" It is the northern most Cypress swamp in North America. One location is Pocomoke MD. I had visited there when I was younger camping with my family. This is my depiction of that area in Pyrography on this form. This piece is made from Silver Maple 6" x 7" tall, finished with Pyrography and Deft sanding sealer sanded back and hand buffed.

[Vicki Hayden]

You brought the Eastern Shore to life in a beautiful way. I'm in Cambridge, 60 miles away.

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you Vicki I have fond memories of that area, and I'm glad to see they are protecting the habitat and wildlife in Pocomoke.

[David Metzman]

very nice!

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you and for taking time to comment.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Yeah the Great Cyrpress extends up to Selbyville Delaware. 50 years ago, my parents had a place along the Indian River Bay. Their neighbor was an old native born product of Southern Delaware. He was probably about 75 back then. He claimed his grandfather and uncle caught a few small gators there back around 1880. But winters in the late 1880s and 1890's killed them off. But with Slim, you never quite knew if he was stretching things a might. Best fishing trip I ever had was one April with Slim in the ocean, we caught over 200 stripers, some weighed 18 pounds. While it was still something to brag about, Listening to how those fish grew over the years was a hoot. Slim had a potato farm during WW2 and the navy asked him to board a German POW. The German worked the farm during the day, eventually ate meals with the family, even went to church with the family and was locked up in a shed every night. Slim used to talk about having his own personal German servant.

[Bruce Jones]

Yeah the Great Cyrpress extends up to Selbyville Delaware. 50 years ago, my parents had a place along the Indian River Bay. Their neighbor was an old native born product of Southern Delaware. He was probably about 75 back then. He claimed his grandfather and uncle caught a few small gators there back around 1880. But winters in the late 1880s and 1890's killed them off. But with Slim, you never quite knew if he was stretching things a might. Best fishing trip I ever had was one April with Slim in the ocean, we caught over 200 stripers, some weighed 18 pounds. While it was still something to brag about, Listening to how those fish grew over the years was a hoot. Slim had a potato farm during WW2 and the navy asked him to board a German POW. The German worked the farm during the day, eventually ate meals with the family, even went to church with the family and was locked up in a shed every night. Slim used to talk about having his own personal German servant.Yes it's a very pristine wild area still to this day and hope they continue to manage this natural wonder. I'm growing Bald Cypress here in northern Maryland in hope that one day here just south of the Mason Dixon line there will be a new cypress swamp, I have a small wet land behind my house. I'll be long gone before this will ever happen though.

[Mel Fulks]

We have a cypress tree ….that we bought. They grow fast and don’t have to be in wet ground , they tolerate wet ground.

[Bruce Jones]

There many types of cypress I'm growing Bald Cypress they grow a bit slower. I also have Leyland Cypress they grow very fast. The Bald Cypress in my yard are on dry soil and have grown about 10 ft. in 5 years.

[Mike Soaper]

I like your piece Bruce, reminded me of canoeing there some 40 years ago.

There's a waterfowl festival in Easton during November that you might find interesting, lots of waterfowl/duck carvers, sculptors, painters.

I think it's better than the website shows Waterfowl Festival (https://waterfowlfestival.org/)

Perry, I'd occasionally go to the north side of the Indian River inlet to watch the surfers, and the boats going between the bay and ocean. Can't say I've ever heard of gators there though :)

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Well if you went to the north side of the inlet between 1969 and about 1974, you probably saw me. I had an ancient long board that enabled me to catch waves about 40 ft further out than the guys with the little short boards. I could be up and turned along the wave before they even caught it. Sometimes I would be in the surf from 7 or 8 am until it got too dark to see at night. The Surf that was good, normally at full and new moon at low tide and sucked in between. I was actually out in the surf during Hurricane Camille
. Got to ride some 10 ft waves. Not many though, it beat the crap out of me just to get beyond the breakers. Back then I was 6 ft and 160 pounds with shoulders that could paddle all day and then some. (I once paddled from the beach in Lewes out to the Cape Lighthouse on the breakwater and then to the state park at Cape Henlopen). Wish I were that 100 pounds lighter and in that shape now.