Southern Maryland-This is Living magazine is all about the good people, places and businesses of Southern Maryland.  We are committed to spreading the word about the great quality of life available in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties.

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.” This sentiment, famously expressed by George Bernard Shaw, is shared by Community Bank of Tri-County CEO Michael Middleton and the bank’s entire staff of 150 employees.

If you are looking for some retail therapy you can feel good about, The SPOT in St. Leonard is the place to go. The SPOT, short for Stop Pet Overpopulation Thrift-shop, is a nonprofit organization that provides low-cost spay and neuter services for Calvert County residents. Run by Southern Maryland Spay and Neuter, Inc. (SMSN), the goals of the organization are to prevent unwanted pets and end the euthanasia of healthy companion animals.

Male ruby-throated hummingbirds set out a few weeks earlier than their female counterparts from their southern winter vacation. It takes them approximately two months to reach Southern Maryland. Their diet consists in part of tiny flying insects and in part of nectar. When they arrive, they will need to replenish their energy and weight, and because there aren’t many flowers in bloom at that time, it’s important to have your feeders at the ready. Their arrival is typically on or about April 15.

In the wine industry, the adage is this: “Make one or two wines, and make them well.” At the new Port of Leonardtown Winery in St. Mary’s County, however, the winemaker doesn’t have that luxury. That’s because the winery is a cooperative that uses grapes from the vineyards of 17 different member-growers. The winemaker, Patrick Isles, crafts wines from whatever they produce. “We have eight wines bottled now. We’ll have 11 in the next year, and we’re going to try to hold it to 12 if we can,” says Rich Fuller, manager of the winery. “But someone always has a new grape,” he laughs.

Is there anything that says “Southern Maryland” more than the crab cake? It’s the absolute favorite summer food for so many Southern Marylanders. While we all enjoy picking hard shell crabs with a pitcher of beer and our best buddies, it’s the crab cake sandwich that truly satisfies our crabmeat craving. Whether you like it with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, fried or broiled, with a bun or without … there is a crab cake out there calling your name! After all, Southern Maryland is Crab Cake Country!

Ahhhh … summertime. Backyard barbecues, trips to the beach, lush gardens, long days and evenings spent enjoying the sweet sound of music in the open air. Outdoor concerts are a staple of summer in Southern Maryland. Families pack their picnic baskets and load the kids into the old red wagon. Friends meet to relax and socialize with the grass between their toes. Others prefer simply to focus on the music. However you choose to enjoy them, outdoor concerts are events not to be missed. Fortunately, our area boasts an abundance of them.

Nothing compares to the taste of just-picked produce or homemade baked goods, or the satisfaction of knowing that something was lovingly grown or prepared at a nearby farm. Fortunately, such delicacies are within our reach here in Southern Maryland. On almost any day of the week, we can find a farmers’ market to provide our families with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Arnold Palmer is known to have said, “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” Though he was talking about the game of golf, the same could be said for those battling a disease or needing a helping hand. Local charity golf tournaments offer an opportunity to apply the double meaning and have some fun while doing it.

Story and Photography by Michelle Brosco Christian

What started with a small white rabbit for a Bryans Road teenager morphed into a future career in animal sciences and a skill set and resume a Fortune 500 CEO might envy. Rebecca Creighton, 17, began 4-H when she acquired a rabbit and her mother, Rochelle, insisted she join a club to learn how to care for the animal. In four short years, the family’s yard turned into a mini-farm where Creighton raised sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys and a 1,000-pound steer. She has shown these animals at the Charles County Fair and is currently a member of the Charles County Livestock Judging Team.