Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Soup, Sand, and Some Facts

We are lucky to live on the water, it's something I am thankful for everyday when I wake up, before I go to bed each night, and every moment in between! 

But when I tell people that I live on a creek they often imagine that as something flowing through the woods that is tiny enough to jump across.  The creeks along the Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries are not narrow enough to jump across, but they are large enough to water ski, sail, jet ski, and crab in!

I know it's not easy to see from pictures, they always make things look much closer than they really are, but I thought I would do a tablescape just off our kitchen in a little sitting area that has wonderful view of the creek beyond. We don't own a sailboat, but at 300 feet wide (one of the smaller creeks), we can jet ski in our creek and we love kayaking out to the river from it.

And just for good measure, I thought I would throw in a few fun facts about the Chesapeake Bay!


The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, a body of water where fresh and salt water mix. It is the largest of 130 estuaries in the United States.


The Bay is about 200 miles long, stretching from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Virginia Beach, Virginia.


The Bay's width ranges from 3.4 miles near Aberdeen, Maryland, to 35 miles near the mouth of the Potomac River.


The Bay holds more than 15 trillion gallons of water.


The Bay is surprisingly shallow. Its average depth, including all tidal tributaries, is about 21 feet. A person who is 6 feet tall could wade through over 700,000 acres of the Bay and never get his or her hat wet.


The Bay and its tidal tributaries have around 11,684 miles of shoreline—more than the entire U.S. West Coast.


Two of the five major North Atlantic ports in the United States—Baltimore and Hampton Roads—are on the Bay.  


The Bay supports more than 3,600 species of plants, fish and animals, including 348 species of finfish, 173 species of shellfish and over 2,700 plant species.


The Bay produces about 500 million pounds of seafood per year.


The Chesapeake is home to 29 species of waterfowl and is a major resting ground along the Atlantic Flyway. Every year, one million waterfowl winter in the Bay region. (Many of these waterfowl, including a variety of ducks, Tundra Swans, and Canada Geese, winter over in our creek!)


The Chesapeake is a commercial and recreational resource for the more than 16 million people who live in its watershed.


Want to win this wonderful sand bucket?!  Click Here to find out how!

***And you won't want to miss the gorgeous Featured Home for this week...Click HERE to see it!!! ***


I'm linking up for Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.


51 comments:

  1. Love the tablescape and fun learning about the water you live on.

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  2. LOOOOOOVE that cute little crab ornament!

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  3. Love the whimsy of your table! Beautiful....

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  4. Love your tablescape, the bucket (looks vintage) and your view!!! Thanks for telling us about it!
    Beth

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  5. You are right, I think small when I think "creek" but yours is BIG! Thanks for the facts and the cute tablescape!

    DD

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  6. That sand bucket is the cutest thing going and a very shiny object, indeed! ;-) I would be pleased to sign up for a chance to win that. It's adorable.

    And I enjoyed reading your post. I love your tablescape, and the color of your goblets is so pretty. Good job!

    Happy Tablescape Thursday...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  7. Gorgeous in every way...I love the table and the history and information on your beautiful location.....marvelous.

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  8. Your table is so warm looking, but I see outside is still winter. I love, love, love that vintage sand bucket. Here in Cincinnati we have the same type of 'creeks' that empty into the Ohio river. You can take boats right up thru them. in bygone days they were arteries of trade. We had the Erie Canal. Thanks for letting me see your pretty table. See you later at mine.

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  9. I love learning fun trivia like that. The table is just beautiful.

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  10. Oh what a delightful post! I live about 1 hour from the bay. Great facts. Ilove the little sand bucket and shovel. The little crab is so adorable. The table set by the window makes for beautiful pictures.
    Yvonne

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  11. That table is to cute cute cute...
    love it all
    xoxo
    Julie

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  12. Love your beachy table! That crab really grabs me! (I'm Cancer the Crab - June 27th b'day) - loved your fun facts too - love your view from the table!

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  13. Cute tablescape...really makes me want some really warm weather. Love the vintage pail and shovel.

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  14. Your tablescape makes me think of summer!!! What an adorable sand bucket.

    - The Tablescaper

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  15. Very cute...I love the vintage pail and shovel, and the sea glass and sea shells...adorable.
    ♥, Susan

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  16. Loved to read all these facts! And what a beautiful fresh tablescape!!

    I live on a river, officially, but call it an ocean inlet, which it really is, ha!

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  17. As they say, "If you're lucky enough to live on the water, you're lucky enough." I think I was most surprised about the depth of the Bay. Interesting facts and that sweet sand bucket really looks right at home in your fun tablescape. ~Lili

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  18. Great facts for me to read and I loved gaining some knowledge along the way. Have a great Thursday.

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  19. Wow Kat, you live in such a beautiful place!! I can't believe how close your home is to the water. I loved learning all about your area and I love your tablescape:) Your little pail looks so great in amongst your other gorgeous items on your table - great job!! ~ Tina xx

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  20. Your table set is super, Kat! I really love your garden, must give you a holiday feeling, everyday!! Truly b e a u t i f u l !!
    Have a happy day! xo

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  21. Hi Kat,
    I am just so in awe of where you live - it is just such a beautiful spot. Both my husband and I dream of living somewhere like this - me for the view and him for the fishing! Gorgeous home in a gorgeous location! When can I come stay?!!
    ~Sam

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  22. Beautiful table. Very educational post. Your view is wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

    Carol

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  23. Love it - I grew up on Back Creek in Annapolis and I could never figure out why it was a creek when it was so darn big. And even though I still live on the water (in CT) I always think of the Bay (and its creeks) when I think of waterfront living.

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  24. What a great spot to live. Can you swim there too? How lovely to be able to go kyaking from the shores. I had a holiday years ago in Maryland and saw a good bit of Chesapeake Bay and was so taken with it. Interesting facts on it. Thanks

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  25. Those who are lucky enough to live by the water are Lucky Enough :-)

    Thanks for the fun facts! I have not yet been to the area, looking forward to it someday.

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  26. Enjoyed learning about your area...do you swim in this water? Cute table setting, too

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  27. I love your tablescape - so fresh and summery. That's a great idea to use the bucket as a centrepiece.

    I really want to do the wading over 700,000 acres without getting my hat wet - that sounds like fun. What an amazing place to live. We visited the Chesapeake Bay, but it was the area south of Washington DC, near Springfield, Virginia. I would love to see more of it.

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  28. This is just perfect. It definitely says beach. I love the sand bucket. All of the table is wonderful. Love it. Hugs, Marty

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  29. Hello my friend...

    What a delightful post! Thank you for sharing all of that interesting info! Ohh...and I love the view from you eat-in kitchen windows! What a fabulous place to dine...I would love it! I really enjoyed your pretty table setting as well! Love, love, LOVE the bright colors on your sand and sea dishes! My friend, that vintage sand bucket is just too cute! It does make for a lovely table centerpiece!!! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful table and view with us!!!

    Warmest wishes,
    Chari @Happy To Design

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  30. I'd love for our new house to be on the river here. We do a lot of kayaking and fishing and such. It would be wonderful.

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  31. This is so loveley and serene. Love the seashells and little crab. Thanks so much for sharing, and if you have a chance please come by and say hello. Cheers, Lia

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  32. The colors are so calming...as is that fantastic view you've got there!

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  33. Thanks for sharing about this. Made me feel like I was a part of it :)

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  34. Your home looks like a wonderful place for quiet contemplation. It's so nice that you live on the water and that you remember to take time to be thankful every single day. It's so easy to focus on our wants and on the unfortunate things happening in the world today.

    Thank you for the inspiration!

    Warm regards,
    Bill

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  35. What I wouldn't give to have that view! I love every single thing on your table. For a person living in Illinois, I have quite a bit of shell "stuff", even a set of dishes. Love the bucket...so cute.

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  36. Beautiful table! I love it. It reminds me of my summers as a kid going to the beach with my mom and sisters for a "girls weekend". Thanks for sharing this!

    Allison

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  37. What an informative and intersting post! I absolutely love your tablescape!

    ~ Tracy

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  38. I really missed the sun, sand and water now.

    Drooling with your setting. Loving it all.

    TY for sharing.

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  39. Thanks for the facts. Your creek looks lovely. We have a creek on our property too but I call it a stream. Different strokes. . yada yada. I love to walk down to the stream and watch the waters rolling by. It's so relaxing. We live about an hour from NE.MD. Used to visit the bay often when our friends had a boat there.

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  40. What a fun tablescape and relaxing view. I have always wanted a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. That way he can swim in the creek :)

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  41. Lucky you to be living right by a waterway. We call that a river here in MO. We have 'rivers' smaller than your creek. What a stunning view you have. Your post was so interesting. Thanks for sharing.

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  42. What a great post and love the insight on where you live!

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  43. Love the cute bucket! Love your table with a view. Bet you can't wait until warmer weather for porch dining.

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  44. You have got the most beautiful views! I would love to be able to sit there with a cup of tea...bliss.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  45. What a wonderful place to live! I am always amazed at the fantastic place some of my blogger friends live...and yours is one of them. Lovely.
    What a place to sit and relax, or chat.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Mona

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  46. Such an interesting post!~ Your tablescape is also so very charming!~ Love it!..,

    Do pop by and vist me as well; This is my second week particpating with Susan's fabulous 'Tablesacpe Thursday" and I'm loving it!

    I also live near the ocean, yet in Nova Scotia, Canada, (which is an hour away from Boston Mass., via plane, and where my hubby and I run and own a Bed and Breakfast)..,@www.blueforest.ca~

    (Do enjoy your little cyber tour)!

    Cheers from Wanda Lee @ The Plumed Pen

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  47. G'morn ~ I saw you thru Hartwood Roses.

    We are having our first Maryland blog lady gathering on April 17 here in Maryland (Mt. Airy). I'd love for you to join us ... details ~
    blushing_rose_boutique@yahoo.com

    TTFN~ Marydon

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  48. Loved all the info on Chesapeake Bay. I got to see it once back in the 80's. My husband at the time was from Potomac Md & we went to Ocean City to the beach & got to see the bay as well. That was my only time to Maryland.

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  49. How neat! I love everything about the ocean but I've never been to Chesapeake Bay! Love learning more about it!

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  50. The beach I love is the one I am near to at the time.................I live near and beachcomb at Golden Garden/North Beach in Seattle, WA! I collect beach glass, moon snail shells and chitons if I am lucky

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  51. It most be nice to wake up and see beautiful trees. I had a friend that had a lake front cabin but the cabin got damaged from the water. This is one of the reasons why I'm afraid to have a home that's need a lake.

    -Zane of ontario honey

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