Spring 2020 is one we won’t soon forget. As the global pandemic brought the world to a sudden standstill, we hunkered down at home—masking up, washing our hands, and getting to know our UPS and FedEx drivers on a first-name basis. With travel paused and plans on hold, we focused our energy close to home. We continued work on the B&B, installing fireplaces, assembling furniture, and painting what felt like miles of wood trim. Our incredibly talented designer, Kera of Chesapeake Staging & Interiors, spent countless hours with us, thoughtfully transforming the family home into a warm and welcoming space for future guests.

At the same time, our old tobacco barn—beautifully refurbished by Jeff Thompson of Colonial Woodwrights—gave us the confidence to move ahead with the stripping shed. Once again, his craftsmanship brought new life to an old structure. With that phase complete, our sights are set on what comes next: planting grapevines and adding landscaping to continue shaping this space into something both functional and meaningful.

In mid-June, I received a message from a longtime friend and former boss asking whether our farm might be able to host a troop of Boy Scouts for a week. Troop 39 had lost access to their usual summer camping location due to COVID. Soon after, an advance team of troop leaders visited the farm for some reconnaissance and logistical planning. We talked through safety protocols, shared concerns, and mapped out how to keep everyone as safe. In early July, the scouts and their dads arrived on the farm, bringing with them a new kind of summer energy during an otherwise uncertain season.

I contacted St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Office and requested traffic control support for the scouts to safely cross S. Sandgates Road and launch canoes. SMSO delivered! Thank you!

The troop leaders and dads used the house to prepare breakfast, the kids got showers, and there was a load of laundry or two.

Thanks Troop 39 dads and troop leaders for visiting, and we hope you return next year!