Dave Ryan, one of the sons of the founders of Faraway Places - Sheila, Jim and Elizabeth Ryan - writes for newspapers in Dorchester County, Maryland. Dorchester is on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, and shares the Delmarva Peninsula with other counties, including Sussex in Delaware, in which Faraway Places is located.

He has been writing a series of articles for several years, chronicling the lifestyle in The Land of Pleasant Living, where communities are strong and residents still follow the rhythms of the seasons on land, ocean and bay. The Ryans would like to share their experiences and thoughts about life on Delmarva with their online visitors, so we have posted some of Dave's articles.

The stories on this and following pages were published in "What's Happening... in Dorchester County," a monthly publication that reaches every address in Dorchester. To reach the newspaper, call 1-800-606-5446 ext. 1

The following article was first published in March, 2008.

Cabin Fever? Not much longer
By Dave Ryan

I don’t know what it’s like in your living room, but in mine, there has been a bad case of cabin fever going around. In fact, I had to explain it to Katie the other day:
“In the Old West, hunters and trappers used to stay in their cabins all winter, because it was too cold and snowy in the mountains to go out. After a few months, they would start to go a little crazy. That’s cabin fever.”
It’s also why, I told her, she and her little brother David had been getting on each other’s nerves all day. It was also why I made them go out to play three times, though they had to come back in after five or 10 minutes because of the weather.
There’s just been too much time inside, so I’m looking forward to opening the windows and enjoying the outdoors. There are a few things in particular that will be nice.
David said he wants to play baseball again this spring. This year, he’s moving up to coach-pitch. No more tee-ball, so that’s a big step for him.
I told him I would get myself a glove and we could go to the Sandy Hill fields to practice before the season begins. He was happy to hear it.
That sort of father-son thing means a lot to me, too. It is even a little surprising at times. I mean, I realize how much I’ve learned over the years, though often I don’t remember when or how I picked it up.
So when I teach him how to stand, or catch, or throw, I know I’m not at the level of a real coach, but it turns out I know a little. He listens carefully, with his cap on his head trying to appear serious and athletic, but his round cheeks remind me he’s still a little boy of 7.
That’s when I realize I am passing on something that so many other dads have shared. It’s good to take part in a rite of spring that way.
Speaking of a rite of spring, Junior is going to receive his First Communion soon, something he wants very much. We are pleased he is so enthusiastic about that. He has been going to Sunday school at St. Mary’s, and we try to be good examples, but still, I wonder if he has something special.
I remember when we were in Ireland, we went to mass in Clonakilty. It was a moving time for us, partly because one of our ancestors came from nearby.
So there we were, getting ready to go up the aisle, when David tugged my jacket to whisper something. He asked if he could have communion, too.
I told him it was still too early for him, and he became very upset. I tried to explain that he has to go through all the steps and classes, so it would be a special time back in Cambridge. It wouldn’t be the same, I said, if he did it in Ireland away from home.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said, “But they’ll never know ” I didn’t know whether to laugh or be upset for him, so I did a little of both.
In any case, very soon now, his grandmother is going to buy him a suit, and he’ll have the big day and a party, too. That’s certainly something to look forward to.
Katie is 9 now, and getting more mature by the day. So mature, in fact, she sometimes likes to debate me. I’m trying to keep that to a minimum, partly because she should be respectful toward her dad, and partly because I don’t want to lose the contest when she’s not even out of third grade yet.
I know she is just spreading her wings a little, trying to be independent. Sometimes I get a glimpse of her as a teenager, as she lies on her stomach on the piano bench, kicking her feet in the air, talking on the phone to one of her friends. But then in a quiet moment, she comes over and puts her head on my shoulder, still a young girl who needs reassurance.
When the weather warms a bit, I want to see her in the yard, completely engrossed in one of her games, hopping and talking to herself, imagination going a mile a minute. She’s very good with Baby Maggie, who is now 21 months old and trying to be like her big sister.
Freeing those two from the confines of the house, so Maggie can explore the Great Outdoors, or at least just the yard, will be a relief for everyone.
As are as Tina and I are concerned, we want to get a boat. Nothing fancy, just something moved by people power, like a rowboat or a canoe.
In what is probably a good example of how we think, we’ve had a dock for years, but no boat. It would be nice to go paddling around in the sun, seeing what the neighborhood looks like from the canal and the river.
I suppose it’s all about growth, and spring is a good time to take stock of things. For adults, one year can be much like another, but when you see children changing so fast, you are reminded that for them, things are new. That’s especially true in the spring, when they can be new for all of us.
So hang in there, folks, it’ll be baseball, crabs and cookouts before you know it.