Editor’s note: What activities and practices have gotten us through the pandemic? What have we learned about ourselves during this dismal time? Baltimore Watchdog reporters wrote personal essays and interviewed people on this topic. Here’s what they found.
By Robert Sobus
Over the last year, the pandemic has forced me to venture outside more than I normally would. While most people found their escape in video games and binging on TV series, I took the time to enjoy nature with the people I cherish most. One thing COVID-19 has not taken away from me is the accessibility to public parks. The quality time I get to spend with my girlfriend, Shania, and our 11-year-old Chihuahua, Jake, is time never taken for granted. Once a week we make a trip to one of the most historic parks in Maryland: Fort Howard Park. The location of Fort Howard was a military installation during the early 19th century. On the morning of September 12, 1814, the British landed about 7,000 men in what is now Fort Howard Park and attempt to set fire to Baltimore.
Before leaving our home in Middle River, Maryland, Shania and I pack up our Nature Valley granola, water and Rachael Ray Natural Dog Treats (for Jake) to keep ourselves hydrated and fueled. We also bring a retractable leash that gives Jake more freedom to roam while we can also lock it to prevent him from wandering too far. Our orange-and-white tabby cat Gingersnap does not care that she cannot tag along as she pays us no mind while we are getting prepared to venture out. I give Gingersnap a tuna cat treat before Shania puts Jake and our goodies in my 2017 green Scion iM and we make the 20-minute drive to Fort Howard Park just before noon.
Once we pass through the park gates, we have about a mile to drive before reaching the parking lot. We often encounter cardinals and robins flying above us. Sometimes we have been lucky enough to see deer wandering through the woods about 200 yards away. Jake often barks at the deer through the car window and they run off. I park as close to the first trail that I see. I put the retractable leash on Jake, and Shania grabs the snacks and water and we make our way into the park. During the workweek it’s never crowded and we often never encounter anyone else along the trails. We walk across a flat terrain as we go deeper into the trail. The only sound that can be heard is the crunching of leaves beneath our feet (and paws), squirrels jumping from tree to tree and birds singing a tune that puts my mind at ease. The trail eventually leads us to a turn that holds about 10 dungeons that were used during the war of 1812. The dungeons are locked and overgrown with moss. Jake tries to squeeze through the dungeon bars but is not small enough to do so. I laugh and take the time to read graffiti plastered along the sides often signifying a relationship that will never end (Ex: Casey and Joey forever).
After we pass the 100-yard stretch or so of dungeons, we make our way to my favorite spot. Shania, Jake and I reach a dungeon that is surrounded by nothing but green grass. There are 12 steps that we take to climb to the roof. We sit down, eat granola and feed Jake his dog treats as we look over a scenic view that has remained the same since I was a kid. My brother, Brandon, and I would come to this spot when we were teenagers and talk about girls, video games or how tough school was to us. Across the grassy area beneath us about 300 yards out is the Chesapeake Bay. In the distance across the bay beyond were the boats pass by sits the Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point Plant. The plant stretches about four miles long and once employed tens of thousands of workers. One of those workers was my mom. As Shania continues eating the granola and Jake lays on my lap, I think back to the memories I have shared with my mom and brother. They are both no longer on Earth, but I would like to think that they are proud of me on the accomplishments I have made in my life. I dedicate my victories to them. I miss them both so much.
As we make our way back to the car, I carry Jake as he is tired. The walk we take a few times a month helps me clear my mind of stress related to work and school. It also allows me to cherish memories of old and create new ones. Once we reach the Scion, Shania always asks me “what should we do next,” as I unlock the car door. I tell her the same thing every time: “Continue to be a family.”
By Hannah Sabo
The sunlight peeks through the oak trees that stand over the lake where Dan goes bass fishing every day after work. The smell of the marshy water fills the air. With a stretch and a swift push of the rowboat, he is off doing what he loves most.
Workdays during COVID-19 can be a slog for many freelance carpenters like Dan. With mask mandates and many potential clients pushing off renovations and reserving any interaction for an emergency repair, Dan has had a lot of time on his hands.
The seemingly endless list of jobs that felt overwhelming before COVID-19 hit have thinned out for now, and the drastic change of pace has meant that Dan can rekindle his love for fishing and sharpen his skills.
Dan, 50, has been waiting out the pandemic regulations patiently. Through hunting, fishing and renovating his home with his wife, Rosemary, and three daughters, his favorite pastime has remained: fishing.
“Fishing has been a hobby of mine for a long time,” he said. “I love to fish. My pop and I used to fish when I was a boy, and once I caught a pretty large bass, likely 20 pounds. It was huge… But we threw it back. I remember not wanting the fish to not be around. It’s not always about taking the catch home, it’s about experiencing it.”
Dan said that his best fishing trip yet was in the last years of his dad’s life. They went up to New York and fished on a Great Lake. “We tried to hit all of [the lakes] but he started to decline in those days, he was still kickin’, but it was a bit different than when I was a boy.”
They didn’t catch anything, but shortly after, Dan’s dad died. This was their last fishing trip.
Dan doesn’t fish or hunt irresponsibly. He makes it a point to not hunt or fish any game that will not be used in every way (even down to utilizing a carcasses’ bones) and said that he prefers the actual sport of fishing because he can catch fish and just throw them back if he doesn’t intend to eat them, whereas hunting can be more tedious to begin with. With fishing, he can sit back and enjoy the weather without having to worry about the more intense approaches needed for hunting.
“Fishing gives you a lot of time,” he said. “Being the virus made a lot of small businesses lose some action, I have more time to fish. I’m not complaining— fishing gives you time to think about all your life’s problems. But being out here gives you all the more reason not to.”
It’s not all leisure and relaxation, though. Catching fish takes strategy and gear, and there are specific reels, rods and bait that are intended to catch certain fish accustomed to certain climates.
He said the best fishing rod to use when fishing freshwater, is the St. Croix rod. It has a thin strip of glass down the middle of the wooden rod on a linear angle. He likes this rod the best because it allows for a cleaner cast of the reel and I s generally, more easily maneuverable.
“My favorite fish is the clown fish, but my favorite fish to fish for is the black large-mouthed bass,” he said. “I prefer freshwater fish. They’re green fish with black splotches on them that make a stripe. They can get pretty hefty, and if you’re looking for them you should look in woody areas with a lot of debris. They like to hide.”
Dan says freshwater is calmer, and generally speaking, there’s less of a “fight with the fish,” as he put it, without the hassle of roaring waters crashing down. On one downside, if you choose to eat what you catch, there tends to be a more “gamey” taste to freshwater fish than saltwater fish.
But Dan says there are other things that he likes about freshwater fishing. When the weather is bright and warm especially, you can see the bass bedding at the bottom of the lake or river and you can learn about what insect hatch they eat and you have access to watch how they stalk their prey.
Dan looks forward to going back to work. But in the meantime, his goal is to catch a black-mouthed bass that will top his childhood 20-pound catch. He says he enjoys fishing with his family and thinks he will look back on these COVID times with fondness because of how having more time opened his eyes back up to the little things in life.