Today, I was in Corning, shooting pictures to go with a story about glassmaking in the city, its future, and such. I had been to two glass studios that morning; nobody was working, but I did get some people shopping. Then I went to Hands On Glass studio, and when I got there, nobody was working or shopping (not that there is a huge shop there - the draw of the place is that you get to work your own glass, rather than buy someone else’s.)
The proprietor suggested other times I could come when she knew she had something scheduled; I told her I’d wait around for a bit and see what happened.
Suddenly there was a swarm of people. A family from Fruitland, Md. (no, not Suitland. Fruitland, in Wicomico County) showed up, as well as a group of seven women who were doing their own college flashback trip - one they do each year to a different part of the country.
Both groups had people that saw my Fenwick Island shirt and reacted to it positively. Most people around here ask “Where is Fenwick Island?” But the women said they loved Fenwick, and the family said they lived nearby. It was highly unusual for me, but now that I think about it, I have taken a few pictures for tourism stories in the last year and a half, and today was the third time I took pictures of Marylanders. It makes sense, because we’re only a day’s drive away.
(Other odd fact: One of the women was from Westminster. I have taken pictures of three people from Westminster in the last year, one of which was while doing a story specifically about tourism; another was during a Ferrari event, and the Westminster family was driving through and saw all the Ferraris, so they stopped for a bit. Of course, last year I could remember the name of Carroll County. This year, I was stuck… Cecil? Calvert? I knew it began with a C!)
These women, who were getting up in their years but didn’t look very old, were wearing matching rose-colored tops. I asked them if they were barbershoppers, but they weren’t. I forgot the name they had for themselves or the name of their college. (because it is in my notes, at work, to be used in the photo that is going to run about August 17 or thereabouts, which is also why I can’t show you the picture.)