Wildfulness: On Nature, Wellness, and Life in the Allegany Highlands Deep Creek darbylock@aol.com

Wherein we discover Maryland's only Wild and Scenic River, learn all the fun and recreation it offers, and also discover the delicate ecological balance needed to keep it both rare and wonderful. The Youghiogheny River is an incredible and unique resource, both as a natural and a cultural asset. Find out all its secrets, and all the ways you can enjoy it!

Wherein we hear the story of "Buzz One Four" and its crew, and how the B-52 bomber carrying a large nuclear payload crashed in the 56,000 acre Savage River State Forest in 1964 during a blizzard. Hear just how close we came to a nuclear detonation during that Cold War incident. The local heroes in Grantsville will never forget the night they braved the driving storm and frigid temperatures to try to locate and save the crew. Check out this harrowing episode on Itunes & wherever you get podcasts, and the extensive shownotes and photos at www.wildful.wordpress.com.

Wherein we hear the story of German immigrant Melchior J. Miller (Melky) and his distillery in Accident, MD. How whiskey triumphed over rum and applejack in Colonial Days, leading eventually to a domestic tax on it that caused a "Whiskey Rebellion." And most importantly for us today, how Maryland's special brand of rye whiskey is making a comeback, including a re-creation of a brew named after Melky Miller, now produced out of Philadelphia by the New Liberty Distillery. We conclude with an original ditty, "The Ballad of Melky Miller," soon to be premiered at one of the Old Time Music Jams in New Germany State Park. Check out both the ballad and the brew via this episode on Itunes etc., and at www.wildful.wordpress.com . . .oh, and Bottoms Up!

Wherein we tune into the increasingly hard to find places on our planet that leave behind the noises of men. All those wildful places in Western Maryland where the sounds of the natural world still reign are truly treasures. Have we forgotten how to really to listen to them? How can we protect them from the forces that are encroaching? Do they bring us real, tangible health benefits? Hint: They do! Guest Gordon Hempton comes to this episode through clips from the wonderful podcast Birdnote and from an NPR episode on the subject. He delves into all this and more. Find out the scoop at your one-stop vacation station for Western Maryland,  www.wildful.wordpress.com and wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Wherein we celebrate and explore the revival of the Chautauqua movement in Garrett County, and the state of Maryland. Hear and experience up close and personal the eclectic mixture of recreation, music, culture, education, and spiritual revival that characterized these summer gatherings back in the late 1800s up through the 1920s. Our own Mountain Lake Park Chautauqua was instrumental in the development of these events, and you can hear actual period music, historic re-enactments, lectures, etc. at this fun-for-the-whole-family Festival, July 5-7, at Mountain Lake Park. Find out why Teddy Roosevelt claimed that Chautauqua was "The Most American Thing in America," and hear in this episode clips of speakers and period music from Stephen Foster to John Sousa to Giuseppe Verdi. On iTunes, GooglePlay, Alexa and all your favorite podcast stations. Comprehensive shownotes at www.wildful.wordpress.com.

Wherein we celebrate all the wonderful things that NATIVE PLANTS can do for us and our environment, with a fun Mountain Maryland Native Plant Festival on Saturday, May 11. Festival highlights include demos of plants, speakers, many different growers to choose from to purchase plants, events for the kids, and much more. Hear from guest Charity Miller of Mosser Meadows Nursery/Halian Lanscapes about how this local Garrett County plant nursery is also going native, and what they can offer you and your yard, that's beautiful, low maintenance, and Mother Earth-friendly. View videos, photos, and much more at www.wildful.wordpress. com. Listen on your favorite podcast station, and now Alexa, too.