Dearest Baltimore

Thank you - Thank you very much. Truly, it's an honor to be here in Baltimore with you and yours. Every time I break the Mason-Dixon line at warp speed on Route 83 from York, PA, I can expect the Southern hospitality to ramp up. While navigating the countryside that leads to the Baltimore city line, I have time to reflect on the sensuality of geography. Yes, indeed I smell the righteousness of the Southern style. Wifey and I travel to the belly of Baltimore quite often. The grit on the street energizes us, makes us appreciate the history of the area. We reconnect to our romantic side amidst the bustle. Scrape some grit off the asphalt with a putty knife and fix a drink with a splash of rum and a handful of ice. Drink it up, taste the streets and the unparalleled do or die grime. The people who have prospered and those who have lived down and out, collide on these streets, making for an interesting mingle of folks. All with something to teach and something to learn. We cheers up our drinks in honor of the free flow of thinkers and doers and hustlers. The mix makes folks stronger, the reality of everyone's situation is so salty; hard to escape the reality of the streets. To think that the Star Spangled Banner was written in the vicinity is a testament to the character and Charm of B-More. People, who stand up, people who grind and pound out dilemmas on the pavement. Frederick Douglas noted the mingling of people in B-More. The area was so congested with Naval traffic and work to be done that black and white had no option but to work side by side. Full flavor. Robust. McCormick spices sprinkled on everything.

Someone recently sent a rash of rejectful tweets toward the streets, I did not comprehend.

The travel programs on the TV gloss over some of the East Coast big cities as washed up, burned out wasteland. However, the avenues are still vibrant with stories fresh in the memory banks to be told to the next generations. Those who write their own Star Spangled Banner remixes.

BTW, best believe, when I'm in B-More, I recognize her Queen.....Mrs. Birdman Braxton @ The Pier Six Pavilion. FIRE.

BTW, I especially enjoy time with my Queen B in B-More. FIRE!