I’m not easily starstruck, so you won’t see me going on and on about the fact that we got a letter this month from a major Hollywood film and television star, Mr. Ben Stein, who lives in Beverly Hills and no doubt goes to fabulous parties every night and drinks champagne from Meg Ryan’s gold-lamé high-heel shoe as he stands beside a glowing, shimmering swimming pool on a terrace behind a vast stucco mansion, discussing major movie deals and meetings with Steven Spielberg and generally living a life that makes mine seem like that of a gerbil.

But, as I said, I’m not easily starstruck, so I won’t blather on about it, except to say that Mr. Ben Stein, the major Hollywood film and television star, is a devoted reader of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, reading it “from cover to cover” every month, as he says in his letter. Other than that, though, it’s not really a big deal, even if by chance Mr. Stein happened to be reading the magazine from cover to cover while he was at one of those fabulous parties, sipping champagne from Meg Ryan’s gold-lamé high-heel shoe and, say, the magazine accidentally flipped open to this very page and the aforementioned Ms. Ryan saw my picture and asked, “Who is that roguishly handsome fellow?” And Mr. Stein would say, “Why, that is the editor of this excellent magazine, which I am reading from cover to cover.” And she would say, “Editor? Nonsense! He’s obviously a movie star! Look at the arch of his chin, the cut of his brow! Can’t you see he was born to be a major box office draw? I’m going to have my agent call him first thing tomorrow. I want him . . . in my next movie, I mean.”

It could happen. But, as I said, I don’t get hung up on things like that, so I’ll just get on with this month’s subject, which was . . . oh, now I remember: Gosh, is it October already? Where has the summer gone? I can’t believe the season is nearly over and I never made it to Oxford, Md., my favorite place in the whole world. And speaking of Oxford, here’s a really strange coincidence: that also happens to be a favorite place of Mr. Ben Stein, the major Hollywood film and television star! He says he plans to retire in Oxford and “sail every clear day.” Isn’t that just the strangest coincidence, that my favorite place would be the same as that of Mr. Ben Stein? I mean it’s spooky enough that we both like to sail in clear weather, but the Oxford thing, that’s just crazy! I guess we’re just birds of a feather, me and Ben. . . . I mean, Mr. Stein. Sir.

Anyway, I don’t get all starry-eyed about these things, so let me just move on to one last matter: our fetching new sister magazine, Chesapeake Travel & Leisure, which many of you have been receiving—and subscribing to—since its premiere this summer. But here I’m addressing those who haven’t received CT&L, and therefore haven’t been able to get a free subscription. You’re not out of luck; just go to our website (www.chesapeaketravel.net) and print out the subscription form you’ll find there. Fill it out, sign it, mail it in, and, presto, you’re a subscriber. I can’t guarantee your magazine will be delivered in a coral-pink stretch limousine, as it will be to Mr. Ben Stein, the major Hollywood film and television star. But you will get it, and I expect you’ll enjoy it. Maybe even cover to cover.


Tim Sayles, Editor