Black-Eyed Susan Day

The state flower of Maryland is the black-eyed susan, a member of the rudbeckia family. The bloom along the country roads in the summer, but not until after it’s been hot for a month or so. And it hasn’t. So one of the local grocery stores gets hundreds of yellow daisies and paints the centers brown.

But it’s also Black-Eyed Susan day today. It’s the race day that all of the locals attend. The race started in 1919 as the preview race for the Preakness weekend. It is now billed as the ladies’ day out, which is a great marketing strategy.

It’s much more low-key and everyone’s dressed to the hilt. It’s sunny today, after weeks and weeks of rain, and rain again Saturday for the Preakness.

The prediminent colours are black and yellow, reflecting both the flower and the Maryland Flag, which we LOVE here in Maryland. I whipped up some Maryland flag pennants for a Preakness party on Saturday.

Even though it’s a day for the girls, the gents get in the spirit, too.

There’s also a fairly revolting cocktail called the Black-Eyed Susan, but the recipe changes about every year, so it’s just something to swig before the race. I found this quote in the Washington Post today. “The traditional version, printed in the 1985 edition of The Junior League of Baltimore cookbook ‘Hunt to Harbor,’ called for vodka, rum and triple sec, mixed with orange and pineapple juices.” I happened to be one of the testers for this cookbook and can say that this drink wasn’t too ghastly.

I think I am going to have to put this on my calendar for next year.

Thanks to all of my friends from whose FB pages I swiped these images!