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Moving another sort of model down runway

The members of South West Area Park Modelers gather daily to fly their radio-controlled planes at Southwest Area Park in Baltimore Highlands. Many members are retired and others simply skip out of work early to meet, talk and fly their beauties. The all have their own reasons for getting into the hobby: Charlie Haupt started flying three years ago, at the urging of his wife.

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For students, a bridge to hospital careers

The Bridges Program took students on a field trip to St. Joseph Medical Center, where they learned how to apply bandages and perform minor operations. The St. Paul's School program offers Baltimore students continued summer learning in classroom and field settings.

Some things just love the summer

As the rest of us droop in early July humidity, day lilies of all varieties come to life. The Free State Daylily Society is planning an exhibit and sale of the plants this Sunday at Cylburn Arboretum.

Kids and adults find a whirl of fun

The Go-Kart Track at 10907 Pulaski Highway offers children and adults a chance to explore their inner race-car driver. Kids as young as 4 can go 12 mph on a juniors track, while parents can ride with their 3-year-olds in a two-seated go-kart. Go-Kart Track Inc. in White Marsh is open year-round.

In Carroll County, a different place to cool off

It is officially summer, and Marylanders not headed to the Eastern Shore or Deep Creek Lake have several swimming choices. One of the older but lesser-known options is Cascade Lake, a man-made, spring-fed, 6-acre lake off Snydersburg Road in Hampstead. The lake is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Its Web site is www.cascadelake.com.

Bel Air trail chugs along

The MA & PA Heritage Trail in Bel Air, which runs along the old Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad corridor, was built 10 years ago. Bikers, dog walkers and nature lovers frequent the path, which is now two miles longer, from Tollgate Road to Edgeley Grove.

Goslings on the grow

Goslings are growing under the watchful gaze of adult Canada geese as they coax oohs and ahhs from Loch Raven Reservoir visitors. At the reservoir, the geese forage for food, swim, dive and play. The yellow balls of fluff are weeks from fledging, when their feathers and wings develop to ready them for flight.

Hard work for highways

An interchange is being constructed at Interstate 95 and Interstate 695. The work is part of a 10-mile project that began in 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2012.

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Horses, jockeys in the Hunt

Equestrian enthusiasts gathered in Glyndon on April 26 to enjoy the Maryland Hunt Cup.

Dinner with a side of blues

For almost 20 years, Joachim "Mister Jack" Guercio has made regular visits to Cactus Willie's restaurant to dine and play his harmonica. The 92-year-old, who also loves to fish, has outlived his wife and a grandson, and uses his visits to keep loneliness at bay. Guercio says he hopes to live to be 120 years old.

A religious transformation

The more than 45,000 people who attended Thursday's Mass with Pope Benedict XVI in Washington were surrounded by signs for baseball, hot dogs and beer. But for the faithful, that was a minor matter. For them, Nationals Park became an open-air cathedral where they could show their faith with the pontiff.

Get your game face on

For die-hard Orioles fans, Opening Day is the place to be - no matter what. Despite a cold drizzle and not-so-warm predictions for the Baltimore team, a crowd gathered to watch the 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last Monday. They donned their baseball attire and marched to Camden Yards, hoping for a win. Despite the loss, true believers remained unshaken. "You've got to love your hometown team," said Tito Aracia of Lanham. "It's one of the few things you can rely on in this world, coming out to see your team on Opening Day."

Animal views at Maryland Zoo

The African exhibit at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore gives visitors a chance to glance at animals they wouldn't see in their backyard - giraffes are rarely seen traipsing down North Avenue - but also offers an opportunity to get to know them.

A day of hoops and hoopla

Saturday's Maryland- Florida State basketball game was more than an athletic contest. It was also a showcase for the unfettered, uncompromising allegiance known only to college students in the stands - and amplified by cheerleading and zany halftime shows.

More than mannequins or just a pretty face

What started in 1957 as a mannequin-repair shop eventually grew into D'Agostino Studios, which for the past two decades has created lifelike sculptures, casts, molds and costumes for museums such as the Smithsonian and has worked on hundreds of mannequins of characters from the Star Wars saga for displays across the globe. Studio owner Lania D'Agostino began working for what was then called Mannequin Service Company in 1985. Today, she and her staff of artisans create, fashion and adorn an array of faces and postures, with an eye on realism.

Shedding new light on shadows

During the winter, temperatures aren't the only things that fall. In the winter months, the sun is lower in the sky, casting a long shadow on everything that the light touches.

An artist's brush strokes of genius

Mu Jiashan, founder of the Rockville-based Asian Pacific Art Institute and an artist whose works have been shown across the United States and his homeland of China, is preparing for an exhibit to be shown at the World Bank headquarters in Washington on Feb. 4. Mu teaches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, and has had his pieces shown in more than two dozen solo exhibitions and about 100 group exhibitions.

Getting their motors running

Tires, fuel and speed were the ingredients of an enjoyable Sunday afternoon for a Baltimore father and son who ventured to Herring Run Park to race their scaled-down yet powerful vehicles, 10 in all. Danny Gordon has had the hobby since he was teenager and got his son Devin involved in more recent years. The pair bring their cars - seven for Danny and three for Devin - to the park many weekends.

Getting winter sports down cold

Today, it feels like spring. Perhaps the sun is out, and maybe you're getting by with a light jacket. That makes it all the easier for many to forget the wintry bluster of a week ago, when outdoor enthusiasts took advantage of the seasonal chill by hitting the nearby slopes of the Liberty Mountain Resort, in Carroll Valley, Pa. They brought skis. They brought snowboards. And most importantly, they bundled up.

Time, vandalism mar Henryton

The abandoned Henryton Hospital opened in 1923 to treat African-American suffering from tuberculosis. In 1962, it became a facility for the developmentally disabled, and it closed in 1985. After that point, neglect began to claim the facility.

No frowns when Santa's in town

Harford Mall in Bel Air has played host to Santa Claus since its first Christmas 35 years ago. This year, the mall is expected to have more than 12,000 youngsters come and sit on Santa's lap.

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For the homeless, a quest to stay warm

As temperatures dip below 40 degrees and forecasters predict snow this week, the homeless in Baltimore and elsewhere are frantically searching for places to stay warm and dry. A group of homeless people have set up encampments along Guilford Avenue and President Street. Highs this week are expected to be in the mid-40s, with lows in the mid-20s.