by Lisa Gregory, photography by Nikola Tzenov
These Carroll Countians’ Hobbies Inspire and Delight
Hobbies are good for us. They help us with stress, nurture creativity, improve our cognitive skills, and help build our social skills, among other advantages. And hobbies can be as unique and creative as the people pursuing them, including these Carroll Countians whose interests range from art through movement, to preserving an exotic salamander, to tiny clay cooking shows, to training and competing with man’s (and woman’s) best friend.
Carly Gabriel
Taneytown
Tiny Clay Cooking Tutorials
Can you describe your hobby?
It’s a combination of cooking tutorials and art. I blend those together by doing stop-motion videos of the ingredients made out of clay
instead of food.
How did you become interested?
During COVID I was trying my hand at cooking all these new recipes, thinking maybe I could try and make some cooking videos. I had all this polymer clay because I had just started at my new job (teaching). So I began sculpting a few tiny things out of clay, and I really liked it. After that, everyone just thought it was awesome and so cute and kept asking for more.
What do you enjoy most about it?
It’s just a labor of love, and I am glad people like it.
Fascinating Fact:
McCormick and Co., the makers of Old Bay, gave a shout-out to Gabriel’s cooking tutorial on preparing steamed crabs, which included a tiny clay container of Maryland’s favorite seasoning.
Noelle Johnsson
Taneytown
Axolotl Protection
Can you describe your hobby?
I breed (and sell) axolotls. They are fully aquatic salamanders, which are considered functionally extinct in the wild, meaning that there are no longer enough of them in the wild to sustain
the population.
How did you become interested?
The raising of them started just because I had been into fish.
What do you enjoy most about it?
I think it’s really cool that you can own an endangered animal and say you’ve been a part of being able to help preserve an endangered species. Something that you don’t really see
with other animals in the wild.
Fascinating Fact:
Axolotls can regenerate limbs and even parts of the brain and as such are valuable to scientific research.
Carla Repko
Sykesville
Dog Competitions
Can you describe your hobby?
There are many different dog sports out there that vary in what you can actually do. I compete in several with my two dogs, Artoo and Astra. Artoo is a mix of husky, collie and German shepherd. Astra is a purebred collie. I do AKC Conformation, which is the dog show people usually think of with showing off a purebred dog’s beauty. I also do AKC Rally, which is an obedience-based team sport. As well as other competitions such as AKC Fast CAT (coursing ability test) which is a 100-yard sprint for dogs.
How did you become interested?
It started when Artoo began developing some behavioral issues. We were noticing him being really unsure of things and reactive on leash. And I got into dog sports to help build his confidence. Then I just fell in love, and it snowballed from there.
What do you enjoy most about it?
It’s just a lot of fun to go play with them. I also really like the community of friends I’ve built.
Fascinating Fact:
Astra is the No. 4 collie in 2022 on the AKC breed rankings for fastest dog in Fast CAT.
Priscilla Rhoton
Westminster
Flow Arts
Can you describe your hobby?
It’s like moving or dancing yoga. Flow art involves multiple different props including hula hoops, silk fans, things like that. It has slowly become more popular in the United States, especially on the West Coast.
How did you become interested?
My parents were heavily into music. They brought me to concerts and festivals my whole life. So I would see a lot of people using these flow props throughout the years. I finally decided to buy myself my first hula hoop in 2017.
What do you enjoy most about it?
It’s a way for me to stretch my body and move it in a healthy way that feels good to me. It’s all very gentle-like movement.
Fascinating Fact:
World Hoop Day is observed every year in October.
“It’s a big deal in the flow arts community,” says Rhoton.
