Axxe - I live in southwest Baltimore County in Maryland (at least there's "west" in the name). I'd like to move to down your way when I retire but my wife won't leave this liberal wasteland.
Austin - The "y'all" comes from being raised by mountain people from southwestern Virginia and it's just something I picked up, kinda' like my taste for cornbread, good fried chicken and soup beans. The "howdy" comes from watching Roy Rogers when I was a child - he was the real deal and I find that it makes people comfortable. Besides, it goes well with the Stetson I've been wearing for the last 26 years - had the hat longer than I've had the wife.
Thanks everybody for the welcome!