My youngest daughter was always something of a tomboy. She tagged along with me on dove hunts and delighted in floating and fishing the James River. When she was in 5th grade, a fellow in the local Jaycee’s approached me about sponsoring a youth BB gun team. “Sure I’ll buy them a gun,” I said. Daisy made some special target air rifles that were deadly accurate at 5 meters, and they cost about … [Read more...]
Ricky Raccoon: Our Nighttime Visitor
We have one of those light sensors rigged to the spotlight in our backyard. The other night, it flashed on and Nancy – ever the worry wart – got up to check it out. “Come see this,” she said, rousting me out of bed. There he was, Ricky Raccoon, clinging to our birdfeeder with sunflower hearts. Somehow, he had managed to climb over the baffle which keeps squirrels at bay, and he had … [Read more...]
Sloppy Yards Good For Wildlife
Not everyone is a good at landscaping. Some of us, in fact, are a little sloppy with our lawns. The Game Department says that’s a good thing, especially for wildlife. Here’s why. As the Department of Wildlife Resources’ (DWR) Small Game Project Leader, Marc Puckett explains, “Autumn is a time when birds need cover and seeds, pollinators need the last fall nectar, and insects still need plants … [Read more...]
Band Ensembles Available
People are beginning to socialize, even so far as to have a few guests over (gasp!). We are starting to entertain more and enjoy family and business gatherings. To make your event even more special, why not have a little live music in the background? The Charlottesville Municipal Band now has four ensembles ready, willing and able to entertain your even with live music, and it’s … [Read more...]
Whatcha Got Vegetable Beef Soup
I have made Vegetable Beef Soup countless times and I feel confident I have never made it the same way twice. When it comes to Vegetable Beef Soup or Beef Stew, it’s not a matter of what recipe you have, it’s what you have on hand. Whatcha got. Last week we had a night that was supposed to get down on the 30’s, a perfect night for soup, and I figured Vegetable Beef would hit the spot. I needed … [Read more...]
Deerfield Hotdogs
Deerfield, Virginia. Population 132 people, 60 cows, 15 sheep and two dozen chickens. Deerfield is a sleepy little own in Augusta County on Deerfield Valley Road, Rt. 629, which connects West Augusta on Rt. 250 and the Goshen area on Rt. 39. There’s no a lot of traffic through Goshen. No reason to be there. Deerfield consists of a handful of farms, some old plantation homes, a post office, a … [Read more...]
Puppies On Deck
Pier fishermen are a patient lot. On many days, if not most days, they sit and wait and not much happens – maybe a pinfish or a small spot. On other days, every cast seemingly finds an unwanted skate or a sand shark. But then, but then… It happens. Fish bite. Nice fish bite and it happened this week in Nags Head. Lots of puppy drum and many keepers were tugging at lines and were soon flopping … [Read more...]
Model Airplanes
I was 5 when my family moved from Pittsburg to Beckley, West Virginia and I immediately made friends with a 6 year-old boy across the street – Billy Richmond. Billy and I had countless imaginary games of Army, Navy and Air Force. A hill on a vacant lot became a German fortified position we had to capture; an old log behind Billy’s house was a pretend submarine; and a big apple tree in a neighbor’s … [Read more...]
Beef Enchiladas
I’ve been doing a little Tex/Mex stuff in the kitchen. I’m slowly coming around to South of the Border dishes, and I actually prefer my own recipes to those of the restaurants. Refried beans, for example, is not my idea of human food. Dogs, maybe, but not humans. Anyway, I whipped up a Mexican dish called Beef Enchiladas that actually passed the “Nancy Test.” If my wife, Nancy, eats one of my … [Read more...]
Oh Nuts!
So, will there be a good mast crop this fall or not? People who enjoy watching wildlife, and some 200,000 hunters in Virginia who enjoy eating wildlife will be interested to find out. For hunters, the availability of mast has everything to do with their tactics. If there are lots of acorns, for example, deer for one will not travel as far because they don’t need to. They’ll fill their belies … [Read more...]
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