Boomers recall lots of childhood memories. Some good and some not so good. One of those not-so-good memories for me was when I got “chiggered.” I was spending a week at Grandma Brewer’s, in Clemmons, NC, an annual event soon after school let out. My father, who was killed in World War II, had 8 living brothers and sisters and I was often passed around from Brewer to Brewer as I visited. On … [Read more...]
Arby’s: We Have the Meats
Somewhere in South Carolina on our return trip from Atlanta, Nancy and I decided to pull over, stretch our legs and have a bite of lunch. We saw an easy-access Arby’s and pulled in. We were interested in some of their new products. Normally, when you think of Arby’s, you think of their great roast beef sandwiches piled high on a sesame bun and smothered with their famous sauce. But the … [Read more...]
Thistles: A Beautiful Weed
Travelling along our roads and highways, I have recently taken a serious interest in the many lovely wild plants we routinely see. Some are overwhelming in beauty, and none were planted. They are as wild as the wind. And the wind is responsible for planting many of them, most notably the thistles. Thistles include a wide range of plants known for their sharp spines and prickles. These … [Read more...]
Pimento Cheese with “Soul”
It’s funny how tastes remain with you for long periods of time. It seems like just last week that I was on a church picnic at Beaver Creek Lake just outside Beckley, WV. I was 9 or 10. Boy, what a spread those Beckley Presbyterian Church ladies set before us. Fried chicken, ham biscuits, yeast rolls, homemade pies and cakes, but the one thing I remember to this day were the pimento cheese … [Read more...]
Scoot’s Award-Winning BBQ
All the votes have been counted and it’s official. Scoot’s BBQ in Gloucester Point has been named the best BBQ Restaurant in Virginia in a contest sponsored by Virginia Living Magazine. Andy Reams, a fellow BBQ Aficionado, said that Scoot’s must be pretty darned good to edge out King’s BBQ in Petersburg, Andy’s choice as “the best.” I have to confess that as much as I like BBQ, I … [Read more...]
The Little Cuke Who Could
Burpless 26. If you are a backyard gardener, remember that name. It’s the damnedest cucumber there is. Prolific, sweet and tender. Last spring I was at the Corner Garden Store at Ruckersville and said I wanted to plant some long cucumbers, like English cucumbers. Their knowledgeable staff recommended a product call Burpless 26. I put four in the ground in Early May, but rabbits (I … [Read more...]
New Archery Record for Blue Catfish
On June 29, Lindy Rowles drew back his bow and sent an arrow towards a submerged target – a 52 ½ pound blue catfish and he managed to pull it in. The Game Department just certified the big cat as a state record for bow fishing. But this cat was just a baby as far as blue catfish are concerned. The overall record weighed an astonishing 143 pounds, boated by Nick Anderson in Buggs Island … [Read more...]
A Really Roasted Pig
It was the Fourth of July. Why not roast a pig? Never mind that I had never cooked a whole pig before nor did I even have a pig cooker, but I suggested the idea to my friend John Savides and he agreed. The problem with having friends like John is that they will agree to most anything. “Wanna go sky diving without a chute?” “Sure,” John would say. “Sounds like fun.” So I bought a … [Read more...]
Time To Fish
It’s here. The best time of all to go fishing. This Wednesday, the nighttime temperature dipped into to the 50’s and it might get in the 40’s on Thursday evening. When that happens, fish instinctively understand that it’s time to feed, to put on as much weight as possible before winter arrives. So it’s time. One of the best places in all of Virginia to fish in the fall is at Lake Orange. This … [Read more...]
The Rathskeller at Chapel Hill
A Chapel Hill legend died in 2007 – The Rams Head Rathskeller, fondly referred to as “The Rat.” The Rathskeller was a 4,800 square foot restaurant located beneath Franklin Street, Carolina’s version of The Corner at UVA. To access The Rat, you walked down steep concrete stairs off Franklin Street through a place called Amber Alley. At the bottom, you waited and waited and waited. … [Read more...]
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