Green beans are a lot easier to grow and much more prolific than Fordhook Lima Beans, but they are not nearly as tasty. There are few foods anywhere than can rival the goodness of a freshly picked Fordhook Lima boiled to a tender doneness and topped with butter. It is one of my favorite foods in the world. Years ago, I had a garden at our small lakefront cottage in Greene County … [Read more...]
Quadruplets
Ever wonder why there are so many deer in Virginia? When a doe has four at a time, it’s easy to see how there are now over a million animals in our fair state. My buddy, Chris Johnson, sent me this picture of a mother deer with four little ones resting in the shade. With quadruplets, she certainly has her hands (hooves) full. Jimmy Graves of Graves Mountain Lodge told me not long ago … [Read more...]
Strawberry Fest at Liberty Farms
It’s time to pick strawberries in Virginia, and Liberty Farms in Somerset has vines loaded down with luscious, ripe berries. They have now opened their farm to willing strawberry pickers, and a chance to pluck delicious, red-ripe strawberries straight from the vines. On Saturday, May 28, Liberty Farms will host their annual Strawberry Fest. Guests can sample everything from fresh strawberries … [Read more...]
Attracting Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds. What fascinating creatures. Hummingbirds are tiny, really tiny. Got a nickel in your pocket? That’s how much the little birds weigh. Their nests are the size of a quarter. Hummingbirds are in a perpetual state of excitement, at least so far as their pulse rates are concerned. On average, a hummer’s heart beats 615 times per minute and can reach over 1,200 beats per minute. They … [Read more...]
Southern Fried Bluegills
Groceries are expensive, but fish are free – if you catch them yourself (or have a good friend who likes to fish.) I am aware of a certain fish that you can’t even buy in a store, yet there is no more flavorful fish found anywhere. The fish is a bluegill, which is classified as a game fish in Virginia; therefore they cannot be sold commercially. Bluegills, sometimes referred to … [Read more...]
Ziploc Zip ‘n Steam Bags
Maybe you’ve seen these, but I had not. I was in the plastic storage bag aisle and on the bottom row were packs of Ziploc Zip ‘n Steam Bags. They looked interesting and I bought a pack. You can either heat or reheat your food (especially veggies) in these Microwave Cooking Bags. They combine the taste and nutritional benefits of steam cooking with the ultra-convenience of a microwave … [Read more...]
Shad Run Winding Down
Mark Scott, a former Virginian who abandoned Jefferson Country to settle in on the southern beaches of North Carolina, made a return visit to our Commonwealth and caught some nice shad at Fredericksburg. Mark and Dan Beisner caught about 15 hickory shad between them. The shad run typically begins with the first dogwood bloom, so it’s about over for this year. At Buggs Island Lake, the … [Read more...]
Camping and the Average Man
During the life of an average man there comes a few times when he takes complete leave of his senses and does incredibly stupid things – like go camping. After rising to the top of the food chain and having access to things like heat pumps, wide screen TVs and multiple jet showers, some average men deem it desirable to forego the pleasantries of life and live among a cluster of other humans within … [Read more...]
Bob White!
“Bob white! Bob-bob-white!” That’s a call very few hear anymore. It’s the call of a male quail in the spring, searching for a lady friend. Unfortunately, there are very few quail remaining, but my daughter Angelin recently sent me an audio of a quail whistling behind her house in Adams Farm, a suburb of Greensboro. Nearby are some fallow fields (awaiting development) and somehow a few quail have … [Read more...]
Batter Up!
I heard those words the other day coming from my neighbor’s yard. There were kids in the next yard playing ball. Liam, age 7 or so, was the catcher, with a mask, a mitt and everything. Another kid stood at the plate, Casey at the bat. There was an actual baseball game going on, and there wasn’t a single adult out there. They were just kids, playing ball. These days, you’re more likely to see … [Read more...]
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