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...]

The Lenten roses in our backyard are all a’bloom. Neither, sleet, snow, cold or ice can slow them down. They bloom – like their name says – during Lenten season, which is now. I think they are cool. My wife Nancy is not so sure because they will spread and overtake the carpet on your living floor if you are not careful. They are prolific little plants, but they are not roses. They are … [Read more...]

  Things may be getting back to normal, or at least more normal than they have been in a while. There will be a Western Virginia Sport Show at the Augusta Expo in Fishersville on February 25-27. Once again, it will be a star-studded affair. Hank Parker, out of tiny Denver, NC, will be on hand. Hank was a two-time winner of the Bassmaster’s Classic, one of only four anglers to ever … [Read more...]

  I can think of no better place to welcome in the cool, clear mornings of fall than on the Outer Banks of North Carolina – one of the world’s great places. My first visit to Nags Head on the Outer Banks left me unimpressed. I was in college at the time and it seemed like a dull place to be. Nothing much happening, just a laid-back cluster of cottages bordering the ocean and the single … [Read more...]

  The annual Sunflower Festival at Liberty Mills Farm in Somerset klicks off this Saturday, August 29. The festival offers the opportunity to pick your own flowers, shop from local vendors, photo ops for the family, outdoor activities for the kids, music, hayrides, a Farmers Market and more. Event tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for the youngsters. Events will be held Saturday and … [Read more...]

  The best burger in Cville? It’s hard to say. We certainly have lots of good choices. One restaurant that stands out, though, is Timberwood Grill near Forest Lakes. Often, when Nancy and I eat out on short notice, we choose Timberwood. They have nice exterior dining on pleasant evenings and in the winter, we like to pull up a stool and sit at the bar. Without exception, the service has … [Read more...]

    I once could not get enough of watching the Olympics. I binge watched. I remember Mark Spitz and Sugar Ray Leonard. There was Mary Lou Retton and The Dream Team. I remember Carl Lewis, Florence Griffith Joyner and Greg Louganis and the pride I felt when they played the National Anthem at another American victory. But I didn’t watch the Olympics this year. Never turned it on … [Read more...]

  The Charlottesville Band (the new name for the Municipal Band) is getting back into the “swing” of things. Steve Layman, Music Director, announced that the band will play a concert in Claudius Crozet Park on Sunday, July 11 at 3:30 pm.  It’s free – free, free, free, free, free. Find out more about the band at Cville Band – Central Virginia's Community Band … [Read more...]

The cicadas are coming. The Brood X, or 17-year cicadas, emerge from their beds in the earth every 17 years. That’s a long nap. There are a number of different types of these locust creatures. Some pop out every 13 years and some more frequently, but these big, fat red-eyed monster-looking cicadas are due this year. Right now, actually. They will be in parts of Virginia, but not all. If they … [Read more...]