It was Beach Music and we owned it. Those of us who lived in Virginia or the Carolinas, or those who may have vacationed in those spots in the late 50’s and the 60’s, remember Beach Music. We remember beach clubs and dance halls along the oceanfront at places like Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach in SC, or in Atlantic Beach or Carolina Beach in North Carolina and, … [Read more...]
Thistles: A Beautiful Weed
I have a love/hate relationship with thistles. The “hate” part comes back when I fly fish Mossy Creek. The stream is especially productive in September when leaping grasshoppers miss their mark and plop in the stream – to the delight of some large brown trout. But fly casting involves back casts where you flip the line backwards to load the rod, only to see the line settle in the stream with no … [Read more...]
Too Much Fertilizer
I think I used too much fertilizer last winter. I knew the plow guy was coming to till my garden, and I wasn’t sure if I needed to scatter more nutrients, but I did anyway. If some is good, more is better. Right? This summer I have lima bean bushes that are waist high and nary a bean. Not even one, I think there’s enough nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in my garden to build a decent … [Read more...]
French Onion Cubed Steaks
Cubed steaks represent a great value in the meat department. An affordable cut of beef - usually top round or top sirloin – the extra lean cubed steaks have been flattened and pre-tenderized with a textured tool or machine. By pounding or running the meat through a tenderizer, the tough muscle fibers break down, but they can still give the old molars quite a workout – they’re still … [Read more...]
Ball Park Grillmaster Franks
If I even think about a hot dog, I’ve got to have one in the next few days. Same with Fried Chicken, but when a plump hot dog dressed with mustard, onions and chili enters the mental picture, it’s all over. Get me a dog! There are only a few really good places to get hot dogs in Charlottesville – Jack N Jill and Dairy Queen come to mind, but since it was Labor Day Weekend, I figured I’d have to … [Read more...]
James River Cellars and Jimmy O
There must be a million wineries in Virginia. Well, maybe not a million, but there are certainly a bunch of them. I have been to many and have yet to have a bad experience. Virginia wineries turn out some great wines. On Labor Day, we visited a new winery for us - James River Cellars in Richmond, Glen Allen, actually. We took the short road trip to see Jimmy O, one of the last performing … [Read more...]
Lots of Stripers in the Mix
Maybe all the strict regulations and conservation measures are taking effect. Lots and lots of stripers are being caught around Virgina Beach, in the tidal tributaries and lower Chesapeake Bay. Glide baits and live eels are working as the sleek warriors attack from docks, structures and any area holding bait. Nearshore boats out of Virginia Beach are running into Mahi as the warmer blue waters … [Read more...]
Beckley, West Virginia
I was still 4 when we were transferred to Beckley, WV. Daddy worked in an office with two other FBI agents. His territory covered 4 counties, and many times he was gone for several days at a time, often to the home office in Pittsburg. As I would come to learn, a lot of the work that Special Agents for the FBI did was investigative. If a woman from one of his counties applied for a Federal job in … [Read more...]
Moravian-Worthy Ginger Cookies
My Brewer family hails from Clemmons, NC, just outside of Winston Salem. This is Moravian Country, home to the best cookies on the planet. The Moravians are from the historical region of Moravia in the Czech Republic, who then fled the counter revolution in 1722. In 1753, many found their way to North Carolina and made their homes in the Piedmont Region. Of German descent, the Moravians can … [Read more...]
Outback: Almost But Not Quite
Went to the Outback for dinner last week. Hadn’t been in a while, but Nancy loves their pasta dishes, and I was hoping for some Bang-Bang Fried Chicken. Unfortunately, they no longer offer the Bang-Bang Chicken, but our dinner was very good, almost perfect. Almost. Our server was excellent, got us our water and drinks early and checked on us frequently, even though we were eating outside – … [Read more...]
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