Sears went bankrupt and it’s still hard to believe. The company is still in existence, but barely, having shrunk to just five remaining full-line department store locations in the United States and an active online shopping site. In years past, Sears was America’s store. It’s where Boomers bought everything from sleeping bags to stereos to back-to-school clothes for their kids. And lives there … [Read more...]
Jack’s Shop Kitchen
I had heard really good things about Jack’s Shop Kitchen, a counter-serve eatery in an antique store in Ruckersville. Everyone raved about the food, and last Friday afternoon, Nancy and I stopped by for Brunch (lunch), and to see for ourselves. It’s an open floor plan. You order at the counter and then they bring your meals to your table. They didn’t offer an extensive menu, but it was plain to … [Read more...]
Thinking About Bees
We (mostly Nancy) are thinking about getting a couple beehives next spring. We’ve dangled that possibility out there a couple times, then came back to reality that bees take a lot of TLC. But this time, we’re serious. Even stopped by Siller Pollinator Company in Charlottesville to ask questions and check things out. I think we’re going to do it. The bee people said it may be easier to … [Read more...]
Not 7-Eleven!
7-Elevens don’t go out of business, do they? Apparently, they do. After 50-some years the 7-Eleven at Woodbrook shuttered their doors. No more $4 a quart milk, no more $3 candy bars, no more quick trips for a six-pack of beer or a newspaper, and no more hot dogs that have been spinning on the wheels for 10 or 12 hours. My family practically grew up with this 7-Eleven. The kids begged for … [Read more...]
Real Men Cooking Quiche
A number of years ago, there was a saying or an ad someplace that said, “Real men don’t eat quiche.” Being a real man, I didn’t eat it, though my wife Nancy loved it. However, being an amateur chef, I had to try my hand at a Quiche Lorraine and my version turned out so well that Nancy thinks it might even be better than her recipe. The word “quiche”, or so they believe, comes from the … [Read more...]
Goldenrod Gets a Bad Rap
The Virginia roadsides are erupting in gold. Gold as in goldenrod, a valuable wild plant that thrives in meadows and on strips of land where fescue is not prevalent. But the lovely plant gets a bad rap. It is strictly a myth that goldenrod pollen causes allergies. The real culprit is ragweed, which is pollinated by wind rather than insects. Ragweed has tiny inconspicuous flowers that produce … [Read more...]
Free Fishing Days
So maybe you haven’t gone fishing in a while because you don’t have a license and it would cost you twenty-five bucks or so. Well, if you wait a few days, you can give it a shot for free, and the Virgina Wildlife folks figure that might get you hooked. During the three days of Sept. 27-29, no fishing licenses of any kind will be required for recreational rod and reel fishing in both fresh … [Read more...]
Don’t Forget Saltwater Catfish
A new saltwater fishery is emerging, and charter boats are taking advantage. Many Chesapeake Bay captains are now doing exclusive trips for the prolific blue catfish which have become deeply embedded in many of the tidal rivers. One captain and crew returned with over 50 delicious cats on a morning trip. Blue catfish aren’t supposed to be in the lower tidal rivers, but they are and they are … [Read more...]
Beach Music
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...]
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