My life is dotted with the memories of certain trees. Yes, trees, those so beautifully described by Joyce Kilmer.The first tree that had special meaning was a huge oak tree on Grandview Avenue in Beckley, WV. I was about 7 or 8 and played with two slightly older boys – Dicky Guy and Billy Richmond. We played three things back then – Army, Navy and Air Force. We shot attacking German … [Read more...]
Butter Corn
The corn’s a’coming. Fresh corn on the cob. Tis the season for sure. There are dozens and dozens of ways to cook corn on the cob, and I’ve never tried a recipe that wasn’t good. Baked, boiled, steamed, grilled? Fresh, sweet corn on the cob? How can you go wrong? But recently I saw a recipe from Spicey Southern Kitchen that is likely to go to the front of the line in my recipe cards. It’s … [Read more...]
Signs of Our Times
Chick-fil-A for Governor
I place into nomination Chick-fil-A for Governor of Virginia, or for Mayor of Charlottesville, or for Postmaster General of the United States. If the folks who run this well-oiled machine ran any government organization, the people would be far better served. Chick-fil-A has efficiency down to a science. Nancy and I were both under the weather with nasty colds and decided to let the fast-food … [Read more...]
(A lot of) Canadian Bacon
We saw our son Jimmie recently at a family get together and he said he had bought me a 3-pound log of Canadian Bacon. That’s nice, but why?An impulse, he said. I guess I looked like I needed a 3-pound fix of Canadian Bacon even though I haven’t eaten that much in my entire life. When I got home, I hacked off a few slices, put them in a hot frying pan with a bit of olive oil and wolfed them … [Read more...]
A Mountain Mint Farm
We have a Mountain Mint Farm. What started as a couple plants of Pycnanthemum Muticum, commonly known as Mountain Mint, is now a bumper crop in our garden bed near the pond. Bring it on, I say, because with the spread of mountain mint comes swarms of pollinators – bees and lots of butterflies. Mountain mints are aromatic plants with dramatic grey-green foliage and a distinctive minty scent. In … [Read more...]
Living With Bluebirds
I have been living with bluebirds for over 30 years. I had never seen a bluebird in our yard until a pair first came to our water bowl. Bluebirds love water and that’s the first way to attract them. The next spring we had a small pottery-type bird house hanging on an old clothesline pole (yes, it was that many years ago.) One day, I noticed a bird with brilliant blue plumage going in and out of … [Read more...]
Here Come the Cobia
Cobia start out as little fellows (see the above picture of a juvenile), and then they grow, and grow, and grow. The world’s record cobia went 175 pounds. They don’t get that large in Virginia waters, but some can push 100 pounds. Cobia are the “snowbirds” of the fish family. They winter in the tropical Gulf waters, then gradually begin to migrate north. Recently, cobia made a blitz through North … [Read more...]
The Ice Cream Man
An ice cream truck came through our neighborhood last night. We heard the jingles and jangles playing from several blocks away. There is something about an ice cream truck that brings joy and anticipation to your heart. This is a repeat article, but it’s timely and it sure brings back good memories. It took about three weeks for the euphoria of getting out of school for the summer to … [Read more...]
Reverse Sear Steak
I have my opinion on how to cook a Perfect Steak – basically a great piece of meat on an extra hot grill to sear, then turn down the heat and bring it to the correct temperature. Floyd Hollier, a fellow steak lover from Richmond, cooks his just the opposite. Here are Floyd’s instructions for his Perfect Steak. Says Floyd: If your grill is not available, here is a different way to cook your … [Read more...]
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