Thump! “What was that?” A cardinal, what else. This is the time of year when the beautiful and usually mild-mannered cardinals go on attack. The males are very territorial and mark out their territories with song. During courtship, the male feeds seeds to the female beak-to-beak. In late March, the redbirds quickly decide which bird controls which turf. We usually have a half dozen male … [Read more...]
Signs of Our Times
Pork Trimmings and Fried Rice
Passing by the meat counter at Kroger’, I saw a package of Pork Trimmings, meat I had never seen before. Upon further examination, the pound and a half package had been reduced to $1.88. Dinner that night was planned on the spot. Pork Fried Rice. Nancy and I have been eating more home-cooked Chinese recently. First, it’s lean and healthy; second, it’s quick; third it’s inexpensive; and finally, … [Read more...]
Twist Tiller: A Great Garden Tool
I discovered a great garden tool this week, one that I have had in my shed for 4 or 5 years and never used. It’s a Twist Tiller that I gave Nancy for a birthday present since she probably does more gardening and tilling than I do. I tried it once, the first summer, but the ground was sunbaked, and it seemed like too much work. But when I planted this spring, I decided to give it another go as … [Read more...]
Red Stripe Beer
When we were in Jamaica, I ordered a beer at lunch. The server said, “Fine.” But didn’t ask what kind. It turns out they only had one kind – Red Stripe. I had never heard of it, but I was surprisingly pleased. Red Stripe is a great beer, and it’s made in Kingston, Jamaica. The 4.7% ABV lager has a smooth taste and a little kick. It’s also has an interesting story. The beer was first brewed … [Read more...]
Saltwater Update
The saltwater is still cold, around 50 and under in the Bay, at Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks, but it is beginning to warm with longer days, and the briny action will soon heat up. Speckled trout anglers are doing well in the shallows that feed into the Elizabeth and York Rivers. Soft plastic swim baits and Mir-o-lures are working. The tautog bite continues to be good. Larger fish, up … [Read more...]
Occoquan River Shad
By Peter Brookes The end of winter and the arrival of spring means many things to many people, but to Virginia’s tidal river anglers it means primarily one thing: The shad are coming! Yes, America’s "founding fish" is coming soon to a Virginia tidal river near you. Anyone who follows the annual shad run in the Old Dominion is aware of the famous fishing opportunities on the James … [Read more...]
Destination Jamaica
It was our anniversary and we wanted to get away for a few days. We wanted someplace warm and inviting, maybe some place we had never been. How about Jamaica? Why not? We drove to Richmond on a Wednesday night as our flight to Miami left the next morning at 6-ish and we were supposed to be at the airport for international flights three hours early. We landed in Miami in less than three … [Read more...]
Secure Our Borders
I have a sure-fire way to secure our borders and prevent anyone from entering our country illegally. Make them go through customs in Jamaica. “Okay you guys who have just waded across the Rio Grande, you can stay here in America no questions asked. But first you have to clear customs at Montego Bay.” To clear customs, you would first have to have a passport, which means going to the Post … [Read more...]
Speaking of Jamaica
When we had twin grandsons, I discovered something called “twin speak”. Twins often communicate with each other in words and sounds that they can understand, but others can’t. Jamaicans also speak that way – it’s their dialect and when visiting their interesting island, I learned a little about how to speak in the Jamaican dialect. For starters, almost every conversation and sentence begin … [Read more...]
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