Every time I fry bacon – every time – I remember Daddy in the kitchen with 6 or 8 slices of bacon in an old cast iron skillet. He would let the bacon settle in the hot skillet, separate the slices, tend to another task, then come back as the bacon was beginning to curl and flip it. He never flipped just one strip of bacon. He would slide an ordinary fork beneath at least 4 strips of bacon, lift … [Read more...]
Grackles Vamoose
Finally, the grackles are gone. They showed up last March, and for nearly 4 months they have plagued my bird feeders and harassed my songbirds. I didn’t have swarms of grackles this year, but about a dozen settled in our neighborhood and nested in some tall pines several hundred yards from our yard. They would fly in, snatch some sunflower hearts and sail back to feed their young. Grackle … [Read more...]
Lovely Roadside Chicory
Since I noticed a butterfly weed, a brilliant orange plant growing beside the road a few years back, I have become increasingly interested in the ordinary weeds and wildflowers we often ignore. One is blooming right now, it’s common chicory, totally considered a weed and in the dandelion family. Chicory, of course, is a name associated with coffees, and this plant can be used as a coffee … [Read more...]
Super Crispy Oven Wings
x Nancy and I are big Chicken Wing fans. They’re easy to fix, they are healthy when oven baked and if there are leftovers, they go quickly for the next day’s lunch. The only problem with wings is they are relatively expensive. Pound for pound, they’re more expensive than any part of the chicken. Not long ago, Food Lion had a sale on Chicken Wings. They had a large bag of whole wings for $10. … [Read more...]
Band Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday
As America turns 250 years old, the Charlotteville Band is there to celebrate. The Band will be playing patriotic music for the entire family including Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” narrated by actor and vocalist, Doug Schneider. The program also features the US Army Brass Quintet, which will perform along with the Band and accompany other special guests.The performance is set for next … [Read more...]
Huge Grouper Caught at Ocracoke
A Raleigh, NC angler caught a gigantic grouper from a private boat off of Ocracoke this week. The big grouper weighed in at 45lb, just 3-lbs. shy of the NC State record. It measured 47” in length with a 30” girth. On the northern beaches, things were slow – dead slow. A few skates. Oregon Inlet boats are catching yellowfin and blackfin tuna, mahi, tile fish, and black sea bass with white marlin … [Read more...]
Flounder Catches Increasing
There has been a surge of nice flounder catches in the lower Bay, especially at the CBBT. Lots of fish in the 5–6-pound class are being caught on live spot, jigs and GULP baits. The flatties are also biting on Virginia piers along with croakers, spot and a few rockfish. Surfcasters at Sandbridge are beaching spot, croaker, and Spanish mackerel. The lower bay and Va. Beach oceanfront has been … [Read more...]
An Egg Man and An Egg Dog
We used to have an Egg Man. His name was Bill Handley, a dairy farmer who lived just outside Lewisburg. Every week, Bill would bring us eggs, milk, butter and – Daddy’s favorite – pure cream for his coffee. Bill would come early in the morning, before school, on Mondays and Fridays. One of my jobs was to go outside and retrieve Bill’s deliveries and put them in the refrigerator. The eggs were … [Read more...]
Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
I saw a recipe recently that looked good – Blueberry Oatmeal Bars. I love blueberries. I love oatmeal. They are both extremely healthy. Why not some bars for breakfast, dessert or snacks? I gave the recipe a shot and it’s a keeper. Here’s how. First, make the crust and crumble topping. Melt one stick of butter in the microwave. Add 1 C flour, 3/4 C Old Fashioned Oats (not quick oats), ½ C … [Read more...]
The Beauty of Butterflyweed
One of our most prized plantings is a gorgeous Butterflyweed. A few years ago, Nancy picked a half dozen small seeds from a Butterflyweed pod. She started them inside and nurtured them into small plants. When she brought them outside, she knew the squirrels would get at them and dig them up, so she put a heavy wire guard around the plants to keep the pesky from getting down. The plants … [Read more...]