We have not had dinner guests other than immediate family since it became popular to wear face masks to Lowe’s and Kroger’s. We have eaten out a time or two, with no noticeable effects, so we decided to live on the edge – to invite another couple to dinner. Even though the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors recommend virtual dinners, where you stay at home and watch the other … [Read more...]
We Have Caterpillars
This is big news because they are not just any caterpillars, they are monarch butterfly caterpillars. Many assume if they have butterfly bushes and lots of flowers, it will draw and sustain monarch butterflies. Not necessarily true. If the beautiful butterflies don’t have an acceptable plant on which to lay their eggs, there will be no monarch butterflies. Period. Butterflies must … [Read more...]
Blueberry Crumble
I have a friend named Mrs. Crocker. She is my mentor when it comes to cooking. In fact, she frequently sends me tips and recipes. We have become close friends and I often call her by her first name – Betty. Betty sent me a recipe last week that she said was delicious. It sounded really good and I knew Betty wouldn’t lie. It was called Blueberry Crumble, I fixed a batch and I’m sure … [Read more...]
The Strawberry Packer
I’d like to meet him someday - the Strawberry Packer, a man of immense skills. The Strawberry Packer is in charge of distribution, to make sure that the strawberries are properly sorted in each 16-ounce container. If every strawberry in the carton was perfectly ripe and juicy, then customers would come to expect that and would surely end up disappointed. But the Strawberry Packer … [Read more...]
Violet Crowned Hummingbirds
Arizona has more species of hummingbirds than any other state in the United States – probably because of its proximity to Mexico, where most hummingbirds winter. Strangely, a hummingbird called a Violet Crowned Hummingbird, normally found in Arizona, may have found its way to Virginia. I was discussing hummingbirds with my friend, Wayne Ferguson, and admitted that a few weeks back I … [Read more...]
White Marlin Time
Offshore Charters out of Oregon Inlet sailed Wednesday and the white marlin were waiting. Boats caught and released numerous fish and put a few yellowfin tuna on ice, as well. The “Country Girl” had six marlin releases. Nearshore charters returned with catches of Spanish Mackerel and bluefish. The Inlet crew reported catches of trout, puppy drum, and bluefish! Rain hindered surf … [Read more...]
Will You Be My Daddy?
My father, James E. Brewer, was shot down in WW II over Burma just a few days before I was born. I grew up in a home on Sewell Avenue in Raleigh, NC with my widowed Mom, Mama Ida, my Aunt Jodi, Aunt Pearl and Uncle Sidney. Mama Ida worked at the Department of Vehicles and my mother took a job in the office of North Carolina State College. During the work hours, I spent time with a large … [Read more...]
Pole Beans: Finally
My pole beans have been reaching for the stars for two months, vines on top of vines, but no pole beans. Blooms, yes, beans, no. Fellow gardener Sherman Shifflett said he was having the same problem and an agriculture agent said others were wondering where the beans were. I read recently that if the ground temperature reaches 90 degrees, the beans say, “Forget it. We’re not … [Read more...]
My Pet Skink
I have a pet skink. He shares my office here at Lights Out in Ruckersville. He, or a member of his clan, has been with me with four years. I see him every summer. He sneaks under a small crack below my front door. He stopped by for a visit last week and scooted across the carpet. He was casing the joint, looking for a mid-afternoon snack, maybe an ant or spider. A cricket would qualify as a … [Read more...]
Order of the Thistle
If you’ve ever tried to uproot a thistle in your yard or garden, it’s doubtful you’re a big fan of the lovely weed. How did this thing get in here, you’ll wonder. A single thistle plant, however, can produce up to 4,000 seeds that go airborne and settle wherever they find a fertile spot, like a garden. Roadsides work, too. We played golf at Heritage Oaks in Harrisonburg a week or so … [Read more...]
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