I had never eaten a morel until my old friend Carl Oakes asked if I wanted a few. Not wanting to offend, I said, “Sure”, but I had no idea what they were or what to do with the strange looking spores. Later I found out that morels, wild mushrooms, were mountain delicacies and highly desirable. On several occasions since then, I have taken to the hills and picked them myself. Morels, though, … [Read more...]
A Blooming Spring
It’s amazing what a week or so of 70-degree weather will do. Blooms, for example. Our forsythia patch is turning into a golden vista. Yellow jonquils are showing off all around the yard. Lovely purple hyacinths have popped up and the little crocuses are erupting in beauty. The ever-faithful Lenten Roses are in full bloom – they start before all the others. Perhaps the happiest of all my … [Read more...]
Cheesy Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus lovers are now in their element. Fresh, tender asparagus is now sprouting and hitting the grocery shelves. It’s the best of the year. It’s hard to screw up asparagus. Boiled, roasted, grilled, fried. It’s all good. But if you want to get fancy, here’s a simple but elegant recipe for Cheesy Roasted Asparagus. It’s fast, easy and yummy-good. Preheat your oven to 425ºF, then line a … [Read more...]
Nap Time
Kindergarten had it right. You had to take a nap. Every day, you had to take a nap. “Put down your crayons, children. It’s nap time,” the teacher said. Some of the kids drifted off, while others. like me, tossed and turned and fidgeted, waiting to go outside and play “Red Rover, Red Rover” or “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Looking back, taking a nap every day isn’t such a bad idea. I … [Read more...]
Consistently Carmello’s
Saturday was our “Date Night” and we wanted a special experience. It had been a while since we dined at Carmello’s and we chose that restaurant. Would it be as good as it always has been? Yes. The secret to the long-term success of any restaurant is consistency. It must be good every time. One bad experience and you go elsewhere. There are simply too many good restaurants to … [Read more...]
It’s Trout Season
The Virginia Trout Season is fully underway and most all trout waters have been or will be stocked by the end of March. With a few exceptions, the waters affected by Hurricane Helene will be stocked. Virginia contains over 3,500 miles of trout streams, in addition to numerous ponds, small lakes and reservoirs. The total includes over 2,900 miles of wild trout streams and about 600 miles … [Read more...]
Lake Orange: Open for Business
Angler’s Landing, the marina and bait shop at Lake Orange, is open again for business - just in time for the crappie and yellow perch bite, Angler’s Landing rents jon boats and sells bait and supplies for one of the most productive lakes in Virginia. Owned and managed by the DWR, Orange gives up trophy bass in addition to channel cats, redear sunfish, walleye, saugeye, bass, crappie, perch, and … [Read more...]
Oldies But Goodies
A game warden sneaks up on a man sitting on the bank with a fishing rod and a bucket of minnows. “Let me see your fishing license,” the warden growls, certain that he has a culprit dead to rights. “I’m not fishing,” the man said. “I’m training my minnows.” “What do you mean, training minnows?” the warden asked. “These are special minnows. When I let them go in the water, and if I beat … [Read more...]
The Gingerbread Man
I’ve read a few of the children’s books recently and they are Pablum. Vanilla pudding. “Can’t we all get along?” “I feel your pain”. “Don’t hurt anybody’s feelings.” Bull. I remember when children’s books were exciting, and they didn’t always turn out peaches and cream. Hansel and Gretel got kicked out of their own house and ended up cooking a witch in her own oven. Little Black Sambo … [Read more...]
Madison Motors: For the Best Deal
Have you checked car prices recently? The used car business may be hotter than real estate at this point. That’s because many car buyers don’t want to have a $600 monthly bill for the next 7 years if they spring for a new car and used cars are rapidly increasing in demand. The last car I bought was a 2008 Jeep Liberty. I bought it for about $6500 at Madison Motors and drove it for 6 ½ years. I … [Read more...]
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