A squirrelly thing happened to my daughter, Angelin, during last week’s snowstorm. She was waiting for a business appointment in Lexington, NC and saw a squirrel scampering across a yard with a white baseball-sized something in his mouth. The squirrel ran up a tall tree and put the item in a cavity in the tree. Ten minutes later, the squirrel came down the tree, picked up another ball of white, … [Read more...]
Perfect Fried Chicken
You can fry chicken – or anything for that matter – in a typical non-stick pan. But if you want only the best fried chicken – it’s got to be in an iron skillet. The thick iron keeps the heat at a constant temperature, unlike thinner metals which can get too hot or cool too quickly. The old cast iron skillet prevents that. Just gradually increase the temp until it’s medium hot, then fry, baby, … [Read more...]
Life On the Amazon
My hunting pants had met their match in a spirited contest with a blackberry thicket on the last day of rabbit season. There was big tear across the right front leg and a 12-inch rip in the back seat. Unfortunately, the rip in the seat had nothing to do with the blackberry thicket, but more to do with too many blackberry pie servings throughout the year. I not only tore my hunting pants, but I … [Read more...]
A Trout on a Fly
Soon after I had settled in as a Virginian, I discovered a magical place called The Sport Shop. It was a small, sporting goods shop in Barracks Road Shopping Center run by one of the greatest fishermen ever to complete a roll cast. It was Chuck Kraft’s Sport Shop, specializing in fly fishing. I had done some fly fishing in my younger days. In fact, I got my first fly rod and caught a half dozen … [Read more...]
Fat Back and Bacon Grease
After my father was declared Missing in Action during World War II, my mother brought her infant son home from the hospital to live with my grandmother, Mama Ida, her sister Pearl, my mom’s sister Jodi and Uncle Sidney, Mama Ida’s brother. I suppose we would have been considered poor, but everybody pitched in and somehow, we got by. Growing up, I remember that every dinner began with a slab of … [Read more...]
“Apple Pines”
When my some Jimmie was a little fellow, he called pineapples “apple pines”. He also called roosters “doodle-o’s” and he referred to fish as “sous”. To this day, I often call fish “sous” and barnyard fowls “doodle-o’s” - and I still refer to pineapples as “apple pines”. Your children’s cute words never go away. The point of all this is that I have concluded that pineapples are far and away the … [Read more...]
City Sidewalks
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Dressed in holiday style” Those were some of the comforting lyrics from an old Christmas favorite – “Silver Bells”. But there’s nothing comforting about City Sidewalks if you live in the People’s Republic of Charlottesville. If you have a dwelling in town, you must clear the sidewalks in front of your house even though it’s not your property. You must … [Read more...]
Snow Derangement Syndrome
Even the thought of snow makes some people go a bit crazy. This week’s storm, named Fern, was highly advertised and anticipated. It was on Labor Day last year that they first announced a severe snowstorm or about January 24, 2026, so you damned well be prepared. And were we ever. Last Wednesday, I had to go to the grocery store for a few items and the parking lot at Kroger’s was jammed pack. … [Read more...]
Grrrrrr!
When I was a teenager, I often took my shotgun with me when I drove to school. I left it on the floorboard of the back seat along with my hunting coat and a box of shotgun shells. That’s because I would sometimes drive after school directly to a patch of woods to hunt squirrels. I rarely locked my car, and no one stole my gun. But! A recently approved Virginia Senate Bill 496 states that … [Read more...]
Birds Need Water – Especially Now
Here is my annual plea to fellow birders to put out a heated bird bath. Our little friends need water, especially in freezing weather, to survive. Many, many people put out feeders – something like $500 million is spent annually on bird seed, but for bird baths – not so much. I have a ton of songbirds in my yard, but it didn’t happen by accident. I provide multiple food sources and seed … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- …
- 477
- Next Page »