In the bible, God once told Moses to take off his sandals because the place on which the Great Lawmaker was standing was holy ground. There is a spot in West Virginia’s Grant County that I feel that way about. It’s holy ground, indeed, where God did some of his very best work. In fact, I think maybe He was showing off a little. This is spectacular country. The South Branch of the North Fork of … [Read more...]
Jiminy Crickets
As I mowed the grass last week, I noticed tons of crickets scampering to get out of the way. “Run away! Run away!” I imagined them yelling to one another, Several times, I stopped the mower so the little insects could leap to cover. In the house, if I see a cricket, I catch it and release it outside. It’s bad luck to kill a cricket, you know. I’ve always had a fondness in my heart for these … [Read more...]
Trees and Kids
My favorite poem of all time is “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mrs. Williams had us memorize it in 4th grade and I can still recite most of it even today. But at the time, I remember thinking that when God made trees, he was really thinking about kids. When I was a boy, one of my favorite pastimes was climbing trees and using my imagination. Billy Richmond and I climbed a huge oak tree in the woods … [Read more...]
Striper Cakes
Several years ago, my brothers and I had some luck with stripers at Oregon Inlet. We caught enough to fill the refrigerator at our beach cottage. We dined in style that evening with broiled stripers in a lemon dill sauce. The next night was crab night. We picked up a bushel of beautiful “jimmie” crabs, already steamed. But we had a problem. At the time, my brother Charlie was not eating meat – … [Read more...]
Big Drum Off the Piers
Dr. Julie Ball reports: Surf and pier anglers braving the elements are scoring with dozens of big red drum from local bay and ocean piers. Cut mullet, bunker, and spot heads are the baits of choice. Look for the drum bite to develop around the islands of the CBBT once boats can reach them with consistency. Puppy drum are still coming from these same areas, as well as from shallows and inlets on … [Read more...]
Brook Trout Time
All of Virginia’s mountain streams are running full. While a mere trickle just a few weeks back, the small and mid-size mountain streams have plenty of water and the brookies are hungry. Tommy Lawhorne at the South River Fly Shop in Waynesboro says they had “super high” water on the South River. “It was still running over 1500cfs on Monday, so it will be at least Wednesday or Thursday to be … [Read more...]
Roasted Okra
Okra is one of those vegetables that you either love or absolutely despise. There is no middle ground. Many get a bad taste in their mouths (pardon the pun) for okra when they eat it stewed and from the can. It’s pretty slimy, I admit, but I like slimy when it tastes like okra. I am a southern boy and I adore this Cajun staple. Deep-fried okra is among my all time favorite things to eat. I … [Read more...]
The Road To Martha’s Market
Each fall, our house in Charlottesville becomes something of a Bed & Breakfast for the ladies in my family as they come from as far away as Houston to attend Martha’s Market. Marsha, my sister in law, comes from Myrtle Beach, my other sister in law, Laura, drives in from Charleston, WV and my younger sister, Jo, is the visiting Texan. It’s an event they don’t want to … [Read more...]
My Fourth Grade Tecaher
Her name was Mrs. Williams. I suppose she had a first name, but I didn’t know it. She was just Mrs. Williams, my fourth grade teacher and one of the most influential people in my life to date. Looking back and talking with fellow Boomers, almost everyone admits they had one special schoolteacher they remember, and fourth grade was often that important year. Fourth grade for me was the first … [Read more...]
The Five Foot Putt
Will miracles never cease? You’re on the green in regulation with a five-foot putt left to win the hole and take the match. There’s a lot riding on this putt. It’s for a beer. But five feet! If it were longer, no one would expect you to make it. If it were much shorter, it would be a gimme'. This putt is one of the most difficult of all for average golfers. But whether it’s five feet or … [Read more...]
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