Our Hummingbirds are Swingers
The hummingbirds in our yard are fattening up, so to speak, as they prepare for their fall flights to Mexico. By fattening up, I mean gaining maybe a half ounce as they visit our sugar feeders throughout the day. They are also resting comfortably, swinging actually, right beside our feeders. Last spring, Nancy bought several hummingbird swings and positioned them around the yard, including two on … [Read more...]
Red Tide in the Morning
Sailors take warning! As we crossed the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel, last Thursday, we saw a stream of blood red water entering the Bay. When we reached our rental cottage at Smith Beach, we saw not only the red water, but dead fish. We found ourselves in the middle of what’s called a Red Tide. Red tides, we came to find out, are caused by a rapid, dense population explosion of … [Read more...]
Variety is the Spice of Fishing
My family spent 3 days fishing on the Eastern Shore and “variety” was the name of the game. We caught sea robins, hogfish, sea bass, spot, croaker, whiting, puppy drum, speckled trout, whiting, bluefish and flounder. Also on the Bay menu are bull drum, cobia, sheepshead, rockfish and Spanish. With cooling water on the horizon, anglers should enjoy these fisheries while they can. The fall … [Read more...]
Remembering Sears
Sears went bankrupt and it’s still hard to believe. The company is still in existence, but barely, having shrunk to just five remaining full-line department store locations in the United States and an active online shopping site. In years past, Sears was America’s store. It’s where Boomers bought everything from sleeping bags to stereos to back-to-school clothes for their kids. And lives there … [Read more...]
Jack’s Shop Kitchen
I had heard really good things about Jack’s Shop Kitchen, a counter-serve eatery in an antique store in Ruckersville. Everyone raved about the food, and last Friday afternoon, Nancy and I stopped by for Brunch (lunch), and to see for ourselves. It’s an open floor plan. You order at the counter and then they bring your meals to your table. They didn’t offer an extensive menu, but it was plain to … [Read more...]
Thinking About Bees
We (mostly Nancy) are thinking about getting a couple beehives next spring. We’ve dangled that possibility out there a couple times, then came back to reality that bees take a lot of TLC. But this time, we’re serious. Even stopped by Siller Pollinator Company in Charlottesville to ask questions and check things out. I think we’re going to do it. The bee people said it may be easier to … [Read more...]
Not 7-Eleven!
7-Elevens don’t go out of business, do they? Apparently, they do. After 50-some years the 7-Eleven at Woodbrook shuttered their doors. No more $4 a quart milk, no more $3 candy bars, no more quick trips for a six-pack of beer or a newspaper, and no more hot dogs that have been spinning on the wheels for 10 or 12 hours. My family practically grew up with this 7-Eleven. The kids begged for … [Read more...]
Real Men Cooking Quiche
A number of years ago, there was a saying or an ad someplace that said, “Real men don’t eat quiche.” Being a real man, I didn’t eat it, though my wife Nancy loved it. However, being an amateur chef, I had to try my hand at a Quiche Lorraine and my version turned out so well that Nancy thinks it might even be better than her recipe. The word “quiche”, or so they believe, comes from the … [Read more...]
Goldenrod Gets a Bad Rap
The Virginia roadsides are erupting in gold. Gold as in goldenrod, a valuable wild plant that thrives in meadows and on strips of land where fescue is not prevalent. But the lovely plant gets a bad rap. It is strictly a myth that goldenrod pollen causes allergies. The real culprit is ragweed, which is pollinated by wind rather than insects. Ragweed has tiny inconspicuous flowers that produce … [Read more...]
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