Photo by Daniel Bailey I have thus far seen 31 types of birds in or around my yard, but they are the usuals – robins, finches, bluebirds, doves, etc. I really get excited when I see a new bird, like a grosbeak in my yard So, I can imagine how a fellow birder from Lynchburg, Daniel Bailey, was absolutely giddy to see a true rarity, a Gray-Crown Rosy-Finch, and in Virginia no … [Read more...]
Tip-Worthy Chicken Marsala
I have to brag a little. This week I made a dish that was so delicious that if I had ordered it at a fine Italian Restaurant, I would have left an extra tip. I did a Chicken Marsala that was fabulous. I try to cook and eat chicken as often as I can. It’s way healthier than beef and pork, but it’s sometimes a struggle to keep the menu fresh. I hadn’t done Chicken Marsala in a while and we still … [Read more...]
Solar Fountain for Birdbaths
I gave Nancy a Solar Fountain for the front yard birdbath for Christmas as a small gift for Christmas last year, but since it was winter, we put it away – and forgot about it. A couple weeks ago, Nancy found it, we assembled it and put it in the birdbath. It’s great – keeps the water fresh and stirred up and mosquitos at arm’s length. Plus, the birds love it. It’s like taking an outdoor shower … [Read more...]
Baby Frogs
When we went to WVA for a family gathering back in May, my daughter Laura managed to catch a couple small tadpoles while she was fishing Second Creek. She put them in a cup of water and brought them back to Charlottesville, knowing we like to keep our goldfish pond stocked with frogs and all the big fellas had departed. This week, I saw a tiny frog hiding among the lily pads and figured one of … [Read more...]
Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
I hard boil a lot of eggs – for egg salad, deviled eggs, for snacks, for chicken and tuna salad, and my go-to method has been to steam them for 15 minutes on the stove top. Steaming makes for easy peeling, even on fresher eggs. But there is an easier way. I saw in one of the recipes I was using, a way to hard boil eggs quickly and easily in an air fryer. I decided to try it, figuring the worst … [Read more...]
Bringing in the Sheep(shead)
Sheepshead aren’t the easiest fish to catch. Their take is swift and soft. Some fishermen say that in order to catch a sheepshead, you have to set the hook before they bite. And they fight like John Deere Tractors once hooked. The 19.3-pounder above must have put up a mighty battle before coming to net. The sheepshead action is good, with many nice-sized catches reported. Fiddler crabs, … [Read more...]
Shaver’s Music Shop
The hands-down most popular retail establishment in Lewisburg in the 1950’s was Shaver’s Music Shop on Washington Street. Kids made daily or almost daily visits to the small store to see if their favorite record had arrived or if there was a new hit out that they wanted to hear. Burr Shaver, a talented local musician, ran the shop and was one of the best salesmen in the history of Greenbrier … [Read more...]
An Electric Canner
It was Nancy’s birthday and I wanted to give her something special. She enjoys (really and truly) canning and I have given canning paraphernalia in the past. I even gave her an apron with her nickname,“Pepperella”, on it since she loves to can peppers. I scanned Amazon for canning gift ideas and saw an electric canner. I didn’t know such things existed, but I rolled the dice and ordered one. She … [Read more...]
Water Snake or Water Moccasin?
With summer in full swing, many people will take to the water, and often people will come flying out of the water. “Get out. There’s a water moccasin!” Possibly, but doubtful, and practically impossible unless you are in the southeast swamplands of Virginia. Overwhelmingly, snakes seen in the water are simply harmless water snakes – northern water snakes, most likely. Here’s how … [Read more...]
BLT Mac and Cheese
I made a fun dish last week. I made a BLT Mac and Cheese Casserole. One thing that encouraged me to experiment was our abundance of cherry tomatoes (the tomato part of the BLT). It fairly easy to put together and rib-sticking good. Here’s my take on BLT Mac and Cheese Casserole. For starters, boil a pound of elbow macaroni and drain. Next, stick a pound of bacon strips in a 375 oven till … [Read more...]
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