I usually start a few plants for my garden indoors and from seeds, even though I have better luck with mature plants from a quality greenhouse. But I am going to try spaghetti squash this year which you usually don’t see in pots, and I bought some seeds. I also generally use plain old potting mix for my base, but I saw an interesting product at Lowe’s – Jiffy Seed Starting Mix. What caught my … [Read more...]
It’s That Time
Nesting time, that is. For the past few weeks, I’ve heard my backyard male bluebird warbling. By the way, I have backyard and front yard bluebirds. Even though they’ve been with their mates all year, the makes take nothing for granted and woo the females, lest a younger bird move in on their territory. Then yesterday, I saw the backyard male pulling up dead grass and flying to the birdhouse … [Read more...]
The Fly That Changed My Life
When I moved to Charlottesville in 1967, I had done some fly fishing, but nothing serious. I had caught some smallmouth and redeyes on a popping bug in the Greenbrier River and I frequently put a worm on a hook at the end of my fly rod and caught stocked trout. But I never had any luck catching trout on a genuine trout fly. That is, until I met Chuck Kraft. Chuck ran a sport’s shop in the … [Read more...]
Get Ready for Shad
By Gerald Almy When redbuds bloom on hillsides and winter loosens its icy grip on the land, Virginia anglers face a rich dilemma. Which species shall I try for? Bass are feeding in the shallows, crappie are schooling near flooded brush piles, and trout streams beckon with the first hatches of spring. But for many fishermen, the list of spring fishing adventures is topped … [Read more...]
Lake Orange Now Open
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, … [Read more...]
Destination Mexico
It was our anniversary and we decided on a Caribbean Cruise. We would fly from Charlottesville to Miami, then hop aboard the Norwegian Joy and head for the western coast of Mexico, but our flight left at O-Dark Thirty on a Saturday morning. My wife, Nancy, insists on being early to the airport whenever we fly. When I say early, I mean really, really early. We got to the airport on Tuesday to give … [Read more...]
The Norwegian Joy
In our past cruise attempts, we have gone with Norwegian, and we have been very pleased. On our cruises to Hawaii, we sailed aboard the Pride of America, a 920-foot ship that services about 2,200 passengers. The Norwegian Joy dwarfs that liner. This baby would occupy most of the Barracks Road Shopping Center. It’s 1,100 feet long and holds over 4,000 passengers with a crew of 1,821, of which 8 … [Read more...]
Hello Honduras
As we eased into port of Roatan, on the Bay Islands off Honduras, a lush hillside of palm and banana trees invited us in. A few estate-like homes dotted the shoreline while modest homes were tucked into the hills wherever there a flat space was available. Cars ambled along the coastal highway, a few here and there, but nothing like the bumper-to-bumper congestion you would find in most towns on a … [Read more...]
The Beauty of Belize
Belize? Now we’re talking. Low country, pearl white beaches, pure tropical beauty. The Hilton Head Island of the Caribbean. Hundreds of islands guard the nation of Belize on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungles to the west. The jungles of Belize were homes to the Mayans – early terrorists. It seems that everywhere the Mayans went, … [Read more...]
Gringos Arrive at Costa Maya
We finally arrived in Mexico. The reason I know this is that they had policemen on the docks when our 1,100-foot craft squeezed into port early Wednesday morning. I know very little about Costa Maya except it’s in the Yucatan and the Mayans trashed this place, too. Ruined almost everything except the beautiful beaches and waters of deep turquoise. Being in Mexico, I try to keep one … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- …
- 442
- Next Page »