It is truly satisfying to call on a home service company you’ve never used before with good results. So often, it’s, “I’ll never use them again.” This week, however, I had a really good experience. When we came back from a trip to North Carolina, we found water on the floor at the base of our toilet. Several years back, we had to have the commode lifted and set back in place with … [Read more...]

Warehouse space near Charlottesville is a rare commodity. Cooled and heated space is rarer yet. However, Bob Kahn with Bob Kahn Realty has exactly this available for lease. The heated and cooled space is located at 623 Welsh Run in Ruckersville. It’s approximately 18 feet in clear height with a loading dock and roll up doors. Office space is also available. There is high-speed connectivity … [Read more...]

If there was an award for “The Friendliest Store” in Central Virginia, the Corner Store Garden Supply in Ruckersville would be right up there in the rankings. Sometimes, as consumers, we tip toe into a store, hoping the clerks or owners are in a good mood. Sometimes you feel as though you are interrupting, for example, if the personnel in a nursery or garden shop are busy with some project, as … [Read more...]

The world is divided into two groups of people. Those who own and use Macs, and all the others – the PC people. I learned what little – and I stress what little – I know about computers on a Mac. Barbara Livesay, my graphic designer for Virginia Outdoor Weekly, said they were easier to work with and that even someone with a pea for a brain (like me) could use them. So for the past 25 years, I have … [Read more...]

I have an electric chainsaw because I never could get a gas saw to work when I needed it. With an electric saw, if your extension cord is long enough, just plug it in, squeeze the trigger and you can whack away. Last week a big pine limb dislodged and actually stuck vertically in the ground. My wife Nancy dictated that the branch be sawed and removed, which is fine, except the chain came off … [Read more...]

When you don’t know a carburetor from a gas cap, you are at the mercy of whoever it is that works on your car. Many auto repair shops, especially those at the major dealerships, work on set fees and commissions, so it’s in their interest to find things wrong with your car, or things that might go wrong. There is only one shop I trust implicitly when my car needs attention, and that’s Finley’s … [Read more...]

  If you own a house, you’re going to need a plumber, eventually, unless you’re handy with one of those weird looking wrenches and can replace valves, faucets, tubes, shower heads, garbage disposals, water heaters, and can unplug nasty stuff when it gets clogged up. I happen not to be one of those handy-with-a-weird-looking-wrench fellows, so I frequently need a plumber. But plumbers … [Read more...]

Recently, we had the unfortunate duty of settling and liquidating an estate of a family member. It was a long and tedious process, but with the help of family and friends and some great local businesses, it went rather smoothely. One of the businesses involved, Jefferson Coin, was truly noteworthy. When ordinary people sell gold, silver or valuables, they really rely on the integrity of the … [Read more...]

Gas logs are an amazing addition to a home – when they are working, when you click the remote and the flame pops up. But when you have to get down on hands and knees, hold the pilot down and pray for ignition, they are not so much fun. About every two years, our gas logs throw a little temper tantrum (I suppose because dust, dirt and other stuff clogs the pilot and jets) and we make a call to … [Read more...]