There are only a handful of stores where I know I will be greeted and welcomed and that what ensues will always be a good experience. The Corner Store Garden Shop in Ruckersville is such a place. Garden Stores are super busy this time of the year and most don’t have the time or take time to stop and chat with customers and offer advice. I needed a little advice and I knew the store owners, the … [Read more...]

  We have been dealing with Tiger Fuel for years. They are the folks who keep the propane tank in our back yard filled for our gas logs. What we didn’t know until recently is that they also service gas logs. Generally, we have a technician from one of the stove companies come out and clean our gas logs before each season. This year, the technician said our logs were old and not in good … [Read more...]

You need a good car mechanic. Someone you can trust. I have Mark Finley with Finley’s Exxon. Bingo. You also need a good plumber. Again, somebody you can rely on for good service and fair prices. I have Mr. Faucet, Pat Crowley. Two for two. And if you’re like me, a complete Klutz around the house, incapable of distinguishing which side of the hammer does nails, you really need a good handyman … [Read more...]

  They call it Rivah Country. The counties of Middlesex, Mathews, Lancaster, Northumberland, Essex, King and Queen and Gloucester all front on the Virginia section of the Chesapeake Bay or one of the “Rivahs.” This is prime real estate, both in appreciation and enjoyment value. For those looking at or thinking about real estate in this Virginia piece of paradise, there is one name to … [Read more...]

  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...]