For Christmas this year, Nancy gave me a new billfold. It’s supposed to fit in your front pocket. It’s thinner than a cell phone, nice and compact, and it indeed fits in a front pocket. But how in the world was I supposed to put all my stuff in that tiny wallet? My current wallet is much like that of George Costanza on Seinfeld. It has more stuff inside than a sixth grader’s school backpack. … [Read more...]

Capt. Steve Chaconas of National Bass Guide Service says that if you want to increase your odds of catching fish in cold water, give ‘em a little juice. Juice as in Jack’s Juice. Jack’s Juice has been around for quite a while. Virginian Woo Daves helped put them on the map by winning the 2004 New York Citgo Bassmaster Northern Open. Woo was a strong believer in using scents and believes they can … [Read more...]

Looking for a great Christmas gift for that person who has everything, or for someone you’re not quite sure what to give? May I suggest some goodies from Mauna Loa? Last spring when Nancy and I went on a cruise to Hawaii, we stopped at a macadamia plantation, Mauna Loa, where we were able to tour a massive macadamia operation, one of Hawaii’s key exports, and we also stopped by the company … [Read more...]

  Earlier this year, Sherman Shifflett from Louisa sent me a bottle of Koss BBQ Sauce. Sherman’s friend, John Koss, had begun production of his own creation, Koss Sauce. I tried some on some ribs and it was very good, not gooey sweet like most store-bought sauces. However, a week ago, I did an eye of round roast and sliced it thinly for sandwich leftovers. I had a couple packets of … [Read more...]

  I like an occasional hard-boiled egg in a tossed salad and I dearly love deviled eggs. What I do not love is trying to get a hard-boiled egg out of the shell in something resembling one piece. Not long ago I had hard-boiled a dozen eggs and set about the task of shell removal. One of the eggs – a unique talking egg – said there was no way in hell he was coming out without a … [Read more...]

A year or so ago we remodeled our kitchen and bought new appliances. We wanted them white to match the cabinets. I also insisted on a ceramic stovetop to replace the outdated burner tops. Bad move. As we would quickly discover, white ceramic stovetops show everything – black, ugly marks appeared if the heat got even a little high and it was a pain to scrub and clean the tops – my job, since … [Read more...]

The Outer Banks is pirate country and the site of the Lost Colony. Thus, there is lots of history and places to visit and a trip to the NC Aquarium at Manteo is always a family favorite. The aquarium tanks hold hundreds of species of fresh and saltwater fish – plus a fan favorite, a pair of frolicking otters. It’s a nice place to visit on a rainy day. The historic town of Manteo is another popular … [Read more...]

I caught my first fish on a cane pole. It was a 10-foot stalk of ordinary bamboo that had been aged on the side of a tobacco barn. At the tip of the rod, my great aunt, Sister Wall, had attached about 15 feet of ten-pound test, a cork bobber, two split shot and a size 6, long shanked hook. This simple piece of equipment was a fishing machine. The reason? For children, especially, it’s much … [Read more...]

I was born in Raleigh, NC and I was raised on country ham. Often, country ham or fat back was the only meat on the table. Sometimes Uncle Sidney would come back from the coast with a bushel of oysters – he tonged them himself - and sometimes we’d have a roasting hen for Sunday dinner, but it was often country ham. Eastern North Carolina was hog country. Many families in the country or outskirts … [Read more...]

One drawback of being a high handicap golfer such as yours truly is the propensity to spend lots of time in the high grass and along wood edges looking for wayward balls. Two weeks ago, I was doing just that when my left forearm came in contact with a three-leaf monster called poison ivy. I usually don’t get poison ivy, or if I do it’s a mild case. But I had been scratching at that arm for several … [Read more...]