I am not a big fan of going to concerts – even at JPJ and especially not to 22,000 seat venues such at the Jiffy Lube Stadium in Northern Virginia. But I am a huge fan of Pentatonix. We own all their Christmas CDs. They are an amazing group of acapella singers. When we found out that they would be performing just 80 miles north, we got tickets - third row, middle seats in the orchestra section … [Read more...]

  After a few wonderful days in a delightful cottage just off the Piankatank River, Nancy and I have decided that this area may very well take the place of the Outer Banks in our quest to breathe saltwater air. For starters, it’s 2 hours and 10 minutes, not 5 hours or more if the traffic is bad in Hampton. You could leave after work and arrive in time for dinner. It’s also a little less … [Read more...]

  It’s come full circle. The man who most influenced my love of fly fishing (and subsequent careers as a sport shop owner and outdoor writer) has now touched the life of Laura, my fly-fishing daughter. In the late 60’s and early 70’s, fly shops were as scarce as possums that looked both ways before crossing a road. Yet, that’s when I caught a severe case of fly fishing and fly-tying … [Read more...]

  Nancy and I have been married a long time. Claudius was Emperor of Rome when we tied the knot. We have long passed the Gold and Diamond Anniversaries and are now in the Moon Rocks of Venus category – and Andrew Minton Jewelry has sold out of Venusian Moon Rock Rings. So, for this year’s anniversary we’re going to Jamaica, Mon’. I didn’t know much about Jamaica except it’s warm, even … [Read more...]

  It is Virginia’s finest trout stream. Period. Not only is the stream heavily and frequently stocked, but it also has a large population of native and holdover fish including some alligator sized browns. So, it’s probably difficult to access with all those trout? Not in the least. In fact, it is one of the most easy-to-fish streams in the Commonwealth with miles and miles of fishable … [Read more...]

There are a zillion wineries in Virginia. Maybe not a zillion, but at least a million. They are everywhere, especially in the Shenandoah Valley where grape vines truly thrive. One of our favorite pastimes is to visit a winery on a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially when Jimmy O is strumming his guitar, as he did last weekend at White Oak Lavender Farm. & The Purple Wolf Vineyard. The drive over … [Read more...]

    Fish, that’s what, and maybe crab a little. Still, you can’t fish every waking hour, though I’d like to try some day. But there are lots of other things to do and see in Deltaville. For starters, there is The Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park, home to the Nationally registered historic boat, the F.D. Crockett. Situated on 36 acres crossing both the … [Read more...]

Too bad I don’t have an editor. I’m the first and last one to look at my articles and sometimes I go to sleep at the wheel. Like last week. I said in my article on the Ark Encounter that Williamstown, KY was 665 miles from Charlottesville. It’s not. It’s about 465 miles. But I was correct that it takes about 8 hours to get there. 465 miles is still a ‘fer piece. I also gave credit to Daniel … [Read more...]