One of the neatest Guns of My Life was a Model 1892 Winchester Lever Action. It wasn’t my rifle, it was Daddy’s. He picked it up at an auction somewhere, but it was a sweet piece. In my late high school and early college years, my buddy, Mike Dawson, and I terrorized the groundhogs of Greenbrier County. Groundhogs were prolific in the limestone country around Lewisburg and farmers welcomed our … [Read more...]
Black-end Rot
Last summer, my small garden overwhelmed us with tomatoes, and almost every one was perfect. This year? Not so much. All but a few tomatoes I have picked this year have had black-end rot where the blossom end of the tomato turns black and leathery. According to the Garden Gnomes, this is caused by a lack of calcium, but in my case, it’s not a lack of calcium in the soil, it’s a lack of water … [Read more...]
Banana Crumble Cake
I had one banana in the fruit bowl which had seen its better days. It was more black than yellow. Nancy will have no part of a banana just beginning to turn, much less a black one, but I remember my Daddy loving overripe bananas, especially in Banana Pudding. I like ripe bananas, too, because the blacker they turn, the sweeter they get. That one banana, though, inspired me to cook something with … [Read more...]
In Search of Snakeheads
My Grandson James and I went fishing last week, in search of the Snakeheads in Lake Orange. We didn’t hook up with any, but they’re in there. Every week Darrell Kennedy of Angler’s Landing posts pictures (like the one above) of lucky(?) anglers who brought one to the scales. In fact, Snakeheads have become so popular that lots of bass guides, particularly on the Potomac River, are booking guided … [Read more...]
Sheepshead Action Continues
This week has brought cooler temperatures and plenty of overcast skies. While the cloud cover hasn't been ideal for sight fishing, it's made for comfortable conditions to stay on the water all day. Water temperatures remain warm, with fewer windy days than in recent weeks, and overall, the fish are feeding well. What's Biting In the Bay/Ocean/Offshore The bay continues to produce some … [Read more...]
The Old Man and the Jon Boat
As one advances in years (gets old), one loses the flexibility of youth. This is particularly true if one has a protrusion on his stomach (a gut) that interferes with things like bending down to pick up a newspaper in the driveway. The once easy task of putting on socks in the morning becomes the equivalent of a Richard Simmons cardio workout. It seems that as we advance in age (get old) either … [Read more...]
Flipping Bacon
Every time I fry bacon – every time – I remember Daddy in the kitchen with 6 or 8 slices of bacon in an old cast iron skillet. He would let the bacon settle in the hot skillet, separate the slices, tend to another task, then come back as the bacon was beginning to curl and flip it. He never flipped just one strip of bacon. He would slide an ordinary fork beneath at least 4 strips of bacon, lift … [Read more...]
Grackles Vamoose
Finally, the grackles are gone. They showed up last March, and for nearly 4 months they have plagued my bird feeders and harassed my songbirds. I didn’t have swarms of grackles this year, but about a dozen settled in our neighborhood and nested in some tall pines several hundred yards from our yard. They would fly in, snatch some sunflower hearts and sail back to feed their young. Grackle … [Read more...]
Lovely Roadside Chicory
Since I noticed a butterfly weed, a brilliant orange plant growing beside the road a few years back, I have become increasingly interested in the ordinary weeds and wildflowers we often ignore. One is blooming right now, it’s common chicory, totally considered a weed and in the dandelion family. Chicory, of course, is a name associated with coffees, and this plant can be used as a coffee … [Read more...]
Super Crispy Oven Wings
x Nancy and I are big Chicken Wing fans. They’re easy to fix, they are healthy when oven baked and if there are leftovers, they go quickly for the next day’s lunch. The only problem with wings is they are relatively expensive. Pound for pound, they’re more expensive than any part of the chicken. Not long ago, Food Lion had a sale on Chicken Wings. They had a large bag of whole wings for $10. … [Read more...]
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