By Marilyn Norford In days of yore, folks “went visiting,” usually on Sunday afternoons. Rarely did anyone pre-arrange these visits; they just showed up. If it happened around mealtime, of course, they were fed, per the rules of southern hospitality. One Sunday afternoon . . . I guess I was about 12, a couple with two children came to visit. I didn’t recognize them, but that … [Read more...]
Grackle Wars
They are back already. Grackles. There are not many, just 4 or 5 in my backyard, but soon they will come in swarms and eat me out of house and home as I attempt to feed my songbirds and toss some critter food to the squirrels. But I am prepared for battle. Here is my plan to at least discourage the big, black freeloaders. First, I will switch my primary feeder to Safflower Seeds. Neither … [Read more...]
Winter Trout Fishing the South Fork Holston
By Matt Reilly If you were to poll a group of anglers on their favorite times of year to fish, winter would likely fall at the bottom of the list for most. The month of February, in particular, can be a hard one to love. High water, sub-freezing days, and wild bouts of wind are all common occurrences during the second month of the year in the Old Dominion—but so is great … [Read more...]
March Saltwater Opportunities
It’s March and good fishing is right around the corner. Charter crews are working on their boats, tackle shops are servicing reels and replacing old line. Marinas are prepping for the season. March will have some angling opportunities. Puppy drum aare available in Rudee Inlet, Lynnhaven Inlet, the Elizabeth River and other inlets. In fact, Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle … [Read more...]
Remembering Cataract Surgery
No one knows for sure what causes cataracts. It may have something to do with not eating the required 6 daily helpings of fruits and vegetables and not flossing your eyeballs twice a day. It also seems that age has something to do with developing these nasty little blobs, which can occur unannounced any time after age 50. There was once a time when I could not only read license plates on cars … [Read more...]
Lenten Roses All A’Bloom
The Lenten roses in our backyard are all a’bloom. Neither, sleet, snow, cold or ice can slow them down. They bloom – like their name says – during Lenten season, which is now. I think they are cool. My wife Nancy is not so sure because they will spread and overtake the carpet on your living floor if you are not careful. They are prolific little plants, but they are not roses. They are … [Read more...]
New Construction
Last summer I lost a nest full of bluebird chicks to a predator – maybe a snake, maybe a raccoon. I had attached a bluebird house to a tree, unknowingly giving the predator fairly easy access. My friend Chis Johnson read of my plight and gave me a baffle made of sheet metal that keeps critters at bay (his two bluebird families successfully hatched about 20 babies last summer.) Being totally … [Read more...]
Testing: One, Two, Three…
Nancy gave me a soil testing kit for my garden two Christmases ago, but like most things with more than one page of instructions, it went directly to the basement to spend its life waiting for someone who didn’t flunk Organic Chemistry in college. My son Jimmie was home last weekend, dug up the kit and tested the soil in my garden. It turns out the soil was slightly acidic, and the nitrogen and … [Read more...]
Chicken Pie
My Aunt Lena was the Undisputed World’s Champion when it came to Chicken Pies. Course, she used lard in her homemade pie crusts and often snatched a fresh hen from the backyard. How can you top that? But thinking about Aunt Lena, I baked a Chicken Pie this week, and while it won’t claim any ribbons from the County Fair, it was pretty darned good. There are no real secrets to baking a Chicken … [Read more...]
Deer, Bear and Turkey Kill Down in Virginia
Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) have compiled preliminary figures for the 2021-22 hunting season. Bear, deer and fall turkey harvests all decreased from the previous season. According to Dr. Gray Anderson, Wildlife Division Chief, “These decreases could be related to weather and food conditions during the fall. The weather was unusually warm and dry … [Read more...]
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