It was about to kill me, but I have patiently waited to plant my summer veggies in my small garden until the first week of May. One of my gardening buddies, Bill Hitt, says to wait until after the last possible frost date, May 15, but I am trusting that Mother Nature will protect my eagerness. Another friend, Ed Morris, said that one year he was unable for some reason to plant … [Read more...]
Frog Update
Going into last winter, we had three frogs. A bullfrog and two leopard frogs. Then, they sank out of sight, or else scurried beneath a pile of rocks until their body switch came back on. Being cold-blooded, frogs shut their systems down to practically nothing, so they can ride out freezing weather until the spring thaw. This spring, we have all the three frogs back from last year, … [Read more...]
Who Is Nancy B?
By Nancy B I have had customers ask me this question. They want to know if Nancy B is a real person or just a name I decided to use. Have you ever noticed how much people like to talk about themselves? I do and I also do. I thought I would tell you how I got into this business to begin with. Before our third child was born, we had a darling ladies and girl’s clothing business. … [Read more...]
The Inflation Fighter!
Ta da! It’s me. The Inflation Fighter: Able to leap over steep prices with a single bound, faster than a speeding Visa credit card check. I am the Inflation Fighter! At least in the grocery store. I seriously believe that I am spending less now, even after the crazy inflation going on at grocery stores. I am spending less because inflation ticks me off and I’m not going to take it lying down. I … [Read more...]
Specks Moving Into Virginia Inlets
This is the time when nice, speckled trout leave the deeper water and begin to show up in local inlets. Anglers fishing the rivers have been catching lots of puppy drum and a few trout and stripers. Water temperatures have risen to 60 degrees in the Bay. The air temperature will be in the 80’s Wednesday, then drop into the 60’s and 70’s for the rest of the week. Tautog action … [Read more...]
What Gives with James River Smallmouth?
(It ain’t what it used to be, especially smallmouth fishing on the James. Below is Bruce Ingram’s account along with some stats and Q & A with DWR biologists) By Bruce Ingram It’s no secret that the smallmouth fishing on the upper James River has declined in recent years and that Virginia’s river enthusiasts are concerned. DWR fisheries biologists George … [Read more...]
The Cardinal Monster
My son Jimmie called me from Atlanta recently and said he had a weird red bird at his feeder. He finally identified it as a cardinal with a blue head. He called it a Cardinal Monster. It was not a monster at all, just a cardinal molting his feathers and occasionally cardinals will shed every feather on their heads, revealing a bright blue skin similar to a wild turkey. According to … [Read more...]
Lonely Little Spaghetti Squash
Lonely they sit among the more popular vegetables in the produce section. There are usually just 2 or 3 of them in their given bin, but people pass them by. They are spaghetti squash, perhaps the tastiest of all the squash – winter or summer. There are two drawbacks to spaghetti squash. First, they run about $1.50 a pound, or about $5 or $6 each, and second, they are the dickens to cut … [Read more...]
(Red) Spring Onions
When I went to buy some onion sets from Southern States a month back, they didn’t have any. They said they forgot to order them. But they did have some red onion sets. Why not? I bought a bundle of 100 tiny plants and put them in the ground. Last week, I pulled up a few to go with a salad I had made, mainly to add a bit of color. They were the best spring onions I have ever eaten – … [Read more...]
Welcome Back, Catbirds
I was worried. All my feathered friends were present and accounted for– the cardinals, bluebirds, titmice, chickadees, doves, robins, bluebirds, sparrows, thrushes, assorted finches and woodpeckers. But no catbirds. Last year, I had two families of catbirds. They practically camped out at my suet feeder, constantly pecking off pieces of the C & S Peanut Suet to feed their … [Read more...]
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