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...]
Jonquils: Ready or Not. Here They Come
Jonquils don’t seem to care whether it’s cold or warm, dry or wet, snow or sleet. Come February, they’re coming out of the ground. The hearty little flowers are now blooming across the state. There is often some confusion over the exact name. Jonquils, Daffodils, Narcissus? Technically speaking, several flowers fall under the scientific name, Narcissus. Jonquils and daffodils are … [Read more...]
Fishing Report
OBX As usual, February is hit or miss for offshore charters, but Tuesday was calm, and one boat sailed out of Pirate’s Cove. The Trophy Hunter hooked, landed, and released a huge bluefin tuna. Nice puppy drum have been beached at Hatteras. Puppy drum have also been biting in Virginia back in almost all the inlets. Specks have been caught in the same areas. Those who can make it offshore are … [Read more...]
Trophy Yellow Perch
By Peter Brookes When late February rolls around, most anglers have had about as much of being stuck indoors and away from their favorite fishing hole as they can stand. “Cabin fever” among anglers ranks right up there with the flu as an unwelcome winter illness. This year’s bone-chilling polar vortex only made it worse. But letting cabin fever get to you isn’t the answer. Instead, put on … [Read more...]
My Dear Friend: Sherman Shifflett
He was my close friend, but I never met him in person. He was Sherman Shifflett and he passed away unexpectedly this week. He had a had a run-in with prostate cancer, but nothing life threatening. He just went peacefully in the night. I first got to know Sherman soon after I started posting CvilleBuzz. He responded to one of my articles, we hit it off and I can’t tell you how many times we have … [Read more...]
The FFA Jacket
By Sherman Shifflett (Ed. Note: This was the last article Sherman sent me before he passed away) During the fall of 1956 I was a freshman at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville and was enrolled in Agriculture I. I was also a member of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) club. The very first day of school our teacher informed us about the opportunity to purchase FFA … [Read more...]
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