I hate to admit this, but one of my greatest pleasures of beach life is eating out. In fact, our days often revolve around what restaurant we choose for dinner. For Nancy, a scarlet and cream sunset is more important than the food she will eat. I enjoy a good sunset myself, but good food is also important. We have found a few restaurants where we can have the best of both worlds. Our favorite … [Read more...]
No Strangers on a Pier
There is no such thing as a stranger on a pier. They are part of your family. For that day or that hour, you are blood kin, connected with the joy or disappointment of catching fish. If one catches, all bring fish over the rail. If only the crabs are nibbling the baits and no rod tips bend forward, everyone on the pier shares the same fate. But there are no strangers. The fellow beside … [Read more...]
The Trees of Our Lives
My life is dotted with the memories of certain trees. Yes, trees, those so beautifully described by Joyce Kilmer. The first tree that had special meaning was a huge oak tree on Grandview Avenue in Beckley, WV. I was about 7 or 8 and played with two slightly older boys – Dicky Guy and Billy Richmond. We played three things back then – Army, Navy and Air Force. We shot attacking … [Read more...]
Sun Crunch Melons: Yummm!
In my eternal battle to lose a few pounds, I have found that if I eat a piece or two of melon after a light breakfast and/or lunch, the sweetness of the fruit helps curb my appetite for more food. Then, I’m good till dinner time. So, I’ve been eating a lot of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons and half the time they are not sweet or even ripe. I buy a melon called a Dino Melon from … [Read more...]
Dinner Plate Dahlias
Our son Jimmie gave us some flowers to plant when we saw him in early August. Jimmie worked for Hines Nursery and knows his stuff. He said it wasn’t too late to plant the Dahlias and that we would be impressed with the flowers. They grow to be as big as dinner plates. Well, they sure did. Nancy picked 4 or 5 huge blooms yesterday. They were, as you can see, lovely. Jimmie said not … [Read more...]
Catbirds Are Still Around
I thought my catbirds had gone, they usually do each year, then pop up in the spring. But a few days ago, I heard the strange call, “Merrow”, like a cat, and they are still here. At least a couple are. We had two catbird families this year. They skirmished throughout the spring and summer at the Peanut Suet Bar I had hanging. Since their chicks hatched, though, they have largely left … [Read more...]
My Favorite Poem
Everybody has a favorite poem. Poetry is one of those artforms that can express intense feeling and emotions. It can be like an inspirational painting. Frost, Dickinson, Whitman, Eliot, Kipling, Emerson – great poets, one and all. My favorite poem was written by a fellow named Rufus Jones. It brings tears to my eyes when I recite it. It goes like this: It was a cold and wintry night A man … [Read more...]
Chicken Breast Tenderloin Trimmings
I needed something quick, easy and healthy for dinner as we were leaving town early the next morning. Probably chicken. Yawn!!!! But I saw an interesting package in Kroger’s Poultry section. It said Chicken Breast Tenderloin Trimmings. The pieces were long and thin, like strips. I suppose that as they were trimming and paring down whole chicken breasts, and these were the extra parts. … [Read more...]
Saltwater Report
A big bull dolphin! In the Bay, it’s spot, spot, and more spot. Buckroe Pier and Ocean View Pier anglers are bringing them in by the cooler full. The Rapp is also producing lots of fish. Nice puppy drum are coming from across the Bay. Speckled trout are also biting at Hampton and all the inlets. The sheepshead bite is still on. Crabs have been the bait of choice. Anglers … [Read more...]
Catch and Release: Do It Right
More and more anglers are practicing catch and release. The idea is that a fish is too valuable a resource to be caught only once. But catch and release is only effective if the fish is released back into the water alive and able to resume its natural life. Many well-intended anglers kill fish they intended to keep alive. The late Lefty Kreh, a fly-fishing guru, told me once that he … [Read more...]
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