You can’t fool a pair of bathroom scales. Even if you rationalize that one handful of peanuts won’t hurt, they don’t lie. Even if the bag of Fritos is “almost empty” and you’re just finishing them off, they don’t lie. Bathroom scales won’t let you eat more than a tiny bit of pasta or a whole baked potato with sour cream or a slice of birthday cake with ice cream – even if you‘re just … [Read more...]
Swannanoa is Open
Earlier this year, I saw “Temporarily Closed” on the Swannanoa Golf Course web-site. That’s not a good sign. I was worried that the course had closed for good. Then, for the past month or more I have called them and no response. Finally, I asked a friend, a fellow golfer, and he said they were open. So on his word, I took my granddaughter Berkley to the top of Afton mountain to play her … [Read more...]
“Mah-yoww!”
Ever been fussed at by a catbird? You’ll know if it happens. Since my catbirds arrived, I have been treating them with Peanut Suet Log – a product that I discovered last year and one that catbirds find irresistible. The logs last 2 to 3 days before they’re totally pecked away. The other afternoon after work, I walked outside to the patio to enjoy an adult beverage and I heard this … [Read more...]
The Fever is Gone
(This is the 4th of a 5-part short story by Jim Brewer, “Let Down Your Nets.” The water was boiling with fish in the surface, vast schools of sardines, Simon cast his net to one side and Nathan to the other. Each hauled in a seine filled with the small, silvery fish. The other boat with Abner and Boaz was having the same luck. Within an hour, both boats had filled their … [Read more...]
Smallmouth vs Flatheads
(DWR photo of a 60-pound flathead) Smallmouth Guide Brian Bodine posted a short video on Facebook that got my attention. Brian had caught a 20 pound flathead catfish on the James River with the tailfin of a smallmouth bass extending from its gullet. Despite mighty objections from the live catfish, Brian extracted the partially digested smallmouth. Brain measured and it was a 19-inch … [Read more...]
Beware of Washing Machines
I don’t like washing machines. Never have. My earliest recollection of a washing machine was a big bucket-looking thing with ringers on top. I figured that if those ringers could squeeze the dirt out of blue jeans, they would mash hell out of small fingers. So I avoided washing machines at all costs. Later, of course, my family owned newer, more modern washing machines, and even … [Read more...]
Chick-fil-A
Drive by any Chick-fil-A restaurant and there is a line. From 7 am to 7 pm, there is a line. People are willing to wait as long as it takes, to order (usually) a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. Other fast food establishments have taken notice. Now, they are all trying their versions of a Fried Chicken Sandwich. Even Wendy’s, as in “Where’s the Beef?” If you ask my wife Nancy … [Read more...]
Madison Motors: For the Best Deal
Have you checked car prices recently? The used car business may be hotter than real estate at this point. That’s because car companies cut down on production for rental cars last year and now the inventory is super low. Recently, however, we happened upon a really good deal on a newer van for Nancy B’s House of Lights. The old van, a 2000 model with 145,000 miles, was still trucking … [Read more...]
Lost Blue Birds
Our second nesting of bluebirds had just hatched. I saw both the male and the hen entering the house with worms and leaving empty handed. The next morning, we discovered the bad news. Something had gone in their house and taken all the baby bluebirds. My suspicions are either a snake or a racoon – probably a raccoon. This was the first time I have ever lost a bluebird nest to predators, and I … [Read more...]
The Cicadas are Coming
The cicadas are coming. The Brood X, or 17-year cicadas, emerge from their beds in the earth every 17 years. That’s a long nap. There are a number of different types of these locust creatures. Some pop out every 13 years and some more frequently, but these big, fat red-eyed monster-looking cicadas are due this year. Right now, actually. They will be in parts of Virginia, but not all. If they … [Read more...]
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