They call it Smooth Criminal Squash because it will “steal your heart.” Really. Fellow gardener, Sherman Shifflett, said a friend of his from Valdese, NC grew this hybrid squash with excellent luck. He sent Sherman a few seeds, and Sherman shared some with me. I have since started them in indoor pots. Yellow squash is a favorite among backyard and small plot gardeners because it … [Read more...]
How To Measure A Fish
Measuring fish is not a science. It’s an art form. Establishing the length of a trout, for example, should never be confined to a one-dimensional instrument such as an ordinary ruler. Rulers, after all, are made and designed by mortals and are thus subject to error. I caught a brook trout on the Moorman’s river one day, removed the hook and gently released him back into the pool. A … [Read more...]
What a Walleye!
Tim Walts of Crozet caught and released this 29-inch walleye on the Rivanna River on Valentine’s Day. It was a sweetheart of a fish, that’s for sure. The Rivanna is an excellent but underutilized walleye fishery. Darrell Kennedy at Lake Orange says the walleye are putting on the feed bag there, as well. Smallmouth Bass The smallmouth bass are starting to feed on the North and South Fork … [Read more...]
Remembering 45 Records
Music played an important part in the life of most every Boomer, and 45 records made up the chapters of our lives. For my 10th birthday, I asked for and got a portable 45 record player. It was a Sylvania, as I recall, and my first record was Dean Martin’s “Memories are Made of This”. I suppose I played it a thousand times before I bought my second record, “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee … [Read more...]
Gov’mint
Government – or gov-mint as Ronald Reagan used to pronounce it – does one thing really well. Blow things up. We have a spectacular military. Ask bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. As for the rest of the stuff – not so much. The Post Office – a government sponsored monopoly that can’t make money – comes to mind. Most anything the Gov’mint runs is inefficient. Like Covid vaccine scheduling, … [Read more...]
Texas Roadhouse Catfish
Nancy said she wanted to go out to eat at “The Loud Place”. She calls it The Loud Place because it’s pretty darned loud inside, especially if someone has a birthday and the entire staff gets to hooting and hollering. So, The Loud Place it was. And it was loud, Texas Roadhouse, that is. If you want ambience and a nice quiet dinner, Texas Roadhouse is not your kind of place. But if you want pretty … [Read more...]
Who Needs Spring?
By Nancy B I do, I do, I do! The current temperatures have caused many of us to have Spring Fever with a great desire to be outside. In fact, outside rooms seem to be more in demand than ever before. Think of how you would like to use your outdoor living space before designing it. And how many guests will you have in your space? Make sure your charming oasis meets all your … [Read more...]
Growing Patty Pan Squash
I was having an e-mail discussion with fellow gardener, Sherman Shifflett, about squash. He said one of his favorite dishes was Squash, Potatoes and Onions, fried together. I have enjoyed Fried Squash and Onions and Fried Potatoes and Onions, but not all three together. I intend to try it soon Sherman also mentioned that his dad grew a small, white squash called Patty Pan Squash. My Dad did … [Read more...]
Night Guard Solar
We had 7 large goldfish going into winter. We now have two. About a month ago, things were stirred up in our goldfish pond and water plant pots overturned. That means one thing – raccoons. Obviously, one got in the pond and caught most of the dormant fish. Last summer, coons raided our pond and ate all our large snails – and at about $5 a pop. But no more, or at least we hope there will be no … [Read more...]
Chicken Scallopini
Chicken Scallopini sounds like a complicated, fancy recipe but it’s not. Chicken Scallopini is very tasty, healthy, economical and fairly easy. We recently served it for company and it was delicious. Chicken scallopini comes from the Italian word “scaloppine,” which means “small scallops” but has now taken on the meaning of a piece of thinly sliced meat. When I dine at an Italian restaurant, I … [Read more...]
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