Birds are fun to watch and some birds are as beautiful as the finest works of art. This spring and summer we have been blessed with goldfinches, one of the most spectacular birds of all. We watched this spring as the males began molting and shed their drab olive plumage and slowly, but surely, sprouted brilliant yellow and inky black feathers. They are now in full color and they are … [Read more...]
Take A Ride on the Cass Railroad
By Sherman Shifflett Most of us have places we would like to visit, but never got around to it. One of mine was the Cass RR in West Virginia. Finally, Ava Pippin and I made it happen on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Friends said we could go over there and back in a day, but it is a three-hour drive from where I live in eastern Louisa County (near Cuckoo), plus a four-hour train … [Read more...]
Return of the Ribbonfish
Capt. David of the High Hopes Charters took a father and two sons on a trip and caught some nice Spanish mackerel. They also caught some ribbonfish – lots of ribbonfish, about 30 in all. After making occasional appearances, ribbonfish showed up in force last summer in Virginia waters. The ribbons are hitting spoons intended for Spanish mackerel. The ribbonfish schools hang near the … [Read more...]
Sandwiches In Waxed Paper
I saw a picture of a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper recently that took me back to the 1950’s and brown bag lunches. As an elementary student, sometimes I ate in the cafeteria, assuming someone had an available quarter, but usually Mom would pack my lunch – a cookie, an apple and a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper. I remember watching the early commercials of Reynolds’s Waxed Paper … [Read more...]
Hummers Are Here
If you haven’t already, fill those sugar feeders at once. The hummers are here. Our hummingbirds are usually late arrivals, sometime mid to late July, but this year, I saw a few buzzing through back in April and our regulars have now set up shop near our feeders. They make regular visits to insure there are no other intruders. For little guys, they surely fight a lot. Last year, I … [Read more...]
Corn Rows
I now have corn rows – not in my hair, in my garden. I planted 4 very short rows and am hoping for the best. I needed something to replace my early harvest of sweet peas. Green beans would have been a more sensible choice, but I gambled with bi-color corn. Corn does better when it’s planted with lots of other corn, side by side, so I planted my 4 baby rows about a foot apart. Hopefully … [Read more...]
Emoseony Mini Chain Saw
Not many husbands give their wives a chainsaw for a birthday present, but I did, and Nancy loves it. My sweet wife loves to putz around the yard, sprucing up, weeding, watering and general maintenance. I would consider that work. She considers it therapy. In her therapy, she is having an on-going war with a certain holly bush in the front yard and a stand of forsythia in the back. … [Read more...]
Now Those Were Fireworks!
The Fourth of July Week is typically known for fireworks and firework displays, but it is really sad to go to a firework’s stand in the city of Charlottesville, unless sparklers and smoke bombs are your thing. No more “O’er The Rockets’ Red Glare.” For the citizens of Thomas Jefferson’s fine town, it’s Psssst, Pffftt, Pshhhh! Oh, wow! But Boomers remember real fireworks, the kind that would … [Read more...]
Fried Pickles At Texas Roadhouse
I always thought of Fried Pickles as “Fair Food” – like Elephant Ears and Corn Dogs. But more and more, restaurants are adding these delicious appetizers to their menus. Nancy and I made a last minute decision to eat out last night, and chose “The Loud Place” – Texas Roadhouse. And it was loud – at least three birthdays and lots of “Ya-hoos.” I saw the Fried Pickles as an … [Read more...]
An Amazing Catch
(This is the final chapter in a 5-part short story, "Let Down Your Nets", by Jim Brewer) Nighttime was always best for catching briny, the larger fish, as they could not see the nets so easily in the dark waters. They would enter, then be trapped in the trammel nets. A nice catch this evening would cap off what had been a productive week. But time and again, Simon and Nathan and the other boats … [Read more...]
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