When I played Little League, Babe Ruth and high school baseball, my coaches always said when catching a fly ball, “Use two hands for beginners”. So, I always used both hands – one to catch the ball and the other to secure it in the glove. Today I watch in amazement as major league fielders poke their glove hand in the air to catch the ball. Not over their eyes and head but off to the side. Last … [Read more...]
Eggs and Stuff
I had to try it. My son Jimmie had told me that Chef Alton Brown’s secret to hard boiling and peeling fresh eggs was to leave the eggs on the counter for 24 hours before cooking. So I went to Wal-Mart, where the eggs would be the freshest, bought a dozen and left them out on the counter overnight. The next day, I put 10 fresh eggs in a pot and steamed them for 15 minutes, then dumped them in ice … [Read more...]
Flying Dragons
Sitting on the back patio recently, I saw four dragonflies buzzing across the lawn. Since then, I have noticed dragon flies seemingly everywhere. Maybe they’ve been there all along and I didn’t notice them, or maybe it’s just been a really good year for dragonflies. Whatever the reason, they are interesting creatures. I watched one dragonfly intently. He hovered like a tiny black drone, then … [Read more...]
Chili Cheese Casserole
It’s October. The nights are getting chillier. After a long, hot summer, it’s time for some chili. Here is a recipe for a Chili Cheese Casserole that is perhaps the ultimate in comfort food. It comes together in about a half hour and will fill the hungriest belly. Kids, especially, love it. Here's how. Begin by putting 2 pounds of Tater Tots in the oven and cook according to instructions … [Read more...]
The Whiting Were Biting
My family spent a few days fishing out of Cape Charles last weekend and one thing I can say for sure – the whiting were biting. Whiting, called sea mullet in ocean waters, are strong fighters for their size and one of the better eating fish in the Bay. They are a mild, flaky fish and highly prized on the dinner table. We caught about 3 dozen last Saturday afternoon. They weren’t large – about … [Read more...]
Get Ready to Rock
Everybody let’s rock! Rock, as in catching rockfish – stripers, that is, and the season is here. As of today, October 4, anglers are allowed to keep one rockfish per day between 19- and 31-inches. This means that those 40-pound plus fish – the big females with lots of quality eggs – will be off limits but those school sized stripers are in play. There seem to be lots and lots of 18- to 24-inch … [Read more...]
Zelda’s Grocery Store
In 1955, Lewisburg, WV was a painted city by Norman Rockwell, or could have been. Main Street was pretty much it – three blocks or so with a half dozen businesses per block. There were the usual stores – a five and dime, a barbershop, a bank, a savings and loan, some clothing stores, a jewelry store, two pharmacies, a couple small department stores, a record shop, a doughnut shop, and Zelda’s … [Read more...]
I Had to Buy a Cucumber
Last week, I had to buy a cucumber. It was 59-cents, and it broke my heart. For the last two months, I have plucked more cucumbers from my vines than there are crispy oats in a box of cereal. I know I picked at least 200 pounds from the 5 vines I planted last spring, hoping that 1 or 2 vines would produce. Well, they all produced, and I have been doling out cucumbers to my neighbors like a poll … [Read more...]
Eggshells Begone
It’s Saturday and you have make a deviled eggs for a Sunday picnic, but you have no eggs in the fridge and you’ll have to buy fresh eggs. That means half of your deviled eggs will probably look like the devil when the fresh eggshells don’t peel neatly. My son, Jimmie, has discovered a secret to peeling fresh eggs. He saw a video with Chef Alton Brown that said if you leave a carton of eggs out … [Read more...]
Watch for Spotted Lanternflies
I got in the car to make a quick run to Aldi’s last week and as I was pulling out of the driveway, I felt something bump into my arm. I looked down and saw what I thought was a moth, and it was lovely with a touch of pink on gray spotted wings. I pulled over, rolled down the window and tried to encourage the bug to fly away. When it saw the opening, it shot out like a rocket, not a moth. A few … [Read more...]