Monday morning is a great time to patrol the aisles of a grocery store. It’s the time many meat managers reduce prices to clear out old stock. This is especially true at Sam’s Club and Costco. I usually don’t grocery shop on Monday mornings, but this week I had to make a quick run to Kroger’s and as I passed by the meat department, I heard a package call out my name. “Buy me”, said the 32-ounce … [Read more...]
Going Bat-ty
This happens to be National Bat Week – Oct. 25-31, so I suppose an article on the creepy little devils is in order. Everybody I know is either afraid of or is repulsed by bats. Count Dracula was a bat, you know, and who wants to deal with the likes of him? Bats however are among the most interesting creatures on this planet. Our Virginia Wildlife Division notes that few people realize that … [Read more...]
Roadside Beauties
Lots of folks are out and about this time of year, admiring the changing leaves and all their colors. I suggest instead of looking up at the leaves to look down along the roadsides where there is even more beauty. One of the most stunning plants growing wild beside our roads is sumac. The most common is Smooth Sumac and the colorations range from blaze orange to a deep burgundy. The plant, a tree … [Read more...]
A Good Day’s Fishing
Capt. David Wright and crew aboard the charter boat, High Hopes, had an awesome day last week. They caught a limit of blueline tilefish, four of which were citations. They also landed some beautiful black sea bass, and then topped the day off with two swordfish, one 78 pounds and the other 201 pounds. I’d call that a good day’s fishing. Elsewhere in Virginia’s saltwater, speckled trout and … [Read more...]
Don’t Shoot Your Eye Out
My youngest daughter was always something of a tomboy. She tagged along with me on dove hunts and delighted in floating and fishing the James River. When she was in 5th grade, a fellow in the local Jaycee’s approached me about sponsoring a youth BB gun team. “Sure I’ll buy them a gun,” I said. Daisy made some special target air rifles that were deadly accurate at 5 meters, and they cost about … [Read more...]
Ricky Raccoon: Our Nighttime Visitor
We have one of those light sensors rigged to the spotlight in our backyard. The other night, it flashed on and Nancy – ever the worry wart – got up to check it out. “Come see this,” she said, rousting me out of bed. There he was, Ricky Raccoon, clinging to our birdfeeder with sunflower hearts. Somehow, he had managed to climb over the baffle which keeps squirrels at bay, and he had … [Read more...]
Sloppy Yards Good For Wildlife
Not everyone is a good at landscaping. Some of us, in fact, are a little sloppy with our lawns. The Game Department says that’s a good thing, especially for wildlife. Here’s why. As the Department of Wildlife Resources’ (DWR) Small Game Project Leader, Marc Puckett explains, “Autumn is a time when birds need cover and seeds, pollinators need the last fall nectar, and insects still need plants … [Read more...]
Band Ensembles Available
People are beginning to socialize, even so far as to have a few guests over (gasp!). We are starting to entertain more and enjoy family and business gatherings. To make your event even more special, why not have a little live music in the background? The Charlottesville Municipal Band now has four ensembles ready, willing and able to entertain your even with live music, and it’s … [Read more...]
Whatcha Got Vegetable Beef Soup
I have made Vegetable Beef Soup countless times and I feel confident I have never made it the same way twice. When it comes to Vegetable Beef Soup or Beef Stew, it’s not a matter of what recipe you have, it’s what you have on hand. Whatcha got. Last week we had a night that was supposed to get down on the 30’s, a perfect night for soup, and I figured Vegetable Beef would hit the spot. I needed … [Read more...]
Deerfield Hotdogs
Deerfield, Virginia. Population 132 people, 60 cows, 15 sheep and two dozen chickens. Deerfield is a sleepy little own in Augusta County on Deerfield Valley Road, Rt. 629, which connects West Augusta on Rt. 250 and the Goshen area on Rt. 39. There’s no a lot of traffic through Goshen. No reason to be there. Deerfield consists of a handful of farms, some old plantation homes, a post office, a … [Read more...]
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