When I moved to Charlottesville in 1967, I had done some fly fishing, but nothing serious. I had caught some smallmouth and redeyes on a popping bug in the Greenbrier River and I frequently put a worm on a hook at the end of my fly rod and caught stocked trout. But I never had any luck catching trout on a genuine trout fly. That is, until I met Chuck Kraft. Chuck ran a sport’s shop … [Read more...]
Poison Ivy Soap
Late at Night while you’re sleeping, poison ivy comes a creeping all around-ound-ound-ound. Poison ivy, Lawd, will make you itch. Thanks, Coasters, for that classic song reminding us of the evils of poison ivy, a plant so vile as to send shivers up the spines of those who are extremely allergic – like half of my family. Fortunately, when I accidently bump into the noxious plant, … [Read more...]
Cooking With Buttermilk
Every time I pass by Chick-Fil-A, I think about those great chicken sandwiches. Though fried chicken is not among my current diet options, I decided to-hell-with-the-diet, I’ll cook some anyway. If I was going to do it, I wanted to go all the way, so I went to the store for some buttermilk. Unfortunately, most stores don’t sell buttermilk in small bottles or cartons. I had to get a … [Read more...]
Moe’s BBQ
We went to a recent function catered by Moe’s Bar B Que. I put some Que on my plate and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t N.C. barbeque, not close, but it was very good. They use some sort of tangy sop sauce, not overpowering and not sweet. It was just right. And they didn’t chop the meat into smithereens. They served large chucks of succulent pork. Moe’s was founded by three … [Read more...]
Coffee Mate, Anyone?
First they cancelled school. Next thing you know, they cancelled March Madness. Certainly they won’t cancel grocery store visits. Will they? Fifteen minutes later, I was in my car headed to the closest grocery store, which happened to be a Food Lion. When I arrived, I found a whole lot of other folks who also thought they might be canceling grocery store visits because of this cursed … [Read more...]
Grackle Attackle
They showed up earlier than ever. At first there were just three, then ten and now fifty. Grackles! I feel the same way about them as Seinfeld did about “Newman!” If there were just a few, they wouldn’t be such a nuisance, but they come in droves, they crowd out all my songbirds and they eat all the seeds. Grackles, actually, are considered songbirds and are thus protected from BB … [Read more...]
Gas Wars
It’s been a while since the “gas wars.” Not Star Wars, gas wars. Years ago, maybe 50, rival gas stations tried to outdo one another by dropping their prices, often below cost. One station would go to 22.9c a gallon and the other would do 21.9. I can remember as low as 15.9c a gallon. Yesterday, I saw a modern version of gas wars. We were heading down. Rt. 151 to play golf at … [Read more...]
Shad Are on the Way
The dogwoods are getting ready to bloom, and to a fisherman that means one thing. The shad are on the way. Shad are an anadromous fish that spend most of their lives in saltwater, but make a springtime run up freshwater rivers like the Appomattox, Rappahannock, James and others. This is when anglers pack their gear and head out for a little shad fishing, often wading side by side with a bevy of … [Read more...]
Fuller Brush: Going Door To Door
There was a time when Americans eagerly greeted a door-to-door salesman. He was welcomed into the home for a chat and maybe a cup of coffee – sometimes a bite of lunch. The well-respected visitor asked about the family and any news in the neighborhood, and then opened his case of wares. Most were brushes. He was, after all, The Fuller Brush Man The Fuller Brush Man was a consummate … [Read more...]
Cardinal Wars
I’ve had a small flock of 8 or 10 cardinals throughout the winter. They visit all my feeders, but really prefer to feed on the seeds that hit the ground. They have been mostly ladies and gentlemen, behaving themselves - until now. But the red feathers are starting to fly. Within a few weeks my flock will winnow down to two pair – one will nest in the back hedge and the other along the fence. … [Read more...]
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