Fresh picnic hams were a staple in our house when I was a boy. Daddy would often put a big ham in the oven before church and by the time we came home, the house was filled with that wonderful aroma of fresh pork. Rarely, today, does anyone cook a fresh picnic. It’s hard to even find one in the meat departments. It seems we're in a same-old, same-old “pork rut”. It’s either a Boston Butt … [Read more...]
My Flock of Sparrows
Often, when I go to the back of yard to scatter seed, any birds there will dart off to the shrubs and branches, returning only when I leave. The other day, I noticed a small flock of birds actually flying my way when I opened the seed can. It was my small flock of song sparrows. They flew to within about 10 feet, beneath the forsythia branches, and waited because they have come to know … [Read more...]
New Bridge to White Oak Canyon
By the VDGIF A new 35-foot span bridge across Cedar Run offers hikers and nature-loving community members improved access to the popular White Oak Canyon trailhead outside of Shenandoah National Park and opening up three miles of stream habitat to native fish for the first time in decades. The effort is a public-private partnership between Shenandoah National Park, The Piedmont … [Read more...]
Cold Water Paddling and Fishing Safety
By Bruce Ingram The most dangerous incident of my paddling career occurred on the James River when a friend and I overturned in his canoe. Earlier, my water temperature gauge had registered 54 degrees and the air temperature 65 degrees. When I fell in, I felt as if a sledgehammer had struck my chest, and my buddy and I struggled to swim to shore – losing most of our gear. That day, … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas
Will you be home for the holidays? If not your home, maybe a family member or a friend’s? Being with family and celebrating together is just grand (a word my mother used often). Decorations capture the seasons emotions through the senses of sight, touch and smell. Bright colors, lights, textures and scents connect the spirit of the holidays. Baking favorite sweets for all to enjoy makes … [Read more...]
CrossKeys Gala
Looking for fun and a worthy event over the Christmas holidays? Then consider a trip to CrossKeys Vineyards in Mount Crawford to attend the Roaring Twenties Gala to benefit the great work at St. Judes Hospital. The event is set for Dec. 28, a Saturday night, between 6 and 11 PM. Included in the $110 per ticket event is a Six-Course Plated Dinner, a bottle of your favorite CrossKeys … [Read more...]
Striper Season Winding Down
Just a couple more weeks remaining in the Virginia Stripwer Season within the Bay and its tributaries, but now is THE time to catch the big boys. Stan Cobb of Greentop reports that bigger rockfish are being caught in many places right now. The Plantation Light area has been outstanding. Live eels have been the ticket for the bigger fish, which is common for this time of … [Read more...]
Hoping For a Lionel Train
The Pent-ultimate Christmas present for every Boomer boy was a Lionel train. And so it was with me. I was seven and a Lionel train was at the top of my wish list to Santa Claus. I simply had to have one, even though they were fairly pricey and my dad earned only a modest salary as an FBI agent. By boyhood friend, Billy Richmond, got a train for Christmas the year before. Billy was … [Read more...]
Red Pot Stew
My daughter Laura gave me The Big Red Pot several years ago, but I don’t use it often enough, primarily because it weighs a ton and digging it out from beneath the cabinet is a chore. But I was in the mood for beef stew and nothing cooks stew like my Big Red Pot. The pot is a Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron 6.5 Quart Round Dutch Oven. I have found that cast iron cookware ensures even … [Read more...]
Bluebird Happenings
For the first time in recent memory, I have two pairs of bluebirds in my yard. They seemingly get along fine – now. But come spring and nesting time, the feathers will fly. One of the pairs – I think the birds that raised a brood in my yard last summer – inspects the bluebird house on the fence every single day. The male will fly to the hole, peek in, occasionally go inside and turn … [Read more...]
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