(Trumpet Vine) Got a couple letters from my articles last week – one concerning my search for the identification of a beautiful roadside bloom I saw. Hal Hurka wrote that it might be a Trumpet Vine. Says Hal, “I can’t tell from your photo if the flowers on the mystery plant are trumpet shaped or not. If they are, it is probably a Trumpet Vine or similar plant. We saw one years ago and my … [Read more...]
Bluewater Action!
Virginia Beach’s offshore bluewater action is getting better by the day. It should peak in July and August. Boats are catching white marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and gaffer dolphin. Blue marlin encounters will increase this month and peak just in time for the Virginia Beach Billfish TournamentAugust 21-24. White marlin action usually continues into September. Deep droppers are still catching … [Read more...]
A Huge Anna Bass
Last week, Ronnie Williams fished in a Tuesday Night Tournament out of Sturgeon Creek at Lake Anna and put a bass weighing 11.03 on the scales. Naturally, he won the Big Fish Category. Eleven pounds is a serious size bass. The winning bag of 5 fish totaled 20.9 pounds. Stripers are also biting at Anna, but mostly in the wee morning hours and again at dusk. Night fishing is also … [Read more...]
Mama Ida’s Fried Corn Bread
Mama Ida was a second mother to me. When my father was shot down and killed over Burma in WW II just a few days before I was born, my young mother went home from the hospital broken hearted and most distressed. Her mother, Mama Ida, pitched in and cared for me like her own son. In fact, she was the first I called “Mama”, but they quickly changed that to Mama Ida. My wonderful sweet grandmother and … [Read more...]
Ceiling Fans With Pizazz
Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. A running ceiling fan in an empty room is only adding to your electric bill. Remember to turn fans off when you’re away and reduce your energy use. During this time of year, make sure to have the fan circulating counterclockwise. When ordering a ceiling fan, be prepared to answer questions we ask so we can better help you. What is your room size? The average … [Read more...]
Blasted Varmints!
By Sherman Shifflett (Ed Note: Farmers and backyard gardeners alike are all at the mercy of the weather, but anymore, we are also at the mercy of varmints. Here is an account of one gentleman farmer’s struggle with the thieving beasts.) Dealing with varmints during the first six months of 2019 has been a real battle. Squirrels have been the worst. There's a Bartlett pear … [Read more...]
Saving our Shrublands
We are rapidly losing our meadows and shrublands. We certainly don’t want to lose meadows, with all those nice wild flowers and natural flora, but who really cares if we lose shrublands? Millions of plants and animals, that’s who. The Virginia Game Department is doing what it can to educate about shrublands and their endangered status. Here are some interesting observations as supplied by … [Read more...]
Brick Oven Pizza
Sunday night is often pizza night for the Brewers. Odds are that we have either had company, been to someone’s house, eaten out or all of the above in a given weekend and neither Nancy nor yours truly are particularly interested in cooking. Last Sunday evening, I happened to think about the Brick Oven. It had been a while since I’ve eaten there and I have had some terrific pizzas over the years … [Read more...]
The First Tomato
With bated breath I await that first tomato from my garden. Currently, all our tomato vines are prospering. Nancy’s little cage and above-ground potted plants on the patio looks like a tomato jungle with lush vines and lots of small to medium size green tomatoes. My tomatoes in the ground garden also look healthy. This year I planted one cherry tomato plant for salads, and I had one volunteer … [Read more...]
A Delightful Weed
I saw what appeared to be a weed along the side of the road. But the flowers were beautiful, a vivid orange. I marveled at the plant as I drove past almost daily, then decided I had to stop for a closer look. It was growing wild at the edge of a parking lot. I took a picture, then wondered if I could identify this beauty. I think it is a Butterfly Weed. Not a Butterfly Bush, we … [Read more...]
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