My family never went camping. Mom and Dad were children of The Great Depression and, as such, they really appreciated things like running water, electricity, refrigerators and the like. They had had their fill of “roughing it.” We didn’t own a sleeping bag or a Coleman stove, much less a tent. So I had zero experience camping, but I did like to fish and one day I struck up a conversation with … [Read more...]
The Villa Diner for Breakfast
So, where’s the best place to eat breakfast in Charlottesville? The big fellas, IHOP and Waffle House, are certainly contenders, but many would argue for a local establishment – the Villa Diner, now located on Emmet Street near the old Lord Hardwicke’s location. Once sited near University Hall, the new location is even easier to access, say some of the regular patrons. My wife, Nancy, and her … [Read more...]
Road Trip To Banff, Alberta
By Sherman Shifflett For those who have not been, put this at the top of your bucket list. Consider flying to Vancouver, B.C. and taking the Rocky Mountaineer train thru the Canadian Rockies to Banff, about 2 days. Banff is a beautiful town surrounded by snow-capped peaks. It is located within the Banff National Park. Wildlife is everywhere. It is also a snow-ski mecca. Banff Avenue … [Read more...]
Cheesy Ham and Grits
We were having our good friends Wayne and Elva Ferguson over for a Sunday brunch. Nancy asked that I fix some “Blueberry Stuff”, my version of a Blueberry Cobbler, only with enough butter to clog about 6 feet of arteries. I was going to fix a Quiche Lorraine, but two baked dishes? Maybe not. But how about grits? They go with anything, but I needed a meat of some sort and some eggs. I decided to … [Read more...]
Madison Buildings
About 15 years ago, we decided to break down and get a shed. Nancy was tired of seeing all my tools and lawn mower stacked on our tiny back deck and in our basement. We had worried that the wrong shed would make our yard look like a redneck trailer park, so we went shopping. We by-passed the shed company that does lots of local advertising because their prices seemed high. But just south of … [Read more...]
(Really) Tiny Tadpoles
They showed up in our lily pond about two weeks ago. Hundreds of microscopic tadpoles. We saw them last year, too. And we were clueless as to what exactly they were and how they may have arrived. Annually, Nancy and I either catch or buy a few bullfrog tadpoles, which lose their tails and evolve into frogs later that summer. But the bullfrog ‘poles are much larger than these tiny … [Read more...]
Even More About Creasy Greens
Great news on the creasy greens front. We have tiny sprouts in our creasy greens patch. To make a short story really long, let me update the one reader out there who may not be aware of my discovery of creasy greens. It all started when my wife Nancy gave me a pack of creasy green seeds, which her cousin had given her because of family memories of Mom-ma and Uncle William picking … [Read more...]
Saltwater News
In Virginia saltwater, cobia are dominating the action. Chumming has been super productive, says Stan Cobb with Greentop. Eels are what most use for bait, but live fish, such as croakers, are also excellent. The problem is that croakers have been hard to find. At least, the good-sized ones. Use plenty of chum, as to make the scent trail as strong as possible. Be prepared to tangle with sharks, … [Read more...]
Bluegill Time
We are now in the heart of bluegill season. Most of the fish are on the shore or close by, and they are hungry. If you have a fly rod and small popping bug, you can catch all you want. Maybe more than you want. One of the top bluegill lakes in Virginia is the Chickahominy Lake near Lanexa. It’s a relatively shallow lake, but it has ideal habitat for some of the prettiest bluegills and … [Read more...]
Baby Grapes
About ten years ago, when it became obvious that my Mom would not be able to stay in her house because of failing health, my siblings and I cleared the house to put it on the market. That’s a hard thing to do with nearly 50 years of memories. On my last trip over to Lewisburg WV, my son Jimmie mentioned that he would like to save some of the grape vine in the back yard. Jimmie and all of us … [Read more...]
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