My spring garden was okay. I got a mess of sweet peas, all the green onions I wanted and some nice leaf lettuce. My summer garden? Not so much. The squash bombed, the cukes fizzled out and I planted a row of green beans that never saw the light of day. A summer drought will do that. My tomatoes saved the day. I have had regular pickings of Better Boys and Cherry Tomatoes. A glutton for … [Read more...]
Signs of Our Times
St. Louis Ribs
There are 4 different cuts of ribs on a hog – Baby Back Ribs, Spareribs, St. Louis Cut Ribs and Rib Tips. They all come from the rib area, below the tenderloin and just behind the Picnic and Shoulder Butt sections. But there is a world of difference in the four cuts. Baby Back Ribs have become extremely popular with home chefs and at many restaurants. They are fairly tender, easy to cook and … [Read more...]
Grab a Frank at Capt’n Franks
Lots of folks will make late summer and early fall runs to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And who can blame them? Except for Labor Day week, the crowds will have dispersed, the weather will be cooler, and the fish will definitely be biting. Whatever you do while on the OBX, don’t miss the opportunity to grab a hot dog or two at Capt’n Franks. It’s a mandatory stop as soon as you … [Read more...]
A Fun Float
Boy, have kayaks taken off. You see cars and vans hauling them down the road all the time. Kayaks, unlike jon boats and canoes, can easily be handled by one person, making most any body of water accessible. To all you kayakers out there, here’s a tip for a fun float. The Jackson River below Gathright Dam. Even though it’s August and 90 degrees in the shade, the water here is cold. It comes … [Read more...]
Sand Tiger Sharks Caught at Nags Head
This week, a pair of anglers caught two big sand tiger sharks in the surf at Nags Head. The sharks were 96” and 92” respectively. Note, however, that they were sand tiger sharks, sometimes called gray nurse sharks, and not tiger sharks. Tiger sharks are aggressive, sand tiger sharks are not. There has never been a report of a sand tiger attacking a human. Sand tiger sharks … [Read more...]
School Lunches and Waxed Paper
I saw a picture of a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper recently that took me back to the 1950’s and brown bag lunches. As an elementary student, sometimes I ate in the cafeteria, assuming someone had an available quarter, but usually Mom would pack my lunch – a cookie, an apple and a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper. I remember watching the early commercials of Reynolds’s Waxed Paper when the … [Read more...]
A Rare Bird Sighting
Photo by Daniel Bailey I have thus far seen 31 types of birds in or around my yard, but they are the usuals – robins, finches, bluebirds, doves, etc. I really get excited when I see a new bird, like a grosbeak in my yard So, I can imagine how a fellow birder from Lynchburg, Daniel Bailey, was absolutely giddy to see a true rarity, a Gray-Crown Rosy-Finch, and in Virginia no … [Read more...]
Tip-Worthy Chicken Marsala
I have to brag a little. This week I made a dish that was so delicious that if I had ordered it at a fine Italian Restaurant, I would have left an extra tip. I did a Chicken Marsala that was fabulous. I try to cook and eat chicken as often as I can. It’s way healthier than beef and pork, but it’s sometimes a struggle to keep the menu fresh. I hadn’t done Chicken Marsala in a while and we still … [Read more...]
Solar Fountain for Birdbaths
I gave Nancy a Solar Fountain for the front yard birdbath for Christmas as a small gift for Christmas last year, but since it was winter, we put it away – and forgot about it. A couple weeks ago, Nancy found it, we assembled it and put it in the birdbath. It’s great – keeps the water fresh and stirred up and mosquitos at arm’s length. Plus, the birds love it. It’s like taking an outdoor shower … [Read more...]
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