After being a drab olive for six months, my male goldfinches are beginning to put on the Ritz, molting into a new suit of bright gold feathers. I always thought the birds’ feathers changed colors, but they don’t. Many birds grow new and entirely differently colored feathers. The goldfinch is the only one in its family to undergo a complete, not a partial molt. Even the females get a touch of … [Read more...]
Phlox Beauties
How do spell beauty? P-h-l-o-x. Phlox, not flox. Phlox may be hard to spell, but they sure are pretty, and they are easy to grow. I remember when I first moved to Charlottesville, I made many trips to Sugar Hollow to engage the trout in the Moorman’s River with assorted flies. I also vividly remember that in early April, lawns all along Garth Road and Sugar Hollow Road were teeming with … [Read more...]
Dodging The Grackle Bullet
I am trying to dodge the grackle bullet without starving my regular songbirds and – knock on wood – I think I am succeeding. I have talked with other birders, and most don’t seem to have a big problem with grackles. By big problem, I mean 50 and 60 at a time, decimating the feeders. That’s a genuine problem when they take down a $5 peanut suet bar in one day and empty a tray of sunflower hearts … [Read more...]
It’s Scottsville for Big Catfish
For years, Scottsville has been receiving lots of attention from fishermen, most particularly smallmouth bass fishermen. But another species has popped up on the Scottsville fishing radar screen. Catfish. Big catfish. In years past, serious catfish anglers in Virginia –assuming they didn’t travel down to Santee Cooper in South Carolina – have been prowling the waters of such … [Read more...]
Tuna Salad Anyone?
The Giant Bluefin Tuna continue to crush baits and baitfish (like 15-pound bluefish) in the blue water off the Outer Banks. The vast schools of yellowfins are due to arrive any day. Inshore, the trout and striper bites remain strong. The northern beaches are giving up dogfish (these are good to eat, by the way), skates (not good to eat), blow toads (very, very good to eat) and black drum … [Read more...]
Clean Your Plate
Last week, I bought a can of sauerkraut to go with our St. Patties Day corned beef. As I opened the can, it reminded me that once upon a time I hated sauerkraut along with a number of other foods. I was a picky eater. But Daddy George, who came into my life when I was 4, had a strict rule. “You must eat everything on your plate.” I didn’t have to eat a lot of sauerkraut, but I had to try … [Read more...]
A Visit to DMV
I am a charter member of the Charlottesville Procrastinator’s Club. We meet next Thursday, but possibly Friday. We’ll see. Anyway, I am an expert at putting things off till the last minute which drives my wife, Nancy, nuts. Last December, and don’t tell my fellow Procrastinators this, I got my registration renewal from DMV and rather than filing it away in my Get Around Tuit box, I did the … [Read more...]
The First Seed Sprout
Seeing that first seed sprout, whether it’s in the garden or a Jiffy Pot in the windowsill, is always exciting. It’s a marvel of nature, really. Imagine a seemingly dead seed coming to life a couple inches beneath the earth, then pushing its way upward through much heavier soil and thrusting itself into the new world. The tiny sprout has everything it will need to grow and develop into a large … [Read more...]
Special Lighting Aboard Our Cruise Ship
By Nancy B Well, another wedding anniversary and cruise were both enjoyed on Norwegian’s Joy the first of the month. We love to celebrate our anniversary but during Spring break can be a bit challenging. That being said, we had a lovely time visiting the following: Rotan Bay Islands, Honduras, Harvest Caye, Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel, Mexico. I am blessed to work with wonderful … [Read more...]
Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
I made some Blue Cheese Dressing last week and it was so good, I decided to try my hand at another family favorite – Thousand Island Dressing. It turned out infinitely better than the standard Kraft-type dressing. The origin of Thousand Island Dressing remains a matter of dispute to this day. One theory is that the name came from the Thousand Islands region along the St. Lawrence River. A … [Read more...]
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