When I was a boy, I would spend a few weeks each summer with my family in southwest Virginia. Part of that time was spent with one of my uncles on his farm. “Putting up hay,” driving tractors, and driving big trucks was entertainment to me. What I did not realize then was that it meant income to my uncle. Farming has changed over the years, but what has not changed is the need to sell the product. Here are some examples of how we can enjoy local produce. Farmers’ markets have increased in popularity in the last few years. …
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At about 6:30 a.m., Wednesday, Richmond fire units were called to a single-family dwelling fire. News reports state that firefighters found smoke coming from the roof and, I would throw in, smoke coming from the eaves. It appears that firefighters found fire in the attic. Reports also stated that neighbors saw the smoke, attempted to notify occupants by knocking on locked doors, and made the call to 9-1-1. Most attics are not protected by smoke alarms. If the fire started in the attic, there was pre-burn time before smoke may have reached alarms. However, I have not read or heard…
Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I will admit up front that I am not mechanically inclined. I was more of a nerdy kid but I did do some simple work on my car…changing the spark plugs, oil, or air filter…sometimes venturing into working on the alternator, battery, or radiator, but nothing complicated like brakes or the carburetor. One of the main reasons was that I was afraid I would get into something like that and not be able to get it back together, leaving me stranded since that was my only means of transportation. Although…
By M.A Fuller Those barefoot, tree-hugging hippies were actually onto something. And it was definitely the grass that kept them so carefree. Don’t panic, I didn’t mean “grass.” Check out the following ways the great outdoors can do more for you than an aspirin, sleeping pills, or a six-pack. Grounding Electrically speaking, humans are positively charged and the earth is negatively charged. There is a vital energy exchange that takes place called “grounding” where your feet absorb large amounts of electrons that restore your body to its most natural electrical state and is a powerful antioxidant. The effects are pain…
Cool trickling water, ice cubes clinking in a glass, waterfalls spraying a fine cool mist, the first crisp morning when you know fall is approaching; we all could use a little cool-off right about now. I will tell you that I absolutely hate the heat, and this week is horrifying. When the heat index gets above 88 degrees, I’m done. It’s gotten so miserable that my children have turned into whining, blithering, limp-as-a-noodle, fighting-like-cats and dogs monsters. I just can’t stand it any longer. The three of us have spent every waking minute with each other, and of course my…
It is hot! It takes no genius to come to this conclusion. The question is what are you doing to beat the heat? Most of you may have figured out how to acclimate to this extreme heat and high humidity. Hydration is vital in these days. You should be drinking proper fluids, even when you do not want to. Keep in mind that you must drink them in order to prevent dehydration. Drinks containing caffeine are not helpful in keeping you hydrated. Water is the best, and sports drinks are helpful in moderation. The progression of heat-related illnesses is heat…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Some good news. The little doe I mentioned that is hanging around the house…well…she finally gave birth…twins! Now I have another doe hovering around the woods down by the lake…might have another set of Bambies in the near future! Wahoo! Oh yes…before I forget…more good news..my colonoscopy came back clean as a whistle…[pun intended]. When I had my first one many, many years ago, they just gave me enough juice to make me forget that I was on a bed wrapped in an apron that barely covered the essentials…however…
To the Editor: The police shootings of two black men and the massacre of police in Dallas [and Baton Rouge] recently should make all of us stop to examine our attitudes and interactions with our fellow Americans. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a large military family. We lived in integrated communities here in the US and in Germany. We were taught at home and school to value a person because of their deeds, not the color of their skin. However, in the late ’80s, when one of my sisters decided to marry a black man here in…
I have mentioned in previous columns a very common phrase in gardening don’t guess; soil test. When gardeners speak – or in my case – write the phrase, it is in reference to a laboratory analysis. The lab results measure the nutrients in the soil, their availability to the plant, the soil pH (measure of acidity), and organic matter. What this test does not reveal is the soil’s texture. What is soil texture? It is the amount of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter in the soil and how it is distributed. Soils in our area are generally well-weathered fragments…
Our day started at about 4:15 a.m. with storms stretching from just south of Oregon Inlet, N.C. to Hatteras, N.C. A friend was warming up the motors on his boat while he and his mate were deciding what to do based upon the weather. After about an hour’s wait, we got underway. It was a beautiful ride out, and the weather improved as we headed to the east-southeast. Other than some bottom fishing trips to the Gulf Stream, it had been about thirty years since my last trip. As much as I love being at sea, I still had to…