I'm getting ridiculous on the Top 10's, but its my blog. One of the most politically, socially remote areas of the country actually has a lot to hide from the general public found in the major metro-s of this country. The fact that Eastern NC is inaccessible in all points, except for the beach, make all of these places a little more great...
10) Barbecue...before someone amputates my face for not putting this at Numero Uno please remember that barbecue is only a small percentage of our eastern diet. Nevertheless it is some good stuff! Whole hog barbecue is what dreams are made of...and eastern NC folks can make dreams come true - and lot's do so on the weekends!
9) Backroads - There are few better places in the state that have better backroads than the eastern portions. Mountain backroads are cool, but they are full of slow driving folks. The hairpins scare a lot of folks. Or backroads are built ip in swamps, so you can see plenty of wildlife. And the roads are nice and flat and you can still meet the speed limit.
8) Fresh seafood - beats barbecue hands down! And you pretty much have to eat seafood fresh, otherwise it tastes like it smells and it smells like seafood in Nebraska. Nebraska doesn't have an ocean - not in last 100 million years anyway. While I still haven't caught on to eating a steamed oyster, I can slurp down raw ones by the dozens. In my home state, we get them pretty fresh, too - and my dad imparted up on me a propensity for eating the "sea boogers", as I once heard them called.
7) Small town festivals - based on yesterday's blog, you could probably tell that I enjoy a little festival. The State Fair is fun - fun with 100,000 of your closest friends. Nope, I like mine with 2,000 folks. Lines are shorter, crowds smaller, and parades quirkier. In Eastern NC, there's the Collard Festival, Swamp Festival, River Fest, Edenton Music & Water Festival, and tons more in every tiny dot on our maps. The probability of encountering someone you know is high, as well as meeting someone attending as a "homecoming" who has great stories of how things used to be....
6) Brackish Water - Only the Chesapeake boasts more brackish water than North Carolina's coast. Brackish waters teem with fish of both fresh and salt water - as well as brackish only fish. Even in our bracksh rivers and streams I have encountered pods of porpoises in areas where the river is literally less than 50 yards wide. I have also seen jellyfish in these tiny rivers.
5) Water Access - This tags right on to number six. Having brackish water is no good if you can't find a place to put your boat in! Ramps, slides, and ditches, whether professionally constructed or histrically constructed make our waterways very accessible. The only downside to this - other folks are catching on...
4) Big Cities - Greenville, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Goldsboro, Kinston - all of these places are really big cities by my standards. Yet, they still maintain a smallish-town feeling. While each of them have their "issues", cities like Wilmington are some of the most beautiful in the world. Most of the cities are built on rivers, which makes water access and water views easy and spectacular, respectively. These cities are home to major universities and professional sports teams, all which provide citizens with something extra. Smaller towns like "little" Washington are often nearby and are steeped in history and tradition - and you can tour more than one city in the day. The big cities also house some of our bravest women and men in military bases.
3) Hurricanes - Most would put hurricanes in a bottom 10. And while they are destructive, they can also bring a region out of a drought, freshen up the waters, freshen up the soils, and help stave of forest fires. They can also open or close inlets from the ocean to the sounds, but when this happens ecosystems can change, usually for the good. Sure they put us humans at a disadvantage for a couple of days, but the positive environmental impact of these storms far outweighs a few thousand downed trees (which provide habitat for rabbit and quail), flooded roads, and muddy yards.
2) Fishing - I hate to fish. But everybody else loves it. There are few better places to meet a creel than Eastern North Carolina. Charter fishing on the coast is big business and big fun (for everyone but me). My unbiased reportings allow me to put this as # 2. Go buy a license, catch a fish, clean a fish, cook a fish, eat the fish - and say that all that time and effort isn't worth it. The few fish I have been lucky enough to false hook and cook up have been well-worth the trouble...
1) The Far East - Not China and Japan, but the extreme edge of our region - the Atlantic Ocean! If the beach isn't the most important part of our region, then I am not sure I am qualified to construct a Top 10. The beach draws lucky folks from all over the world. They spend their money in our satellite towns (or bloc towns, as I like to call them). They eat and enjoy our food. They visit our history and cultural museums. They come back, year in and year out.
Enjoy the day...
December 17, 2009
December 16, 2009
Top 10 in Tyrrell County (other than the Eastern 4-H Center) for 2009
I really love a good "top 10"...and they are especially important at the end of the year, when everyone is counting down to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, and all of the other holidays. Anyway - these were the top 10 things to see/do/or eat in Tyrrell County for 2009...
10) Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge - this place is great! Most National Wildlife Refuges are in very remote places - and they don't even have a Visitor's Center...but PLNWR does! The interpretive programs, static displays, and visitor center itself are some of the best in the refuge system. The management there is nice, knowledgeable, and works a lot...Tyrrell County should be proud of this place...PLNWR is famous for winter waterfowl and black bears - but is of special importance thanks to the Red Wolf Reintroduction. Also - this "museum" is one of two in Columbia...Columbia boasts one of the highest densities of museums in the world - 1 to every 400 people!
9) Frying Pan - Yeah it's a cooking device, but its also a place on the Tyrrell County map...and everybody should take visiting family members to the road sign and snap a photo. "The Pan" as most folks call it is a quiet lettle neighborhood down HWY 94. Some of the flattest land in the Milky Way is located in Frying Pan. It is a great way to see wildlife, agriculture, and dirt. The Frying Pan is actually named after a body of water off of the Alligator River - it's virtually a pocosin lake connected to the Alligator River by a small river or "handle". If you ever explore the water itself, be wary of putting in at the Wildlife Resource Boat Ramp...it's laced with trees and stumps...the ditch opens up to the lake - this place is awful to navigate because of what seems like a Giant Sequoia lodged right across the ditch. Be careful, or just wait for Wildlife Resources to fix the problem ;)
8) Ben Franklin Store - I think it's the oldest privately owned Ben Franklin in the country. It's a great place to buy "party shirts", trinkets, snacks, sewing materials, postcards, virtually everything else that Food Lion does not have...the ladies working the counter are very nice, too. I had never heard of a Ben Franklin Store beforeI moved to Tyrrell County, and while I wasn't missing anything in principle, I was missing the charm of this little store in downtown Columbia...and when you are at Ben Franklin, you are walking (or running) distance from two pretty good restaurants (Mike's and Crossroads), a pharmacy, the Red Wolf Coalition, and the town docks.
7) Scuppernong River - At one time, the Scuppernong was probably the artery of life into the heart of Tyrrell County. Large canals leading off of the river lead into old farms where food, animals, and yes - humans, were shipped into and out of the area. The Scuppernong River now has its own festival every October with food, street dancing, a parade, and kayak lessons. The Scuppernong is a "deep" river. Up to 20 feet in some places, the only thing deep about the Scuppernong is the mud on the bottom. Where I grew up, folks wanted riverfront real estate. The Scuppernong River, instead houses only mosquitoes, giant snapping turtles, and an alligator or six. By the way - many people have deliberated over the amount (if any) of alligators living in Tyrrell County. I have seen 30 or so in my 3.5 years. They are here...and they were here long before a human ever stepped into the waters of Tyrrell County.
6) Highway 94 - If you were going "somewhere else" this highway would be the most boring stretch of pavement on the planet. There's nothing to see, except the horizon. But that's what make this place a North Carolina Scenic Byway. In the spring the fields are filled with tractors. In the summer you'll find corn. In the fall, you'll find tractors - again. In the winter - swans, by the thousands. There's also a stretch of dwarf pocosin swamp that is some of the most primeval land I have ever seen. It gives me the willies imaging what it would be like amongst it all.
5) Town festivals - Rivertown Christmas and the Scuppernong River Festival are as charming as any small town festival. Rivertown Christmas features a floatilla of lighted boats...and if it's seasonably cold outside, expect the event to be truly seasonal. The Scuppernong River Festival is essentially a County Fair, featuring vendors, parades, and food - fried food like fried chicken, fried twinkies, fried butter, etc.
4) Food Lion - more or less by default, procuring groceries 5 years ago involved a half-day's trip to town. Food Lion is pretty comprehensive, though. They have enough items for me to get what I need and make impulse purchases. And Glady's, who usually works Aisle 2 is as sweet a lady as I have ever met.
3) Swamp Mud - If you haven't ever smelled this stuff (and you have if you live here), find a swamp (just walk 10 feet in any direction), reach your hand into the mud, retrieve it, sniff it. If you are lucky, you'll do this in the shade of an Atlantic White Cedar - one of the rarest tree species in the world. They are found in a few places on the planet, with eastern North Carolina being one of the best places to find it.
2) Mosquitoes - they draw more blood than th 15 or so blood drives held in theis county annually. They are thicker only in Hyde County. If you want to see them without being toted off, come here. All sizes and shapes will destroy your epidermis on a nightly basis. That buzz you hearon a summer's night is the millions of mosquitoes. They are attracted to the Carbon Dioxide emissions from your mouth...there's no escaping. men are less susceptible, thanks to the hair on their legs - as the follicles act as an early detection system...ladies get mutilated because they shave their legs...it's just a fact of life...
1) The Albemarle Sound - The northern boundary of the county provides recreation and sustenance not only to Tyrrellineans, but to folks abroad. Blue crabs and blue waters make this a great place to spend the summer, or other seasons - especially if you like to recreational fish. Rockfish - or Stripers - frequest these waters year-round but the migration in fall and winter make it a great place to land a monster "rock". Diving ducks roost by the thousand in late winter, and recreational boaters roost by the hundreds. The clear waters are accessible about every 10 miles of shoreline on both sides, making it as accessible as any water in America.
Enjoy the day...
10) Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge - this place is great! Most National Wildlife Refuges are in very remote places - and they don't even have a Visitor's Center...but PLNWR does! The interpretive programs, static displays, and visitor center itself are some of the best in the refuge system. The management there is nice, knowledgeable, and works a lot...Tyrrell County should be proud of this place...PLNWR is famous for winter waterfowl and black bears - but is of special importance thanks to the Red Wolf Reintroduction. Also - this "museum" is one of two in Columbia...Columbia boasts one of the highest densities of museums in the world - 1 to every 400 people!
9) Frying Pan - Yeah it's a cooking device, but its also a place on the Tyrrell County map...and everybody should take visiting family members to the road sign and snap a photo. "The Pan" as most folks call it is a quiet lettle neighborhood down HWY 94. Some of the flattest land in the Milky Way is located in Frying Pan. It is a great way to see wildlife, agriculture, and dirt. The Frying Pan is actually named after a body of water off of the Alligator River - it's virtually a pocosin lake connected to the Alligator River by a small river or "handle". If you ever explore the water itself, be wary of putting in at the Wildlife Resource Boat Ramp...it's laced with trees and stumps...the ditch opens up to the lake - this place is awful to navigate because of what seems like a Giant Sequoia lodged right across the ditch. Be careful, or just wait for Wildlife Resources to fix the problem ;)
8) Ben Franklin Store - I think it's the oldest privately owned Ben Franklin in the country. It's a great place to buy "party shirts", trinkets, snacks, sewing materials, postcards, virtually everything else that Food Lion does not have...the ladies working the counter are very nice, too. I had never heard of a Ben Franklin Store beforeI moved to Tyrrell County, and while I wasn't missing anything in principle, I was missing the charm of this little store in downtown Columbia...and when you are at Ben Franklin, you are walking (or running) distance from two pretty good restaurants (Mike's and Crossroads), a pharmacy, the Red Wolf Coalition, and the town docks.
7) Scuppernong River - At one time, the Scuppernong was probably the artery of life into the heart of Tyrrell County. Large canals leading off of the river lead into old farms where food, animals, and yes - humans, were shipped into and out of the area. The Scuppernong River now has its own festival every October with food, street dancing, a parade, and kayak lessons. The Scuppernong is a "deep" river. Up to 20 feet in some places, the only thing deep about the Scuppernong is the mud on the bottom. Where I grew up, folks wanted riverfront real estate. The Scuppernong River, instead houses only mosquitoes, giant snapping turtles, and an alligator or six. By the way - many people have deliberated over the amount (if any) of alligators living in Tyrrell County. I have seen 30 or so in my 3.5 years. They are here...and they were here long before a human ever stepped into the waters of Tyrrell County.
6) Highway 94 - If you were going "somewhere else" this highway would be the most boring stretch of pavement on the planet. There's nothing to see, except the horizon. But that's what make this place a North Carolina Scenic Byway. In the spring the fields are filled with tractors. In the summer you'll find corn. In the fall, you'll find tractors - again. In the winter - swans, by the thousands. There's also a stretch of dwarf pocosin swamp that is some of the most primeval land I have ever seen. It gives me the willies imaging what it would be like amongst it all.
5) Town festivals - Rivertown Christmas and the Scuppernong River Festival are as charming as any small town festival. Rivertown Christmas features a floatilla of lighted boats...and if it's seasonably cold outside, expect the event to be truly seasonal. The Scuppernong River Festival is essentially a County Fair, featuring vendors, parades, and food - fried food like fried chicken, fried twinkies, fried butter, etc.
4) Food Lion - more or less by default, procuring groceries 5 years ago involved a half-day's trip to town. Food Lion is pretty comprehensive, though. They have enough items for me to get what I need and make impulse purchases. And Glady's, who usually works Aisle 2 is as sweet a lady as I have ever met.
3) Swamp Mud - If you haven't ever smelled this stuff (and you have if you live here), find a swamp (just walk 10 feet in any direction), reach your hand into the mud, retrieve it, sniff it. If you are lucky, you'll do this in the shade of an Atlantic White Cedar - one of the rarest tree species in the world. They are found in a few places on the planet, with eastern North Carolina being one of the best places to find it.
2) Mosquitoes - they draw more blood than th 15 or so blood drives held in theis county annually. They are thicker only in Hyde County. If you want to see them without being toted off, come here. All sizes and shapes will destroy your epidermis on a nightly basis. That buzz you hearon a summer's night is the millions of mosquitoes. They are attracted to the Carbon Dioxide emissions from your mouth...there's no escaping. men are less susceptible, thanks to the hair on their legs - as the follicles act as an early detection system...ladies get mutilated because they shave their legs...it's just a fact of life...
1) The Albemarle Sound - The northern boundary of the county provides recreation and sustenance not only to Tyrrellineans, but to folks abroad. Blue crabs and blue waters make this a great place to spend the summer, or other seasons - especially if you like to recreational fish. Rockfish - or Stripers - frequest these waters year-round but the migration in fall and winter make it a great place to land a monster "rock". Diving ducks roost by the thousand in late winter, and recreational boaters roost by the hundreds. The clear waters are accessible about every 10 miles of shoreline on both sides, making it as accessible as any water in America.
Enjoy the day...
December 15, 2009
Top Eastern 4-H Center stories for 2009
The year is screeching to a close at the Eastern 4-H Center. I wanted to take today's opportunity to outline some of the biggest stories that happened either at or to the Eastern 4-H Center. While everyday is important, some events just supersede all others. Here they are:
5) The Wedding Show...Yep - we did one. It turned out pretty good, too. Lots of vendors came from all over the region to peddle their wares. DJ's, photographers, cake makers, and rental companies showed up to showcase their items. Most people around here think that most people get married at the Outer Banks. Not so fast my friends - many people, like me, would prefer a quiet soundside wedding (if a wedding at all, in my case) as opposed to a sandy, salty beach wedding. You can look down the beach on any given Saturday and see several different weddings taking place. Nevertheless, the Center "marries" lots of folks, and we took the opportunity to show off to folks who are thinking about getting married. There is nary a free weekend - weddings take up a lot of our weekends, and we are proud to be a place of importance in a couple's life!
4) Relay for Life - The Center played the host of 2009's Relay for Life. Not just that night sticks out in my mind, though. All of the fundraising and events leading up to that really cool night were the best. Our Pancake Breakfast and Sausage -n- biscuit fundraiser was so much fun! I ate a lot of pancakes, but not as many as Lee. Sara made virtually all of them - like 1000 pancakes! The biscuit fundraiser started out really early and I remember putting out the parking cones at 4:00 am in the pouring down rain...the fundraiser was held in concurrence with the northeast shooting sports tournament...so the whole day was really busy, but it was one of my favorite days ever at the Center that didn't involve Summer Camp. Our team, "Camp Relay", also got the award for best Team Theme. It was cool to have nearly all of the Summer Staff show up at the Relay event itself to liven up the crowd in the middle of the night. And while I walked for 2 hours straight on a treadmill (It was thundering and lightening outside), I was able to catch-up on my Operation Purple Camp curriculum reading.
3) Moving into the Electronic Age - 2009 was a very impressive year concerning "green" practices. Almost 100% of our in-house paperwork became "electrocuted". Rental Agreements and such are now all done by email...our newsletter, "Eastern Echoes", became an electronic document that was emailed instead "snail mailed."If we could only get our monthly calendars to be put in electronic format...We also started this little blog, created a camper email address for parents, and allowed people to sign-up for camp or make donations via the internet. The Beginning of "On Line Registration" is one of my proudest days...at that point we got seriously serious in becoming the premier place for a child to spend a summers' week.
2) Dock of the Bay - biggest DOB ever. "funnest" DOB ever. greatest "DOB ever. We raised lots of money to help send children to camp. We also made a lot of new friends, had a great auction, even better food, and a PERFECT time.
1) Summer Camp numbers - Summer 2009 was tremendous. Highlights include: 10 weeks of camp, strengthening of our healthy lifestyle camp "Takeoff 4-Health", two weeks of Operation Purple Camp", "slammed" weeks of 4-H Camp, huge numbers in Camp Canvasback/Marine Scince & Sailing/Cloverbud, and our first ever camp for children with special needs - Camp Kid Courage. We also maintained our American Camp Association...BY PASSING EVERY APPLICABLE STANDARD! LESS THAN 1% OF ALL CAMPS CAN CLAIM THIS!!!!!!
That's my top 5...the biggest news story for 2010 will be the new Recreation Hall...no doubt.
Enjoy the day...
5) The Wedding Show...Yep - we did one. It turned out pretty good, too. Lots of vendors came from all over the region to peddle their wares. DJ's, photographers, cake makers, and rental companies showed up to showcase their items. Most people around here think that most people get married at the Outer Banks. Not so fast my friends - many people, like me, would prefer a quiet soundside wedding (if a wedding at all, in my case) as opposed to a sandy, salty beach wedding. You can look down the beach on any given Saturday and see several different weddings taking place. Nevertheless, the Center "marries" lots of folks, and we took the opportunity to show off to folks who are thinking about getting married. There is nary a free weekend - weddings take up a lot of our weekends, and we are proud to be a place of importance in a couple's life!
4) Relay for Life - The Center played the host of 2009's Relay for Life. Not just that night sticks out in my mind, though. All of the fundraising and events leading up to that really cool night were the best. Our Pancake Breakfast and Sausage -n- biscuit fundraiser was so much fun! I ate a lot of pancakes, but not as many as Lee. Sara made virtually all of them - like 1000 pancakes! The biscuit fundraiser started out really early and I remember putting out the parking cones at 4:00 am in the pouring down rain...the fundraiser was held in concurrence with the northeast shooting sports tournament...so the whole day was really busy, but it was one of my favorite days ever at the Center that didn't involve Summer Camp. Our team, "Camp Relay", also got the award for best Team Theme. It was cool to have nearly all of the Summer Staff show up at the Relay event itself to liven up the crowd in the middle of the night. And while I walked for 2 hours straight on a treadmill (It was thundering and lightening outside), I was able to catch-up on my Operation Purple Camp curriculum reading.
3) Moving into the Electronic Age - 2009 was a very impressive year concerning "green" practices. Almost 100% of our in-house paperwork became "electrocuted". Rental Agreements and such are now all done by email...our newsletter, "Eastern Echoes", became an electronic document that was emailed instead "snail mailed."If we could only get our monthly calendars to be put in electronic format...We also started this little blog, created a camper email address for parents, and allowed people to sign-up for camp or make donations via the internet. The Beginning of "On Line Registration" is one of my proudest days...at that point we got seriously serious in becoming the premier place for a child to spend a summers' week.
2) Dock of the Bay - biggest DOB ever. "funnest" DOB ever. greatest "DOB ever. We raised lots of money to help send children to camp. We also made a lot of new friends, had a great auction, even better food, and a PERFECT time.
1) Summer Camp numbers - Summer 2009 was tremendous. Highlights include: 10 weeks of camp, strengthening of our healthy lifestyle camp "Takeoff 4-Health", two weeks of Operation Purple Camp", "slammed" weeks of 4-H Camp, huge numbers in Camp Canvasback/Marine Scince & Sailing/Cloverbud, and our first ever camp for children with special needs - Camp Kid Courage. We also maintained our American Camp Association...BY PASSING EVERY APPLICABLE STANDARD! LESS THAN 1% OF ALL CAMPS CAN CLAIM THIS!!!!!!
That's my top 5...the biggest news story for 2010 will be the new Recreation Hall...no doubt.
Enjoy the day...
December 9, 2009
Terri's FIFTY!
Our glamorous Terri, Lady of the Solvents, turns 50. That's not as old as she thins it is, but let's get serious - it's still pretty dern old. In Keeping with tradition, I have written a birthday poem for Terri.
Terri, Terri,
not contrary.
Works real hard,
cooks with lard
Her hair fraps,
as she sets "mise" traps.
Hates finger prints,
they make her rinse.
Chocolate and biscuits
make her throw fits.
She makes an action plan,
to conquer every man.
Pretty and sweet,
a better woman is tough to meet.
Her husband is Glen,
I feel sorry for him.
The end...
Terri is a blessing to know. She is a perfect fit or this place, because she, like everyone else, is a pleasure to be around. Terri has always watched after me, given me advice, and given me a tough time when she needed to...
Happy Birthday Terri!
Enjoy the day...
Terri, Terri,
not contrary.
Works real hard,
cooks with lard
Her hair fraps,
as she sets "mise" traps.
Hates finger prints,
they make her rinse.
Chocolate and biscuits
make her throw fits.
She makes an action plan,
to conquer every man.
Pretty and sweet,
a better woman is tough to meet.
Her husband is Glen,
I feel sorry for him.
The end...
Terri is a blessing to know. She is a perfect fit or this place, because she, like everyone else, is a pleasure to be around. Terri has always watched after me, given me advice, and given me a tough time when she needed to...
Happy Birthday Terri!
Enjoy the day...
December 8, 2009
What to wear to a Holiday Party at the Eastern 4-H Center?
Holiday wardrobes are culturally important to Americans. Everyone who is anyone at your party will judge you based on what you do, say, and wear. With that being said, do not "wear" a garment, that "Says" or "Does" anything. I used to have a shirt (when I was 7) that would talk if you hugged me. It creeped out everyone, including me. I think my dad had a tie that talked or sang, and while cute only the very first time the garment is activated, everyone will hear it outside of the bathroom door when you accidentally engage the device.
Let's start with colors. Fall '09 colors that appeared on runways and racks across the world were earthy oranges, deep browns, and robust reds and blues - with metallic and chromatic options, too. Obviously, I didn't fall for any of this, as the color of my standard wardrobe tends to favor, khaki, khaki, and khaki - and maybe olive and brown. Nevertheless, my colors - or the runway colors will gain you any street cred at a holiday party near you. You absolutely must wear red and greens, and maybe genuine fake gold accoutrements. If you have a shirt with a screen-printed reindeer (with a small bell for the nose) - go ahead and just do it...this shirt is barely acceptable, but will get you a beatdown in July. Pants could match - I'm probably the only dude with a both green and red britches (deep in my closet), and when I get the chance to wear'em - I must do so. Belts are optional, since I am planning on looking stupid, yet festive. Some people even like to wear holiday scarves, but they are only relevant if they are in plaids, or if they are made of Santa's Beard. Speaking of Santa - if you are going to wear a Santa hat - make sure it is red - not multi-colored or green - and it has to have the fuzzy orb at the top - NO BELLS!
Now - the shape of your clothes is not that important, unless you try to use the clothing to accent your form. Generally - clothes should be frumpy. This will hide your midsection throughout the holiday gorging. Pants should be constricting in the waist, as this will also support the weight of that leftover turkey leg that you ate on the way to the Turkey Dinner. I also like thick sweaters because they also help to hide the shape of the cookies on your hips. Turtlenecks can also hide that triple chin you hope to gain throughout the feasting. Pants should should be "relaxed-fit", right? Plenty of room through the hips and thighs, and tapered below the knee, so that bottoms of the pants do not cover your elf shoes. And, if they are not tapered (say "bootcut), the snow on the ground cannot enter the tops of your shoes - which would prevent you from feeling the "seasonal" chill.
These are a couple of examples of Holiday-wear: 2 are perfect, 2 are entirely wrong...which category do you fall into?
Don't mess this up, you'll have to wait another year for redemption!
Enjoy the day...
Let's start with colors. Fall '09 colors that appeared on runways and racks across the world were earthy oranges, deep browns, and robust reds and blues - with metallic and chromatic options, too. Obviously, I didn't fall for any of this, as the color of my standard wardrobe tends to favor, khaki, khaki, and khaki - and maybe olive and brown. Nevertheless, my colors - or the runway colors will gain you any street cred at a holiday party near you. You absolutely must wear red and greens, and maybe genuine fake gold accoutrements. If you have a shirt with a screen-printed reindeer (with a small bell for the nose) - go ahead and just do it...this shirt is barely acceptable, but will get you a beatdown in July. Pants could match - I'm probably the only dude with a both green and red britches (deep in my closet), and when I get the chance to wear'em - I must do so. Belts are optional, since I am planning on looking stupid, yet festive. Some people even like to wear holiday scarves, but they are only relevant if they are in plaids, or if they are made of Santa's Beard. Speaking of Santa - if you are going to wear a Santa hat - make sure it is red - not multi-colored or green - and it has to have the fuzzy orb at the top - NO BELLS!
Now - the shape of your clothes is not that important, unless you try to use the clothing to accent your form. Generally - clothes should be frumpy. This will hide your midsection throughout the holiday gorging. Pants should be constricting in the waist, as this will also support the weight of that leftover turkey leg that you ate on the way to the Turkey Dinner. I also like thick sweaters because they also help to hide the shape of the cookies on your hips. Turtlenecks can also hide that triple chin you hope to gain throughout the feasting. Pants should should be "relaxed-fit", right? Plenty of room through the hips and thighs, and tapered below the knee, so that bottoms of the pants do not cover your elf shoes. And, if they are not tapered (say "bootcut), the snow on the ground cannot enter the tops of your shoes - which would prevent you from feeling the "seasonal" chill.
These are a couple of examples of Holiday-wear: 2 are perfect, 2 are entirely wrong...which category do you fall into?
Don't mess this up, you'll have to wait another year for redemption!
Enjoy the day...
December 7, 2009
Holiday Party allegedly "GREAT!"
This weekend the Eastern 4-H Center hosted it's first Holiday Party of the year. I heard it was "Great", but I have not confirmed that, though. There is a high likelihood that it truly was very good - but "great"? Great means Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Sweet Potato pie...but a party?
This was the menu...pork loin, roasted beef, mashed red skin potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, salad, and assorted cobblers...the menu does sound very good. It had to be cooked very well. Jillie Swain was the check du jour/weekend. Alright - I will concede that the food was probably great, but what about the rest of the evening - decorations, ambiance, etc.
Well, the tree is 8 feet tall with shimmery red and gold decorations, and when lit, it looks better than the Rockefeller Center's gargantuan fir. So it MIGHT have been great but were there other decorations? Well, the candlelit floral arrangements at each table added to decor and ambiance, so they knock out two birds with one stone. There was some holiday music being pumped through the sound system, this wold have added to the ambiance. Maybe the whole shi-bang was great...Good job to the Kitchen Crew, along with Lee and Charles who pitched in to get everything done as I gallivanted the greater-Raleigh area for my girlfriends birthday.
Speaking of - I nearly tanked the entire thing...Callie loves the Angus Barn at Christmas...the place is very pretty, but I thought she just wanted a nice restaurant...When I couldn't get a prime reservation I nearly selected a different location that she has been not-so-subtle about. This critical error was avoided, so my life was spared...I also got her a new coffee pot that does everything a lady-on-the-go would ever want. It does everything but drive her car to work.
North Carolina's Second Split of Waterfowl season ended Saturday at Sunset...I was able to take in a quick hunt before heading west. Now, waterfowler's should take advantage of the sea duck season. Be very careful and read regulations carefully so that you can avoid a rendezvous with some of N.C.'s renowned game wardens...And if you bag any of these unique ducks, tell somebody and get the word out...more research needs to be done on sea ducks...while they are very revalent in the open waters of our coast, little is know about their breeding habitat. More desire from hunters will equal more research from nerds.
Alabama and Texas are headed for a faceoff in Pasadena for a shot at the National Champioship of college football. Alabama slapped Florida around while Texas barely slipped by Nebraska. Auburn is headed to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida - they'll play the "mighty" Northwestern Wildcats. Auburn should show up to play...Traditional powers like Auburn, unfortunately, have a history of "not showing up" to play teams like Northwestern. Auburn needs to show up and show out.
My Christmas shopping is nearly done. So is my credit limit.
Throughout the week, the Center will be hosting more holiday parties, and this weekend, we'll have two at the same time! I'll be on site to be in charge.
Enjoy the day...
This was the menu...pork loin, roasted beef, mashed red skin potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, salad, and assorted cobblers...the menu does sound very good. It had to be cooked very well. Jillie Swain was the check du jour/weekend. Alright - I will concede that the food was probably great, but what about the rest of the evening - decorations, ambiance, etc.
Well, the tree is 8 feet tall with shimmery red and gold decorations, and when lit, it looks better than the Rockefeller Center's gargantuan fir. So it MIGHT have been great but were there other decorations? Well, the candlelit floral arrangements at each table added to decor and ambiance, so they knock out two birds with one stone. There was some holiday music being pumped through the sound system, this wold have added to the ambiance. Maybe the whole shi-bang was great...Good job to the Kitchen Crew, along with Lee and Charles who pitched in to get everything done as I gallivanted the greater-Raleigh area for my girlfriends birthday.
Speaking of - I nearly tanked the entire thing...Callie loves the Angus Barn at Christmas...the place is very pretty, but I thought she just wanted a nice restaurant...When I couldn't get a prime reservation I nearly selected a different location that she has been not-so-subtle about. This critical error was avoided, so my life was spared...I also got her a new coffee pot that does everything a lady-on-the-go would ever want. It does everything but drive her car to work.
North Carolina's Second Split of Waterfowl season ended Saturday at Sunset...I was able to take in a quick hunt before heading west. Now, waterfowler's should take advantage of the sea duck season. Be very careful and read regulations carefully so that you can avoid a rendezvous with some of N.C.'s renowned game wardens...And if you bag any of these unique ducks, tell somebody and get the word out...more research needs to be done on sea ducks...while they are very revalent in the open waters of our coast, little is know about their breeding habitat. More desire from hunters will equal more research from nerds.
Alabama and Texas are headed for a faceoff in Pasadena for a shot at the National Champioship of college football. Alabama slapped Florida around while Texas barely slipped by Nebraska. Auburn is headed to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida - they'll play the "mighty" Northwestern Wildcats. Auburn should show up to play...Traditional powers like Auburn, unfortunately, have a history of "not showing up" to play teams like Northwestern. Auburn needs to show up and show out.
My Christmas shopping is nearly done. So is my credit limit.
Throughout the week, the Center will be hosting more holiday parties, and this weekend, we'll have two at the same time! I'll be on site to be in charge.
Enjoy the day...
December 3, 2009
Holiday Cuts (of meat)
Like every holiday season, the Eastern 4-H Center hosts Christmas parties for a variety of organizations. These groups have the option of selecting their menu...which generally includes several different meat options...pork, beef, and chicken. Today, I will talk about those certain cuts that we serve, and why they are good...
First, let's look at the Chicken. Yard Bird is a great holiday option - it's lean, plain tasting (it can be seasoned in a variety of ways), and easy to cook. One could fry it, bake it grill it, sear it - basically anything. The Center offers up baked chicken during the holidays...it's generally dry-marinated in our secret spices (rhymes with fault and mepper), and then baked at 350...we cook "8 way chicken" - two breasts, two wings, two thighs, two legs - not whole chicken. Personally, when I prepare chicken for friends, I like to cook whole fryers (gutsenall, too)- I start with a dry rub that includes chilli, cumin, paprika, salt, and brown sugar...it sits in the rub for a day. I sear the outsides in a hot skillet to make the skin crispy, then I finish it in the oven (in a roasting pan) at about 250 - I cook it until the internal temp of the thigh bone is around 170. Let it sit for a while before you slice - the juices have to solidify. I serve it with green beans and rice, but the Center offers everything from a "friendly" veggie medley to sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, salad, and even collards.
Pork is also an option...I like pork becuae it has a real "taste." Everyone knows what pork tastes like, because it doesn't "taste like chicken." The Center offers up an "Herb baked pork loin" with gravy on the side. Thin medallions of hog are the best way, and few would argue that there is a better cut from swine. And since North Carolina is renowned for it's pork, there is no better way to support our livestock heritage. The loin is lean by pork standards, so it tends to dry out...we'll sear it to lock in juices and complete it in a 350 degree oven until the internal temp is 170. Cook it under cover of foil! Reserve the juices for a tasty gravy, too. Christmas at my parents' house might include smoked ribs, which are second to none - including famous BBQ joints like Dreamland's and The Rendezvous. I like to make loin for special occasions and I prepare it a lot like the Center. I tried to smoke a pork loin one time...don't waste your time...it comes out tasting like Canadian-style bacon. That's ok, if you like CSB. I don't. I do like to smoke Boston Butts (which is actually a shoulder of pork)...I like to baste it with vinegar, honey and cayenne. Thanks to commercialization hog production has been ramped up, but unfortunately, flavor has been lost. "Heritage" or "boutique" pork products fascinate me. These hogs are part of a long line of hogs that have been unchanged by mass production. Berkshire and Gloucester Old Spot....these breeds are tough to find and you'll have to procure them from local farmers if available...you can also find them on the internet. Their meats are darker and usually a little leaner.
Now - the perennial favorite - BEEF! "It's what's for dinner", if you would like anyway. The Eastern 4-H Center offers beef in two ways of the holiday... Prime Rib and Ribeye Steaks - well, and roast, too. Since Roast beef is boring, I will make you read about it here, or just skip to the next paragraph to avoid it all together. The Center's Roast beef is procured from the "eye of round" - which comes from the hind quarter. We slow dry rub the round, then roast, cool, and slice...gravy on the side. Horseradish sauce is also a good accompaniment, but we generally don't offer that. I like roast cooked pink, but the Center cooks until completely done. It's VERY GOOD.
The Center also offers patrons the opportunity to select Ribeye or Prime Rib for the main entree of the holiday party. Prime rib is my favorite of the two - it has good flavor and is a little easier to prepare for friends. Ribeyes are meant for manly-men and womanly-women who like their beef! We grill steaks based on request, so please order them medium, as this is the universally-known best way to enjoy a steak. I know some people in this office who would eat a steak that had not been grilled at all. I just like mine warmed a little on the top, but for some that is tough to handle. Urban legends state that many restaurants will serve less then prime or choice cuts to those customers who desire "well-done" steaks. We would never do that, and we order only "USDA Prime" and "USDA Choice". We dont't offer Kobe or Wagyu - those are Japanese cattle that are farmed to make fatty, buttery, exceptionally flavored cuts of meat...they are also about $30 a pound, which is the main reason we don't order it or offer it. By the way, there are several different grades that are given to cuts of meat by the USDA...I have displayed them below - the best and most flavorful grades are listed first!
(1)Prime - top-notch...only about 2% of all beef receives this grade.
(2)Choice - over 50% of all beef obtain this grade...this is the most common available in sit-down restaurants and other food service operations that offer "steak." The difference between Choice and Prime is the fat content...Prime has more fat or "marbling".
(3) Select - this is what you may find in the grocery store at the bargain counter...just less juicy than Choice.
(4) Standard - Blahhh...they use this in prisons and schools, I think.
(5) Commercial - This can be found in very low-end restaurants or very high-end dog foods.
(6) Utility - Dog food, plain and simple
(7) Cutter - Bad dog food, plain and simple.
(8) Canner - I don't know about this...I think canner is short for "garbage canner."
Anyway, the Prime Rib is the entire rib roast that is roasted in an oven and served with horseradish cream. The Ribeye is a sliced portion of the rib roast that is individually sliced then grilled.
Other good cuts to enjoy around the holidays (but that are not served by the Center) are the Filet Mignon and the Chateau Briand. I prefer the filet, mainly because of its accessibility. Chateau briand is tough to find around here, though it does have exceptional flavor and tenderness. London Broil is a favorite of one of our summer staff members, and I like it, too.
That's it about meat...well, we also do fried shrimp with Prime Rib or Ribeye - just let Nikki, our Reservationist know when you book...her number is 252.797.4800 ext 224!
Enjoy the day...
First, let's look at the Chicken. Yard Bird is a great holiday option - it's lean, plain tasting (it can be seasoned in a variety of ways), and easy to cook. One could fry it, bake it grill it, sear it - basically anything. The Center offers up baked chicken during the holidays...it's generally dry-marinated in our secret spices (rhymes with fault and mepper), and then baked at 350...we cook "8 way chicken" - two breasts, two wings, two thighs, two legs - not whole chicken. Personally, when I prepare chicken for friends, I like to cook whole fryers (gutsenall, too)- I start with a dry rub that includes chilli, cumin, paprika, salt, and brown sugar...it sits in the rub for a day. I sear the outsides in a hot skillet to make the skin crispy, then I finish it in the oven (in a roasting pan) at about 250 - I cook it until the internal temp of the thigh bone is around 170. Let it sit for a while before you slice - the juices have to solidify. I serve it with green beans and rice, but the Center offers everything from a "friendly" veggie medley to sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, salad, and even collards.
Pork is also an option...I like pork becuae it has a real "taste." Everyone knows what pork tastes like, because it doesn't "taste like chicken." The Center offers up an "Herb baked pork loin" with gravy on the side. Thin medallions of hog are the best way, and few would argue that there is a better cut from swine. And since North Carolina is renowned for it's pork, there is no better way to support our livestock heritage. The loin is lean by pork standards, so it tends to dry out...we'll sear it to lock in juices and complete it in a 350 degree oven until the internal temp is 170. Cook it under cover of foil! Reserve the juices for a tasty gravy, too. Christmas at my parents' house might include smoked ribs, which are second to none - including famous BBQ joints like Dreamland's and The Rendezvous. I like to make loin for special occasions and I prepare it a lot like the Center. I tried to smoke a pork loin one time...don't waste your time...it comes out tasting like Canadian-style bacon. That's ok, if you like CSB. I don't. I do like to smoke Boston Butts (which is actually a shoulder of pork)...I like to baste it with vinegar, honey and cayenne. Thanks to commercialization hog production has been ramped up, but unfortunately, flavor has been lost. "Heritage" or "boutique" pork products fascinate me. These hogs are part of a long line of hogs that have been unchanged by mass production. Berkshire and Gloucester Old Spot....these breeds are tough to find and you'll have to procure them from local farmers if available...you can also find them on the internet. Their meats are darker and usually a little leaner.
Now - the perennial favorite - BEEF! "It's what's for dinner", if you would like anyway. The Eastern 4-H Center offers beef in two ways of the holiday... Prime Rib and Ribeye Steaks - well, and roast, too. Since Roast beef is boring, I will make you read about it here, or just skip to the next paragraph to avoid it all together. The Center's Roast beef is procured from the "eye of round" - which comes from the hind quarter. We slow dry rub the round, then roast, cool, and slice...gravy on the side. Horseradish sauce is also a good accompaniment, but we generally don't offer that. I like roast cooked pink, but the Center cooks until completely done. It's VERY GOOD.
(1)Prime - top-notch...only about 2% of all beef receives this grade.
(2)Choice - over 50% of all beef obtain this grade...this is the most common available in sit-down restaurants and other food service operations that offer "steak." The difference between Choice and Prime is the fat content...Prime has more fat or "marbling".
(3) Select - this is what you may find in the grocery store at the bargain counter...just less juicy than Choice.
(4) Standard - Blahhh...they use this in prisons and schools, I think.
(5) Commercial - This can be found in very low-end restaurants or very high-end dog foods.
(6) Utility - Dog food, plain and simple
(7) Cutter - Bad dog food, plain and simple.
(8) Canner - I don't know about this...I think canner is short for "garbage canner."
Anyway, the Prime Rib is the entire rib roast that is roasted in an oven and served with horseradish cream. The Ribeye is a sliced portion of the rib roast that is individually sliced then grilled.
Other good cuts to enjoy around the holidays (but that are not served by the Center) are the Filet Mignon and the Chateau Briand. I prefer the filet, mainly because of its accessibility. Chateau briand is tough to find around here, though it does have exceptional flavor and tenderness. London Broil is a favorite of one of our summer staff members, and I like it, too.
That's it about meat...well, we also do fried shrimp with Prime Rib or Ribeye - just let Nikki, our Reservationist know when you book...her number is 252.797.4800 ext 224!
Enjoy the day...
December 2, 2009
Winter?
Yesterday I stepped outside around 4:00 am...I was surprised to feel the ice cold wind chill...my ears turned red from embarrassment from exposure. Nevertheless, is Winter here to stay? Temperatures today have warmed to 50 degrees with a south wind. Mother Nature - please make up your mind. How are we supposed to get into the holiday spirit when we are getting out the sunscreen?
Yesterday, the "women-folk" in the office decorated our Christmas Tree - errr holiday tree. They will decorate the other tree today. I wish I knew how to decorate, but the ability to adorn escapes me. My idea of decorating is cleaning up - so I'm a terrible decorator. But, as much as I don't enjoy decorating, I do like to see decorations. I am a staunch traditionalist in virtually every facet. I like white lights, not multi-color. Popcorn and cranberries suits me fine, and it smells delicious. Red ribbons are good, too. With a star on top...of a real tree.
Neverhteless, some people like to decorate their entire yard. This is done for two reasons: Excitement to plug indoor lighting to outdoor sources and to mark territories. It's like putting up a festive fence...and good fences make good neighbors, right? My parents' neighbor has a fence, but it's to keep the neighbor in, not my parents out.
New principles have been established when decorating a yard. A yard is comsidered incomplete without a blow-up Santa Klaus riding in a car. The fairy-tale of Santa is about to be lost with children, but I suppose they can always look up the "origins" on the internet. Kids will soon find out that Santa doesn't exist because he does not have a facebook page...sure their are "groups", but no person. Santa should madernize. Back to yards - decorators must also place lights around old cars in their yards...and make loops around the tires. The light-up icicles are finally being phased out...I can only imagine how messy they are to uncoil. Anyway, icicles in the east are as common as zebras. But if you have a zebra, please put a wreath around it's neck.
Decorating the front door, to me, is nice! I like a piney-cedary wreath! Decorators should also decorate the interior of their homes, and everyone should have a tree...otherwise Santa can't visit, right? Candles in the window are not a good idea, but they look good. Playing holiday background music is always fun, but annoying after you hear "feliz navidad" for the eleventeenth time. Even if you don't enjoy decorations/decorating - do it for kids...
Enjoy the day...
Yesterday, the "women-folk" in the office decorated our Christmas Tree - errr holiday tree. They will decorate the other tree today. I wish I knew how to decorate, but the ability to adorn escapes me. My idea of decorating is cleaning up - so I'm a terrible decorator. But, as much as I don't enjoy decorating, I do like to see decorations. I am a staunch traditionalist in virtually every facet. I like white lights, not multi-color. Popcorn and cranberries suits me fine, and it smells delicious. Red ribbons are good, too. With a star on top...of a real tree.
Neverhteless, some people like to decorate their entire yard. This is done for two reasons: Excitement to plug indoor lighting to outdoor sources and to mark territories. It's like putting up a festive fence...and good fences make good neighbors, right? My parents' neighbor has a fence, but it's to keep the neighbor in, not my parents out.
New principles have been established when decorating a yard. A yard is comsidered incomplete without a blow-up Santa Klaus riding in a car. The fairy-tale of Santa is about to be lost with children, but I suppose they can always look up the "origins" on the internet. Kids will soon find out that Santa doesn't exist because he does not have a facebook page...sure their are "groups", but no person. Santa should madernize. Back to yards - decorators must also place lights around old cars in their yards...and make loops around the tires. The light-up icicles are finally being phased out...I can only imagine how messy they are to uncoil. Anyway, icicles in the east are as common as zebras. But if you have a zebra, please put a wreath around it's neck.
Decorating the front door, to me, is nice! I like a piney-cedary wreath! Decorators should also decorate the interior of their homes, and everyone should have a tree...otherwise Santa can't visit, right? Candles in the window are not a good idea, but they look good. Playing holiday background music is always fun, but annoying after you hear "feliz navidad" for the eleventeenth time. Even if you don't enjoy decorations/decorating - do it for kids...
Enjoy the day...
December 1, 2009
Don't get run over by a (rein)deer...
Or anything else for that matter. Wildlife activity is on the rise, as is human activity. Lots of different things have folks on the go. Holidays, shopping, wildlife watching, and a variety of other endeavors can put animals in front of a vehicle at a highway near you! I to have been the victim of a roadside collision with wildlife...and pets. They all had just one lane to go, but I beat them to it apparently. Nevertheless, I hope they rest in peace and not in pieces...that was wrong.
How can you, the avid reader avoid wildlife? Well, you can just not drive, at all, ever. You could drive really slow, but I have hit deer at less than 5 miles per hour - but fortunately this only scares the deer AND you. Since Tyrrell County has only about 50 miles of primary highway and hundreds of miles of secondary, country roads, encounters with wildlife are not only likely, but certain. Everything from frogs to rabbits, bear, and especially deer.
From roughly October until February deer are in their mating (dating) season...bucks generally only get one girlfriend per year, and will stop at nothing (except your bumper) to find her. When a female deer comes in to estrus, every buck in town is in hot pursuit of her...they are as ready to breed as she is...so anyway, all of the bucks will give chase. And like any other self-respecting lady - she plays "hard to get." Bucks will chase her through swamps, fields, rivers, yards, and unfortunately highways. If you are travelling on any road during the aforementioned months and you happen to spot a doe on the go, proceed with caution, because there is a high likelihood that something is in hot pursuit. Always drive slow when driving at night, especially around dusk and dawn...be very weary around ditch crossings that intersect your artery of travel...these corridors are natural highways for deer.
So let's pretend you have had a smear with a deer...what next?
Stop the vehicle (if it isn't stopped already) on the shoulder of the road if possible, but anywhere out of the highway will do just fine.
Check for personal and passenger injuries, and apply first aid up to your level of training - until the EMT's arrive...they will not show up unless you dial 911, though!
Take a picture of your vehicle and make sure to include closeups with animal hair. If possible take a picture of the deer (but not with the deer).
Call the highway patrol and let them do a report.
You might have to call a wrecker, but let the highway patrol decide for you.
Do not attempt to dispatch the deer, which is illegal.
Do not load the deer into your truk and drive off, either. In Alabama, where I grew up, I have seen many people do this very thing, only to go home, dress the animal, eat it, and in some cases have it taxidermied.
Call your insurance company...set up a meeting to discuss the police report and share all of the pictures you took with your agent. Most insurace agencies are good to work with, some are not.
Get your car fixed.
Drive slow from here on out, but have your insurace company on speed dial.
If you follow these instructions, you can just breathe easy until the next "go-round".
Bears are a tremendous problem, as they are large and are the same color as dark pavement and moonless nights. I have only seen one bear that had been struck by a car, but neither car nor bear were spared in the rendezvous. I have seen lots of bears piddling roadside at prior roadkill, though - so be careful!
Roads are dangerous places for animals, especially possums, since they apparently live there. Nevertheless, roads impede natural animal migrations (such as elk), but also block natural travel corridors that interfere with predator - prey interaction...U.S. 64 has under-road bear crossings to prevent collisions. South Florida utilizes man-made "land bridges" to keep the Florida Panther safe when encountering a road. These multi-million dollar projects save lots of animals and money (for insurance agencies and purchasers). Drive slow and enjoy the drive.
Enjoy the day...
How can you, the avid reader avoid wildlife? Well, you can just not drive, at all, ever. You could drive really slow, but I have hit deer at less than 5 miles per hour - but fortunately this only scares the deer AND you. Since Tyrrell County has only about 50 miles of primary highway and hundreds of miles of secondary, country roads, encounters with wildlife are not only likely, but certain. Everything from frogs to rabbits, bear, and especially deer.
From roughly October until February deer are in their mating (dating) season...bucks generally only get one girlfriend per year, and will stop at nothing (except your bumper) to find her. When a female deer comes in to estrus, every buck in town is in hot pursuit of her...they are as ready to breed as she is...so anyway, all of the bucks will give chase. And like any other self-respecting lady - she plays "hard to get." Bucks will chase her through swamps, fields, rivers, yards, and unfortunately highways. If you are travelling on any road during the aforementioned months and you happen to spot a doe on the go, proceed with caution, because there is a high likelihood that something is in hot pursuit. Always drive slow when driving at night, especially around dusk and dawn...be very weary around ditch crossings that intersect your artery of travel...these corridors are natural highways for deer.
So let's pretend you have had a smear with a deer...what next?
Stop the vehicle (if it isn't stopped already) on the shoulder of the road if possible, but anywhere out of the highway will do just fine.
Check for personal and passenger injuries, and apply first aid up to your level of training - until the EMT's arrive...they will not show up unless you dial 911, though!
Take a picture of your vehicle and make sure to include closeups with animal hair. If possible take a picture of the deer (but not with the deer).
Call the highway patrol and let them do a report.
You might have to call a wrecker, but let the highway patrol decide for you.
Do not attempt to dispatch the deer, which is illegal.
Do not load the deer into your truk and drive off, either. In Alabama, where I grew up, I have seen many people do this very thing, only to go home, dress the animal, eat it, and in some cases have it taxidermied.
Call your insurance company...set up a meeting to discuss the police report and share all of the pictures you took with your agent. Most insurace agencies are good to work with, some are not.
Get your car fixed.
Drive slow from here on out, but have your insurace company on speed dial.
If you follow these instructions, you can just breathe easy until the next "go-round".
Bears are a tremendous problem, as they are large and are the same color as dark pavement and moonless nights. I have only seen one bear that had been struck by a car, but neither car nor bear were spared in the rendezvous. I have seen lots of bears piddling roadside at prior roadkill, though - so be careful!
Roads are dangerous places for animals, especially possums, since they apparently live there. Nevertheless, roads impede natural animal migrations (such as elk), but also block natural travel corridors that interfere with predator - prey interaction...U.S. 64 has under-road bear crossings to prevent collisions. South Florida utilizes man-made "land bridges" to keep the Florida Panther safe when encountering a road. These multi-million dollar projects save lots of animals and money (for insurance agencies and purchasers). Drive slow and enjoy the drive.
Enjoy the day...
November 30, 2009
It's Over
Thanksgiving is over, "Courage" is at Disneyland, and Alabama slipped by Auburn in a thrilling rendition of the Iron Bowl. From all accounts, everyone here at the Center had a safe and fun Thanksgiving - with the exception of Nikki's husband...uber-man fell while retrieving the Christmas tree, but he's a tough guy, and we all hope he recovers quickly....he turned one of his ankles.
My trip was filled with fun and food, and despite the cliche' it really was filled with fun and food.
The menu for the Luker Thanksgiving included Ham, Saffron Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Something else that escapes my memory, and Lemon Ice Box Pie...my mom also likes to cook back-up desserts like Date-Rolls and Hummingbird Cake (which is not made with hummingbirds). It was all delicious. My mother does an amazing job around the holidays - she goes from feeding only my dad, to a whole horde of Luker-folk. I don't see how she holds it together, but she had some help form my sister Amanda...Penelope did not help, but she is a dog...she does help sweep the floor clean after meals, though.
It's now time to look towards Chrishannukwanzaadan. Hopefully, everyone you know will be celebrating some type of gift-giving holiday. Make sure you are on everyone's guest list, and make double-sure that you are not making a guest list...take a year off from throwing your own party.
A lot of folks around here have decided that the staff, food, and amenities of the Eastern 4-H Center are more than capable of throwing to gether a holiday feast, forage, or party. We still have some openings for holiday parties...think middle of the next couple of weeks. Prices range from about $14 - $25 per person...and you can pick from our menu options, or customize your own, if you dare. We will even provide festive decorations and a Christmas tree, complete with lights...Lee has stated that he will NOT be singing carols while diners partake...
The second split of the North Carolina Waterfowl season is about wrap - up...sportsmen and women should take full advantage of the full flight by: (1) buying a federal waterfowl stamp (this is the last year they will only be $15 dollars, thankfully) (2) Properly and safely equip your hunting friends, which hopefully includes a kid or three, and (3) finding a place that holds birds, harvest them, and then enjoy their taste...Gamey meats are traditional around the holidays, as they are rich in protein and go good with the seasonal vegetables like parsnip, collards, and pumpkin.
Enjoy the day...
My trip was filled with fun and food, and despite the cliche' it really was filled with fun and food.
The menu for the Luker Thanksgiving included Ham, Saffron Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Something else that escapes my memory, and Lemon Ice Box Pie...my mom also likes to cook back-up desserts like Date-Rolls and Hummingbird Cake (which is not made with hummingbirds). It was all delicious. My mother does an amazing job around the holidays - she goes from feeding only my dad, to a whole horde of Luker-folk. I don't see how she holds it together, but she had some help form my sister Amanda...Penelope did not help, but she is a dog...she does help sweep the floor clean after meals, though.
It's now time to look towards Chrishannukwanzaadan. Hopefully, everyone you know will be celebrating some type of gift-giving holiday. Make sure you are on everyone's guest list, and make double-sure that you are not making a guest list...take a year off from throwing your own party.
A lot of folks around here have decided that the staff, food, and amenities of the Eastern 4-H Center are more than capable of throwing to gether a holiday feast, forage, or party. We still have some openings for holiday parties...think middle of the next couple of weeks. Prices range from about $14 - $25 per person...and you can pick from our menu options, or customize your own, if you dare. We will even provide festive decorations and a Christmas tree, complete with lights...Lee has stated that he will NOT be singing carols while diners partake...
The second split of the North Carolina Waterfowl season is about wrap - up...sportsmen and women should take full advantage of the full flight by: (1) buying a federal waterfowl stamp (this is the last year they will only be $15 dollars, thankfully) (2) Properly and safely equip your hunting friends, which hopefully includes a kid or three, and (3) finding a place that holds birds, harvest them, and then enjoy their taste...Gamey meats are traditional around the holidays, as they are rich in protein and go good with the seasonal vegetables like parsnip, collards, and pumpkin.
Enjoy the day...
November 20, 2009
Thanksgiving Blog
I haven't had much time to blog...so here is a Thanksgiving Blog, since I will be out next week.
The past 5 days have been spent cleaning up after the storm. Yesterday, we all raked pine straw in shifts so that we could mulch our flower beds. Pine straw is a good choice...any pine oil that is in them will ward of some bugs, but it also keeps roots nice and warm in the winter. Every morning I have arisen at 4:00 am to go and try to "catch some ducks...we have been fortunate for the most part, despite the warm, cloudy, still weather. Next week it is supposed to cool off, so maybe some more ducks will come on down and join me in the Sound.
Today is Friday! It is nasty foggy outside - Today was also Casper and Stephanie's last day on the job. The staff house will be strangely quite for 36 hours, then nicely quite until some one else arrives...in the mean time - the refrigerator is MINE MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Saturday always comes after Friday - I will probably try to "catch" some more ducks somewhere, but I am going to make sure to check out the first ever Hyde County Waterfowl Festival! I love a waterfowl festival - especially those in small towns where waterfowl are woven into the cultural of the place...And Lake Mattamuskeet is probably the second most important sight for waterfowl on the East Coast, with the exception of the Chesapeake Bay. There will be carvers, callers, vendors, oysters, and shrimp - all of which I hold in high regard...I'll use the festival to try and find some campers and instructors for Camp Canvasback 2010!
Sunday I will attempt to knock out some Christmas shopping. My lady friend's birthday is also in December, and she continues to remind me that I cannot "combine" gifts - not that I do. I really try to put a limit on what she spends - so she sets the limit, but goes over it every time because "she likes to do it..." I set a limit for myself and always try to come in under the limit...it's sorta like budgeting.
My Christmas list includes:
A Million Dollars
A beard
Time with family (cliche listing?)
An Honorary Doctoral Degree from an esteemed institution
I will be glad if I get just one of those, while one is highly unlikely - I have to shave for holiday pictures.
Thanksgiving Day will be spent at my parents' house - Turkey, Ham, Saffron Rice Casserole, Green Beans, and maybe a lemon icebox pie....
Friday is the most important day of the year for Alabama residents. Nope - not deer season opener or black friday...THE IRON BOWL - Auburn University vs. The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. This is also the 20th anniversary of the "first-time ever" game...where UAT located their road map and drove the bus to Auburn, the loveliest village on the plain. For years, the Iron Bowl was played in Birmingham - the name "Iron Bowl" is from the old steel mills and such that the Birmingham economy was based on - I hated going to play Alabama in Birmingham...it was supposed to be a neutral sight, but Birmingham is known as an "Alabama" town - very few Auburn fans...even the vendors and ticket-takers were Alabama hats at Auburn "home" games. Tickets were split 50-50 between the Universities, and teams alternated wearing home colors year in and year out...I have been to every Iron Bowl since 1994, and one in 1990. I went to the second "first-time" game in Tuscaloosa (UAT's campus location).
I have seen them play in snow, rain, sun, and heat. I have seen Auburn win the majority of these games. I have seen games form the field as a student manager. I have many great memories of the Iron Bowl:
1993 - Never saw this game in person - it was the last football game my late grandmother ever saw in person...the game wasn't televised because Auburn was on probation, but we won 22-14, spearheaded by a "back-up quarterback Pat Nix - to - Frank Sanders" touchdown connection...Jason Miska also sacked UAT quarterback Jay Barker for a safety.
2000 - First time in 99 years - Auburn beats UAT in Tuscaloosa - in the snow and sleet...my dad forfieted his ticket to Lindsey Waters, a friend of mine...it was his attempt at bribing her into a "pre-arranged marriage"...we had a blast.
2003 - Auburn was supposed to be whipped in this one...Coach Tuberville had all but "resigned"...then Cadillac Williams (Auburn's running back" scooted 80 yards on the first play...aside from an incident involving acorns, this was a great day...Auburn won 28-18.
2004 - Auburn whips Alabama in Tuscaloosa...my dad told an Alabama fan that he liked his "hair-do", and my best friend Adam Coleman wore Black Patent Leather Shoes...a Classic...Auburn went undefeated and was awarded the "People's National Championship" and "Golf Digest National Championship", adding fuel to the conspiracy - against - Auburn Theory".
1997 - Me and dad made a critical error by leaving when we thought Auburn had been defeated. As we were 300 yards from the stadium, it was an error by a player that made dad and I erroneous...UAT fullback Ed Scissum coughed up the ball, fumbled, spilled the bean, dropped the pill, got butterfingers, with 3 minutes to play...Auburn kicked a game winning field goal.
2005 - This was my last game as a student manager for the football team...managers have the duty of being on the sidelines, carrying microphone cords and telephones for coaches to communicate with players...nevertheless Auburn beat Alabama in dramatic and traumatic fashion...UAT quarterback Brodie Croyle was sacked twelve times...I also walked the "Tiger Walk" (Google it, seriously) as a senior team member and was assaulted by old ladies. My mom even went to this game!
Those are my top Iron Bowl memories, but there are better ones from other generations - "Punt Bama Punt" is one of the most famous for Auburn Fans, but UAT enjoys "Wrong Way Bo" and "Van Tiffin's Kick", both of which UAT fans embraced later in paintings...
Anyway, Dad and I will be back at it again on Friday, hoping to pull out another victory. Regardless of the outcome, I will give "Thanks" that Dad and I can carry on this tradition, and all of the other mischievous traditions it entails on gameday itself...
These are Iron Bowl pictures...
This is from the stands...with 87, 000 of your closest pals...
From the locker room....
That's me on the left! compare me with the players...
I was in the huddle!!!!
This is the game where we sacked UAT 12 times....
Enjoy your Thanksgiving...
The past 5 days have been spent cleaning up after the storm. Yesterday, we all raked pine straw in shifts so that we could mulch our flower beds. Pine straw is a good choice...any pine oil that is in them will ward of some bugs, but it also keeps roots nice and warm in the winter. Every morning I have arisen at 4:00 am to go and try to "catch some ducks...we have been fortunate for the most part, despite the warm, cloudy, still weather. Next week it is supposed to cool off, so maybe some more ducks will come on down and join me in the Sound.
Today is Friday! It is nasty foggy outside - Today was also Casper and Stephanie's last day on the job. The staff house will be strangely quite for 36 hours, then nicely quite until some one else arrives...in the mean time - the refrigerator is MINE MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Saturday always comes after Friday - I will probably try to "catch" some more ducks somewhere, but I am going to make sure to check out the first ever Hyde County Waterfowl Festival! I love a waterfowl festival - especially those in small towns where waterfowl are woven into the cultural of the place...And Lake Mattamuskeet is probably the second most important sight for waterfowl on the East Coast, with the exception of the Chesapeake Bay. There will be carvers, callers, vendors, oysters, and shrimp - all of which I hold in high regard...I'll use the festival to try and find some campers and instructors for Camp Canvasback 2010!
Sunday I will attempt to knock out some Christmas shopping. My lady friend's birthday is also in December, and she continues to remind me that I cannot "combine" gifts - not that I do. I really try to put a limit on what she spends - so she sets the limit, but goes over it every time because "she likes to do it..." I set a limit for myself and always try to come in under the limit...it's sorta like budgeting.
My Christmas list includes:
A Million Dollars
A beard
Time with family (cliche listing?)
An Honorary Doctoral Degree from an esteemed institution
I will be glad if I get just one of those, while one is highly unlikely - I have to shave for holiday pictures.
Thanksgiving Day will be spent at my parents' house - Turkey, Ham, Saffron Rice Casserole, Green Beans, and maybe a lemon icebox pie....
Friday is the most important day of the year for Alabama residents. Nope - not deer season opener or black friday...THE IRON BOWL - Auburn University vs. The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. This is also the 20th anniversary of the "first-time ever" game...where UAT located their road map and drove the bus to Auburn, the loveliest village on the plain. For years, the Iron Bowl was played in Birmingham - the name "Iron Bowl" is from the old steel mills and such that the Birmingham economy was based on - I hated going to play Alabama in Birmingham...it was supposed to be a neutral sight, but Birmingham is known as an "Alabama" town - very few Auburn fans...even the vendors and ticket-takers were Alabama hats at Auburn "home" games. Tickets were split 50-50 between the Universities, and teams alternated wearing home colors year in and year out...I have been to every Iron Bowl since 1994, and one in 1990. I went to the second "first-time" game in Tuscaloosa (UAT's campus location).
I have seen them play in snow, rain, sun, and heat. I have seen Auburn win the majority of these games. I have seen games form the field as a student manager. I have many great memories of the Iron Bowl:
1993 - Never saw this game in person - it was the last football game my late grandmother ever saw in person...the game wasn't televised because Auburn was on probation, but we won 22-14, spearheaded by a "back-up quarterback Pat Nix - to - Frank Sanders" touchdown connection...Jason Miska also sacked UAT quarterback Jay Barker for a safety.
2000 - First time in 99 years - Auburn beats UAT in Tuscaloosa - in the snow and sleet...my dad forfieted his ticket to Lindsey Waters, a friend of mine...it was his attempt at bribing her into a "pre-arranged marriage"...we had a blast.
2003 - Auburn was supposed to be whipped in this one...Coach Tuberville had all but "resigned"...then Cadillac Williams (Auburn's running back" scooted 80 yards on the first play...aside from an incident involving acorns, this was a great day...Auburn won 28-18.
2004 - Auburn whips Alabama in Tuscaloosa...my dad told an Alabama fan that he liked his "hair-do", and my best friend Adam Coleman wore Black Patent Leather Shoes...a Classic...Auburn went undefeated and was awarded the "People's National Championship" and "Golf Digest National Championship", adding fuel to the conspiracy - against - Auburn Theory".
1997 - Me and dad made a critical error by leaving when we thought Auburn had been defeated. As we were 300 yards from the stadium, it was an error by a player that made dad and I erroneous...UAT fullback Ed Scissum coughed up the ball, fumbled, spilled the bean, dropped the pill, got butterfingers, with 3 minutes to play...Auburn kicked a game winning field goal.
2005 - This was my last game as a student manager for the football team...managers have the duty of being on the sidelines, carrying microphone cords and telephones for coaches to communicate with players...nevertheless Auburn beat Alabama in dramatic and traumatic fashion...UAT quarterback Brodie Croyle was sacked twelve times...I also walked the "Tiger Walk" (Google it, seriously) as a senior team member and was assaulted by old ladies. My mom even went to this game!
Those are my top Iron Bowl memories, but there are better ones from other generations - "Punt Bama Punt" is one of the most famous for Auburn Fans, but UAT enjoys "Wrong Way Bo" and "Van Tiffin's Kick", both of which UAT fans embraced later in paintings...
Anyway, Dad and I will be back at it again on Friday, hoping to pull out another victory. Regardless of the outcome, I will give "Thanks" that Dad and I can carry on this tradition, and all of the other mischievous traditions it entails on gameday itself...
These are Iron Bowl pictures...
This is from the stands...with 87, 000 of your closest pals...
From the locker room....
That's me on the left! compare me with the players...
I was in the huddle!!!!
This is the game where we sacked UAT 12 times....
Enjoy your Thanksgiving...
November 13, 2009
Storm Update with pictures
After last night, winds have picked up...items from the northern shore of the Albemarle have made it down to our side...I am considering starting a "Lost and Found" for this storm...on the list now:
22' section of pier
"I'm Retired, so leave me alone" trucker hat.
Expired Cormorant
Two pink beach balls
Numerous crab pot buoys, two are 10 feet up in the trees
Never have I been so impressed by nature's fury. Those that question the importance of wetlands, I invite you to come down and enjoy the view and work that our on-site wetlands are doing...they are quite a sponge! The normal shoreline has extended up to 200 yards in some places. Local farmers have said that this is the most water they have EVER SEEN!
Here are some pictures of our pier and wetlands...
The picture below is on a "Good Day"
You can see the over wash through the runners on the pier...
Here's a little furious wave action...
You can see where there was some pier...
And here's where the pier ended up...
Some wetland overwash...people should really pick up before a storm!
This is what was in Hertford, now in Bulls Bay...
The waters have finally receded from the top of our Interpretive Boardwalk
This will be a storm that is talked about for quite some time....and now it's Ida, not Lee Scripture who will determine our tasks for some time now. The cleanup will begin as soon as the "mess-up" concludes.
22' section of pier
"I'm Retired, so leave me alone" trucker hat.
Expired Cormorant
Two pink beach balls
Numerous crab pot buoys, two are 10 feet up in the trees
Never have I been so impressed by nature's fury. Those that question the importance of wetlands, I invite you to come down and enjoy the view and work that our on-site wetlands are doing...they are quite a sponge! The normal shoreline has extended up to 200 yards in some places. Local farmers have said that this is the most water they have EVER SEEN!
Here are some pictures of our pier and wetlands...
The picture below is on a "Good Day"
You can see the over wash through the runners on the pier...
Here's a little furious wave action...
You can see where there was some pier...
And here's where the pier ended up...
Some wetland overwash...people should really pick up before a storm!
This is what was in Hertford, now in Bulls Bay...
The waters have finally receded from the top of our Interpretive Boardwalk
This will be a storm that is talked about for quite some time....and now it's Ida, not Lee Scripture who will determine our tasks for some time now. The cleanup will begin as soon as the "mess-up" concludes.
"Walking sideways"
The last 48 hours here have entailed an impressive show of weather...and "Ida" just sounds like a wimpy name...on my excursions yesterday, I found wyself fording "road rivers". Some of the places around here, like Cross Landing and Deep Creek, are so deep in water, that crossing these roads should only be done with extreme care. I have been in coastal North Carolina for 3.5 years, and had yet to see a true storm. We have had some odd snows, some blowing nor'easters, but nothing like this. Field are underwater, ditches are full of water and cars, and some houses look like islands.
I have discovered that walking sideways is the best way to stay perfectly upright in these types of storms. Yesterday morning, the electricity went out, but returned around 2:00 pm. It is certain to go out today. The gusts are up to around 50, but a steady gust hangs in there at 25 miles an hour. My cup of coffee is currntly whitecapping, just like the toilets in the bathroom. We have sustained no damage, but some of the trees have finally buckled. A storm like this gets rid of those dead and dying trees, and creates new habitat on the ground for rabbits, squirrels, quail, and snakes.
Hopefully it will not destroy any human habitat, though some "beach boxes" have washed into the ocean. The storm should break tomorrow. This storm put a damper on all of those bear hunts that many of friends had planned on doing, too. I am not sure what these does for tomorrow's waterfowl opener, but water never hurt a duck. Every piece of land is wet or under water. Ducks should be everywhere, but howling winds, especially those coming from the north can only inspire waterfowl to draft on these winds and head towards calmer waters. Boaters on the southsides of Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds should be VERY CAUTIOUS. If I go, it will be because the water is off the roads, but that doesn't look like it's gonna happen. I do not want my boat to float of the trailer while its on the highway.
Nevertheless, stay inside if you can and Enjoy the day...
I have discovered that walking sideways is the best way to stay perfectly upright in these types of storms. Yesterday morning, the electricity went out, but returned around 2:00 pm. It is certain to go out today. The gusts are up to around 50, but a steady gust hangs in there at 25 miles an hour. My cup of coffee is currntly whitecapping, just like the toilets in the bathroom. We have sustained no damage, but some of the trees have finally buckled. A storm like this gets rid of those dead and dying trees, and creates new habitat on the ground for rabbits, squirrels, quail, and snakes.
Hopefully it will not destroy any human habitat, though some "beach boxes" have washed into the ocean. The storm should break tomorrow. This storm put a damper on all of those bear hunts that many of friends had planned on doing, too. I am not sure what these does for tomorrow's waterfowl opener, but water never hurt a duck. Every piece of land is wet or under water. Ducks should be everywhere, but howling winds, especially those coming from the north can only inspire waterfowl to draft on these winds and head towards calmer waters. Boaters on the southsides of Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds should be VERY CAUTIOUS. If I go, it will be because the water is off the roads, but that doesn't look like it's gonna happen. I do not want my boat to float of the trailer while its on the highway.
Nevertheless, stay inside if you can and Enjoy the day...
November 10, 2009
Showcasing Johnny Spencer's Shooting Skills
It's mid-November, which means that the leaves have fallen, turkeys are sweating, and Johnny Spencer hosts his annual EWWN meeting...they have a little oyster roast and then the group strolls over to shoot skeet at our 5-Stand. Normally, a group that comes here to shoot isn't overly-noteworthy. What makes Johnny so noteworthy is his ability to show up, talk about his shooting prowess, and find lots of empty air with "Ol' Betsy"...
I have gone afield with Johnny, and find him to be a "fair-to0-middlin" marksman, in fact, he's pretty good. He also claims to be the best Swan Caller on the peninsula, but that's another story. Today, Johnny will have the opportunity to revisit his fate on the dreaded, difficult, and demanding 5-Stand. The 5-Stand is a flurry of clay action, with targets being thrown from machines in all directions...shooters get 5 clays from 5 locations, for a total of 25 total targets...A score of 20 is good. A score of 15 is generally what my personal tally adds up, unfortunately. Yesterday I shot an 18...Nevertheless, Johnny will be able to face his Water Works foes, tournament-style. Good Luck, and thrower number 5 is moving at about 65 miles per hour!
Tonight, the Program Staff and I will visit Plymouth for the first annual "Goodbye You Crazy Hippies, Let's Eat Some Greasy Pizza" celebration. This season's staff looked strangely similar to the Spring Staff. They have done a wonderful job, and proved their versatility by pitching in at virtually every position at the Center, something few can say...So tonight we have decided to go with two different pizzas, one with Stuffed Crust (since I have never had it), sliced tomato and mushrooms...the other pizza will have peppers and ham on it which is TOTALLY GROSS.
Also today, my dad is having his first (and only, I hope) old man surgery...he swears he's getting old, but that's probably long gone...
Tomorrow, Lee and I will journey to Raleighwood, North Carolina to do a display of our Military Programs, which are probably some of the most expansive in the country...when you take into account our Family Camp for Wounded Veterans, our Specialty Camp for dependents with disabilities, and our Operation Purple Camps (for kids whose parents are deployed), it totals up to an impressive reach of campers...
I have to wear a suit...
Enjoy the day...
I have gone afield with Johnny, and find him to be a "fair-to0-middlin" marksman, in fact, he's pretty good. He also claims to be the best Swan Caller on the peninsula, but that's another story. Today, Johnny will have the opportunity to revisit his fate on the dreaded, difficult, and demanding 5-Stand. The 5-Stand is a flurry of clay action, with targets being thrown from machines in all directions...shooters get 5 clays from 5 locations, for a total of 25 total targets...A score of 20 is good. A score of 15 is generally what my personal tally adds up, unfortunately. Yesterday I shot an 18...Nevertheless, Johnny will be able to face his Water Works foes, tournament-style. Good Luck, and thrower number 5 is moving at about 65 miles per hour!
Tonight, the Program Staff and I will visit Plymouth for the first annual "Goodbye You Crazy Hippies, Let's Eat Some Greasy Pizza" celebration. This season's staff looked strangely similar to the Spring Staff. They have done a wonderful job, and proved their versatility by pitching in at virtually every position at the Center, something few can say...So tonight we have decided to go with two different pizzas, one with Stuffed Crust (since I have never had it), sliced tomato and mushrooms...the other pizza will have peppers and ham on it which is TOTALLY GROSS.
Also today, my dad is having his first (and only, I hope) old man surgery...he swears he's getting old, but that's probably long gone...
Tomorrow, Lee and I will journey to Raleighwood, North Carolina to do a display of our Military Programs, which are probably some of the most expansive in the country...when you take into account our Family Camp for Wounded Veterans, our Specialty Camp for dependents with disabilities, and our Operation Purple Camps (for kids whose parents are deployed), it totals up to an impressive reach of campers...
I have to wear a suit...
Enjoy the day...
November 5, 2009
Yankees Win...
The New York Yankees won another World Series las tnight...that makes 27 for the franchise's history. I haven't even lived 27 years. According to the locals here, Yankees can be found everywhere. They talk funny...apparently, but so do I and I am not a Yankee, thank goodness I think.
The Tyrrell County Ducks Unlimited Banquet is fast approaching. Tickets can be purchased at the door if you really can't make up your mind just yet. But here are some reasons to go ahead and buy a ticket (or two).
You love waterfowl.
You love the smell of the swamp, no matter how bad it smells.
You love to see waterfowl in those swamps, no matter how early, cold, and/or wet it maybe.
You would love to have your lineage enjoy the same sights and smells of the swamp.
Over 90% of Ducks Unlimited's funds pour directly into wetland conservation - and in some cases - restoration. The Atlantic Flyway, once a storied locale for migrating waterfowl, is now only the "cradle" of waterfowling. It's where it began, and where it could end first. Draining lands for development has eliminated millions of acres for staging, wintering, migrating, and resident waterfowl. If ducks don't have any places to land, they'll just go to anothr flyway - until it dries up, too.
Another good way to save waterfowling is through the procurement of a Duck Stamp. Not only do over 98% of Migratory Waterfowl Stamp funds go directly into land purchases, they also make great collectors items and works of art. I buy two every year, one to use and lose, and another to use and save. This year, the Longtailed Duck is the centerpiece of the Duck Stamp. All huntable waterfowl species have now been used on the cover of the Duck Stamp. A dog even served as the "model" for one Duck Stamp back in the 1950's. And yes, their have also been "fake" ducks to serve as the "model"...this year's stamp has a live Longatiled Duck sitting with a wooden decoy.
Since the Stamp Program began, over 1.5 million stamps have been purchased in North Carolina. Waterfowl Hunters musy but these stamps to legally hunt. Hunters should buy 2 a year if they want to hunt years from now...the Duck Stamp's prices have not adjusted to the skyrocketing land values...
"Birders" - or birdwatchers - also buy some stamps. The $15 dollar price tag is well worth it. Some money raised from Duck Stamp purchases have directly benefited North Carolina habitats.
Currituck NWR, Cedar Island NWR, Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Mackay Island NWR, Mattamuskeet NWR, Pea Island NWR, Pocosin Lakes NWR, Roanoke NWR, and Swanquarter NWR are all regional National Wildlife Refuges that were funded partly with Duck Stamp funds. These are great places for birders to enjoy, usually for FREE. Hunters can also take part in some regulated hunting opportunities at some of these locations.
Ducks Unlimited dollars are used to supplement these wonderful habitats with conservation plans and tools. Pumps, food crops, and other things are funded partly through Ducks Unlimited. The J. Morgan Fuch Waterfowl Impoundment is a Ducks Unlimited Project. It is also the best place for a waterfowler to spot pintails, mallards, teal, and swans if drawn for coveted permit.
Everyone should buy atleast one Duck Stamp in their lifetime...their addicting to collect. Duck Stamps are not only a great collector's investment, but also an investment in protecting our marshes, waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors...
Enjoy the Day...
The Tyrrell County Ducks Unlimited Banquet is fast approaching. Tickets can be purchased at the door if you really can't make up your mind just yet. But here are some reasons to go ahead and buy a ticket (or two).
You love waterfowl.
You love the smell of the swamp, no matter how bad it smells.
You love to see waterfowl in those swamps, no matter how early, cold, and/or wet it maybe.
You would love to have your lineage enjoy the same sights and smells of the swamp.
Over 90% of Ducks Unlimited's funds pour directly into wetland conservation - and in some cases - restoration. The Atlantic Flyway, once a storied locale for migrating waterfowl, is now only the "cradle" of waterfowling. It's where it began, and where it could end first. Draining lands for development has eliminated millions of acres for staging, wintering, migrating, and resident waterfowl. If ducks don't have any places to land, they'll just go to anothr flyway - until it dries up, too.
Another good way to save waterfowling is through the procurement of a Duck Stamp. Not only do over 98% of Migratory Waterfowl Stamp funds go directly into land purchases, they also make great collectors items and works of art. I buy two every year, one to use and lose, and another to use and save. This year, the Longtailed Duck is the centerpiece of the Duck Stamp. All huntable waterfowl species have now been used on the cover of the Duck Stamp. A dog even served as the "model" for one Duck Stamp back in the 1950's. And yes, their have also been "fake" ducks to serve as the "model"...this year's stamp has a live Longatiled Duck sitting with a wooden decoy.
Since the Stamp Program began, over 1.5 million stamps have been purchased in North Carolina. Waterfowl Hunters musy but these stamps to legally hunt. Hunters should buy 2 a year if they want to hunt years from now...the Duck Stamp's prices have not adjusted to the skyrocketing land values...
"Birders" - or birdwatchers - also buy some stamps. The $15 dollar price tag is well worth it. Some money raised from Duck Stamp purchases have directly benefited North Carolina habitats.
Currituck NWR, Cedar Island NWR, Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Mackay Island NWR, Mattamuskeet NWR, Pea Island NWR, Pocosin Lakes NWR, Roanoke NWR, and Swanquarter NWR are all regional National Wildlife Refuges that were funded partly with Duck Stamp funds. These are great places for birders to enjoy, usually for FREE. Hunters can also take part in some regulated hunting opportunities at some of these locations.
Ducks Unlimited dollars are used to supplement these wonderful habitats with conservation plans and tools. Pumps, food crops, and other things are funded partly through Ducks Unlimited. The J. Morgan Fuch Waterfowl Impoundment is a Ducks Unlimited Project. It is also the best place for a waterfowler to spot pintails, mallards, teal, and swans if drawn for coveted permit.
Everyone should buy atleast one Duck Stamp in their lifetime...their addicting to collect. Duck Stamps are not only a great collector's investment, but also an investment in protecting our marshes, waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors...
Enjoy the Day...
November 4, 2009
The Clouds have lifted...
And then there was sunshine....After a weekend and Monday full of mist and cool temps, the sky has broken and the sun has passed through. The seasonal temps will be around for quite some time, too. Tyrrell County is beautiful this time of year...The cypress trees have shed their feathery leaves, the poplars and swamp maples are ablaze in orange, red, and yellows, and the wildlife is on the move. The North Carolina Eastern Whitetail Deer season is in full force, and hunters are everywhere - and so are the deer. The Eastern Bear Season is just a few days a way - I hope those that enjoy chasing the bruins get their fill - bear hunting is not for me. But I like that bears are hunted - as it is a great management tool. Our black bear population is one of the densest in the world. The bears are also very healthy, as the weaker bears are generally the ones that are harvested by hunters.
The Eastern Bear Season runs from November 9-14 and December 14-26. Only about three weeks - but that is plenty of time for hunters to find a bear and harvest the animal...they also have time to cook it, which, to me, is a fabulous idea. Bear meat, when cooked properly is very good. Often, it has to be boiled (and that STINKS), but that makes it more tender and less gamy. Folks from all over the country come tou our neck of the woods for a crack at a truly massive bruin. Bears range from 80-800 pounds, but the normal bear is about 200. Of all the bears my buddies have taken, they have all been between 400-600 lbs. MASSIVE! The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission intensively manages for bears, and harvest records are kept. You can read reports on bears at their website (link here).
There are some important things to know about black bears before you go fearin' 'em. Learn these facts, quiz your buddy (or your enemy), and then call them dumb when they miss all of the questions!
1) A Female bear is called a SOW.
2) The world's heaviest wild bear ever harvested was taken in CRAVEN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.
3) Black Bears are only black...FALSE, THEY COME IN BLONDE, CINNAMON, BROWN, AND BLACK WITH A WHITE CHEST BLAZE.
4) Bears once lived in every state except HAWAII.
5) Bears can sprint at 35 MPH.
Now - here is a good bear recipe...
Two 3 pound rocks
1 old rope
large boiler
Ten Pounds of Bear meat
Fill boiler half way, bring to boil.
Place rope, rocks, and meat in boiling water, reduce heat and cover.
Cook for 2 weeks.
Throw out bear meat, enjoy ropes and rocks with cocktail sauce.
Just kidding, but that's an old joke about bear...here's a legitimate recipe that I like:
Three pounds of ground bear meat
Three cans of Fench Onion Soup
Three eggs
1.5 Cups of Oatmeal
One 10 can of mushrooms
Quarter cp of Ketchup
A little (or a lot) garlic powder
Black Pepper to taste
Just mix it all together and cook at 350 for about 2.5 hours...you can also use swan or snow goose in this recipe!
Enjoy the feast...
The Eastern Bear Season runs from November 9-14 and December 14-26. Only about three weeks - but that is plenty of time for hunters to find a bear and harvest the animal...they also have time to cook it, which, to me, is a fabulous idea. Bear meat, when cooked properly is very good. Often, it has to be boiled (and that STINKS), but that makes it more tender and less gamy. Folks from all over the country come tou our neck of the woods for a crack at a truly massive bruin. Bears range from 80-800 pounds, but the normal bear is about 200. Of all the bears my buddies have taken, they have all been between 400-600 lbs. MASSIVE! The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission intensively manages for bears, and harvest records are kept. You can read reports on bears at their website (link here).
There are some important things to know about black bears before you go fearin' 'em. Learn these facts, quiz your buddy (or your enemy), and then call them dumb when they miss all of the questions!
1) A Female bear is called a SOW.
2) The world's heaviest wild bear ever harvested was taken in CRAVEN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.
3) Black Bears are only black...FALSE, THEY COME IN BLONDE, CINNAMON, BROWN, AND BLACK WITH A WHITE CHEST BLAZE.
4) Bears once lived in every state except HAWAII.
5) Bears can sprint at 35 MPH.
Now - here is a good bear recipe...
Two 3 pound rocks
1 old rope
large boiler
Ten Pounds of Bear meat
Fill boiler half way, bring to boil.
Place rope, rocks, and meat in boiling water, reduce heat and cover.
Cook for 2 weeks.
Throw out bear meat, enjoy ropes and rocks with cocktail sauce.
Just kidding, but that's an old joke about bear...here's a legitimate recipe that I like:
Three pounds of ground bear meat
Three cans of Fench Onion Soup
Three eggs
1.5 Cups of Oatmeal
One 10 can of mushrooms
Quarter cp of Ketchup
A little (or a lot) garlic powder
Black Pepper to taste
Just mix it all together and cook at 350 for about 2.5 hours...you can also use swan or snow goose in this recipe!
Enjoy the feast...
November 2, 2009
Community Fun day....
Community Fun Day has come and gone...turnout was good, but could have had more if it weren't for Halloween...But there were lots of new faces here to enjoy the facility.
All of the staff embers did an excellent job at their activities...Archery was very popular, so props to AJ for doing such a good job. The Climbing Wall was also very popular. Crafts was run by our very own Sara Biggs, but she partnered with Marsha Cady - Troop Leader and HGSIC of Girl Scouts Colonial Coast Manteo.
The hot dog cookout was pretty amazing, but topping that was the homemade ice cream...There were enough leftovers for the staff to enjoy an impromptu ice cream party at the Staff House afterwards.
Concurrent to Community Fun Day, Auburn played a football game against Ole Miss. The Auburn team elected to show up and compete for the first time in abot a month - and pulled out an impressive victory over Ole Miss. Auburn even scored more points against Ole Miss than in-state rival Alabama...so Bama needs to be ready...
The weather has turned sour, too. In the twelve hours after 3:00 pm on saturday there was a 30 degree drop in temperature...so the good weather held out for Fun Day, but arrived just in time to push migrating waterfowl into our neighborhood. Swans are definietly on the move, especially around Northampton, Hertford, and Bertie Counties...another good north west wind will push 'em on down our way.
This week will be quiet around the Center...this weekend we are hosting a large Christian Men's Retreat. November is traditionally a slow month, but it gives us the chance to catch our breath and prepare for all of the upcoming Holiday parties...
Enjoy the day...
All of the staff embers did an excellent job at their activities...Archery was very popular, so props to AJ for doing such a good job. The Climbing Wall was also very popular. Crafts was run by our very own Sara Biggs, but she partnered with Marsha Cady - Troop Leader and HGSIC of Girl Scouts Colonial Coast Manteo.
The hot dog cookout was pretty amazing, but topping that was the homemade ice cream...There were enough leftovers for the staff to enjoy an impromptu ice cream party at the Staff House afterwards.
Concurrent to Community Fun Day, Auburn played a football game against Ole Miss. The Auburn team elected to show up and compete for the first time in abot a month - and pulled out an impressive victory over Ole Miss. Auburn even scored more points against Ole Miss than in-state rival Alabama...so Bama needs to be ready...
The weather has turned sour, too. In the twelve hours after 3:00 pm on saturday there was a 30 degree drop in temperature...so the good weather held out for Fun Day, but arrived just in time to push migrating waterfowl into our neighborhood. Swans are definietly on the move, especially around Northampton, Hertford, and Bertie Counties...another good north west wind will push 'em on down our way.
This week will be quiet around the Center...this weekend we are hosting a large Christian Men's Retreat. November is traditionally a slow month, but it gives us the chance to catch our breath and prepare for all of the upcoming Holiday parties...
Enjoy the day...
October 30, 2009
HAPPY HALLOWEEN...BOOOOOO
TOmorrow is the big day....a big pagan holiday, but not only for pagans - kids, too...and some childish adults.
These are some rules for trick or treating that mush be adhered to if you want me to be your friend on Sunday morning...
1) Only trick or treater's under 10 years of age are allowable.
2) Just a mask is not a costume...show some effort, and don't hide your face...
3) Do not toilet paper my yard...it is a great waste - unless you are my mom, who recovers the toilet paper and USES IT!! That is the truth....
4) Do not eat candy without letting your parents inspect it (but don't let them pick out their favorites)...
5) Do not dress up as a food item. I detest these costumes...dress scary, or scarier than regular days.
6) Always carry a flashlight and walk with your parents or another responsible adult that your parents approve of...
7) Eggs are breakfast food, not Halloween tricks.
8) Ignore the Purple Man
9) Stay out of graveyards
10) Save some candy for me!
Halloween is supposed to be a scary holiday...I am particularly scared of the night between the hours of 11:30 pm-1:30 am and from 2:45-3:30...outside of those hours I am totally OK. Not sure why, but 3:00 am is just plain freaky.
I continued my tradition of dressing up as a fellow staff member for Halloween today...here's the historical facts of my costume...
2007- I dressed as Becky Ingalls
2008 - I dressed as Terri the Housekeeper - I wore Lime green cutoff "Daisy Dukes", a blood drive t-shirt, and white tennis shoes, and walked around saying things like "HOIDE CAINTY", "CHURL CAINTY", and "BAIT TOIME."
2009 - Today I fashioned myself as Charles Midgette...I cut my flowing beard into a goatee, wore some glasses, combed my hair, tight blue jeans, staff hoodie, and carabiner with 100 keys attached. He will strangle before the day is over.
I never dress up as anything else other than staff members..and it helps that they are are very scary. Lee always dresses up as a pirate, and on Halloween he dresses up as a cowboy....but he may not even know that it is Halloween.
Last night, me, Joe, Stephanie, and Sara went to Trick or Treat Under the Sea at the aquarium at Roanoke Island...We had an awesome time showing the costumed kiddies "fish" for goldfish crackers...the kids enjoyed it as much as we did, I'm sure...
Tomorrow is Community Fun Day...please come out and see us...activities are from 10-3...lunch is served, too.
Enjoy the day!
These are some rules for trick or treating that mush be adhered to if you want me to be your friend on Sunday morning...
1) Only trick or treater's under 10 years of age are allowable.
2) Just a mask is not a costume...show some effort, and don't hide your face...
3) Do not toilet paper my yard...it is a great waste - unless you are my mom, who recovers the toilet paper and USES IT!! That is the truth....
4) Do not eat candy without letting your parents inspect it (but don't let them pick out their favorites)...
5) Do not dress up as a food item. I detest these costumes...dress scary, or scarier than regular days.
6) Always carry a flashlight and walk with your parents or another responsible adult that your parents approve of...
7) Eggs are breakfast food, not Halloween tricks.
8) Ignore the Purple Man
9) Stay out of graveyards
10) Save some candy for me!
Halloween is supposed to be a scary holiday...I am particularly scared of the night between the hours of 11:30 pm-1:30 am and from 2:45-3:30...outside of those hours I am totally OK. Not sure why, but 3:00 am is just plain freaky.
I continued my tradition of dressing up as a fellow staff member for Halloween today...here's the historical facts of my costume...
2007- I dressed as Becky Ingalls
2008 - I dressed as Terri the Housekeeper - I wore Lime green cutoff "Daisy Dukes", a blood drive t-shirt, and white tennis shoes, and walked around saying things like "HOIDE CAINTY", "CHURL CAINTY", and "BAIT TOIME."
2009 - Today I fashioned myself as Charles Midgette...I cut my flowing beard into a goatee, wore some glasses, combed my hair, tight blue jeans, staff hoodie, and carabiner with 100 keys attached. He will strangle before the day is over.
I never dress up as anything else other than staff members..and it helps that they are are very scary. Lee always dresses up as a pirate, and on Halloween he dresses up as a cowboy....but he may not even know that it is Halloween.
Last night, me, Joe, Stephanie, and Sara went to Trick or Treat Under the Sea at the aquarium at Roanoke Island...We had an awesome time showing the costumed kiddies "fish" for goldfish crackers...the kids enjoyed it as much as we did, I'm sure...
Tomorrow is Community Fun Day...please come out and see us...activities are from 10-3...lunch is served, too.
Enjoy the day!
October 28, 2009
Advisory Boards Meeting Today
The Big Wigs will be intoday...albeit none of them where a wigm and none of them are big, either. Not sure what;s on the docket, but I am sure we will discuss Community Fun Day, our new recreation hall, maybe a bit about summer camp, and probably Dock of the Bay.
Yes, this means I wore a shirt with a collar and buttons.
Yesterday, after work, I spent some time in the deer stand (actually sitting in a shallow ditch in the middle of a beanfield). Deer were ready to move yesterday, especially since the rain and wind ceased for a bit. I saw 8 deer, most of them does and yearlings. Watching deer is a lot of fun...if they don't know you are there - because if they know you are there, they will leave. But if they don't know your watching, well just think of what you do when you think nobody is watching...like scratching.
This morning, the atmosphere was totally steamy and the temperature was a blistering 75 degrees. For the record, that's to durn hot form the last week of October. According to the weathermen and weatherwomen, the winter forescast calls for colder than average in lieu of El Nino, or as I like to call it, El Neeno. I love a cold winter...winter is a season of attrition, but of rebirth. Leaves, mosquitoes, and songbirds dissapear with the natural promise to return, and usually i droves.
According to "Thirtyfoot Terri", the swan migration is finally on...she had 3 swans in her field yesterday. Swans are fun to watch because they are the size of those tiny kit planes that beginner pilots like to build...swans will devastate a wheat field, though...if you google "swan migration" you can find a website that lets you track individual swans on their migration from tundral Alaska all the way to places like Kilkenny, Engelhard, Roper, and Pantego. Swans must love country livin' because those places are certainly in the country, if not past it a little bit.
DO NOT FORGET about Community Fun Day on the 31st...think summer camp mixed with weenie roast, but with parents...it'll be fun!
Enjoy the day...
Yes, this means I wore a shirt with a collar and buttons.
Yesterday, after work, I spent some time in the deer stand (actually sitting in a shallow ditch in the middle of a beanfield). Deer were ready to move yesterday, especially since the rain and wind ceased for a bit. I saw 8 deer, most of them does and yearlings. Watching deer is a lot of fun...if they don't know you are there - because if they know you are there, they will leave. But if they don't know your watching, well just think of what you do when you think nobody is watching...like scratching.
This morning, the atmosphere was totally steamy and the temperature was a blistering 75 degrees. For the record, that's to durn hot form the last week of October. According to the weathermen and weatherwomen, the winter forescast calls for colder than average in lieu of El Nino, or as I like to call it, El Neeno. I love a cold winter...winter is a season of attrition, but of rebirth. Leaves, mosquitoes, and songbirds dissapear with the natural promise to return, and usually i droves.
According to "Thirtyfoot Terri", the swan migration is finally on...she had 3 swans in her field yesterday. Swans are fun to watch because they are the size of those tiny kit planes that beginner pilots like to build...swans will devastate a wheat field, though...if you google "swan migration" you can find a website that lets you track individual swans on their migration from tundral Alaska all the way to places like Kilkenny, Engelhard, Roper, and Pantego. Swans must love country livin' because those places are certainly in the country, if not past it a little bit.
DO NOT FORGET about Community Fun Day on the 31st...think summer camp mixed with weenie roast, but with parents...it'll be fun!
Enjoy the day...
October 27, 2009
Certifiable, Community Fun Day
As I mentioned last week, The Eastern 4-H Center hosted the 2009 Fall Shooting Sports Training...of which I and Casper (we're both Nationally certified instructors - along with Lee) successfully graduated out first group of volunteers. We had an incredible time with archery...and it was good to see volunteers wanting certifications from the EASTERN part of North Carolina, so that they can effectively run and manage their clubs.
The weather has been a little poor around here...humidity is through the rough and temperatures are in the annoying range - to warm for a jacket, but too cold for only a short sleeve shirt.
This weekend will be our 3rd annual Community Fun Day! We have loads of activities including Rock Climbing, Archery, Horseshoes, Volleyball, Putt-Putt, and Arts and Crafts...we also have games for the tiny children and the parents - Bingo!
Community Fun Day is a tricky event for me...I have to bring in staff that are trained by me (or Lee)...most of the staff are away to college to get more knowledge. Alas, many love and adore me, so they return to volunteer. They really love meeting the locals...
The weekend will be awesome - we'll also have ice cream, a weenie roast, good weather, and fall foliage, which - by the way - is the best I have ever seen it down here on the coast...Oh yeah - the whole thing won't cost you a dime to attend...but children must be accompanied by an adult...and no pets...
Most of the Center staff will be here, too - so it is a good chance to put a face with a name of the folks I like to blog about.
The Tyrrell County DU Banquet is coming soon, too - it's the weekend after this...there are only two more days to buy tickets, though - and I have some. Tickets are $40 for a single or $55 for a couple. There will be loads of auction items...and you'll probably hear the patrons talking about our Camp Canvasback program. You should only support Ducks Unlimited if you enjoy hearing geese and swans honking in the sky every autumn or enjoy seeing migratory waterfowl like ducks at Lake Mattamuskeet. Ducks Unlimited funds go to purchase conservation lands that protect not only waterfowl, but shorebirds, eagles, and alligators - as well as the wetlands, migration routes, and wintering areas (about 1/2 of the Atlantic Flyway's waterfowl winter in north Carolina) the need to survive.
Enjoy the day...
The weather has been a little poor around here...humidity is through the rough and temperatures are in the annoying range - to warm for a jacket, but too cold for only a short sleeve shirt.
This weekend will be our 3rd annual Community Fun Day! We have loads of activities including Rock Climbing, Archery, Horseshoes, Volleyball, Putt-Putt, and Arts and Crafts...we also have games for the tiny children and the parents - Bingo!
Community Fun Day is a tricky event for me...I have to bring in staff that are trained by me (or Lee)...most of the staff are away to college to get more knowledge. Alas, many love and adore me, so they return to volunteer. They really love meeting the locals...
The weekend will be awesome - we'll also have ice cream, a weenie roast, good weather, and fall foliage, which - by the way - is the best I have ever seen it down here on the coast...Oh yeah - the whole thing won't cost you a dime to attend...but children must be accompanied by an adult...and no pets...
Most of the Center staff will be here, too - so it is a good chance to put a face with a name of the folks I like to blog about.
The Tyrrell County DU Banquet is coming soon, too - it's the weekend after this...there are only two more days to buy tickets, though - and I have some. Tickets are $40 for a single or $55 for a couple. There will be loads of auction items...and you'll probably hear the patrons talking about our Camp Canvasback program. You should only support Ducks Unlimited if you enjoy hearing geese and swans honking in the sky every autumn or enjoy seeing migratory waterfowl like ducks at Lake Mattamuskeet. Ducks Unlimited funds go to purchase conservation lands that protect not only waterfowl, but shorebirds, eagles, and alligators - as well as the wetlands, migration routes, and wintering areas (about 1/2 of the Atlantic Flyway's waterfowl winter in north Carolina) the need to survive.
Enjoy the day...
October 22, 2009
Marie's Final Days
As I have metntioned on this blog before, program staff are a very unique brand of human. While upright in stature, like other humans, virtually everything else is different.
One of our own will be joining, what some program staff would call, the corporate world. While Marie never set out to be a camp staffer, she turned out to be pretty decent. Not only was she eager to learn about challenge course, she is also good at writing lesson plans, teaching, and even Food Service. Marie has many talents, and she is taking them with her, away from the Eastern 4-H Center, and to Fayetteville, NC to become a teacher. She is all grown up now.
We have enjoyed teasing her about the name of her apartment...it's whispering pine cove valley or peaceful lake creek or something stupid that is conjured up by some real estate developer who believes that you can name a place and then it becomes its name...
If that were the case, the Eastern 4-H Center would be called "Bay Shore Farms" or "Albemarle Pocosin"...and for those who have spent a summer here, it might be called "Valley of the Yellow Fly".
Anyway, Marie is going to be a "Panther" at her new school. The rest of us wish her well as she departs.
Last night Program Joe prepared Pumpkin Chilli (which tasted like regular chilli) and Pumpkin Mousse (for which I would walk a hundred miles to eat again). Good stuff Joey!
This weekend, The Eastern 4-H Center is hosting the 2009 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop...We have a lot of folks signed up and I am sure it will be fun!
Enjoy the day...
One of our own will be joining, what some program staff would call, the corporate world. While Marie never set out to be a camp staffer, she turned out to be pretty decent. Not only was she eager to learn about challenge course, she is also good at writing lesson plans, teaching, and even Food Service. Marie has many talents, and she is taking them with her, away from the Eastern 4-H Center, and to Fayetteville, NC to become a teacher. She is all grown up now.
We have enjoyed teasing her about the name of her apartment...it's whispering pine cove valley or peaceful lake creek or something stupid that is conjured up by some real estate developer who believes that you can name a place and then it becomes its name...
If that were the case, the Eastern 4-H Center would be called "Bay Shore Farms" or "Albemarle Pocosin"...and for those who have spent a summer here, it might be called "Valley of the Yellow Fly".
Anyway, Marie is going to be a "Panther" at her new school. The rest of us wish her well as she departs.
Last night Program Joe prepared Pumpkin Chilli (which tasted like regular chilli) and Pumpkin Mousse (for which I would walk a hundred miles to eat again). Good stuff Joey!
This weekend, The Eastern 4-H Center is hosting the 2009 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop...We have a lot of folks signed up and I am sure it will be fun!
Enjoy the day...
October 21, 2009
Food Service Lifestyle
Lately, I, along with Charles and Lee, have spent extended time in the kitchen, in the absence of a Food Service Supervisor. Charles supervises the Elderly Nutrition Program, I supervise general food service, and Lee screams at the Charles and I. Nevertheless, it is a part of our Center that I have always wanted to learn more about, and lately, have done so.
A commercial kitchen is made up of food, stainless steel, and heating elements. I am a fan of all of these things, especially in unison. I am a sucker for efficiency, and prefer not to waste food, time, or energy. Scheduling the cooks and servers is no big deal - I schedule a staff of 35 throughout our summer camp program, so I can keep up a schedule for 8 kitchen staff, at least I have so far. The biggest challenge is to ensure to customers that our food is hot, tasty, and nutritional - and to prevent any and all food waste. Our general rule is to prepare enough per guest, plus 10% - this is in the event of burning or any other food prep disaster. Well, I also learned that burning food can ruin a pot or pan and must be cleaned, then you have to have soap, or at least order some soap to clean the pot or pan with ...
I have also been able to learn about menu planning. Despite Lee's propensity for self-induced meat poisoning, he does a good job of putting starches, greens, and meats on a plate at the same time in a manner that "goes good together". Unfortunately, my refined tastebuds and whirlwind dining experiences go beyond our tasty soul food offerings, so Lee doesn't like my ideas of boutique pork with yukon mash and wilted arugala. When I tell most folks that I am truly a good cook, they laugh or assume I am talking about "grilling" instead of cooking. Personally, and my friends will tell you, that while I am a good "griller", that I only view the smoker (I make the world's best pork shoulder) and grill (my hamburgers truly taste like Kobe) as tools or methods of delivery. I don't like cooking, I like the food. I don't do spicy, spicy isn't a flavor. Spicy doesn't mean hot either...cinnamon is a spice. I also like preparing stuff for my friends when I know that they don't prefer certain foods - and telling them it is something else, watch them enjoy it, and them tell them the truth.
I really like preparing things that are out of the ordinary...pork loin with sweet potato, pecan and marshmallow stuffing is a favorite. The visual effects of white goo in a savory meat dish send most people running, but you have to keep an open mind...and an open mouth.
Nevertheless, my dishes, known by "normal" folks around here, are called weird. Maybe I'm ahead of my time...
Enjoy the day...
P.S. tonight is Program Joe's night to cook...it is either pumpkin themed, pumkin inspired, or pumpkin flavored, but all three are different.
Enjoy the day (again)...
A commercial kitchen is made up of food, stainless steel, and heating elements. I am a fan of all of these things, especially in unison. I am a sucker for efficiency, and prefer not to waste food, time, or energy. Scheduling the cooks and servers is no big deal - I schedule a staff of 35 throughout our summer camp program, so I can keep up a schedule for 8 kitchen staff, at least I have so far. The biggest challenge is to ensure to customers that our food is hot, tasty, and nutritional - and to prevent any and all food waste. Our general rule is to prepare enough per guest, plus 10% - this is in the event of burning or any other food prep disaster. Well, I also learned that burning food can ruin a pot or pan and must be cleaned, then you have to have soap, or at least order some soap to clean the pot or pan with ...
I have also been able to learn about menu planning. Despite Lee's propensity for self-induced meat poisoning, he does a good job of putting starches, greens, and meats on a plate at the same time in a manner that "goes good together". Unfortunately, my refined tastebuds and whirlwind dining experiences go beyond our tasty soul food offerings, so Lee doesn't like my ideas of boutique pork with yukon mash and wilted arugala. When I tell most folks that I am truly a good cook, they laugh or assume I am talking about "grilling" instead of cooking. Personally, and my friends will tell you, that while I am a good "griller", that I only view the smoker (I make the world's best pork shoulder) and grill (my hamburgers truly taste like Kobe) as tools or methods of delivery. I don't like cooking, I like the food. I don't do spicy, spicy isn't a flavor. Spicy doesn't mean hot either...cinnamon is a spice. I also like preparing stuff for my friends when I know that they don't prefer certain foods - and telling them it is something else, watch them enjoy it, and them tell them the truth.
I really like preparing things that are out of the ordinary...pork loin with sweet potato, pecan and marshmallow stuffing is a favorite. The visual effects of white goo in a savory meat dish send most people running, but you have to keep an open mind...and an open mouth.
Nevertheless, my dishes, known by "normal" folks around here, are called weird. Maybe I'm ahead of my time...
Enjoy the day...
P.S. tonight is Program Joe's night to cook...it is either pumpkin themed, pumkin inspired, or pumpkin flavored, but all three are different.
Enjoy the day (again)...
October 20, 2009
Fall's First Frost
I woke up this morning, only to find the Eastern 4-H Center shrouded in frost...which means that flowers and other plants will began to die. As macabre as it may sound, it's only the natural process of things. Flowers die with the promise of a return - if it's a perennial, anyway. There are some things you can do to prolong the lives of your garden variety annuals and perennials. Cover them with warm fabric, newspaper, or a tarp. This will keep the dew from settling directly on them and it will prevent the air from freezing the droplets, which is death to many plants.
This morning on the news, a Jacksonville roadside stand reported a Mum Thief. The only person who would steal flowers, is the kind of person who would steal them and give them to his mother, which is double-bad. So if your a mom, and you have been getting Mums everyday for a month, please turn in your son.
Nevertheless, there are still additional things you can do to keep your plants toasty for a few more weeks...
1) When you cover your plants, do so during the day - and use a dark cloth to absorb the heat, and to trap the heat underneath.
2) I have never seen a frost in a hurricane...water can't settle if the wind is blowing, so try putting an electric fan around you plants...if it isn't raining outside.
3) If you have potted plants, the roots are susceptible, too. A frost freezes the cells in the plant, so warm the potted plant with a mink coat. If you don't have a "Mink", use bubble wrap or something less chic.
4) You could just go ahead and pour warm water on your plants...as the water evaporates around the plant, it will keep the air temperature above freezing (right around the plant). However, if the temp is below 25 degrees, you are only murdering your plants.
Since I currently file Single Status on my tax forms, I also have no garden. There are several reasons for this...the plants at the grocery store rarely freeze. This is where I pick my plants. I can also pretend that the produce department at Food Lion is my own private, yet cooperative garden that I share with others, and pay to retrieve my food.
Personally I like a good frost. It begins to eliminate several parasitic insects that live within mammals, especially squirrels. Mosquitoes also fall back quite a bit with the first frost. This winter is expected to be rather brutal which is good for mosquito elimination. Last year's cold winter really bit into the biting fly population, for which my forehead is grateful. Other animals, not including humans, like frost, too. Frost will weigh down seeds, dropping them to the ground. They are much more accessible for ducks, songbirds, and deer. These vegetarians are then fattened for the carnivores of the swamp like the fox, red wolf, and bear.
You can control the world (actually just your garden), with a little research. Frost is natural, and Mother Nature has a plan for everything...and she always wins, too!
Enjoy the day...
This morning on the news, a Jacksonville roadside stand reported a Mum Thief. The only person who would steal flowers, is the kind of person who would steal them and give them to his mother, which is double-bad. So if your a mom, and you have been getting Mums everyday for a month, please turn in your son.
Nevertheless, there are still additional things you can do to keep your plants toasty for a few more weeks...
1) When you cover your plants, do so during the day - and use a dark cloth to absorb the heat, and to trap the heat underneath.
2) I have never seen a frost in a hurricane...water can't settle if the wind is blowing, so try putting an electric fan around you plants...if it isn't raining outside.
3) If you have potted plants, the roots are susceptible, too. A frost freezes the cells in the plant, so warm the potted plant with a mink coat. If you don't have a "Mink", use bubble wrap or something less chic.
4) You could just go ahead and pour warm water on your plants...as the water evaporates around the plant, it will keep the air temperature above freezing (right around the plant). However, if the temp is below 25 degrees, you are only murdering your plants.
Since I currently file Single Status on my tax forms, I also have no garden. There are several reasons for this...the plants at the grocery store rarely freeze. This is where I pick my plants. I can also pretend that the produce department at Food Lion is my own private, yet cooperative garden that I share with others, and pay to retrieve my food.
Personally I like a good frost. It begins to eliminate several parasitic insects that live within mammals, especially squirrels. Mosquitoes also fall back quite a bit with the first frost. This winter is expected to be rather brutal which is good for mosquito elimination. Last year's cold winter really bit into the biting fly population, for which my forehead is grateful. Other animals, not including humans, like frost, too. Frost will weigh down seeds, dropping them to the ground. They are much more accessible for ducks, songbirds, and deer. These vegetarians are then fattened for the carnivores of the swamp like the fox, red wolf, and bear.
You can control the world (actually just your garden), with a little research. Frost is natural, and Mother Nature has a plan for everything...and she always wins, too!
Enjoy the day...
October 19, 2009
Last Week, This Week...and maybe beyond
The mercury in out thermometers is closer to the bottom than the top - and I, for one, welcome the drop in temperatures. Sure it's cold(er), but you can always do something about that...just put on more clothes. If it's hot, well, there's only so much you can do.
The weekend saw a visit from the Albemarle Emmaus group...I did my dities in the kitchen and we did our best to deliver tasty meals to all.
This week, we have the "Quilter's", Morth Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, and and Advisory Board, with a weekend visit from East Carolina Students and the North Carolina State Shooting Sports Training...of which I will be teaching in...
Over the weekend, I took Callie for a ride through Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge...it was a drive I had never taken - we went from Frying Pan to Lake Phelps...we didn't see any bears, but we did see "evidence" as Callie called it - big, stinky piles of evidence. We also saw a couple of tiny deer, about 50 wood ducks, and -I swear it to be true - an albino Mourning Dove. Nobody will ever believe me, but it was like seeing a bigfoot or a UFO. It happened, whether I wanted it to or not. I almost wish I hadn't seen it, because when I tell folks I saw it, they think I am a lunatic. I maybe a lunatic, but I'm a lunatic that saw a pure white dove...no glare, nothing...WHITE!
The temperatures will elevate throughout the week, slowing the waterfowl migration...good thing - the season isn't in right now...the ducks need to wait for the season...
Also - I should get my vehicle back soon. The collision mechanics are taking their sweet time and I am stuck with a rental not worth buying.
Also - Auburn got beat in football by Kentucky over the weekend...I hate to grip about 20 year old kids, but Auburn's 20 year old kids are more talented, physically fit, and nicer than Kentucky's 20 year old kids. Auburn should have won, and won handily. Next week is LSU - their good, and we had better be - the game is in Baton Rouge, LA - AKA Death Valley AKA "The place where dreams die"...
Enjoy the day...
The weekend saw a visit from the Albemarle Emmaus group...I did my dities in the kitchen and we did our best to deliver tasty meals to all.
This week, we have the "Quilter's", Morth Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, and and Advisory Board, with a weekend visit from East Carolina Students and the North Carolina State Shooting Sports Training...of which I will be teaching in...
Over the weekend, I took Callie for a ride through Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge...it was a drive I had never taken - we went from Frying Pan to Lake Phelps...we didn't see any bears, but we did see "evidence" as Callie called it - big, stinky piles of evidence. We also saw a couple of tiny deer, about 50 wood ducks, and -I swear it to be true - an albino Mourning Dove. Nobody will ever believe me, but it was like seeing a bigfoot or a UFO. It happened, whether I wanted it to or not. I almost wish I hadn't seen it, because when I tell folks I saw it, they think I am a lunatic. I maybe a lunatic, but I'm a lunatic that saw a pure white dove...no glare, nothing...WHITE!
The temperatures will elevate throughout the week, slowing the waterfowl migration...good thing - the season isn't in right now...the ducks need to wait for the season...
Also - I should get my vehicle back soon. The collision mechanics are taking their sweet time and I am stuck with a rental not worth buying.
Also - Auburn got beat in football by Kentucky over the weekend...I hate to grip about 20 year old kids, but Auburn's 20 year old kids are more talented, physically fit, and nicer than Kentucky's 20 year old kids. Auburn should have won, and won handily. Next week is LSU - their good, and we had better be - the game is in Baton Rouge, LA - AKA Death Valley AKA "The place where dreams die"...
Enjoy the day...
October 14, 2009
As the holiday seasons approach, most of us start to get those feelings of wanting to be with family and tradition. In a world were everyone is running around, trying to keep up with a schedule, it can be difficult to plan activities for the entire family or maybe even for the entire classroom. Here are a couple of activities that can be done without much expense or planning at all.
When I was little we would always play kickball at our family get together. Kickball became a familiar tradition that each of us looked forward to even as we became older. In school, teachers could arrange a semester kickball or volleyball tournament for their grade. At my old middle school at the end of each year we would have a volleyball tournament, students against teachers. The school still does this tradition every year and the students love trying to beat their teachers.
State parks, such as Pettigrew State Park are great places for families to explore together. Children would enjoy biking or hiking through the trails that are provided. Camping is a great way for families to form a tradition and become closer. There are several places for picnics as well as fishing or canoeing. When I was about seven or eight my family started canoeing together. We lived close to Merchants Millpond in Gates County, NC and we would pick a Saturday a few times a year and go canoeing for an hour or two in the Millpond. We always had a great time and it gave us a chance to use a familiar resource that was just a few minutes down the road.
These activities are just a small amount of the number of things families can do together. As Halloween approaches, there are many fall festivals, haunted houses, ghost tours, and many more things that children love to go to that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Look for more ideas next week.
When I was little we would always play kickball at our family get together. Kickball became a familiar tradition that each of us looked forward to even as we became older. In school, teachers could arrange a semester kickball or volleyball tournament for their grade. At my old middle school at the end of each year we would have a volleyball tournament, students against teachers. The school still does this tradition every year and the students love trying to beat their teachers.
State parks, such as Pettigrew State Park are great places for families to explore together. Children would enjoy biking or hiking through the trails that are provided. Camping is a great way for families to form a tradition and become closer. There are several places for picnics as well as fishing or canoeing. When I was about seven or eight my family started canoeing together. We lived close to Merchants Millpond in Gates County, NC and we would pick a Saturday a few times a year and go canoeing for an hour or two in the Millpond. We always had a great time and it gave us a chance to use a familiar resource that was just a few minutes down the road.
These activities are just a small amount of the number of things families can do together. As Halloween approaches, there are many fall festivals, haunted houses, ghost tours, and many more things that children love to go to that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Look for more ideas next week.
Have a great day!
October 12, 2009
O'er the weekend...
This past weekend was fll of excitement for the crew at the Eastern 4-H Center...a lavish 200-guest wedding, parade, and Scuppernong River Festival kayak clinic kept most of us busy. Also, the first "split" of North Carolina Waterfowl season closed...
It all started Friday night with the Spear/Adams Wedding...with an autumnal theme, the place was decorated really well - probably the best I have ever seen it, but I have a soft spot for burnt orange, cool temperatures, and pumpkins. Props to the wedding party for a great job.
Since part of my duties recently have revovlved around Food Service Personnel supervision, I was able to be around and help cook (yep, with a hair net...) the prime rib, crab cakes, and other less important stuff like beans and rolls. Turned out to be pretty awesome - Marie and Stephanie, part of the program staff, waited tables and did a marvelous job, proving that anyone, especially tiny Stephanie, if possible, can see over the edge of the table to deliver food and drink.
Saturday, Lee, Casper, and I went on a waterfowl hunt at the Lantern Acres Gameland...the impoundment had no water, lots of briars, and some ducks. There were a few million short of a billion mosquitoes in there, though.
After the hunt, we paraded, along with others, down Main Street in Columbia at the Scuppernong River Festival. We passed out candy to Great grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and yes - great grandchildren. We also pushed our Community Fun Day (October 31st)...hopefully to have a record turnout.
Afterwards, my crew split to the Visitor Center to unload out boat trailer and create a small flotilla of paddlecraft...parking was pretty miserable, so we had quite a walk with the boats, pfd's, and paddles. Nevertheless, a crowd gathered, we taught novices how to paddle and reminded established canoeists about how to remain safe in the windy waters.
Soon enough, I began jockeying back to the 4-H Center to ensure that meal service was underway. On the menu was a beef tenderloin carving station, a mashed potato bar, pork loin, etc., etc. I also peeked in on the Auburn - Arkansas game which was going the way of Arkansas and not the way of me and my Auburn Tigers.
I returned to town for the back half of the kayaking/canoeing clinic, only to require Joseph to hail me a funnel cake...and he came up in the clutch. Jo-Jo brought back the "Caramel Delight" funnel cake...a deep fried tendril of pancake batter, coavered in confectioner's sugar and heavy caramel...we all ate the masterpiece and wore the remnants on our staff shirts...
Eventually we loaded all of the boats back on the trailer...what a gruelling attempt...
I made it back to the Center, just in time to ensure the buffet was enroute. The wedding party and guests gobbled up dinner and hung out for a while...
Everything went really well over the weekend...next weekend we have the Albemarle Women's Emmaus Walk. The action may never yields at the Eastern 4-H Center...
Enjoy the Day...
It all started Friday night with the Spear/Adams Wedding...with an autumnal theme, the place was decorated really well - probably the best I have ever seen it, but I have a soft spot for burnt orange, cool temperatures, and pumpkins. Props to the wedding party for a great job.
Since part of my duties recently have revovlved around Food Service Personnel supervision, I was able to be around and help cook (yep, with a hair net...) the prime rib, crab cakes, and other less important stuff like beans and rolls. Turned out to be pretty awesome - Marie and Stephanie, part of the program staff, waited tables and did a marvelous job, proving that anyone, especially tiny Stephanie, if possible, can see over the edge of the table to deliver food and drink.
Saturday, Lee, Casper, and I went on a waterfowl hunt at the Lantern Acres Gameland...the impoundment had no water, lots of briars, and some ducks. There were a few million short of a billion mosquitoes in there, though.
After the hunt, we paraded, along with others, down Main Street in Columbia at the Scuppernong River Festival. We passed out candy to Great grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and yes - great grandchildren. We also pushed our Community Fun Day (October 31st)...hopefully to have a record turnout.
Afterwards, my crew split to the Visitor Center to unload out boat trailer and create a small flotilla of paddlecraft...parking was pretty miserable, so we had quite a walk with the boats, pfd's, and paddles. Nevertheless, a crowd gathered, we taught novices how to paddle and reminded established canoeists about how to remain safe in the windy waters.
Soon enough, I began jockeying back to the 4-H Center to ensure that meal service was underway. On the menu was a beef tenderloin carving station, a mashed potato bar, pork loin, etc., etc. I also peeked in on the Auburn - Arkansas game which was going the way of Arkansas and not the way of me and my Auburn Tigers.
I returned to town for the back half of the kayaking/canoeing clinic, only to require Joseph to hail me a funnel cake...and he came up in the clutch. Jo-Jo brought back the "Caramel Delight" funnel cake...a deep fried tendril of pancake batter, coavered in confectioner's sugar and heavy caramel...we all ate the masterpiece and wore the remnants on our staff shirts...
Eventually we loaded all of the boats back on the trailer...what a gruelling attempt...
I made it back to the Center, just in time to ensure the buffet was enroute. The wedding party and guests gobbled up dinner and hung out for a while...
Everything went really well over the weekend...next weekend we have the Albemarle Women's Emmaus Walk. The action may never yields at the Eastern 4-H Center...
Enjoy the Day...
October 8, 2009
Ecology 104
Ecology 104 is about the great pumpkin...
The pumpkins are a squash-like fruit. They are orange or yellow and have many ridges running from the stem to the bottom. They have a thick, smooth shell on the outside, with seeds and pulp on the inside. They can range in size from 1 pound all the way up to 1000 pounds. They typically weigh 9 to 18 pounds. The main nutrients are lutein, and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body.
Pumpkins are grown all over the world except
The
Pumpkins can be used for cooking. From the shell, to the seeds, to the flower, it's nearly all edible. The pumpkin is popular around Halloween and is a Thanksgiving staple. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. In it's native
During, Halloween, pumpkins are usually carved into a decorative lanterns called jack-o’-lanterns.
Pumpkin chucking is a competitive activity where a team has to find various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as it can. Pumpkin chucking competitions occur in the fall when pumpkins are harvested. The most common devices found at a pumpkin chucking are catapults, trebuchets, ballistas and air cannons.
Pumpkins have made guest appearance in books and films. The Great Pumpkin by Charles M. Schulz. Linus believes the Great Pumpkin, which is like Santa Claus, will come visit the pumpkin patch on Halloween. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, the headless horseman throws a jack-o’-lantern. In the second Oz by L. Frank Baum, a character is named Jack Pumpkinhead. He has a pumpkin for a head and a wooden body. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington declares himself as the “pumpkin king.”
Pumpkins are definitely relevant...
Enjoy the day...
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