Cigarettes and Guns

Where else but Virginia? Two of the most controversial topics in America are gun control and smoking. Now you can get them both at the same store. One stop shopping at its best. I haven't been in this store, but from what I have been able to gather guns and cigs are pretty much the only inventory they stock. I'm not even sure if they sell lottery tickets.

This store was part of the inspiration for the title of our blog, along with a few other strange things we've seen down here. The actual title came from a visit to the Jamestown Settlement. The museum had a newspaper that was titled Strange News From Virginia. The paper was published to get people interested in the new world. It seemed a perfect fit.

With signs like these...

I always thought I had a good sense of direction. As a kid my Mom taught me to read maps, and calculate mileage on all of our long trips to Ohio and Arizona. That all changed when we moved to Virginia. Even after a year I still can't seem to get my inner compass in gear. North isn't north it's more west and south isn't south it's more like east. It's like I've got some strange new form of directional dyslexia. And with signs like this it's no wonder. Does anyone have an idea how long it takes to get your barrings?

There's more than one way to catch a crab

Now that we are experts on the blue crab our friend Chuck took us crabbin', old school. All you need is a chicken leg and a long piece of string. Tie the string to the leg, toss it into the river and wait. When you feel a tug slowly, and I mean slowly, pull it in. You can feel the crab pulling on the line, so if it lets go you wait until it grabs on again and start pulling. There is a small learning curve but it was fun. I actually caught two crabs at one time. Gracie got two also and Anna wasn't interested. It was too hot and buggy for her.

Last week my friends Diane, Emily, and Brendan came to visit and we tried a more advanced technique. I bought a crab net at Wal Mart for $3 and a package of chicken legs. This time we went to the fishing pier at the YR. All you need to do is tie the chicken to the inside of the net, lower it into the water and wait. We would play in the water for about 20 min, then run over to the pier and pull up the line. We caught about 5 or 6 total. My favorite part was letting them go and watching them scurry back into the water. We keep hearing how delicious they are but I can't bring myself to cook or eat them.

Fun and Educational

The VIMS/W&M (Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary), has great programs for kids. This one was about the blue crab. The scientific name is callinectes sapidus, which translates to beautiful swimmer. There were art projects, babies to handle, we learned about tagging and conserving, life cycles, mating, and more. We even got to dissect one. One cool thing I learned is that the females have red claws like nail polish. If you want more info go to www.bluecrab.info.com.

Hummingbird

While my Mom was visiting she cleaned and filled our hummingbird feeder. It is cool watching them feed. I never knew how territorial they are. While one is feeding an other will dive bomb it. It happens so fast if you blink you'll miss it. It's like watching a WWII dog fight. It's good clean fun for the whole family. You can purchase a feeder for about $5.
Here's how to make your own nectar:
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
Boil water first then measure and add sugar.
Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Yes Virginia, there really are blueberries in Virginia

Of course they are not half as good as Michigan blueberries, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We went picking on Friday and since then we have been making all kinds of yummy treats. First we made turn-overs with a cream cheese filling. Next Gracie made us BB pancakes for lunch. Tony didn't want pancakes he wanted french toast so Mom found a recipe for BB sauce. It was so awesome! And easy.

Blueberry Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon peal

Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a 1-quart microwaveable dish. Stir in water. Add blueberries. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 5 minutes or until mixture has boiled for at least 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Makes 1 cup.