Wythe Notes — Blogging the food, culture and folkways of Wythe County, Virginia, and the Mountain Empire

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May 7th, 2010 · faces and places, food

So I’m a lot calmer today. (Sorry for the last couple of posts Aunt Hilda.) The colonoscopy I had yesterday has a way of focusing one’s concentration. I’m so calm I can ignore the fact that one of the things I had to do in preparation for the procedure was fill a one gallon plastic jug, containing an electrolyte powder, full of water, drink half of it, and throw the other half away. After getting rotor-rootered, the minor screwing I got from Braintree Laboratories (Pharmaceuticals for Brain Dead Consumers), the manufacturer of said powder, doesn’t bother me half as much today as it did two days ago. I’m trying to get back in touch with my inner Wytheness. Who knows? Maybe one day I too will be content, roaring down the road in my F-150 on my way to McDonald’s, beer in one hand, cell phone in the other, radio blasting so loud I can ignore the trash flying off the bed in back. The ambulance behind me with a dying patient on board trying to get around will just have to wait. I’m texting my sweetie about the free-roaming cat I just ran over.

Sarcasm aside, I really do want to talk about the Healthy Foods Foundation Conference last Saturday sponsored by The Mansion at Fort Chiswell and Key Ingredients for Life.

The Mansion at Fort Chiswell

The Conference was the brainchild of Chris Disibbio, founder and president of Key Ingredients For Life, Inc. and owner of The Mansion. Key Ingredients’ website is still under construction, but if you register on The Mansion’s site, you’ll be notified when it’s up and running. Chris, like me, believes you really are what you eat. We share the same concerns that we are in danger of losing 300 years of food history in one generation because not only do a lot of younger folks not know how to cook from scratch, they don’t know how to eat. Processed and fast foods have made us one of the most obese nations on earth.

I wish we had been able to spend the whole day there, but Anne had a previous commitment and by the time she dropped me off and I was able to get back, I had missed a lot. I was very pleased with some of the networking I was able to do though. It was a real pleasure to meet Debi Anderson of Anderson Grass Fed Beef in Bland, and Suzanne Capone (276-686-5843) of Omega Lane Farm in Rural Retreat. I visited both farms earlier this week, and I highly recommend both. Debi and her husband RB, and Suzanne and her husband Bill Perry, are hard working small producers who care enough to go the extra mile.

Debi Anderson with a display of the maple syrup they also produce

Thanks to a package of the Andersons’ ground beef, I was able to enjoy a cheeseburger last night for the first time in a very long time.

Suzanne Capone

I plan to do a more in depth article about the organic produce from Omega Lane Farm a little later in the growing season, but I have to show you a couple of shots of the solar powered greenhouse (the first in the state) that Bill designed and had built, much of it using recycled materials.

Bill Perry, hard at it inside the greenhouse

Though we only had a few minutes to chat, I’m looking forward to visiting with Gary Mitchell of Grayson Natural Foods in Independence. Gary provided the ground beef for the burgers at the conference.

If you value your health and those of your loved ones, you need to listen to what these folks are preaching. This morning CNN reported a 23 state recall of romaine lettuce contaminated with e coli, sold in Virginia by Kroger’s. Please take the time to read the article on meat processing from Sustainable Table.
Your life could depend on it.

→ 1 CommentTags:grass-fed·healthy food·organic farming·solar greenhouse

a boob for a boob (rated R)

May 5th, 2010 · Uncategorized

I’ve thought about this and who knows, it might work. Help me start a national campaign and maybe we can laugh this jackass Cuccinelli out of office.

Send a Pic of Your Left Tit to The Coochie
www.oag.state.va.us

Male or female, it doesn’t matter. A boob for a boob is still a boob. Help save the Commonwealth!! Send yours today!!

My Left Tit

Here’s a little Rodney Carrington to get you in the mood.

Post Edit Note: Apparently I violated someone’s term of service. YouTube’s I guess. You can try searching “Show Them to Me” at YouTube.com. It has been made unavailable to me.

Sorry folks, Ron

→ 2 CommentsTags:boob·Ken Cuccinelli·tit

the first annual KISS MY ASS awards

May 3rd, 2010 · rants

Warning: This post contains language that may be offensive to some people.

Today’s post was supposed to be about the wonderful time that Anne and I had at the Healthy Foods Foundations Conference at The Ft. Chiswell Mansion this past Saturday. And I promise the next one will deal with that. But right now I’m really pissed off, and I have to get some of this stuff off my chest before my head explodes. I’m a rather profane person and when I’m angry my language tends to reflect it. I apologize to anyone I may offend. I’ve decided to establish the KISS MY ASS awards for the individuals and institutions who are either fucking us outright or are just too stupid to live.

The KIMME (KMA)

In no particular order, the winners are:

Ken Cuccinelli, the esteemed Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This guy is a fucking moron and one of the main reasons I left the Republican Party. He was our State Senator when we lived in Fairfax County. It was bad enough when he directed colleges NOT to protect the rights of homosexuals (even our dumbass governor backed away from that one), or that he was the first AG to file suit over recently passsed health care reform, now this dildo wants to change the state seal to cover Lady Virtus’ left tit. Virginia is becoming a national laughing stock because of this clown.

Ken Cuccinelli: KISS MY ASS

British Petroleum. Before it’s all over, this company is going to be on everyone’s shit list. This disaster may be the death knell for New Orleans and a lot of the Gulf Coast. 69% of the WORLD’S shellfish come from this area. Under the worst case scenario the oil could eventually affect the East Coast shoreline. This company knew the dangers and failed to properly outline them when they were first granted drilling rights. And they continued to hide the facts. I hope you enjoyed your last meal of shrimp and oysters and blue crabs (just to name a few) because shortly, what little product left will be so expensive that only oil company executives and the banking and Wall Street thieves will be able to afford them. The next asshole who says to me “Drill Baby Drill” in regard to offshore drilling along Virginia’s coastline is going to need major dental work.

British Petroleum: KISS MY ASS

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, her cabinet, the state legislature, and the rich, white, bigoted fucks in that state who support them. Seig Heil you Nazi motherfuckers. Your immigration law was bad enough, yeah we’re not racial profiling, (no shit, one of the ways they plan to determine who should have to prove they’re in this country legally is by examining a person’s shoes), but they are now purging schools of teachers who have a heavy accent. Good thing the Governator lives in California.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/Gov.JanBrewer(R-Arizona).jpg

Jan Brewer: KISS MY ASS

Kingsford Charcoal Products Company. This one may be the one that pisses me off the most right now. I’ve used their charcoal for as long as I can remember. As a chef and barbeque fanatic, I’ve easily spent $10,000 or more on their products. I trusted them. No more.

I purchased these two bags of charcoal Saturday at the same time for the same price. The larger bag on the left contains LESS charcoal than the smaller bag on the right. Kingsford, like a lot of our “trusted” corporations like Kellogg and General Mills, pull this bait and switch bullshit all the time. They know that most shoppers are in too much of a hurry to read the fine print. In many, many cases the larger the container, the more expensive the per unit cost. So to Kingsford and all the other greedy corporations: KISS MY ASS.

And finally, to the President, Congress, State Governments, the Democrat and Republican parties, the banks, Wall Street, the insurance companies, the unions,the lawyers (geezus don’t get me started on them), the churches, the teabaggers, and all the other worthless, bigoted, low-down, cheating asshole cocksuckers who have sold this once great country down the river:

KISS MY ASS

Thank You.

→ 7 CommentsTags:Arizona·British Petroleum·Cuccinelli·Jan Brewer·Kingsford·Wall Street

may day, 2010: 6:30 am

May 1st, 2010 · Uncategorized

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Creek Update

April 27th, 2010 · flora and fauna, photos, wildlife

With the passing of each week, Galena Creek continues to grow cleaner and healthier. The freshwater snails are more abundant and I’ve found what appear to be brown trout minnows swimming around. Though I haven’t been able to photograph any yet, there are also crayfish. New aquatic plants, some quite beautiful, are growing and it looks like we’ll have a nice crop of watercress soon.

Muskrats are all over the place. For some, these water loving rodents are cute little creatures. For others, like my neighbor James, they are destructive nuisances. Their burrowing damages his pond, and they are laying waste to the fish he keeps. In parts of the United States and other countries, Muskrats are considered a delicacy. They are said to taste like rabbit or duck. Personally, I don’t see a breast of Muskrat with a side of fava beans in my immediate future.

There a few things that I haven’t been able to identify. If anyone knows what this worm-like little creature is, please let me know.

For me, the creek has become my place for quiet contemplation. It’s a rare day that I don’t spend time along its banks as Anne says, “contemplating my navel.” In a few days, the irises in and along the creek will be in bloom so you can expect to see more pictures soon.

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happy earth day?

April 21st, 2010 · musings

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ode to collards

April 5th, 2010 · food, musings, recipes

Long of leaf, tender of stalk, and beautifully of green,
I rinse your stems with reverent hands
Before chopping and adding to the steam.
A few cups of water, a chunk of country ham, bring it all to boil.
Add some honey and cider vinegar when the liquid starts to roil.
Louisiana Hot Sauce, good sea salt and cracked-black to your taste,
Twist a top, simmer them down, now’s not the time for haste.
From this point ’til they’re done, you’ve got three whole hours to waste.

→ 2 CommentsTags:

the return of pleuroceridae

April 3rd, 2010 · flora and fauna, wildlife

One of the great things about living on the Creek is watching it change and become healthier from the cleanup and conservation efforts we’ve made over the last few years.

Earlier this week, I made a rather exciting discovery. Clinging to several of the rocks in the Creek were colonies of freshwater snails. The reason this is exciting is because these particular pleuroceridae are endangered and can exist only in unpolluted waters.

The previous owner of Our Little Piece of Paradise raised goats. Galena Creek was, in places, more of a muddy wet spot in the landscape than anything else, criss-crossed with metal fence posts, wire fencing, and shallow railroad-tie dams and bridges. All of that was removed when we purchased the place six years ago, and the Creek has been left to recover mostly on its own. We have done some judicious rock placement to create a couple of short rapids-runs and planted both irises and cat tails. For the last few years, watercress and wild mint have returned in great abundance, acting as a natural filter often requiring care in the late summer to maintain a good flow when water levels are down. Additionally, my neighbor’s cows no longer use the Creek and the late winter snow-melt and heavy rains combined to flush the Creek of any lingering pollutants leaving it in its current, nearly-pristine state.

Also seemingly in greater abundance this spring are the ubiquitous water sliders, a graceful insect whose study by the Chinese may lead to changes in the way water-proof fabric is made.

A bit more interesting, and possibly troublesome, the study could also lead to the “…designing [of] innovative miniature aquatic devices with drag-reducing [properties] and fast propulsion.”

I plan to investigate the introduction of fresh-water mussels and crawfish into the Creek, hopefully leading to an increase in bull frogs this year (read sauteed frog’s legs, they really do taste like chicken!)

According to a Virginia Tech study published in Science Centric (click reload after this link loads), streams such as Galena Creek, “…are natural filters that help remove and transform pollutants that drain from surrounding watersheds, including excess nitrogen from human activities.” The study goes on, “Nitrogen removal in streams is important because it reduces the potential for eutrophication – the excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants in downstream lakes and coastal marine waters,’ said Jack Webster, professor of biology at Virginia Tech. ‘Eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay has damaged the oyster industry in Virginia…”

Despite the predictions for unusual weather patterns this spring and summer, we expect this to be a good year in the continued return of the Creek to its natural state.

To listen to an excerpt of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, click here.

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announcement

March 31st, 2010 · musings, photos, video

We at Wythe Notes, meaning Anne, me, and Sassy Cat, are pleased to announce that after several months of begging and pleading on my part, Wythe Notes has been added to the Roanoke Times Community Blog Roll. Go to www.Roanoke.com, click on Blogs and scroll down. This knowledge and $1-$3 will now get you a cup of coffee.

Sassy Cat

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Watch the Stooges

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the nightbird’s song

March 26th, 2010 · musings

5 am finds me lightly dressed, with a cup of coffee in hand, standing on the front porch in the predawn darkness. The air clings with a damp chill from the previous night’s rain. I instinctively feel the underlying hint of promised warmth in the weeks ahead. Down by the creek, the croaking of the peepers blends with the water rushing over the rocks in the creek, still swollen after weeks of melting snow pack and rain, like the musical blending of woodwinds with percussion. In the distance, the faint glow of our closest neighbor’s security light filters through the pine needles.

Suddenly, an awful shrieking rends the night. My first thought is of a small, woeful animal dying violently. It’s over in mere seconds. At the moment of what should have been the coup de gras, a loud clanking drowns out the night. On Rt. 52, some 400 or 500 yards away, the rusty putt-putt of an elderly pickup truck chugs around the curve. As it sputters off into the distance, I feel cheated and slightly annoyed…..the night settles round me once again, wet and silent. Turning to leave the chill, I hear a brief, but terrible, shriek. Then another. Somewhat chagrined, I realize my mistake. It is the sound of a night bird I’m hearing…. possibly an owl?

Inside, while the laptop boots-up, I pour another cup of strong black coffee, a Louisiana brand made richer with chicory. I take a sip and savor the mildly bitter aftertaste. The combination of the coffee’s warmth and the lingering chill sends a pleasant shiver through me. A google search lands me on the Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology’s website. Oh cool. They have pictures, videos and…. sounds! This is great! A quick search tells me my initial choice is wrong. It wasn’t a screech owl I heard. Hmmm…maybe it’s this one. Yeah, I bet it is. I don’t know what kind of sound it makes, but I know one has a nest in the woods across the way. That’s it! That’s the sound I heard. A red-tailed hawk! And it’s a mating call. That awful shriek is from a nasty, avian predator trying to get lucky. A birdie booty call. Heh heh heh…I’ll be damned.

Quoting from Cornell’s page on the red-tail, Adults make a hoarse, screaming kee-eeeee-arr. It lasts 2-3 seconds and is usually given while soaring. During courtship, they also make a shrill chwirk, sometimes giving several of these calls in a row.

This is the most impressive website I’ve seen to date on birds. Another site you might want to check is published by the National Audubon Society. http://www.audubon.org/