Birding photos from Dutch Gap on Aug 15, 2026
My best bird photo from this morning is a dragonfly (Eastern Pondhawk, I think).
Least Sandpiper
Green Heron
Red-headed Woodpecker. It’s a juvenile, so its head is not actually red yet.
Today, August 14, we commemorate the Feast Day of the Martyrs of Otranto. These faithful Christians were victims of a brutal conquest during the Ottoman invasion of the Italian city of Otranto in 1480. After a two-week siege, the city fell on August 11…
As I prepared to head out to the screen porch for an evening smoke and sip, I was in the mood for an Old Fashioned. I quickly mixed the drink right in the glass and dropped in a large ice cube. In the interest of brevity, I skipped grabbing an orange p…
Last week I finally found time to drive out to Slow Burn Cigar Co. in Remington. Travel and a busy schedule had conspired to keep me away for more than a month. I was excited to get back and see what was new on the shelves.The Comfortable Lounge at Slo…
We’ve experienced a very wet summer this year, with more days of rain than sunshine. Or at least that’s how it has felt of late, even if we’re told the region is still rated “extremely dry.” For my part, I know there are new washouts in the yard that w…
Lately, as I’ve looked back over many of my cigar and beverage pairings, I’ve noticed an unintended trend. Many — if not most — of the cigars I’ve been enjoying recently had been resting in my humidor for at least a year, and often closer to two. That …
There are evenings when only a full-bodied cigar will do. With plenty of time to relax on the porch, I reached for the lone CAO Flathead V660 remaining in my humidor. After two years of rest, I was curious whether the big Broadleaf-wrapped cigar had me…
Here’s a summertime pairing that I tried on a whim, and it turned out even better than expected. Samuel Adams Summer Ale is a seasonal release from the Boston brewery that has been a staple of summer cookouts since 1995. The refreshing 5.3% ABV ale fea…
Tim Barry at Dogwood Dell
Dogwood Dell is a 2400 capacity amphitheater in the middle of a city park owned by the City of Richmond. Every summer Richmond does free shows just about every weekend as part of a summer long Arts Festivals that has been happ…
Vibe Coding…
Sing it to the tune of the Bee Gees Night Fever.
I mentioned last week that I was using the modern incarnation of Mozilla Livemarks. It works okay, but it creates a bookmark for every blog post, which caused my bookmarks folder to balloo…
