It's a Boy

Okay America, it is time to get over it - we kicked the Brits and royalty out over two centuries ago, already! Yet most Americans - or at least the news media - seem absolutely enthralled by what emerges from the royal womb. Why should we give a cluck?

So, here is my tribute to William and Kate with assistance from the legendary British group, The Who, from their great rock opera, Tommy.

Hey William. Hey Kate. How about naming the kid Tommy?

A Fairy Tale

A Fairy Tale eggplant that is. I bought the plants at a local greenhouse and really wasn't aware that these small, striped eggplant are so different than the large Black Beauty eggplant I'd grown for years. When the first fruits appeared I thought something was wrong, that they were deformed, or worse. The fruits weren't the deep purple I was used to and they were about the size and shape of a small banana - 5" or so.

So, a couple nights ago I used them in a cheesy squash/eggplant casserole and it came out great. Mild flavor, white flesh, skins more tender than the large eggplant, and they didn't seem to brown as quickly when exposed to the air. Plus, the small size is a bit deceiving since the plants are prolific and produce an abundance of the fruits.

Tonight I fixed them an interesting fried way that is a bit bland but the texture and mouth feel was great. The eggplant and the potato flakes lend themselves to adding flavors like Cajun spices or dipping in dressings or sauces that give it just the kick you want. Here is what I did for what I'll call Potato Crusted Eggplant:

• Peel and slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch slices and place in cold, lightly salted water for 10 minutes.
• Beat one egg with a tablespoon of water and add salt and pepper to taste (you could substitute seasoning salt, Cajun spices, Dizzy Dust, or your own concoction).
• Put one cup of instant mashed potato flakes in a shallow bowl.
• Heat a cast iron skillet with 1/4 cup butter over medium flame.
• Drain the eggplant and dip slices in the egg mixture and then coat in the potato flakes. Brown in the butter for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. 
• Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.

Fresh eggplant from the garden doesn't last all that long so enjoy them while you can. Eggplant Parmesan is good, but there is more than one way to skin an eggplant (and way more than one variety of eggplant to choose from).

American Skin

President Barack Obama spoke eloquently as an American today. "It ain't no secret" that racism in America still exists in all but Faux News wingnut minds. Other than the president, few have spoken as poignantly as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Newsleader calls for a hundred year plan for Augusta Schools

In a recent editorial, Staunton's Newsleader chastised the Augusta County School Board for failing to come up with a "plan to guide the school system into the next century." Now that would be quite a feat even for the crystal balls sitting around that all-knowing editorial table.

Almost by definition any strategic plan is a work in progress that must change with the times. Planning for the next three to five years should involve a reasonably high level of specificity and perhaps forecasts for 10 to 20 years can at least get some things right. But, a 100 year plan? Surely the Newsleader jests! There are way too many variables and unknowns to take a stab at such a distant target. Technology, Virginia politics and laws, whims of the board of supervisors, federal laws, derechos, climate change, and all sorts of unpredictable things are out there just waiting to blow any plans totally out of the water.

One hundred years ago could the editors have seen beyond slow typesetting, black and white newsprint, and newspaper boys? Did they know that TV, with its color and moving pictures, would rock the world of newspapers? Could their clairvoyance have foreseen the internet and online media that is killing traditional print newspapers and magazines?

Just a few years ago could the managers at the Newsleader have seen their incredibly shrinking presence in the community and the outsourcing of their printing operations? Did they see the decline in subscriptions? Did they know a once proud independent newspaper would be owned by Gannett?

Perhaps the editors's scrying is blind to the coming end times for the Newsleader? My crystal ball gazing tells me the Newsleader will be a historical footnote as we move into the next century and likely be only a vague memory long before. So, I doubt we get an editorial followup accessing the 100 year success of the School Board strategic plan. Fortunately, none of us will be around to judge the accuracy of this prediction.

Run for the border Bobblehead Bob

Bobblehead Bob runs for the border... if he knows where it is. Maybe between Augusta and Rockingham, Bobblehead?

Augusta County needs data on nutrient pollution

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors is considering joining a nutrient monitoring program to get factual information on the amount of agricultural and non-point pollution entering the Middle and South rivers. This pollution, of course, travels downstream to other counties and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay.

The U.S. Geological Survey will provide equipment to monitor sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus over a three year period. The EPA has assured officials that the program will be accepted in setting the watershed model for the Chesapeake Bay.

All sounds good, right? Free equipment and accurate data to drive future decisions. Well, some supervisors say not so fast. The hangup is the $85,000 annual cost to properly conduct the monitoring. One member of the board, Larry Wills, is seeking state funding and/or cost sharing with downstream Rockingham County but apparently he has come up dry so far.

Even Rep. Bob Goodlatte seems to support a monitoring program because of the up-to-date data it will provide. But, in typical Bobblehead Bob talking out of both sides of his mouth fashion, he doesn't want the data to actually accomplish anything, saying the Chesapeake Bay model is flawed.

With a 2025 deadline approaching for Virginia's blueprint for cleaning up the Bay, we need all the data we can get to make accurate, scientific decisions. Yes, the Commonwealth should be picking up some or most of the tab for localities but even without that funding Augusta County should move forward now. Costs of monitoring and restoring our streams and rivers will only increase in the future and decision makers need quality information sooner rather than later. Plus, plenty of Augusta residents fish, swim, and canoe in these popular local rivers.

Perhaps Mr. Wills can explore the possibility of working with organizations that have trained volunteers to do the water monitoring to help trim some costs. Organizations like Friends of the Shenandoah River and Friends of Middle River have been doing just that for years.

Check out CCC's earlier posts on the South River and Middle River.

Your summer float could land you in hot water

South Fork Shenandoah River

There isn't much better than a river float on a hot summer day. Maybe you get your fishing line wet. Perhaps you sit on a rock in the middle of a rapids enjoying the cool bubbling water, birds, and quiet. You are thrilled by successfully running a tricky Class 3.

Our navigable waters - streams, creeks, rivers, and bays - are supposed to be open for all Virginians. They are conserved for the people as places for fishing, swimming, boating, and solitude. All sportsmen thought that access to our public waters was assured but recently some landowners have accused boaters and others of trespass even though they never set foot on dry land.

It appears that simply posting signs and threatening to sue is enough to "privatize" a river or steam. When you show up in court the landowner has the upper hand as he/she often won't have to prove ownership of the riverbed and our "commonwealth" won't lend a hand or a paddle to defend your rights to public access. More info on the background and legalities at the Virginia Conservation Network.

This loophole in the law needs to be plugged and only the General Assembly can do it. Contact your delegate and senator and tell them to act during the 2014 session. Tell them to keep our navigable rivers in the public domain for the use of everyone in the commonwealth.