Entries by vaobserver

Praising The House Centipede

July 11, 2019 in , /by

by Doug Pifer I was one of the boys in charge of stacking the books in the back closet of the school room on the last day of second grade. That’s when my first house centipede ran across the floor and under a bookcase. Girls shrieked. Boys whooped. Our teacher, a gray-haired lady wise to […]

Conservation Groups Meet At Cool Spring

July 11, 2019 in , , /by

Nearly 30 area conservation groups and land trusts met June 20 at Shenandoah University’s Cool Spring Campus for a summit of the Blue Ridge Conservation Alliance. They gathered to explore more cooperation and collaboration to protect what is considered one of the most threatened mountain landscapes in the Eastern Seaboard, the Blue Ridge and surrounding […]

Now Is The Time To Eliminate Bagworms

January 19, 2019 in , /by

Article and photos by Claire Stuart If you have ornamental evergreens, you might be familiar with evergreen bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis). Their little bags dangle from the tips of small branches, resembling bits of dried vegetation or even tiny cones. Bagworms are larvae of moths and are among the commonest pests of evergreens, including pines, spruces, […]

7th Annual ACFF Best of Fest in Frederick

January 19, 2019 in , /by

February 1 event featuring films, beer tasting, and inspiration returns to Weinberg Center for the Arts The American Conservation Film Festival’s Best of Fest returns February 1 to the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md., the seventh year for an event featuring three award-winning films from the 2018 Festival based in Shepherdstown, W.Va. This […]

Kelsey Cakes Boutique Adds Sweetness to Berryville

January 19, 2019 in , /by

By Rebecca Maynard Just in time for the holiday season, shoppers in downtown Berryville were treated to one more beautiful storefront, an elegant pink sign and a sparkling winter scene with trees and reindeer.  The storefront of 11 S. Church St. belongs to Kelsey Cakes Boutique, which had its grand opening in December and already has […]

Slipstream

January 19, 2019 in , /by

By Keith Patterson “It takes a big head to fill these shoes.” I think I just quoted myself. Dang. Did it again. It’s hard to be me. But it’s supposed to be hard. And it’s supposed to hurt. Because when you’re in the most pain is when you’re the most alive. And when you’re the […]

Less Stress in the New Year

January 19, 2019 in , /by

10 Ideas to Keep Stress at Bay by JiJi Russell Over the last ten years, I’ve worked with a colorful variety of people in the realm of wellness — many ages and backgrounds. If I had to choose just one concern that most, if not all, confront, it’s stress. My purely observational, unscientific opinion on […]