Bob Alexander

How To Cull An Oyster!

I was in Florida fishing a silver spoon between sand bars; oyster shells from long ago harvestings strewn all around. The more of the scattered shells I saw, made me hungrier for oyster stew, seafood gumbo and oysters on the half shell. If ever there w... Read >

A Beef Jerky History Lesson and Recipe!

Originally, beef jerky in America was probably invented by Native Americans using whichever meat was available at the time; Bear meat, Buffalo meat, Mountain Lion and even Raccoon and smaller animals. Worldwide, making jerky has no doubt been around s... Read >

What To Do If You Catch The Mother of All Colds!

In the past I used to whine and moan about having a bad cold. Now that I have survived the mother of all colds, any common cold of the past seems insignificant. They say you can't die of the common cold, but now I have my doubts As far as a cure is con... Read >

No Green Thumb? Try Growing Window Sill Herbs!

I have discovered that having a window sill herb garden is a wonderful way to begin my conversations on a cold winter's morning. A "Good morning Mr. Basil!" or a "How is everyone this morning?" makes both you and the plants feel alive. We old people ha... Read >

How To Paint A Room Cheaply!

I used to cringe when my wife would tell me to paint the bedroom or redecorate the living room; doing either of these would cost me a lot of money to get favorable results. That was one of my early assumptions about painting a room. Now I actually look... Read >

A Really Big Catfish!

Fishing for really big catfish has become a new catch and release sport for fishermen all over the country who have become bored with bass fishing and crappie fishing. Folks who go after the big catfish routinely throw back little ones of 12 to 15 pounds.... Read >

Number One Rule of Boating: No Stupidity!

After 50 years of riding around in a boat on area lakes and rivers, I've seen some mighty dumb things boaters have done. I'm even guilty of bending a couple of safe boating rules myself. Some of those rules were broken intentionally, but most were done du... Read >

Red Wigglers Are Such Worms!

Red wiggler worms serve triple purposes. They produce great compost, make excellent fishing bait for bluegills and shellcrackers they make great pets. Most people think cats are aloof and won't come to you when called, but they're down right gregarious co... Read >

What Is Happening To My Mockingbirds?

While barbequing ribs over the weekend, I suddenly realized that there was no musical accompaniment by any of the local mockingbirds that usually serenade me in the morning. In fact I have only seen one of these melody thieves this year. What's happening?... Read >

Tips On Buying A String Strimmer!

After my garden tiller broke down last year, I found the easiest way to keep weeds out of my tomatoes was to cut them down with a motor powered string trimmer. It worked and I only lost three plants by decapitation the whole summer! By nature I'm a la... Read >

Catch Big Crappie On Alligator Lake!

I was pulling a crappie from the murky water surrounding a Cypress knee, when the weeds and lily pads 35 feet behind me exploded in a shower of water and mud. The coot I had seen naively swimming among the water grasses appeared to have been breakfast for... Read >

Break Out The Barbeque Grills!

Somewhere in west Texas or south Florida, folks are getting ready to fire up their charcoal grills and dig out their favorite recipes for their best barbeque sauce. Except for Hawaii and a handful of desert states, those are the only places that seem warm... Read >

Cold Weather Oyster Harvesting Is Not For The Weak!

This year the oyster harvest in Northwest Florida is at a dismal low compared to those of other years. The cold weather has made it difficult for tongers to stay out on the water long enough to get in a good day's work. Tonging is the traditional way to h... Read >

When To Plant Tomato Seeds!

It is almost time to start planting tomato seeds for this summer's crop. Even though there is still snow on the ground in many parts of the country, planting these tiny seeds gives us something to do while we're waiting for warmer weather. Perusing se... Read >

Cooking Tips For Outdoor Chefs

Outdoor cooking isn't for everyone. It takes a person who is willing to put his reputation as a grilling superstar on the line each time he lights a gas grill or tosses a match onto a flammable pile of charcoal. that the people he feeds will appreciate th... Read >