Summer is here in full force – I am writing this two days after the Summer Solstice and the temperature is 99 and feels like 108. For the next two weeks the coolest it is predicted is 91. It is going to be a hot one! Time to slow down and stay hydrated.
I don’t usually talk about things that “bug me” in these notes but I just want to put this Public Service Announcement out there. I am a dog lover and there are two things that I have been observing as I smoke my cigar and sip my beverage on the front stoop of my place on South Washington Street here in Old Town. First off, be aware that if you can’t walk on the pavement with bare feet, your dog shouldn’t either! The pavement is going to be too hot for your dog’s paws. Take Fido/Fifi to a dog park or grassy area. Secondly, when you do walk them on the sidewalks, please don’t let them relieve themselves on flower containers or planters of small foliage. In this town there is always a tree nearby. Some of these planters are semi-porous and urine leaches into the soil and the plant dies. The pots in front of our place are living, sorta, proof. End of rant and on to what is inside this issue…
This month we dedicated the space where our Business and Personality profiles normally appear to a special feature celebrating our fair city’s 275th Birthday – “We’ve come a long way baby”. It is hard to believe that I have lived here for 47 of those years! Read a brief history of Alexandria in this space. In sticking with the historical vent, Sarah Becker highlights the many historical events that have happened in the USA starting with the 4th of July in A Bit of History.
Lenny Campello introduces us to artist Shiri Achu in Gallery Beat. Shiri started painting when she was 9 years old. Lenny describes her work as a “Powerful African Art in a marriage of contemporary skills”. Staying with the arts and entertainment, Ron Powers brings back one of Johnny Cash’s big hits – Big River – in High Notes. Those of us who are of a certain age can probably remember the lyrics. Rounding out this section, Miriam Kramer reviews Jeff Lindsey’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter in Last Word.
The heat is not just limited to humans. In From the Bay, Lauren Hines-Acosta writes about the underwater heat waves which affect our crab population. Jumping into the bay on a very hot day, we have all felt the water getting colder as we descend further down. These thermoclines affect the sea creatures as well.
Julie Reardon gives you an alternative to spending the 4th in the city among other things to do in the mountains this month in her To Blue Ridge column.
For this month’s Road Trip we checked out a couple of beaches…the Chesapeake Bay beaches. They might not be Atlantic Ocean caliber but if you need a beach fix in the middle of the week these are just an hour away – Breezy Point and the Twin Beaches of North Beach and Chesapeake Beach.
I had to laugh at first when I saw what Alex Brittel wrote in Caribbean Connection but changed my tune after I got to thinking about what a major hit the move Barbie is. It seems that the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas has temporarily transformed in to a “Barbie World” and it isn’t just for kids!
In Dining Out, we visited the new Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktail Bar. Located in the former Faccia Luna space in the 800 block of South Washington, this place is a breath of fresh air.
Tim Long pontificates the age-old question “Are shots of whiskey on a golf course a good idea?” in Let’s Get Crafty. I’m guessing we all know that answer right out of the box.
In Exploring Virginia Wines Doug Fabbioli discusses “Terroir” in relation to Virginia Wines and Matt Fitzsimmons hits up on “Shakespeare in the Ruins” at Barboursville Vineyards in Grapevine. July is a great time to visit Virginia Wineries so check out the Pearmund Winery ad on our inside back cover.
Nicole Flanagan discusses the state of obesity in this country in Fitness as Ryan Unverzagt highlights the Weight Plate Horseshoe exercise in From the Trainer. Genevieve LeFranc has some tips on what to pack in your beach bag to ensure you have everything you need before you hit the sand in First Blush.
Go Fish’s Steve Chaconas talks about the effect the heat has on summer time fishing tournaments and Lori Welch reminds us that “Freedom Isn’t Free” in this month’s Open Space. This, all of the above and more await you in the following pages. Enjoy the read!
Wishing you a very Happy 4th of July and don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Birthday Party on the 13th! There will be FREE cupcakes, food vendors, live music, beer and fireworks. What else could you ask for?
Stay cool my friends.
