Home › View all posts by fred

Author: fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

By Posted on Posted in Uncategorized No Comments

So I had some text here and saved as draft but the text was lost. Discouraging. At every step I take one increment forward, then two backwards. There remain more than a few bottlenecks, and until I get past them, I’ll be spinning my wheels in the sand.  Blackened Seasoning Sprinkle grouper filets with Louisiana Fish Fry Products Blackened Seasoning on both sides. Preheat cast iron skillet until it smokes. Dip the filets in the melted butter. Gently place grouper filets in the skillet and …

Fools Rush In Read more »

By Posted on Posted in nature 1 Comment

I’m sure you are familiar with murmurations of flocking birds. I am too. But I cannot look away. At times, up to a million birds move as one. I don’t understand the physics or the biology. But obviously, the starlings do.

By Posted on Posted in Uncategorized 2 Comments

Same Blogger, Different Porch Stay tuned while Elderly Dog learns New Tricks,  and the dust settles on Fragments–Still from Floyd by Fred First Yes, I’m aware this is quite a bit different from what surviving Fragments readers have seen here since 2002.  I can’t say for certain that the life of this blog is going to extend anywhere near into the future as far as it extends into the past; same thing, with even greater certainty for the blogger.  Recent intense and repeated attempts …

Fragments: A Fresh Coat of Paint Read more »

By Posted on Posted in PhotoImage, seasons 2 Comments

The wife and I are living under the jurisdiction of a new Energy Domain: new to solar panels, new to heat pumps and new to Generac propane generators. We are not so new to power outages, and wondering about “best practices” if, say, the power is out extending into and lasting through at least one night. In winter. Which could be soon-ish. I have learned that the whole-house generator can be switched OFF manually, so am thinking to conserve propane but keep the toilets …

IF Power is Out on a Three Dog Night Read more »