Old Town Crier - September 2025

Blair Witherington

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

As we head into the fi nal months of 2025, the heat has begun to leave as temps in the high 70s, low 80s are becoming the norm. It has been a blistering summer, but fall is on the way. To escape the heat, we headed south to the Virginia mountains and Love Ridge Mountain Lodging to do the R&D for Road Trip. With fall approaching, a slow drive down Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway may be the perfect fall escape. HINT: Don't go on the weekend when leaf peeping is in full tilt.

We haven’t published a real “themed” issue for quite some time but decided to give a little extra ink to those Senior Citizens among us, myself included. We corroborated with Carolyn Worthington, the force behind Healthy Aging® Month and she provided us with some great information for seniors in our Special Feature “Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself”.

In Business Profile, Lauren Davis writes about “A Compassionate Guide at Life's Edge” - lessons we all should learn as we have loved ones who are moving on from this life.

Elizabeth Hughes interviewed our good friends and two of Alexandria’s best, Kathy and Bob Condon, in Personality Profile, as they let us in on some of their secrets for growing older with zest!

From the Trainer’s, Ryan Unverzagt writes about something we all need to understand...balance. At 78 years old, this is a subject that is dear to my future. Every month Ryan brings a great focus on our diminishing physical capabilities.

Here is a partial round-up of more that awaits you in this issue: If your political anxiety is peaking, read Miriam Kramer's review of Fever Beach in Last Word and relieve some of that stress. In To the Blue Ridge, Julie Reardon reminisces about the changes in life and lifestyles since she moved to her farm 25 years ago. Exploring VA Wines Doug Fabbioli elaborates on what makes a good winery owner. Doug is a good friend and has been writing for us since our beginning. I know of many winery owners that he has consulted for over the years. Twin Oaks Tavern Winery is one of the latest and also has an ad in this issue. Make it a point to visit this winery and see how it all comes together. In Grapevine, Matt Fitzsimmons tells us how ‘Wine Incubators’ are helping the wineries. In Let's Get Crafty, Tim Long explores the reasons for Oktoberfest Beer and football tailgating... coincidence?,..maybe not.

The Dining Out R&D took us to Mike’s Restaurant and Crab House in Riva, Maryland and we had ourselves some CRABS! If you are a hardshell fan and haven’t been to this place, put it on your radar

In Caribbean Connection Karen Udler points out the advantages of St. Kitts, a most perfect destination. In From the Bay, Lani Gering looks to AI for content and comes up with some great info on what’s happening along the Chesapeake Bay this month. In Gallery Beat, Lenny Campello describes ‘The Art of the Scam’. In Fitness, Nicole Flanagan gets philosophical about fitness. Go Fish’s Steve Chaconas reveals the importance of the fishing license fees. Lori Welch Brown is celebrating her anniversary and her last year of being in her 50’s and tells us how she feels about them in Open Space.

Some of you may notice that A Bit of History is absent. Our writer and friend Sarah Becker is taking some much-needed time off. Although her column will be missed, she certainly deserves a break. Sarah has been writing her column every month since July of 1996.

Whether you are sad to see the summer of 2025 in the book or happy to welcome in fall, take some time to do something you love or start something new. September is a great month to do just that!

On a somber note, Alexandria lost two Old Town icons – both named Tom. One I knew very well, Tom Hulfish, and one I don’t recall meeting, Tommy Dukes, but who obviously made an impact with many. Tim Long penned his tribute.

On a very sad note, we said goodbye to an Old Town original, Tom Hulfish. I have known Tom since I came to Old Town in 1977. He was truly larger

than life and an integral part of the fabric of Old Town. He was an avid outdoorsman – many of you may have seen him putting his kayak in the water at the foot of King Street and paddling ACROSS the river on almost a daily basis in his 90’s. Tom owned a couple of race horses, participated in many fox hunts and was a fi rst-class polo player. Tom was part of the reason they brought Twilight Polo to the forefront in the Blue Ridge. His presence will be sorely missed on the streets of Old Town.

A Tribute to Tommy Dukes By Tim Long Old Town recently lost one of its legends. For decades, Thomas (Tommy) Dukes was a familiar face on King St. In Old Town’s early days, Tommy would “hold court” every Sunday afternoon at the Fish Market’s Raw Bar on the corner of King and Union Streets. Tommy was the king of Sunday afternoons, his throne a bar stool, and his scepter a 32-ounce schooner of beer. Being more of a jester than a king, Tommy reigned with joy and laughter and often offered free bowls of Goldfish crackers to all who joined him.

Tommy automatically welcomed anyone as part of the family. He was a true friend to all. I have no doubt that he has found a pub in heaven that serves schooners of beer. And that St. Peter is standing at the Pearly Gates enjoying the Goldfish crackers that Tommy brought for him. Rest in peace my friend, you were truly loved and one of a kind.

Spending some quality time with my new pal, Silverback!

ON THE ROAD WITH OTC

Longtime friends and subscribers, Linda Plant and Dave Allin took their June copy of the OTC on the road with them when they embarked on their trek to Croatia and several surrounding countries in July. Pictured here, is Linda reading from the balcony of their room at the Hotel Istra overlooking Kvarner Bay and the Franz Joseph I Promenade on the Istrian Peninsula in Opatija. The Promenade provides dozens of swimming access points with flagstone sunning platforms and ladders into the crystal-clear seawater. This second photo was taken near the fountain adjacent to the large public beach in central Opatija.

If you would like to see your photo in this space, take the OTC with you on your next adventure and take a high resolution photo or photos of you and yours checking us out and send it with information for the caption to office@ oldtowncrier.com and put “On the Road” in the subject line.

Alexandria residents John (75) and Holli (81) Todhunter on one of their recent treks to Italy toasting Harry’s Bar in Rome.

By Lani Gering

While it is rare that the OTC features people on the cover, in keeping with our “Aging Healthfully and Gracefully” theme in celebration of Healthy Aging ® Month, we wanted to feature an image of an “older” person(s) on this issue. Being of a certain age myself (72) with many friends who are defi nitely aging well that would be great cover material, we went the generic route in order to keep it neutral. So…on the cover is a photo of a beautiful anonymous woman provided by SVVETS Productions.

That being said, however, we do want to share some photos of some of our friends and family, some of whom our local readers will recognize.

Longtime friends, Linda Plant (71) and Dave (73) Allin still bike or kayak daily near their home in Grand Junction, Colorado. They just returned from a marathon ride in Europe last month.

My amazing cousin, Annie (72) Kroenlein Ruller, is a regular walker and volunteers at a senior dog hospice facility near her home in Littleton, Colorado. She and I logged over 6 miles on a beautiful afternoon in Rocky Mountain National Park in June.

The Three AmigosHolli, myself and Kathy (73) Condon celebrating my 72nd last month. More about Kathy and her 88 years young husband Bob in this issue.

My former MIL, Pat Gering, celebrated her 99th trip around the sun last month. This mother of 9 has lived an amazing life in the small town of Hay Springs, NE. I was fortunate enough to be at her 98th and looking forward to her 100th Pictured here with 5 of her 6 remaining children. The “kids” range from 61 to 77. Not pictured, her youngest son Troy.

No winner yet!

After four straight months with winners, we have stumped our readers. Several guesses were submitted but none were correct. In fact, we might have to go to a few of the submitted locations and see what those murals actually look like!

Here is another part of the mural that may provide more of a clue when paired with the clip from last month. Remember that it is a fairly new mural and a bit off of the beaten path but still located in a popular area of Alexandria. If you are the fi rst person to respond with the correct location, you will receive a $50 gift certificate to one of the best French eateries in the DMVBastille Brasserie & Bar.

In order to participate, Like and Follow us on: Facebook @oldtowncrier and Instagram @otcregionalmag

Send a PM with your guess and we will contact the winner each month via PM to arrange for prize delivery.

September Events in Old Town

Fall into the season with bright-hued foliage, favorite art events, outdoor festivals and haunted Halloween activities this autumn in Alexandria, Virginia, voted a Travel + Leisure and a Condé Nast Traveler. Say “prost!”, stroll King Street during a spooky ghost tour and explore historic homes. A few exciting events are listed on these pages. Please check out the fall webpage for all fall events: www.visitalexandria.com/fall.

6th

Made in ALX Fall Maker's Market

Noon – 5 pm

Port City Brewing Co.

3950 Wheeler Avenue

We’re excited to be back at Port City Brewing in Alexandria for the Made in ALX Fall Maker’s Market! More than 25 vendors, food, music and a lot of our vendors will have activities — you can make your own charm bracelet, create a relief print, design your own tote bag and much more. Special thanks to event sponsors Williams Professional Painting and Willway Services!

There’s plenty of free parking, and this event is kid-friendly and pet-friendly, too! We’re excited to welcome DJ Neidermeyer to spin tunes, and we’re excited to try the latest menu items from La Tingeria! For more information go to visitalexandria.com/events/ fall-makers-market-at-port-city-brewing-co/

13th & 14th

23rd Annual Art Festival

10 am – 5 pm

John Carlyle Square Park

300 John Carlyle Street

Free to attend, the festival features a juried selection of artwork from local and national ne artists. See thousands of pieces, all made in the USA, across every medium. Offerings include, but are not limited to: life-sized sculpture, paintings, jewelry, pottery, and textiles.

This festival has been voted as one of the top-ranked art festivals in the nation by “Sunshine Artist Magazine.” Information at the carlylecommunity.com.

Photo by Lee Moody

18th

Annual Taste of Old Town North

4 pm – 8 pm

Montgomery Park 901 North Royal Street

The Taste of Old Town North is back, celebrating the neighborhood’s unique restaurants, performers, artisans and more! The Taste of Old Town North is free, family and pet friendly, and features an artisans’ market, gourmet restaurant tastings, and other activities for all to enjoy including music from two local bands. In addition, the City of Alexandria’s Of ce of the Arts’ Mobile Art Lab will be featured at the Taste event. The Mobile Art Lab offers supplies and support staff for kids of all ages to make art. On street parking is available in the Old Town North neighborhood or public parking located at 625 North Washington Street. The rain date is September 25, 4:008:00 p.m. For more information visit www.oldtownorth.org.

25th – October 5th

Old Town Cocktail Week

Presented By Suntory Global Spirits in partnership with Captain Gregory’s, Old Town Cocktail Week is a celebration of the imagination and innovation within Alexandria’s cocktail scene. Grab a featured cocktail from one of the over 40 participating restaurants or join us for a curated event and enjoy it all while on a staycation at one of the participating hotels with a stay and play package specially curated for Old Town Cocktail Week. Visitalexandria.com/events/old-town-cocktail-week/

25th

Art On the Rocks

6 pm-8:30 pm

The Art League

Torpedo Factory

105 North Union Street

Theartleague.org

Join us at the Art League as we pair artwork by local artists with sips from the best bartenders in Alexandria. Participate in picking your favorite cocktail and food pairing as you sip the night away to live music and great vibes for a good cause.

27th

Alexandria Oktoberfest - Prost to a Day of Bavarian Fun!

11 am – 6 pm

John Carlyle Square

300 John Carlyle Street

visitalexandria.com/events/alexandria-oktoberfest-john-carlylesquare/

Get ready for an unforgettable day at the Alexandria Oktoberfest!

Celebrate the season with the best of German culture, food, music, and fun at the beautiful John Carlyle Square in Alexandria. This family-friendly event captures the unmistakable spirit of Bavarian merriment with traditional music, lively entertainment, and a lively beer garden. Whether you’re here to enjoy the delicious food, shop for unique handmade crafts, or dance to the rhythms of authentic German tunes, there’s something for everyone. Participate in the Beer Stein Holding contest or don your nest Bavarian attire and vie for Mr. & Mrs. Oktoberfest. This is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of community, culture, and the simple joys of life. Gather your friends and family and enjoy a day of music, food, fun, and good times at Alexandria Oktoberfest! Parking available in nearby garages. FREE Admission rain or shine.

27th

83rd Annual Historic Homes Tour

10 am – 3 pm

Various homes throughout Old Town

Self-Guided Tour $45

TheTwig.org

Since 1997, The Twig has hosted the Homes Tour offering a selfguided walking tour of beautiful homes and gardens in Old Town Alexandria. The Tour, which began in 1941, was originally hosted by the Hospital’s Senior Auxiliary to raise money for the Hospital. Home highlights often include original and preserved structures, curated artwork, and historical collections. The tour also offers guests an opportunity to enjoy Virginia’s lovely autumn weather and the sites of Old Town as they walk from home to home. Tickets available for purchase online. Check in on the day of the tour can be made at The Twig Thrift Shop located at 106 North Columbus Street or at Boxwood located at 1205 King Street.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET

Market Square

301 King Street

Saturdays, 7 am – 12 Noon Year Round

The Old Town Market is thought to be the one of nation’s oldest continuing markets operating since 1753. It is said that George Washington sent his products from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today the plaza is a mecca for farmers and artists to sell their wares. The Market is a primary source for meats, dairy, sh, fruits, vegetables and owers for all those who visit.

DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET

Corner of Mt. Vernon and Oxford Avenues

Saturdays, 8 am to Noon Year Round

This market is strictly a producer grown market.  Lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, sh and salmon, fresh mushrooms, baked goods, hard cider.  Farmers are within a 150 mile radius of Alexandria.  A non-pro t is featured each weekend.

OLD TOWN NORTH FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

Montgomery Park 901 North Royal Street

Thursdays, 3 pm – 7 pm Year Round

Alexandria’s favorite dog friendly market! The Old Town North Thursday Market is a growers only market with a focus on produce from small family farms and local artisans. Products sold at the market include fresh fruits and veggies from Virginia’s Northern Neck, Micro Greens from an urban farm, Empanadas, Fresh baked pastries with a European air and much more.

FOUR MILE RUN FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

4109 Mount Vernon Avenue

Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm Year Round

This market offers fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels and strives to re ect the diversity of Alexandria’s community. Local artisans display their arts and crafts as well.

7th Temporary Public Art Installation on Display Through November Break Water By Nekisha Durrett

Break Water is the seventh annual temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park, was completed in late March and is on display through November as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series.

The sculpture draws inspiration from Alexandria’s waterfront being a place where natural forces and human activity intersect, often with profound consequences.

Break Water’s centerpiece, crafted from blackened wood, evokes the sidewheel of the steamboat River Queen, a vessel that symbolized Black ownership and opportunity until its mysterious destruction by re in 1911, shortly after its purchase by Lewis Jefferson, a Black entrepreneur. Encircled by black sandbags, the piece honors the resilience and strength of Black communities, referencing both protection and endurance during crises.

Beneath the sculpture, a ground mural of tangled taut ropes–called “Life Lines”–appears to tether the artwork to the park’s architectural elements, anchoring it against a symbolic undercurrent. Viewers are invited to walk the life lines that represent events, people, places, rituals, and traditions that have contributed to Alexandria’s unique identity. The painted lines symbolize the collective struggle to preserve these legacies, ensuring they are not swept away. Together the sculpture and the mural create a powerful tribute to the creativity and enduring spirit of Alexandria’s Black community.

A Compassionate Guide at Life’s Edge

You’re holding your 90-year-old mother’s hand, and her breathing is slow. She seems to be unconscious, and you’re not sure she can hear you. You’re wondering if you’re doing this right, caregiving at the end of life. This can be a profoundly loving but overwhelming experience.

That’s exactly why Ann M. Thompson (under pen name Grace Amani) wrote “The End-of-Life Caregivers’ Pocket Guide.” As someone who has cared for her parents through terminal illness and who is trained as an end-of-life doula, Ann, who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, knows how tough caregiving can be. But she also knows how helpful it is to have clear, compassionate advice to lean on.

“There is a huge need for practical information about how to take care of someone who is near the end of life, without exhausting yourself or neglecting your needs and personal responsibilities,” Ann says.

With nearly 53 million people in the United States serving as caregivers, many of whom are supporting terminally ill loved ones with little to no guidance, this compact guide fills a critical void. Ann distills decades of experience into clear language that demystifies the dying process and equips caregivers to face it with knowledge and compassion.

Whether you’re just beginning this journey or deep in its challenges, this guide sorts out the complex emotions and practicalities of end-oflife care—because no one should have to do this alone.

What makes this book di erent?

Provides Clarity: Organized for quick reference, it empowers caregivers during emotionally overwhelming moments.

Bridges clinical and emotional care: It explains what to expect physically, emotionally, and spiritually, without medical jargon.

Addresses a cultural gap: In a society often unprepared to talk about death, this book gently opens the conversation.

Ann’s Journey to Becoming a Death Doula Ann and her husband have lost friends and family members to cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and other terminal conditions. So, for a long time, she was providing end-of-life care more or less by intuition.

“Then in 2017, my father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I decided to become certified as a death doula because I wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing. And it was an incredible blessing! Being trained in end-of-life caregiving enabled me to care for Dad with confidence, all the way through to the end,” she says.

The training taught her lessons she now shares with others.

Comfort Care

At the end of life, it may appear that the dying person is sleeping a lot. And they are. But they can also very much hear, whether in or out of consciousness. That’s why Ann recommends soothing sounds like the person’s favorite music, and telling stories around the person as they would around a Thanksgiving table. Sharing happy memories may relieve the stress of the patient and those attending to him or her.

Scientific studies of Reiki or therapeutic touch show that people at the end of life can benefit greatly from hands-on energy work, which can ease anxiety, depression, and pain. As a Certified Medical Reiki master, Ann knows fi rst-hand how she has helped people who are dying pass away gently.

Sound advice

This book offers both caring guidance for people who aren’t sure where to start.

• Understanding the Emotional Landscape

• Building Emotional Resilience

• Practical Tips for Providing Comfort Care

• Effective Communication Strategies

• Navigating Family Dynamics

• Self-Care for Caregivers

• Navigating the Healthcare System

• Legacy and Memory Preservation

The Importance of Death Doulas

Ann says that in the United States, we are fi nally coming around to recognizing the value doulas bring to the healthcare setting. We distinguish birth doulas from death doulas, but in many ways, their responsibilities are similar: both provide non-clinical care, advocacy, companionship, encouragement, wisdom, and comfort.

“A birth doula can’t have your baby for you, and a death doula can’t die for you — but in each case, they can make the whole transition smoother,” Ann says. This book offers useful tools and also heartfelt reassurance, reminding caregivers that they are not alone and that support is available. Whether it’s understanding hospice care, navigating emotions, or exploring gentle practices like Reiki to bring comfort and calm, this guide empowers caregivers to face the process with confidence and compassion. As Ann wisely says, “All you need to do is be there, with your love and support. And let them go.”

The death doula movement is growing. The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) reports that NEDA members hail from all walks of life— including spiritual leaders, counselors, and funeral directors, among others. Most death doulas are women, and the majority are between the ages 36 to 60, with a small percentage of doulas who are younger than 35.

What’s a Good Death?

Almost everyone can agree on what they don’t want at the end: they don’t want to be in pain; they don’t want to be scared or anxious, according to Ann. But beyond that, a “good death” can look like anything. One person may want to die at home surrounded by loved ones. Another might feel safer and more cared for in a clinical setting. “The most important thing is for caregivers to know what the dying person truly wants, and to honor it,” says Ann.

About the Author: Lauren is health writer living on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. When not writing, she loves paddle boarding.

References

American Psychological Association. Unpaid caregiving is undervalued by society. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/10/ unpaid-caregiving-undervalued

ational End-of-Life Doula Alliance. https://www. nedalliance.org/who-are-our-members.html

Dingley C, Ruckdeschel A, Kotula K, Lekhak N. Implementation and outcomes of complementary therapies in hospice care: an integrative review. Palliat Care Soc Pract 2021;15:26323524211051753. Published 2021 Oct 26. doi:10.1177/26323524211051753

Young at Heart: The Condon’s Still Finish Each

Other’s Sentences

“Just look at what I wake up to every morning.”

That’s former New York County prosecutor - turned Alexandria, Virginia local - Robert “Bob” Condon talking about his wife of 36 years, happy tears welling up in his eyes.

We’re sitting in a hip, Old Town restaurant where the Condon’s have ordered three glasses of Rose’ for what will be a 75-minute interview that feels more like a conversation with trusted friends.

Bob, or “Bobby” as Kathy aka Mrs. Condon refers to the noted attorney, listens to his wife talk about her career path and their respective lives together. It’s her turn.

He’s about a decade older now, but sitting here coiffed to perfection and reading the room, the only thing that gives away his 88 years are a pair of eyeglasses around his neck. I put on my own, taking notes and listening to Kathy, 73, discuss a path that took her from the massive campus at University of Minnesota to George Mason University – eventually - to pharmaceutical sales, and to a lucrative, twenty-five-year stint with Lexis-Nexis. She called on government accounts, lobbying fi rms, and other power players. Regarding the move out of pharmaceutical sales, she acknowledges that “…the pipeline ran out and I needed to make a change.”

Both Bob and Kathy say they didn’t meet through Lexis-Nexis, which is now known for breaking ground in legal AI.

“We saw each other around town (in the District) at a time that I was ending my fi rst marriage. We were social acquaintances for several years,” says Bob.

For her part, Kathy says that in her 30’s she was determined to couple with someone who met her threshold and with whom she might age well. “I get asked this all of the time by younger women who want to meet the right man. And, the truth is, that I made a spreadsheet of what I was looking for in a man to make me happy.” She adds that time proved to her that Bobby met all of her requirements.

We’re all laughing now, but Kathy says, quite determinedly, “Number one, he was a good dancer. Number two, he was a good kisser. Number three, he had a sense of humor.”

The couple married in 1989 and made the move out of Georgetown to Alexandria in 1997.

Kathy says she would tell retirees with ‘means’ thinking to relocate here seasonally that it’s “small enough” to be comfortable, but “large enough”

to be interesting. She further cites proximity restaurants, museums, and world-class culture – along with local gems like the Little Theater in Old Town itself. Bob adds, without hesitation, “It was the best thing that I ever did in my life.”

This, folks, is what they call “aging gracefully”. Bobby has another name for it, but we’ll get there.

Here are a few other quick takes on life from the dynamic pair.

MORE CROSSWORD PUZZLES, LESS TV

Kathy confesses to being a Wordle fan. Bob says he loves crossword puzzles, completing them “the Old School” way by picking up publications like The New York Times, in print. Neither of them wastes their precious time in front of the TV.

Both opt, instead, to read a book a week – on average. Kathy remembers her Bobby returning home one night, “…with (something like) seven books in a bag.” They share notes on favorite titles and have donated an estimated 500 books to local libraries in and around Alexandria.

SUPER FOOD or FOODS that are SUPER

When asked initially about “super foods” (a modern health buzz word), she replies joyfully, “Foie gras.”

It’s the perfect answer from someone so elegant and attractive that she may have thought I meant a food that you think is “super.” She later changes her answer to cucumbers, which she says she knows how to pickle.

Bob says he loves “duck or chicken,” anything with high protein. He likes to cook, but he defers to his wife’s culinary skills. He adds that he also likes eggs for a healthy breakfast.

TRAVEL

Danish author Hans Christian Anderson once said, “To travel is to live.”

It seems to be a mantra for the Condon’s, who spend significant time traveling each year to destinations in the United States and several abroad. Bob proudly mentions his four children from his fi rst marriage – and many grandchildren who are now all adults. The youngest of whom is 19 years old. Visits to see them have brought the Condon’s to Colorado, New York, and other destinations.

Kathy volunteers that Bobby is a planner, who recently put together a fivestar River Boat trip on the Danube and allowed the couple to get an intimate appreciation for Budapest.

Both Condon’s chime in, at this point, saying that their friends refer to them as, “The Go and Dos.” This, in part, because of their wanderlust and also because their routines include staying active and fun.

THOUGHTS ON GETTING OLDER: ‘DON’T’

As we wrap up our time together at the restaurant, the Condon’s exude a happiness that you can’t fake. They say that they are so joyful that after decades together, they still “…fi nish each other’s sentences.” Then, Bob weighs in with closing thoughts for his peers in Alexandria and beyond.

Number one: On getting older, “Don’t.”

We all laugh joyfully at the dry delivery. (He’s just kidding. Sort of). The former prosecutor-turned civil attorney-turned Elder Statesman adds:

“Never let the ‘Old Man’ in.” He says that’s up for interpretation based on the individual. And then he added, “Think this to yourself everyday: I’m not aging gracefully. I’m aging gratefully.”

And just like that, my time with the Condon’s is at a close.

Bob gathers our wine glasses and pushes our chairs in for us ladies with the casual cool of a Maitre’D and they make their way over to join some good friends, who are waiting for them at the bar, for another wonderful night in Old Town.

Publishers Note: Those of you who have been loyal readers, met Bob in the October 2014 issue in this same space. You can read it again here -www. oldtowncrier.com/2014/10/01/robert-bob-condon.

About the Author: Elizabeth Hughes is a former entertainment journalist who has covered The Academy Awards, reality television, and breaking news. She has interviewed movie stars, rock stars, and authors. Her work in print dates back over 20 years with bylines and editing in national, regional, and community publications. These days, Ms. Hughes lives happily in Old Town with her boyfriend.

September is recognized as National Aging Healthfully Month also known as Healthy Aging Month or National Healthy Aging Awareness Month

Now in its 33rd year, September is Healthy Aging ® Month was launched as part of the National Healthy Aging® Campaign, created by Carolyn Worthington, President of Healthy Aging® multi-media and the non-profit Educational Television Network, Inc. We contacted Carolyn and she was kind enough to provide the majority of the content in this piece. In a nutshell, the purpose of this observance is to encourage people to focus on the positive aspects of growing older and to promote proactive steps for maintaining physical, mental, social, and fi nancial well-being as they age.

“We created the month to inspire people to take stock of their health and life goals in a realistic and positive way,” said Worthington.

“September was a natural fit—it’s a time when people feel ready to start fresh, much like a grown-up version of back-to-school season. We also felt there needed to be a second time during the year in addition to May is Older Americans Month.”

Welcome to Healthy Aging® Month 2025! Every September, we shine a spotlight on the power of positive aging, inspiring adults 45 and older to take charge of their health, happiness, and future.

This year’s theme, “Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself” reminds us that no matter your age or stage, it’s always possible to chart a new course—whether it’s through a career shift, new lifestyle habit, or personal growth goal. Unlike past years’ focus on just sustaining vitality, 2025 is about transforming your future with purpose and excitement.

Since its founding in 1992, Healthy Aging® Month has received numerous local and national proclamations recognizing its value. In 2021, U.S. Senator Tim Scott’s office formally reached out to acknowledge the campaign’s impact and introduced a unanimous Senate resolution recognizing September as Healthy Aging® Month—cementing its place on national health observance calendars.

“Seeing people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s take on new careers, achieve athletic goals, or learn new skills is no longer rare—it’s inspiring and achievable,” Worthington added.

10 Fresh Tips for Healthy Aging® in 2025

Ready to redefi ne your next chapter? These tips with useful links blend physical, mental, social and fi nancial

“It's Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

wellness to guide your wellness journey.

1. Add Play to Your Day

Find movement that’s fun—like pickleball, dance fitness, or cycling. Not sure where to start? Search for a new hobby or activity near you on Meetup.com or your local YMCA.

2. Embrace Micro-adventures

Rediscover your local area—visit a botanical garden, hike a new trail, or explore a museum. Use the AllTrails.com site to fi nd walking and hiking routes near you.

3. Get That Annual Physical—and Track It

Schedule your physical and recommended screenings. Use platforms like MyChart.com or your healthcare provider’s app to manage records and reminders.

4. Be a Lifelong Learner

Take free courses online on learning platforms like Coursera ,org and edX. org, from gardening and photography to coding and neuroscience, or join your local library book club for lowcost learning.

5. Cultivate “Weak Ties”

Say hello to your barista, your dogwalking neighbor, or fellow class participants. Casual connections are shown to improve mood and reduce isolation. Try Nextdoor to connect locally.

6. Reset Your Relationship with Technology

Instead of endless scrolling, explore free courses like www.TechBoomers com or Senior Planet from OATS to learn new digital skills.

7. Cook One New Healthy Recipe a Week

Find inspiration and step-by-step recipes from cookbooks and on the web. Ideas: Oldwayspt.org, which promotes cultural diets for longevity, or AllRecipes.com, Food.com, for recipes; follow French Chef Jacques Pepin on Facebook for daily inspiration how-to’s.

8. Reconnect with Purpose

Volunteer with your local animal shelter, food bank, or school. Try VolunteerMatch org or AmeriCorps Seniors.

9. Financial Fitness Checkup

Use resources like SmartAsset’s retirement calculator or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to assess your fi nancial wellness.

10. “What’s Next” Journal

Write down goals for your next chapter—whether that’s launching a business, learning a language, or traveling solo. Reflecting on purpose

helps boost long-term motivation September is a great time to reflect and refresh. Whether you’re making new connections, starting a fitness program, or diving into a creative project, this year’s theme says it all: “Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself”.

What’s Your “Fresh Start”?

Have you reinvented yourself after 45? Started something new in midlife or beyond? We’d love to hear and share your story with the Healthy Aging® Community! Email: editor@healthyaging.net or share your story with the Healthy Aging® community on Facebook

Publishers Note: The Healthy Aging ® platform includes the healthyaging.net website, Healthy Aging ® Magazine, newsletter, social media and special events. Healthy Aging® is a registered trademark of CWI Productions, Inc., used in connection with this long-standing public education campaign. This initiative is produced and distributed by CWI Productions, Inc. and its nonprofit partner, Educational Television Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to educational health programming.

Tips On Aging from Franny the K.

Local Alexandrian and former OTC contributor, Frances Kilpatrick is a 90 year-old widow who lives independently, drives herself locally, and enjoys an adult beverage or two on a regular basis. Her secrets to outliving the other members of her family?

-Luck and a dirty mind

-Taking care of her health

-Keep moving – turn up the music and dance around the house

-Laugh with your friends

-Don’t be afraid to love again but don’t use a dating site!

-Enjoy good food

-Appreciate nature

-Don’t take your troubles to bed

-Count your blessings

Alexandria City Senior Population (overall):

Total population: 156,788 60 years and over: 28,278 (18%)

Old Town:population: 22,436 ±3,070 60 years and over: 5,799 ±1,429 (26%)

Keys to Helping Improve Finances for Single Parents

Single parents often face unique challenges, not just raising kids, but also creating a fi nancial path toward success. With the cost of health care, food, school, and more ever increasing, being successful on one income is a huge barrier for more than 37 million parents — or roughly 30% of households in the United States.¹

While many moms and dads report struggles with fi nances, there are ways to help improve your fi nances and be proactive with your fi nancial future in the short- and long-term. Live Within Your Means

No one really enjoys creating a budget, but it can help you manage your current situation with recurring expenses as well as plan ahead for unexpected costs or emergencies. Creating a budget can be stressful, but when you have one, it can help minimize stress over time.

Start with your monthly income, after tax, then plan for your essentials like groceries, gas, mortgage/rent, and utilities. Don’t forget any spousal support, child support payments, or other sources of income. Once you have those covered, branch out and look at things you want to do within your budget, like eating out, taking a trip, or buying gifts.

Make sure your budget allows for saving. Rainy

days will come as well as eventual retirement down the road. Along with budgeting, consider applying for a credit card to help establish a credit history.

Create a Wealth Management Plan

Another key to your fi nancial health is creating a plan to manage some of the risk and uncertainty about the challenges ahead. Start with goals, short-, medium-, and long-term. One-third of single parents don’t have life insurance or disability insurance.2 These products help protect your loved ones and provide comfort should the unexpected happen.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Single parents may feel they have to go it alone, but fi nancial professionals are here to help. We can help assess your entire fi nancial situation and help provide a roadmap toward achieving your goals, even starting small with savings and investments that may grow over time.

Take Time for Yourself

One of the biggest keys to your fi nancial wellbeing is your own mental health. Investing in yourself can be incredibly important as you invest in your family. Don’t be afraid to set aside time from work and family commitments for some “you” time. Even an hour a day, reading

a book, taking a walk, or doing something you love, can pay dividends now and in the future. Taking steps over time with self-care, budgeting, and talking with a fi nancial professional can help put you on a path toward your fi nancial goals.

All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

¹ U.S. Census Data. November 2022. https:// www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/ americas-families-and-living-arrangements.html

2 Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, “12 Annual Workplace Benefits Study, 2023.” Insurance products are offered through nonbank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies. This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800247-8602.

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2025 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

One Headlight

by The Wallfl owers

In 1997, The Wallflowers achieved mainstream success with their breakout single, “One Headlight.” The song fi rst gained traction on modern rock radio and quickly became a staple across multiple formats, eventually topping Billboard’s “Mainstream Rock” and “Adult Top 40” charts. Jakob Dylan and his band infuse a stroke-ofmidnight romance in every note of this song, and Dylan’s lyrics bristle with an enchanted rejection of a world soaked in ugliness and greed. More than just a radio hit, “One Headlight” became a defi ning moment for the decade, blending classic rock influences with a modern edge while speaking to the timeless human longing for freedom. Things get started with gently played guitar notes processed with dark and smooth tremolo reverb effects along with a touch of overdrive creating a slight roughness in the sonic texture. Mario Calire’s clean and snappy drum pattern soon joins the guitar adding weight and pop to the sound with every kick and snare drum strike. Additionally, a galloping bass line helps establish the rhythm and adds depth while shimmering organ chords add width and height. All this combines to create the perfect nest of music to support Jakob Dylan’s smooth yet flinty voice deliver heartfelt and poetic lyrics.

As the verse winds down, we hear the metallic sound of a resonator guitar played with a slide. This culminates with Dylan belting out a rising melody note lifting the energy as the band crashes into the chorus. Here, heavily overdriven guitar chords ring out every four beats while the organ delivers a pronounced secondary melody. The foundation of the song is carried forward by the bass and drums maintaining a steady rhythm similar to the verses. Meanwhile, Dylan delivers the anthemic and inspiring lines: “Come on, try a little / Nothing is forever / There's got to be something better than in the middle / Me and Cinderella / We put it all together / We can drive it home with one headlight”.

For variation, The Wallflowers introduce an instrumental break after the second chorus that further pulls the listener into the feeling this exceptional song delivers. Here, lead guitarist Michael Ward creates a moonlit-island vibe with his clean tone Gibson Les Paul. Ward performs his part with a slide on his pinky fi nger using ample amounts of reverb and controlled delay effects to create a dreamy feel that lends to the unique shine of “One Headlight”. Organist Rami Jaffee also adds his signature touch to the instrumental, filling the space between the guitars, bass, and drums with the gliding magic of his keys.

The Wallflowers have been going strong playing concerts throughout the summer of 2025 and have tour dates booked till mid-November. You can fi nd information about their upcoming concerts and ticket availability on Spotify, and the band's website. If you’d like to listen to “One Headlight” or any of The Wallflowers fi ne music you can fi nd it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. To dig deeper into The Wallflowers world you can fi nd them on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Wikipedia.

About the Author: Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.

AFTER HOURS

Birchmere

703.549.7500

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com

The Blackwall Hitch

571-982-3577

5 Cameron St. theblackwallhitch.com

Chadwicks

203 S. Strand St.

703.836.4442

Evening Star Cafe

703.549.5051

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

The Fish Market

703.836.5676

105 King St. shmarketoldtown.com

La Portas

703.683.6313

1600 Duke St.

The Light Horse

703.549.0533

715 King St. lighthorserestaurant.com

Murphys Irish Pub

703.548.1717

713 King St. murphyspub.com

O’Connell’s

703.739.1124

112 King St.

Rock It Grill

703.739.2274

1319 King St.

Shooter McGees

703.751.9266

5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com

Southside 815

703.836.6222

815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos

703.739.9268

2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Taverna Cretekou

703.548.8688

818 King St.

TJ Stones

703.548.1004

608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com

The Study

703-838-8000

116 South Alfred Two Nineteen 703.549.1141

219 King St.

Alexandria Bier Garden

710 King St. 703-888-1951

Augie's Mussel House

703.721.3970

1106 King St. eataugies.com

Mason Social

703.548.8800

728 N. Henry St.

FEVER BEACH

Former journalist Carl Hiaasen is crazed enough and experienced as a Floridian to understand and gleefully play with the “Florida Man and Woman” characters he skewers in his novels. Yet underneath he weaves his plots as methodically and skillfully as any spider, bringing together personalities from all levels of society who clash and interact in hilarious ways. His newest satire, Fever Beach, proves to be no exception to his usual verbal machinations. He presents imbeciles who reflect not only Florida but also the country, along with the exasperated and inexorable forces opposing them. If you want more laughs, take a look at Florida Man, an anonymous collection of Floridian antics that are just as surreal as Hiaasen’s work.

First appears Dale Figgo, a grotesque embodiment of right-wing buffoonery. Dale has been expelled from the Proud Boys not for ideology but incompetence. During the January 6th insurrection, Figgo smeared his feces mistakenly on the statue of a Confederate rather than a Union hero. His stunning level of stupidity keeps even the Oath Keepers from taking him seriously. Figgo responds by establishing his own fringe group, the humorously-named Strokers for Liberty, composed of similarly feebleminded extremists. Hiaasen’s fury at MAGA insurrectionist idiots is palpable as his gleeful but ferocious comedy renders Dale both appalling and inadvertently hilarious.

Enter Viva Morales, an attractive, resourceful newcomer to Florida. Recently swindled by her ex-husband, she scrapes together enough to rent a room in Figgo’s eyesore of a dwelling and takes a job at the Mink Foundation—a philanthropic front operated by the plasticsurgery-addicted and MAGA-supporting Claude and Electra Mink. Headed back to Florida on a plane, she meets Twilly Spree, an eco-vigilante and fan favorite who appears in some of Hiaasen’s other books. The hottempered, wealthy environmentalist is driven by rage against corruption and environmental degradation in Florida and will do almost anything to stop it.

Together, Viva and Twilly also uncover the plans of Congressman Clure Boyette, a power-hungry, morally bankrupt politician who orchestrates a voter-intimidation scheme with the Strokers and attempts to launder money through a phony kids’ charity modeled on Habitat for Humanity: The Wee Hammers. Hiaasen revels in Boyette’s absurdity and smarm. As a predator he is more buffoon than boogeyman when he sends payments to prostitutes and dresses up in a dog collar to act out his fantasies.

Meanwhile, Twilly infiltrates the Strokers and creates miraculous chaos in their midst. After their disastrous attempts to take over a drag club in Key West, the anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant Figgo has his broken nose reconstructed by a socially diverse group of surgeons using his scrotal skin.

litany of cretins and victims includes

the corrupt and surgically enhanced Minks; Noel

Kristianson, a Scandinavian agnostic run over after being misidentified as a Jewish threat; and the various carnival-freak examples of the stereotypical “Florida Man.”

The Strokers represent an echo chamber of rage and ignorance—a bumbling group of militants painted in clown makeup. Hiaasen’s humor and hilarious word-play make hypocrites, morons, and their schemes come clean: orange groves are desecrated, the congressman is exposed for being on the take, and full-bore MAGAts try to make their mark locally and nationally.

Twilly temporarily converts a willing Viva to his extreme methods of stopping ecological and other forms of destruction. Both stand for justice, retaliation, and Hiaasen’s American way—his fever dreams of stopping the unique idiocy surrounding him in the hopes of achieving a better, more ecologically invested society.

In the end, Fever Beach is Hiaasen at peak form: part dark comedy, part political rage, all ragged, Florida-bleached brilliance, with Florida Man and Florida Woman grotesques wandering through only to meet righteous anger and Looney Tunes vengeance.

So, if you want to overcome your rage at current events with constant laughter, Carl Hiaasen is here for you. His trademark is providing hilarity on every page, offering you catharsis from your own anger at incompetents in Florida; Washington, DC; and everywhere—those who work the levers of power or at least try. I also recommend Squeeze Me, his belly laugh of a book focusing on an unnamed, bigoted president who lives part-time with his bored First Lady in a Floridian mansion called Casa Bellicosa.

As a current Floridian, I have my own favorite “Florida Man and Woman” stories. I prefer the ones that feature someone on a bizarre form of transportation, an alligator or other reptile, and the craziest setting possible. The anonymouslyauthored novelty book Florida Man features pirate treasure: titles that are synopses of strange incidents for every day of the year. At the end of the collection is a list of real citations and headline URLs where you can read the full stories.

Here are some of my favorites: “Florida Man claims to be ‘agent of God,’ carries rattlesnake on beach.” “Florida Man high on flakka has sex with tree and calls himself Thor.”

“Florida Man says his turtle army will destroy everyone.” “Florida man claiming to be Alice in Wonderland says ‘hookah-smoking caterpillar’ told him to destroy liquor store with forklift.”

“Florida man arrested for having Trump-shaped ecstasy pills.” “Florida woman sentenced to probation after pulling live alligator from her pants during traffic stop.” “Florida man rides manatee, dares police to arrest him, gets arrested.”

If you are trying to fi nd a silly gift or just many laughs, feast on these. Carl Hiaasen’s Fever Beach and the quotation collection Florida Man will help you work through your exasperation with a heavy helping of absurdity.

Hiaasen’s

Jonas Onus, Dale’s equally dumb accomplice;

ONSTAGE:

September marks the beginning of the DC theater season—time to get back into the habit and enjoy the great theater the DMV has on offer. If that’s not enough to get you to click off Netflix and hit the streets, check out this year’s Theater Week at www.theatreweek.org. From September 18 to October 5, there are good deals to be had at some of these venues:

PLAY ON!

Signature Theatre

Now thru Sep 15

The Duke gets his due in this sensational production with impressive performances all around under the nimble direction of Lili-Anne Brown. Greg Watkins channels a smooth Nat King Cole in his portrayal of the Duke, reigning composer at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club, who’s stricken with writer’s block when the woman he loves (a formidable Awa Sal Secka) won’t love him back. Enter Violetta (cute as pie Jalisa Williams), a songwriter herself, who gets disguised by Uncle Jester (non-stop Wesley Jr Barnes) to cheer up the Duke. Instead, Violetta (now Vy-Man) falls in love with the guy. If this sounds a bit like Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, you got dat right. Kanysha Williams scats up a storm as Miss Mary and Chuckie Benson’s Rev shows the romantic potential in Malvolio, if only the Bard had given him the shot. All that and timeless classics from "Take the 'A' Train" and "Mood Indigo" to "I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good" and "It Don’t Mean a Thing," combine to make for a most joyful noise. Play on! Indeed. Tickets at www.sigtheatre.org

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

National Theatre

Now thru Sep 7

Holy Hogwarts! Harry and his pals are all grown up, but—wouldn’t you know it—there are still dark forces at work, compliments of he who shall not be named (Voldemort, not the guy in the White House). It’s nineteen years after the last book and Albus Potter, Harry’s son, somehow gets sorted into Slytherin, where he fails to live up to his famous father’s legacy. Magic and wizardry make this stage version of J. K. Rowling’s oeuvre one more money spinner. Tickets at www.broadwayatthenational.com

CAN HAIR BRAIDING

Theatre Alliance

Now thru Sept 21

By day, Eleanor and Bartholomew toil in the glass factory. By night, they light up the skies with fi reworks. But when sweeping reforms threaten their alreadyprecarious reality, Eleanor becomes the unexpected leader of a ragtag band of revolutionaries determined to send a message to the powers that be. Tickets at www.theateralliance.com

THE INHERITANCE

Roundhouse Theatre

Now thru October 19

Inspired by E. M. Forster’s celebrated novel Howard’s End and winner of the Tony Award and London’s Olivier for Bes Play, this two part, seven hour tour de force chronicles the life and times of a group of young gay men wrestling with love, legacy and the shows of the AIDS crisis. Tickets at www. roundhousetheatre.org

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Capitol One Theatre

September 19-21

The touring company of this Broadway hit lands in Tyson’s Corner for a weekend engagement. The devilishly delightful musical comedy fi nds Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, the Hand and all of the wacky Charles Addams crew up to their old spooky antics. Tickets at www.capitolonehall.com

KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN

Gala Hispanica Theatre

Sep 4-28

In an Argentine prison cell, two polar opposites discover that love can grow in the most unlikely places. Valentin, a Marxist revolutionary, and Molina, a movie-enthralled gay man, escape the harsh reality of their confi nement by recounting the tale of their favorite film noir classics starring the glamorous eponymous leading lady. Tickets at www.galatheatre.org

DODI AND DIANA

Atlas Theatre

Sep 4- Oct 5

While commemorating the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s and Dodi Fayed’s tragic deaths, Egyptian actress Samira and her fi nancier husband are forced to reckon with their own complicated relationship and how their fate may already be written in the stars. A taut new play by Kareem Fahmy, Dodi & Diana blends astrology with the allure of the royals to ask thought-provoking questions about identity, sexuality, and the power of fi nding your own freedom. Tickets at www.mosaictheater.org

LOST IN YONKERS

Alexandria Little Theatre

Sep 6- 27

Neil Simon’s Tony® Award winning Best Play tells the moving story of three generations of survivors, making their way thru the bombed out landscape of their emotional hardships. Thru it all, love, tears and -- most important –laughter enable two young brothers to survive 1940s American life with a cold and intolerant grandma, petty gangster uncle and the tragic Aunt Gert, whose disability reminds us that Laura in Glass Menagerie isn’t the only broken character in the Great American Theater library. Tickets at www. thelittletheatre.com

DAMN YANKEES

Arena Stage

Sep 9- Nov 9

Dusted off and spit-shined for a new generation, Arena Stage opens its 75th season with a big Broadway musical which reminds us that, as bad as the Nationals look this season, the Washington Senators played worse. What to do back then? Have your star hitter Joe Hardy (think Aaron Judge) make a deal with the devil and his sexy femme fatale. What could go wrong if we beat those damn Yankees? A Golden Glove cadre of Broadway big hitters—director/choreographer Serge Trujillo, “additional” lyricist Lynn Ahrens and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright—fill out a line up of adapters and updaters that promise to make this one and Fall Classic in its own write. Tickets at www.arenastage.org

OLD TOWN

MERRY WIVES

Shakespeare Theatre Co

Sep 9- Oct 5

William Shakespeare’s suburban farce gets a contemporary spin from Jaja’s African Hair Braiding playwright Jocelyn Bioh when that odious character Falstaff meets two sharp-witted West African ladies who get the better of him. As their proud husbands’ suspicions rise, the merry gals cook up a scheme to shame the would-be homewrecker and prove that “wives may be merry, and yet honest too.” A hit at NYC’s Shakespeare the Park, this version, this time starring DMV faves Felicia Curry and Oneika Phillips, continues STC’s long, successful streak of making the Bard a gas. Tickets at www.shakespearetheatre. org

THE GREAT PRIVATION

Woolly Mammoth

Sep 11 - Oct 12

It’s Philadelphia circa 1832. A mother and daughter guard the grave of husband and father to deter scientists from desecrating their loved ones’ remains. Cut to the present day, on the grounds of a summer camp, when another mother and daughter work as counselors. Timelines collide, reminding us to fi nd joy in our present even as we exhume our nation’s buried past. Tickets at www. woollymammoth.net

EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL

Keegan Theatre

Sep 13 - Oct 5

What happens when forgiveness collides with deeply buried grief? Playwright Chelsea Marcantal and the folks at this DuPont Circle area theater offer a moving exploration of reconciliation, faith and family. After a tragic accident, a young woman returns to her Amish roots to confront the people she left behind. As wounds reopen and secrets surface, the boundaries between forgiveness and forgetting are tested. Tickets at www.keegantheatre.com

THE AMERICAN FIVE

Ford’s Theatre

Sep 19- Oct 12

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inner circle imagined a pluralistic society in which equality and justice is guaranteed for all. In the face of surveillance, intimidation, arrests and life threats, five giants form a powerful coalition to advance civil rights and shape a defi ning moment in American history. Together, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones plan the March on Washington and craft the speech that would galvanize the nation and inspire generations to advance America’s efforts to turn a dream into reality. Tickets at www.fords.org

MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!

National Theatre

Sep 20- 21

Emmy Award ® winning actor Richard Thomas brings to life the Sage of Hannibal, MO, a monodrama originally written and performed by Hal Holbrook. Now more than ever we need Twain’s caustic wit, shining the light of truth on the empty-headed Luddites calling themselves “the Leaders” of our great nation. Comedians—they get things done! Tickets at www. broadwayatthenational.com

STRATEGIC LOVE PLAY

Signature Theatre

Sep 23- Nov 9

Succession scribe Miriam Battye offers up this not-quite-romantic comedy about the absurdity of modern dating in the seemingly endless quest to fi nd “the one.” After matching online, a man and a woman meet for a date, Starting

off on the wrong foot, they slowly begin to let down their guards in the hope that this time they’ve found something real. Tickets at www.sigtheatre.org

JULIUS X

Folger Theatre

Sep 23- Oct 26

Sub-titled : A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. award-winning writer, journalist, and podcast host Al Letson harmonizes with the Bard’s retelling of the story of the Roman Cesar. Just as Shakespeare chronicled history to create a means of understanding the events of his day, Letson highlights and reflects on contemporary challenges by blending Shakespeare with the story of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X, highlight the cyclical nature of societal strife and shared human experiences of ambition, betrayal, and brotherhood. Tickets at www.folger.edu

THE HEART SELLERS

Studio Theatre

Sep 24- Oct 26

Gregarious Filipina Luna meets the more cautious South Korean Jane in a nearempty grocery store on Thanksgiving Day, 1973. Alone in a country they don’t know, the women join forces to celebrate this most American holiday together. Over wine and a stubbornly frozen turkey, they bond over Soul Train and Jane Fonda, chart the shape of their homesickness and muse upon the cost of pursuing The American Dream. Tickets at www.studiotheatre.org

About the Author: The writer is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony® voter. Catch his monthly podcast at www.onstagemdv.org.

Photo credits: Play On!, pictured left, By Daniel Rader. Mark Twain Tonight, pictured below, by Julia Cervantes

the art of the

Like most artists, I get an email like this 2-3 times a month:

I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to my stepdaughter’s wedding, which is just around the corner. I stormed onto some of your works, which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of yours as a surprise gift for my daughter in honor of her upcoming wedding ceremony. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of work, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for Immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the range of $1000 to $7000.

I look forward to reading from you in order to know more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if

you could accept a check as a matter of payment. Check clears and you have funds ready before pickup commences. I can only pay with a check at the moment as my daughter handles the bank cards and electronic transactions from time to time.

Alternatively, the most common one, which is the “I noticed my wife/husband” variant: Hello There,

My name is Joe. I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes your piece of work. I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too - You are doing a great job. I would like to purchase, as a surprise to my wife on our anniversary. Also, let me know if you accept check as mode of payment.

I usually post the scams under the title “Art Scam Alert” in Daily Campello Art News- https://

dcartnews.blogspot.com/search?q=scam - and I publish the email of the scammer, and I usually get a few artists commenting how (a) they also received that email and (b) asking questions as to how does it work?

Here’s how.

The scam works like this:

The scammer pays you with a bank draft and/or an international money order/postal money order or a “certified” check...sometimes stolen credit card numbers - note I said the last in the plural form. Your bank accepts the deposit and even clears it three days later and then the artist sees the check has cleared and ships the artwork - usually the buyer volunteers to “pay” for the shipping even before being asked. About a month later, the artist’s bank gets a communication from the other bank, post office, whatever the “check” was issued saying that they've discovered that the “check” was a fake.

Then your bank takes the money out of your account. Meanwhile, you have already shipped the artwork out (usually to a foreign country, to which - of course - they have offered to pay shipping).

The most ambitious and somewhat rarer "local" rip off mutants have you ship to a US address, and once you provide a tracking number, they "wait" for FEDEX or UPS and pretend to be the homeowner as soon as FEDEX drives up and sign for the package - but these "local" mutants are rare - the vast majority has the work shipped overseas. Be careful and wary.

Finally, and on a way more upbeat note, the ambitious “Women Artists of the DMV” is now up to 17 venues across the DMV! It is now the largest ever, curated fi ne arts show in the USA. Curating a few thousand artists, selecting about 500 for the survey, and dealing with not only the artists, but also the 17 galleries, museum, and other art venues has been a Herculean task – but you will not be disappointed.

By the time this article hits the press, the fi rst two of the 17 venues will have their shows up and running: First was the ACM Galleries at the National Children’s Hospital and then The Joan Hisaoka Gallery – both in Washington, DC. Pictured on these pages is Judith Benderson’s The Mirror and Linda Button’s Rose Watchtowers on display at the ACM.

If there is an art show this fall that you cannot miss, one with 17 different opportunities, this is the one… go see some art.

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area has been a premier source for the art community for over 20 years. Since 2003, his blog has been the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet with over SIX million visitors. Visit DCartnews.blogspot.com for all things art in the DMV and beyond.

“She’s a real humdinger and I like it like that.”

There is lots of new inventory in the shop and you can order online. Choose your style, your size and color, including the tie dye blue (but no brushstroke). From Christopher Calvin. Jane Seymour Hat by Walleroo. Jewelry by Sarah Cavender Metalworks. Handmade in Oxford, Alabama.

Monday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm

Choose your style, your size and color, including the tie dye blue (but no brushstroke). From Christopher Calvin. Jane Seymour Hat by Walleroo. Jewelry by Sarah Cavender Metalworks. Handmade in Oxford, Alabama. We are of cially an online store only. Check us out at www.imagineartwear.com (703) 548-1461 // csimagine@aol.com

1124 King Street l Alexandria, Virginia 22314 703-548-1461 l www.imagineartwear.com csimagine@aol.com

by

Title: Rose Watchtowers; Medium: oil on birch panel; Artist: Linda Button

Photo

Bev Dietz

Title: The Mirror; Medium: Acrylic on Canvas (30”x40”); Artist: Judith Benderson

September On the Bay!

As an intro to this column, I want to fork over that I utilized the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence aka AI in pulling this information together. I ran into a time crunch at deadline and our usual band of “From the Bay” contributors were unavailable this month. While I personally am very wary of the consequences of using AI, having spent a lot of time in the Bay area over the last 32 years, I know the following info to be true and have merit. September is an excellent month for the Chesapeake Bay, with pleasant temperatures, decreasing crowds, and diverse fishing opportunities. Visitors can enjoy activities like boating, kayaking, and fishing for species such as striped bass, bluefish, and red drum. The cooler weather is ideal for wine tasting at the region's many vineyards, and you can also explore nature and enjoy waterfront accommodations for a relaxing late-summer experience.

Activities & Vibe

• Boating and Kayaking: September offers comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds, making it a perfect month for boating and kayaking on the Bay and its rivers.

• Wine Tasting: The Chesapeake Bay Region boasts numerous vineyards, many on the Eastern Shore, making it a great time to explore and enjoy local wines.

• Scenic Beauty: Enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets, explore diverse wildlife, and experience the natural beauty of the Bay and its surrounding marshes and creeks.

• Relaxation: With summer crowds thinning out, September is a great time to fi nd waterfront accommodations and a more relaxed pace.

Fishing

• Targeted Species: Anglers can target a variety of fish, with popular choices including striped bass (rockfish), bluefish, mackerel, and red drum.

• Fishing Locations: Look for breaking fish in channel edges, near bird activity, and in tributaries like the Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers.

• Effective Techniques: Anglers are successful with trolled spoons and surgical eels, as well as jigging, bottom fishing, and casting artificial baits like Mirrolures, surface poppers, and twister tails.

• Best Times: Fish activity can slow down during the hot midday hours, with mornings and evenings often being the best times to fish.

Environmental Conditions

• Temperature: While still warm, the water temperatures begin to cool in September, which generally improves fishing conditions and makes for more comfortable outdoor activities.

• Crowds: Crowds on the water and at boat ramps often decrease significantly after the unofficial end of summer, creating a less stressful experience for visitors.

Things to do in September

Attend the Maryland Seafood Festival: This annual event at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis features local seafood vendors, entertainment, and other activities.

Go crabbing: Late summer and early fall are the most bountiful times for crabbing. You can take a

guided crabbing trip on a historic workboat or drop your own crab pots.

Go charter fishing: September is a peak time for fishing. Charters in the southern Bay region chase large cobia and red drum, while the central Bay offers striped bass (rockfish) and Spanish mackerel.

Visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Explore the history and culture of the Bay with hands-on exhibits in St. Michaels, MD. The museum also offers historic workboat cruises. Enjoy a waterfront festival: In mid-September, the Chesapeake City Seafood Festival features local food and live music along the waterfront in Chesapeake City, MD.

Explore scenic parks: Enjoy walks and bike rides as the weather cools. The Dismal Swamp Canal Trail in Virginia offers a paved path for admiring the region's early fall foliage.

Take a scenic cruise: Options range from sunset happy hour cruises to trips to the charming town of St. Michaels. You can also see the historic log canoe races on the Miles River.

While this doesn’t include nearly everything there is to see and do in and around the Bay, it touches on some highlights. For more, check the respective websites/blogs and social media pages for Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties since they are all very drivable from Alexandria and make for a nice day trip or an overnight stay. Spend a day walking around City Dock in the heart of Annapolis, check out everything that Solomons Island has to offer and treat yourself to an afternoon/evening in Leonardtown and see how that town has grown. You will be pleasantly surprised by the diversity of each of these areas.

Photo by Lani Gering

Aging in Place on a Farm: like Olden Times

WWhen you're a young child, 25 years ago is not much different than 75 or 100 years ago, it's all the olden times and stories of what life was like back in the day fascinate them. Plus, the telling of those tales gives the old folks a chance to remind the young whippersnappers how good they have it. If the stories contain some embellishments, so much the better. We've all heard about walking uphill to and from school in blizzards instead of getting a text in early evening that classes have been canceled for predicted and not actual snow, never mind blizzard. As this year is the 25th anniversary of when we bought this farm in Fauquier County, I am reminded of how fast our world is changing and how many things are different than just 25 years ago. Since I don't have children or grandchildren as a captive audience to describe and embellish the olden days when we first moved here, I'll describe some changes here for you.

We signed the contract for the farm we still live on late in 1999 and moved here in early 2000. Back then, the big worry was Y2K. No one was sure but there was plenty of uneasiness of what devices or systems were going to crash. It turned out to be a lot of hand wringing over a non-event. And there were some great fireworks shows on that last day of 1999, certainly more memorable than any inconvenience from the year change.

Settling into our new location was easy; we'd only moved 15 miles south of Middleburg in rural Western Loudoun to the boondocks of northwestern Fauquier County. We had dial up for internet, cumbersome and slow, but so did everyone else so we didn't feel we were missing out. Looking up anything you wanted to know on the internet wasn't yet as common as it is today. Nor was working remotely from home and not as many people commuted from the area of our new home in the Orlean area to DC and Northern VA jobs. To us, it didn't feel like the boondocks, but just another pretty rural part of Virginia.

The biggest change for most are the farm chores and maintenance that once came so easily when we were in our late 30s and 40s. There's not much change even into your 50s but once you pass 60 some or many body parts are not as cooperative as they once were. Many just wear out. At least half my contemporaries have had or need knee or hip replacements, shoulder surgery or other major surgical repairs. It never used to faze me to carry a 50-lb bag of dog or horse feed from my vehicle to the feed room in the stable, only about 25 yards from the drive up a very slight hill. Now I'm really glad for that nice wide gate into the stable area so I can drive almost right into the feed room. Any chore that needs to be done from a ladder such as painting, tree trimming or gutter cleaning, is best saved for the paid help you'll need more of in your golden years. Balance does change, and not for the better, and a fall over 60 can have a far more damaging effect than one in your 40s. Allergies you never knew you had might join your list of woes as aging lungs are not able to fight them off as easily as they once did.

Mowers and power tools require extra caution, for those who use them and work on them regularly. Some may be better off paying others to mow, cut wood with a chain saw or other chores that once came easily. There isn't really a one size fits all approach to when you should stop using dangerous power tools, but you'll know when you need to decide. If the farm corners and in/around clumps of trees gets shaggier than what you're used to seeing on your land, sometimes it's easier to pay someone to clear and clean those areas a few times a year. Likewise, your garden may be smaller than it was in your younger days, but it'll be more manageable. Raised beds and containers are wonderful to allow you to keep your hands dirty, vegetables growing and flowers blooming. In summary, like teenagers that think they're 10 feet tall and bullet proof, in our 40s we do too, but in a different way. We think we can do it all forever but it's best to be able to adapt to change in order to age in place on a farm.

Love Ridge &

For our September adventure, we decided to head south to the mountains of Nelson County and spend a couple of nights at Love Ridge Mountain Lodging in the town of Love, Virginia. We also decided to make our drive down to Love Ridge a real adventure and pick up Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap near Sperryville and then continue to the end and pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway to mile post 16 right before Love Ridge Mountain Lodging. With a speed limit of 45 mph on these beautiful roads we knew it would be a long trip. We departed Old Town at 10:45 on Monday morning and made our way to Sperryville, Virginia. We arrived in Sperryville at 12:30 after driving 85 miles. We made a stop at the Corner Store for some traveling treats and Lani had to have her Bud Light Chelada and some beef jerky! Leaving Sperryville, we entered the Thorton River Gap at 12:45 after a total of 92.4 miles of travel. It was a pretty cloudy day and we encountered heavy clouds at the highest point of the drive. The normally beautiful scenic overlooks were all clouded over so we didn’t stop much enroute to our destination.

At 3:00 and 167 miles we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway. Having never driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was expecting something akin

to Skyline Drive. I was wrong...this is more of a transient roadway rather than a tour of the country side. There were few over look stops and very little traffic. We arrived at our destination at 4:48 after a total of 228 miles. Our cabin was one of the very fi rst we came to. A rustic, well appointed, one room cabin with back and side porch as well as a grill and fi re ring out back. Lani had preordered a snack basket of cheeses, meats and other tasty items that was accompanied with a bottle of Gabriele Rausse’s Malbec. We opened the bottle of wine and settled in. After securing some fi rewood for later, we used the wifi at the cabin to fi nd directions to Wintergreen Resort for dinner. We were at an elevation of 2800 feet and our Verizon cell service in the mountains was spotty at best. Also, signage on the Blue Ridge Parkway is minimal as no commercial signage is allowed. Our turnoff was Love Road or Route 814 in big letters.

Our drive to Wintergreen was uneventful except for the fact that these were mountain roads with steep hills. Down shifting is a good practice going downhill to save your brakes. In a matter of 15 minutes, we entered the Wintergreen property and headed to the resort and The Edge restaurant. I would imagine that during ski season this place is packed. On top of the mountain with wrap-around windows, the views are excellent. We sat at a high top near the bar where we had a nice view of the cloudy mountain and also a good view of the young man playing music. Perfect. Tylerbartender, server and Assistant Edge Managerwas fantastic and made a great vodka gimlet. Lani and I both ordered the Cajun spiced pork tenderloin that was on the specials menu. It was accompanied with mashed potatoes and a green bean/ carrot vegetable combo. This was very good and paired nicely with a bottle of Seaglass Rose’. The dining room was

crowded with a more mature group of diners. The draw may have been the Burger Special - buy one,

get one free. The guitar/singer's music was perfect for this group.

We made our way back to the cabin, secured some more fi rewood and lit up the fi re ring. I lit up a cigar and we fi nished off the rest of the wine. This was a perfect ending to a long day.

That night the massive king size bed was a real treat. It was one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in, or I was dog tired. The one room

cabin itself is a great layout. In the corner there is a water jet tub for soothing those muscles after a day of hard skiing at Wintergreen. There is also a small couch with a wall gas fi replace next to the sliding glass doors that lead to the back porch. A small kitchen lines the opposite wall with everything you would need. The bathroom is set off by itself next to the bed complete with a walk-in shower.

Our next stop was the Three Notch'd Brewing/ Craft Beer and Distillery. Our “Let’s Get Crafty” craft beer and whiskey writer, Tim Long, recently wrote about their bourbon from their Richmond distillery. They do not give tours but they do have a large bar that features their draft beers and whiskies and a pretty extensive craft cocktail

selection. I enjoyed one of their bourbons while Lani tried one of their craft cocktails in a can... SOUR PATCH'D, a vodka-based cocktail. Both were very good. We enjoyed the bar as well as the locals who came in for a drink. We took a look at their menu and it looks like that is where we will grab some eats next time we are in the area. Not knowing what we were going to do next, Lani picked up a flyer for the Nelson 151 Craft Beverage Trail. The Nelson 151 is a trail comprised of 7 wineries, 6 breweries, 3 cideries and 4 distilleries. Thinking this trail was right up our alley, we decided to try another distillery.

A few miles up the road in Afton, VA, we stopped at Silverback Distillery. This was a distillery with a very active bar. As we arrived a bus load of young tourists were just leaving. As they left in a loud rush I felt like I was in a rip current and could be sucked out of the front door. That soon passed and we settled in for cocktails. Silverback is the only mother and daughter distillery in the nation. I was fi rst struck by the incredible packaging of their products. In keeping with the Silverback theme,

made subs and macaroni salad with a side of chips accompanied by some chocolate chip cookies and headed up the mountain.

Our last night at the cabin was the best. With the clouds seemingly resting on our shoulders, we used some old Town Crier issues to start our fi re, as we invited our new silverback friends to be our cocktails. In the glow of the fi re and the smooth taste of the drink we noticed the mist about us. It became clear that we were immersed in the cloud.

As the mist began to collect on the tree leaves above us, they soon became drops of water that began to lightly fall. It was magical, something you would expect on a cloudy night at 2800 feet.

The next morning, we left early in order to make it back for my 2 pm eye doctor appointment in

& Nelson 151

The next morning, we enjoyed our morning coffee on the side porch. The clouds remained and the air was still. This was our day to explore the town of Nellysford - a short drive off the mountain to the valley. Our fi rst stop was Belties Farm Inn for

a late breakfast. Belties derives their name from the Belted Galloway, a hardy Scottish beef cattle breed known for its distinctive white belt, which encircles its black, red, or dun-colored body. There are four Belties on the property but they were all in the barn at the feed bunk the whole time we were there. This was a great way to start the day with one of their breakfast sandwiches and their excellent coffee. They are located in the heart of town on the Rockfish Valley Highway.

the vodka and gin bottles have primates pictured through the clear liquid. Very impressive. We bought a bottle of each just because of the package but Lani said the vodka cocktail she had was very good. I had a glass of their Blackback Alpha Series bourbon. It was excellent. I asked to buy a bottle of that as well but they were running low and needed that bottle for service. Unfortunately, they do not distribute to stores and sales are only made at the distillery. Maybe next time. After some more conversation with three fun locals and getting to know the entertaining Alexis behind the bar, we decided to head back to the cabin.

house-

Vienna. Our homeward route was going to be more direct. We took the road out front, Love Road, north to I-64 and west to I-81 north. Traffic was good and we didn't hit any slowdowns. We left the cabin at 10:00 am and arrived in Vienna at 12:57 and a total of 171.5 miles.

This fall, if you are looking to escape to the mountains, I would highly recommend booking a cabin, a house, a camp site or a glamping tent at Love Ridge Mountain Lodging. Love Ridge has many amenities. Give them a call and make your booking...you will be pleased. Check out their website for full details. (see their ad in this issue)

After debating what to do for dinner, we opted to stop at the local IGA and pick up some

St. Kitts Has Nighttime Kayaking, Wellness Rituals, and a UNESCO Fortress

The light fades, and the sea turns silver under the stars. Your paddle cuts quietly through the warm water as the island’s coastline slips past — a nighttime kayak in St. Kitts is more than an adventure; it’s a kind of magic. This is an island where days can be filled with wind and salt spray, nights with ritual and calm, and where every age fi nds its own travel path.

Adventures for Every Age

The wind catches the kite and lifts you into the turquoise — kite surfi ng here is equal parts thrill and grace, with St. Kitts Water Sports’ instructors guiding you through every launch. Inland, the trails open up to the roar of an ATV, dust rising as you weave between palm stands and green hills. The island’s waters are just as inviting by day, with calm bays perfect for snorkeling among darting reef fish or skimming the surface in a kayak, the shoreline stretching ahead.

Wellness and Restoration

Not all journeys here are measured in miles. At Art of Presence, movement slows, breath deepens, and the outside world falls away. In

sacred circles and guided rituals, there’s grounding and clarity — a quiet reset beneath the Caribbean sky. Down in Frigate Bay, Imagine Yoga’s sound baths and open-air sessions let you sink into the vibes of the island, the ocean always within earshot.

A Tapestry of History and Culture

The stone walls of Brimstone Hill Fortress rise above the sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where cannons still face the horizon and the views stretch for miles. In Basseterre, narrow streets lead past old churches and markets bright with spices, crafts, and chatter. Here, the island’s story unfolds in every step — a blend of the past and the present, lived in the open air.

How to Get There

St. Kitts is an easy hop from the U.S., with nonstop flights from major gateways like Miami, New York, and Charlotte (including JetBlue’s popular service from New York). The island’s Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport sits just minutes from Basseterre, meaning you can be checking into your hotel or

stepping onto the sand within half an hour of landing. The island also connects by ferry to neighboring Nevis, making it simple to pair the two destinations in one trip. On my recent trip, I was also pleasantly surprised by how outstanding the island’s new digital arrival system is — fill out a form before your trip, and just walk through a gate when you land. Simple and seamless

Where to Stay

For a luxury escape, the Park Hyatt St. Kitts (rooms from $596 right now) offers modern elegance on a quiet stretch of beach, with sweeping views of Nevis across the Narrows. The St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino (rooms as low as $192 per night in August) brings a lively atmosphere, a full-service spa, and easy access to Frigate Bay’s dining scene — along with a large beach. For a contemporary, boutiquestyle stay, Koi Resort St. Kitts, Curio Collection by Hilton blends sleek design with island-inspired touches, all just steps from the water. It’s also a great value, with rooms starting at just $186 per night now.)

Brimstone Hill is a towering, memorable historical site.

The island’s vibrant Port Zante.

American Travelers Keep Flocking to Curacao: It’s Beaches, Hotels, and Dive Sites

Americans are loving a Dutch Caribbean island famous for its beaches, its hotels (including some lovely new all-inclusive resorts) and some of the region’s best diving: Curaçao.

Curaçao’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing — especially from the United States, where a Curacao vacation is surging in popularity.

The island welcomed 16,735 American visitors in July 2025, a 20 percent jump over the same month last year, according to new data provided by the Curaçao Tourist Board to Caribbean Journal. That’s up from 13,981 in July 2024, making the U.S. one of the fastest-growing source markets for the Dutch Caribbean destination.

Resort hotels remain the top choice for American travelers, drawing 68 percent of visitors from the U.S., while 32 percent opted for alternative accommodations such as vacation rentals and boutique inns. The average stay for Americans was 5.9 nights, signaling a strong appeal for week-long summer getaways.

Overall, Curaçao drew 66,956 stayover visitors in July, a 14 percent increase compared to last year. The month has emerged as a key period for the island’s tourism industry, attracting travelers with its sunny climate, vibrant culture and world-famous beaches.

While Europe continues to be the leading source region — with 27,427 visitors in July — the North American market grew by 18 percent year-over-year. South America saw the biggest jump, up 46 percent, led by strong growth from Colombia. Visitor numbers from the Caribbean climbed

11 percent, while arrivals from Europe dipped slightly by 3 percent.

Among Curaçao’s top source markets, the Netherlands still leads the pack, sending 23,769 visitors in July, followed by the United States and Colombia. Colombian arrivals surged by 68 percent to 5,090 visitors, with more than half choosing to stay in resorts.

From January through July 2025, Curaçao welcomed a total of 1 million visitors, including 466,694 stayover arrivals, 27,603 day-trippers and 508,693 cruise passengers — an overall growth of 6 percent over the same period last year. Tourism officials credit the gains to targeted marketing in key markets and close partnerships with hotels and airlines, all while keeping the island’s character and culture at the center of the visitor experience.

Getting to Curaçao from the U.S.

Curaçao is connected to several major U.S. gateways with nonstop flights, including Miami, New York, Charlotte and Atlanta. American Airlines offers daily service from Miami, while JetBlue flies from New York’s JFK Airport and Delta operates from Atlanta. Seasonal and additional routes also operate from cities like Newark, giving travelers more options for quick, easy access to the island.

Publishers Note: We are happy to partner with Alexander Britell, Founder and Editor in Chief of the Miami, Florida based Caribbean Journal and his staff contributing to the OTC and our Caribbean Connection Section. Check out the popular online magazine/website at caribjournal.com for valuable information on all fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.

The Best Sunset... FOR SALE!

Right on the beach in the nicest part of Naples, next to a park. You cannot get any closer or find a better view at any price than this 2BR 2BA condo. Naples was rated the No. 1 US city to live in by U.S. News and is always on the list of the top 10 best beaches in the U.S. Extremely well built, low density post WWII building that has withstood the past two Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes with no structural damage. Step out to beach or walk to town center, fabulous golfing biking and boating nearby. You cannot buy a better view anywhere on the Gulf for five times the price. For downsizing or a winter getaway don't let this one slip away. Listed for $975,000 with Naples Vibe Realty at 239-300-7006 naplesviberealty.com or call the owner Julie at 540-364-9480 for more information.

DINING GUIDE

AMERICAN

1799 PRIME STEAK & SEAFOOD

110 S. Pitt Street

571-404-6001

ADA'S ON THE RIVER

3 Pioneer Mill Way

703-638-1400

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970

BLACKWALL HITCH

5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090

BOB & EDITHS DINER 1743 King Street

703-664-0043

bobandedithsdiner.com

CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080

CITY KITCHEN

330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com

COOPER MILL 10 Duke St. 703-566-1278

EDDIE'S LITTLE SHOP & DELI 1406 King Street 571-312-8615

EVENING STAR CAFÉ

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

703-549-5051

EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894

FRANKIE'S KITCHEN & COCKTAIL BAR 823 S. Washington St. 703-512-2118 frankiesoldtown.com

GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969

HOME GROWN 1600 King Street 703-705-4955

HOPS 'N SHINE 3410 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-566-1509

HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355

JACK'S PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372

JOE THEISMANNS

1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

JULA'S ON THE POTOMAC 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-436-0025 junctionbakery.com

KILN - HOTEL HERON 699 Prince St. 703-662-1900

KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794

LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313

THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

LOST DOG CAFE

808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511

MACMILLAN'S SPIRIT HOUSE 500 Montgomery St. 703-665-6690

MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com

MURPHY'S GRAND IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com

MYSTIC BBQ & GRILL

220 N. Lee St. 703-565-9808 mysticbbqandgrill.com

NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032

OAK STEAKHOUSE 901 N. St. Asaph St. 703-840-3395

O'CONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124

DanielOconnells.com

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851

RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274

ROYAL RESTAURANT 730 N. St. Asaph St. 703-548-1616

RT'S RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

SLATERS MARKET 1552 Potomac Greens Dr. 703-548-3807

SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649

SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550

SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423

SOUTHSIDE 815

815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222

SWEET FIRE DONNA'S 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960

THE MAJESTIC 911 King St. 703-837-9117

THE STUDY 116 South Alfred Street 703-838-8000

T.J. STONE'S GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com

TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909

UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com

VIRTUE FEED & GRAIN 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & HI-TIDE LOUNGE

101 North Union St. 703-935-8890

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com

ASIAN

ASIAN BISTRO

809 King St. 703-836-1515

CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800

INDOCHEN 1625 King Street (571) 404-6050

KISSO ASIAN BISTRO

300 King Street 703-888-1513

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

MAI THAI

9 King St. 703-548-0600

NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848

RAILBIRD KITCHEN 804 North Henry St. 703-577-9023

SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458

SISTERS THAI 503 Montgomery St. 571-777-8154

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

UMIYA SUSHI 3000 Duke Street 703-564-1800

CONTINENTAL

ALEXANDRIA BIER GARDEN 710 King Street 703-888-1951

CEDAR KNOLL

GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665

OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361

FRENCH

BASTILLE

606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776

bastillerestaurant.com

BEN' YAYS 1028 King Street 703-495-3888

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

FONTAINE CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

JOSEPHINE

109 South St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

ITALIAN

ALDO'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 2850 Eisenhower Avenue 703-888-2243

ANDY’S PIZZA 107 N Fayette St 571-319-0497

BUGSY'S PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313

EPICURE ON KING 703 King Street 703-838-9090

HANDOVER BY THE SLICE 728 King Street 571-319-0794

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086

MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300

PIECE OUT 2419 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-398-1287

REDROCKS NEAPOLITAN BISTRO 904 King St. 703-717-9873

THOMPSON ITALIAN 1026 King Street alexandria@thompsonitalian.com

MEDITERRANEAN

BARCA PIER & WINE BAR 2 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1100

ELAINE'S 208 Queen Street 571-970-0517

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

PITA HOUSE

719 King St. 703-684-9194

DELIA'S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006

VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720

VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747

SEAFOOD

HANK'S OYSTER BAR 818 N St. Asaph 703-739-HANK

FISH MARKET 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com

THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834

WHISKEY & OYSTER 301 John Carlyle 703-567-1533

INDIAN

BOLLYWOOD MASALA 211 King Street 703-512-0175

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085

DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338

KISMET MODERN INDIAN 111 North Pitt Street 703-567-4507

NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615

MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN

CASA TEQUILA 1701 Duke 703-518-5312

CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438

DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144

LOS CUATES 1116 King Street 703-548-2918

LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290

LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167

TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226)

TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203

URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148

it

was all about the crabs for us at mike’s restaurant & crab house!

This column isn’t going to be quite like the “norm” in that we aren’t going to try to tell you about all that this waterside paradise on the South River near Annapolis has to offer and let me tell you, they have an amazing menu and everything, literally, that we saw being dropped off at the tables around us looked great. You defi nitely aren’t going to leave this place hungry!

We imagine those of you who are Maryland hard shell aficionados – and there are many in the area - are going to want to chime in after reading this, so we want to make it clear on just how we picked Mike’s. Neither of us had had hard shells this season and we have been trolling our crab picking pals social media pages for over a month trying to decide who ranked highest. In a piece the OTC published on “The Ten Best Crab Houses in Anne Arundel County” a few months ago, Mike’s was right there at the top and the majority of our trolling resulted in Mike’s getting many accolades – cue Tim and Leigh Long. We have had carbs at several amazing places over the last 30 years and can’t

believe that we had never tried this place. That was another reason we decided it would be a great “pick”. That and the fact that it’s an easy drive

is a favorite of ours but it’s an adventure getting there via asphalt so this was a pleasant surprise.

We were there on a beautiful Sunday afternoon so had anticipated maybe having to wait for a table outside (I’m not a fan of eating crabs inside since I think you need to be a little sweaty so you can rub your eyes and get Old Bay in them and the beer tastes colder). At fi rst the parking lot looked full but as we started to make a loop, we found primo parking right up front and noticed lots of other spaces. This place is HUGE and after being seated immediately in an outdoor booth under cover and getting our order in, I walked around to discover a large dining room and equally as large bar, a tiki bar with a roof top on the water and another stretch of outdoor seating. That being said, you will probably get a seat unless something major is happening at the place.

We were there for the crabs so didn’t spend much time looking at the extensive menu. We had sourced prices at a few other places we thought about going to and they were all pretty much the same – per

from Old Town – Beltway onto Route 214, left on Riva Road and right into the parking lot. Cantler’s Riverside Inn on the other side of the Severn River

dozen - $40 for smalls, $60 for mediums, $120 for extra-large. We were on a mission and it was pretty close to my birthday so we went all out. We agree that it was well worth it.

After setting us up with the brown paper, knives, mallets, paper towels, Old Bay and vinegar, our server, Shane, took our order for two cold brews and a dozen extra-large! He is a very fun kid and to make sure we old people didn’t forget his name, he wrote it on the paper and drew us a little crab! The beer was cold and the crabs were killer good, big

and heavy! We dove right in. We had considered ordering a side or two (no corn on the cob here though) but decided to see if we needed them after the crustaceans arrived. That answer was, no. The other half, who was raised in Maryland and is a seasoned crab picker only managed four (that is probably because he actually digs out every spec of crab) and I ate five and no doubt left enough for crab soup in my discarded shells. To our surprise we still had four big daddies left to take home. I think our guy Shane tossed in an extra for my birthday. I have to say that they traveled well and I fi nished them off later that evening!!

After our crab feast, we made our way to the Tiki Bar where the live music was being set up and the rum was being poured –Mount Gay and ginger ale and Meyers and OJ fit the bill. We started making friends with our bartender Tracy and the people sitting around us since always fun to meet new people. As we were looking around, I noticed that almost every photograph on the walls surrounding the bar looked familiar. After taking a closer look, they were all taken by David Sites, an amateur

photographer who lives near the bay, who has provided the OTC with several images including quite a few cover shots! It’s always good to make a connection with a place that we have never been to before.

Mike’s has other locations in the area – Mike’s Inland at Sunset in Glen Burnie and Mike’s Crab House North in Pasadena. We haven’t frequented either of them, but imagine they are good spots to check out as well.

We decided to wrap up the afternoon when the music man took a break and headed back to Virginia with our crabs in hand. It was an easy drive back considering it was Sunday and around the time beach goers were coming home. Make a plan to have an end of summer/beginning of fall crab fi x. You might see us there.

Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House

3030 Riva Road Riva, Maryland 410-956-2784

Mikescrabhouse. com

Sicily, like many other cities and areas of Italy is a wondrous place. It is geographically in the Mediterranean Sea – part of Europe and Africa, but arguably belonging to neither. There is much evidence of rich cultures left behind by a plethora of conquerors. As a result, Sicily has evidence of varied customs, languages, cooking, architecture, art, etc.

The Romans ruled Sicily in the 3rd century BC. They were followed by the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Normans, Spanish, Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs and French…not necessarily in that order. There is evidence of many other conquerors from many other countries, but it would take pages to fully explore the impact they all had on Sicily. In researching this article, I found the World Book and Encyclopedia Britannica reliable sources of information.

In addition to its unique history, the food of Sicily is exquisite. Some Sicilians still eat the same food, and prepare it exactly as their ancestors did centuries ago. That cuisine consists mainly of fish from the sea and home-grown vegetables.

I had a wonderful dish from Palermo that was made by a native Sicilian, now married to an Italo-American and living right here in Northern Virginia. The recipe is a little unique because the only ingredient cooked is the pasta! If you try it, I think you, too, will fi nd that it is worth the time it takes to prepare this fresh food the Sicilian way.

Past� Si���i�� S����

Sicilian Pasta

6 medium to large cloves of garlic, minced fi nely 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil for the sauce

6 medium very, very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks. Do not use canned tomatoes as it changes the taste and the thrust of the recipe

1 cup of tightly packed, fresh basil leaves

*1 lb. to 1 /1/2 lbs. of spaghetti

2/3 cup of pine nuts or walnuts

½ to 3/4 cups of freshly grated Parmigiannno Regianno cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the olive oil and garlic into a serving dish or platter. Add the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Do this early in the day so the tomatoes and garlic can macerate for at least four to six hours. Put the basil, pine nuts and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil into either a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Mix until the ingredients become “lumpy” but not liquefied. Then cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is al dente, drain (do not rinse) and add to the tomato, garlic and oil mixture. Then add the “lumpy” mixture. Working quickly, mix in the grated cheese and more pepper. Toss well and serve immediately. If the pasta gets too cool, reheat in a 350 degree oven until it is warmed to your liking. If there is any left, it can be reheated in the oven, or in a non-stick, large frying pan on a very low heat. It does not microwave well.

If you feel the pasta is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of oil at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

*This recipe will feed 4 to 6 people depending on how hungry they are!

Enjoy!

Oktoberfest Beer and Football Tailgating

“A Wonderful Coincidence or Divine Intervention?”

It has to be more than just dumb luck. There has to be a better explanation. Higher intelligence must have caused it. It’s the ultimate proof of intelligent design.

The fact that the release of Oktoberfest beer coincides with the start of American football and tailgating season is too fantastic to be a coincidence. I believe it to be divine intervention, a true act of God. It’s proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Ben Franklin is credited with saying the above quote. But unfortunately, Ben never actually said it. It’s a myth. But a myth that many people love and choose to believe regardless of the evidence. Why? Very simple, it’s a feel-good quote. And it does sound like something that Ben would have said. Ben was known to enjoy a pint, or two, or three. Here is Ben’s actual quote:

“Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.”

That quote sounds more like Thomas Jefferson than Benjamin Franklin. Tom was a true connoisseur of fi ne wine, especially French wine.

The quote is boring, a bit pompous, and way too pretentious for your everyday beer drinker. And worst of all, it’s about wine. Beer is associated with fun way more than wine is. Wine is “formal”

fun; beer is “casual” fun. When we picture Ben drinking, we picture a tankard of beer in his hand, not a goblet of wine. My guess is that the quote was slowly altered and adopted by beer drinkers over time due to their mutual love for beer and for Ben.

Oktoberfest is casual and about celebrating. Tailgating is casual and about celebrating as well. Oktoberfest began in 1810 and was a wedding celebration. It was held to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The five-day celebration included a horse race, so sport was involved. The festival was so popular it became an annual event. The fi rst tailgate party at a football game is considered to be at the Rutgers-Princeton game in 1869, the fi rst recorded American football game. Fans on both sides brought food and drinks, and celebrated before, during, and after the game. The celebration was so popular that it spread and grew throughout college football. (Many people proclaim that the First Battle of Bull Run was the fi rst tailgate. It was called the Picnic Battle. But this gathering did not involve sport, unless you consider watching men kill each other a sport, which I do not.) It was the Rutgers-Princeton game that cemented the practice of tailgating as a part of the sporting experience.

The two traditions started 59 years apart from each other. Both are excuses to drink with old friends,

It’s no coincidence that they occur at the same time of year. It’s divine intervention my friends! Beer is a huge part of both traditions. Undeniable proof that God loves us. I think that even an atheist would have a hard time disagreeing.

And it gets even better! Oktoberfest has two traditional beers to choose from, Marzen and Festbier. Marzen originated in Munich as a way to preserve beer brewed in March for consumption in the Fall. Bavarian law dating back to 1553 prevented the brewing of beer during the summer due to spoilage risks, so beer was brewed in March and stored in cool cellars until Fall. Later in history, this amber-colored, malty lager became the standard beer for the festival. The fi rst Oktoberfest featured Märzen, though the style did evolve over time. Spaten Brewery is credited with producing the fi rst modern Märzen in 1841, a style that became the standard for Oktoberfest. Marzen is characterized by its amber color, medium to full body, and malty sweetness, with notes of toast and bread crust. A prefect beer for fall drinking. However, as with many things, times changed and so did people’s palates. Marzen is a wonderful beer. But it’s a little heavy and not always suited to allday drinking, something that Oktoberfest requires. A lighter, more refreshing alternative became the standard at the festival in the 1990s. Festbier is a golden, hoppy, and highly drinkable lager. It is the

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

modern style of beer served at Oktoberfest, having largely replaced the Marzen style. Being lighter and crisper, it was perfect for all day consumption.

Here in the United States, craft brewers produce both Oktoberfest beers. Although our brewers prefer to brew the Marzen style, you will fi nd more and more of them brewing the Festbier style every fall. Both are perfect for tailgating. Marzen for those who want a heavier beer, Festbier for those who want a lighter, crisper beer. I love both myself. (I’m sure you fi nd that shocking.)

With the craft beer trend being ubiquitous, it doesn’t matter where you are traveling for your tailgate festivities. Here are some beer suggestions for a few of the nearby university campuses.

• For UVA fans, Charlottesville VA has Three Knotch’d, Brewery Blue Mountain Brewery, and Star Hill Brewery.

• For Virgina Tech fans, Blacksburg VA has Rising Silo Brewery, Eastern Divide Brewing Company, and Moon Hollow Brewing Company.

• If you’re heading to College Park MD to cheer on the Maryland Terrapins, you can easily fi nd Third Hill Brewing Company beers, or beers from one of my personal favorites, Denizens Brewing Company.

Blue Run High Rye Bourbon

I’ve grown to love Blue Run Bourbons. I’ve yet to fi nd one that I didn’t like, and the High Rye is no exception. The blending is almost perfect. On the nose, you’ll get cinnamon, caramel, and a bit of rye spice. On the palate, the cinnamon and caramel continue with some charred oak trickling in. As you continue to drink, candied orange and lemon peel start to come out. It has a long fi nish with rye spice, caramel, and a bit of allspice. At 111 Proof and $90 a bottle, it’s not the cheapest tailgate bourbon. But it’ll blend well with those Oktoberfest beers you’ll be drinking all day.

The Gurkha Fat Boy

This is one fat cigar. It has a ring gauge of 66. If you’ve ever smoked a Nub, they are only 60 gauge. Good luck fi nding a cutter that’s big enough for this bad boy. I strongly suggest you use a punch, which is my preferred style anyway. Getting our lips around this thing can be a challenge. (Yes, I know that sentence just begs for a dirty joke.) This cigar opens with strong notes of black pepper, espresso, and dark chocolate. As you get into it, the spice subsides, and a caramel type of sweetness emerges. It fi nishes earthy with hints of pepper baking spices. It’s a mild to medium smoke that’ll be a fun addition to that Oktoberfest beer you’re drinking.

This cigar, and many other fine cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% off the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.

• If you’re brave enough to go to Morgantown WV and hang with the Mountaineers, Mountain State Brewing Company and Stone Tower Brews both have great beers. Note: Partying at WVU is for professionals only. So, plan your tailgating accordingly this year and bring or provide both Marzens and Festbiers. Your fellow tailgaters will know that you love them and want them to be happy. And that God does too. Prost!!

About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com . Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that fl y doing in my soup? http://whatfl yinmysoup.com

There has been a pretty significant shift in the job market. It’s getting harder for many people to fi nd jobs and many are facing RIF’s. So, may I suggest an alternative to corporate or government employment? Perhaps in the field of agriculture and or winemaking?

As a coach for hire, or consultant, with 45 years of experience in the wine industry, my best successes are teaching the next generation the macro and micro lessons of how to build, maintain and sustain a wine business. I say sustain rather than thrive because we all know how challenging this industry can be due to a host of issues including weather, labor, plant diseases, sanitation, social media, consumer trends, zoning issues, taxes, packaging materials, climate change, tariffs, micro bacterial issues, equipment breakdown, refrigeration, customer preference, high capital needs, building maintenance, landscaping and a whole host of other challenges. But, as new folks decide to enter the industry, there will always be a need for the teacher, trainer, and mentor for the next generation of vintners or owners.

Some operations are smaller and the technical work of farming and winemaking will be done by the owner. Others are on a larger scale where the winemaker or farmer may be hired or contracted. One thing is for sure, the owner of an operation needs to understand and be effective at selling wine. Wine consumption has dropped over the last 5 years and we need to work harder at sales if we want our businesses and industry to survive. I will never claim that I am a skilled salesman of anything, but teaching the importance of sales and marketing is what I can do.

I look at my clients and realize that most of them have the next generation involved in their

business in some way. Two of these clients have college graduate twenty somethings as full-time employees of the business. My job, along with helping the business work, is to teach these folks where they can impact the business now as well as what they need to learn for the next few rounds. I try my best not to expect people to be experts at everything. But as the owner, or the heir apparent, you need to learn enough of everything so you know how to address the problems. Also, the mentee needs to fi nd those job areas or specialties that they can focus on to be the expert. Grower, tasting room manager, winemaker, business manager, events manager, outside sales and other positions have their own needs and skill sets. Defi ning, owning and honing these skill sets, will ensure the business will be successful.

Succession to the next generation is never easy. But with good guidance, patience and training, the process can be smooth and successful. I am honored to have taught and mentored as many folks in this industry. It is important to me that the Virginia wine culture and industry continues on for generations to come. Please continue to purchase and enjoy your local craft wines. You make a difference in keeping our farms growing and prospering.

About the Author: Farmer, winemaker, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Doug Fabbioli has been accelerating the growth and quality of Virginia’s wine industry since 1997. With his wife Colleen, Doug is the owner/ operator of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. He is the founder and director of The New Ag School, which focuses on teaching the next generation of farmers and agriculture-related leaders. No wonder they call Doug Fabbioli the Godfather of DC's Wine Country.

OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY 11-5 PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS FOR GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE

15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg, VA 20176

703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com info@fabbioliwines.com

How Virginia’s “Wine Incubators” Are Boosting Small Wine Brands

Establishing a wine brand is an expensive proposition. Start-up costs can range anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars for a small “garagiste”setup, to millions to acquire a fully equipped tasting room, vineyard, and production facility.

If that’s not enough, farm wineries face unpredictable weather, regulatory hurdles, and (especially lately) significant market fluctuations. Collectively, these challenges make the dream of owning a winery out of reach for many.

These risks have sparked the rise of ‘wine incubators,’ including Common Wealth Crush Co (CWC), the Virginia Wine Collective (VWC), and Walsh Family Wine’s “Winemaker’s Studio”.

All three offer different tiers of support for a variety of winery clients, including large-scale contract winemaking for tasting rooms that don’t produce their own wine. This model is widely available in Virginia.

What sets CWC, the VWC, and Walsh apart from other contract winemakers is their ability to scale this support specifically to meet the needs of smaller wine brands.

Established winemakers that lack their own production facility may only need access to expensive processing equipment. They essentially rent this equipment and floor space to make their own wine, sometimes using their own grapes and barrels.

Wine startups have additional requirements. These new vintners often need a host that can also sell them grapes, mentor them in winemaking, and provide access to retailers.

The host acts like a business incubator, giving their client the tools they need to succeed.

Why Independent Brands – And the Producers That Support Them – Matter

Virginia is home to over 20 limited-production wine brands that lack their own tasting room. These brands are usually only found at the facility they were produced at, or special pop-up events.

These wines are amongst the most exciting in the state. Their owners have the creative freedom to indulge in more experimental styles or highlight the terroir of tiny parcels that might otherwise be lost within a multi-acre bottling.

Incubators also help level the playing field for female, LGBTQIA+, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color ( BIPOC) entrepreneurs who have traditionally lacked the networking opportunities and fi nancial backing open to other prospective vintners.

A breakdown of the Virginia wine industry demonstrates the need for these initiatives. Only 18% of Virginia wineries employ a female Head Winemaker, yet females compose roughly 2/3rds of local winery staff.

BIPOC owners are even less represented. Out of over 300 wineries or wine brands in Virginia, less than 10 have owners who identify as BIPOC.

Ben Jordan of CWC described the challenges these small brands face, especially before CWC was founded.

“What almost always happens is these small brands grow out of the space they were making wine at, or the winery facility grows its production and has to kick you out,” he explained.

“Common Wealth provides a dedicated facility that allows a winemaker to start a brand, do the project, make the wine the way they want to, and be confident they’ll be able to stay there.”

The Virginia Wine Collective (VWC), located in the former Wineworks Extended tasting room in Charlottesville, likewise supports multiple winemaking clients but with a slightly different setup.

Normally, a wine production facility can host only one wine license. The VWC sidesteps this by creating individually licensable spaces within a larger facility, each of which meet ABC regulations.

This allows winemakers to share equipment, retail space, and a joint tasting room, while still making wine under their own commercial license. According to Jake Busching, head winemaker for the VWC, this East Coast layout is unique.

Where To Find Virginia’s Smallest Wine Brands

Most Virginia wineries produce between 3,000-5,000 cases/year. Brands that lack their own tasting rooms bottle far less than this.

This limited production means independently-owned brands rarely make national, or even local, headlines. The Virginia Governor’s Cup requires 50 cases of wine be set aside to enter the competition; a high bar for brands where the total production for any single bottling may barely exceed 50 cases.

That said, here are a few places Virginia wine lovers can explore to fi nd these limited production wines.

Common Wealth Crush ( Waynesboro): Common Wealth produces a huge lineup made from owners Ben and Tim Jordan, including Star Party, Lightwell Survey, Midland, and the eponymous Common Wealth Crush Co wines.

In addition to these brands, you can fi nd (or eventually will fi nd) Love Echo, Novella, and The Parallax Project, all of which are BIPOC-owned.

The Virginia Wine Collective (Charlottesville): The Collective supports a number of micro-brands from well-known local producers such as Jake Busching, Joy Ting, and Matthieu Finot. Up and coming labels include Cataldos Perfezione, Delve Wine, Dogwood & Thistle, Present Company, and Zora Chloe.

Walsh Family Wine (Purcellville): Many Walsh employees have sponsored a personal label, which include Boden Young, Guide Wine, Quartzwood Farm, and Third Culture Kid. Walsh also makes wine for Iron Will and Toll Gate, which can be found at local farmers markets.

About the Author: Matthew Fitzsimmons is a blogger who has visited nearly every winery in Virginia – most of them twice. Track his progress at https:// winetrailsandwanderlust.com/

It’s September already and your garden may be looking a little fatigued, which is entirely natural. Soon it will be time to put it to bed for its winter rest. This does not mean, however, that you should toss aside your tools and put up your feet for the season. Whether your garden consists of a window box or two or a spacious yard, there is work to be done yet.

If you must take a rest before starting on the more arduous tasks to hand, use that quiet time to cast a discerning eye upon the fruits of your labor to date. I like to assess the previous growing season and mentally catalog what worked well, what didn’t, what needs to be divided, pruned, etc., and start thinking about what I want to accomplish next year.

Refresh worn-out plantings. September is also a good time to consider sprucing up a tired design with some late season color, either by adding some annuals (pansies, snapdragons, stock, ornamental kale) perennials (asters, mums, ornamental grasses), or woody plants that will offer some structure and visual interest into the

winter months (camellia, beautyberry, hypericum, oakleaf hydrangea).

Do your research.

No idea what these plants look like, you say? Looking at photos in books and on the Internet is nice but it’s so much better to see the plants in situ in a welltended garden. If you live in Alexandria, you won’t have far to go. Chances are very good that there are some fabulous gardens on your street. Most gardeners I know are delighted to show off their handiwork and discuss their triumphs with admirers so trot over and chat them up.

If you’re too shy to quiz your neighbors about their horticultural endeavors, head to the nearest garden center for some retail therapy. You could also visit River Farm, home of the American Horticultural Society, Green Spring Gardens or Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, to name just a few of the many local possibilities for inspiration and edification. Look for plants established in conditions that mimic the ones you have at home (eastern exposure, afternoon shade, moist

Refresh, Research & Carry Over!

soil, etc.) and make note of the combinations you fi nd particularly appealing. All of your observations will help you select the right plants for the different areas of your garden.

Woody plants for everyone. September is a great time to install woody plants (vines, shrubs and trees) because warm soil encourages root growth. Roots will grow until the ground freezes and may continue growing during the course of a mild winter. By the time spring comes around again your new plants will be off to a healthy and vigorous start.

Don’t be afraid to try woody plants in frost-proof containers. Understand, though, that woody plants grown in the ground can last a lifetime whereas those grown in containers may only last a few years. Still, buying shrubs for your container garden is a reasonable investment if you consider how much you might spend to fill those same containers entirely with annuals every season. The best woody plants for containers are dwarf varieties. Dwarf cultivars have a much slower

growth rate than the species so they are better suited to container cultivation. Use a single woody plant (a clipped boxwood or topiary ivy, for example) as a container’s year-round focal point and change out the annuals surrounding it according to the season.

Carrying over.

I love the hopeful ring of this old-fashioned term. Many plants typically sold as annuals are actually biennials, tender perennials or even shrubs, and can be carried over the winter, as long as you provide the proper care. If you have enough room and are blessed with enough winter sunshine, some plants can be hauled in and allowed to bask in said wintry light until next spring. If you are short on space, it might be better to pot up some cuttings of your favorites, since cuttings take up less real estate.

Many plants root easily in plain old tap water, like the coleus whose roots are threatening to burst through the glass I put it in last month. I’m going to pot it up this week, I promise. Propagating other plants may require a bit

more work involving rooting hormone and a tray of clean sand.

General September gardening tips.

• As I already mentioned, fall is a great time of year for planting. Install trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, grass seed and sod.

• This is the time to divide and transplant perennials that have gotten too big for their allotted space or have produced fewer flowers due to overcrowding.

• Buy your favorite springs flowering bulbs now for the best selection and plant them in October.

• Feed your lawn with a slow-release fertilizer and apply at least once more before the end of the year.

About the Author: Jacqueline Murphy, the proprietor of Garden Calls, offers garden coaching on all aspects of residential landscape with a focus on sustainable design.

A Smith College graduate, horticulturist and garden writer, Jacqueline has written for Fine Gardening magazine and books published by Reader's and Time Life.

The Eyes Have It At Any Age!

“How can I get rid of the fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness around my eyes?”

The eye area is the most delicate and where the fi rst signs of aging begin to creep up on us. Most often, it is the area that is most neglected until we see that fi rst wrinkle. The most important thing to realize is that prevention is the best defense against the inevitable aging process. Choosing to use an eye cream at an early age is the best defense against those fi ne lines creeping in before we’re ready. There are also a few other remedies to weaken the defenses of those fi ne lines and to address other eye concerns.

Aging - When we begin to age, the eye area is the fi rst to show those signs. That is why it is the most important area to take care of. Taking care of our eyes is quite simple – moisturizer. Keeping the eye area moisturized is key to maintaining its elasticity and keeping the crows feet and wrinkles away. Choosing an appropriate moisturizer is important. Too light of a moisturizer won’t be effective and too heavy of a moisturizer will just make your make-up a runny mess. To determine the right weight of a moisturizer, look for a moisturizer that absorbs into the skin just enough to still provide relief and still be a little slick. Furthermore, the right moisturizer must not be too intense. The eye area is the most delicate skin

on our face and requires that we take great care to ensure it is treated accordingly. A moisturizer designed specifically for the eye area is the best choice. Choosing any facial moisturizer isn’t appropriate because they often contain too many active ingredients that are too much for the eye area to handle. It’s also important to recognize that, for most of us, our eyes are more sensitive than the rest of our skin. A moisturizer should be delicate in addition to being the appropriate weight.

Dark Circles

– As a life-long dark circle sufferer, I have particular sensitivity to these concerns. I also understand what it is like to try every eye cream under the sun to attempt to deal with my dark circles. I’m here to tell most of you – put down the eye cream, walk away and grab a concealer. The reality is that eye creams formulated to combat dark circles do not address most dark circle concerns. Eye creams that claim to fight dark circles are designed for dark circle conditions involving broken capillaries. These broken blood vessels create a darkening under the skin that these dark circle-fighting creams work to disintegrate. Unfortunately, for the majority of us (myself included), our dark circles are the result of discoloration or excess pigment around our eyes. This is a function of the way we are built and no

eye cream can change that. But…there are ways to reduce them and hide them. Most effective is making sure to get good sleep because those dark circles will only get darker from the lack of sleep.

Puffi ness

– Puffy eyes come in two forms: chronic and circumstantial. Chronic puffiness is typically a condition in which pockets of fluid (or bags) have collected under the eye area. Aside from surgical methods to treat this, there are some eye creams available to address these issues. Circumstantial puffiness is the result of a lack of sleep, hay fever or an allergic reaction. These types of puffy eye conditions are easily treated with cold compresses to the eye area when there is an occurrence. Using something - like a bag of peas - that can mold to the eye area will be the most effective. In both circumstances – chronic or circumstantial – there are eye creams loaded with an anti-inflammatory to help regulate the puffiness. To know if a particular eye cream will work for you, test-drive it in the store. Most of these eye treatments have immediate results that can be seen from the moment they are applied. Try this – apply the eye treatment to one eye and leave the other untreated. Check in the mirror to see if it has made a difference. Continued use of these eye treatments will improve the continued puffiness over time and help to enlighten the eyes area.

Never Too Late to “Rethink” Your Exercise!

We all have mental hurdles that we need to jump before getting into workout mode. For some of us it’s just getting up and out of bed and making it to the gym fi rst thing in the morning. Sometimes it’s the end of the day exhaustion that you have to convince yourself will go away once you get on the elliptical. Whichever problem you may be having here are a few ways to rethink a preworkout hesitation.

Don’t think: "The scale doesn’t budge, why bother working out."

Do think: "Keep up the good work and it will pay off."

Stick with the scale: Love it and you'll probably lose pounds. In a study at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, of 3,026 adults who were watching their waistlines, those who weighed themselves more frequently lost more weight over two years or regained fewer pounds. Plateaus are part of the process, Stay motivated in the meantime by giving yourself credit for how much better your clothes fit and for improving your overall health. Fix the problem by changing up your routine. As your metabolism changes to accommodate your smaller size, you are going to have to change what you're doing to keep your body responding and shedding fat. If you're eating light already (around 1,500 calories a day), don't cut back more; turn up the intensity and/

or increase the length of your workout session a smidge. This will not only burn more calories but also increase your cardio capacity, meaning that everything feels easier to do, so you can keep exercising. Crank the resistance on your stationary bike, push the pace of your walk or run for one-minute intervals, or add step-ups or jumping jacks between sets of toning moves: The cardio-strength mix of circuit training burns 512 calories per hour, more than double that of lifting alone.

Don’t Think: "Run a mile? No way."

Do think: "If I can walk a mile, I CAN run a mile."

Split your run into walking and running parts at fi rst. Jog a quarter of a mile, walk for half a mile, and fi nish by jogging another quarter. As you improve, stretch out the jogging and shrink the walking segment before jogging that fi nal quarter mile. Do this three or four times a week, and you'll be able to run the whole distance in about six weeks.

Don’t Think: "I hurt my knee, I will be out of the gym for a few weeks."

Do Think: “There has got to be another type of exercise I can do.”

Your body starts to lose conditioning within three days of your becoming a couch potato.

Depending on your injury, moderate elliptical training, cycling, or jogging in water can be an appropriate alternative. As with any injury, be sure that your doctor clears you for exercise and follow his recommendations.

Don’t Think: "Classes like Spinning and boot camp seem too intense for me."

Do Think: "Any exercise can be done at my pace."

The great thing about Spinning is that you control your experience, If the instructor tells you to turn up the resistance, go to where you feel you can keep up; then if you get tired, lower it. In any group exercise class, your main goal is to get the hang of it, so aim for form over speed.

Don’t Think: "I simply can't shake the afterwork energy slump to exercise."

Do Think: "Just 10 minutes."

There's a difference between being mentally tired and being physically tired. Doing something physical will actually help combat some of the mental fatigue. Tell yourself that you're not going to do more than 10 minutes of exercise. Often this leads to extending the time once you get into it. If you do make it to 10 minutes and still feel completely exhausted then you probably do need the rest. In that case missing one day at the gym is not going to do any harm.

Blame It on the the (Bosu) Balance

Since September is National Aging Healthy month, I feel the need to discuss a few reasons why exercise (particularly balance) becomes even more crucial to our well- being as we age. Balance naturally declines with age due to a variety of contributors. Factors such as the vestibular system (inner ear), medications, vision, nervous system, blood pressure, muscle mass loss (sarcopenia) and decline in strength can all effect our balance and coordination.

Falls can be life changing for the geriatric population. These mishaps are one of the major reasons why the elderly ultimately end up in a care facility such as a skilled nursing facility or nursing home. On the bright side, exercise and balance training, like the one featured in this article, can help prevent a potential catastrophic event later in life. More importantly, balance training will improve reflexes, coordination, and spacial awareness, which will translate to maintaining independence and better quality of life.

September is one of my favorite months because college and pro football are in full swing. Athletes have been grinding it out for the past month and a half in training camps and the weight room. Now is their opportunity to showcase their talents to the world. I can only hope that you can fi nd that same type of motivation to keep working hard on your health. Think of how exercise makes you feel better. You have more energy, sleep soundly, stress less, and think clearer, but more importantly, you have more confidence and happiness in your life. If these benefits don’t get you going, I’m not sure what will!

This month’s exercise is called the Bosu Balance Single-Leg Abduction. A great challenge for balance and concentration. You want to get comfortable standing on top with both feet before attempting just one. This exercise can be included in your warm-up and performed at the beginning of your routine. To start, step on top of the Bosu with a single foot directly in the center of the rings. I think of it as a bulls-eye. Line the opposite foot next

to the planted one (Figure 1). Keep only one foot in contact with the Bosu before moving the leg out to the side (abduction) and away from the center (Figure 2). This movement should be slow and under control. Pause for a few seconds once your leg is abducted before bringing it back to the start position.

If your balance gets thrown off (and it will), simply touch the non-planted foot back on the Bosu to regain balance. It’s also ok if you just step off completely and start over. I suggest using a mirror for feedback, but the goal is to maintain balance without looking down at your feet. You want to

establish that connection between your brain and foot. The main benefit of balance training is to improve your proprioception which is the ability to sense the position, location, orientation, and movement of your body parts in space.

If you’re a beginner on the Bosu, I suggest placing it next to something solid that you can grab on to such as railing, wall, or an exercise machine. A training partner can also come in handy when balance is lost. Try at least two sets of ten repetitions with each leg. You might fi nd that you have better balance on your dominant side. In this case, add an extra set to the more challenging side for practice. This exercise not only improves body awareness, but will help strengthen your hips, ankles, and feet. The next time you’re at the gym, grab a Bosu Balance Trainer and give this one a whirl!

About the Author: Unverzagt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Recently I talked with Steven Fiore, MD, of CannabisMD TeleMed about cannabidiol (CBD) products for pets.

Dr. Fiore, a Virginia orthopedist specializing in medical marijuana for humans, is often asked how CBD could benefit pets. He shared a concise overview of CBD and some relevant veterinary research.

CBD Legality for Virginian Pets

CBD is derived from hemp. It is not tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana that produces a high in humans but is toxic to dogs. CBD hemp-derived products that contain less than 0.3% total THC derivatives are now legal in Virginia, but not all hemp products are regulated alike (see Resources). CBD is not suitable for animal feed. However, it’s legal in products such as treats, oils, and tinctures available through specialty stores, hemp companies, and online retailers. CBD products won’t get humans or pets high but have other sought-after effects.

In Virginia, producers (but not retailers) of CBD products for pets must be licensed through the Agricultural Commodities Program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VCACS) Office of Plant Industry Services. Hemp-derived pet products are not regulated through Virginia’s Hemp Enforcement Program, but are held to strictly enforced state standards for animal safety.

CBD Product Safety and Veterinary Prescribing Dr. Fiore stressed that CBD users need to ensure products they give their pets come from brands that source quality plants; conduct independent lab testing for quality, purity, and potency; and promote clear ingredient listings and dosage guidelines.

Dr. Amy Savarino, veterinary pharmacist at Texas A&M,

recommends asking CBD product suppliers for a current certificate of analysis (COA) about ingredient quality and composition. Reputable companies will likely share COAs. Dr. Savarino has compared a COA to a birth certificate for a product.

Above all, as with anything else humans give their pets, CBD products should be approved by veterinarians. (No current CBD products for pets are FDA approved.) Certain CBD products may interact with other veterinary prescriptions or treatment and would therefore not be prescribed. For example, since CBD is metabolized by the liver, pets with liver disease or breeds with liver issues, such as Doberman Pinschers, will probably not be given CBD.

Some vets may also have concerns not only about CBD safety, administration, and dosage (since veterinary research in CBD use is relatively recent), but also about ongoing changes in Virginia law. Holistic veterinarians may be more comfortable prescribing CBD now, but other vets will likely follow as

CBD Treatment Alternatives for Our Pets

research advances and CBD statutes become established.

CBD Veterinary Uses: Cause for Optimism

CBD is already being researched to treat a range of veterinary conditions that parallel its current use by humans:

• Pain management: osteoarthritis and joint pain, neuropathic (nerverelated) pain, mobility issues

• Anxiety and stress: general anxiety, noise reactions, phobias, separation anxiety (fear of being left alone), stress during vet visits or other anxiety-producing events

• Epilepsy and seizure disorders: number and severity of seizures

• Inflammation

• Skin Irritations and allergies: itching, chewing, or scratching

• Appetite stimulation

• Nausea relief

• Cancer treatment (to supplement other care)

Joseph Wakshlag, PhD, DVM, a veterinarian researcher at Cornell and with ElleVet® Sciences, has studied CBD treatment of animals since the late 2010s, including osteoarthritis, cancer chemotherapy, mobility, anxiety, and appetite issues.

Though CBD use has sparked interest among pet lovers, some of whom already give their pets CBD to treat health conditions, Dr. Wakshlag emphasizes that CBD veterinary research is in its early stages. He and other researchers are optimistic about CBD’s promise as veterinarians learn more about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in mammals. ECS “[is] pervasive in mammalian species. . . . [This] ubiquitous system . . . provides homeostatic balance to the nervous and immune systems, as well as many other organ systems.”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12

11 A.M. - 4 P.M.

Echoing Dr. Fiore, Dr. Wakshlag reminds pet lovers that CBD products are derived from hemp, not marijuana, so they should not worry about getting their pets high. Closely monitoring pets on CBD is essential, just as humans would with any other prescribed veterinary treatment.

Current research shows, for example, that various dog breeds (and individual pets) may react differently to CBD. It often makes dogs drowsy at fi rst and may have other initial side effects, including upset stomach, impaired coordination, or behavioral changes. Veterinary researchers are studying CBD use in cats and horses, and less often in other mammals and nonmammalian species. But CBD pet research will likely expand soon to include these animals.

About the Author: Steph Selice volunteered as an adoption counselor at King Street Cats in Alexandria for seven years. For a full list of resources, please visit the Points on Pets section of our website.

A Quick Message from the AWLA:

We’ve seen an increase in the number of animals abandoned both at the AWLA and throughout the community. Marshmallow the guinea pig was even carelessly tossed in or donation bin. We certainly understand that life happens and caring for a pet can become difficult or even impossible. But, please, let us help you fi nd a better – more humane –solution for rehoming your animals.

Abandonment, besides being illegal, is inhumane and dangerous. Abandoned animals can suffer from starvation and dehydration to being struck by cars or attacked by wildlife. If you are fi nding it tough to provide food, supplies, or vaccines to your animal, let us know. We can defi nitely help. I you just can’t keep the animal, let us help you with rehoming and discuss your options. There is no judgement here. We serve the city of Alexandria, VA but some of our pet retention programs, like our lowcost vaccines and pet pantry, can extend beyond our jurisdiction.

For additonal information, please e-mail us at info@ AlexandriaAnimals.org, find us online at AlexandriaAnimals.org or call us at 703-838-4774.

PETS OF THE MONTH

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304

703-838-4774

www.alexandriaanimals.org

Animal Welfare League of Arlington 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 703-931-9241 www.awla.org

Fairfax County Animal Shelter 4500 West Ox Road Fairfax, VA 22030

703-830-1100

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter

King Street Cats 25 S. Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-231-7199

www.kingstreetcats.org

Operation Paws for Homes, Inc. (Dog rescue for VA, MD, DC, and south central PA) P.O. Box 90813 Alexandria, VA 22309 703-344-7320 ophrescue.org

Friends of Rabbits www.friendsofrabbits.org

Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary (1300 animals and 22 species on 450 acres) P.O. Box 1357 Orange, VA 22960 540-854-0870

By appointment: tours@rikkisrefuge.org events@rikkisrefuge.org www.rikkisrefuge.org

703-746-4774

alexandriaanimals.org

Mon-Tu-Th-Fri, 12-7 pm

Meet Ace, a handsome brindle boy who’s always dressed for a party. Ace can see into your soul with his big brown eyes, and he knows that you’re looking for a fun guy to hang out with every day. Conveniently, Ace is a playful 2-year-old with a bit of puppy energy! This 65-pound boy is ready to join you for enriching hikes, long neighborhood walks, and chasing his favorite toys. Ace enjoys a good game of fetch, and receiving rump scratches while he relaxes afterwards. This boy is food-motivated and could learn new cues in his forever home. Most of all, Ace is looking for cuddles and love that match his enthusiasm for life. If you are looking for a companion to join you on outdoor adventures, Ace is your guy!

Meet Molly, a sweet and smart 8 year old pup looking for a place to spend her golden years. She’s a beautiful brindle color and is a little shy at rst, she quickly opens up and is also very well behaved. Molly knows sit, paw, and down - always taking treats politely from your hand. Molly is looking for someone with a laid back lifestyle who shares her love of leisurely walks, snuggling up on the couch, or simply hanging out enjoying a good bone. If you are looking for an easy going companion, Molly may be just right! Molly is currently relaxing in a foster home but you can schedule a time to meet her via email at adoptions@alexandriaanimals.org or calling 703.746.4774, option 2.

Shyla is our spry, social senior gal- even though she's an impressive 12 years old and weighs in at 63 pounds. If she was in a senior living community, she'd be headed down to the community room for bingo (and maybe a couple glasses of wine). She would love the company of other residents, especially when they told her how pretty she is. She would also always be prompt and on-time to supper! Shyla has gotten along with other dogs, but de nitely has gotten a little bit persnickety in her older age. She would do well in a home where she can have her own space and things. Shyla is sweet, loving and is looking for a permanent place to reside in her golden years.

Ace Molly Shyla

The Magic of Magic Beads

When new Maryland fishing license fees went into effect on June 1st , there was a mixed reception from the social media audience. Many felt that the cost of a fishing license was still a good value among today’s entertainment choices. The average concert ticket is $150-235. Attending a pro sports event starts up to $150. Even the price of movie admission is $16. Depending on how many times you fish and for how many hours, the new annual license comes in at a bargain for $32.

Some say they will no longer fish or plan to fish elsewhere. This was a consideration by Department of Natural Resource (DNR) staff, Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission and Black Bass Advisory Committee (BBAC). Outdoor recreation is a major contributor to Maryland’s economy. DNR’s Fishing and Boating Services Director Lynn Fegley says “We approach fee adjustments deliberately because we know anglers make our work possible. Every nontidal fishing license purchased represents a direct investment in the future of Maryland’s aquatic resources and recreational opportunities.”

MDs Freshwater Fisheries and Hatcheries Division monitors, manages, stocks, and promotes access to freshwater species. Fishing license sales comprise 65% of the division’s funding and only 5% comes from MD funding. A federal excise tax brings in about 30% of the budget. This tax comes from sales of fishing rods, reels and expanded taxable items to include motorboat fuel. The federal allocation is static and based on land and water area and numbers of license holders. In tight budgetary times, it’s unlikely fishing would receive more funding from the state’s general fund. The only budget line with any wiggle room is license sales. Until the increase went

into effect, the budgetary outlook for the DNR looked bleak with staffing and programs most certainly on the chopping block.

Following the DNR’s user-pay, publicbenefit model, license revenue directly and specifically supports the programs and resources for nontidal fishing such as trout stocking and fish population assessments. It was determined fees needed to increase to continue to support nontidal programs and resources. It has been 18 years since MD has changed nontidal fishing fees. In this time, expenses for maintaining fish populations and resources have risen 56%. The bigger bargain was the trout stamp as these fees haven’t increased for 33 years while the cost of trout-related programs increased by 129%. Inflation drove up costs and new fees were set in accordance with the inflation rate set by the Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index, comparable fees of neighboring states, and the current national average for comparable licenses and stamps.

Existing and additional funding will support hatcheries operations and stockings, improve waterway access, fight invasive species, and long-term fisheries sustainability management. Even with the well thought out fee increases, it’s still not enough to grow the fisheries. The BBAC has long been concerned with the effectiveness of MD black bass stocking efforts.

Board member Scott Sewell, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director of the Year, spearheaded stocking of bigger largemouth bass in MD fisheries. Until then, MD DNR could only stock 3-inch fish as the hatcheries were only able to raise fish to that size and the cost of purchasing larger fish wasn’t in the budget. Sewell spent several years convincing his fellow BBAC members and the DNR that stocking larger fish had an immediate and longer lasting

impact over stocking 3-inch fish. Cost remained a concern, but Sewell pushed forward with a voluntary donation at the time of license purchase to support the stocking of larger bass, providing better habitat, education, and other related activities. Sewell’s bill was approved in this year’s General Assembly and funds came in. So far, the Conservation Fund has brought in nearly $4400. The Department didn’t waste much time targeting this new revenue to improve fisheries with $2800 in Conservation Funds and an additional $1500 in Department funds for the purchase of a bead filter. This filter enhances a hatchery’s ability to produce bigger fish by pumping water through a dense bed of small plastic beads to mechanically filter suspended sediments and debris. It also provides a large surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow that converts harmful ammonia and nitrite into less toxic nitrates through biological filtration. A UV light on

Potomac River Bassing in SEPTEMBER

the bead filter plumbing helps to sterilize water from harmful bacteria and microorganisms. The bead filter maintains adequate water quality to raise high densities of fish. Current bead filter expectations are for about 5,000 6-8 inch fish to be stocked this fall.

MD DNR Tidal Black Bass Manager Ryan Gary is optimistic that the bead filter will greatly improve the success of stocking. The Department seeks to stock over 30,000 bass across the state with 25-50% ending up in the Potomac River. These efforts and fish care standards for tournaments launched out of Maryland will allow Maryland fisheries to continue to maintain a high standard for resident and visiting bass anglers. The fee increases are likely to benefit anglers.

About the Author: Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fi shing guide & freelance writer. Potomac River reports: nationalbass. com. YouTube video channel NationalBassGuide

hard cover like wood and docks. White skirts and gold blades are best.

Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, bladed jigs and topwaters are fall fishing options.

Firetiger crankbaits that dive up to 6 feet are ways to fi nd moving fall fish. Cast on 10 pound test Gamma CoPoly line along cover and depth changes. Make sure hooks are sharp.

Spinnerbaits are great on 12 pound test Gamma EDGE fluorocarbon line, especially when water is stained, with cloudy skies, and some chop on the water. Make contact with grass remnants and

Bladed jigs are working on 12 pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon. Vary speeds. The clearer the water, try white, then craw patterns, and fi nally black/blue when water is really stained.

Topwater baits like poppers and walkers work best when water is clear and calm and with cloudy skies. Tie to 20 pound Gamma Torque braid. Vary speeds of retrieve and length of pauses.

September Dreamin’ and Dancin’ the Night Away

As you read this, I’ll likely be in celebration mode as it’s the birthday month. Yes—that’s right. I plan to celebrate the entire month. Not because I think I’m that special, but because at this stage of my life, I look for reasons to eat cake and light candles and kick my heels up. And actually, it’s my and XXL’s anniversary also so a double whammy. But hey—just because it’s not your birthday, anniversary or Arbor Day, don’t fret. September has you covered. September is a reason to celebrate in its own right. It’s a month of change—a month of new beginnings as we say goodbye to summer and the dog days of August and launch off into a new chapter. Perhaps it’s sending the kids off to high school or college. Or maybe it’s going back into the office after vacation or signing up for a new class. Whichever direction you’re headed, you get to step into it with a new attitude.

Since I was a kid, I’ve viewed September as the month of fresh starts and new beginnings. It was a chance to re-invent myself in some ways. After a summer of time away from school friends, I could emerge from my sand-crusted cocoon, spread my wings, and fly into the classroom with a whole new style and attitude. Of course, my classmates would notice how the summer had matured me and bestowed a beautiful glow upon my freckled cheeks. They’d notice how I carried myself differently—more like Brooke Shields and less like Pippi Longstocking. They’d notice how I’d discarded my Hong Kong Phooey lunch box in favor of a smart brown pleather number with a shoulder strap and matching thermos. They’d notice how my acne scars had faded and new beauty marks had appeared in their place.

You probably figured out by the Pippi Longstocking reference that I’m not a millennial. Although I know who Taylor Swift is—I couldn’t name three of her songs if you dangled a shopping spree to Comfort Zone Shoes as a prize. And for some reason I keep referring to Bunny Man Brewery as Bad Bunny even though I know Bad Bunny is a singer, but I think Bad Bunny is a better name for a brewery than a Cuban rapper. So, in other words, I am seasoned and wise—and getting wiser by the day.

As a matter of fact, I’ll be celebrating—God willing—my last year as a fifty-something. Yes— that’s right, when I have to check the box for my demographic, I’ll have to scroll down another notch. But you know what? I’m simultaneously okay with that and freaked out by it. I am generally okay with aging because I know it beats the alternative. I also know that it’s on me to take care of myself—like really take care of myself now because I’m entering the age of “you can’t keep procrastinating.” It’s go time or it’s no time. So that freaks me out a bit. When I think about how quickly the past decade has flown by, I get heart palpitations. It seems like just yesterday that I met my husband XXL and we were exchanging vows. My dad has been gone five years. How in God’s name has it been five years already? It seems like just yesterday we were sitting around my dining room table laughing because when I asked him how he liked his dinner, he replied, “It’s something to eat.”

When you’re younger, you have all the time in the world. As you age, you realize just how precious time is and you don’t want to waste a second of it. That’s why it’s important to rid yourself of energy

vampires and time sucks. I read something the other day that there’s now data available that most people in their lifetime will spend an average of twenty years looking at their phone screens. That is astonishing and sad. Think about what you could do with twenty years. Write a book? Book your own ERAS tour? Run twenty marathons?

The possibilities are endless.

I’ve written about this before (because I’m older and like to repeat myself), but for those of you who think January is the time for fresh starts, you’re wasting a valuable opportunity—not to mention wasting time. September is a fabulous time to set new resolutions and goals. Trying to shed a few pounds? Start in September! By the time the holidays roll around, you’ll already have the momentum and motivation to ‘just say no’ to that extra helping of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie being thrust upon you. When everyone else is dragging their over-indulged and under-exercised bodies to the gym in January, you’ll be there to greet them with kettle bells on. And let’s face it, no one is motivated to do much of anything in January beyond sleep, eat, shop after Christmas sales, and watch reruns of Dateline.

September is the month of chasing clouds away as we dance in the night and remember how the stars stole the night away…oh yeah, September. I adore you. And I’ll happily dance the night away as long as the night ends at 9:00 pm.

About the Author: Lori is a local writer, painter and pet lover who loves to share her experiences and expertise with our readers. She has been penning a column for the OTC for over 20 years. Please follow Lori online on Medium for more missives like this.

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I know that there are those of you die hard sun bunnies out there are lamenting the waning of summer but I am looking forward to my favorite season…sweaters, jeans, boots, sitting by a fi re feature with glass of red wine and pretty leaves. While most of my favorite things to do are geared more to a trip out to the country of up to the mountains, there are still a plethora of things to do here in the Harbor.

The free Movies on the Potomac series continues every Thursday and Sunday through September. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets for seating. The event takes place on the Plaza Screen at

150 National Plaza. Since it's an outdoor event, the movie schedule is subject to change or cancellation due to weather. Updates are usually posted on National Harbor's social media pages.

Thursdays (Date Night) at 7 p.m.

4th – Lion

11th - Police Academy 2

18th - Selena

Sundays (Family Night) at 6 p.m.

7th - A Minecraft Movie

14th - The Garfield Movie

28th - Dora and the Lost City of Gold

The Harbor’s Summer Sound Concert Series at Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar ends on the 5th and the Salute the Sunset Concert Series winds

down with their free concerts by our military bands on Saturday evenings.

The September lineup below:

6th - Navy Band Country Current.

13th - Navy Band Latin Ensemble.

19th - Air Force Band - Air Force Birthday Concert.

The Capital Wheel has some great promotions going on this month. They are offering a teacher “Back to School” special by letting teaches who provide valid ID at the ticket booth to ride free on Saturdays throughout September. Sharpen your pencils, pack up your teacher friends, family – or make it a date night, and take a well-deserved recess in the sky. No homework, no pop quizzes — just pure, top-of-the-class fun. To honor the memory of 9/11, all fi rst responders and active/retired military personnel ride for free on the 11th. A valid ID is required and the offer is available at the ticket booth only.

Football on the Plaza is back! You can catch NCAA and NFL games broadcast on the Plaza screen. Check the Harbor website for the weekly schedule and grab your lawn chairs and head toward the water.

National Harbor’s popular Burger Week is back on September 14th through September 20th with a wide array of special deals and special burgers

offered by a dozen dining establishments throughout the property. National Harbor will donate one dollar of every designated burger purchase to the Alzheimer’s Association up to $1,000. The week culminates with The Walk to End Alzheimer’s on the 20th

More about the Alzheimer’s Association: The Association holds more than 600 walks nationwide. Anyone interested is encouraged to start a team and/ or donate for the Prince George’s County Walk. There are two routes—one is one mile long, the other is 2.7 miles long. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 20 with a 9:30 a.m. ceremony and then the walks kick off at 10 a.m. All participants are asked to register either in advance (online) or on site. Proceeds raised are used to further the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer's Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Guests are encouraged to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day which falls on September 18th. Some stand out cheeseburgers can be found at SUCCOTASH with their Pimento Cheese Burger; Irish Whisper’s Pub Burger, or sNash Burger from fast casual Crimson Coward

“Prince George’s County has one of the highest rates of Alzheimer’s, so this is an important local cause that we are trying to assist,” said Deborah Topcik, Sr. Director of Marketing for National Harbor. Grabbing a burger from one of the participating restaurants is an easy way to give back,” added Topcik.

“We’ve had one of our Walk to End Alzheimer’s at National Harbor for over 10 years. It’s a beautiful location where people can gather for support and raise funds” said Kate Rooper, regional vice president- DC, MD, & VA and National Capital Area Chapter president & CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Burger Week is part of National Harbor’s FestiFall that includes a wide array of events and activities to celebrate fall. For more information, go to nationalharbor.com/festifall

For a list of Burger Week participants, go to www.nationalharbor.com/ events/annual-events/burger-week/ Obviously, there are other happenings taking place that didn’t get mentioned here so, you know the drill…let Google search the websites or check out each entities social media pages.

The Pub Burger at Irish Whisper