Pasture Talk
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P. O. Box 11816 Blacksburg, VA 24062 o: 540-961-2015 nrvmagazine@msn.com www.nrvmagazine.com
PUBLISHER Country Media, Inc. Phillip Vaught MANAGING EDITOR Joanne Anderson ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Sabrina Sexton ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kim Walsh DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dennis Shelor WRITERS Joanne Anderson Karl Kazaks Krisha Chachra Emily Alberts Jennifer Cooper Becky Hepler Melody Warnick Nancy Moseley PHOTOGRAPHERS Kristie Lea Photography Kevin Riley Always and Forever Photography Tom Wallace Silver Pebble Photography Nathan Cooke, CBM © 2020 Country Media, Inc. Country Media, Inc. will not knowingly publish any advertisement that is illegal or misleading to its readers. Neither the advertiser nor Country Media, Inc. will be responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors. The publisher assumes no financial liability for copy omissions by Country Media, Inc. other than the cost of the space occupied by the error. Corrections or cancellations to be made by an advertiser shall be received no later than 5 p.m. the 20th of each publishing month. No claim shall be allowed for errors not affecting the value of the advertisement. Paid advertising does not represent an endorsement by this publication. Content cannot be reproduced without written consent from Country Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Real Estate advertised in this publication is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968.
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Every day I walk in the woods with Patton [inset photo] and watch the unfolding of spring before my eyes. Some buds take their time to grow, and others seem to flourish overnight. Tree bark caught my attention one day, so I’m taking along the National Audubon Society’s “Field Guide to Trees”. The leaves aren’t out yet, so I’m learning trees by the bark. I often consult their other guides on wildflowers, birds, reptiles & amphibians, mammals, insects & spiders, and the night sky. My animal tracks book is a Peterson Field Guide. All those books are in my kitchen, and there are more. I don’t have the ones on mushrooms or fossils and other things I don’t see often. If you’re in need of a gift idea for someone of any age, these are entertaining and educational with great photos for under $20. Challenge yourself, your kids and grandkids to learn 20 flowers or trees or insects or constellations. I’m going for 20 trees that I can recognize with certainty by the bark. This is the second year we have included an Education theme in MarchApril, also still our Home Improvement issue. To make it extra interesting, we chose to look at SOL testing and homework, plus agriculture appreciation. I’ve chosen four questions from the 1895 8th grade test in Kansas for fun. The entire test is here:
• What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods? • Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each. • Give nine rules for capital letters. • Find the interest on $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent. At the recommendation of two friends, I started reading books by Bill Bryson like “A Walk in the Woods” and “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid”. I think I would be a better writer if I had read these earlier. To be a good writer, one needs to be a good reader. To be good at anything, it’s wise to look around and see what others are doing. Study successful people or businesses in your field of interest. As an armchair traveler, I’m enamored with “Visions of Italy” and “Visions of Britain” (including Ireland, Scotland and Wales), checked out from the Blacksburg public library. These are stunning aerial tours with classical and other music, informative commentary, gorgeous views and hours of wonderful entertainment. Speaking of looking at what others do, I read several magazine editor’s letters. Most of them, I find, they talk about what’s in the pages of the current issue and how great it is. I figure you are holding the magazine. You can find out what’s inside and how great it is all by yourself. Happy Spring!
http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/ dictionary/8thgradeexam.htm M a r - A p r 2 0 2 0
Joanne Anderson ManagingEditor jmawriter@aol.com
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