Author Archives: Jeff Nichols

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About Jeff Nichols

I am an avid outdoorsman, writer and photographer. As a Veteran I served as a Journalist in the U.S. Navy, active, reserve, contractor and government service working in the Public Affairs community. I have been published in many trade magazines, as well as the Western Shooting Journal and Alabama Outdoors Online.

My One And Only Post About Politics!

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So, the world’s eyes on the American election system and everyone seems to be divided. Everyone has their own views and give advice freely to who they think would be a better candidate for them. But ultimately, it comes down to the individual, and what they see in a candidate. I myself, post on Facebook and Twitter as to who I support, I put facts as I see them to share with others who may or may not agree with me. But the golden rule that I live by, is not to actually tell anyone who to vote for specifically. Since those who know me, already knows who I am going to vote for. My posts put out information to cause people to discuss facts, rumors and issues. What really strikes me, is the number of online reporters who are so bias that they should be working at one of the candidate’s campaign office. You see headlines that are so blatantly one-way that you have to wonder if those reporters actually went to journalism school. On the other hand, you have to wonder how their editors got their jobs.

Just like all American’s, those reporters have their choice, their opinions and can choose who they want to win an election, but I am so amazed at the articles day-to-day who don’t use facts or they cut a quote to make it fit their agenda.

The American press is the strongest in the world and what people from across the globe read about us from papers and tv news they take as the whole truth. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could actually go on YahooNews and actually read an article that puts the issues in a story and then has side-by-side facts?

But that doesn’t sell advertising, it doesn’t sell papers or get you to watch their shows, it is too boring. People love hearing about the conflicts, the ugly side, the fights and the controversies that are out there.

The greatest power that any person has, is the power to elect the person who will serve their country the best, the one who will (in your mind) do the things they say they will do. If you fail to vote, then you have no right to complain, although we have freedom of speech in the USA, it doesn’t help your case to complain about who was elected if you did not take part in the election yourself. Often, I will hear someone say “Man, that guy has really ran the country into the ground, how did he get elected?” and my response to them is, “Did you vote in the last election?”  If they did vote, then we have a discussion, if they didn’t vote, I just shut the conversation down, after I tell them that it is ignorant for them to complain when they did not actually go to the polling place and put in their choice and that if they don’t like things the way they are, to register and vote the next time!

Freedom of speech yes, but when you allow your non-vote to elect the person you don’t want, I blame them personally.

The whole point to this post is two-fold:

1. Don’t listen to just one person, do the research yourself and make the decision through looking at the facts. Disregard news that does not attempt to show both sides equally, because they are not going to give you a true view of the candidates. They will make their choice look like Superman and the other look like Lex Luthor.

2. Get out and vote. register, show your ID (no excuse for not having an ID), and don’t let yourself be pressured into voting any other way than the way you want to vote.

The greatest power of all individual American’s, is to change who is in office with your vote if you feel they have not done their job!

Mountain State Proud: The Reason West Virginia Rarely Makes National News.

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I just finished reading a post and all the comments that several friends, my sister and I had written on FaceBook about my hometown, Sistersville. It began when I made the comment about how proud I am to be from West Virginia.

“You know, when I saw the news for the past week about the storms that hit from the great lakes to the east coast, I wonder why the emphasis on Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia was what was in the national news, and only a few mentions of West Virginia. Then I answered my own question, West Virginians are a tough group of people, when something happens there, they don’t go begging for help, they roll up their sleeves, fix what needs fixing and then help their neighbors. They don’t wait for FEMA to get there and they definitely don’t expect help from Washington. This is what makes me so proud of the great state of West Virginia. I have traveled a lot in my life and have lived in many different places, but there is only one place I can honestly say that I was proud to live, and that is West Virginia!”

I was concerned about why the national media would not mention much about WV, but then realized the people there might not have let them in (there was a rimshot there, it was a joke! Ha!). But in all seriousness, West Virginians are probably the most resilient, toughest, yet generous people I have ever known.

Since the storms hit, I have been texting, emailing and calling home, seeing how things were going. A lot of people were telling me, “they have the electric in New Martinsville,” or “the crews are just down the road, we should have electric in a couple hours.” But not once I did I hear anyone complain about anything except maybe how hot it was.  As I read on FaceBook from other posts that were trying to find out how their family members were doing, it was amazing to me how many people would take the time to answer a post with “I am going to be out toward your family’s place, I will check on them for you,” and still others that would post that they had water and ice for those who needed it. To top off the generosity of the people back home, was no matter how much was going on, they would take the time to walk outside and offer water to the crews who worked tirelessly on restoring power to the state.

What I have been talking about, has been just one area of West Virginia, but I can say that the whole state is like this. I mentioned to someone the other day how they should look at people from West Virginia,

“There is no place in the country, let alone the world that has more people that would give the shirt off their backs to help out others, but don’t talk down to them, because the same kindness can turn to a fast butt whoopin by the same people.”

It is funny when you mention West Virginia in another part of the country, they often reply, “Is that the western part of Virginia?” Then when you try to explain that West Virginia is a real state of its own, you get the “Are you kidding me,” and the not so nice jokes that most of us just laugh along with. I mention this because, to most people, West Virginia is a small state, with coal mines, mountains and bad roads, but to people like me, West Virginia is where I want to be, and I long for those “Country Roads, Take Me Home!”

*Note: When I speak of West Virginia in this post, I am also including the entire Ohio Valley, because basically, we are all pretty much the same from there!

Scrambled Eggs: Not The Way Your Mom Made Them

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Being a bachelor and out on my own since I was 18 years old has taught me a few things about cooking. One thing was, that you can’t fix a huge meal for one person. You have to know your limitations. Another thing I learned, was how to cook. In cooking for myself, I began to throw somethings together and found that sometimes, it is how you prepare will enhance how it tastes (or at least in my mind). So, today, I decided to share how I make my scrambled eggs. When you read this post and hopefully try this, I ask that you come back and comment and rate this post. I want to know what everyone thinks.

Ok, to begin with, it doesn’t matter what you cook in, but I prefer a flat hotplate. It makes it easier to use your spatula. The second thing that I would suggest is that you cook your bacon on the hotplate first, leaving the bacon grease. You can use oil, or butter or whatever you want, I just prefer bacon grease for the taste.

1. Chop up some green onions, mushrooms, hot peppers (and any other ingredient that you like) and put it on one side of the hotplate. Then I crack eggs, and put them on the other side, without busting the yoke.

 

 

2. Cook the eggs (sunnyside up) until they are almost done. Making sure that the clear parts of the eggs turn white. Then take the vegtables and put them on top of the eggs and cook for about 1-2 minutes more.

 

 

3. I then chop the eggs and vegtables together (do not stir) making sure not to burn the bottom.

 

4. Personally, I love cheese on everything, so I take shredded cheese (cheese slices work well too) and add it to the eggs and cook for about one minute longer to allow the cheese to begin to melt. This helps keep everything together too.

 

 

 

5. Once your cheese has melted, it is done. Put it on your plate, along with the bacon and toast and you have a great tasting breakfast with a different texture. Enjoy!

 

 

I will be posting more recipes, some handed down, some I made up, but all easy to make! Again, please let me know what you think of this by commenting/rating this post. I am interested in how it turned out for you.

Jeff

The Internet Conversation!

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A few years ago, I was pretty new to the internet and chatting, so I decided to go into a chatroom. What happened next was a real eye-opener to me. I was (at the time) under the impression that people were honest about who they were and what they did, what I found out was not exactly what I expected. So, for fun (with a little truth) I wrote the conversation between a woman and a man below. The text in parenthesis and bold is the true statement. It was meant to be funny, so enjoy, and laugh.

Internet conversation…

Woman: hi, my name is luscious (agnes) I am 24 yrs old (50). I am very fit and sexy (Droopy and pimply). I am single (married) and have no children (4 kids). I look like Shania Twain (Janet Napolitano) and the photo proves we could be twins. I don’t like cybersex (unless you ask me to) and I have a great job and make lots of money (unemployed and take donations from guys online). I am a keeper (at the institution)

Man: hi, my name is Rock (Morey) I work for the government (getting an unemployment check). I am not married (married for 20 yrs) and I have no kids (6 kids, 3 different women). I am 45 yrs old (that’s true) and I am 6 feet 1 inch tall (5’4″) and weigh 200 pounds (125). I look sort of like Charles Atlas (before he started working out). I am looking for a relationship (cybersex) where we can get to know each other better (cybersex) and maybe we can meet someday (and have real sex). I have been told that I am a nice guy (uses women) and that I am very much sought after (by the law). You can trust me (don’t give me your address) . My last relationship went very well, but because I had to move (to jail for stalking) we lost contact (she changed her number). All in all, I think I am a very good catch (there was a large reward for my capture).

Feeding fancy

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I sure miss my horse Fancy, she was very smart. So I thought I would share this short video of her. Enjoy!

Quality vs Content

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Not always will you have a quality camera to get crisp HD videos or photos. Case in point:
I was fishing a few years ago, and hooked a bass. as I pulled the fish to the bank, I heard something. I looked down below where I had just pulled the fish from the water, and saw this big snake had grabbed this very big frog. I quickly released the fish, and pulled out my cell phone and began to record what was going on. You are only seeing a little over a minute of the action and it was a little late and the struggle went on for over two hours and into the night. So I could not get the whole thing recorded. I even did the editing on Windows Movie Maker.
This is just to make a point that not always will you have everything you need when the need arises. Sometimes you just have to go with it and get the best footage you can. And if you are lucky, you get something like this!

Nature Photography: As Close As Your Back Yard

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So, you like nature, you like photography but you don’t have time or money to get out in the wilderness to try and capture the beauty of nature in photos. Well, nature is everywhere, in your garden, around your house and pretty much anywhere you are. The key to photographing nature is to always have your camera ready. It doesn’t have to be an expensive camera, a point and click will work in most cases, but the more you get into it, the more detail you want to capture, might prompt you into investing a little money to buy a better quality camera. Still, the most important part of nature photography is not the quality of camera you are using, but watching out for that right moment to take a photo.

I am not going to go into what kind of camera’s to use, or how much money you should spend, that is up to the individual. Instead, I am going to tell you what to look for around your home so that you can get some really cool photos.

I live on 1.5 acres of land in a rural area, so it gives me the opportunity to have room to be able to walk around and look for nature close by. Take for instance, your garden. There is no better place on earth to take photos of some of the most colorful and raw nature there is. From the garden spider to the tomato worm, you can get breathtaking beauty as well as raw nature by setting up in your garden and taking photos.

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The garden spider will put a web between plants and catch insects that are harmful to your garden for food, so it is a win-win for everyone.

Sometimes you need to catch an insect and throw in the web to get some action when you want it, but when you do, make sure you are ready, because it happens fast!

The tomato worm on the other hand, eats your tomato plants, but the color and beauty of this insect will amaze you and you will find yourself snapping photos instead of worrying about your plants. Image

If you have a large yard, then you probably have a grass clipping pile. This is a great place to get photos of all types of creatures. As I was mowing one day, I passed my grass pile and there was a very large broad-head skink.Image

The color and size caught my eye, so without scaring it, I shut off the mower and grabbed the camera.

Anyone who lives in the country has most likely seen a killdeer in their yard. The ImageKilldeer in the photo had decided to lay eggs in my driveway (in the warm gravel). The great thing about killdeer is, that if you approach the eggs, the bird will try to lure you off by acting like it has a broken wing and can’t fly.

It will get you as far away from the eggs until it feels it is far enough and then it will quit acting. It will continue to do this until you leave the eggs alone. The killdeer always gives great photo-ops.

Even if you are not near water, you never know who will visit your porch.

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 There is also another way to capture nature on film though you don’t actually take the photos yourself it is fun to see what comes around your home when you are not looking. Now mind you, I set up a trail camera aimed at a deer feeder. Expecting deer of course, ImageI was pleased when photo I got was unique in the fact that it was two does (female deer) sparring in the early fall. It is not every day that even hunters see action like this.

The only time you want to actually have a good quality camera is when you try to get photos of the sky at night. When the super moon comes in the early spring, it can provide you with a great opportunity to get some great shots (weather permitting of course).

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But taking photos of a full moon is much different than taking photos during the day, especially with digital cameras. The great thing about the super moon is that it really doesn’t move much and gives you plenty of time to get your camera to the correct settings to get some great photos. I used a Nikon D100 with a 70mm to 300mm lens to get this photo.

Last but not least, the best subject to photograph around your house is your own pets. You never know when they will do something crazy or give you a great pose that defines their character. Buddy, my chocolate lab decided he would channel Elvis as he looked in the kitchen window.Image Pets are always doing something and even though they don’t always sit still for photos, the best thing to do is have your camera ready.

So there you have it, this is what I look for when I don’t want to drive 20 miles to the state forest to look for nature. It is out there, within steps of your house, all you have to do is be ready and look for it. One other thing, and probably the most important thing is, take a lot of photos. You never know when one of the photos will be an award winner and since digital photography came along, you don’t have to wait to develop.

Enjoy nature, it is all around!

Like my FaceBook photo page at Nichols’ Photos

A Taste of Heaven: Mister Bee Potato Chips.

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If you are from West Virginia everyone has their own reason for going home, family, holidays, Alumni and Mister Bee Potato Chips. I know that sounds funny, but if you are within 200 miles of Parkersburg, you probably know what I mean. You know the old slogan “200 Miles Fresher,” well I can attest in my case it is 600 miles fresher!

Mister Bee has been in continuous operation since 1951 minus a small hiccup in the past couple of years the company is back in operation and in my opinion, better than ever. You see, growing up, there was always a bag of Mister Bee chips in my house, for times when we had burgers, hotdogs or just as a snack. You could not go to a ball field in the local area without seeing the chips being sold there. Mister Bee was without a doubt the best in the state.

Fast forward to now…

When I left home several years ago, before the internet took off I had no idea you could order them online, but in 2006 I had the bright idea to look online to see if they were there and to my delight, they were. I ordered a three pound bag immediately and when they arrived to my door, I devoured them (it took a few days, I promise). A couple of years ago, the economy got in the way of production like it had for so many small businesses and Mister Bee’s future didn’t look bright. Many of my friends and I discussed how we missed being able to go home to get some chips, or order them online, it was truly sad. Mister Bee, being resilient, hired Christie Mallett as the president of the company and now it is back to doing what it has done the best for many years, putting smiles on the faces of those who loved them! Just to tell you how good they really are, on June 3 I left West Virginia with two 1-pound bags of original chips. By Tuesday evening June 5, they were gone. yes, they are that good!

Mister Bee has several different types of chips and even some new products:

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  • Original
  • Sour Cream and Onion
  • Barbeque
  • Dip style
  • No Salt
  • Tortilla
  • Cheese Curls
  • Salsa

Now I can say from all of the places I have been around the world that Mister Bee Potato Chips are the best I have ever had anywhere. I challenge anyone who reads this, no matter where you are, order some and then tell everyone about how good they are. I promise, you won’t be sorry.

You can visit Mister Bee on FaceBook and order them online here.

Enjoy!

Sports After 40!

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The number 40 is not a scarey number, until it becomes your age. Your mind is still in its 20s, and it tells you “Yes you can,” but your body says, “no you can’t!” As you get older your body just can’t keep up like it used to, even those of you who are in shape. Have you ever bent over to pick up something and felt a pull in your back? I have, and it is no fun. But don’t let that stop you from doing what you love to do, or compete with the youngsters. You may not be as fast as you once was, you may not have the arm anymore, but you can still get out and show everyone and yourself that you can play.

The most important thing you can do is stretch out before you begin any kind of excersise, game or playing with your kids. Whether you are bowling, playing golf or softball, it takes only a few minutes to stretch out and that will save you days of pain.

I will use myself as an example. A few weeks ago I joined a softball league after not playing for over 10 years. I was a bit cocky, since back in the day I was pretty good. As it would happen, I didn’t properly stretch out before the second game and I paid for it. I stepped up to bat, and hit a screamer (insert sarcasm) to the shortstop. As I started toward first base, pushing my 230 pound butt as fast as I could, I beat out the throw and was safe at first. But as I stepped on the bag, I not just pulled one muscle, but one in each leg. Thankfully, we did not have another game for several days and using Icey Hot, heating pad and the whirlpool bath I was able to heal. But I paid for my mistake.

Since then, I have made sure that I arrive at the field about 45 minutes before each game and take my time stretching out so that I won’t pull anything again. Below, I am going to give you a short checklist to go by that works for me. It is general and practicall all atheletes do this before they compete.

As I said, get to the field, course, gym or anywhere you are going to play 30 to 45 minutes early. For all the stretching exercising do NOT bounce!

  1. Stand with your feet together bending slowly at the waist trying to touch your toes, going as far as you can go and hold it for 10 seconds.
  2. While still standing, spread your legs apart and bend at the waist trying to touch the ground between your legs. Hold it for 10 seconds.
  3. Sit on the ground with your legs straight together in front of you. Bend at the waist and try to touch your toes. Go as far as you can and hold it for 10 seconds.
  4. Spread your legs apart and again, bend at the waist touching the ground between your legs. Then try to touch each toe while legs are spread.
  5. Pull your feet up and put the bottoms of your feet together. Grab ahold of your feet with your hands and put your forearms against your knees, pushing outward. This will stretch out your groin.
  6. Stand up and begin to do a few sprints, stretching your legs out. You don’t have to run fast, just enough that it will help loosen you up.

These six tips will make the difference between having an enjoyable game or hurting yourself and missing several games. We all think we are superstars, we want to show off for the ladies in the stands, we love to hear the fans cheer, and we want our “Glory Days” back. We may not have the speed, or the arm we once had, but we can still have a great time and get in better shape all at the same time. Since the beginning of the season, I have lost 10 pounds. Oh, and winning helps too!

After seeing the dove sitting on the ground, I got my camera ready and walked toward it until it began to fly.

My first attempt at blogging.

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After attending the WVU Integrated Marketing Communication’s (IMC) INTEGRATE 2012 on campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, I listened to several marketing/communication professionals and university instructors on how to communicate in the new age of computers and social media. One such professional (and instructor) Mark Schaefer said that to keep up, you need to be out there. By being out there, he meant that you should get a Twitter account, get on Pinterest, and start a blog. The more sessions I attended there, the more I thought, “Yeah, I can do that.” So I opened an account on WordPress and decided to give it a shot. After setting things up, I then came to the realization that I talk alot, but I don’t say much and I started wracking my brain to think of a topic to come up with. I am good at nature photography, but did I have enough to keep a blog going? I love to talk politics, but do I want to get worked up and cause arguments all of the time? I love the outdoors, hunting and fishing, do I make more time to get out into the woods? Sports? The Steelers and Mountaineer football team only play in the fall. I could not pinpoint one thing to talk about.
Then it hit me. I will do it all, as it happens. I get out and take some photos, I blog about it, I get into the woods, I blog about it. I watch my favorite football teams, of course I blog about it.
I may never get rich off of blogging, I may not get anybody to read my blogs, but it will be a great way to talk about the things I like to do and if anyone is interested then maybe we all can learn something. I am going to give it a shot, and hope that it works. So, tell me what you think, and I will do my best to make my topics as interesting as I can.
Oh, by the way, I will share a cool photo or video of the day/week. The photo for today is one that I took in 2004 when I was living in Montana and visited a bear park. This grizzlie bear was only four years old and already weighed in at 700 pounds.
Enjoy!

Near Glacier National Park in NW Montana, this four year old, 700 pound Grizzlie was staring me down as I drove around a bear park taking photos.