STRASBURG – Six Strasburg homes will be on display during the 2019 Strasburg Holiday Heritage Homes Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Add the rich flavor of caramel to your dessert table with a recipe like this No Bake Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake for a tempting, tasty treat.

When family and friends come together in celebration of the holiday season, tasty treats are a must-have for the festivities. You can also celebrate the season of giving with a special giveaway at the end of your gathering to show your gratitude to loved ones.

A cheese board, plate or course can be a delightful way to savor the season with family and friends, bringing together a medley of tastes and textures.

Holiday celebrations call for recipes of all kinds, but perhaps the most popular area at many parties is the dessert table.

My wife and I adopted our first pet while still in college. Herman, a tabby cat, lived for almost 20 years.

FRONT ROYAL – Nibbles, a 2-year-old pony, is up for adoption.

Great books make great gifts. Here are some titles worthy of consideration for nature-loving family and friends on your holiday gift list.

EDINBURG – Bella, a 2-year-old domestic short hair, is available for adoption.

Christmas tree farms offer people the chance to pick, cut and take home their own tree for the holiday.

TOMS BROOK — Now that potted plants are inside and the earth is starting to freeze, the gardeners in families are getting antsy to get their hands back in the dirt. Although winter weather isn’t conducive to work in the garden, a bevy of gifts to prepare gardeners for spring is at their fingertips.

Giving the gift of fitness this holiday season can help jump-start those New Year’s resolutions.

Several Shenandoah County businesses are ready for the kids this Christmas season.

Thanksgiving is almost here, so let’s talk turkey. Anyone who has ever tried to get a good look at a wild turkey knows they have incredible eyesight. One moment you’re looking at a big bird; then you blink your eyes, and it’s gone. You swear you didn’t move a muscle, but obviously you did.

The 220th anniversary of George Washington’s death will be on Dec. 14, and local historian Larry Johnson hopes to use the occasion to bring the former president, war general and revered surveyor’s stories to life for area children.

WINCHESTER – Mia, a 1-year-old Plott hound, is up for adoption.

According to data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, hunting is fading as a recreational activity. In 1980 Americans bought 16.3 million hunting licenses. By 2018 that number had dropped to 15.6 million.

WINCHESTER — Cookie, a 4-year-old domestic shorthair, is up for adoption.

Leading a busy lifestyle doesn’t always leave time for spending hours in the kitchen, and these Mystic Mini Turkey Loaves can be made in advance and frozen for later use.

As chilly weather sets in and days get shorter, comfort food favorites once again fill menus. While traditional flavor combinations typically hold a special place in many families’ hearts and on their plates, there is almost always room to add new and exciting flavors to tried-and-true favorites.

November. Each day the sun rises a few minutes later and sets a few minutes earlier. Days grow chilly. Nightly frosts become the rule. It's just a matter of time until the first snow falls. Yes, it's November.

FRONT ROYAL — Hazel, an 8-year-old pitbull mix, is available for adoption.

Back in 1976, a Canadian ornithologist named Erica Dunn established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey through Canada’s Long Point Bird Observatory. After a successful 10-year run with more than 500 participants, it became apparent that only a continental survey could accurately monitor large-sc…

STRASBURG — The Strasburg Emporium makes Christmas shopping easy with its more than 90 vendors and a million items for sale within the 55,000-square-foot building.

Looking for some homegrown gifts for your loved ones this Christmas?

EDINBURG – Godiva, a 6-month-old domestic short hair, is up for adoption.

In 1974, Jim Stafford co-wrote and recorded a popular song called, “Spiders and Snakes.” At least part of its appeal was Mary Lou’s line, “I don’t like spiders and snakes…” because so many people shared her feelings.

WINCHESTER – Monarch, a 1-year-old domestic short hair, is up for adoption.

If you live in deer country, you know that autumn can be a dangerous season to be on the road. It’s when deer-vehicle collisions peak. In many areas, it’s not if you hit a deer, it’s when.

FRONT ROYAL — Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. William Lee Hammack recently wondered why he bought Guard Hill House in 1994. A longtime lover of history, he said that likely influenced him.

Fill your house with the aroma of fall with warm slices of this Pumpkin Loaf dolloped with butter.

According to statistics from the Fish & Wildlife Service, hunters purchased 11.5 million hunting licenses in 2016. Of those, about 80% (approximately nine million) were for big game species, mostly deer. As a result, hunters spent more than $25 billion to finance their activities.

FRONT ROYAL – A local clinic is offering a new treatment to help older adults combat peripheral neuropathy.

FLINT HILL – Mary Pat Corrigan, the owner of Blue Moon Wellness in Flint Hill, has been training her dog Tara for close to three years to be a canine athlete.

If fall temperatures arrive this weekend as predicted, it will feel like it’s time to fill the backyard bird feeders. Colder morning temperatures send hungry birds to well-stocked feeders. Here are some tips to help make any backyard feeding station a success.

WINCHESTER – Izzy, a 8-year-old American bulldog-lab mix, is up for adoption.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve written dozens of columns about feeding backyard birds. Based on my experiences, I’ve recommended specific foods (black-oil sunflower seeds, peanuts and mealworms) and specific feeders (tubes, hanging bowls and suet baskets).

One of the benefits of writing this column is that readers let me know when they observe unusual, unpredictable natural phenomena. For instance, when a brood of 17-year periodic cicadas emerges, I hear about it on day one.

WINCHESTER – Chrissy, an 11-year-old domestic short hair, is up for adoption.

On Sept. 5, 1975, CBS aired a documentary titled “The Guns of Autumn.” It was a controversial anti-hunting program. A few weeks later, CBS aired Echoes of the Guns of Autumn, a more even-handed follow-up to the subject. As autumn approaches 44 years later, let’s revisit the subject.

WOODSTOCK – Some area wedding businesses want to make planning the wedding menu as tasty, stress-free and special as possible.

Area jewelry businesses have been offering their expertise for decades to grooms and brides with selections to meet most any style.

WINCHESTER – Cook, a 6-year-old hound mix, is available for adoption.

One of my first childhood memories is getting ready for a bath and finding a 2-inch long “thousand-legger” in the tub. My reaction was to catch it and put it in a jar, but mom always grabbed some tissue paper, squished it, and flushed it down the toilet.

FRONT ROYAL -- Esmeralda, a 1-year-old domestic short hair, is up for adoption.

Now that summer is winding down and temperatures have begun to moderate, it’s a joy to sleep with a cool, gentle breeze wafting through open windows. The sounds of nature make a perfect lullaby.