A can of pepper may seem like nothing special to you and to be honest, in most cases, I would feel the same way. It's only ever been really important to notice a can of pepper when the can you currently have, is going empty on you.
You add it to your shopping list and use it sparingly until the next trip to the store gets closer. Here, the trips to the store are few and far between so I try to buy a new can of pepper when my current one starts to feel just a bit light. There's always room in the cupboard for that small can of pepper.
In this posting, the can of pepper tells a story. It's a story from the heart and you may even consider it to be somewhat sappy. Bear with me - with writer's block being over, this is one of those thoughts that won't leave my head until its been written about so it appears I've no choice but to let it out.
So grab some tissues and read along... I needed a couple of them myself :)
Why is this can different? Because it came from my mom's apartment. I elected myself to be the one who sorted through all the odds and ends of things remaining when she passed and found this to be many things all at once; sad, happy, thought-provoking, cleansing, fullfulling and mostly a pleasure.
After all, this was my mom's stuff. She kept it for a reason and even though those reasons were unbeknownst to me, it was still important that attention be paid and in doing so, I learned more than I ever knew about her and found some new memories of her to keep with me forever.
My mom loved paperwork apparently. There was enough paperwork to fill many lawn size garbage bags and even a couple bags for shredding. She kept things like prescription bags with the receipts still stapled to them. They dated back into the 1970s. They were very well organized. She wouldn't have had it any other way.
She kept our report cards. Not every single one but close! She kept our shot records - every single one. She kept bank statements and cancelled checks in order by month, with each month in a separate folder. At year's end, she took the folders and put a big, fat rubber band around each month and kept that year together. For many, many years...
She kept receipts for everything she bought. Pretty sure everything... it seemed like it. She kept her credit card statements and written on every one of them, in her beautiful left-handed script, was the date she paid it and by which means. It's her handwriting that stays in my mind. Typically left-handed folks have odd looking penmanship. Not my mom. Hers truly was beautiful. It flowed, it was graceful and it was perfect. She wouldn't have it any other way. Reminds me of her :)
There were books and pictures and what-nots. There were decorations for Christmas, Easter and Halloween. There were old bowls that have been handed down through the family and there were clothes, baskets, candles and records. The records she played on her record player. We didn't care much for them when we were little but what I wouldn't give nowadays to see the pleasure in her eyes while she listened to them. Like I said, I brought home memories :)
Mom was a great cook. I wish I had paid more attention back then. She could make dinner for six with a couple cans and a pack of meat. Neccy has that knack, I don't. I don't know if Davey and Dougy do but I hope so. She made fried chicken, country fried steak (on the rare occassion we could afford it!), pot roast, broiled fish (that I've never been able to duplicate), homemade drop biscuits, mashed potatoes (the best in the world - for real!), and all sorts of other great meals. How she fed us all on the slim budget she had still amazes me.
Her cookware was nothing special or fancy. She had the same stuff forever. It was seasoned, it was scratched, it was stained and it was chipped. But it didn't matter. She cooked with it without complaint and never even thought to replace any of it. It worked. Why fix it if it ain't broken...?
It was hard to let that stuff go. I kept some and gave some to whoever wanted it because there was just too much for me to take it all. Besides, that would have been greedy. As it turned out, a friend of mine was related to a 70 year old lady who had just lost everything she had in a home fire. Most of the pots and pans, dishes and glasses, bowls and cups and saucers went to this lady who lost everything. What are the chances of us having so much to give at the same time that someone else has lost all of it? We gave her the microwave and the little 4 cup coffee maker.
I made coffee for mom one day when she wasn't feeling well. I was over there making breakfast and cleaning the kitchen. It all goes hand in hand. I don't drink coffee so the process was new to me. I put the measured amount of coffee in that little paper filter and turned on the maker. I finished breakfast, cleaned up the dishes and mom very patiently asked if she could have that coffee I promised.
It never brewed. Hmmm??? I looked at the switch, which was on but other than that, I was clueless. Come to find out, you have to add water to the coffee maker! LOL She really got a kick out of that and even waited, with a little snicker on her face, for me to make another attempt. She got her coffee that day and she got a story to share and laugh about. I do funny things sometimes... not as often as she did nor were any of my things near as funny. That's how she was. More memories to take home with me just looking at that little coffee pot. I hope the lady who has it now enjoys it as we did that day!
I ended up with the old electric skillet. Neccy felt it was the right thing to do and if she ever needs to use it, she knows where it is. The skillet doesn't have its non-stick surface any longer but it does have its cover, the cutting board that came with it, the cord and the serving tray. There is sticky grease on the handles she held, scratch marks all over the cutting board from it being used for the Thanksgiving turkey and you can barely read the temperature on the cord. The tray looks brand new even though it too was used quite often. I remember it being piled high with ham slices, turkey pieces, vegetables from dad's garden and all sorts of other good things to eat. They made things to last way back when. I brought that memory home physically...makes me think of her everytime I look at it. I've yet to use it but when I do, that will be a whole new story.
When I cleaned out the cupboard where the seasonings were stored, I wanted to keep them all. I knew that wasn't the right thing to do so I shared them with the only other person I knew loved to cook like I do - Jack Davis. He was happy to have them and was talking about which ones he would use on what sort of food he was cooking. He already had plans for those seasonings.
Me? Well, I did pack myself a small box of things from the cupboard. Each of them were ones she used rarely but wouldn't be without. Things like whole cloves, anise seed, fennel seeds and ground cumin. You may not need them often but you don't want to have to go out and get them at the last minute. And I kept the pepper.
The pepper was opened but the tab had been broken so the pepper would just spill out if you weren't careful. She wrapped plastic wrap around it and used it like there was no problem. Someone else might have tossed the can but not mom. It held the pepper just fine. The plastic wrap kept it in the can. I couldn't leave without taking it. I was taking home a memory.
When I used the last of the pepper, I felt really weird. I couldn't throw away the can. It was just a silly can but her hands had touched it and I needed to touch something she touched. I'm sure the day will come when I'll be able to part with that can but for now, it's here with me to stay a while. Maybe that's what healing is about?
As hard as this was to write, and believe me, I had to walk away several times, I'm glad its out now. I feel like a story was told about my mom and her things. Some of them made her who she was. They sure made some great memories.
It would be a pleasure to me for people to think that of my things when I'm gone.
Rest in peace sweetest woman in the world. You have two of the sweetest men in the world with you now and I'm seriously jealous of that!
Love to all. Thanks for reading.
P.S. My eternal thanks to all those of you who were there to help with everything...
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Writer's Block Could Be Over...
If you like to write and you write as much as you can then you probably know what it feels like to get writer's block. I've never experienced it until July of 2012. Somehow losing my mom made me lose my urge to write. It's kind of like the reader who will read and read and read and then, for no reason, the reader might not read again for a couple months. I've had that happen.
Well, recently I've been feeling the urge to write coming back. I wake up at 4am, nothing new there, but running through my head are a million things I want to write down. Indeed there is so much that I can't keep it sorted out and my mind goes from one subject to the next before I can finish a complete thought. I figure this must mean I need to write it down so I can make room for more. Out with the old, in with the new sort of thing.
So for those of you who enjoy reading my posts, I suppose you'll be in for a treat for a while unless the evil writer's block comes back... boooooo!!
I recently entered the realm of facebook and I find that while it is nice to be in touch with everyone, it is also extremely high maintenance. I typically log on once or twice a day, depending on the weather, and in doing so I'll see that I have upwards of 30 something "comments," "likes," or shared things to my timeline (whatever that means!). It's all so confusing and sometimes I just have to let it go.
I do love seeing pictures of friends and family in other states and I'm especially fond of the chat option. It makes me laugh when people say funny things in their comments. That's about the extent of it. I'll keep going on so I can keep seeing everything everyone says but for now, the blog calls...so I must respond.
I've written about people and animals and I've written lots and lots about food. Part of this post will be about what I've been reading.
I've been reading a lot of magazines now that the weather keeps me indoors. One of them is called "MaryJane'sFarm" and I find it to be fairly interesting. Some articles are a little high-falutin for my tastes but other things are incredibly important to me. For one, she always has updates on what is in the food we eat or how the food we eat is grown. Those articles teach me so much about the way the government controls the ingredients, the labeling, or the lack thereof.
The government doesn't feel the need to require growers to label foods that are grown using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The seeds are modified to make vegetables grow faster, taller and provide more yield. Granted, I can see the growers standpoint. They make more money. But we EAT this stuff. It's not a natural vegetable after modifications have been made to it. Why modify a corn plant? The corn will grow and it will provide what it can based on the soil, the temperatures and the watering.
The biggest opponent of requiring labeling is Monsanto. They spend millions (literally) of dollars annually to prevent the labels from indicating a GMO was used. They are also the biggest seller of GMO seeds so it makes sense they would spend that kind of money, right? If the GMO seeds don't present any sort of health problem, why would Monsanto be so afraid to label them as such????? Again, we EAT this stuff.
There are small seed companies out there, you really have to look for them, who sell non-modified seeds. They are few and far between but wouldn't you agree they are worth the search just to know your food has not been strangely modified in some way? I'll get off my soapbox now :)
I like the magazine for that sort of information and also because it allows the readers to write on a variety of subject matters and then they publish what readers have sent in. Some of the people write the most beautiful stories. They keep them short, usually only one page, but they are so heartfelt! I like knowing that this magazine promotes the average person by publishing their works.
I've also been reading "Prevention" magazine. I'm not so impressed. I like the exercises they give and some of the articles are of interest to me but it seems to me their main goal is promoting their advertisers. I get it, that's how they make money. I just don't like being bombarded with ads, little cards that are perforated for you to pull out and the constant reference to websites. I'm not saying for you to skip "Prevention," I'm just saying it's not a favorite of mine.
The recipes sound interesting until I read all the ingredients. I find, for the most part, they include things that I just don't keep on hand. Things like Sesame Oil or Thai Chilies. Things like flax seed and panko breadcrumbs. I guess I'm a more down-to-earth type cook. Do you keep these things on hand?
Other than the magazines, these days, thanks to my sister-in-law, Gerry, and my dear friend, Sydna, I'm addicted to Pinterest and Etsy. I get lost in all there is to read about on these sites. My goodness, it's amazing what people are doing, selling, creating and sharing. I love Gerry's interior decor pictures on Pinterest. She has a classy but calm style with just a bit of country to make it feel homey. I love Sydna's flowers and I'm constantly wanting more of the overload the sites provide.
The sites distract me from the fact that I can't go plant or harvest something. I can't can any vegetables but I can read all about what other people have canned and make notes for the upcoming season. Tomatillo salsa is definitely on the list again. This time I think I'll grow my own!
As is typical of my writing, I tend to slip into the food conversation. It can't be helped. I found the recipe for the tomatillo salsa in an old canning book that belonged to Wally's grandma. I had everything except the tomatillos...it was then that I was wishing I had grown some but I knew a trip to the store was in short order. These little green veggies are pretty cheap at the store so I bought a bunch of them. It was a lot when I looked at them but when I started on the recipe I found I could have probably used twice what I bought.
I peeled them, chopped them, added them to the other ingredients and then poured the mixture into my jars. The amount I bought filled just 5 little pint jars. Everyone wanted a jar. Who knew it would be so good, so popular, so easy??? I hope it's just as good this year! I'll make a few batches now that I know what I need. lol
Well my seed packets have been gathered, I have some starter pots in the shed and bags of potting soil for the seeds that will start out in pots. I'm ready to garden but the weather is not ready to let me start. Indeed, the weather-person is calling for a wintry mix come Wednesday. That's really not good for planting lol!
We won't have it near as bad as the folks up north - thankfully - but we still won't have consistently nice weather days until spring so it's wait, wait, wait for now. Those of you in FL should have your gardens ready for planting this weekend. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash... all those veggies are good to go in FL weather. In fact, if you wait much longer, the heat will get to be too much for all but the peppers.
So go get your hands dirty and send me pictures of what you're growing! I can't wait to see your crop :)
Well, recently I've been feeling the urge to write coming back. I wake up at 4am, nothing new there, but running through my head are a million things I want to write down. Indeed there is so much that I can't keep it sorted out and my mind goes from one subject to the next before I can finish a complete thought. I figure this must mean I need to write it down so I can make room for more. Out with the old, in with the new sort of thing.
So for those of you who enjoy reading my posts, I suppose you'll be in for a treat for a while unless the evil writer's block comes back... boooooo!!
I recently entered the realm of facebook and I find that while it is nice to be in touch with everyone, it is also extremely high maintenance. I typically log on once or twice a day, depending on the weather, and in doing so I'll see that I have upwards of 30 something "comments," "likes," or shared things to my timeline (whatever that means!). It's all so confusing and sometimes I just have to let it go.
I do love seeing pictures of friends and family in other states and I'm especially fond of the chat option. It makes me laugh when people say funny things in their comments. That's about the extent of it. I'll keep going on so I can keep seeing everything everyone says but for now, the blog calls...so I must respond.
I've written about people and animals and I've written lots and lots about food. Part of this post will be about what I've been reading.
I've been reading a lot of magazines now that the weather keeps me indoors. One of them is called "MaryJane'sFarm" and I find it to be fairly interesting. Some articles are a little high-falutin for my tastes but other things are incredibly important to me. For one, she always has updates on what is in the food we eat or how the food we eat is grown. Those articles teach me so much about the way the government controls the ingredients, the labeling, or the lack thereof.
The government doesn't feel the need to require growers to label foods that are grown using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The seeds are modified to make vegetables grow faster, taller and provide more yield. Granted, I can see the growers standpoint. They make more money. But we EAT this stuff. It's not a natural vegetable after modifications have been made to it. Why modify a corn plant? The corn will grow and it will provide what it can based on the soil, the temperatures and the watering.
The biggest opponent of requiring labeling is Monsanto. They spend millions (literally) of dollars annually to prevent the labels from indicating a GMO was used. They are also the biggest seller of GMO seeds so it makes sense they would spend that kind of money, right? If the GMO seeds don't present any sort of health problem, why would Monsanto be so afraid to label them as such????? Again, we EAT this stuff.
There are small seed companies out there, you really have to look for them, who sell non-modified seeds. They are few and far between but wouldn't you agree they are worth the search just to know your food has not been strangely modified in some way? I'll get off my soapbox now :)
I like the magazine for that sort of information and also because it allows the readers to write on a variety of subject matters and then they publish what readers have sent in. Some of the people write the most beautiful stories. They keep them short, usually only one page, but they are so heartfelt! I like knowing that this magazine promotes the average person by publishing their works.
I've also been reading "Prevention" magazine. I'm not so impressed. I like the exercises they give and some of the articles are of interest to me but it seems to me their main goal is promoting their advertisers. I get it, that's how they make money. I just don't like being bombarded with ads, little cards that are perforated for you to pull out and the constant reference to websites. I'm not saying for you to skip "Prevention," I'm just saying it's not a favorite of mine.
The recipes sound interesting until I read all the ingredients. I find, for the most part, they include things that I just don't keep on hand. Things like Sesame Oil or Thai Chilies. Things like flax seed and panko breadcrumbs. I guess I'm a more down-to-earth type cook. Do you keep these things on hand?
Other than the magazines, these days, thanks to my sister-in-law, Gerry, and my dear friend, Sydna, I'm addicted to Pinterest and Etsy. I get lost in all there is to read about on these sites. My goodness, it's amazing what people are doing, selling, creating and sharing. I love Gerry's interior decor pictures on Pinterest. She has a classy but calm style with just a bit of country to make it feel homey. I love Sydna's flowers and I'm constantly wanting more of the overload the sites provide.
The sites distract me from the fact that I can't go plant or harvest something. I can't can any vegetables but I can read all about what other people have canned and make notes for the upcoming season. Tomatillo salsa is definitely on the list again. This time I think I'll grow my own!
As is typical of my writing, I tend to slip into the food conversation. It can't be helped. I found the recipe for the tomatillo salsa in an old canning book that belonged to Wally's grandma. I had everything except the tomatillos...it was then that I was wishing I had grown some but I knew a trip to the store was in short order. These little green veggies are pretty cheap at the store so I bought a bunch of them. It was a lot when I looked at them but when I started on the recipe I found I could have probably used twice what I bought.
I peeled them, chopped them, added them to the other ingredients and then poured the mixture into my jars. The amount I bought filled just 5 little pint jars. Everyone wanted a jar. Who knew it would be so good, so popular, so easy??? I hope it's just as good this year! I'll make a few batches now that I know what I need. lol
Well my seed packets have been gathered, I have some starter pots in the shed and bags of potting soil for the seeds that will start out in pots. I'm ready to garden but the weather is not ready to let me start. Indeed, the weather-person is calling for a wintry mix come Wednesday. That's really not good for planting lol!
We won't have it near as bad as the folks up north - thankfully - but we still won't have consistently nice weather days until spring so it's wait, wait, wait for now. Those of you in FL should have your gardens ready for planting this weekend. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash... all those veggies are good to go in FL weather. In fact, if you wait much longer, the heat will get to be too much for all but the peppers.
So go get your hands dirty and send me pictures of what you're growing! I can't wait to see your crop :)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Winter Brings a Variety of Birds...
While I've been busy posting snowy pictures to facebook, I've also been observing the birds coming and going on my bird feeders. Some I'm unable to identify while others are obvious, even to my untrained "bird" eye.
Just this morning I've seen the male and female cardinals, two different species of woodpeckers, at least 5 morning doves and lots of little yellow bellied finches. They seem to have a preference of feeder, choosing from one of three available. They also have a hierarchy that I'm not privy to.
The cardinals are the bosses of all the birds on my feeders unless, the "Hairy Woodpecker" is about. He takes precedence over all others. There doesn't appear to be any discussion over this, it just happens. At least so far as I can tell.
The "Hairy Woodpecker," which I'll just call Hairy, comes to the feeder and eats his fill then flies off into the sky. He is black and white with just a bit of red around his neck. Hmmmm a redneck woodpecker perhaps? lol I had to look up this bird in my book because I had never seen one before. Have you? I have a picture of one on my pinterest page if you would like to have a look at him. I'll try to remember to put it on FB but I'm not one much for a memory these days.
I thought Hairy was a fairly large bird until the better known, "Red Headed Woodpecker" showed up the other day. Now this bird is huge in comparison. From my view out the front door, I'd say he's probably a good 10 inches tall. His head is the brightest red, especially when the sun hits it just right. The rest of his feathers are black and white but not as clearly defined as Hairy's are. He's a beautiful bird just the same!
I'm impressed they come to my feeders! I bought fairly cheap birdseed and didn't really expect this kind of action. They stay busy eating the seed and I stay busy filling the feeders so they can! lol
The cardinals are just beautiful birds, simply said, they make a statement. The deep red color of the male is striking against the bright, white snow. When it's not snowing, he stands out against the green leaves and grasses. The female may be brownish in color but her beak is bright orange and she has just a bit of red feathers puffing up from on top of her head and a spot on her wings as well. A fine specimen if ever I saw one!
The little finches are pigs on the feeders. Since they are a smaller bird, four sometimes five, can land on the feeder at the same time. When one takes off, the feeder goes to spinning and the others are on a circus ride! Round and round they go! They don't seem to mind, they just keep eating. I think I'd be ill trying to eat on a perch that's spinning round LOL not these birds.
A host of little birds come that I can't identify. I think one species is called a "Carolina Chickadee" but I can't be certain. I think there might be a few sparrows or wrens but I can't tell the difference so I can't say for sure which they are. Possibly both?
The doves stay on the ground and their wings make a very distinct sound when they fly. Most birds I can't even hear when they fly. The doves I can hear. I can't tell the difference in the male and female doves...they all look the same?
All the birds are quick to fly away when I walk toward the feeders but some only fly as high as the roof and then they come right back. Others fly off into the woods or out by the chicken coop. They come back but not right away.
I never paid much attention to birds when I was in FL. I did have a woodpecker that was super huge and he would peck away at the metal rim around the edge of the roof line. I also had cardinals in the big oak tree. They stayed year after year, unless it was a new pair but I like to think it was the same family.
I had some little brown birds build a nest in a Christmas cactus planter. I couldn't water until the babies flew. It was the first time I witnessed a flying lesson too. The mama bird nudged them out of the nest and they flew right to the window screen where they held on for dear life. It was cute to see three little baby birds all clinging to the screen at the same time.
The woodlands have given me more sights to see with the birds that live here and if my little feeders will ensure they keep coming back, then so be it. I'll keep right on feeding them! If I can't dig in the dirt and plant something, feeding and watching birds is the next best thing :) Hope you enjoy them too!
The snow has all but melted already but we're expected to get more in the morning. They (weather people) say it will be freezing rain first with snow to follow. From what I hear, this makes for a dangerous situation. You can't see the frozen ice under the snow but you can easily slip on it when you step down. You know I'm not the most coordinated person on the farm so the risk is high for me to even walk around outside. I will walk around though. Indeed, it's quite irresistible to go crunching around out there.
Come Sunday we'll be hunkering down to cook chicken wings and watch the superbowl...I don't have a favorite team playing so I'll just hope for a good game. I suppose if I had to choose, it would be the 49ers since Rebecca used to like them and Ricky Kline does still like them. I don't know anyone who likes the Ravens?????
We rode the farm fence line a little while ago and there are a few trees down from last week's storm but none that are in the way of the trails. It was really neat to see the snow laying on the limbs and blowing in the wind as we made our way through the pathways. The creek was up a bit and the water was flowing quickly through the creek bed. I didn't venture to put my hand in the water but odds are, it was darn cold!
I didn't see any deer on our ride but they're out there. I saw five in the yard last night just before darkness decended on the farm. It's hard to say whether they were bucks or does because the bucks will have scaped their antlers off by now. From what I hear, the squirrels and other woodland animals find these antlers to be a real treat and they simply gobble them up. I'd love to find some to hang on the potting shed or the outhouse but I'm not ready to go tromping through the woods when there's snow on the ground lol. It's pretty to look at, not so much fun to be outside in it for very long.
So our weekend begins and it looks like it'll be a good one. I hope yours is. I'll be thinking about all of you and all those superbowl Sunday's we shared at the Oriole's...what a blast!!! Enjoy!
Just this morning I've seen the male and female cardinals, two different species of woodpeckers, at least 5 morning doves and lots of little yellow bellied finches. They seem to have a preference of feeder, choosing from one of three available. They also have a hierarchy that I'm not privy to.
The cardinals are the bosses of all the birds on my feeders unless, the "Hairy Woodpecker" is about. He takes precedence over all others. There doesn't appear to be any discussion over this, it just happens. At least so far as I can tell.
The "Hairy Woodpecker," which I'll just call Hairy, comes to the feeder and eats his fill then flies off into the sky. He is black and white with just a bit of red around his neck. Hmmmm a redneck woodpecker perhaps? lol I had to look up this bird in my book because I had never seen one before. Have you? I have a picture of one on my pinterest page if you would like to have a look at him. I'll try to remember to put it on FB but I'm not one much for a memory these days.
I thought Hairy was a fairly large bird until the better known, "Red Headed Woodpecker" showed up the other day. Now this bird is huge in comparison. From my view out the front door, I'd say he's probably a good 10 inches tall. His head is the brightest red, especially when the sun hits it just right. The rest of his feathers are black and white but not as clearly defined as Hairy's are. He's a beautiful bird just the same!
I'm impressed they come to my feeders! I bought fairly cheap birdseed and didn't really expect this kind of action. They stay busy eating the seed and I stay busy filling the feeders so they can! lol
The cardinals are just beautiful birds, simply said, they make a statement. The deep red color of the male is striking against the bright, white snow. When it's not snowing, he stands out against the green leaves and grasses. The female may be brownish in color but her beak is bright orange and she has just a bit of red feathers puffing up from on top of her head and a spot on her wings as well. A fine specimen if ever I saw one!
The little finches are pigs on the feeders. Since they are a smaller bird, four sometimes five, can land on the feeder at the same time. When one takes off, the feeder goes to spinning and the others are on a circus ride! Round and round they go! They don't seem to mind, they just keep eating. I think I'd be ill trying to eat on a perch that's spinning round LOL not these birds.
A host of little birds come that I can't identify. I think one species is called a "Carolina Chickadee" but I can't be certain. I think there might be a few sparrows or wrens but I can't tell the difference so I can't say for sure which they are. Possibly both?
The doves stay on the ground and their wings make a very distinct sound when they fly. Most birds I can't even hear when they fly. The doves I can hear. I can't tell the difference in the male and female doves...they all look the same?
All the birds are quick to fly away when I walk toward the feeders but some only fly as high as the roof and then they come right back. Others fly off into the woods or out by the chicken coop. They come back but not right away.
I never paid much attention to birds when I was in FL. I did have a woodpecker that was super huge and he would peck away at the metal rim around the edge of the roof line. I also had cardinals in the big oak tree. They stayed year after year, unless it was a new pair but I like to think it was the same family.
I had some little brown birds build a nest in a Christmas cactus planter. I couldn't water until the babies flew. It was the first time I witnessed a flying lesson too. The mama bird nudged them out of the nest and they flew right to the window screen where they held on for dear life. It was cute to see three little baby birds all clinging to the screen at the same time.
The woodlands have given me more sights to see with the birds that live here and if my little feeders will ensure they keep coming back, then so be it. I'll keep right on feeding them! If I can't dig in the dirt and plant something, feeding and watching birds is the next best thing :) Hope you enjoy them too!
The snow has all but melted already but we're expected to get more in the morning. They (weather people) say it will be freezing rain first with snow to follow. From what I hear, this makes for a dangerous situation. You can't see the frozen ice under the snow but you can easily slip on it when you step down. You know I'm not the most coordinated person on the farm so the risk is high for me to even walk around outside. I will walk around though. Indeed, it's quite irresistible to go crunching around out there.
Come Sunday we'll be hunkering down to cook chicken wings and watch the superbowl...I don't have a favorite team playing so I'll just hope for a good game. I suppose if I had to choose, it would be the 49ers since Rebecca used to like them and Ricky Kline does still like them. I don't know anyone who likes the Ravens?????
We rode the farm fence line a little while ago and there are a few trees down from last week's storm but none that are in the way of the trails. It was really neat to see the snow laying on the limbs and blowing in the wind as we made our way through the pathways. The creek was up a bit and the water was flowing quickly through the creek bed. I didn't venture to put my hand in the water but odds are, it was darn cold!
I didn't see any deer on our ride but they're out there. I saw five in the yard last night just before darkness decended on the farm. It's hard to say whether they were bucks or does because the bucks will have scaped their antlers off by now. From what I hear, the squirrels and other woodland animals find these antlers to be a real treat and they simply gobble them up. I'd love to find some to hang on the potting shed or the outhouse but I'm not ready to go tromping through the woods when there's snow on the ground lol. It's pretty to look at, not so much fun to be outside in it for very long.
So our weekend begins and it looks like it'll be a good one. I hope yours is. I'll be thinking about all of you and all those superbowl Sunday's we shared at the Oriole's...what a blast!!! Enjoy!
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