HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ANN

I am wishing all my friends A Happy Mother's Day, with a special thank you to Ann who sent me one of her very special homemade creations. So beautiful Ann! I always love to receive them, and very much appreciate your friendship. These will always be kept in my box of special treasures.

 Excuse This House

Some houses try to hide the fact

That children shelter there.

Ours boasts it quite openly,

The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,

Little smudges are on the doors.

I should apologize I guess

For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with my child

And we played and laughed and read,

And if the doorbell doesn’t shine,

His eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I’m forced to choose 

The one job or the other, 

I’d like to cook and clean and scrub,

But first I’ll be a Mother.  

~Author Unknown ~

Lovely sentiments inside Ann's Card

Ann's blog is right here.

Thanks again my Dear Friend!

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - OH THOSE LITTLE SCALLYWAGS!

 

Camera Lady said the bang was when the Kissing Bunnies went flying off the bottom part of the bench. She saw they were missing when the scallywags were doing a twirl around the inside of the seed tray trying to find some seeds, but there was no way she was going to go outside to investigate. Happily, the Froggies3 were untouched! Well, she said the Kissing Bunnies would have to fend for themselves until daylight. Fortunately, and she thought this would be so, the bunnies were found upside down behind the big plant pot about two feet away from their original position. Those raccoons have muscles! No harm came to her bunnies, as she made sure that anything she buys now is made of metal. They can fly to the moon and they would be okay.

Camera Lady filled the seed tray this morning. Raccoons are safely asleep in their den.

HUNTLEY MEADOWS CONTINUED - THE ALLEGHENY BLACKBERRY

 On our visit to Huntley Meadows I was happy to see these pretty flowers.

They were all along our walk through the wood. It is the Allegheny blackberry. Its other names are Common blackberry, Sow-teat blackberry, American blackberry and Mountain blackberry. Botanical name Rubus allegheniensis.

It is a deciduous shrub native to Eastern Canada and the USA, and is commonly found on clearings and woodland margins. The blooms are seen in late spring or early summer. Its fruit is edible and has a sweet, mildly spicy taste. Those fruits are most commonly eaten raw, but they can also be cooked or dried. 

In the garden, Allegheny blackberry is an ornamental shrub commonly cultivated for its edible berries. This shrub makes an excellent natural privacy screen when used as a border or hedge. It is commonly planted in butterfly gardens, pollinator gardens, meadows and more. The nectar and fruit of the plant attracts birds and a variety of pollinators, while providing valuable nutrients to local wildlife.

While this species of allegheny blackberry is commonly found in North America, it belongs to the larger genus of Rubus blackberries. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is considered unwise to eat blackberries after Old Michaelmas Day in the middle of fall. The legend goes that one should not eat blackberries because the devil has befouled them. It's thought that this myth originated because cool autumn weather can facilitate mold growth on blackberries.

The bark of this plant is dark red in color, and the leaves are green in summer and turn orange, purple or red during autumn. Its fruit is similar in appearance as a raspberry, but it turns black when it matures. Its specific epithet, allegheniensis, refers to the Allegheny Mountains, and that's why it is called Allegheny blackberry.

Indigenous peoples would eat the ripe berries fresh, ground with wild game meat to make pemmican cakes (recipe here), or dried and stored for later consumption. It was also used as a medicine for various ailments, whooping cough, colitis, toothache, anemia and sore throats to name just a few. An infusion of the roots was used as a wash for sore eyes. The blackberry canes were used for making baskets woven with the stems once the thorns were removed. You can read much more if you click on this link. It is all very interesting to find out about these plants.

I expect many of us have memories of picking wild blackberries along the hedgerows in our childhood.  For us it was part of our Sunday outings, and that evening my mother would make a blackberry pie. Blackberries even today are still an all-time favorite fruit of mine.

ARE YOU LOST?

Stand still. The trees and bushes beside you

Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it, you may not come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows 

Where you are. You must let it find you.

~Lost by David Wagoner~

David Russell Wagoner was born on June 5th, 1926, in Massillon, Ohio. Raised in Whiting, Indiana, from the age of seven, Wagoner attended Pennsylvania State University where he was a member of Naval ROTC and graduated in three years. He received an MA in English from the Indiana University in 1949 and had a long association with the University of Washington where he taught, beginning in 1954, on the suggestion of friend and fellow poet Theodore Roethke.  Wagoner was editor of Poetry Northwest from 1966 to 2002. He was elected chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 1978 and served in that capacity until 1999. One of his novels, The Escape Artist, was turned into a film by executive producer Francis Ford Coppola. You can learn more about him here.

HUNTLEY MEADOWS CONTINUED...

 

It was a day for conversations. Not ten feet into the park a little boy ran up with an insect box showing two colorful frogs inside. They were hard to see because there were fresh leaves inside. He chattered away as his mother came up behind him and whispered quietly, "They aren't real, just toys." I smiled and listened to the dear child telling me about his 'frogs'. The insect box was real and I told him how wonderful his frogs were. He said his mommy was going to get him more and I told him what a wonderful mommy he had. His sister came up behind him, maybe two years older, and started chatting also. 

They were with another lady and her two children about the same age. The mommies looked similar, sisters perhaps, and all were smiling. What a wonderful thing they were doing for their children, to introduce them to nature at such an early age.

I noticed a spider's web and snapped a photo.

I found this plant very interesting. Checking with my plant app I was given two dogwoods, Red osier dogwood and Silky dogwood. I am not sure which is correct. They aren't the dogwood I am more familiar with. You can check the link on their names to see what I mean.

This is the same area where we saw the Canada Geese and their goslings. Every time we visit, the water level is different due to the beaver dams, which were always very visible. The last couple of times it has been on the drier side. One of the photographers told us that the park people had told him the beavers have moved to the west and took their beaver dams with them. The lodge that I have become used to, near a bench we always sit on, is slowly disappearing back into the mud. They weren't discouraged, they just upped and left!  We were sorry to hear that as we have loved seeing the beavers over the years, along with their intricate engineering skills. Maybe they will move back. I will always remain hopeful!

One constant is the frog! Thankfully they are still around! All you had to do was look at a damp, muddy area and there they were, occasionally obscured by twigs and reeds. 

What we were actually seeing was the American Toad.

They are found throughout large portions of North America but are not generally present in the southern states. This is what I read anyhow, and perhaps our southern bloggers can agree or disagree on that. American toads shed their skin every couple of week or so while growing. They can also eat up to 1,000 insects a day!  

This Snapping turtle was a bit shy!

There were lots of dragonflies in the area. I came across a few settled on the boardwalk. I am still very much a novice on identifying many things, dragonflies are on top of the list. I believe this is a male Common Whitetail Dragonfly.  If you are more knowledgeable, please let me know if I am incorrect. I would rather know than not.

Below is a female Common Whitetail Dragonfly. The Juvenile males are very similar but their wings are more like the male above, whereas the females are more like this. You can go here to see what I am talking about. Anyhow, it was fun to read about them.

This isn't a very good photo but it looks like a female Red-winged blackbird. It is easier to identify the male...

and here he is. I took more photos of him because he was right on the sidewalk as we were walking towards him to go back to our car...

and a collage of the same bird. If you click on this link, you can hear its distinctive call. 

I think I will stop here with today's post, and will share more photos another time. Thanks for looking and I wish you all a great day!

HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARK IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - IT HAS BEEN A WHILE

 The last time we were at the park was in January at the beginning of this year. For our recent visit we picked the perfect day as the temperature was hot but there was no humidity. It was also easy to get a parking spot. There were several spaces available. 

Babies! Unfortunately, I couldn't get a closer shot as they were way too far out.  I have been reading some interesting facts about them. Goslings have been known to follow just about anything that moves, from dogs to humans, mistaking them for their mother. The impressionable young use this skill to mimic the adults, learning how to swim just 24 hours after hatching. At only one day old they can dive 30 to 40 feet under water.

Parent geese teach their young how to fly when the goslings are two to three months old. The goslings will stay with their parents for the first year of their life and even migrate with the adults that year.

As the goslings continue to grow and become more independent of their parents, they may group together with other young geese. These groups, called "gang broods," can consist of up to 100 goslings.

I have always enjoyed being around the Canada goose and, just like the squirrels in our back yard, find them very entertaining. It's important to give them a respectful distance, even more so at this time of the year.  

Canada geese aren't afraid to face a threat. If a parent goose feels a threat to their nest or goslings, they may attack. Stretching out their neck while hissing and honking loudly, serves as a warning to predators, along with biting and slapping with their wings.

We found these two later. They were rather sandy and I assumed that they had been ducking their heads under the water to feed. There were no goslings with them. Maybe later! An interesting thing I had not read before was that once a year, when the weather warms up, geese molt their feathers. During this 6-week period geese are unable to fly, leaving them vulnerable to predators including coyotes, foxes and raccoons. Water plays an important role in the safety of geese. They'll retreat into water if their warnings don't scare predators away.

More to follow later from our walk.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - CHICKEN FRIED RICE - SERVES 4

 

I found today's recipe at Kitchen Sanctuary hosted by Nicky. The recipe was excellent and we will be making it again. The original recipe came from this website. Always encourage going to their blog to see not only notes, tips and photos, but the measurements are metric. I have only used Imperial.

Chicken Fried Rice - serves 4 - calories per portion approximately 477

2 tbsp vegetable oil (we used avocado oil)

1 onion peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper deseeded and finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic peeled and minced

2/3 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked shredded/sliced chicken

½ tbsp sesame oil

4 cups cooked and cooled long-grain rice

2 eggs

2 tbsp dark soy sauce (we used low sodium soy sauce)

¼ tsp salt

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

3 or 4 spring onions, chopped (for garnish)

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large wok on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly for 5 minutes until the onion starts to turn soft and translucent.

Add remaining vegetable oil, chopped red bell pepper, garlic, and peas. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Now add chicken and sesame oil. Stir together, then add in the rice and turn up the heat to high.

Use a spatula to mix everything together. This also prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Stir until all reheated for about 5 minutes.

Push the rice over to the side of the pan and crack two eggs in the space. Add a splash of soy sauce to the eggs.

Making sure the part of the wok with the eggs in is over the heat, fry the eggs, giving a mix with the spatula until the egg starts to cook and look scrambled, but is still a little runny.

At this time mix the egg into the rice.

Pour in the remaining soy sauce, sprinkle on the salt and mix it all together.

Add the lemon juice, stir and taste. Add a little more lemon juice if required.

Divide between 4 bowls. Top with spring onions. 

Nikki's notes state that this can be made ahead. She suggests spreading the cooked rice out in a large dish so that it will cool quickly. Then cover and refrigerate for up to a day. 

Important to note do not leave at room temperature as bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly.

This being the case, refrigerate very quickly.

Don't store for more than 24 hours in the fridge and thoroughly reheat it. 

Reheat in a wok, over a medium-high heat, moving it around the pan with a spatula, until piping hot throughout. 

You may need to add an extra splash of oil, as the rice will have absorbed the oil whilst in the fridge.

She also says this can be frozen.

Again, cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish (so it will cool quickly) cover and freeze.

As before, don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it's important to freeze it as quickly as possible and defrost in the refrigerator overnight (don't store in fridge for more than 24 hours). Thoroughly reheat it in a wok, over a medium-high heat, moving it around the pan with a spatula, until piping hot throughout. You will need to add an extra splash of oil, as the rice will have absorbed the oil upon storing.

Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh chopped spring onions on top before serving.

If you have any doubts, please read Nikki's notes at her website.

Changes made:

We added a whole bag of pre-sliced cabbage bought from the supermarket, the type you usually make coleslaw with. This was put into the pan after cooking the onion, along with the other veggies. There was red cabbage in the mix, and I only mention this because I read recently that there are more nutrients which you can read about here. The bag of coleslaw cabbage wasn't bought for this reason, it was the only one available. I seem to be reading more articles on nutrition and health these days.

We used avocado oil instead of the vegetable.

Gregg thought - for our own taste - this dish would benefit from either Thai basil or chopped Cilantro. We like both and I think he has a point.

Gregg did most of the cooking, so he also added 2 tablespoons of Chili Garlic Paste, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 4 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, stirring into the ingredients at the end of the recipe. He is an adventurer, more so than I am, and it all turned out great.

We used low sodium soy sauce.

After adding the sliced green onion for a garnish, I also put a tablespoon of chili crisp on top of mine, drizzling it all over my portion.  

Gregg added a tablespoon of sour cream to his.

From the chili garlic paste to the sour cream, you can obviously leave all of this off if you prefer.

I thought sliced mushrooms would be a nice addition.

I also must remember not to cut the cooked chicken into such teeny pieces. It just about disappeared into the mix never to be found again!  I dislike chunks and suggested to dear other half that I would do the task this time. Afterwards, when we sat down to eat, he said where was the chicken (it was an already cooked rotisserie from the store the day before - we already had one meal and there was a lot of it left). I did go a little overboard and promised to do better next time. Yes I am smiling. My brain was racing that day and that knife was flying. The knife was giving the cutting board a real workout.

There were two meals left for the next day, and it tasted even better. 

I tend to make additions as I think of them, so check back after a couple of days if you are interested in this recipe. 

That's it! If you have any questions let me know in the comment section and I will do my best to answer.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - A CARDINAL WITH THE MUNCHIES

 Only one photo today, the cousin of the cardinal from yesterday's post, eating a tasty seedling perhaps. I will be sharing more from our trip to Huntley Meadows (Friday the 3rd). Our last visit was in January. I have a post here if you would like to take a look, or maybe you have seen it and wouldn't mind another look at Canada Geese photos and a poem. 

It was a glorious day on our latest visit and we had a wonderful walk, not too hot with a lovely breeze. It was a good job we chose Friday because yesterday, (Saturday the 4th) it was raining all day. We have more rainy days to follow. It is also on the chilly side and from 80 plus degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (yesterday), with similar temperatures all week. I am certainly not moaning. We will get the sweaters back out, for a short spell hopefully, and it will be a good time to do inside chores and restart the downsizing. No gallivanting off to the gardens!

Thanks for the visit and I hope your day is a great one.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - THE NEWS THIS WEEK IS...

And so it goes on a Saturday Morning at the Birdfeeder. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!