MILKWEED PODS AND SEEDS AT WALNEY VISITOR CENTER

 In the front garden bed in front of the old house, now the visitor center, there are several Milkweed plants. There is an initiative to plant Milkweed throughout North America, to help save the Monarch Butterfly. This simple looking plant could be key to saving our much-treasured Monarch. 

The Milkweed is vital to the survival of Monarch butterflies. They lay their eggs on milkweed and the caterpillars feed on the leaves, making it the only food source for them. There are over 100 species of Milkweed in North America and while the plant is toxic, some insects can tolerate its sap and benefit from its defenses. 

I was happy to see the milkweed floss that had escaped from the pods. I haven't seen it in this stage in I can't remember when. They were a beautiful sight to see, especially with the sunlight on them. 

This is a link which will take you to a very interesting website.  It also has a history of human uses, from weaving to medicine, and its fluffy seeds provided fiber for life preservers. Another interesting website on medicinal benefits can be found here. 

Milkweed seeds are attached to the silky hairs, forming fluffy parachutes that allow them to be carried by the wind for dispersal. 

The large pods are called follicles. These are stuffed with tiny seeds, each bearing a bunch of silken, fluffy hairs called the coma. When the follicles ripen, they split open and the seeds are carried off in the wind by their plumes of fluffy hairs. 

The pappus, the fluffy hairs making up the coma, are hypoallergenic and super soft. They can be used for making allergy-free pillow stuffing and blankets. 

They were also used in life preservers during World War II when the makers were no longer able to get the material from the Kpok Tree.

That's all for today's post. It has been interesting for me to find out more about this plant.

Thanks for visiting and 

I hope your week has gone well.

ANN'S CARDS FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2025

Ann's October Card

and this is Ann's September Card which I thought I had shared before, but on checking I had not. As I like to share all that Ann has sent, her September card is below. I know there are those of you who love getting her friendship mail, as do I. If you go here it will take you to Ann's Snap Edit Scrap, where she shares lots of other things that you will enjoy.

Thanks again Ann! You are always bringing lots of smiles to us out here.

Thanks for looking everyone and 

I hope you all have a great day.

 

THE GUARDIANS OF OUR INNER AND OUTER LIGHT

Back-to-back beneath the sun,

Two hearts rest where wild winds run.

One roars with courage, one hums with grace -

Together they guard this sacred place.

With beads that bind in colors bright,

They wear their friendship in the light.

And deep within, a flame does gleam -

A quiet strength, a sacred beam.

Let no harsh voice, no shadowed fear,

Crush the light we hold so dear.

For in that glow, our truth is spun -

Our guardians rise, one by one.

The seeds were sown for this post when I talked about the student teachers visiting our school when I was about 12. They introduced themselves by wearing traditional clothing and gave  talks while showing their own slides of home on the classroom projector. One of these students was from Africa, and she wore something very similar to this. I remember being in awe of not only her clothing but listening to her beautiful accent as she spoke about where she came from. I always wanted to visit Africa, but I doubt it will ever happen now. I am being realistic. 

That memory revisited, sent me on my latest curiosity journey. I watched a YouTube video, by chance, showing orphaned lion cubs, who years later met the original caretakers who rescued them. They had never forgotten them and it was always heartwarming to see their joyful reunions, human and animal still best friends.

Graphics and poetry created on Copilot with prompts from me.

THE TATARIAN ASTER

 I have seen asters before but never identified them specifically. I was taken with these which I saw at Walney Visitor Center yesterday (10-5-25). They were in the flower bed at the front of the house.  

In my search for its ID, I came up with the Tatarian Aster (you can click on its name to learn more and by all means, let me know if you disagree. I am always learning here). A lot of the plants have long passed their blooming, but it was still a pleasure to see what was left. Even those that had lost all their petals and leave dried out, were beautiful. 

"Tatarian aster is deeply rooted in Eastern folklore and traditional practices, often featured in ancient texts. Its robust presence symbolizes endurance and resilience, echoing through poems and songs that celebrate the tenacity of life despite the challenges. Unfortunately, specific legends are scarce due to the tatarian aster's humble aesthetic and lack of flamboyance compared to other floral species."...from my plant app Picture This.

Tatarian Aster is native to Eastern Asia, with its natural range including Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, Korea and Japan. It has a long history of use as a medicinal herb in China and an edible vegetable in Korea, but is now primarily cultivated as an ornamental in other parts of the world, including the United States. It was introduced to North America and other areas in the early 19th century, where it is now widely grown as a garden plant.

Planted in the full sun it will withstand a wide variety of soil types, though it prefers good drainage. Lights soils may lead to it spreading in the garden a bit too rapidly. This plant can be considered somewhat weedy.

It tolerates the heat and humidity of southern summers well and is an excellent choice for a late-season pollinator plant, providing nectar for butterflies, moths, bees and other pollinators when many plants are finished blooming. This is a tall plant, best used at the back of a wide border or in a naturalized area. You can find more at the link I provided above.

Thanks for looking everyone. 

I hope your week is going well.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - THAI PEANUT CHICKEN RAMEN NOODLES

 This week's choice is from Greens and Chocolate hosted by Taylor. The original recipe can be found here. We gave this a 10 out of 10, it was delicious! It had been a while before we made Thai. It's one of our favorite foods and fast to prepare. Thank you Taylor!

Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen Noodles 

Servings: 6

Calories per serving: approximately 513 calories 

From prep to table: 30 minutes (always takes me longer but it is still a fast meal.

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

Juice from 1 lime plus another lime cut into sections so that you can squeeze the juice over your finished plate at the table if you like that idea - I personally enjoy that little zap of lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seed and stem removed and diced

½ white onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk

4 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded

2 cups diced/shredded cooked chicken approximately 2 medium chicken breasts (for an easier way to go, it is suggested using an already cooked rotisserie chicken, which is what we did)

Chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and chopped peanuts, for garnish 

In a small food processor combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic, and ginger. Pulse to combine until smooth (I don’t have a processor and just mixed with a whisk until thoroughly blended).

Bring a pot of water to boiling and cook ramen noodles according to package instructions. They will likely only take a few minutes to cook, so while the water is coming to a boil, continue on making the rest of the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add red bell pepper and onion, and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the sauce from the food processor along with the coconut milk, stirring to combine.

Add the cooked ramen noodles and chicken, stirring well to combine.

Serve topped with cilantro, green onion, and chopped peanuts.

Taylors Notes:

Use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked diced chicken to make this recipe even easier.

Store any leftover fresh ginger in the freezer.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

(I recommend looking at Taylor’s recipe not only for her suggestions, but she also has the full nutritional information, plus all the other great recipes.) 

Can be prepped ahead - If you want to save some time when it comes to cooking dinner, you can make the peanut sauce in advance.

In our host’s own words, “Let's just be clear - these are not traditional ramen noodles in any sense.  They're not classic ramen noodle bowls with clear broth and all the fixin's and they're not the college kind, either. While I actually did use the noodles that come in your typical college ramen noodle soup packet, I tossed the seasoning and made my own Thai peanut sauce.”

Shredded Chicken - this is a great use for leftover shredded chicken. I also love buying the shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco or Target to use in this (we get ours from Costco).

Variations:

Different protein - use ground beef, ground pork ground chicken, shrimp, or tofu instead of shredded chicken.

Add more vegetables - you can really beef up these noodles with more vegetables, if you'd like! Anything like broccoli, mushrooms, shredded carrots, edamame, snow peas, and spinach would work. Just add them with the onions and bell pepper to cook.

Substitute almond butter for peanut butter.

Use spaghetti noodles instead of ramen noodles.

Add some spice with 1-2 tablespoons of Sriracha. We add ours at the end after we've served the kids.

Denise’s Notes: What did we think? It will be put into our favorite folder. We loved it and if you enjoy Thai Food with peanut butter sauces, I hope you will too. 

As mentioned, instead of the food processor which I don't have, I used a whisk. I have a blender but it seemed too big for what we needed. I thought an immersion blender would be ok but the whisk was fine. Just as long as everything is well blended.

There was no green onion in our supplies as I had thought, but it was great with the cilantro and chopped peanuts. We used the no-salt added peanuts.

A few dashes of Sriracha was a nice addition, amount to your own taste, or leave off entirely if you don’t like the extra heat. 

The following is what we used (link to company here) instead of fresh garlic and ginger. These little cubes are very handy. We freeze and thaw out a couple when needed. One garlic cube is equivalent to one medium clove. One ginger cube is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of fresh. If you don’t have these, there is probably an equivalent in your area. It is nice to be able to take a couple of shortcuts at times.

That’s all I can think of right now. If you need any more info, or if you think I left anything out, you can leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer.

The full address follows for you to copy and paste if you prefer, rather than use the link at the beginning of today's post.

https://greensnchocolate.com/thai-peanut-chicken-ramen-noodles/

Thanks for looking, have a great day and

Bon Appetit!

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - BEGIN IN PEACE...

"...begin in peace and end in gratitude."

~Patricia Routledge~

You can find out more about this wonderful lady at this link. 

Has anyone watched "Keeping Up Appearances"? It was one of our favorite British sitcoms and we have watched many reruns on our TV. Patricia Routledge portrayed Hyacinth Bucket but insisted that her surname is pronounced "Bouquet". She was a wonderful actress and I was very familiar with her even before this popular role. 

I read her biography recently and there was one quote that stood out for me, which I have shared today below the butterfly photo. 

She had been made a Dame and her full title was Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge (2.17.29 - 10.23.25), born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, UK. Her father, Isaac Routledge, was a haberdasher and gentleman's outfitter, who married Patricia's mother, Catherine Perry, in 1924. Dame Patricia was a wonderful lady and more can be read about her life at the above link. 

.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - WHERE ARE THEY ALL?

That's supposed to be sunflower 'chips' and hearts but Camera Lady has been very proud of her long nails lately. After all these years they are longer than she has ever had. The only problem is she keeps leaving out, or typing the wrong letters. Sometimes she catches them, sometimes she doesn't. Onwards!

Not even Blessed Squirrel will eat at her table.

She is getting a bit frustrated that they won't eat her seed. She and the Mister have been going through the reasons. Old food? Nope, it's a new bag. Bird feeder smells of predatory animals, has that raccoon been by, or the fox? I haven't seen any signs of them. It's had a thorough good washing, did we rinse it well? Maybe it tastes soapy. Nope! Maybe we should put it back on the bench? Are we overthinking this? Yep!

Froggies3 have been very sympathetic. They are good froggies!

The second dove came up with a reason. Everyone is trying to help. It didn't help!

The last straw was...

No, she can't bake you brownies, human food's not good for you. This little finch could smell the one Mister brought her back as a surprise today.  She is trying to count calories but we won't go there. That brownie was the best she had tried in a donkey's age she told him. 

It had walnuts too, little finch heard the “yippee” all the way up in the trees when he gave it to her.

And that's how it goes on this Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder. Maybe by next week the flocks will return. Here's hoping! Otherwise, she might be baking brownies (no, not really).

Thanks for flying in 

and have a great weekend.

I am a little late with the dialog from the photos. My apologies to our overseas friends who enjoy a translation.

1^st Photo

“I am enjoying your bird seed. It’s also a nice and comfy for sleeping. I have been having a snooze.”

“?????”

 

2^nd Photo

“I liked the peanuts but there weren’t many.”

“I thought you liked sunflower hips and hearts.”

 

3^rd Photo

“Nope!”

 

4^th Photo

“I will stick with the water.”

 

5^th Photo

Some sitting above exclaimed “Oh for crying out loud!”

 

6^th Photo

First frog: “She is a little miffed.”

Second frog: “Mystified!”

Third frog: “Perplexed!”

 

7^th Photo

“I like it but there are 30 other birdfeeders in the neighborhood, and well, you know…”

 

8^th Photo

“I am allergic to peanuts but I don’t like sunflower chips and hearts. I love brownies though, with walnuts. Could you bake me some brownies”. 

GARDEN CENTER TO PURCHASE MUMS

A couple of weeks ago we took another trip to the garden center to pick up Mums.

The first two things I noticed was the big planter. It would have been waist high next to me. Needless to say, it didn't make it home with us, nor did the outdoor fireplaces but it was fun to browse.They had pumpkins too.

And then there were the flowers and an odd, dried leaf or two had fallen in among the petals.

I chose three pots of Mums. I had four planters I bought a while back waiting to be refilled.

Just a few other flowers plus the succulent I already had.

I found these at a supermarket and are ones I shared before. They were put in the planter at the top of the bench-table...

which you can see below.

I forgot to take a close up of the top planter but the mums I shared before and there is a photo of them above. I wasn't sure about the double color combination at first, but I like them now. Below is a close up of the bottom shelf.

The Kissing Bunnies said they approved...

but they really weren't paying attention. The grassy plant and its companion below have been with us for well over a year, and I am happy they have survived this long. The succulents came home with us a few months ago. There was a third but it didn't make it. It was different from these two, and they seem okay. That says, "Denise can grow these." (which is a bit of a surprise and my toxic thumb is very happy). I will definitely be getting the same kind. The small planter has multiple openings for small plants, five in total. I will add three more of the same when the time is right.

That's about all from the trip to the garden center. Always a fun browse. 

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!