SUNDAY-3/22/26 TO SATURDAY-4/28/26

Weather forecast for this week, from Tuesday, 3-31/26 to Saturday, 4/4/26.

Sunday, March 22nd, 2026: I have written a blog post about Gregg's second birthday celebration with our son and daughter-in-law, so don't have much to add on that. I will share a couple of photos of those beautifully frosted window partitions and the old-fashioned wall lamps.  I loved those!

On each side of the photo below you can see the horse brasses which seem to be a standard fixture in the old pubs. I was curious so looked them up online. I remembered some of it but not all. Originally, they were used to decorate the harnesses of heavy working horses, such as Shire and Clydesdale horses, during the 19th and early 20th centuries. I believe they may still do that for special events. Earlier than that, when these were introduced in the 18th century, they were believed to be amulets that protected horses from "evil spirits" and the "evil eye". Designs like stars, suns and crescents were common "lucky" symbols". Going back to the Romans, they also used similar amulets on their horses, but I don't think the two stories are related. A great read of their history can be seen at this link if curious.

This week has been one of those weeks for me and I didn't write anything down so all this is off the cuff.  

Monday, March 23rd, 2026: it sprinkled. I woke up shivering. It went down to 32 ° F. - 0 °C that night. We didn't have the heat on because the house had felt relatively warm that day. We didn't go out.

Tuesday, March 24th, 2026: we went over to Wegmans for a shingles shot for me and a tetanus shot for Gregg. Nice pharmacist again, we've had him before. No problem with the shingles shot except for a sore arm for a few days. Gregg had no problem. I didn't feel any flu-like symptoms we were told about, and he didn't either when he had his. He is all sorted out now as his was done last month, the last one being a couple of months ago. I still need a shingles booster in two months, and also need a tetanus shot which I will get next week sometime. These were recommended by my doctor on the last visit. After we were finished in the pharmacy, we walked around the store and bought a few items. 

We did go to Walney for a quick visit to see if the daffodils were blooming. I didn't want to miss them. There are little pink flags blooming also. They must be getting ready to replant or dig up old ones.

Wednesday, March 25th, 2026: Gregg and son went over to Annapolis today. I elected to stay home. They sent me photos and this is one of them. It depicts Alex Haley, a life-size bronze statue and a prominent landmark in Annapolis. The memorial honors the arrival of Alex Haley's ancestor Kunte Kinte at the Annapolis City Dock in the 1760s. The sculpture, designed by Ed Dwight, shows author Alex Haley reading to three children, symbolizing the passing of history to future generations. You can see it at the head of Annapolis Harbor if ever you are in the area and would like to take a look. I remember watching the miniseries Roots back in 1977.

Thursday, March 26th, 2026: today was a get up and go day when we took son to Baltimore/Washington International Thursgood Marshal Airport (BWI). We had a couple of hours sleep and set the alarm for 1.00 a.m. We picked son up and thankfully they don't live too far away. I took 4 soft pillows and two throw-rugs and settled down in the back for the one hour plus road trip. It would have taken a lot longer if it weren't for the time, hardly any traffic and thankfully it was easy going.

 

Son drove there. They were both bright and perky chatting away in the front, me not so much. I slept for 20 minutes. It was an enjoyable drive, and we always welcome something that gets us out of our routine.  

By-bye to son and off back home we went. We were almost home when Gregg said, I think our local McDonalds is 24 hours, I'm hungry, let's go have a breakfast. I looked at him and said something like you've got to be kidding right? No, he wasn't. Fortunately, not that far from home by this time. He said, take a picture. I took a picture. What can I say? I absolutely could not focus!

We rolled into the drivethru. Their main building was closed. I was still trying to offer him pancakes that I could make when we got home. No, the only place he wanted to go to when he walked through the door, was straight to bed. Okay, so there we were at 4.30 to 4.45 a.m., in the parking lot having a car picnic a little earlier than we normally do. There was a van in the other lane (in the drivethru) giving us a mildly curious look and I gave him an equally mildly curious look back. Didn't even offer my usual cheery smile as he looked away. He was tired too no doubt. And yes, when we got home, we went straight to bed and slept in a lot later than usual. Son called five hours later letting us know he had arrived and that he had had a good flight. 

Towards the end of the day we drove over to Walney Pond. This is where we saw that vehicle with the lovely southwestern art. I didn't take too many photos, but we spotted these two very large fish swimming nearby. There was a young man fishing on the other side and he was after these. 

Canny fish knew where he was though and kept well away and hidden under the wooden walkway that goes over one end of the pond. We watched this mini drama unfold, and as soon as the young man moved to the other end of the pond, these two came out and started swimming in plain view.  Fishing is allowed here, though I had no idea there were fish this big. They were at least three feet long.

It was a very pretty sky and we enjoyed our visit, even though it was shorter than normal.

Very quiet, there was the young man and a couple sitting on a bench on the other side. They yelled across to the young man, pointing to location of the fish, but no sooner he moved their way, they went where he had been a few minutes earlier. It certainly was interesting to watch. 

The turtles were sunning themselves on a new man-made island. We looked at them for a few minutes but decided it was time to leave.

Friday, March 27th, 2026: it was a grey day, we didn't do much and stayed home.

Saturday, March 28th, 2026: cauliflower and cabbage stir-fry. The only reason I remembered this is I asked Gregg what he had written in his end-of-the-day log, to give me a memory jog. This was all he wrote and my memory apparently is still asleep on its way to Baltimore.  

I hope to do a better job next week.

Thanks for looking and

have a great day. 

I hope your sun is shining.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SALMON IN A SOY SAUCE AND BROWN SUGAR MARINADE

This is a recipe from my old blog. I haven't made any new recipes this week.

I found a recipe here which I wanted to try.

Salmon in Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Marinade

1-1/2 lbs. salmon fillets

Lemon pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Salt to taste

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour soy sauce mixture over the fish and seal. Turn the bag to coat.  Marinate for at least two hours.  

The recipe gives you two choices for cooking, one on the barbecue and the other in the oven. If you use the barbecue it says to cook the salmon 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

I wrapped mine in foil just like in the recipe and baked at 425 deg. F. for 15 minutes or when you can easily flake the fish with a fork. The flavor was lovely. 

Gregg was still working when I made this for the first time, and he was away for a few days. I bought a small fillet and downsized the marinade accordingly. I enjoyed it very much.

I served it with a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.  I am not a fan of dressings so I usually leave them off.  Another side was half a yam, cut into fries and roasted in the oven.

Thanks for looking, have a great week

and Bon Appétit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - ROAST SALMON SANDWICH WITH CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE

I found my recipe here, at Season with Spice, hosted by Mark and Reese. My thanks to them for a very nice lunch. I think you will enjoy checking out this recipe blog, as there are some great dishes in here and the photos are great. 

Roasted Salmon with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Makes 2 sandwiches

1/2 salmon fillet

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh lemon juice

1 avocado - sliced

Handful of arugua leaves or your choice of leafy greens

Slice of red onion

4 slices of your choice of sandwich bread (a dark rye is suggested)

Chipotle Mayonnaise

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 large garlic clove, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle, or to taste

1 teaspoon honey

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Line a baking pan with foil. Coat salmon fillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place it on the pan.  Season the salmon with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until just cooked through (roasting time will depend on the thickness of the fillet and your oven temperature).

While the salmon is roasting combine all the ingredients for the chipotle mayo in a bowl.

When the salmon is cooked, remove from the oven and flake it with a fork into small pieces. Add the salmon into the bowl of chipotle mayonnaise and mix well.

To assemble the sandwich, add the chipotle mayonnaise-salmon mixture first, then top with red onion, avocado and arugula. Enjoy!

I thought this was a very tasty recipe, and very filling. I fixed this for lunch one day when Gregg was away for a few days. (This is an old recipe, before retirement. It has been made several times since and enjoyed each time.) 

I had half a portion for dinner and ate it minus bread with salad fixings. The salmon tasted really yummy even before adding the rest of the ingredients. In fact, even though I enjoyed the sandwich very much, it would be excellent with just salmon and salad. 

This time I used a crusty Ciabatta-type bread roll but I can also see how good it would be with a dark rye, as suggested by Season with Spice. 

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - GARLIC AND HERB SEASONED TILAPIA

I am always trying to put more fish on the menu but neither of us like anything too strong a fish in taste. When I went to the supermarket they didn't have tilapia and I bought cod instead, so...

even though I am leaving Tilapia in the ingredient list, cod was a perfect substitute.

Garlic and Herb Seasoned Tilapia found at the McCormick website here.

Enough for 4 servings.

Preparation time:         5 minutes

Cooking time:             12 minutes

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt Free Garlic and Herb Seasoning

1 teaspoon McCormick Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, ground

1 pound Tilapia fillets 

Mix butter, lemon juice, seasoning, onion powder and pepper in a small bowl until well blended.

Place fish on broiler pan.  Brush butter mixture over fish.

Broil 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Test Kitchen Tip: you can also substitute red snapper, striped bass, flounder or sole for the tilapia.

End result: a very tasty dish. We were both surprised how much we enjoyed this recipe. I used whatever I had in the pantry, same ingredients but not always the McCormick brand.  

I had a stick of Kerrygold Garlic and Herb butter used in another recipe.  It is sold in one-stick (1/2 cup) portions. I substituted this for the melted butter mix.  

I also enjoyed the fact that this was an easy meal from prep to table, and fast. I came home from the store and just over half an hour later, was sitting down to dinner. Goes great with a green salad or an assortment of roasted colorful veggies. Asparagus would be nice, or any favorite of yours.

I served it with wedges of lemon and the juice squeezed over the fish gave it a nice zing.

Below is the full website address for you to copy and paste if you prefer it to the above link.

https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/garlic-herb-seasoned-tilapia

JIGSAW PUZZLES

Today I am sharing completed jigsaw puzzles done on my iPad.   Do you have a favorite?  I have numbered them if you would like to share in the comment section.

1.

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5.

6.

MEADOWLARK GARDEN WALK ON 5-5-22

I have just found a very nice photo of the Fairy Garden at this link.  I am not sure how long it will be there, but it will give you a better idea of its layout than the photos I took.  Mine were more close-ups, and you can find the post here if you missed it.

This is from our last walk at the garden in the beginning of May.  We know every square inch but still, we always see it as though for the first time.  It never gets tiring to visit this place.

Two birds, the American Robin and below a female Red-winged Blackbird.  You will see a small turtle if you go to the waterline and look to the left, before you get to those big leaves.  Enlarging the photos will help.

The same bird but a closer view of its profile.

I have always liked this bridge across the lake.  We are on the other side at the water's edge.  There is a bench so that you can sit and take it all in, and occasionally if you are very quiet (we chat a lot), a bird will come and rest on the branches of the trees each side.

It is the first time I have noticed fish nests below the surface.  I knew immediately what they were. Years ago we were at another pond and as we stared at a similar scene, a gentleman, who had been standing not too far away, told us exactly what they were.  (I did actually see smaller fish circling inside the nests then and now) I haven't seen these nests since, but then I haven't been looking and wonder if it's only at this time of the year?  I couldn't find much information on line. There are a lot of koi in the lake, quite big ones.  I didn't see them but they will be showing themselves soon.  I found the following information here, as I was curious about what happens to them in the wintertime.  It says, "You'll know when your fish go dormant. They won't lie down on the pond's bottom or curl up in their cozy Koi Kastle (yes you can actually buy a Koi Kastle at this link), but they will float upright, tuck in their fins and remain suspended in the water. As the fish hover there, you may still see some super slow movement, and they may also wind up facing in the same direction as if they were heading somewhere at less than a snail's speed." 

 Our guesses included carp but there was no knowledgeable gentleman around this time.  I found info here.  It says Koi are actually descendants of carp.  I am including an except which I found interesting.  "Carp spawn in late May or early June and display unique spawning habits. They thrash and wiggle their way into very shallow, weedy areas, sometimes so shallow that their bodies are completely exposed. Instead of building nests or caring for their young, carp broadcast their eggs. A 20-pound female carp will lay nearly 10 million eggs, though very few survive. Eggs hatch in 2-8 days, depending on water temperature, and the young quickly disperse. Young carp are very susceptible to predation, but adults are too big to have non-human predators."  The difference between a koi and a carp can be found here, and is where I found my information about the koi being its descendant.   Okay, so all you who are fishing enthusiasts may know all this, but it was a learning experience for me.  I hasten to add there is no fishing allowed at the garden.

Phlox and Daylilies line one of the pathways.

In the photo below, right off center, you can see the Katsura tree (botanical name Cercidiphyllum japonicum), native to China and Japan.  There is a very good website I found  here, with more photos.  It is also called Katsura Vine and Weeping Katsura Tree.  

They grow no more than 45 feet and can live up to 60 years.  Male trees will produce red flowers, and female trees with produce green flowers.  Butterflies and bees are attracted to the blossoms.  It is a fast-growing tree that grows best in full sunlight to partial shade.  It prefers rich soil, but tolerates wet, clay or acidic soil.  There are two of these close together and we wondered after reading the above, what kind of flowers they will produce.

Interesting facts are that the Katsura tree is a low-maintenance ornamental tree that thrives in temperate regions.  The tree produces small and inconspicuous flowers, and is more well-known for its fall foliage fragrance of brown sugar.  I am getting all my information from my plant app, Picture This, which I have mentioned before.  I have it downloaded on my iPhone.  Most of the time if I feel like meandering, I take a photo of whatever I am interested in, and find out right there and then.  Other times I will wait until I get home,  and get the information in the evening when I am downloading my photos.  It's a beautiful tree, one that we have been enjoying for many years.

That's all for today's post.  I will be putting another together as we took a lot more photos, as is our way.

Thank you for looking and enjoy 

the rest of your week.

LATEST WALK AROUND GREEN SPRING GARDENS ON 4-15-22 - PART 1

We were at the gardens on April 14th.  It was a gorgeous day and far too good to stay inside.  

I also wanted to see the dogwoods while they were still blooming.  We are thinking of planting them to replace the two trees that we had to cut down.  The white ones are my favorite as they were the first kind I ever saw.  We drive out into the country and see them growing wild in amongst all the other trees.  It is a lovely sight.  

The pink ones are spectacular too and these were at the lower end of the garden.  

We have both in our neighborhood, which look stunning.  Our son and daughter-in-law mentioned them, how beautiful they looked, when heading over recently.  

But, I have a bee in my bonnet about the white and would like to plant those.  Dear Other Half doesn't have a strong opinion and would be happy with both.  Looking at these, however, well.....

We usually take the pathway next to the old house, but we wanted to go to the ponds today.  We walked the narrow road down the hill instead.

A kind person had found a pair of sunglasses and popped them on top of the sign where, hopefully, they will be found before their owner leaves the garden.  As you can see, the garden gates are closed at five.  We have in the past arrived at a later hour and was glad we read the sign.  You can still walk around, probably until it starts to get dark, and we have left our car on the other side of the gate.  It is only a short walk to the garden.  One time we wanted to go during that golden hour for photo taking, and remembering the sign, we parked beyond the gate.  We did not have a problem finding a spot as most people had left by then.

I did not think I would be seeing any more daffodils, but there were many on our way to the ponds.  

I have seen paler daffodils - narcissus? - but not the frilly kind.  The closest I could get to identifying these was Double Daffodils - Sir Winston Churchill.  

You can see if you agree at this link.  The website here has them for sale.

There are many benches throughout the garden, and we always make use of one that is right next to the water.  

Gregg is taking photos of the fish.

I am sitting on our favorite bench.  From where I am, it is a good place to watch for activity on the water.  I was hoping for birds but came across something very interesting.

A couple were on the edge peering down and then the gentleman exclaimed very loudly.  He turned round to where I was sitting, and said there were huge fish just under the surface, come and see!  His excitement and enthusiasm made me smile and as I recognized another nature lover, I walked over.  We chatted for a while and Gregg joined us.  The gentleman told me he thought they were American Carp.  I couldn't get a decent photo of the big ones but they were well over four-feet in length.

The smaller swam towards us and stayed in place for a while, opening and closing their mouths as they usually do.  It didn't take long to realize they were waiting for us to feed them.

I thanked the couple.  We have never seen fish this big before and we look into the water on every visit, checking out the much smaller ones.  These were a surprise.  The Great Blue Heron we occasionally see fishing will have a hard time picking one up for dinner.

We also got a decent photo of a Male Northern Cardinal, as curious about us as we were about him perhaps?

And I'm thinking this is a House sparrow.  What do you think?

And an American Robin.  Gregg took the bird photos.

We leave the pond and walk along the trail through the wood.  The bark of trees interests us both and Gregg also took the next photo.   On doing a little research (please let me know if you think it is something else), this is a River birch tree, also known as Water birch, Black birch and Swamp birch.  River birch is a strong but knotty wood.  It is sometimes used to make woodenware and furniture, but it is not usually used for commercial lumber.  Native Americans would boil the sap to make a sweetener and would even eat the inner bark when food was scarce.  It is also a food source for many wild birds and even deer.

One last photo taken by my Dear Other Half, and that is one of the creek.  There is a bridge we cross over before going up the hill.

I will end here as there are more photos to share.  I hope you have enjoyed Part 1.

Thank you for visiting today's blog post.  

May your day be a happy one.