Sunday, July 04, 2010
easily amused - sprouting
The colors of beans, light with little bubbles and rubber ducks. Well, it’s a hot day and I’m moving slow. Simple is good, even if the photo insists on being sideways!
Mr. P. in the pond environs
And the environs themselves:
Thursday, July 01, 2010
wildlife sightings today
Driving home from work, I had to brake for a red fox. Time about 6:45pm. A lanky youth by the looks. This was at the conservation/historical area in Lexington near the entrance to Hanscom Field.
Then when I stopped near home at a store, a pair of bluebirds flew right over my car and landed on a railing on the building. And hung around for some minutes looking around (probably for bugs).
Lovely!!
Mung bean sprouts with turmeric
Got some bean sprouts at the supermarket the other day. Not too sure of their freshness power, I decided a light sautée would be therapeutic. Oil and minced garlic in the pan, I threw them in and added some turmeric and dried oregano. Didn’t much more than heat them enough to discourage unwanted bacteria. And of course those 3 anti-pathogenic culinary herbs. It was yummy. I cooled them and added to a green salad for my lunch.
Ah, the joy of food.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
dining room peepers
We have four chicks in the dining room in a cardboard box. Soon to outgrow it, they peep all the time, their cheery commentary a backdrop to our day. They’re hard to photo, but here’s a shot at it....
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
shingling a wall
Ah, my other life. Or one of them. Here a photo of pump jacks and partly shingled wall on the carpentry project that continues to employ me. Happily. Yesterday I cut 75 balusters and sanded them. For porch railings to come. It was work I could do in the shade on the 95 degree F. day. Later this week, more shingles and more railings I think. Tandem projects.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Summer Hair Cuts
Aquila is a delight to work with. She is willing and calm. Here I am shearing her with no restraint to her at all. She knows what to expect and is relaxed.
JetLi on the other hand hates being handled. Although interestingly he was more willing to be brushed after I held up the brush for him to sniff. We didn’t photo the indignity of his shearing in the chute with a belly sling as well. He spits and kicks and is as uncooperative as he knows how. Here’s his finished look: not very short, especially I could have cut his belly plumage except the sling was in the way!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Another patient Mama Hen
Just hatched! This mummy started with 10 eggs. We had to candle them and give her only the good ones to finish off the brood. So glad it worked.
The longer story is that this pair of Old English Red Pyle Bantams are a bit small for the flock of standard hens they’ve been living with. This smallest of all our hens decided to go into the wild and nest under a bush. She’d come every day to the back door for some food and water, then disappear again. Finally I followed her and saw her nest and her greedy pile of eggs. We wanted to reduce the number she was sitting on because it was too many for her to effectively hatch, but how not to upset her? I was able to go over while she was on a food visit and swipe some eggs.
These babies must have hatched yesterday, because they are mobile today and have already been moved about 30’ from the nest. Mama brought them over toward our back door for breakfast.
6.20.10 Poor thing! Later the next day, Rudi lifted the gate off its hinges in order to get at the chickies. He killed three babies. At least the one remains. Mama and one baby are ranging around in the wild mostly. We put them in a crate for safety, but last night they opted for sleeping under the stars. This makes the dog-outside-the-fence dynamic a little trickier.
Friday, June 04, 2010
baby robin ready to fly
This little robin was sitting up as I walked by. The mama nested on a branch over our path to the back door. We’ve been stooping under the branch so as not to disturb the nest.
I got two photos today of a baby who watched me for a while, then flew to the nearby hydrangea vine.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
baby silky chicks
Hatched April 23, we have five silky chicks growing up with mama and the tan pair. It’s a pretty happy small flock. The tan pair don’t bother the chicks too much, an occasional peck seems all. The white mummy is a good protector though, they probably don’t want to mess with her!
Monday, May 17, 2010
going to montana soon….
Well really, Paradise City Arts Festival. Not the same!!
I am working hard on all sorts of things e.g. details: wardrobe, booth, hanging hardware, postcards to friends outside 1.5 hr. distance from show, etc.
And of course new ideas to create and finish in no time. literally. Well, I am excited and thrilled, grateful and energized. Right now.
This is certainly a moment I’d love to share with Mom. Well, maybe in the afterlife!
For now, this life is the place to be.
Gratitude attitude.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Compote
- loosely based on recipe from Joy of Cooking
Cut up and combine in a saucepan several of the following. I like to use some dried fruit, either apricots or prunes, and some fresh, berries or apples etc. Frozen is fine too.
1-2 pears dried or fresh
1-2 apples or unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
2-3 prunes
7-8 apricots (dried)
blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants
mango
Add 1/2 stick cinnamon, 3-6 whole cloves, star anise if you like.
Simmer with some water to keep it from burning until all fruit is soft but not necessarily mushy.
Add 1/2 cup sherry or marsala wine.
No sugar is needed in this as the fruits are quite sweet. I recently made this with canned pears and used the syrup - wow it was reeaaally sweet.
Serve warm or cool on cereal, ice cream, yogurt, or use your imagination. Also good alone with a touch of heavy cream.
Can be served as a chutney with a meal.
Seattle 2.25.10–3.8.10
Visiting Dad and Mary Anne, it was lovely and spring-y. Warm with so many flowering trees and shrubs. But so different from here in the east where the flowers are meted out in doses, Seattle has a veritable cacophany of colored shrubbery. Delightful. This is only the view out Dad’s kitchen window into his yard and beyond.
We went to a farmer’s market in Ballard, rich with sights and sounds, on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. Dad had delicious thin crusted pizza. I bought fruits for a compote.
On my last day there we went to the Henry Gallery, part of the U of W. We saw exhibits that ultimately left us drained and exhausted, but not in a good way. There were few highlights but here are a couple. Kiki Smith, a sculptor, was exhibiting photography which showed much more of her dark process, maybe views, than I really wanted any part of.
Here’s Dad taking a little breather and watching some youth moving through the lobby.
Then in another gallery a selection from the museum’s permanent collection. There were a couple of items worth photos, but this poster struck me. A commentary on native americans’ mixture of historic and current culture. The apple reference is to people who are red on the outside and white on the inside.
I like the contrast of elements: ink drawing of dogwood, traditional art in upper right, brushy ink figure, graphic poster.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
25 Annual Sword Ale
I went to New York City last weekend to dance in various locations. Here’s a performance at the Brooklyn Museum of Art on Sunday afternoon. We were the first of 14 teams performing.
for comparison
Our other standard size rooster, an Araucana, has the blue legs and the rose comb. But his comb is not as wide and he doesn’t have the goofy, sticky-up feathers on his head. Which further supports my thought that Punky is the son of a silky.
Here’s Papa silky. He came right at me today when I tried to catch one of the chicks raised by our white mama. Very paternal!
