Empty Nest

The 3 baby Phoebes have flown away.  I suspected as much, and confirmed this yesterday.

Unfortunately, in the storms last night, the tiny nest blew out of my cherry tree.  L discovered it and all 4 eggs on the ground, one of which was broken.  We carefully returned the nest and all 4 eggs to the tree, but I did not see Mama bird return at all today.  Very sad news.

Digging in the Dirt

Today I finally had the chance to dig in my garden.  This is how it looks after hours of work to break down the raised beds, pull up the landscape fabric, and rototill.  We did the two beds of strawberries - there will be ripe berries to pick in a couple of weeks.  The blueberry bushes are still up at the top, and there are lots and lots of green blueberries hanging on.

Before I started planting, I shoveled a wheelbarrow full of compost from my compost bins.  It was crawling with nice, fat worms.

I put down several boards for walkways, and planted peas, green beans, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach and swiss chard.  I planted a couple of rows of California Poppies, Zinnias and Cosmos, separated by marigolds.  I also replanted some dill, as we had to till up the bed where it came up year after year.

L and I planted 18 tomato plants that we started from seed in the house, filling each hole with some of the worm infused compost.  Here's how much I accomplished today.

There is still much to be done in the garden, but it feels really good to get started!

Are any of you delving into gardening this summer?

Sewing

I stayed fairly busy this week.  I did get my sewing machine out again and made some more masks using a different pattern.  I think they fit better, but I think I will alter them a bit in order to get a tighter seal around the nose.

I also got the paints out again and painted this cute caddy that Lauren made for me LAST Mother's Day.  I put all my seed packets in it, so when I head down to the garden for planting, they'll all be together.

The garden is finally ready to start planting.  On Monday, JP started rototilling the upper part that the girls and I cleared last weekend.  The tiller died after about an hour out there, and not much to show for it.  We were able to reserve a rental rototiller for today.  While JP was tilling at the top, the girls and I were tearing out the last 8 raised beds and ripping up landscaping fabric at the bottom.  JP was able to go over everything twice, and the tiller is ready to head back in the morning.  I can start sewing out there anytime now!

The girls and I also uncovered the pool last weekend and dumped chemicals in.  I was able to vacuum it this week, and get the solar cover on.  The water is still VERY COLD, but I'm hoping that we soon can get in.

On Friday we had the last Drop Off/Pick Up day at the schools.  The work for the next 2 short weeks of school is all for enrichment and does not count towards their grades.  This sign was out front of the Middle School, and there was a similar one on the hill to the HS and Elementary Schools.  L is a bit sad that she will not see her teachers again, as she moves to the HS next year. 

Next week they must don gloves and masks to go in and empty out their lockers and return books.

In other news, the baby birds under the deck are getting big and have plenty of feathers now.  The tiny nest in my weeping cherry tree now has 4 diminutive eggs.

I'm exhausted!  Over and out from Poplar Ridge.

Home Sweet Home

Yeah, yeah.  Being safe at home doesn't quite have the allure it used to before we weren't allowed to leave here!

I had been watching some little birds flying in and out under the deck last month, and repeatedly checked for nest building activity.  Well, somehow I missed it, because they built this mossy little thing way up in the eaves.  By the time I found it, there was a small, white egg there, and I didn't have the heart to destroy it.  I also wasn't able to identify the parents - they were a species that I had not seen around here very much.

We kept an eye on things, but can only peep by climbing on a ladder and taking a blind cell phone picture.  By the time Mama Bird was finished, there were 5 little eggs in the nest.

At the end of last week, L noticed a tiny, naked baby bird on the ground under the nest.  A few days later, we discovered 3 little semi-fluffy guys still at home in the mossy nest.

I was also able to identify the parents as Eastern Phoebes.  They have a cute habit of sitting on the fence around my flower bed, and puffing up the feathers on their heads.

We also noticed a tiny nest being built in one of my weeping cherries.  You have to look hard to see it!

By yesterday, it also had 2 very diminutive blue eggs with brown spots.  I have yet to see the parents, but these may be the eggs of House Finches, based on my research.  Apparently Cowbirds love to parasitize the nests of finches, and add their eggs there as well, so we'll have to keep an eye out for that.

Any interesting bird sightings at your home?

Another Fail

I heard of the idea of banana peel bacon on a podcast that I listened to recently.  I thought that it might be something that would appeal to J, my vegetarian daughter.  And besides, I'll try most anything once.

I found this recipe on line and amassed a couple of brown-enough peels by last weekend to give it a shot.  The intro to the recipe post states "Yes, you read that right, this is banana peel bacon. A vegan bacon recipe made from the banana peels that you would otherwise toss away. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. Does it taste good? Yes, it does. It really, really does!"

Well, please believe me.  This stuff is basically inedible.  I know, I know, this is not a big surprise.  We are all grasping at straws here for some amazing discovery to make life stuck at home a little more interesting.

Go ahead, try it for yourself.  Maybe I did something terribly wrong?

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Ever since the recipe for No Churn Ice Cream was published in my Cook's Country magazine last summer, I have been making this delicious dessert.  They published a vanilla recipe, along with 11 other flavors.  I have tried many of these, plus fashioned a few of my own, AND revised the recipe, which I thought was too sweet.

The original recipe is below, (I have put my revisions beside it.)  This recipe makes enough for 8 moderate servings.

Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream

2 c heavy cream
1 c sweetened condensed milk (this comes in 14 oz cans, which is about 1 c + 2 T.   I use the entire thing)
1/4 c whole milk
1/4 c light corn syrup (I omit this)
2 T sugar (omit)
1 T vanilla extract
1/4 t table salt

Process cream in blender until soft peaks form - it usually takes just a few seconds.  Scrape down sides of blender jar, and then continue blending until stiff peaks form.  Pour in remaining ingredients and blend a few seconds until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the jar at least once.

Pour into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and press plastic wrap flush against the cream mixture and the sides.  (I use a Rubbermaid bread container, as I don't want to scratch the non-stick surface of my bread pans with the ice cream scoop.)  Freeze at least 6 hours, until firm.  (This is important!  I have found that after 4 hours, the outside edges of the container are scoop-able, but the center must freeze longer.  If it does freeze longer than 6 hours, you will need to let it sit on the counter for 10-15 min before it is scoop-able.)

Peach Cobbler

Omit sugar (already done.)  Substitute bourbon for vanilla (I stuck with the vanilla.)  Add 1/2 c peach preserves and 1/4 t cinnamon with sweetened condensed milk.  After transferring cream mixture to loaf pan, gently stir in 1/2 c coarsely chopped shortbread cookies before freezing.

Mint Cookie

Substitute 1/4 t peppermint extract for vanilla.  Add 1/8 t green food color with condensed milk.  After transferring cream mixture to loaf pan, gently stir in 1/2 c coarsely crushed oreo cookies before freezing.  (I stirred in 1/2 c + of chocolate chunks to make Mint Chocolate Chip instead.)

Key Lime

Omit vanilla.  Substitute buttermilk for whole milk.  Add 1/2 c limeade concentrate with condensed milk.  (I didn't have limeade, so I used lime juice - didn't work, ice cream was icy.)  After transferring mixture to container, gently stir in 1/2 c coarsely chopped graham crackers.

(T-Dawg's Marvelous Milkshake Flavor

Add 1/2 c creamy peanut butter, 1/4 c cocoa powder, and 1/4 c of malted milk powder along with sweetened condensed milk.)

(T-Dawgs Vanilla Bean

Omit vanilla extract, and add the scrapings from one vanilla bean with condensed milk.)

(T-Dawg's Nutella

Add 1/2 c Nutella with condensed milk.)

This recipe is concocted similarly to the Butterbeer ice cream featured earlier.  However, I did double the caramel recipe the second time I made this and we liked it even more.

I would like to try, but haven't yet, a couple of my favorite recipes adapted from the Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book.

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch

Dissolve 2 T instant coffee crystals in milk.  Gently stir in 2-3 coarsely chopped Heath bars after transferring cream to container.

Butter Pecan

Melt 1 stick of butter in a skillet over low heat.  Add 1 c pecan halves and 1/2 t salt and sauté, stirring constantly until pecans start to brown.  Drain butter into small bowl and transfer pecans into a second bowl and allow to cool. 

Add butter with condensed milk.  Stir in pecans after transferring cream to container.

Being Destructive

It was a warm, but cloudy day today, and there is rain forecasted for the next several days.  I decided we needed to get some work done in the garden!

I have mentioned before that we had been planning to tear out the raised beds and till the garden since I am unable to maintain the no-till method using the broad fork and lots of manual prep.  These plans were side-lined by JP's retinal detachment in early December, and then by the pandemic.  (JP is wanting to get a new mowing tractor, which will also have a tilling attachment.

In any case, I have nothing planted in the garden yet.  Although I have lots of baby plants that are longing for room to stretch their roots!

I built them a little green house today, so I can start hardening them off in preparation for planting.  It is just a set of plastic shelving and clear plastic sheeting, along with strategically placed duct tape and clothes pins.

The girls and I headed down the garden armed with sledge hammers and the drill to remove screws.  We disassembled the top 7 raised beds, and heaved the planks over the fence on to a pile.  We may end up using these as walk ways once we get things tilled and planted.

One of the beds had a few things in it that come back:  some garlic, rhubarb, and a couple of bunches of tulips.  These we transplanted:  the tulips to my flower beds, the rhubarb to an empty area in the asparagus bed, and the garlic to the top tier of the strawberry bed.

We worked hard today - maybe tomorrow we can actually have an outing to the Drive In Movie Theater to reward ourselves!

Are you all still sheltering in place, or is life going back to normal in your area?

Highlights

Things are looking up in our neck of the woods!  The Governor has relaxed the Stay-At-Home Orders in our county and surrounding counties as of early this morning.  We are still to maintain Social Distancing, but are allowed to meet in groups of less than 25.

We invited our friend, C, over for a Social Distancing Picnic.  (L moved closer momentarily to be in the picture!)  We haven't seen her since Christmas, since she was out West for college until they sent her home to do on line classes.  It was wonderful to see her again.

Unfortunately, several of our hives of bees did not make it over the winter.  Sometime in the past several days, the Apiarist brought us several new hives, some of which are a cheerful yellow.  It makes me smile when I see them!

I was able to Zoom with a bunch of my girlfriends yesterday, and it was SO good to see everyone again.

I received a message from my supervisor, giving me a possible return to work date in 4-6 more weeks.

There may be a glimmer of light at the end of this Corona tunnel!

Finally...Some Spring Planting

There have been frost warnings over night for the past week or so.  I have been eager to plant my babies from the nursery last weekend, but have kept them safe and warm in the garage for awhile.  Yesterday was warm and sunny.  After I retrieved the muddy sheets and blankets that I have been using to cover the strawberries, rhubarb and herbs over many nights, I looked up the extended forecast on AccuWeather.  It showed no nights below the high 40's for the next 15 days, so I pulled my potted and hanging plants out of the garage, along with the new annuals, and got to work planting.

 

I was able to overwinter these Vinca vines from last year for my hanging pots, as well as some Lantana and Begonias.  I added Petunias and bright yellow Violas and hung them back out on the veranda.

 

The Oregano and Chives are established in my herb garden, although we cut the chives to the ground before the 24* night to use them and prevent freezing.  I added some Thyme that I hope becomes established, Rosemary (which never survives the winters here in PA), and Thai Basil.  I have tiny, baby Sweet Basil and Parsley started in the house, which I will add to the herb bed when it is big enough.

 



 

 

My big cast iron kettle planter has Sweet Potato vine, Coleus, Straw Flower, Double Petunia, Pansies and Viola.

 

It is wonderfully refreshing to do something useful and to dig in the dirt - that has always been my go-to resource when I'm feeling down.  Digging in the dirt, destroying weeds, or chopping kindling work well to get out aggressions and take my mind to better climes.

 

What do you do for your mental health when this pandemic really gets to you?

Mother's Day in the Woods

After another night of frosts, Mother's Day dawned warm and sunny.  The girls and I donned our masks and ventured out to the nursery -  the first outing the girls have been on for many, many weeks.  We arrived fairly early, and luckily there were not too many other folks there, but by the time we hade made our selections of annuals, herbs and plants for the garden, it was starting to get busy.

We all went for a hike in the afternoon.  J and L led us down the hill to an area they had been exploring recently and where I had never been. 

 It was gorgeous - mossy and shaded, with a tiny stream running through steep walls.

 

The clearings were studded with wildflowers, and we finally chanced upon the elusive Trilium, that I had been searching for in vain this spring.

I slid down the bank at one point, and landed on my knees on sharp rocks in the stream (which I paid for the next day.)  L too slipped into the mud, but it was overall a lovely expedition, and allowed me to forget about COVID for several hours (which is glorious in its own right.)

JP ordered dinner from Bob Evans and picked it up so that I didn't have to cook. 

I hope that all of you Mothers had an equally wonderful Mother's Day!

Frost

We had a deep freeze warning overnight.  This is one moment when I am thankful that I don't have the garden planted.  The blueberries and strawberries, however, are in full bloom.  We really look forward to those 2 crops every year, so we don't want to lose them!  The asparagus and rhubarb are also spring crops, which I've already been harvesting.

Yesterday afternoon, I cut all the asparagus that was above ground, hoping that anything still under the ground would be saved...time will tell on that one.  Yesterday evening I brought in all of the hanging/potted plants and the hummingbird feeders.  I also covered the strawberries, the rhubarb, my herbs, and 1/3 of the blueberries.  L helped me move her rabbit closer to the house and hook up the heat lamp again.  When he got home from work, JP helped me cover the rest of the blueberry bushes.

You can see the frost on the grass in the foreground this morning!  It got down to 26* by my thermometer.

In the meantime, we have tried another couple new recipes.  I made "Dole Whip" which is apparently sold at Disney theme parks - basically a pineapple soft serve ice cream.  I thought it sounded incredibly refreshing, so gave it a whirl:  vanilla ice cream, frozen pineapple and pineapple juice blended together.  It ended up being...meh.  I'm not a huge fan.

Yesterday morning, we had pancake cereal for breakfast.

I put the pancake batter into a squeeze bottle, and made hundreds of tiny pancakes...

Which we then ate with butter and syrup (and bananas and blueberries) out of a bowl.  It was pretty fun!

J and I took turns creating shaped pancakes out of the remaining batter.

This is supposed to be one of her favorite teachers!

I find myself craving caffeine lately.  I'm not sure if I'm simply craving stimulation, or what the deeper issue is.  I'm trying to limit myself to 2 drinks daily.  Yesterday morning, while I made my Butterbeer Latte, this little heart appeared in the caramel.  How fitting!

Another new recipe in the works for today - AND a trip to the nursery, it's our Mother's Day tradition.  Yeah - stimulation!

Everyone's a Critic

I found another project sitting on my desk yesterday.  In fact, I'm not sure how I overlooked it this long?  I'm used to overlooking it because I've been doing it for over a year now.

I received these unfinished nesting dolls as a birthday gift in 2019.  I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to paint, and then I wasn't sure if we had the right kind of paint, and then, and then, and then...

We don't have the right kind of paint as it ends up, but I used what I had, which was left over tempera paint from homeschooling days.  I got pretty good at mixing colors (burgundy = 3 drops of purple + 1 drop of red + 1 drop of brown.)

I'm not the greatest artist, but I enjoy doing crafts, so I just had fun with it.  I made the whole family, and even included Stella.  Everyone has had comments about what I shoulda/coulda done, EXCEPT for Stella.

I started spray painting another gift - this one Mother's Day last year - today too.  I ran out of paint, so I've put it on JP's shopping list for this week.  Hopefully they have it at Walmart!

Any fun projects going on at your home?

Seeking

So, it's been more of the same around here.  JP has several days off in a row and I was hoping that we could get the garden ready to plant, but the weather has not been on our side.  It has rained nearly every day this week, except Saturday, which was lovely.  Unfortunately, both JP and I spent that day mowing. 

I did get some weeding done Saturday as well, and between showers earlier in the week.  I have my flower beds by the house weeded.  I also weeded the 2 strawberry beds in the garden, and the asparagus bed below the garden.  We are starting to harvest some lovely asparagus!

I was a bit thrown off when I opened up my pig mailbox this Spring - this is where I store my gardening gloves and tools.

I found 3 left gloves and no right gloves.  Interesting!

I am getting a bit anxious about planting in the garden, but it is nowhere near ready to plant yet.  Just the weeding that I did flared up the arthritis in my hand, so I know that I can't do the broadforking any more.  I will have to be patient and wait for help with tearing out the raised beds and the landscape fabric from the paths (I've done some of that, but it is really heavy work!) and getting the tilling done.  Unfortunately, my seedlings are starting to outgrow their little pots, so there is some true urgency here!

I have spent several hours this week playing with a new app that I got on my phone.  It is called "Seek", and it helps to identify flora and fauna when I take pictures.  I am racking up species (85 so far) and badges (10) for finding certain things.  I've taken a couple of walks, and found some interesting things - but no morel mushrooms yet!

Stella had some big excitement this week.  She got a new hedgehog, and has spent a lot of time both playing with it and sleeping with it.  She has no issues with the Stay At Home Orders - in fact, she seems pretty happy that we are all here with her all day every day!

What's new from your neck of the woods?