Weekend Observations

Hubby worked so hard for me this weekend! So when he was gone Sunday morning, taking our trash and recycling to the transfer station, I whipped up some Easy Banana Blueberry Muffins for him.

(You can find this recipe under the heading 'Baking' on my categories list)

It was cold this weekend. With fits of snow. Nothing that stayed around, but it was not a good weekend for working outside. But Hubby braved the elements so he could do a few things for me.

One of the chores was cutting down my beloved Golden Chain Tree. It was badly damaged in the recent ice storm, and listing so far over to the side that we couldn't save it.

This is what it looked like last summer. It would fill the whole yard with it's beautiful scent and would attract so many bees that you could hear them buzzing from the house.

My youngest son planted it as a gift to me on Mother's Day a few years ago.

The whole time Hubby was cutting it down, I couldn't watch.

I asked him afterwards if he felt bad. He told me that while he was doing it he thought of the look on my youngest son's face when he gave it to me. A mixture of love and generosity, and pride.

 He also had to cut down one of my dwarf apple trees. It too, had fallen over from the storm.

We love our trees and it is always sad when we lose any.

We are making some progress on the clean up, but it is going slowly due to the cold and wet weather. But every little effort brings us closer to our goal.

Look what just started blooming! I don't know what variety these daffodils are, but they have been coming up this early for years. I bought a mixed bag of un-named cultivars one year and they have rewarded me with their beauty ever since. A little surprise at a time when they are very much appreciated.

 My Christmas cactus has also been blooming.  Like a bright, tropical bird that has come to visit.

And seeing I'm on a roll.... my Kalanchoe is blooming it's little heart out.

So I moved it to the center of my table.

Flowers add to the quality of life in a way that can't be defined.

These little sweeties have been pretty much decorating the couch all weekend. For some reason they like to lie right on top of the pillows until they get them squished just the way they like them.

It's a good thing they haven't wanted to go out lately.

We've had visitors.

Every day this bald eagle flies right over the house. And circles. He has friends.

He is always accompanied by another eagle. The second one doesn't have it's white coloring yet.

 They are also accompanied by two red-tailed hawks and two ravens. Always.

I have noticed this sort of friendship before.

I believe they all help each other find food. Whether it is spotting a cougar or road kill, or whether it is 'herding' of prey, such as flocks of ducks, they all work together.

I let Ling Ling out on the deck the other day, only to rush over and grab her when the bald Eagle made a very close pass. He had circled around when he saw her. Unless you have seen one of these magnificient birds up close, you can't appreciate how big they are.

My camera doesn't do justice.

We have also had a very large flock of crows fly over every evening on their way to roost. These crows have been roosting in the high foothills ever since we moved here. Except for the last three years. During that time we had a hawk living right along this route that would attack them as they flew over. So they changed their route. But the hawk is gone, so they are once again flying overhead every evening. There are about 75 of them.

I love crows. One year I had part of that flock hanging around every day. They had discovered the dog food. Every day they would wait for me to feed my three big dogs and then swoop down and gobble up the dry kibbles. I enjoyed them at first. They were comical and sweet. One would find something in the grass and bob his head and make little chattering sounds. That meant, 'Come and look what I found!' They always shared. They never fought. The adults would leave the young ones in the trees for the day while they went out searching for food. The young would sit in the trees making mewing sounds, just like kittens.

But because crows like to share and because they are so gregarious, the little flock turned into quite a raucous crowd. I had to cut them off. They begged for days. But eventually they left. I had to do it during the summer when they were sure to find food elsewhere.

Every year we have varied avian visitors. These little guys live here year round. But this year has been difficult for them.

We have a predator.

A Cooper's Hawk.

I don't know if you can see him in this shot. He is on the ground right at the edge of the grass, directly in the center. He had just caught a robin. Right in front of me. I had come out to do some clean up on Friday afternoon and he swooped down and grabbed that little robin so quick. I didn't know what to do. I stepped forward and he flew into a thicket with the robin. But then he flew out. I went into the thicket to see if I could save the robin, but his neck was broken.

So I left. I felt bad. But the hawk has to eat, too. I just wish he would live someplace else. I have seen him before. He even swooped down on my cat one day. Ninky was coming around the corner of the toolshed. I was watching out the kitchen window. There was a flash and Ninky spun around to see what hit him. He had no clue. But I had seen and knew it was the Cooper's Hawk. Maybe asserting his territorial rights? He is too small to hurt the cat. But I admired his bravery.

He has been living here since early fall. I hope he is just a winter visitor and will move on come spring.

Well, the Oscars are on and I must go now. I must make some new observations.

The stars are out.

Recipe for Happiness

 Happiness

Take 2 heaping cups of Patience,

1 heartful of Love,

2 hands of Generosity,

A dash of Laughter,

1 headful of Understanding.

Sprinkle generously with Kindness,

Add plenty of Faith and mix well.

Spread over a period of a lifetime

And serve everybody you meet.



A Happy Journey

( I took these pictures traveling 40 mph from the car with my Kodak Easy Share camera. I love that camera and so sad that Kodak is not going to make cameras anymore)

We went to see a house that my eldest son and his new bride are hoping to buy. (I can't show you pictures yet, until the final documents are signed) We are so happy for them. They currently own a townhouse near the city, but this new home is in the country and close to my son's job. It is 40 miles from us, but as luck would have it, the road from here to there can be taken 'the back way'. It is nearly a straight line as the crow flies.

Past beautiful old farms.

With mountain views.

My son is a senior program manager for a world wide computer company. How that happened from growing up in this tiny mountain town, I'll never know.

But back in the 80's when computers were just beginning to be a house-hold item, we went out and bought a Mac. With so many bells and whistles, it was the only Christmas gift we had under the tree that year.

I guess it payed off because both of my sons are computer 'geniuses' now. The youngest one owns his own Computer Consulting company.

You never know what will influence a child.

They spent their childhoods roaming the woods, building forts, and on rainy, cold days like today, on the computer. They used to fight over it.

Hubby and I didn't even know how to use it.

But we took classes so we could keep up.

You are never quite prepared for when your children know more than you do. But that's a good thing. Unless they remind you all the time when they are 14. But what 14 year old doesn't think he knows more than his parents? Well, that is what Hubby and I told ourselves, anyway.

This beautiful countryside is what we get to see on our way to visit. Forty miles might seem like a long distance, but here in the West, it is what you would call a 'Hop, Jump and a Skip Away'. Through that whole journey, there are only two small towns that we drive through.

One has the best bakery in the world, and the other has the best restaurants. So when we go to visit, we can bring dessert and maybe even dinner!

All we'll have to say is 'Got Milk?'

A Gift

I just put together a hand-made gift bag for a very special young lady in my life. She is just learning to knit and I wanted to gift her with a few new supplies to encourage her brand new pastime.

To begin, I found an unbleached homespun bag at my local craft store. I also used some pretty buttons and lace, plain tags, some pretty cotton dish towels, some unbleached cheesecloth, jute and stamps.

I hand stitched the lace and buttons onto the cloth bag on both sides.

This little bag can double as a knitting tote.

I glued lace and a button onto the manila tag and used some sentimental stamps. I used jute twine for the hanger.

I then tied a pair of bamboo knitting needles with lace and a small tea dyed tag written with the size of the needles.

Small muslin bags were also stamped to hold tiny knitting supplies.

Larger supplies were wrapped in double layers of unbleached cheesecloth, and tied up with jute twine and vintage silk flowers.

Books with simple knitting projects are wrapped in dish towels, tied with jute twine and more vintage silk flowers. The bamboo knitting needles were added.

I included some yummy mohair yarn and tucked everything in the cloth bag and tied on the gift tag.

A sweet gift for a very sweet girl.

Chocolate Truffles

I have the perfect solution when these last few weeks of winter have you feeling a little, well, tired of it all.

Chocolate!

These are melt in your mouth yummy. And very easy to make. They taste like fudgicles! Rich and creamy. Perfect for popping in your mouth when you need a little pick me up. They will also impress your family and guests. Nobody has to know how simple they are!

Chocolate Truffles

makes about 36 truffles

10 oz. good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp light corn syrup

cocoa powder, coconut, crushed butter mints, sprinkles, crushed cookie or graham cracker crumbs, or crushed nuts for toppings

1. Put the chocolate in a large microwave-safe container and heat, at medium power, stirring every minute, until most of chocolate is melted

2. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. Remove from heat; pour the cream over the chocolate, stirring until the mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.

3. Stir the butter into the mixture in 4 or 5 additions, stirring gently until it's again smooth and shiny. Stir in the corn syrup.

4. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with plastic wrap; pour in the mixture. Press another piece of plastic wrap against the chocolate on top and put the pan in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or until mixture is firm.

5. To form truffles, line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  Remove the plastic wrap off the top and turn out the mixture onto a cutting board, remove the  bottom plastic, and cut the chocolate into small cubes. Or scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of chocolate from the pan. Put cocoa powder and/or other toppings in small bowls. One by one, roll the pieces between your palms to make compact balls, then drop them into the cocoa or other toppings and turn to coat. Put the finished truffles on the lined baking sheet.

( I used crushed pink butter mints, sprinkles, coconut and red sugar )

6. Return the truffles to the fridge so they become firm again. Serve cold.

I know it will be difficult, but try to share! Just make sure you stash a few behind the cottage cheese so you can find them when you need them (and nobody else will even think to look there ).

Enjoy! (And wipe that chocolate off your lips!)