Last night, friends and I attended a concert in the park near my house. The weather was just lovely and the band was fun but my favorite part of the night was catching sight of this lady. I hope I’m still dancing when I’m her age!
Archive for ‘Observations’
So Stoned…
In an effort to make life as good as possible for my outside boys, I surprise them with something special every few days. Sometimes they get yummy treats, other times they get a good brushing (which they both actually prefer to the treats). And every once in awhile, I take advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon and break out the bag of ‘nip.
I pour each of them a large pile of the stuff on my front stoop and hang out with them (to watch them play but also so they feel protected and can really enjoy themselves).
This is the after photo. After they’ve rolled in, drooled on, and lastly, eaten all the ‘nip they can handle. There’s plenty of time for them to rest and recover before nightfall when they’ll go back on full alert.
Note, not all cats react strongly to the ‘nip, my Westley isn’t the least bit impressed by the stuff. Silly boy! 😹
New Friend
Mrs. Hernbrode
While pulling weeds in my front yard yesterday I was pleased to discover this odd little lump. The roughly 2” long bundle of fur and bones immediately transported me back to 3rd grade…
We were learning about Great Horned Owls as part of our science and biology curriculum. Unlike raptors that tear their meals apart, big owls tend to swallow their food whole.
In order to learn about their place in the ecosystem, my teacher, Mrs. Hernbrode, brought in owl pellets for us to dissect (cast pellets are little balls of non-digestible parts that the owls cough up after eating).
Our task was to gently extricate all the bones and carefully reassemble the skeleton so we could identify the prey animal. Most of the girls in my class were grossed out, but the guys and I dug right in (newsflash, I was a bit of a tomboy – riding horses, climbing trees, and playing in the dirt were my main hobbies). In other words, I was an eager pellet detective!
I had always been fascinated by nature and wildlife, but I credit Mrs. H for encouraging my curiosity. That curiosity guided me through college and has led me to some incredible places over the years. For that, and other reasons, Mrs. H remains my absolute favorite elementary school teacher.
So imagine my excitement when we crossed paths again, some 30 years later. She had moved to Portal, a small town nestled in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains of Southern Arizona (where my parents had moved decades earlier). I recognized her immediately and was touched when she remembered me (out of all those students over the years).
Finding this pellet pleases me because it’s a sign that my yard is welcoming to wildlife. In her honor, I’m naming the pair of Great Horned Owls in my neighborhood the Hernbrodes. As for the pellet, I’m still debating whether or not to dissect it…
Fresh Isn’t Always Best
After being a water demanding prima donna all summer, the American Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) I planted this past Spring has bloomed and set on fruit. I’m growing elderberries for their renowned healing properties as the fruits are high in antioxidants and vitamin C.
Though paradoxically, the fresh fruits also contain cyanogenic glycosides which can break down into cyanide. So, proper preparation will be key to harnessing their power. I found a recipe for Elderberry Syrup that sounds tasty, looking forward to making some soon!
Elderberry Syrup Recipe:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground clove
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup agave nectar (or more to taste)
In a medium saucepan, combine fresh fruit (wash fruit well and pick out any leaves or stems) with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. While the syrup reduces, sterilize a glass pint or quart jar by boiling the jar, fully submerged in water, for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the sterilized glass jar. Cool to room temperature and sweeten. Stir to combine. Apply lid and store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or freeze for up to 8 months for best quality. Makes about 2 cups. (Adapted from Maine Cooperative Extension recipe.)
Nevermind
Puff is one of the neighborhood boys that became “mine” after last year’s hurricanes flooded out their previous caretakers a block south of me.
He’s a sweet and gentle cat that somehow always manages to keep all his fluff in perfect order.
I feed Puff (and his more cantankerous brother Jack) every morning in my carport but they get their water from the various bird baths in my front yard.
They each have their favorite, Puff’s is on the ground, tucked in the bushes near the bird feeder. That bird bath is also quite popular with my local raccoon family- as Puff discovered the other night.
Watching my camera highlights, I wondered why he was in such a hurry to get out of there, a couple seconds later I saw the reason… 🦝🦝🦝
What a Switch
While hurricane season has been unusually quiet over here on the Gulf Coast of Florida (thank goodness). Tucson (where I grew up) is in the path of a tropical storm.
After an extremely dry monsoon season Southern Arizona is set to receive heavy rainfall when Priscilla swoops in.
Initial models said over 10”, though many have downgraded the amount to around 4” of rain. It is still a substantial amount of precipitation for the Sonoran Desert, especially all at one time.
Flooding is definitely a concern and, like here, municipalities are opening sand bag locations to help low-lying households.
I still have family and friends out there so I’m hoping that the storm delivers a reasonable amount of much needed moisture…
Anywhere But Here…
Drop Dead Dangerous Beach Bash is happening this weekend on a beach near me. Thank goodness someone reminded me because I missed the opening festivities last night.
Tonight, I zipped over after work just in time to catch Eric Erdman’s set. I know several people who would not have forgiven me if I had missed him – he has his own rabid fan club called the Erd Herd (and rightly so, as he’s quite talented).
As usual, he charmed us with his storytelling and had us singing along to his witty tunes. I have so many favorites from his vast catalog that it’s hard to choose but I’ll share this one because I like the humor of it (and I’m originally from Arizona).
One Year After
The photo above is what my front yard looked like a month after Hurricane Helene pushed water from the gulf into my neighborhood (and home) on 09/24/2024.
As you know, Helene’s devastation was widespread and though the damage to my home was less severe than others, it was still dispiriting.
Considering my yard had been completely covered by a couple feet of salt water, I fully expected to lose every single one of my plants. And sadly, quite a few did perish over the following month.
Overall though, I was pleasantly surprised by the resilience of many of my plants. The native ones did especially well – they not only survived but thrived! I added about a dozen plants but the rest of what you see in the photos below either grew from the seed bank in the soil or were survivors that flourished.
Now, my lush, flower-rich yard attracts numerous pollinators, birds, and other wildlife which makes me very happy.
It seems there’s a life lesson in this – that beautiful things can grow out of a disaster.
Be Curious
At the end of last month my fellow plant-loving friend, Becky, took me to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota. It was forecasted to be a rainy day but we risked it anyway and I’m so glad we did. The overcast skies kept the crowds away so at times, we had the place to ourselves.
What began as Marie Shelby’s private home and gardens along the waterfront has been protected and preserved as a lush botanical garden with a focus on orchids (though sadly the greenhouse area was undergoing improvements and was inaccessible during our visit).
We had a lovely morning among the greenery (and may or may not have gone home with a plant from the gift shop, I’m not telling). 🪴
How fortunate that Marie had the vision to set her property aside for public enjoyment and education. I’m so thankful for these beautiful places!
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