What do I know...

All week that Cedar Waxwing has been sitting in the top of a tree calling and calling.  I told my husband on Wednesday there was no way that Waxwing was going to find another Waxwing just sitting in the same tree calling every day.  An hour later, I noticed there seemed to be more calls than normal.  I grabbed the binoculars and what do I know.  There sat two Waxwings calling to the world.  I guess it is true there is somebody out there for everyone if you wait long enough.  

We had a wonderful day on Sunday.  We did some prairie dog hunting and then went fishing.  I caught a bass and my husband caught some perfectly sized catfish.  Then I went and picked some wild grapes.  We came home and fried up some delicious catfish for lunch.  Life is good.

I've been busy in the garden.  The strawberry spinach is producing berries like crazy.  I am not sure what I am going to do with all the berries.  I just keep putting them in the freezer.  I've also been picking and freezing the borage flowers.  I am going to try making a wine out of them.  I have to be careful picking them.  Sooner or later I'm going to grab one that has a bee on it.  

My peaches and cream hollyhocks are blooming like crazy.  I love watching the bees wander in and out of the blooms.  I would guess it is like a flowery maze to them.  I would love to be covered in a blanket of hollyhock petals.

It has been a fabulous week.  We are hunkered down trying to pretend the Sturgis Rally isn't happening.  Unfortunately, you can hear the roar of motorcycles even up here.  I went to the grocery store and every local had a mask on.  Not one biker wore a mask.  I will admit I am hoping for rain every night.  Maybe even a little hail.  Sorry, but it is true.  

Is there some local event that puts you up a wall?  Have you ever tried strawberry spinach?  Here is a long shot.  Has anyone ever had borage wine?  If so could you send me a recipe.  Here is hoping you have a wonderful week (without motorcycles). 

Chokecherry Pie and birds on the fly...

We went out to or prairie property this weekend.  I was pleased to see the chokecherries were ready to be picked.  Yes, chokecherry pickers they could be a smidge darker, but we weren't going to be able to go out to the property again until next weekend and the birds would have them gone by then.  In fact, the birds sat in the bushes and chewed me out while I was picking.  

Most of the berries will go to wine and maybe some jam, but I have been dying to try a recipe Phyllis gave me.  Chokecherry pudding.  My husband was excited. Then we decided to make a pie of it.

  

Phyllis's Chokecherry Pudding

1 quart of chokecherry juice

1/2 c. of sugar (I used 3/4 c. since the berries weren't fully ripe.)

1/3 c. of cornstarch

dash of salt

I stirred in the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Then brought everything to a boil and boiled until thick.  Once I thought it was thick enough I poured it into a graham cracker crust.  It was delightful and will go in the family cookbook for sure.

The photo of the pie is a bit fuzzy because the steam from the pudding fuzzed up my camera.  Remember this is a bird, bee, and berry blog.  I am not a professional cooking blogger.  

Finally, the beans in my garden were ripe enough to pick.  I found this recipe last year and loved it.  I made 4 slices of bacon.  Used the grease to sauté the beans, three small cloves of garlic and two slices of onion.  I sautéed for about 20 minutes.  Added the bacon and yum.

Now, technically the birds in this post aren't flying.  I just wanted the title to rhyme.  For the last week I have heard an unfamiliar bird call around the cabin.  I haven't seen the bird and couldn't identify the call.  Then yesterday I saw it way at the top of the tree.  Even with the zoom on my camera and binoculars it was difficult to tell what kind of bird it was.  Luckily, I was able to use the computer to zoom the photo.  Turns out it seems to be a Cedar Waxwing looking for more Cedar Waxwings.  A Robin and even a Grosebeak joined it in the tree to keep it company.  Even today it was flying around with it's sad lonely chirp.  It isn't going to find any other Cedar Waxwings around.  The last time we had any up here was about 10-15 years ago.

As I was typing this post, two mother Turkeys went by with their brood.  I was too busy trying to get photo to count how many they had.  There was quite a few.  Both mommas kept a sharp lookout while the little guys scampered around looking for bugs.  Living here in the woods I see so many wonderful things from our porch.  I count my blessings every day.  

As the sun sets on another week, I am amazed that I am able to find something to blog about every week.  Maybe not the most exciting stuff, but there is always something going on around here.  Either I'm making something, there is a new flower blooming in the garden, or some animal has caught my attention.  Do you find it easy to blog about things?  What are you making in the kitchen?  What are you seeing from your porch?  Do you even have a porch?  I hope all is well at your corner of the world.  

Spring has sprung...

We are done with snow.  Now it is just rain.  Lots of rain.  Everything is soused.  

 This poor turkey looks pretty disheveled.  It took awhile, but we did finally get some sunny days and the trees and grass turned a vivid green.  Still they could not compare to the colors of the Western Tanager.  This is one of my favorite birds.  He always looks so dapper.  

 I was able to get some gardening in last weekend.  My husband, as always, was quick with the camera.   I took a few photos myself.  The wagon he restored for me really stands out in the yard.  

 A day after putting up my feeders, I had a hummingbird.  I am surprised that it has stayed quite regular.  Generally they don't stay around until August.  I took the red food coloring out after it showed up.  

 I miss Out on the Prairie.  He could tell me what type of butterfly this is.   I enjoyed watching it sun itself on the blocks.  It was as happy as the rest of us for some sunshine.

 I think this may be the same hummingbird that stayed late into October a few years ago.  Although it isn't as chirpy, it is sitting in all the same places.   It seems to be taking a nap. 

Do you have any hummingbirds where you are?  How about turkeys or tanagers?  What birds do you look forward to seeing every year?

Birds, gardening, and what does the fox say?

Poor Robin.  Winter isn't quite done yet.   It melts off and then snows again.  It sounds like it is supposed to stay cool  until June.  The birds aren't going to wait.  They are here in full force.  The chipping sparrows always make me smile.  

The yellow-rumped warbler is like a gymnast trying to get the catkins.

This warbler was also hanging precariously in its efforts to get some spring fodder.

The junco seems a tad grumpy.

This house finch is eyeing the feeders.

This turkey hen has a nest nearby.  Everyday she wanders by the feeder and then meanders down the road.  For as long as we have lived here we have had a hen nest below the cabin.  I'm sure it isn't the original, but certain she is a descendant of the first hen.

This was our big weekend project.  We have always wanted a live Christmas tree.  I saw this wonderful combination of pine, juniper, and dog wood.  We made a few modifications.  I hate pine trees, so this little Black Hills Spruce is the focal point.  I just need to get some red twigged dogwoods and it will be perfect.  While we were taking a break from shoveling, a fox trotted by us.  Now all my poor husband hears is me singing, "what does the fox say?"  

I got a bunch of basil (I love basil on pizza) and thyme for the herb pot.  I have them in the greenhouse, but I must be very aware of the weather.  It is supposed to dip below freezing a couple of times this week.  I also got a few metal planters from Runnings for my greenhouse.  They are the perfect size.  In fact, I think I will be able to add one more.  My seedlings are all up and I am so ready to garden.  Unfortunately, the weather isn't as ready as I am.  I did some serious spring cleaning this week and it feels good to have the house ready for summer company.  Now when it finally warms up, I'll be guilt free to go outside and enjoy gardening.  

Do you have your spring cleaning done?  Has winter let go in your area?  I hope you are all enjoying good weather, perfect bird watching, and great gardening.

P.S.  The tulips in the header are from about 15 years ago.  They came up one year and that was it.  I don't have the best luck with tulips.  That picture always reminds me of the saying by Emerson, "the world laughs with flowers."

Bird is the word...

My husband and I made a quick trip back to my parents last weekend.  A person hates to leave the hills during the fall.  The colors are so amazing and fall is very short lived.  

I was able to add a few more birds to my birding list.  The grouse were hard to get a photo of.  They move pretty fast.  This one stopped for a second on the electric lines and I got a quick photo.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse

I already have a red tailed hawk photo, but this one posed, unlike the other one.  We saw tons of them on the drive home and back.  It was heartbreaking that I missed a photo of a bald eagle on the coolest rock sticking up out of the prairie.  By the time we realized it was real and got turned around it had flown off.  We will forever have the picture in our head. 

Red Tailed Hawk

 As you can see, the leaves are just starting to turn at my parent's place.

I think I have a song sparrow photo also, but this guy kept taunting me for a photo. 

 Song Sparrow

 My mother's flower bed. Is always amazing.  Those petunias are all volunteers.  Our short growing season and shady yard would never encourage this type of growth.

It is snowing again and my crab apple tree is filled with robins, flickers, and turkeys.  They are very happy to have some food during our latest snowstorm.

 Northern Flicker

I have looked and looked.  I think this is an orange crowned warbler rather than a yellow warbler.  Yellow warbler's have bars on the wings and the orange crowned doesn't.  If I have mis-identified please let me know. 

Orange Crowned Warbler

 We got about 5-6 inches of heavy wet snow.  The trees are all bent over, because they still have their leaves.  It is supposed to warm up this week.  I hope so.  I'm not quite ready for winter.

 

I hope you are having better weather.  It was a good trip home last weekend and I did enjoy taking it easy this weekend.  I needed a quiet weekend.  Hopefully the roads won't be too icy tomorrow.  

Finally production...

Finally, I'm getting some production from the garden.  Two tomatoes, peppers, and one lemon cucumber.  We tried some of the sweet corn and it was fabulous.   I have some late season rhubarb to cut up and freeze.  For some stupid reason I picked crab apples.  I have a plethora.  I will make some jelly and wine.  I may even try pickling some. 

 On the bird front I have a barn swallow and a turkey vulture.  I see the vultures regularly on the way to work.   The barn swallows nest on the school.  They make a bit of a mess, but my students always watch to see how many clutches they have.  I have been so busy with projects I haven't had time to update my bird count.  I will have to sit down and figure out where I am countwise.

 This fella has been hanging around the place all summer.  I think he is a bull snake.  As long as he eats mice I am happy.  I've seen him in the greenhouse, compost pile, and under the water tank. 

 My flowers are recovering from the deer decimation.  I have a few late summer blooms and the smell of phlox is divine.  

The rose garden is making a comeback.  These flowers are in the butterfly garden.  I should call it the butterfly and bee garden.  The bees love it. Does anyone know what kind of flower is below?  I've never seen it before.

 I need to get back to straining my crab apples.  I enjoyed this weekend immensely.  It seems like late summer is taking its time.  To everything there is a season and I'm fine with that.  As long as there is actually a season.   Does anyone have any ideas for those crab apples?  I don't know why I picked so many.  Don't worry the birds will still have plenty.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.