Friday, March 31, 2017

And Then There Were Even More

With Bruce gone all week, I've struggled some nights with what to fix myself for dinner, generally forgetting to get anything out of the freezer in time. Getting a wee bit creative the other night, I thought I'd make asparagus, over penne with a little lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Because the grill pan was already on the stove, I gave grilled asparagus a go, and it was delicious!
It is really something how you can use just a few ingredients and oftentimes, those are the dishes that are the best. Seriously, it was that good.

While we are in the kitchen, I finally called a repair person for the refrigerator, and the bad news, or at least as far as an inconvenience is concerned, is that we will have to let the refrigerator defrost for 48 hours! Turns out the reason Bruce was not able to remove that panel is because it was frozen in place! Two full days without a fridge is going to really be something. At least we can pay the $200 bill;  I can easily remember a time when that would have been the worst part of this mess. 

Furthermore, for those who haven't realized it, when I put a link in the post it is to save you the trouble of Googling something. All you need do is click on the part that is a different color, and you will be directed to that page. BTW--that different color is ORANGE.

Although the Tabebuia trees were pretty much a bust this year, the bougainvillea have been just tremendous. Our friend Lisa has this gorgeous beauty in her front yard.
For some reason the photograph makes it look more pink than it is...a gorgeous peachy orange is the true color. 

This would be the hot pink version:
I see this scene every time I head down Greenwood Street, as all of the other photographers do that make the trek over daily.

I will admit, it was so much more fun when not so many folks knew about the owls. Now, when I pull up it looks like this, or at least it did yesterday morning.
I show up with my little camera hanging off my wrist, and I look like the amateur that I am. When I arrived, they informed me that I'd missed the feeding already, and Mama was hanging just hanging out in the opposite tree. Playing a little peek-a-boo with the moss.
My new friend Candy told me there were Wood Duck babies in nearby Lake Davis, so I went in search of them. At first they were swimming around in the reeds making them hard to spot but eventually they took to the open water coming across these Egrets.
Mama made a little fuss, and they all went on their way.  To the East, all of a sudden a Swan took off, and if you've seen them picking up steam over the water before,  you know what a sight it is to behold.
I actually went to Lake Davis way too late in the morning with the sun high in the sky, so after my disappointment at finding all the other photographers at the nest, I decided to walk through the Wetlands park alone. Because I'd seen Wood Ducks there as well, I thought perhaps I might find some babies in a more shady location. Well, no ducks, but this happened.
Yup, I was walking down towards a stream when commotion occurred overhead, and look who paid me a visit! That light green background is the new growth on the Cypress trees. Everywhere there are so many wonderful shades of green!
While I'm watching the owl, I begin hearing the loud cry of a nearby hawk. When the owl flew way high in a nearby Oak tree, I craned my head skyward, eventually finding that loud Hawk, high up in a Pine tree, still squawking away!
Back on the home front, I continued my quilting, finally getting past the worst of it. The middle distance is a big 110" curve, and that, my friends, is no easy feat on a home machine!
You can see the diamond pattern forming above. The sad thing is, I woke up way early this morning thinking about the quilt, and wondering why I'd gone to so much work when, in fact, I don't think that tan color works at all. There is a saying about quilts which may sound silly to some of you, but the term is "having a quilt that sings." In other words, wows you with either the quilting, or the color combination. Mine does not sing, and it's too late to do anything about it now except for looking at it as a learning experience. Just not enough contrast in the tones of the fabric. Next time, I'll do better.

I can't thank Pam enough for convincing me to have our yard spray guys do our bushes as well because some of them have never looked better after their visit last month. This hibiscus sings!
I had a long chat with Nell the other morning, still working hard in her yard at 80+ years old, I might add. Who is Nell? I was asking her about our owls...where are they? Generally I roam her yard like crazy taking photographs, but no sighting to date. I decided to have a look back in my blog to see when first I saw them last year. THIS was a fun read. Written on April 1 of last year, not only does it show our owlets, but it tells the story of our trip home from California, and about learning I was pregnant with twins, who celebrate their birthday tomorrow. When I wrote that post, I am certain that I never expected to be moving across the country again!

The countdown begins...three months!

Every now and again I take a look at things related to Vancouver, including this piece that talks about their annual Cherry Blossom festival.  Holy Cow! Now that is something to look forward to next Spring! As well, I've checked the weather, and it seems as if they have had no shortage of rain. Here, it is dry as can be, although there were some teaser clouds Wednesday night.
Oddly enough, last night the sky was clear as can be with a beautiful Crescent Moon, and then this morning we had a tiny sprinkling which did not dissuade me from going out once again in search of an owl, this time one that only a few folks know about. Truth is, I could not find the nest myself, but while looking everywhere, once again, a little commotion, and I saw it, perched way high in an Oak tree. While the lighting was too dim for an acceptable photograph, I was at least happy I saw it for myself.

Lo and behold, just about thirty minutes later, as I was driving down a street, I stopped the MINI in a New York minute when I saw this hawk beside the road. Taking the photograph through my windshield did not yield the best shot, but I believe it is the first time I've seen what I'm pretty sure is a Cooper's Hawk, which according to Audubon, their diet consists of small birds, and friends, that is what is under his claws. Hard to tell from this shot, but I have another, less clear of the hawk, but the bird is easily identified.
This has been a darn good year for me when it comes to firsts, as far as birds are concerned!

Finally, I thought you might find the following photograph interesting. When I've shown the Eagle perched in a tree, watching the nest, here's what the full scene looks like. Would that airplane be considered a photo-bombing incident?
Just trying to stay current with my lingo.

yours truly,

Gail

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