Help Save Migrating Hummingbirds from Starving

While at the Lawn & Garden show, I learned something interesting but very sad about hummingbirds.

They are long distance migraters.  From their winter digs in Costa Rica and Guatemala (the ruby-throated we have here in TN) they can travel as far north as lower Canada!  They cover up to 200 miles a day.

And with their rapid metabolisms, it takes a lot of energy to do that.

Hummers find food by looking down as they are flying and see bright areas of color.

Flowers.

Then they come down and refuel themselves.

Now here is the sad part. 

In early spring, where do you see the brightest areas of colorful flowers?

In a cemetery. 

Lots and lots and lots of flowers.  The hummers think they’ve found a gold mine.

Except it’s only fool’s gold.  Those colorful flowers are all silk flowers people have put the graves.

But the hummers don’t know that.  So they go from flower to flower, desperate for something to eat.  And they don’t find it.

Too often they don’t make it out of the graveyard.  And it becomes a cemetery for hummingbirds too.

So if you live near a cemetery...  Or if you regular visit a cemetery, please consider taking some hummingbird feeders out and keeping them filled with nectar (4 parts sugar to 1 part water – NO dyes).

Who knows how many beautiful little birds you’ll save.  We have a cemetery near us and I will have a feeder out there.

Oh!  You need to start by the end of March (or even sooner as they are migrating earlier and earlier).  You’ll be helping the ones heading far north. 

You can take the feeders down once everything is blooming out fully and can support the hungry little travelers.

My “Social Media” World – Or the Lack Of…

I am contentedly out of step with the world of ‘social media networking’. 

This is my cell phone.  It makes phone calls where I speak to people.  On rare occasions will I use the text feature… basically when I must reach someone and know that is the only way to get thru to them or I don’t want to disturb those around them. But it is very rare because as you can see… I have an old-fashioned key pad.  Punch-punch-punch “C”, punch “A”, … and so on.  And truth be told, I don’t talk on it much either.  It’s for travel or when the phone service goes out here in The Sticks.  Otherwise it is not turned on.  Less than 10 people have the number.

I do not photograph with it.  I do not have ‘aps’ on it.  I do not connect to Facebook with it.

And I do not tweet/twit/whatever with it.  Random thoughts of others don’t interest me in the least.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own!

Ahhhh… Facebook.  “Will I be your friend?”  Probably not, unless it’s on my second Facebook account.  That one is for the ‘masses’ who are acquaintances or people I used to know.  I post a bit to it 1 to 3 times a month.  If I remember. 

My main Facebook page is for my family and true friends.  People I interact with.  People I care about and really want to see what they are up to.  There are 22 people on it.  And one dog.  I have 21 pages I like… because I really like them.

Blogs.  I love to write and photograph things for my blog.  It started as a way to let family and friends keep up with what I was doing.  I found other people’s blogs and started reading theirs regularly.  It’s become my morning ‘magazine’ I enjoy with my hot cuppa.  Then others starting reading and ‘following’ my blog.  Pretty cool.  I’ve even developed a ‘bloggy friendship’ with a few.

But it is still, and always will be, for fun.  You’ll never see an ad (that I have allowed) on my blog.  Sadly, some of my favorite blogs have gotten so ‘commercial’ that I’ve stopped reading them.  All the ads slowed it down so much it took forever to load and all they talked about was their “sponsors” and “being featured” (and gads! I caught myself doing that too – won’t happen again!) and “how to grow your blog business”. 

Pinterest.  The newest social media it seems.  But for me, it is a place to store ideas I like, until such time as I do them.  Then I delete them.  I don’t ‘pin’ for the convenience of others so I’m not going to follow some person’s grandiose ideas of proper “Pin etiquette” with descriptions just so and boards just so.  My only Pin etiquette is I do not put other people’s photos on my blog… just my own, even if inspired by something I saw in Pinterest.  

Perhaps I am a Luddite.  Perhaps I just don’t have time for the drama that seems to accompany ‘social media’.  Perhaps I don’t want the whole world knowing my every move.

But that is how it is.

Salud! at Whole Foods: Pub Favorites

My latest class at Whole Foods was “Pub Favorites”.  As soon as I saw it offered I signed up for it.  We so enjoyed the ‘pub grub’ in Scotland I absolutely wanted to learn how to cook it!

“A public house, informally known as a pub, pours many a pint but also serve their patrons some delicious dishes. Serving as a gathering place for the community, pubs are a welcome spot to meet, have a pint and something to eat. We'll try our hand in the kitchen to recreate these traditional dishes that are hearty, comforting, and perfect for serving up this winter. Black & Tans will be served.   MENU: Cornish Pasties; Toad in the Hole; Fish & Chips; Shepherd's Pie; Lemon-Raspberry Syllabub; and Sticky Toffee Pudding.”

We started with the fish…

… and then learned how to make perfect ‘chips’ (fries).  The secret is to double fry them – a quick first ‘fry blanch’ and then when you are ready to serve, finish them off.  Very crispy outside and tender inside.

Then there was the shepherd’s pie… basically a pot pie with a mashed potato ‘crust’.  Traditionally this is a ‘leftovers’ meal.

The sticky toffee pudding was made in a spring form pan and Merijoy demonstrated how to use it. 

After everything was cooked… then we had our class dinner! 

Fish and…

…chips!

Golden browned shepherd’s pie.

Cornish pasties (called bridies in Scotland).

Toad in the Hole.

I didn’t get a photo of the sticky toffee pudding when it was served.  Here it is right before plating.

And the caramel sauce to top the pudding.  There was also fresh whipped cream. 

 The class ate very well that night!

Toad in the Hole

2 eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 T all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup whole milk

1 level T grain mustard, plus more for serving

Salt (kosher or sea)

Fresh ground black pepper

6 pork or chicken sausages

3.5 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

2 T unsalted butter 

Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, mustard and seasonings; beating out any little lumps of flour.  The consistency should be about that of ordinary cream… but no thinner.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Carefully remove the skins for each of the sausages (or if using bulk, form into rolls about the size of half a hot dog).  Wrap each piece of sausage in a piece of prosciutto.

Put the butter in a roasting pan and leave it in the oven until it is milted and very hot.

Pour the batter into the roasting pan – it will sizzle softly in the hot butter – then arrange the sausages in the batter.

Transfer the pan back into the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until puffed and golden. 

Serve with grain mustard.

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 An artist in the store did these cute chalk art boards of Merijoy and Cindy.  Love them!

http://33shadesofgreen.blogspot.com/

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Nashville Lawn & Garden Show: Funky Fabulous

While I walked around the garden show, I started to wonder if I should be looking for Donna (http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/   ) hiding somewhere in the background.  I hadn’t heard that she made a sneak trip to Nashville…

But it was looking “funky junk” all over the show halls!

Doesn’t this little porch make you want to sit down and kick your shoes off?

Look at that chippy red chair! 

Love the rusty bike and the daffodils.

Old and new in perfect contrast.

There was even a pallet wheelbarrow garage. 

OK Donna… I know you’re around here somewhere!

This little ‘general store’ playhouse is just too cute.

A washtub of flowers.

More pallets!  This one had herbs in it. 

An upcycled rain barrel for the garden.

An old mesh yard table is now a succulent garden. 

OK, this is one idea I thought was rather ill-conceived.  Too easy to get broken.  I can just see the stitches now…

Some sort of cool old chain repurposed into a rain chain.

And copper tubing and a flower pot becomes a fountain.

Even more formal patios had a touch of funky junk.

How cute is that?

This outdoor fireplace was decorated with old gears and cogs.

A tiny chapel like this will be going up in my little woods.

Even the floral arranging had some junky touches, like this barnwood framed succulents.

And this arrangement featuring a piece of hardware wire and a gutter piece. 

The show dealers had some fun things too.  Like these ‘peace’ful yard tools…

Posts, embellishments, and other odds and ends have been turned into darling garden folk.

Look at all this stuff.  Love that leaky bird bath turned into a fairy garden.

Metal, shutters, and burlap.

I know what I’m going to do with some of my old windows stashed in the attic!

The paper chain was made from old sheet music. 

But one booth may have out funkied Donna…

Maybe…

I don’t know, what do you think?

Is this the ultimate funky?

An Easter Island garden totem!!!

LOVE it! 

Nashville Lawn & Garden Show: From Formal to Casual (part 1)

This last week I made my annual trip to the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show.  It always gets me ready to get out in the yard and dig in the dirt!

Even as you step in, the flowers are everywhere.  And they continue thru the different ‘halls’.

Beautiful, aren’t they? 

The first hall is the designer’s area.  Here they create decks, patios, fountains, and all sorts of wonderful landscaping.

Lots and lots of water features.

I certainly wouldn’t mind having any one of those water gardens in my yard!

And there were landscaping idea too.

From ‘down home’…

… to an exotic Mayan theme.

Loved this cantilever table!

A farm supply company had baby ducks.

I would love to have some baby ducks… if they would fly away when they grew up! 

Every year there is a bird rehabilitation center with some of the birds they have saved but cannot release. 

Besides water… the building was full of fire. 

Fire pits…

Fire places…

And Fire water… 

This one was my favorite.  The picture doesn’t capture it well.  It starts with a fountain flowing from a stone… and becomes a stream running down a small slope.  But IN the stream are flames!!  They somehow have a gas line connection coming up thru the stream bed and flames are coming up around stones in the middle of the stream.  It was fabulous!

There were quite a few beautiful orchids; both on display and for sale. 

And one of my favorite displays is the formal floral arrangements.

Absolutely stunning.

The show had ideas that ranged from formal to casual.  But those weren’t the only ideas… in tomorrow’s post I will show you the fun and funky displays!

I guarantee it will make Donna’s heart dance!  LOL