Make Way for Goslings

The goslings have arrived!  The past month has been full of odd experiences due to nesting season.  Early morning while walking, a duck seemed to fly out of a pine tree and scared the bejezus out of us.  (Actually, we think a cat walked near a nest and the duck flew off from behind the tree, but still a wacky sight.)  While driving through town, everyone slows down for the ducks and geese who decided to nest in front yards when they cross the street.  It is not unheard of to see someone stopping traffic for a bird crossing.  And everyone smiles.

And now … goslings!  These little guys must be brand new, as they are more duckling in size.  When I tossed them some bread, the dad wanted to come over for a snack, but the mom and little ones just kept on going.  Still, I managed to keep the dogs out of the back yard to snap this picture for you.  Aren’t they just the cutest?!

Good Morning

Winter on the lake … full of beautiful scenes as I stay cozy inside by the fire.

Good morning.

Good Morning

The trees are beautifully trimmed with sparkling ornaments and family memories, the house is seeping with Winter cheer, gifts have been shared, delectable foods have been enjoyed with family and friends … and now the quiet.  You will need to simply conjure up the sounds of geese in the distance and terns fishing (with great success!) just to the left of this photo.

Enjoy both the zest and quiet of the season.  Blessings to you and your family.

Geese

Happy Halloween! On this day, I honor a frightening inhabitant of our lake, the goose. Or, to be more correct, geese, and these guys are not on the loner circuit. Its been said that these birds poop between 1/3 to 1 full pound of poop each day. Yucko!!! Along with that, they looooooove to feed on perfectly manicured lawns. Lovely, I know.

Our neighbors get the fun of cleaning lots of goose poop off their docks, but not us. Why? Dogs! But, I know what you’re thinking, dogs poop, too. But, we have a solution for that too …. teens who like to earn money! I figure we’ve got a good 3 to 4 years free from both goose poop and dog poop duties. How sweet is that?!

I’ve got a funny “Stupid Goose” story for you. When we put in new grass in the back yard, and when we just had one dog who didn’t take his goose – chasing duties very seriously, those geese had a field day on our new sod.  Our solution tested the persistence and cleverness of the geese, and they failed both big time.  We just pounded some little stakes on each end of the yard and stretched two fishing lines between them, about 3 and 4 inches off the ground.  The geese would run into the fishing line and couldn’t figure how to get over or past it and leave for friendlier territory at a different house.  What a relief!

And there you have it … frightening tales of geese and poop to add to your Halloween experience.

Lake Acne

This photo may look nice, relaxing, and even take you to some calm space within yourself. Don’t be fooled for a moment! This is the absolute bane of lake and delta life. Tules. UGH! When we notice a house with tules, either quietly moving in or already totally invaded, we all feel so badly for that family. Tules don’t play nice at all. They creep into your water space, multiply, and refuse to leave. It is like developing a bad case of acne. Everyone sees what is happening and feels really badly for you … they understand. And what is creeping into our back yard right now? You guessed it.

 

If you have a pair of gloves and a little time, you’re most welcome to join the fun in pulling tules. 

Good Morning

Mornings like this are just beyond words …

Heron

This morning, a beautiful white heron was perched on our dock, just as the sun finished rising.  I tried to take a picture for you, but these birds are notoriously skittish.  Instead, here’s a photo from a local park.  May you have the luck to eat as fresh and local as this heron today (even if your chosen diet is of a different variety).

Enjoy your day!

Good Morning

… yes, a very good morning to you.

Life is Good

I hear people go on and on about the loveliness of living in France where they just pick up a few items from the local farmer and all then enjoy some time relaxing with family, feasting on food that others can only dream of. That is how I feel about my locale.

Today, found a bit of chicken in the fridge and put some rub on it … always a strong start. Ran out to TK’s Best for some corn and tomatoes, and voila … we have dinner! TK’s Best is usually my go to place for eggplant, a variety of peppers, long beans, and other Chinese veggies. They had a rough go of it last year with the widening of the road and having their water cut off for a few weeks during planting season (go figure), so I like to give them a little more business when I can. Today I picked up just corn and tomatoes for tonight and was out of there barely $3 lighter. They also had flats of tomatoes for canning or whatever, which I plan to do annually, but ….

So tonight, while it may not be France, we’ll dine on BBQ chicken, locally grown corn and sliced tomatoes. Oh yeah, the whole plan with tomatoes this real is just to add a bit of kosher salt and pepper and let the tomato shine. And, while preparing our al fresco meal, we’ll chat, play darts, and toss toys for the dogs outside lakeside while watching the catamerans play in the breeze.

Like I said, life is good.

Foggy morning

I simply love these mornings when the fog comes in and floats on the water like a magical mystery. This picture is of the very last moments of magic this morning.

So, why is there this lake stuff in a food blog you may ask. Well, our kitchen window looks out over the lake, when we BBQ it is near the lake, when we relax outside in the evenings the lake is where we gaze. For years now, before “stay-cations” were trendy, we have summered in our own vacation house here on the lake. Sure, we do live here year round, but also understand that we are fortunate to live in an area where many vacation. Swimming, boating, and simply enjoying the lake IS our summer vacation, and for my family, it is paradise.

Coming soon: the life cycle of a squash season.