And Speaking of..

Have you ever had Fiddleheads? They're the top, curly, yet unfurled fronds of the Ostrich fern which when snipped and simmered make a delicious side dish - slightly similar to asparagus in flavour and texture.


Here's what you do. Break the heads off of numerous plants, leaving at least ten times as many to continue growing.

Rinse them very well and microwave them in a bit of water for a few minutes. Two large handfuls should take about four minutes on high. While those are cooking, heat some olive oil in a pan and add green onions, mushrooms and freshly-ground pepper.

By the time the microwave beeps, you can drain the fiddleheads and add them to the pan on medium heat. Add a clove or two of minced garlic and simmer until the moisture evaporates.

Add a splash of white wine (or lemon juice if you prefer) and cook long enough to burn off most, but not all of the wine. Transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and more fresh pepper. Yum!

Note: Not all ferns are edible. Fiddleheads come from the commonly-grown (around here, anyway) Ostrich ferns. You can read more about it here.

And speaking of Fiddleheads, here are some happy ferns which survived the snip this year.



Weeping willow catkins have almost a worm-like appearance when they fall from the trees in early spring. Here they cluster around a small log in the pond below. I wonder if they look like prey to some birds or fish.




And speaking of which, a sharp-eyed gull scans the water in search of its next meal.



And speaking of sharp eyes, what do yours see in this piece of weathered tree?





This is a photo I repeat often. I can't resist snapping shots of this part of my local pond in most seasons, but especially in spring. I just love the way this tree's branch sweeps out over the water, its gnarly roots holding fast to the sloped shore.




And speaking of gnarled wood, this beautiful piece of tree has been battered and beaten by the elements and turned into one gnarly structure.




There's a lot of work going on in my local park. They've dug up all the paths and are widening them to create a bicycle path and walking path. They're also adding 48 lights along the way, which will probably turn the area into a very well-lit park at night.

I'm not so keen on that idea. Sure, it's safer for walking at night but I fear it will become less nature-friendly as it might deter some of the animals which like to nest along the shores of the pond, and those who scavenge for food at night. I thought this place was pretty good the way it was. It's difficult to balance human wishes with nature's needs but I don't think that the creatures are the city's first concern.


And speaking of creatures, here's Benny challenging you to a game of "Just Try To Snatch This Ball." Who do you think would win this match?

Wings and Furry Things

A couple of weeks ago, Frank and I went on our first fishing outing of the season. We went to a pond which we visit each spring, and where we usually encounter one of the area's sweetest residents. She's a lovely white and grey feline who has learned to recognize that fishing rods mean she might soon be lucky enough to dine on a fresh fish dinner.

On past visits, this feral beauty has been visibly pregnant and she's made it quite clear how urgently she need to obtain nourishment for herself and her growing babies. For all we knew, she may have been expecting another litter this spring, or perhaps she just knew that she needed to get her meals, and to hoard some of them when she could.

Shortly after our arrival, she came out from the shelter of an abandoned building and made sure we were aware of her presence.




The fishing wasn't spectacular where we were so after a while, we crossed the road and made our way behind the building, where we knew we'd be able to catch some chub for her.

She met us out back and waited patiently.


It wasn't long before each of us had several tugs at our respective fishing rods. One by one, we unhooked several small fish, killed them swiftly and brought them to our hungry friend.

At first we couldn't get too close to her and had to toss them her way.

After a few feedings, she decided she would swat them out of our hands and eventually she gently took one chub right out of Frank's hand, as seen in the small inset image at the start of the page.

We later moved on to a different area and spent a pleasant afternoon watching birds, clouds and bobbing floats. We went home with no fish, fewer worms and a few fond memories.

Below are a some photos of a few other creatures which we encountered over the next few days. I hope you enjoy them.


Bunnies are beautiful critters but I don't think they rank too high on the intelligence scale. Frank pointed this cutie out to me. It must have figured that standing stock still meant that he was invisible to me. He allowed me to approach fairly closely without twitching a muscle.




Finally, when I stepped over the too-close line, he hopped a full six feet away, and stood still once more - his back to me this time. Silly wabbit!




Another not-too-bright but beautiful creature is the mourning dove. In his current and very amusing post, Frank agrees with me about this bird's IQ. Go ahead and read his entertaining tale about a mourning dove and a chipmunk. I don't mind waiting till you get back.





A far more intelligent bird is the crow. If you doubt that for one moment, have a look at this video and you'll see what I mean. There's a 30 second commercial before the crow video begins.




Perhaps this guy was off to his workshop in order to craft the right tool for a job.




These American Goldfinch are still coming into their breeding plumage and appear a bit patchy before sporting their full summer gold.




And speaking of gold, look at the beautiful yellow patch on this white-throated sparrow's head. He has a curious expression rivaled only by...




.. this beautiful male cardinal. Ever watchful and calculating, this guy made sure I didn't come any closer while his partner helped herself to the feeder nearby. A bunny could sure learn from these birdbrains.

Back soon with more photos.