A Walk on the Wild(life) Side!

I'm constantly amazed by the bustle of activity in our small back yard. At first glance, everything seems calm. The branches of the lilac bushes might be swaying gently in the breeze, and there might be a butterfly or two dancing by, now together, now apart, in their search for food.

But look closer!

We called these "leafhoppers" when I was a little girl. When I looked online, I discovered that they are, indeed, called leafhoppers, and they come in an astonishing array of bright colors, like Amazonian tree frogs. This particular type is called Graphocephala coccinia, and they are destructive to plants. I don't want to kill them, though, unless they start causing a great deal of damage. They're quite beautiful.

This little guy is a young Pholcus phalangioides, or as I call them, granddaddy longlegs. I don't like spiders, even harmless ones like these, but I'm fascinated by them.



Even flies can be beautiful if you look closely. These are common Calliphoridae, or blow flies. They get their colloquial name from old English, where meat laden with fly eggs was dubbed "flyblown." Before you lose your appetite, just remember what an important job these creatures play in helping with the rapid decomposition of dead animals.



This might be a hornet...it looks bigger than a typical yellow jacket. I love his bold stripes. He's got a personality to match!

I left these tall, grassy plants in one of my beds, even though they're considered weeds, because I like their wheaty tufts. What a surprise to see this little bee-like insect busily collecting pollen there!

There's nothing common about this common orange butterfly. Just look at those beautiful colors!

This female house sparrow is having a little breakfast at the feeder...while beneath it, a squirrel gathers up the leftovers.




There's evidence of even more activity, as unseen inhabitants leave little clues to their existence.

Surely a carpenter bee (Xylocopa) lives above this sawdust pile. They make 16 millimeter holes, unbelievably and perfectly round.

A vole probably made this hole. I filled it in a few weeks ago, and it was neatly opened up again several days later. I've seen no evidence of vole damage, though.

I'll continue to keep an eye out for more backyard wildlife!

I'm loving the cool greens of early summer, like this hydrangea...

...and this young goldenrod plant.



This wave petunia adds a bit of cool color.



I've finished my Snapdragon Tam. I'm very satisfied with how it turned out, and I've already started on the matching mittens!

Today I'm making authentic French baguettes--yeast-free, using sourdough starter. I'm absolutely fascinated by this delicate bread that must be eaten the same day it's baked or, as author Nancy Silverton warns, it will only be good for making toast. I'm planning on freezing the baguettes and thawing them out as needed. I have a feeling that will happen pretty frequently!

Baking bread in the summertime can make you feel a bit wilted, however. I thought I'd showcase a recipe that's perfect for a humid summer day. It's quick, easy, and healthy, too. It takes five minutes to go from this:



To this:

I buy 5 pound bags of mixed frozen fruit - blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry - at Sam's Club. It's easy to use fresh fruit, but remember to throw in a few ice cubes to give it the right consistency. Yogurt can substitute for milk.

Perfect Fruit Smoothies

1 1/2 cups of frozen fruit

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar

Place all ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

The English (Muffins) Are Coming!

Two months ago I purchased a big lot of tulips at a local plant sale. I can’t pass up a good sale, even when it means sorting, drying, and storing HUNDREDS of tulips bulbs that may or may not ever bloom again. But look at their faces…didn’t they deserve a chance?

The final batch of tulip bulbs, aided by a sudden heat wave, are dried at last. Now they can be stored in the basement, away from the damp, until I’m ready to plant them.

The peonies are popped...

…and my Endless Summer hydrangea is unfurling more delicate pink petals every day.

I love cottage gardens, but I don’t have the space for a real one. In my tiny yard, I like routine and predictability, and plant my garden accordingly. I study garden guides to ensure that I have a nice balance of complementary colors. Each plot of newly-sown seeds is carefully labeled, watered, and watched.

Every year, however, one plot fails to thrive…usually a simple, carefree plant, the type recommended for small children just learning about gardening. This year, for me, it’s dill. Weeks of care but not a seedling in sight (“It’s dill-iberate,” I groused to my husband).

However, in another plot, something mysteriously flourished. I knew it wasn't a weed, but I had to study it for a week or so to determine its true identity.

Hollyhocks!

I haven’t planted hollyhocks for 2 years. This year, however, dozens of them…uninvited, unlabeled, uncared for…are sprouting in my flower beds and even, mysteriously, my container gardens. Lusty, healthy, and thriving, and growing far more quickly than my coddled marigolds and zinnias. How did they get there? I don’t know, but I’m sure glad to see them.

I was surprised by this patch of lettuce in my container garden, which apparently reseeded with no help from me. It came back on its own, and so did parsley and thyme…and a rogue patch of dill!


Lots of these little surprises around, which must be plucked quickly if I don’t want a forest of maple trees in my back yard. I think they’re quite beautiful, though, and it’s so interesting to see how they’ve grown out of their little kidney-shaped seeds.

The promise of new life!

So much time in the garden has influenced my knitting habits this week. I put aside my red stockings and started knitting a hat from the skein of vibrant green yarn (Cascade 220 in the Ireland colorway) I got last week. The hat is criss-crossed with cables and a leaf motif. The pattern is Ysolda Teague’s Snapdragon Tam and although I’m knitting a winter item, using my bright green yarn to knit little leaves feels quite summery. You can see the little leaves forming out of the hat brim if you look closely.

Of course, I’ve been in the kitchen too. I’d planned on making a fun dessert this week, but the desire to try another sourdough recipe before storing it in the refrigerator won out over the desire for something sweet. I decided to make some English muffins, but didn’t want to use a two-day recipe. I’m a big fan of instant gratification, and although I could stand to learn some patience, I’m not about to start with my kitchen. I found a great recipe in the Best of the Best of Alaska cookbook and tweaked it just a bit.

Same-Day Sourdough English Muffins

1 teaspoon dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 1/2 cup sourdough starter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 - 3 1/2 cups flour (I used half white and half wheat)

3 tablespoons melted butter

First I took measured out my lively sourdough starter...

…and mixed it with the warm milk, baking soda, salt, and 2 cups of flour. I let it rise for an hour, and then mixed in the yeast, butter, additional cup of flour, and a bit of water, and then gave it another one hour rise. You want a dough that’s not too dry, but not so wet and sticky that it clings to your fingers. You can play with a water-flour ratio until it feels right.

A note: the recipe asks you to add the yeast before the first rise, but I’d hoped my sourdough was active enough to rise without the yeast. However, my dough wasn’t wet enough and didn’t rise very much. It got a nice rise after adding the yeast, of course, and its late entry didn’t affect the taste one bit!

I rolled the dough to ¾ inch thickness and cut out the muffins. If you don’t have English muffin molds like these, you can use an empty tuna can.

Once you have them all cut out nicely…

…grease and heat a griddle. It needs to be fairly hot, but not so hot it will burn your muffins. Once droplets of water sizzle on its surface, it’s ready to go. Drop your muffins on and brown each side, but be patient…it can take up to 15 minutes before each batch is done! Don't worry if you've removed them from the griddle prematurely. They continue "cooking" on the inside and you can always cheat and use a toaster to get things going!

It’s worth the wait. These little lovelies were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with a hearty flavor that begged for fresh butter or jam. They're even better the second day! They freeze easily, so you can have fresh, tasty English muffins at a moment's notice.

So delicious! A plate of these, warm and toasted and dripping with honey, eaten with my honey…what better way to spend a quiet evening at home?


Happy toasting!