Sharing

Evidently squirrels don't believe in sharing. The word is out about the sunflower seeds on the porch. There was a squirrel melee on the porch yesterday. I should have known that there would be trouble when I noticed that my porch is now listed on Squeakileaks.com. They tear into one another until only the biggest and fattest one remains. All of the others run away. (Running away is the oldest known form of self defense).
There was a large flock of robins in the cedar tree yesterday. I think that they consumed almost all of the berries, unlike the cedar waxwings that consume a few and leave the rest for another day.
Yesterday I tried to make codfish cakes in the Portuguese manner. It was a dismal failure. I still have some salt codfish left and I will try the Cape Cod manner using potatoes instead of day old bread. The Portuguese cakes just didn't hold together and I ended up with codfish hash. I was hoping to duplicate the codfish cakes of Antonios in New Bedford, a dish worth driving to. It was a shame because salt codfish is more expensive than prime rib and doesn't taste anywhere near as good. I will not purchase it again. My Mother used to make creamed salt codfish over new potatoes with fresh peas. It must have been the fond memory of that dish that caused me to purchase the cod. Hmmm, maybe the solution for what to do with the leftover codfish is there, Fannie Farmer has a recipe for it.
The codfish no longer comes in a nifty wooden box with a sliding top. It is now packaged in some sort of plastic composite, still with a sliding top. The old box was great for holding all of the small treasures that a boy picks up during a day, big rubber bands and robin's egg shells and shiny things and marbles and small pretty rocks and different tonic bottle tops (the kind with the cork liner inside that can be taken out and used to pin them to your shirt).

Someone

Someone is eating the sunflower seeds. Yesterday I noticed that the ones from the day before were all gone so I put out another handful. This morning I saw that some snow had fallen during the night and I could not see if yesterday's were gone. I will have to find a more secluded spot to put the seeds in. The flower pot is high on the railing of the porch and the squirrel is very exposed if it is eating them. There are often hawks circling overhead and I would hate to be the reason for my little friend's demise. Most bird feeders eventually become cat feeders but I will be remiss if I allow the squirrel feeder to become a bird feeder.
I made a small discovery yesterday. I was making noodles and stir-fry. I used linguini instead of noodles. The linguini is at least as good as the noodles, less expensive, and much more readily available as I have a rather extensive supply of pasta.
I don't want to use up all of the linguini however. I have a delectible bowl of pesto waiting for some linguini. The pesto was given to me by someone that knows me well, someone that I love dearly and respect quite as much. It will be such a treat to have pesto in the Winter time. The basil plant that I have in the window can't possibly produce enough leaves for a good pesto.
I have tiny little bugs on the lemon tree and the sage doesn't look too healthy. The thyme is flourishing and the garlic that I planted two weeks ago is at least a foot high. The garlic is the first garlic that I have ever succeeded with. I was at the grocery store and their regular garlic was looking very tired so I purchased a tray of organic garlic. Surprisingly it was less expensive than an equal amount of the regular garlic. It is very healthy, the cloves that I planted sprouted immediately, and the taste in a dish is less assertive but much appreciated. The bulbs that remain in the tray have not sprouted yet as the regular garlic would have. Hmmm, some nice roasted garlic might go nice with some linguini and pesto. Someone else might say that that would be too much garlic but I don't think that there is such a thing.
Would a squirrel eat garlic cloves? They do dine on tulip bulbs and those can't be that tasty.

Munchkin

Yesterday a squirrel came to the flower pot and munched down a good handful of sunflower seeds. I replaced them and hope that it comes again today. There were other squirrels romping about in the yard but my little visitor evidently didn't share its discovery with them. The squirrel was hardly emaciated. In fact it was a little porky. It is a true American gray squirrel. There were tinges of brown on its belly. They may be from the squirrel being hunkered down on a nice blanket of browned oak leaves. I will try to keep putting out the seeds. They were originally for the bluebird but I will put out enough for both creatures.
It is pleasing to be able to share one's bounty with fellow inhabitants of this world. I wish that I had the resources to be able to share my larder with my fellow human beings. It is not right that there should be a hungry or a thirsty human being anywhere when I have so much. My thoughts go back to the vacant stare of the child huddled beneath the robes of Christmas to come.
Many years ago, Malthus issued a warning to the world. There are huge fields of poppies growing in Afghanistan. They will be processed into narcotics to feed the growing addictions of the wealthier portions of the world. If there was less wealth in those portions, there might be wheat and barley growing in those valley fields in Afghanistan instead of shell craters and graves and poppies. This is an old thought that harkens back fifty years to a younger and more hopeful time and boy. It was a time of riots and tear gas and innocence and belief that things could be different. There was a river of hope flowing through the youth of America. It was not the Nile river as it now is. Soon those young Egyptians will have cars and homes and IRAs and microwave ovens and big screen TVs and SUVs and immigrants to exploit and look back on the time when they stood up for something instead of sitting on their fat wallets.
President Obama, leave them alone. Maybe, just maybe, they will accomplish some change instead of betraying themselves and their principles. Change, you remember change don't you?

Storm?

I woke up at 1:30 A.M.. I looked outside, expecting to see polar bears roaming in the driveway. Nothing seems to have happened. There is no further accumulation of snow and no deluge of ice. Somehow this little town has dodged the blizzard of the century. Could this have anything to do with Puxatawny Phil? Despite all of the Accuweather radar and computer forecasting, could a small furry mammal be in charge of the weather? It is a reassuring thought and makes more sense than all of the charts and diagrams. Someone had better make sure that that little woodchuck has some nice carrots to munch. If he is unhappy, we could be in for some trouble.

Since we've no place to go ....

Yesterday's storm was no big deal. It snowed but it was a very pleasant snow. I went for a walk and was surprised at the havoc it was causing. The trouble seemed to be with four wheel drive vehicles. Some of the people that have them don't seem to realize that they too have to slow down in a snowstorm. Four wheel drive doesn't mean four wheel stop.
As I was walking, several people pulled over and asked if I needed a ride. This is that kind of town. They looked a bit puzzled when I said no, that I was just out for a walk. The walk was a bit tricky as there is a layer of ice under the snow. I just slowed down as two foot drive does not mean two foot stop.
The weather forecast is for a doozey of a storm today. I have plenty of supplies and have no need to go out today. As long as the power holds out I will be as snug as the proverbial bug. If the power doesn't hold out, I have lots of sweaters and candles and flashlight batteries. The forecast is for snow and ice. Snow is not a problem for New England but ice can be. I remember the Blizzard of 78. I made it into work and had to stay there several days. The highways were clear but the company that I worked for wouldn't let anyone go home. We got paid triple time for all of the hours that we were there. The check was two feet long. We used the money to purchase a four wheel drive vehicle. We later learned that if the car in front of you is stuck it doesn't matter how many wheel drives you have, you are going nowhere.
The only thing that I am missing is a fireplace. A fire is so delightful and if you've no place to go,..........

Magic

Sunday I was visited by three very wise people. Not only was it a joy to see their smiling healthy faces but they came bearing gifts. I don't know how they picked out the gifts but it is as if they have a catalogue of things that I like.
There was a french Army mug, which I am still chuckling over, pesto, tortellinis, pesto, chocolate, and miracle of miracles, real balsamic vinegar! It wasn't the supermarket vinegar but it was the kind that you need a co-signer to purchase, investment grade balsamic vinegar. The kind that is dark and smooth and sweet. Oh the dishes that will be complimented by this magic elixir.
It was such a joy to see them again. My darling daughter with her wit and candor and compassion and beauty and intelligence and above all common sense. She still has regard for a gap toothed, gray bearded, stinky old man just because he is her father. My son-in-law, with his quiet reserve, his piercing intelligence, and his interest in everything around him. My grandson, with his joy of living, his tested honesty, his politeness, and his adoption of his parent's way of life, and their gentleness. It was a perfect day.
There is a storm coming. A big whopper of a storm. I have enough supplies to last me at least a week. I have to go out today for just a few minutes and then I will hunker down and await the glory of a Winter blizzard. As long as the power holds out, I will cook and clean and read and enjoy the storm. All of the things that make life enjoyable will be here, along with some great vinegar.
I saw the Bluebird again yesterday. I hope that it fares well in the coming tempest. I will put out more seeds after the storm has passed.