Vegetables for me

It is wonderful to have great friends who have vegetable gardens. And it's extra nice that they give me the opportunity to go out in the garden and pick fresh vegetables.

White eggplant and purple peppers.

But I must say that these vegetables made me do a double-take and wonder.... did I picked them at the right time, are they ripe or too ripe.......one like me who does not garden, white eggplant and purple peppers just don't seem right. But once battered and fried, they were delicious. (I know, frying takes away some of the "nutritional" value, but they were oh so good.)

Cucumbers

The cucumbers were monsters. I wasn't sure if I would survive picking them (many spiders live in the cucumber plants and you all know I feel about spiders) but with all those cucumbers, it did leave me with a question... can you freeze cucumbers?

Bowl full of cherry tomatoes.

Along with the bounty of peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, I also picked many cherry tomatoes. I like to keep a bowl of them in the refrigerator and grab a couple at a time for a healthy snack... do you think I could dip them in chocolate? hey there is such a thing as a tomato chocolate cake, wonder how many cherry tomatoes it would take to make such a cake? and who could I get to make me one?

Back Porch Visitor

This adorable raccoon came visiting earlier this evening. He enjoyed a romp on my back deck that lead him to tear up my vegetable plants and the hanging petunia plant. But he did pose just long enough for one photo, one that I took from behind the glass.

Almost A Full Moon

The moon was very pretty last night, I had to get a photo.

I took this from my back deck zooming in through the trees.

Snow

We actually got the snow, 6 inches of it, and it was beautiful. I got many visitors to the back deck. I felt guilty that I had not filled the feeders the night before, so I went out to fill up them.

There were so many birds and not enough room at the feeders, I put out a cookie sheet with more seed.

Even a squirrel showed up.

A view of the car from the front porch (too cold to step outside).

Another view from the front porch.

Then I finally went outside, walked around the house and cleaned off the car to go to the store. I know crazy, but I wanted to go.

Here is the view of the neighborhood with much ice on the road, should have been a sign to stay home, but I still ventured out.

Sweet, Sweet Baby Bird

One of the many joys I receive from having bird feeders, sweet, sweet little baby finches.

Bird Watching

While visiting my friend's house this weekend I was able to enjoy watching the birds and take a quick photo of a gorgeous blue bird and what I believe to be a red-cockaded woodpecker, both enjoying the wonderful selections of foods.

and this is the other animal I was watching, and as you can tell he was not interested in the birds at all. He was more concerned with rolling in all the dirt he could find.

Cherry Tomato?

How about mini cherry tomato. I might have don't something wrong in growing it, maybe too small of a container.

New Feeders

One should not be allowed to go to Lowes when that one has a passion for feeding the birds, a.k.a. the Squirrels. I purchased this new metal four armed holder hoping that it would be tall enough for only the birds. Not only is it just right for the birds...

but for the squirrels too. It did not take long for the squirrels to leap right up there and enjoy the new feeders and the nice new bird seed.

The birds did get the chance to enjoy in the new food and feeders too.

and since I was already there (wink, wink), I got these pretty flowers to replace the ones that had somehow died.

Caged bird?

This spring I became addicted to feeding the birds, buying feeders and looking for that great sale on birdseed, and of course a squirrel proof feeder. This one made a claim that it was...

I now have a caged squirrel who lets himself out once his belly is full.

I am still looking for that squirrel proof feeder.

Then he invites friends over for a run around the cage...

...then tries to invite them in, but the cage is only a one squirrel cage.