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Saturday 29 October 2016

Armadillos and Alligators

We're accustomed to exotic birds and animals in the back yard, but the armadillo was a surprise.


It dug a large burrow under our air conditioning unit. There are at least 21 species of armadillos in the Americas including the Pink Fairy and the Giant armadillo which can weigh over 100 pounds. I know you aren't supposed to capitalize species (except for different types of apples..go figure) but I don't care.


The armadillo doesn't tolerate cold well due to lack of body fat, but the nine-banded species has beeb observed as far north as Illinois.


The armadillo has rudimentary peg-like teeth with no enamel, suited to eating worms, grubs and soft plants.


Armadillos are super diggers. I saw one once dig a hole and disappear into it in just a few seconds.


We also have soft shell turtles in the back yard.


The air conditioner is behind the Staghorn, which should not be capitalized..


Mrs. Phred takes a ride.


Friday 21 October 2016

As American as Apple Pie

Sarasota, Florida

Can you bake an apple pie, Bobby boy, Bobby boy?
Can you bake an apple pie charming Bobby?



We're back in the Condo in Sarasota. The RV is in the shop due to the accident on US 15 up in Pennsylvania. A concrete construction barrier jumped out and scraped five of our basement doors and tore up our hot water heater. Hopefully it will be fixed when we are due to move back to Sun & Fun in November.



I'm amusing myself today with a crock pot dinner and a home made apple pie. To be completely honest I bought the crusts in the frozen section of the grocery store. Beside the crusts I used the following ingredients, mixed together in a big bowl:

6
cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)
3/4
cup sugar
2
tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4
teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon ground nutmeg
1
tablespoon lemon juice


On my morning walk in Benderson Park, I ran into a 5K Zombie race. The kids run the path with red ribbons tucked into shorts and the zombies try to grab the ribbons.


This zombie appears to be munching on a severed leg.

Friday 7 October 2016

Chicken and Yellow Rice

Watkins Glen, New York


- Five chicken thighs with skin and bones
- One pound Vigo yellow rice
- Two ounces chopped pimentos
- one can green peas
- one onion

Brown the chicken thighs and saute the onions and set aside.. Cut the chicken off the bone into small chunks and cook with the yellow rice, chicken and onions according to the rice directions. Add the peas and pimentos the last two minutes and serve..


After eating the chicken and yellow rice we take the four mile round trip hike at Watkins Glen. At the end you can hear the race cars up on the hill.


Glen stream has carved this gorge over the last 10,000 years since the glaciers retreated.


We've been hanging around watching the leave slowly change to yellow, orange and red. We'll hang in here hitting the wineries until the colors peak.


We are finding we like some special white grapes developed by Cornell University. Our favorites so far are Melody and Seyval Blanc.


Mrs. Phred has salmon tacos



Wednesday 5 October 2016

Take the Gun, Eat the Cannoli

Lower Enfield Gorge



We stay four days at the State Park outside Ithaca and do the two mile hike up the gorge and back. There is a net gain of 900 feet on the hike. We've done this hike together many times over years.


We hit a few wineries for lunch (split a bottle of Melody, a chicken sandwich and French onion soup) and wine tasting. Melody is a grape developed by Cornell University. It makes a white wine and is well suited for colder climates.


We look up the lady in Watkins Glen who makes cannoli from her house and buy four. I have one for dessert last night. She shoots the cannoli with filling from what looks like a caulking gun.


We stop at the cemetery and Stuart Park on the way to see Everett and Midge for lunch. These geese are probably also heading south. We get our first significant view of changing leaves yesterday. The trees seem to suddenly decide to collectively change color.


Everett agreed to keep my rifle five years ago because I didn't want to transport it into Canada. He's been cleaning it every year after hunting season when he cleans his own guns. They feed us lunch (including homegrown hot peppers) and show us around their new property. Everett was born 11 days before I was. We were in the same classes in elementary school and spent a lot of time together when we were children. We both became CPAs.


Grandmother and Grandfather Robinson. My mother lived in Grandmother Robinson's house on 333 Center Street when I was born and stayed there until my father returned from the war in 1945. Grandfather was a motorcycle cop.


We take a walk though the Ithaca Commons and then down to the house where I lived before moving to Florida. Mrs. Phred comments that I take her on the same walk every time we come to Ithaca...memory lane...


Great grandfather Franklin lived across the street with aunt Bee and uncle George. He taught me to play euchre and had a spittoon in the corner of the room which he would usually miss. When he died, he left me his harness-making tools. Jennie was one of my great grandmothers.