Sunday, September 10, 2006

Sunday Chat


Nice day here in Atlanta. The news is reporting that we had an earthquake here at 10:56a but I can’t say that I noticed anything. The epicenter was down in the gulf off of Tampa but a lot of people reported it here in Atlanta, evidently. I think I was just finishing the paper at the kitchen table about that time so it must not have been too vigorous.

About the same time as the reported shake I was standing at the kitchen window watching an immature Cooper’s hawk sitting on the deck railing. He sat there for at least a half hour while a couple of brave squirrels twitchily ate sunflower seeds just a few feet away. He watched them closely but never really attempted to go after one. Finally he or she spotted its desired prey and shot across the yard and took a chipmunk I think. It was very fast and the action was blocked by azaleas and irises. We are overrun with the cute little guys and I think that is why the hawk is a frequent visitor to the yard that plus I think he or she also has a taste for mourning doves which gather here in droves. I keep all the bird feeders full year around with all sorts of goodies so I have a pretty much constant parade of wildlife in the yard. I can throw an ear of dried corn on the deck and a couple of chipmunks can have it clean in less than a half hour and hauled off and stored somewhere nearby underground. With dozens of them running back and forth from the feeders with their bulging cheeks full of sunflower seed or corn I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t a couple of tons of stuff stored in my yard at any given time.

Getting some “honey do’s” done this weekend. Built two new platform feeders for the deck out of rough cut cedar and replaced the existing ones. Between the raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks I only get about six months out of them before they look so disreputable that Madam insists they be replaced. I also replaced all the light fixtures in the upstairs hall and stairway. Madam decided the globe fixtures had to go so now there are low profile things in their stead.

If the weather holds I think it is chicken on the grill tonight and probably some grilled baby yellow squash and red peppers along side. Last night we decided to do all veggie as the market had some beautiful organic green tomatoes so yesterday I surprised Madam with one of her favorites…fried green tomatoes. Don’t get me wrong I love them too but she had never had them until I made them once some twenty years ago and she decided it was one of her favorite foods. I must say that I have never tasted anyone else’s that are tastier than my FGT’s . If anyone wants my secret recipe just let me know. They are even better than the ones at the Whistle Stop Café in Juliette, Georgia where they filmed the Fannie Flag movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”.

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