I saw so many birds today, but almost all of my photos of them ended up blurry. This has been a recurring issue. But I finally figured out the problem! Read on for the solution, plus not-atrocious photos of buffleheads. Read more …
Sorry about the silence over the last week, but it’s Hippie Christmas here in Madison and I’ve been a tad busy with the festivities. For the uninitiated, Hippie Christmas happens every mid-August around the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. That’s when most of the student rental contracts turn over, and kids who didn’t have the time or foresight to empty their apartments ahead of time dump their unwanted belongings on the curb for the garbage collectors—or whoever gets there first. Read more …
Poinsettias (the shrub with the bright red leaves—shaped like flower rosettes—at the center of the photo above) are native to the Americas, but plenty are to be found in Madagascar. They were brought here as a decorative plant and, as often happens with garden introductions, got loose with the help of birds. Because it never freezes in Madagascar, poinsettias here … Read more
It’s been a little chilly lately, but Lilo always knows where to find the best and warmest seat in the house.
I am not much of a purse person, and besides Lilo would eat anything made of wool felt. But still, the bags over at Entropy Always Wins Blog today make me wish I liked to use purses. Well, I have friends who do! If I can keep the felt away from Lilo, I could make some for them. Entropy says: … Read more
If a little peanut butter is good, a lot is even better, right? Well, maybe. These muffins taste amazing if you’re a peanut butter lover, but they’re denser and moister than what I usually prefer. Next time, I’ll probably cut the peanut butter to 3/4 cups and add another egg. Supplies measuring cups and spoons 1 mixing bowl blender muffin … Read more
This post is a continuation of Pear Scrap Vinegar in Progress. After sitting near the window for a couple weeks, my jars of pear scraps was making good progress toward vinegar. The liquid was bubbling and a layer of yeast and starches produced by vinegar bacteria was forming on the surface. It was time for the next step in the vinegar-making … Read more
I’ve recently been going through a bit of a spray painting phase, urged on by the approach of winter and the fact that it will soon be too cold to spray paint. It also helped that my friend Dekalb was cleaning out his basement and found eight cans of spray paint left there by previous residents. Old spray paint isn’t … Read more
This is a bad year for apples in our neighborhood. The Golden Delicious tree I usually pick from only produced a handful of apples at the highest branches (ten pounds at the most), and the tree with the red Jonagold-type fruit produced only about 100 apples, most of which the bees and worms got to first. I’ve picked maybe a dozen … Read more
These awesome birds are building nests on the park shelter I walk by most days, and it looks like someone’s trying to help them out by putting perches for them. That, or they’re barbs that are totally failing to keep them away. These aren’t in my Wisconsin bird book, so the only thing I can tell you is that they … Read more