Just Talking Banana Bread and Owls

Seems like the bananas I buy at Aldi's always ripen too fast.  When this happens, I usually make a batch of banana bars with brown butter frosting (recipe is listed in Turtle Recipes) and put them in the freezer for special occasions.  Well today, I decided to make a double batch of banana bread.  The recipe really called for sour cream, but I used our homemade Greek yogurt.....thanks Bike man!  To see the actual recipe, check out my Turtle Recipes in the top menu.

On a different note, I had an interesting night playing with a Great Horned Owl!  It was 2 am and I couldn't sleep.  After laying in bed with my eyes wide open, I suddenly heard an owl hooting in the woods near our house.  I couldn't resist and had to get out of bed to find that owl!  I absolutely LOVE owls.

I ended up going outside and standing on our deck that faces the lake.  It was only 59 degrees and I was barely dressed to stand outside, but I didn't care, who would see me?  Very softly, I started calling back to the Great Horned Owl.... hoo hoo, hoo- hoo hooooooo.  Then I increase the volume of  my call.  Within 1 minute, the owl flew in closer to me.  The owl called to me, and I called back to him.  We did this for almost 30 minutes.  The owl kept moving from left to right in the trees, coming in closer and closer.  How cool is that?  A second owl was calling down the road near my neighbors, but never really heard me. 

I had wished I would have grabbed one of our flash lights to see the owl, but I forgot as I was in a hurry to get outside.  I didn't really care however, I was just excited to call in my favorite owl.

For years I've practiced the call of a Barred Owl, but this was the first time I called in the Great Horned owl.  Isn't it amazing how the small things in life can get you so excited?   

Heavy Hearts

I hope one of these days I can do a better job of blogging, but honestly, my heart hasn't been in the mood for writing.  After ending my library career in December, you'd think I'd be hammering out the blog post with all this extra time on my hands.  Nope!

Funny thing is, my life didn't actually slow down with retirement, but has accelerated.  I've committed to helping my husband with his volunteer work of stream and lake monitoring for the DNR, plus once a month we also collect phosphorus samples from 17 creeks in Dunn and Barron County.  Then, add in working/volunteering for the Lower Chippewa Invasive Partnership group, which is an active group that helps educate the public about terrestrial invasive plants & trees.  We also have actual work days pulling buckthorn, garlic mustard and tackling a new invasive, Amur Cork trees.

I then have about 1-2 weeks each month of unscheduled work or activities around the house, followed by one week a month in Richland Center, helping my elderly parents.

I posted this particular photo of my parents, Jack & Shirley, because it was a day I won't forget.  The day this photo was taken, we had just come back from dad's mid-afternoon oncology appointment at their local hospital.  The oncologist told my dad.....you realistically have 6-9 month left before the cancer takes you.  Your bladder cancer (of six years) has now moved into dad's pelvic area and the lungs.  All I can say is that we left this appointment with heavy hearts.  My dad held strong the rest of the afternoon and we decided to go out for dinner at a beautiful place along the Wisconsin River near Spring Green.

During that short time while we enjoyed our meals, we talked, we laughed and we even met some wonderful new people.  Can you believe we all three even enjoyed a frosty mug of beer???  Way to go mom and dad, live a little!

But now, it's back to reality.  Time is ticking.  Dad was finally placed in hospice last week and it has been a flurry for my parents.  Lot's of appointments, hospice visits, phone calls, new faces and new decisions to make about the future.

I will continue to travel to Richland Center to help my folks and will anticipate more trips for me in late fall and the winter months. Every day I tell myself I am so lucky to be able to retire early in order to help my parents.  I also have to say I am very lucky to have two wonderful sisters that are willing to help as well.....we girls all work together coordinating dates and appointments, phone calls and lots of messages by cell phone or Facebook. 

Lastly and ironically, my mother-in-law has also been in and out of hospice for several years now.  The end of her life is near for her as well.  As they say.....when it rains, it pours!

Thanks for listening and reading.

What? Rocks Move.......

There's something you may never think about, or maybe you didn't even know.  Sinking rocks!  Because of the movement of the earth, our planet is continually shifting and moving or shaking.  So how does this relate to my gardening?  In this first photo, I want to show you these rocks that line one of our gardens.  This was the first garden my hubby constructed about 25 years ago, and he used sandstone rocks as the boarder.  I just spent the last two days lifting these rocks from the soil because over the last 25 years, they basically sunk into the ground.  The rocks in the back still need to be lifted, but we'll do that later in late October or November.

The other BIG task I've been working on all summer long is weeding and mulching our hosta gardens.  I can't tell you how many pine seedlings I've pulled in the gardens.....it's got to be in the hundreds now!  Between the bending, pulling, lifting, twisting and carrying rocks, my body is slowing adapting to this new physical work.  Remember, I sat behind a desk for the last 15 years, so my body started screaming at me!!!  I just have to tell you, I am so happy to be working outdoors again.  I loved my library job, but yard work is where my heart is.  I'm so enjoying my early retirement.

I've got some spots like this where we lost hostas or perennials over the years, so soon I will be transplanting hostas and perennials to fill in bare gaps.  I have lots of baby hostas that I've digging out of the ground and saving for projects like this.  I've also given away lots of baby hostas as well.

We still have certain gardens that need lots of help, but that will be tackled next summer.  This photo is taken in our "jungle" of  Angel Candle, Astibe, Vinca and other various hostas.  You can't even see the hostas because they are so well hidden. Oh well.

  

And yes, we have plenty of hosta plants.  FYI, Liquid Fence works really well to keep the rabbits and deer from eating these beautiful plants.

This cute little rock owl was a gift from our daughter Becca last year.

And this beautiful Clematis was a gift from our son Chris and his wife Trisha.  I love the color.

Of course, I have to show you the little miniature gnome garden I created in one of the hosta gardens.  This was my first attempt at creating a miniature garden.  I've slowing been collecting and buying more tiny garden pieces to create more miniature gardens.  I do have a great book that I checked out from our local library that shows how to actually make miniature gardens and furniture.  The furniture can be made from natural items like sticks, birch bark, stones or acorns.  I might just buy the book because I've checked it out from the library so many times!!!

Thanks for checking in with me.  Later, I'll share the small terrariums I've been making as well. 

Summer Is In Full-Swing

Four trailer loads of cedar mulch, just waiting for me to lay down in our hosta gardens.

My new summer project is weeding ALL our hosta gardens and laying down the cedar mulch.

It's hard physical work bending, squatting, twisting and kneeling....but I love the outdoor work.  Good for the body and soul ya know?

I'm still in love with all our hostas over these last twenty-some years.

We recently had a bout with really hot and humid weather, so I walked down to our dock and dipped my feet into the lake water.  Cool and refreshing!!!

All is well with Bike man and myself.  We are currently busy with lake & stream monitoring for our State DNR and also bat monitoring.  Yup, life is busy.

Barn Quilt Class

I took my first barn quilt class today at the Grain Bin Market & Bakery.  This painted quilt block took me about six hours to draw the pattern and then paint.  I found this quilt pattern online and fell in love with it right away.

There's actually a lot involved in making a barn quilt.  You need to measure your prepared wooden block and measure out your quilt pattern.  Honestly, that took me like 2 hours!  As you can see, I did have some help.  Once you have your pattern drawn, then you need to tape off the areas that you want to paint.  You do this process in sections of colors.  This takes a long time, but it pays off in the end.  Oh, and a hair dryer does come in handy.

The class I took provided the primed wood block, paint choices and a delicious lunch.  Dawn, the owner, made a wonderful chicken salad, homemade rolls, fresh fruit and even sliced avocados.....thank you Dawn!

We started working around 10:30 am and this is me finishing my quilt block around 4:45 pm.  Despite a muscle pull in my back from yesterday, I made it through the day standing most of the day.  Thank heavens for Tylenol! 

I would probably paint another barn quilt as a gift for someone, but I need to figure out an easier way to transfer the quilt pattern to the wooden block.  Guess it's time to research the Internet and request some books. 

Time in the Woods

So the other day I said to myself, "hey Lis, you got through the first 3 1/2 months of your new retirement....whoo hoo, you made it!!!  I always said I would NOT retire in the winter....but I did and I survived.  What was my survival tip?  Do not sit around in the house during the winter months and hibernate.  Learn to love winter, the cold temperatures, the cold sunshine and the beautiful outdoor scenery.

So, now that it is officially spring, Bike man and our friend Caryn went out looking for morel mushrooms the other day.  I know it's a little early, but we just decided to take a look.  After an hour and a half of walking through the woods, we found nothing.  The walk through the woods however was heavenly!

Look what we found!  A leopard frog down by the water....and we also saw a blue bird, sorry no photo.

My most exciting find of the day was mother nature's terrarium, or otherwise known as an old bottle in the woods.  I found this old soda bottle in the gully of my friends wooded land.  But look, the moss has little ferns growing inside the bottle!  This bottle is so interesting, that I decided to bring it home and cap the bottle with a wine cork.  Now, I will just watch mother nature's terrarium just grow naturally.   

Late Afternoon Observations

A late afternoon hike today in the enchanted forest.  With the breezy conditions, the trees were singing, or maybe they were groaning!  Whatever they were doing, it was a pleasant sound to my ears.

So, I just realized today that there is a second muskrat house down by the water.  I had seen this stick

mound along the lake bank during the winter months, but now after seeing this new hole on top, I realized it's home to a muskrat family!  I spotted the muskrat by the other house today, but it's really hard for me to get a photo of him/her.  Ironically, muskrats are eaten by many predators like mink!  I never knew that until I attended a furbears workshop.  Muskrats also raise lots of young and are considered aquatic rodents!!!

 

Even though I always try to be quiet on my hike when I reach the mouth of the Hay River, the water fowl always senses my presences.  These two geese are obviously guarding a nest with eggs or youngins just born.  This pair scolded me the whole time I stood by the water's edge.   I didn't stay long this afternoon by the water because I didn't want to upset this mom and pop goose habitat.  My late afternoon hike was productive and much needed.  Thirty-seven degrees and 20 mph wind gusts did NOT stop me from enjoying the outdoors.  Take that Mother Nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Switching modes here.  I discovered a new salad mix purchased at Woodman's in Altoona, WI.  Woodman's is a new employee-own grocery store chain that opened in the fall of 2015.  I'm absolutely loving this new crunchy salad mix...and it's reasonably priced too.  It contains no traditional lettuce, however.  To make this salad a complete meal, I panfried a black bean burger and added it to my salad. Delicious....

This salad actually comes as a kit containing kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, radicchio, chickory, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and poppyseed dressing.  It's distributed by Apio, Inc. and I can only find this at Woodman's. If you can't find this mix, then I guess you could make your own!

Another tip:  Bike man decided this would be a good veggie combination to add to a batch of fried rice.  Add a little Asian peanut sauce and sautéed tofu, and you have a delicious meal.