Marsh Hawk with Prey...

We have lots of flowers whose seeds provide food for several varieties of birds in abundance. In recent years, the situation has provided for a greater population of Marsh Hawks to help prey on the small birds, such as this unlucky Weaver Finch, We had near-encounters with the hawk as it hunted this summer.

Hybridized Daylillies...the Class of 2015

After the "crosses" are made, it takes a few weeks to know if a seed pod will develop. Then you must wait to collect the seeds; store them in the freezer until March and then start the new plants inside. Once planted in the flower bed, they seem quite hardy; it takes about three years before the plants are mature enough to bloom. Instruction are also to be found on the internet by simply googling.

Thank You, Kennedy!

A very young gardener we know in Kentucky gave us seeds from one of his big, brilliant sunflowers last year. We planted them for the summer past. The flowers were wonderful, though probably not as good as the ones grown in Kentucky soils. Thank you, Kennedy.

Madison Wisconsin Mifflin Street Co-op long lost Guerilla Cookies! (one of the few things I miss about the '70's)

These were from the batch that was my first attempt. I found the recipe and tried it. Best to reduce the oven temperature to around 325-F and watch the cooking progress.

These cookies were similar to an energy bar, but sweetened softly with honey, molasses and barley malt syrup. It a chore to assemble the ingredients, but if you want a taste of the 1970's, this is it.

The next time I made the cookies, they turned out "prettier".

Verga in Southern Ohio

                       Rain falling from clouds; it evaporates before it reaches the ground.

To Read These Three....I must really love to read

Since I have not written a manuscript, gotten it published and had it become a best seller, I can't be too critical of those who have. I get it.

Having mentioned that, I will never even look into another Jeffrey Archer novel after I choked my way through "Kane & Abel". But maybe it only seemed outdated, since it came out more than 30 years ago and wasn't very well written or edited.

Probably I'm the wrong demographic for Laura Griffin's "Unspeakable-A Tracers Novel". Routine, not very thrilling crime novel. With a twist of "chick-lit".

Least offensive was "Omerta" by Mario Puzo; normally I enjoy his novels.