On the Road Again

We're moving back West; to the Mountain West.  Kentucky has been nice, but we found out that we need an arid climate to thrive.  So goodbye tornado alley, hello water restrictions.

Since this blog is called "Moving East," it is no longer suited for my next journey in life.  Instead of changing its name, I've decided to stop blogging at this location and marry my two blogs.  Ein Windig Baum will now not only be my art but also include ramblings on nature and life.  This change will be easier for me and my loyal reader (my Dad).

I am still a California Emigrant, finding my place in this large and diverse country--you'll just be reading about it here from now on.

Ta ta for now!

Clovers

My dad always called clovers Rabbit Candy; we used to snack on it when we went to the park.  But in Kentucky, clover is just not for rabbits and children; groundhogs like the sweet flavor too.

A groundhog munching on some clover along the Ohio River.

Taking it Slow in Canada

Photos from hiking in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario over Memorial Day weekend.

Canada was a great place to spend Memorial Day because their were no crowds;

I was able to relax, slow down, and truly soak in my surroundings.  

An Afternoon Nap

A Spring Hike at Bernheim

These turtles were enjoying the sun on this nice spring day back in March.

Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest

The Bird Feeder

The Tufted Titmouse, with its little mohawk, takes one safflower seed out of the feeder, flies to the tree, and taps the seed against the branch, cracking the shell to retrieve the nutty flesh.  Then the titmouse flies back to the feeder, retrieves one seed, and flies back to the tree again, eating one seed at a time until it is full.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk stands on his captured Morning Dove, shaking it occasionally to check for life.  Once the hawk is satisfied that its prey is dead, it begins the ritual of plucking feathers while constantly surveying the yard for threats.  It looks up, to its right, to its left; it is safe and the plucking resumes.  All the other birds have left the yard, the squirrels scattered as well.  It is empty and quiet except for the hawk and its dead, plucked dove.  Now the hawk, starting with a leg, begins digging into the flesh.  Tearing piece by piece, the scene turns bloody.  When the hawk has devoured enough of the dove, it flies back to its nest, carrying the carcass with it, leaving behind a circular patch of plucked feathers on the ground.  The other birds slowly return back to the feeder as down feathers start to float away in the breeze.

Your window can be your personal nature show, if only you turn the TV off.

When the store bought pie crust burns.....

while baking the pumpkin pie, what do you do?  Answer:  Make cut-out pie crust cookies with the spare crust.  I chose to make squirrels.  (But next year I am going back to making my crusts from scratch.)

There are two things my dad has always done to help my mom out during the Thanksgiving preparations; 1) clean all the dishes (even while she is still using them) and 2) make the cranberry sauce.  When it comes to cranberry sauce, my dad is a mad scientist; every year he experiments with different ingredients.  Some years the results turned out really yummy, but some years we were glad mom had a can of cranberry jelly in the cupboard.  Since I haven't been able to spend Thanksgiving with my parents for many years now, I feel it is my duty to make the cranberry sauce every year.  I've stayed pretty tame in my recipes, but this year I ventured out of my comfort zone.  I added dried figs, honey and ground cardamon to the boiling, popping cranberries (the recipe from Real Simple). It was very tasty; my dad would have approved.

Happy Halloween!

The Orange Green Man

Some Summer Insects

Common Buckeye Butterfly

(with a lot of pretty blue-ish "eyes")

Robber Fly

(yes, this is a fly and it is larger than 1 inch)

Long-horned Grasshopper

(it's antennas are longer than it's body)

Things to do When Louisville is in Triple Digits

Our second summer in Louisville, and it is even hotter this year.  What to do when it is too hot to do anything?  I came up with the following activities to ward off cabin fever.

1. Road Trip to Milwaukee
Now Milwaukee wasn't that much cooler, but the lake breezes sure helped.  Plus, it was something new and new is always distracting.

2. Go Underground
This is cave country; stalagmites, stalactites and a constant 52 degrees (Fahrenheit).

3. Early Morning Hiking
The earth has yet to be warmed and the dense trees keep the air cool.

4. Jigsaw Puzzles in the Kitchen
The distraction of a complicated puzzle and a cool tile floor under my feet is a great combination.