This will be a different type of post.  Usually I write about a designated recipe using flour, and more often than not the finished product is sweet.  Then I write about two or three plants or flowers that are popular or something about them is current.  Today I want to touch on healthier eating for both flour and flower.
    For instance, I have been trying to manage my cholesterol for a year without having to take medication.  This means being careful about everything I eat, reading labels a lot, and exercising.  Fortunately, I have been successful in that my cholesterol level has dropped enough to please my doctor for the time being.  I have also managed to lose some weight in the process, which I deem a benefit.  Has it been easy?  NO, but my small success has encouraged me to continue.  Just recently I was reminded of a person who tried to live a healthy life for as long as I can remember.
     In the last week, a family I have known for many years and its friends said good-bye to their patriarch, a man blessed to have reached his 94th birthday.   It was bittersweet, but wow, what a milestone!  I realize many people reach an advanced age and until the end are actually quite vital and much the same as always.  But my cause and effect brain began to wonder, how was this gentleman able to achieve his advanced years.  Then it hit me...food.  It could have been the food he ate.  Now I am no doctor or specialist, but I think the food we eat is significant to our health.  Remember...you are what you eat.
    Having been a friend to this man's oldest daughter and playmate to all three girls, I was invited, beginning at a young age, to spend the night occasionally and to eat lunch or dinner with the family.  I do remember them having lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, and healthy ingredients.  One daughter particularly liked cauliflower.  I did not at the time, but was impressed by that.  Green salads were colorful with tomatoes and bell pepper rings that rested on end all around the sides of the glass bowl like little wheels.  I can remember many tomatoes grown from their own plants and fig trees bearing much fruit. 
     I often got to see this man in his later years when I visited his daughter.  He enjoyed food, but continued to be concerned about what he ate and how much.  I sometimes took him a small banana, zucchini, or pumpkin bread.  I was tickled that he liked them, but he would only eat one slice at a time.  So to honor this man for not only who he was, but how he took care of his health, I will share a short anecdote below.

WATERMELON MAN - During those hottest days of summer when every fruit or vegetable possible was available, he would bring a watermelon home nearly every day.  His three daughters would be outside playing when he came home for lunch and they would run to meet him at his truck.  I can picture the light green fruit, much like an oversized jelly bean, resting atop his shoulder, his arm curled around it and the fingers of his hand tucked underneath as he walked towards their back door.  

     The watermelon would serve as an afternoon treat for the girls.  It was immediately placed in what was called the deep freezer to chill for a couple of hours.  Later this melon would meet its fate as it was halved, then quartered, and finally cut in eighths on their newspaper covered picnic table.  Many times I was lucky to be the recipient of a section.  As we delighted in the sweet taste of those cold red bites, seeds flying, giggles flourishing, none of us knew we were doing something healthy..... but he did.   

FLOUR

     I decided to feature a savory baked good here just to mix things up.  It only includes one tablespoon of brown sugar, so it is not sweet.  I found this recipe in a book I purchased recently from a vintage/antique store.  During these early Spring days when it can be still cool enough for a pot of soup or a casserole for supper, these Caramelized Onion and Thyme Muffins would be the best accompaniment.  I made these along with a pot of Corn Chowder last night.  Enjoy!

     This recipe was taken from the muffin book, published by Fog City Press, San Francisco, CA, copyright 2002.  As I suspected, the aroma coming from my oven when these were baking was absolutely fabulous.  It only got better when the muffins were done and they were out of the oven when the smell of cooked onions and thyme wafted from the kitchen into my living room.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND THYME MUFFINS

Makes 12 standard muffins

2 tablespoons butter                                                   1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar                   1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves                               2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder                                       2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk                                                                   2 oz butter, extra, melted

     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease twelve standard (1/2-cup) muffin cups or line them with parchment (baking) paper cases.  (I used my muffin pan that makes six large muffins.)
     In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.  (I used margarine because of no cholesterol and a saute pan.) Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 20 minutes.  (As I understand the explanation of preparing caramelized onions, they are to cook until the natural sugars in them turn the vegetable a soft brown.  So...I don't think of the onions in this recipe as caramelized, just cooked until they are softened.  I put a lid on my pan.  The process took about 15-20 minutes.)  Add the brown sugar, balsamic, and thyme and cook over low heat for 5 minutes more.  Set aside to cool.  (I used dried thyme which is three times more concentrated then fresh.  Therefore, I used 1 teaspoon of dried thyme for every tablespoon, OR, I used two teaspoons.)
     In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.  Make a well in the center.
     In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk (I used skim.), and extra butter (The two ounces equaled four tablespoons of margarine.).  Add all at once to the flour mixture together with the onion mixture.  Stir until just moistened (the batter should be lumpy).
     Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them two-thirds full.  Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Serve warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool.

& FLOWER

  

     Don't you love finding these types of surprises outdoors when Spring arrives?  I really try to notice them when I walk and sometimes when I'm driving through another part of town. The top photo is a small-cupped version of a Narcissus.  My large yellow variety has already bloomed, what we know Daffodils.  These cream and yellow ones follow.  They are pretty and delicate.  I always ask myself, do I bring some indoors or do I leave them outdoors to enjoy.

     Purple is a pretty Spring color in this Ajuga bloom.  If you do not have this ground cover, you might consider adding it to your beds.  It is low maintenance and the blooms are a great addition to your landscape colors after a long winter.  The foliage of the ground cover is attractive, but enjoy the blooms while you can.  They disappear when temperatures get warm.

 

     Red tulips usually do make a statement, especially planted near a building in a heavy traffic area.  Make sure to also intermingle

another plant variety among the tulips in order to have color when

they are gone.

 

     Flowering trees in Spring are a sight to behold because we have gone a long time with very little color.  Enjoy them while you can.  A thunderstorm with a lot of wind can take the blooms away very quickly.

   

FLOUR 

1: Apple Crisp - Once I made this with a mixture of apples I had on hand.  I actually liked the blend of flavors and have made it that way every since.  Who could turn down cooked apples with an oatmeal, flour, sugar, and butter topping?
2.  Biscuits - Making biscuits is not about the ingredients, but how you handle them, which is as little as possible.  Too much time spent handling the dough and your biscuits will be tough.  I usually make biscuits for breakfast, but we have eaten them at any time of the day.
3.  Bread - When yeast is used to make bread, wonderful things happen.  A kitchen smells wonderful and your family will come without being called.  Baking bread is often time consuming, so if you want to do this make sure you have the proper amount of time.  (I speak from experience.  I should confess I also have goofed from experience.)  But don't let the time involved stop you from baking.  It is well worth the effort.

Boule

4.  Caramel Cake -  Caramel Cake has cooked brown sugar and butter. The taste seems rich yet not too sweet.  What's not to love?
5.  Cinnamon Rolls - These are a family favorite.  We have eaten every version from store bought to homemade.  I love the cinnamon and butter combination the most.  I like these with or without chopped pecans.  I will eat any of them, but prefer the lighter glaze on top instead of a heavier frosting.
6.   Coconut Cake or Coconut Pie - Thinking of coconut takes me back to watching my grandma decorate a cake with it when I was small.  I remember watching her press the coconut to the frosted sides of the cake on the kitchen table.  I thought the cake was already finished.  What Grandma was doing looked like fun!  "What's that white stuff," I asked?  She smiled and handed me a few pieces.  "Try it," said Grandma.  I felt the different texture in my mouth and it was kind of fruity sweet.  I knew I liked it and was not hesitant to later eat a piece of the cake.  Then later on I was introduced to Coconut Cream Pie, which I will eat, but it is not a favorite.  I think it is because of the richness of the cream filling with the coconut and then also the whipped topping.  However, in college I went home with my roommate one weekend and her mom made a Coconut Custard Pie.  I loved that.  Her mom's recipe uses more egg and there is no topping.  This pie does not need to be refrigerated either.  As a matter of fact, I doubt anyone would have to worry about storing any leftovers.

Coconut Custard pies

     Here is the recipe.  When I made it, I substituted coconut oil for oleo and coconut/almond milk for regular milk.  I also used only 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I also made this into mason jar lid pies.

COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

4 eggs                                                                 2 c. sugar
2 tablespoons flour                                             2 cups milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla                                              1 large can flake coconut
1/2 stick oleo-melted                                         2 unbaked pie shells

Cream together eggs, sugar, flour.  Add melted oleo and milk.  Add vanilla and coconut.  Pour into pie shells and bake about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

7.  Crust - Anyone can buy refrigerated pie dough from the grocery store.  I do it too.  But it's good to have a pie dough recipe on hand.  There are so many available in magazines, books, and online.  Basic recipes are flour, salt, butter and ice water.  
8.  Gravy - I learned to make gravy by watching my mom make a slurry, which to her meant flour and water. However, you can make a slurry with cornstarch.  My mom always made her slurry in a clean glass jar with a lid because shaking the mixture avoided lumps.  After the slurry is put into your cooking liquid, stir and let the mixture cook for a while to get rid of any starchy taste from the flour or cornstarch.  Then season and serve. 
9.  Oatmeal cookies - Raisins, chocolate chips or nuts?  I like all three additions, but can eat them plain.  Oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar are a worthy cause.
10. Roux - Pronounced "roo," this is a thickening agent made from cooked flour and butter. (Olive oil or bacon grease can be substituted for butter.)  Once the flour has cooked and the roux has reached the desired light or dark color needed for your recipe, then the remaining ingredients can be added.  A roux originated in French cooking.  Many of you know it as making a white sauce.  I like the flavor it gives a gumbo or chowder.
11. Pumpkin Bread - This is a Fall staple in my house.  There is something about pumpkin and spices baked into bread that is irresistible.

Breads ready for market

12. Zucchini Bread - A summer staple in my house is this wholesome, honey-touched, earthy bread.  Love it!
13. Pizza- Who does not like pizza?  Grant it I have moved on from pepperoni, sausage, and hamburger but I still appreciate them.  Now I go for veggie topped pies and even chicken combos.

 FLOWER 

1. Basil - This is a beautiful, leafy green, aromatic plant.  In the last couple of years I have learned that basil can be frozen and later pulled out of the freezer to enhance soups and stews.

Cut basil stems

2. Beautyberry - I had never seen this shrub until the day I purchased it 10 years ago.  I love the pretty pink and purple seeds that show themselves in the Fall.  Birds seem to love this shrub.  Plant it in a space where it can sprawl.

3. Crepe myrtle - I have several of these beauties in my yard.  Some years I have been able to deadhead the groups of seed pods after blooming as many as three times in one season.  Then the shrub continues to bloom.  By the way I'm sharing information here.  For an understanding of crepe murder, go to the following site.

www.thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2015/04/09/how-to-fix-crepe-murder/

Miniature crepe myrtle

4. Hyacinths - I cut the only two hyacinth blooms that I had in my yard just the other day before our cold temperatures came back.  These fragrant lovely blooms are too fleeting to risk losing them.

5. Hydrangea - I love how this plant has evolved.  For years I was only familiar with the mophead pink and blue hydrangeas.  Then I learned the color has to do with the type of soil in which the plant is growing.  Next I discovered other varieties like oak leaf and lace cap.  Now there is an ever blooming variety and even new colors available.

6. Lettuce - I recently planted three packets of lettuce seed in the two grow boxes on my front porch.  It is quite a bit, but I love it.  It is so tender!  I also know I can share with friends and neighbors.  Funny story...once I walked from the back yard to the front of our house and there in one grow box on my front porch was a rabbit...seemingly sitting straight up as if in a bath tub, EATING MY LETTUCE!

7. Lily-of-the-Valley - These delicate white blooms are actually woodland wildflowers that appear early in Spring.  They are very fragrant and the plants grow from rhizomes that spread across the ground.  Each one is called a pip.  I first became acquainted with these from my mother-in-law.  I saw that she had some in her yard and I let her know how much I liked them.  When my husband and I were planning our wedding, I mentioned I would like these bell-like lilies in my bouquet, but our florist said in order to force them to bloom in time could be costly.  The day we were married I looked down at my bouquet and there, along with the pink roses were also lily-of-the-valley stems!  My mother-in-law's lilies just happened to bloom in time for her to pick some and take to the florist for my bouquet.

8. Maple - There are plenty of beautiful trees, but non are as wondrous as a sugar maple in the Fall.  Love the color!

9. Nandina - In the past three years I have planted nine of the new nandina shrubs in my front bed under windows.  This space was filled with holly, azaleas, and evergreen shrubs that had all become overgrown.  I planted blush pink and limelight nandina.  Their colors are complimentary and I like that they are not expected to become so big and oversized.

10. Narcissus - I have always like the white narcissus flowers that have multiple small blooms on each stem.  Their fragrance is fleeting, like most bulbs so one must appreciate them when possible.  The bulbs can usually be purchased in a container before Christmas with instructions on how to force them to bloom. 

11. Pecan - Years ago when I was small, a seasonal chore for my brother, sister, and me was to pick up pecans.  We had several trees and for a time cracked them ourselves and then sold and also gave many pounds as gifts.  As a small child I did not care much for walking around with my head down looking for pecans.  However, I am certain I learned how to eat them sitting around our dining room table as we cracked and picked the nuts from their shells.  Today I would rather just eat a handful of pecans instead of putting them in baked goods.  

12. Zinnia - One of the first flowers I ever grew was a zinnia.  I was about six-years-old when my grandma thought I would like a small flower garden and gave me a pack of marigold seeds and one of zinnia seeds.  We poured the seeds out into an empty fruit jar, shook the contents and then scattered them on a small patch of broken ground my grandma had prepared.  It was fun to watch both flowers grow.  I continue to plant zinnias today.

Zinnia

13. Rose - I have 12 rose bushes today.  Six are Knockout roses and the rest are tea roses.  My first experience with roses was watching my childhood friend's mom tend her bushes many years ago.  This lady spent so much time with them planting, fertilizing, pruning, and mulching.  I began to question all this work until they finally started blooming.  Then I saw what all the fuss was about.

 

FLOUR

     We went to New Orleans on our honeymoon many years ago.  That destination in itself is a memorable place, but I want to tell you about one of the things we had as part of our dinner one night....French Onion Soup.  We were both 23 at the time and it was the first experience for each of us to have this wonderful course.  I remember its presentation; two individual soup crocks draped with bubbly white cheese that dribbled over the sides.  At the bottom of each crock was a toasted slice of French bread that was, of course, saturated with the luscious beef and onion infused juices.  The bread itself held up the delicate onion slices that had been cooked down in butter before the broth was added. For several days afterward, I kept wondering if I could make that soup and capture a taste that would seem anything like we had enjoyed in New Orleans.
     I remember searching and finding a recipe I thought would be simple enough for a young cook.  It called for butter in which to saute the yellow onions and for adding canned beef consomme, not beef broth. Consomme is concentrated broth and is richer.  I also remember adding a tablespoon of flour to the onions and butter to help it thicken.  Then besides the consomme I included a small amount of water. salt and pepper.  The toasted French bread slices and the Swiss cheese I used were the final touches.  Now the down side to this is recently I had to tell my husband I lost my original recipe.  He had made a request for French Onion Soup after recalling it had been a long time since we had eaten it.  So I began the soup search again and this is the recipe I used.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

3 large onions, thinly sliced                                  1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter or margarine                                     1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can beef bouillon                                                6 slices French bread, toasted
4 soup cans water                                                 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire

     Brown onions in butter until lightly browned.  In a large pot, combine all ingredients, except bread and cheese, and simmer for 2-3 hours, until onions are tender.  Sprinkle cheese in bottom of bowls and add soup.  Place French bread on top and sprinkle with additional cheese.  Serve immediately.  Good as an appetizer or full meal with a salad.  Freezes exceptionally well.  (Can be cooked in crock pot for 6-8 hours.)
                                                                              Jeanette Boyd, Gulf Coast Council  
     This recipe was taken from Bell's Best, Telephone Pioneers of America, Mississippi Chapter No. 36, copyright 1981. 

Individual soup serving

      I did make the following changes to the recipe for my husband and me.  First, I did not simmer the soup for 2-3 hours.  I let the onions caramelize, which takes about 30 minutes.  (The cook needs to stir occasionally to make sure they do not burn and there is enough oil or margarine/butter in the pan.)  Then I added the rest of the ingredients and simmered about an hour.  I only used a couple of tablespoons of margarine and the rest olive oil to cook the onions and keep the cholesterol level lower.  Before adding any liquid, I did add a couple heaping tablespoons of flour to stir into the onions. I let that cook for just a couple minutes, then added in the remaining ingredients.  I used two cans of beef consomme and three cans of water.  The next time I will only use two cans of water.  The flavor was not weak.  We just prefer a beefier taste.  The Worcestershire sauce does give the flavor of the soup a nice kick.  Make sure to taste to know if you have the right amount of seasoning.

     For those of you observing Lent or for those who follow a vegetarian diet, French Onion Soup can be made using vegetable broth.  The flavors will be enhanced if the onions are cooked until they are caramelized.
     By the way...my husband was happy with the results! 

& FLOWER 

     I live in the Ohio Valley region according to The Old Farmer's Almanac weather forecasts.  So far we seem to be following their prediction of having a warmer winter than normal and below normal precipitation.  Why we have had about a week of high 50s, 60s, and a few 70s; pretty warm weather for mid to late February.  See this Flowering Quince below?  This is since my last post when one could see a photo of it barely showing color.  Now I also have jonquils budding and slivers of green leaves showing on my hyacinths and a few other shrubs.  Yesterday I talked to a neighbor who was outside with her family enjoying the mild weather.  She jokingly said, "It will be snowing next week."  I hope she's wrong!

Flowering quince

      I did go ahead and separate my orchid that had five stems.  Now I have five individual orchid plants.  I chose to proceed since the weather has been mild.  I did not use anything special to repot these stems but regular potting soil.  There are some who would be against this idea, reporting that orchids should be grown in a looser material like wood chips and pieces of bark.  It would be more like their natural habitat, but I make sure not to pack the orchid stem tightly.  When I water them, which is seldom, I allow all the liquid to run out of the container so the orchid does not sit in water.  They do not like that.  When temperatures are definitely warm and stable, I put my orchids on the front porch where they spend the summer and early Fall.

Five new orchid plants

      Succulents seem to be very popular now.  I have been reading and learning about how to increase the number of succulents I own.  I thought I would try to do this and began to gingerly pull pieces off the main stems of my plants.  I read about being careful to get the whole piece pulled from the main stem.  You wouldn't want to leave anything behind still attached to the plant because your section would not root well and probably die.  After three to five days of the pieces drying out, you can go ahead and fill a planter with soil and lay your pieces on top of the soil.  This step makes me think of what you do to plant an iris rhizome, if anyone has ever done that.  This would be similar to a human being laying down on a couch to take a nap, with no cover.  However, one can break off longer succulent stems and stick them directly into your potting medium to root, as well.  Then you will need a spray bottle filled with water to lightly mist your succulents.  They do not  need to be watered like other house plants.  An occasional misting will be fine until you begin to see that the sections have rooted, showing smaller versions of the parent plants.  At this time you can judge the progress as to whether it is time to repot your newest succulents.

Succulent transplants

      So back to our mild winter...temperatures changed here over the weekend returning to the 40s and lower for a couple of nights.  I posted another photo on Facebook of my daffodils that have already begun blooming.  I commented that I could visualize overturned flower pots in my future because I knew I would go outside later and cover them up.  Hate to see the beauty lost so quickly!  All this made me think of the different names I have heard all my life of these pretty spring blooms.  The easiest way for me to remember is that daffodils are the larger blooms.  Jonquils have yellow blooms often with more than one flower to a stem and a nice fragrance.  Narcissus have clusters of smaller flowers that bloom earlier, BUT, all three are a type of Narcissus.

Daffodils

      
     By the way, it's warmer today.  The overturned flower pots are back in our garage.  These yellow friends are smiling again... hopefully for the entire week! 

FLOUR

Is everything better with gravy or a sauce?  Actually I could have 

eaten this filet that you see on the plate at right without any topping, but it was Christmas day and I decided to splurge.  So I made a peppery, brown gravy for everyone to enjoy atop their entree.  Is gravy or sauce only for those times when we want an added special touch to a meal?  I think not. No, certain meals call for this flavorful addition and would not be the same without it.  Imagine roast beef and mashed potatoes without brown gravy, breakfast biscuits split open on a plate with no sausage gravy, and spaghetti with no red sauce.  What a difficult thing to imagine!  I remember first learning how to make gravy.  My mom made it mostly when we had something that cooked slowly in the oven like roast beef.  She would remove the meat from the pan.  Then she would put the pan with its drippings on a burner of the stove so it could come to a simmer.  If there was an excess amount of grease in the pan she would skim the liquid first.  Once she thought the entire pan was simmering, she would pour in a watery concoction of flour and water that she had shaken in a jar.  I wondered for the longest time how she knew the amount of flour and water to add as she was good at "eyeballing" her measurements.  Once the drippings, and flour/water mixture began bubbling while she stirred constantly (Mama did not own a whisk.), she would then add any remaining seasonings.  After a few minutes the flour would begin to work its magic and the gravy would thicken, until it reached the consistency she hoped to achieve.  I have since learned that the flour and water mixture is called a "slurry."  A slurry is a mixture of equal parts flour and water mixed or shaken together.  Some cooks prefer to use cornstarch instead of flour, but I know flour works.  Another gravy making method is when you start with a roux.  That is how I made the peppery sauce for our Christmas steaks this year. I did not learn about a roux until I was grown and married.  I started by putting olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.  When I could see the oils getting warm in the pan, I sprinkled in hopefully enough flour to make a paste and began whisking.  The mixture thickened immediately and I moved it around in the pan for a few seconds so the flour could cook.  (My time limit here was all that was needed to make our gravy for Christmas.  However, some people cook a roux longer for a desired color and a different flavor.)  Then I added maybe two cups of chicken broth and two beef bouillon cubes, all the while continuing to whisk.  Once I thought this mixture was combined, I added a generous amount of pepper, a dash of salt, some dried parsley and thyme.  Lastly I added about a one-fourth cup of cream, but before that I will admit to adding a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  What can I say?  This concoction needed a little taste of the familiar.  Anyway, it all came together and got spooned over coffee-crusted filets.  If you have never made gravy, you must try.  It is just like anything else, meaning it takes practice.  You can do it, and BOY, is it worth it!

  

& FLOWER

     I walk a lot.  I exercise, while at the same time enjoy nature.  I see a lot during my walks;  flowers, plants, dogs, and birds.  What I have noticed just this week are the trees.  In winter they seem like tall, dark, and lifeless shapes, almost sad from their loss of color.  But I have also witnessed a whole lot of leafy nests, now exposed from the lack of leaf cover.  Squirrels!  Those are squirrels' nests!  That's why there are so many more squirrels in my neighborhood!  

Squirrels' nest made of leaves

     I remember thinking just a few months ago in the hottest parts of the summer that someone must have hit a button and an explosion of squirrels occurred.  I saw squirrels running across the street in front of cars, people walking, biking; scampering up and down tree trunks and jumping from limbs to roof tops.  That's when they were building their nests.  Not that I really mind.  I have done some research to try and refresh what I already know about squirrels.  I know they can be a nuisance to gardeners because they like eating tomatoes.  I've lost a few tomatoes.  Actually I've found some with teeth marks, but not that many.  And I'm not really sure if a squirrel would have been the culprit.  I also know they can make their way inside a home and cause problems in an attic or in the walls by chewing on wires and taking up residence.
     But I have to be honest.  Squirrels are cute.  I mean I cannot resist watching them chase each other and climb round and round a tree or numerous trees.  One of the biggest reasons I believe I see more of them near my home is that the trees in which they love to inhabit are older and larger now, providing safety and seclusion from predators.  I have read that there are three types of squirrels in Missouri; the Fox squirrel, Gray squirrel, and the Southern flying squirrel.  The type I see here is the Fox squirrel, you know, the reddish-brown one with the bushy tail.  When I was little every elementary school student drew a reddish-brown squirrel.
     So I learned a little more about squirrels this week.  I am including two websites at the end that I used for my research, if anyone is interested.  I only wish to share knowledge.  Some of you may be like me in tolerating squirrels because of their cuteness and playfulness.  Some of you may not like them at all.  Some people even invite them for dinner...haha, so to speak.  For however you feel about them, I will share this story.  My husband's uncle used to complain about squirrels foraging for food in his garden.  He claimed to chase off one particular squirrel each day.  Being a gardener like him, sometimes I would visit this uncle and aunt as I did one afternoon.  The uncle said he thought he had finally outsmarted that squirrel because he caught him in a trap earlier that day.  I was shocked to hear this.  I continued to listen at how the uncle put the trap in his car and drove 14 miles away to another community to let this squirrel out there.  When the uncle was driving back he was congratulating himself on his plan and how successful it was.  Then as he told his story, he stopped and looked at me and said, "When I pulled up in front of the house that squirrel had beaten me home because there he sat in the driveway looking at me!"
www.extension.missouri.edu/p/G9455 
www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/nuisance-wildlife/tree-squirrels/ 

 
     Something else I noticed this week was this large hornets' nest (at right) hanging from a tree limb in a neighbors' yard.  Wow, I can't even begin to tell you how scared I would be of the thought of a hive in my yard.  I am allergic.  I understand from reading about them that the worker insects die in winter, but the queen will survive to build another colony in the spring.  If you see one, please be careful and consider calling a professional to get rid of the hive.