5/02/2009

Tour de Back 40

It's spring here in the Valley and time to take a little walk around the back quarter and see what's up! It's also time to get some fresh air and exercise and exorcise the memories of the last night's failed gourmet rotisserie chicken.
Coulda been the wine, coulda been the beer -coulda been the total lack of rotisserie-ing experience that we had, but our attempt to impress worked! Just not the way we thought it would. Good news, we caught the burning chickens just in time, doused the flames and the cottage didn't catch fire. Bad news, they were, uh, slightly charred. Not my finest moment as a chef! Nor John's.
On we go. First up, is the wintergreen...it's so up it never really goes down all winter, and here it is all bright and shiny. Kind of want to smack it then walk all over it...but then it would smell like spearmint (or wintergreen). Once when I was about 8 years old I spent my entire allowance (25¢) on a bag full of spearmint “leaves”. Ate everyone of them too. And have never eaten another since in over 40 years! And don't like the smell much either. Lesson about not sharing well and truly learned, thank you!

On to the next discovery...
Ah, Cat with Nip. Cute...Did you know that cats aren't supposed to actually eat the leaves? Or drink Rum and Pepsi?

What else does the land reveal to me on this walk with the cat, who's name is Dawson? Well, the pecker wood tree (as we call it) seems to have had some recent visitors...hmmm...Downy? Hairy? Pileated? All three call our place home, so maybe they take turns and share nicely. I'll admit, it's got me stumped.
Although it is indeed May 2, it's too chilly to linger on this walk, as there's a bit of wind happening...so let's get on to see what's saying helloo today....
Ah, yes, the French Tarragon that will not give up. This herb amazes me! It will grow to be about four feet tall, and lives in complete ignorance of the fact that it is totally neglected off in the back corner, stuffed in to a hole in a cement cinder block and left to its own devices pretty much all year. I LOVE plants like this. I think Tarry and me are BFF's!
Oh, look! There's Oregano under the rotting oak leaves...also stuffed into a cinder block because experience has shown that this baby loves to spread itself around and is pretty promiscuous – Orgie will go anywhere, and hang out with anything. She's great for fresh salads and pizza and eggs and pasta and tomatoes...doesn't do all that well with ice cream.
What else do we have here? Ah yes, the several parsley plants that John nurtured last year...not sure why or how they overwintered...very odd! I thought they were annuals...mea wronga apparently.

Well, that's it for today's tour. Did I see any birds you ask?? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I did..just forgot to focus for a moment: (there's a thunder storm happening) phoebe, chickadee, pine siskin, purple finch, white breasted nuthatch, American goldfinch...and I have to shut down before lightening stri....: <()