old fashioned chocolate cake...avec pansies!

Over the Christmas holidays I made my mom a chocolate cake. Just found the pics so I thought I would share! I used Nigella Lawson's recipe for old fashioned chocolate cake. I will say that for the icing, I substituted sour cream and extra melted chocolate for most of the powdered sugar--you just need a bit to help it all stick together but powdered sugar can turn a smooth, subtle chocolate icing into sickeningly sweet, granulated gloop.

Pansies are really the only flower we have growing at Christmas time in north Florida, and they make for a dramatic presentation.

birdwatching

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care." Matthew 10.29

At home in Jacksonville with my parents for the weekend. Homecomings are always such a joy. I was awakened early this morning by my parents giggling as they tried to decide what to sing to me to wake me up, before they left for work. They are so silly! Since my brother and I have been out of the house, I see my parents enjoying the activities of daily life with renewed energy. They cook together (or rather my dad cooks and my mom watches while sipping a toddy), watch PBS cooking and home decorating shows together, read to each other and enjoy their space, which for the first time in their married lives is almost pristine; exactly the way they've always wanted it. Their primary activity, however is using their matching high powered binoculars to bird watch from the breakfast table, or the deckchairs in sunnier weather. It's always exciting to sit round the breakfast table attempting to agree on an identification for the latest avian breakfast guest.

This morning as I sat at the breakfast table with my mom's binoculars I heard a host of birds and saw quite a few too; 2 Redheaded Woodpeckers (at the feeder, go figure!), 3 American Goldfinches, 2 Cardinals (bright male and dusty female), 2 Carolina Wrens nesting in the sago palm, 2 big fat Blue Jays (in the crow family and very smart birds), a small flock of starlings, 1 Tufted Titmouse, 3 ambling Doves (I think they must be sort of dopey birds), 2 red Housefinches (male and female), 2 Carolina or Black Capped Chickadees and 4 very plump squirrels, one with a limp (T_T). You can just imagine the clatter as everyone chirped to their mate and scoffed at the competition on the feeder. You too can enjoy this kind of company every morning!

There are two key elements your backyard must have if you want to attract songbirds. Food, preferably suited to your area's native birds is key. Look for feeders that have some measure of squirrel proofing: spring loaded perches, small feeder holes, large discs on top and bottom, or caged feeders. Securing the feeder to a shepherd's crook isn't entirely squirrel proof, but is better than hanging the feeder on a branch. Do however, put the feeder relatively close to the overhang of branches as this gives safe cover while the birdies munch. This brings us to the next birding essential.

Birds are, for the most part, defenseless creatures which makes shelter your next must have. Don't overestimate the abilities of feisty mocking birds, crows, blue jays and even doves who will sometimes rumble with other birds, hawks or cats; birds and song birds especially as they're the smallest, are easy prey for hawks and cats. I won't harp on about it here, but read about the very preventable decline in songbird population by way of pesticides, reduced habitat but primarily, CATS!

So apart from keeping your pwecious wittle kitty inside, you can start to build a backyard songbird paradise by planting. Don't worry if you don't have ancient oaks, leafy maples or towering pines, as my parents do. If you have little or no shelter, plant fast growing shrubs, preferably native to your state, or easy to grow native trees. Look for shrubs and trees with edible seeds and berries--again native species, or your native birds won't touch all those beautiful berries! If you're in the southeast, I recommend crape myrtles. The link will take you to lagerstroemia indica, the kind of crape myrtle that is so popular here in Florida. We've seen an average growth rate of 6-8 inches in height and spread over the last few years and as the crape myrtle is a late bloomer, flowering from late summer through early fall the abundant seed pods in Autumn are perfect for seed eating finches and sparrows. The crape myrtle is the perfect start-up tree for budding bird watchers in the southeast.

So do some research on native plant species and songbirds in your area; Audubon's birding basics should help. Look at migratory paths so you know which birds to expect in each season, and during these chilly times, feed, feed, FEED! Food is scarce when snow and ice cover the ground so the easiest thing to do is buy a bag of seed and stick up a feeder. Build one with your kids if you're homebound on a snowday! This spoon feeder is super cute, cheap and will last forever, but if you want something a bit more involved go for the bird biscuit or the classic pine cone bird feeder. The best birding times are just after dawn and just before dusk, but you can usually spot something all day if your yard is well stocked with birdie treats. Consider taking part in The Great Backyard Bird Count, a great conservation lesson for kids. Enjoy!

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care." Matthew 10.29

great job on the snow kitty, darling!

A few weeks ago we had massive amounts of snow (for these parts) fall on Greenville. Being, as I am, from Florida, this was glorious...for the first few days. Then the housebound restlessness, aching joins from damp cold, drip drip dripping during the afternoon from ice melting onto the tin roof became almost unbearable. I was so glad to see all the glorious whiteness finally go, although I did feel a bit cynical for wishing it away. And sad, too that it has to go slowly, contaminated and gray. When it's lying on the ground in great piles it's so hard to believe that it's water!

During the first day the world outside our window was quiet and twinkled with pristine beauty. The birds seemed to come out of the woodwork (or, literally the woods) and I saw hosts of tiny Tufted Titmice (Titmouses?), radio active Northern Cardinals and their rusty brown female partners, a single pair of Carolina Wrens, and jumpy little red house finches. We took a drive two days after the big snow and this is what we found.