No Choke

 This time around I'm featuring these lovely but maybe boring bunch of choke cherries I came across on a walk in the park. But they still make a nice subject for picture reference. I wonder why they call these choke cherries anyways? Its not like domestic cherry pits don't make you wanna choke when you accidentally swallow them. 

Anyways sometimes this life makes you really wanna choke with all the hate that goes around especially from my neighbors. Wish they would take a chill pill or better yet how about a joint? Normally I don't approve of drugs but in this case marijuana would be most beneficial to those neighbors of mine. So sick of the hate and uptight behavior. Sigh..... Oh and hay look there's a place on every block here.  Go and smoke up uptight neighbors and you won't be so hell bent on disrespecting all lifeforms except dogs, your filthy squirrel pee infested carpeted porch and your clown car of a family. Someday someone will shove you or stomp you out of the way and see how you like it. Better make a change or face your own stupidity. Choke on this!

 

 

 

A face in the park

 Many, many peeing dogs over the years on an old tree bark has produced this artwork of a very creepy face. And no I don't think looks like Jesus. After all this face is bald on top.  A friend seems to think it looks a lot like Shakespeare. I wonder if nature is making a poetic statement that life just gets more and more scarier every day ? Or is it really a ghost of the Victorian times past, crying out for some reason? Who knows? Maybe its just a face? Or maybe not? None the less, what a cool find. 

 

A butterfly in the park.

 And we're back. This time featuring this lovely butterfly in the park. Hence the animal I referred to in the last post.  Its some type of swallow tail. You can look it up. 😁

Found this little beauty in the park one day on a walk. Luckily I just happen to have my camera.

Beautiful but a real pest during its caterpillar time. They just love dill weed, parsley and other related plants.

I took the pic close to a church yard of the park, some time two years ago? 

 Would have loved to have gotten closer but with limitations of a old camera, you do what you can. 

Next time a very unusual scene in the park. Maybe a bit creepy!.........👀

Random Pics

 This time from my pics collections we have some random pics I took two years ago now that I recently got a chance to prepare. 😛

I forgot to include some of these the last time I shared my jam making process which is probably a few blog posts down. Here's a link to my jam post in case any one is curious. There are probably some older posts as well but you can search for them if you like. 

Anyways here are of some Ontario strawberries I got and prepared for making jam.  So yummy and sweet. Not like those plastic things you get off season. Actually jam making season for this year is coming this June. But not sure how much they're going to cost. Hopefully not too expensive? Yeah, I know, wishful thinking. Hoping I can afford the expense. 

Usually we purchase about 4 plastic containers. 

I so wish I had my old strawberry patch I had growing up. I would never need store purchased strawberries.  They were the absolute best, juiciest and sweetest you could ever have. They also left a deep red colour too.

 

 

Some cherries I picked from our tree. I guess I was picking these for my mom. Usually if I end up picking all of the cherries, I normally get a big bucket full and usually one pot full as well. These must have been a sampler. 

 

 

 That white stuff in the back of the fridge behind in the jar, is bacon fat or the fat collected from pork cracklings. Nasty to most but still great for cooking stuff. Just wouldn't use it too often. 😬Also when the stuff has been sitting the fridge for some time, it starts to taste like some kind of wall paper paste. Not so good for flavouring your cooking. 

The pork cracklings really are tasty but like its relative, consume/cook with sparingly. 

PS I hate it when my dad makes his famous cabbage rolls and he adds some of it to his dish. I occasionally find blobs of it in the broth. 😝  Otherwise his CR are really tasty! For him the extra fat is alright since he's old and skin and bones. But not for the rest of us. 😣

BTW the link I provided is very similar to the rolls we or my dad makes, visually. Not sure how this one tastes, but I'm sure its really great. This one does not contain whole tomato sauce. But we do add a bit of tomato paste to the salty broth. 

 

Some mulberries from our tree and probably from the park. I usually add them to my strawberry jam in small amounts. Good for a bit of sweetness and colour.  

 

 

A random bowl (colander) of carrots. One of them has eyes!

Yikes! 🙃

 For the next blog post, some kind of animal in the park. 😃😁

 

Let's say it together PEROGIES!!

 Presenting my pics of perogies.  Just sharing what I made....... a couple of years ago. LOL  I'm that behind with my pics. 😄😛

 Alright I didn't take pics of every stage of prep but you get the picture. 

 

 This is a bowl is of some dough I made for the perogies. For the most part I followed the recipe but at the time since I had some whole wheat available, I put in some of that.  After I kneaded the dough together, I portioned the dough into neat little balls for several batches of perogie skins. 

 

 

 

 I took a ball of dough and rolled it out on the board. I rolled it out to a certain thickness and then cut out skins. I used a drinking cup that was the perfect size for the skins. 

 

 

 Here's some filling I made. Not nearly as full to the top of the bowl as earlier pics since I didn't take pics when I first started making them in this session. It was filled to the brim with filling. To be exact 3 days worth of making the dumplings. 🤪 It consisted of bacon fat, some "farmer's cheese ( actually it was cottage cheese just blended to be smooth) or I could have used ricotta. There was also a bit of cheddar cheese and I think I had 3 large russet potatoes. That is if I remember correctly.  There might have been a few other ingredients but it has been a few years.

 

 

 Filling the perogie skins. I used about a table spoon full of the filling. 

 

 

 Folding over the perogie skins with filling. Then I carefully shaped them closed and crimping the edges closed. I also used water to glue them shut. Before I closed them of course. 

 

 

 Then I carefully dropped each one in boiling water, cooking them until they rose to the surface. 

 

 

 I then placed them on every dry surface I could find and let them dry a bit. 

 

 

 I placed them on a tray before I place some of them in the freezer. I did this so they won't stick together in the storage bag that goes back into a freezer. 

 

 

 Sorry I didn't bother to make a pic of a finished dish on plate. But then everyone has a favorite way of having them for dinner. For the most part we like to have them smothered in sauteed onions, bacon and topped off with some sour cream. But I have eaten them with chill, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream.

Now go and make your own. If you don't have a favorite recipe, there are plenty online for you to try. Or just buy some frozen ones from a factory. I won't tell. 😋🙊😊

Enjoy!

Sweet pink miscellaneous blossomes.

 Got some more pics of spring flowers. Taken from 2 season ago and now maybe 3 years ago. I'm behind as usual. Sigh..... But still, a sweet, sweet taste of the coming spring isn't so bad in the dead of winter, whether bad or mild. Winter still bites after all!

Not sure what this bush is called but every year we get these really showy flowers that attract all kind of bees on them. Mainly bumble bees. I would imagine some humming birds too. After all, they have a nice trumpet shaped flower that might be attractive to them. These are from a bush near my pond taken about late June. I have another bush in the front. This year they probably won't be as showy as I did a thorough trimming of all the bushes and most of the trees on our property. Not sure what to do with our, out of control ceder trees. They have now pretty much taken over the back yard. I believe they are contributing to the deterioration of all those brick and masonry fence posts that my previous cat use to enjoy. Quite frankly its beginning to look a lot like the secret garden despite my maintenance. If only I had people to help me out. Sigh......

None the less please enjoy my showy blossoms. 

Spring for a few silver dollars.

 Took these two years ago in the early spring, of course. 😛Those were slightly more cheerier times cause that's when I had my little sunshine Meetso. 😞

Well anyways these are some lovely silver dollar blossoms before they get their distinctive silver dollar looking seed pods? Or are the called something else? But they're definitely silver dollar flowers. Didn't get as many this year though. Just as well. 

A memorial to my dear Meetso.

 

See you later my little “lion tiger” and my cuddle bug.

Gone way too soon my little cuddle bug. Sep 20 2022. Early Tuesday morning.

In a world full of dark hearten people you were my ray of sunshine. You never pushed me away like people tend to do.

You loved to give and get cuddles. I gave you many treats and special foods despite certain foods that were off limits. You kept me warm on my bed like a hot water bottle.

You knew how to say “nom-noms” and you knew what it meant. You knew what the word “treats’ meant and you knew it was something special. You had a lovely robust purr of a male cat that intensified when I scratched and stroked you just so. You followed me everywhere like a lamb and even ate the sweet blades of grass growing in odd places near the flowers. You loved your catnip box and slept in it like Garfield. You loved to play games such as chase the thrown and bounced food kibble. Chasing the lazar pointer light and even a simple bamboo stick under a sheet or sticking behind the closet door and then you pounced on it or pawed it. You loved my homemade fluffy pompoms. They were lots of fun. You loved the rubber mice I had placed underneath my record cabinet. You'd pretend to catch an evading mouse. But shoes gave you the creeps. I saw you often taping them cautiously with you big fluffy paws. Might be a giant centipede under there?

You had soft orange and white fur on your stomach, softest as the softest cotton. You had a long fluffy tail like a dusting wand. You plucked it every spring till your tail resembled a fluffy lions tail to keep it neat and tidy, free from debris and knots. You had lovely back fur that stood on end gave you a porcupine look when defending your honor. Your back end featured lovely curly white hair. Unusual for a pussycat. You had big muscular white paws even though dainty hid deadly claws. But you kept them in for cuddles. Your head was shaped like a tiger's with main included. The white triangle on your face was one of your unique features that made you stand out. You always smelled like fresh Landry and your feet occasionally like corn chips. Even though you were a grown cat you will always be my little kitten. During the day, you remained in your little back yard domain. Your little backyard jungle domain. Sleeping the day away or excitedly chirping at your favourite birds in the trees and bushes. Occasionally you rocket up a bush or tree. Did you catch a snack? I wonder? You chilled off near our pond watching the colourful fish. At night you love to hang out on top of our house roof. Spotting owls, bats and nighthawks as they flew by or catching dinner. Sometimes you loved yourself a snack and would announce yourself with a meow near my bedroom window. Occasionally you like to tour the neibourhood at night while everyone is a sleep. Painting the town yellow. But now you are over the rainbow bridge with all the other former feline friends. Some feathers friends too and even a few scaly ones as well. I hope I get to see you all again where it never gets cold. Full of welcoming swaying palm trees. He says see you later and thanks for all the fish…..🐟

I say Thanks for all the cuddles, purrs and gentle biscuits of love and most of all, being my best furry friend.💔😭 BestFuryFriendForever!🕊

Please note……

This post was never meant to be poetic or “rhymy” it was just in honor and much loved of a furry best friend taken way too soon and was written from the heart. Thank you!

And Thank you buddy! 

 

Some pics of the past and present. 

 

Meetso enjoys the early spring sunshine in the garden on a mini green house box.

 

Meetso poses with my new Garfield pillow.

Meetso does not like his new friend Felix just off frame on the portch. This was his last pic of him taken.

Meetso and his "lion tail"

A Christmas card I made.

Meetso in the fall.

Meetso and the Holidays.

Love you Meetso!

A Birthday card featuring Meetso.

Meetso in deep snow.

Meetso enjoys his catnip box Garfield style.

Meetso takes a break.

😘😻😿💔😘😻😿💔😘😻😿💔😘😻😿💔

A few post entries of The early days of Meetso. 

 

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sunday, June 03, 2012

 Sunday, July 31, 2011

Lovely purple spring of last year.

 Thought a post a "catch up" post relating to last year's spring. Sorry. But I post when I can. 

A few pics of our lovely crocuses from last year. This year they weren't as nice. But every year you have something that can catch the eyes. This year it seems our little cherry tree seems to be the star of the show. I ended up picking and cleaning ten cups worth of sour cherry beauties. But I won't be making jam from them this year. Cherry jam is not that popular in our household. Still delicious though. 

As for more images and recent ones, maybe eventually I'll get to the summer images. Eventually! 😛