I was scheduled to lead a beginners' bird walk for Yolo Audubon this morning. I'm walking better than I was a month ago but I have to confess I was hoping nobody would show up at the meeting place at 8:00 am so I could return to my tea and mellow morning.
But no: a couple rolled up in a BMW. When it became clear they'd be the only customers, I asked them what they'd like to do. Oh, she said, I'd like you to tell me what all the birds are I see and hear in my yard. I'll make you a cup of tea.
Well, this is what we did, and saw a number of birds and Karen's spectacular garden. She learned a lot of birds, and I got a huge bag full of apples, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and sage. Such a deal! I made pesto and we had the tomatoes for lunch. I have since made a large pot of soup, which is what we live on in winter--it has cooled down enough for long simmering.
Since this was the first soup, there was no stock for it, giving it a "shallow" taste. But all the veggies -- cuttings, leavings, ends -- have ended up in the freezer for next week's stock.
Posted by Pica at October 19, 2003 07:59 PM | TrackBackIsn't it interesting how life has a way of slipping us a five-spot every once in a while... soup from a birding foray!
And I loved the "name blunders", Numenius. Herbaria are interesting if for no other reason. I had students keep a plant collection when I was teaching. Wish I'd recorded the 'locations' where those came from..."behind Aunt Guthrie's privvy" was one I remember.
Posted by: fredf at October 20, 2003 05:59 AMYour bird walk has such a nice Californian hue to it: the BMW, the woman with the spectacular garden, the cup of tea and the barter of vegetables....
Posted by: maria at October 20, 2003 09:42 AMWell happy bird watching and soup making! It's a great time of year here for birdwatching - the redwing and fieldfare have arrived and the kingfisher really stands out on the canal now the leaves are falling. Yeah, time to get the big pot down.
Posted by: Coup de Vent at October 27, 2003 11:15 AM