Covid-19 Life: Nature in the 'Burbs, Books TBR

The leaves are all down, except for a black willow at the end of our street. It is time to notice other things on our walks. Like squirrel nests! 

The city park is filled with oak trees which feed the squirrels. 

We have the Eastern Grey Squirrels and Fox Squirrels I remember from growing up, but now there are more black squirrels than any other.

I researched why they have appeared in Michigan and discovered that they had been introduced intentionally! Their color helps to protect them during the cold winters and so they have thrived. 

According to Wikipedia, the black morphs had nearly disappeared when John Harvey Kellogg decided to repopulate Battle Creek, MI, with the black Eastern Gray Squirrel in 1915. In 1958 and 1962, the black morphs were trapped at the Kellogg Biological Station and released on the Michigan State University campus! They were also reintroduced at Kent State University in Ohio.

Where there are squirrels and bunnies and chippies (and yes, skunk, opossum, raccoon, rats, and mice, too) there will be raptors. Our city is filled with all of these creatures.

Today we saw this hawk circling our street.

I have seen a hawk sitting in a tree, watching a squirrel. The squirrel was distraught, wanting to go into its nest but he knew the hawk was there. He ran up and down the lower trunk while the hawk flew from branch to branch. Lucky for the would-be prey, the hawk grew bored and flew to other feeding grounds.

A number of winters ago there was a hawk on our roof holding a frozen rate. Last summer I saw the peregrine falcon winging overhead.

On a community Facebook page I mentioned seeing raptors in the city and one person was aghast. She thought 'velociraptor' not hawks!

Telephone lines and fences and houses and garages block our view from the house, but the sunsets and sunrises are easier to see now the leaves are down.

I have so many 'win' books that have not arrived! Instead, I received a book that was a total surprise! Jane Smiley's new novel Perestroika in Paris sounds like a charming read!

To come is The Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping-Chen, stories from China, from BookishFirst. And new on my NetGalley shelf is Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli.

I will soon have another quilt top completed, I started a small embroidery project, and am toying with doing some painting.

There is plenty to keep me busy as we self-isolate. Michigan and our county has seen escapating Covid-19 cases.

Over 329,00 cases and 8,875 deaths in Michigan.

Over 40,000 cases in Oakland County and 1,310 deaths.

Our city has 260 cases and 18 deaths total, 217.03 positive cases per 10,000 people.

Sadly, I now can say I know someone with Covid, along with knowing many people who has a family member that became ill, and several people who lost loved ones. 

Stay safe, out there. Use a mask. Stay home. Better to miss one Thanksgiving than to lose a family member.

Summer Is

 Summer is about gardens.

 And visitors to the gardens.

 Flashes of color brighten the world.

 Summer is for growing good things to eat.

 And keeping the bunnies away from the good things to eat.

 Summer is watching the birds build their nests and raise their young.

 Summer is for relaxing.

 Summer is for working.

 Summer is for reading.

Summer is for projects that are not pretty but necessary, like new plumbing.

Summer is too short.

Eat. Prey. Love. And Holiday News.

An a recent early morning my husband called me to the back window. A hawk with a rat in its talons was struggling to get it to the roof of the garage. 

 He sat there for a while before flying off to his official dining room.

Because we live near so many restaurants rats are a problem. As are skunk, raccoon, and coyote. Rabbits and opossum are also around. There were canine tracks in the back yard a few days ago, an overnight visitor. With no more doggies of our own the yard is usually pristine.

pristine snow. 

I am concerned a neighbor is using rat poison, which will also poison the hawk. It would be better if people 1) kept their trash in sealed trash cans 2) did not leave bags of empty soda pop bottles and cans outdoors 3) and if they cleared out the area behind their garage of tall weeds and cast-offs.

A quilt friend brought in her friend's unfinished quilt made by her grandmother. We discussed how it could be finished. The Dresden Plates were basted and hand sewn onto an aqua shot cotton fabric.

It had flannel sheets used for a batting and a thin cotton muslin for a backing. The fabrics were in pristine condition!

I made my first quilt in 1991, a gift to my brother. He gave it to me for repair work, the second go-around for repairs. I used fabrics from my home decorating projects, shirts, and new fabric.

 I was very ignorant and would not ask for help. For quilting, I big stitched with button hole thread.

The paisley was left from I dress I made. The tan with teal squares was curtains and a comforter we had in our bedroom.

The quilt is quite faded and looks it age, so I have simply patched it. In the photo below I found the original fabric to patch over a spot that had worn to tatters.

 I turned the top border fabric to the back to bind the quilt off.

To my brother Thomas Gochenour on the occasion of his college graduation 1991, Nancy Bekofske, Hillsdale, MI

It is comfort food weather in Michigan. I saw this easy recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on Facebook and we tried it out the next day. We made biscuits from scratch.

It uses three boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1" pieces and sauteed in oil. Then you take a half onion chopped, two carrots peeled and chopped, and 2 stalks celery chopped and cook them in the oil along with a teaspoon of fresh thyme. When the veggies are soft add 3 tablespoons flour and stir and cook a bit before adding 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. (I used 1 tbsp. milk and 1 tbsp. yogurt.) Place biscuits on top, brush with egg wash, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

And we had home made bean soup for lunches.

We have put up our Christmas tree in the family room. The ornaments each have special memories, so many were gifts from people or bought at church bazaars. And there are the wooden ornaments we bought and painted for our first tree in 1972.

I am holding our pet Nasturtium in  1973. We cut the tree ourselves and

decorated it with the wood ornaments. The olive wood

Nativity set was bought at a church SERVE store in Columbus, OH.

Our tree in 1972, which we cut ourselves, and decorated with popcorn strings

and the wood ornaments.

I still remember my husband painted the purple dog above!

Our tree this year. I made the skirt in the 1990s.

I am working on cleaning up unfinished projects in the quilt room, Row By Row and single blocks, repair work, and other duties. I made a block into a large 'mug rug' with two smaller mug rugs.

I always find time for reading, regardless of holiday activities! The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin just came in from Bookish.