Today's Lens (08/08/14)

Today, we start out at Brookvalley Farm, but then travel once again to Merli-Sarnoski Park for a change of scenery before coming back to the farm. I had a nice, though brief, visit with my neighbor who works at the park (around here, neighbors can be anywhere from a few acres to a few miles away - this one is right up the road, and though I see him in passing [usually in our cars], I seldom get to chat), and then took a quiet walk along the shore before heading back on a different path just to see where it led.

As always, if you’d like to comment on individual photos, please visit the Today’s Lens Photo Library.

This is a look at Powell Pond from the BVF homestead yesterday afternoon. 

The water was so calm; the reflections were incredible!

If there are any foxes (I just spent ten minutes looking that up because I had learned in grade school that the plural of fox is fox, just as the plural of deer is deer, but it appears that I was misinformed, and the correct plural of fox is foxes--just in case you experience the same intellectual melt down that I just did) or coyotes around this year, they're not visiting BVF or the surrounding area very frequently; the rabbit population is like nothing I've seen before. This little one, and several of its brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends can be found hanging around the barn, house, fields, paths, streams, heck, they can be found everywhere!

I have heard several blue birds calling in the woods, but I very seldom see any. This one looks to be young and fuzzy yet, so with any luck there will be more around to increase my chances of seeing them.

I'm not even sure why I stopped to take this photo, other than to check my exposure settings. Sometimes I look at it and really like it, and other times I'm not sure what I was thinking.

This cute little hummingbird did a fly-by right near my left ear. It's amazing how loud their wings are when they get that close. This is a female ruby-throated hummingbird, and you'll notice, as with most female birds, she lacks the colorfulness of the males (no ruby throat for this girl).

This bee was enjoying the Eutrochium (Joe-Pye weed) flowers along with several of her friends. I believe it's a carpenter bee, but I'm not sure. If anyone knows of a good website for bee identification, please let me know. I've tried to find one, but always end up browsing through Google images until I find what I hope is the correct one.

A blooming lily.

Can you see it?

How about now? 

This bull frog hung out in this position for quite some time.

Or, maybe this is better? 

I was even able to walk around and get this image from the front.

This chipmunk thought it was hiding, but I knew better! And, now you do too.

A sunning turtle. Right after I snapped this, he slid into the water.

And, almost immediately, this bull frog took his place.

A view of the swampy end of the lake, and most likely the area of the lake that earned it its previous name of "Mud Pond."

There are so many interesting little things to see in this world. We just have to take the time to notice.

There were a lot of ripe blueberries around the lake. The birds will be feasting soon.

If you've never been in the woods to hear an acorn fall, I highly recommend you take a walk and listen. It is almost unimaginable how loud these little things sound when they fall.

An early fall? Gosh, I hope not!

For whatever reason, this mushroom caught my eye. Does anyone know how to tell the poisonous one from the edible ones? If so, can you teach me?

As happy as this fly seems to be at discovering blooming golden rod, I dread it. Any allergy sufferer will feel my pain when I say that this is the worst part of the end of summer and coming of fall. 

This is where we'll leave Merli-Sarnoski Park and head back to the farm.

I let Mia and Belle out to roam free for a while this afternoon. Here, Mia is running back for a "check-in," anxious to collect her treat.

They looooovvvvvveeee briars! They remind me of the Brer Rabbit story, "Only please, Brer Fox, please don't throw me into the briar patch."

Sweet peas blossoms and a grasshopper.

Look at how long his antennae are!

There is just something about sunflowers that warms up a day.

Mia thinks so too! She paused to reflect on her recent visit. Much like I hope you'll do.

I hope you enjoyed today’s journey. Please, join me again next time for more Today’s Lens.

Thanks for viewing!

Laura

Today's Lens (08/05/14)

Today, we will take our usual walk to the barn and to visit Nana, but along the way we'll hang out with a few green herons, a great blue heron, the boys, and a couple other visitors along the way.

As always, if you’d like to comment on individual photos, please visit the Today’s Lens Photo Library.

From a distance, I thought I noticed something moving in this tree, but wasn't sure until I zoomed in with the camera what it might be. Much to my surprise, there were two green herons hanging out.

Something overhead caught their attention, and they attentively watched it fly by.

Now, back to the pond, and hopefully a good breakfast!

This third fellow was checking things out from high up in a cherry tree along one of the fence lines.

I had to keep checking on these two; they were in no hurry to fish or fly away.

A little, "good morning," squawk fro the top one. 

The one at the top of the cherry tree moved down a bit and stretched his neck to see something. I wonder what it could be?

A quick shot of the boys. They've really become fast friends and can be seen hanging out regularly in their pasture.

And, then on to what caught the attention of the green herons--a great blue heron flying by on his way to Powell Pond.

This mourning dove hung out on the pasture gate and let me get relatively close before flying off. They are such pretty, soft looking birds.

And back the herons. This is the one that was sitting higher in the tree, but now he's decided that it might be fun to try a balancing act on one of the ropes that keep the horses out of the messy end of the pond. It looks like he's got a pretty good handle on things, but then again...

...maybe not.

He tried to regain his balance for a while before deciding that it just wasn't worth it, and flew off.

This little bunny peeked his head up from his grassy breakfast just long enough to snap his picture.

The great blue heron is patiently waiting and scoping things out for his breakfast.

Rocky posed one more time.

And the heron gave up his island perch for greener grass on the mainland.

I hope you enjoyed today’s journey. Please, join me again next time for more Today’s Lens.

Thanks for viewing!

Laura

Layered Fried Green Tomato Parmesan

None of our tomatoes have turned red yet, but that doesn't mean that they're not ready! My husband and I experimented last year and instead of fried eggplant (I'm not really a fan), we made a layered Parmesan using fried green tomatoes. The result? Success! In fact, it was so successful that he didn't even want to plant eggplant this year. I can't really tell you my exact recipe because I don't have one, but below are the basics and you can adjust to suit your tastes. Enjoy!

Start with clean tomatoes, then slice them about 1/4" thick (or to your preference). For the 9"x7"x2.5" casserole dish that I'll be using, I used 5 tomatoes and had some left over to eat plain (not in the Parmesan).

You'll need three separate dishes for the breading process: one for water, one for an egg/milk wash, and one for the breading mixture. I use a combination of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, corn meal, and Panko breadcrumbs. I have no specific amounts that I use; I just mix it until it looks good. 

Start breading! Each tomato slice will got through the same process:

                               1. Dip in water

                               2. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture coating both sides

                               3. Dip in egg/milk mixture coating both sides

                               4. Dredge in breadcrumbs again, pressing the mixture firmly
                                   onto the tomato

                               5. Set aside on layers of paper towels until ready to fry

All breaded and ready to hit the hot oil. I use olive oil, but you can use whatever you prefer. Heat the oil until a drop of water pops when splashed into the pan.

Carefully drop the breaded tomato slices into the hot oil leaving them enough room to float around a bit.

When you see the edges start to turn golden brown, carefully flip them over until desired crispiness is achieved. Remove from oil and allow to cool/drain on layers of paper towels.

If you just want to enjoy plain old fried green tomatoes, you can quit at this step. If you want the layered Parmesan, continue on.

After the tomatoes have cooled, place them on top of a layer of pasta sauce. Arranging them is kind of like a puzzle, but you don't have to be perfect. Get the best coverage you can, and layer on.

Add another layer of sauce, and whatever cheese blend you prefer. I use mozzarella and freshly ground Parmesan. I also add a bit of Italian dressing mix for seasoning (we have our own house blend of seasonings that are salt free, but use whatever your favorite is--just be aware of the salt content and don't overuse some of the store-bought blends).

Continue layering until the casserole dish is full; I have about four layers here. Bake in a 350 degree over for about a half hour, or until the cheese is melted and golden, and the sauce can be seen bubbling up on the sides. Allow it to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes before cutting into it, and then serve it up and enjoy! Mine is in the oven right now, so I'll have to come back and post a final image after dinner.

There are several variations you could take with this, so have fun. Experiment. Play around. And, let me know if you come up with anything good! Happy eating!!