The Hawk

Several years ago, I wrote about a red shouldered hawk visiting the Back Forty.  It was a medium sized hawk.  The other day, we had another hawk come visiting.  It couldn't be the same one, could it?

I was on my way out to the garden when I caught sight of some motion in the grass that needs cutting.  What was going on?

A hawk was having lunch.  He could have bought his own or caught a small rodent, a snake, or even a fish from the nearby creek.  The hawk usually catch their food scooping down on its prey while in flight.

The Florida hawk have a more off white colored head than the California bird that is more reddish.  My hawk's head is speckled!

Sometimes, the hawk finds himself on a perch resting and looking.  

Unfortunately, we have lost numerous trees to hurricanes but I am glad that hawks and other birds are finding their way back.

Take a listen to this red breasted hawk's solo.  

He has a distinct call.  

Most often this bird comes soaring into our yard.  He just appears on silent wings--the element of surprise at work.

When the hawk does come, the smaller birds such as the Cardinals disappear and it becomes very quiet on the Back Forty.

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My Red Winter Garden

This season, the gloomy winter months of January and February, I thought that I would put a little color in my life.  As it turned out, I put color in the garden.  Red for Valentine.

Let's begin with the Red Seed Potatoes that I just put in the ground.  Once the potatoes are cut up and have rested for a few days, it is difficult to tell their color.


I did not find any kale to plant earlier this fall, but a trip to the Plant Ranch proved full of surprises.  They had Red Kale.


They were left over since the fall because they were root bound but never mind.  I planted them before the nice soaking rain came down to water the very dry plants.  Good timing!



I have not had much success with Red Cabbage before.  I had almost given up on them, but I couldn't resist a six pack.  Sure enough!  They are heading up rather handsomely.  It won't be long before I can add some color to my otherwise green salad.




The Red Mustard is a winter hardy bunch and slow to bolt.  It is said that they improve with frost and they may even survive a short freeze.  They are more flavorful than green mustard but I still like to eat them with pickles.

I'll be curious to see what kind of flowers they will produce when it is no longer feasible for me to keep harvesting them.  I will absolutely let them go to seed to attract birds and other winged critters, hopefully, bees to aid with pollination.

I have no idea how many Red Seed Onions there are in this red netting but they need to go into the soil before too long.  I usually don't let the onions mature but use the small ones and the greenery.

Small Red Rocks from Sweden for decorative purposes.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
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Caring for the Citrus

I picked the last of the Valencia oranges.  I finished squeezing enough juice from the fruit to start the week off with a delicious morning drink to combat colds.

We are getting much too much of pink grapefruit which we love; however, it is not recommended to eat while on certain medications.  Instead, we carried half a bushel to the City Rescue Mission who accepted the fruit gracefully.  Some, we set out by the road with a sign for "Free Oranges" and some we did eat, sparingly.

Valencia

The citrus trees have yet to sprout so it was a good time to closely cut the growth from under all the citrus trees on the Back Forty.  We trimmed out the hanging branches from the grape fruit tree and trimmed out the dead limbs and branches from the orange trees.

With a low setting on the tractor, I trimmed the grass further making a close cut ring around the trees.  (As you can see, the Valencia tree needs a lot of attention.)

The most important task to do for the fruit trees is to liberally spray them with a Homemade Insecticidal Oil.  Mix  2.5 tbs mild dish-washing detergent and 2.5 tbs vegetable oil with one (1) gallon (about 4 liters) of soft water.

To make hard water soft, boil it and let it cool.  (Hard water contains calcium and other minerals.)

Finally, it is also time to fertilize the citrus trees to give them a good start for their fruit production.  It is strongly recommended to use fertilizer specifically for the citrus.  If you like to mix your own fertilizer, consult a nursery that specializes in citrus.  It is important that the trees get mostly nitrogen.

It is also important that the trees not be mulched but that the area under the trees are free of weeds and debris.

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BBQed Chicken Legs for Super Ball Sunday

The other week, we were watching the football play-off to see which teams would meet in Minnesota for the Super Ball.  Our son announced that he wanted to eat BBQed chicken wings while watching the game. 

Hm!  Chicken wings?  I have always felt that there isn't much meat on the wings but a lot of bones; however, the guys went to this BBQ place and came home with two dozen wings.  Again. hm.  Son went home happy, even if the Jaguars lost by a few points.

For the Super Ball Sunday, my husband and I decided to BBQ chicken legs and to see if we couldn't make our own sauce as well.  Husband bought ten (10) chicken legs and I made the sauce.

To Do: Prepare the baking dish by adding a dab of oil to the bottom and lay out the chicken legs. Tear off foil to eventually cover cover the dish.

Preheat the oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ingredients added together are as follows: empty your spice cabinet!

2 tsp each of dry mustard, chili powder (to taste), paprika, and salt (sea salt)

1 tsp each of cumin and black pepper

Melt 4 tsp butter or margarine in a pot and stir in:

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Add the spices (your own) to the pot and let it heat up to melt the margarine. Stir this mixture over the chicken in the prepared dish, cover with the foil, and put the dish in the oven for about one (1) hour. 

After 1/2  an hour, turn the chicken over if you would like.  I didn't and it turned out fine.  If you have a thermometer, it should read 156 degrees F when inserted in a thick part of the chicken leg.

The BBQed chicken legs should be served somewhat warm with a dipping sauce such as Ranch, if you prefer. 

Happy Cooking!

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