Gift of Autumn #ThursdayTreeLove

The trees are beginning to turn their fall colors where I live in New York State.

Orange tree against a blue sky.  More and more, sunny days are the exception here, as we move into our fall cloud patterns.

I took this picture October 1 in Otsiningo Park, Binghamton.  A sunny day, but as I write this (the evening of October 7), there is also sadness.  Several fellow bloggers/FB friends are undergoing health challenges, or supporting close loved ones' health journeys. And there is all the suffering from COVID from those with it, and their family members/friends.

So many suffering in so many ways - how can a simple tree bring happiness?  It isn't easy.

The autumn season brings special gifts to us in the Northeast United States.   Pumpkins, apple cider, spectacular (or not) fall color.

But it also brings hope, because even as many of our trees shut down for the oncoming winter, their buds for the coming year have already formed - small, perhaps, but they will survive the winter and burst into glory come spring.  

May life bring hope and peace to all who are suffering today.

Joining Parul and other tree loving bloggers at #ThursdayTreeLove.

Feather Gift #WordlessWednesday

Nature left me a little gift the other day.  If it hadn't been near where I was walking, I may never have seen it.

My guess is that it belonged to a blue jay.  Hopefully, it was just due to a molt and not something tragic.  I didn't pick it up. According to Native lore, it carries the power of the bird it belonged to and was granted to you for a reason.  It belonged to Nature and was a gift to be left in nature. 

What a treasure.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for #WordlessWednesday.

Dragon Tails

When is a dragon your friend?

When it is a...well, read on.

Every year, in our garden, we try to attempt something new.  This year, going through a depleted seed rack, we came across a packet of something called "Dragon tail radishes".

I had heard of something called Rat's Tail Radishes, a radish grown, not for its root, but for its seed pods. However, I am not a big fan of radishes.

But this year is not your normal year, and we decided these dragon tails might make a nice fall crop.  They grew quickly, with abundant foliage.

Then they decided to bloom.

You can see some of the young pods growing out on the upper left side of this flower cluster.

The blooms were different shades of pink, too.

Here is some more information on these radishes.

Beautiful flowers were followed by lots (and lots and lots and lots) of pods, like a long, thin, purple bean.  The young ones are crisp and have a little bit of a bite, but I have grown fond of them. I eat them raw right off the plant. The older thicker ones, the thickness of a green bean, will pepper up your mouth.

They are addictive, though.  So we decided to make some pickles.

You can see some of the pods over to the right.  The vinegar pickling mixture (for refrigerator pickles) is on the left.

Here's how to pickle.

Almost ready for the fridge.  These will not be canned, so will need to be used up soon.

So now what?

We are at a loss, honestly.  I went on an internet search.

Here's something called Peas and Prosciutto with radish snaps, although these aren't the pods we are getting. I also found something for "radish snack" involving roasting them in the oven.  I do note these are not the same pods as "rats tail", which are smaller, thicker, and green instead of purple.

I hope we can find some other ways to use these.  If you have any ideas, I would appreciate you sharing.

Reddy for Davis #MusicMovesMe

 It's Monday and it's time for music.

Who are the members of Music Moves Me ?  We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join in on the fun.  Just remember our simple rule:  you must include at least one You Tube or Vimeo video or your post may be subject to removal or labeling "NO MUSIC". You are welcome to write about music. too but there must be at least one music video.  

Every month we have an honorary co-hostess.  For the month of October our honorary co-hostess is: Mary from Jingle Jangle Jungle!

Today, she has picked the theme of "You Pick".

I hate it when my music posts write themselves.  You'd think I'd be happy but it usually means a music great has passed on to the Great Gig in the Sky.

But this Monday it's worse.  Last Tuesday we lost not one, but two, music greats.

Helen Reddy passed away September 29 at the age of 78.  Reddy had suffered from dementia in her final years.

She is best known for the anthem "I Am Woman", perfect for the 1970's.

Here are a couple of others, starting with her cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from the play "Jesus Christ Superstar".

And, Delta Dawn.

Mac Davis also died September 29 at the age of 78, from complications of heart surgery.  He wrote songs for many artists, including Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, plus recorded some of his own songs.  One of them, In the Ghetto, was a hit for Elvis but this is Mac Davis performing the song.

 Here's a song we can still identify with even today.  Just change some of the names: "Why Don't We All Just Get Stoned".

And if this live Mac Davis performance doesn't make you laugh, nothing will. (It even has a reference to Helen Reddy).  Davis was quite a storyteller.  After this, I wish I could have seen him live.

And that is a sad wrap.

See you next Monday, same time, same place.

It's All 10-4

It's October 4, 10-4 in our style of writing dates.  We are surrounded by bad news, and more bad news.

But nature, in response to the news, responds 10-4.

Those who remember the CB craze of the 1970's remembers 10-4, what truckers use to say "acknowledge" or "OK". (Here's a better explanation of the CB "10-codes")

Because, all around us, nature is telling us to take a deep breath, and look at our surroundings.

For us in New York State, here's what you would see.

Fall foliage (the best is still to come). 

Winter squash.

Gourds.

Specialty pumpkins.

Blue hubbards.

And more foliage.

Today is also Trucker Appreciation Day.  This year, we acknowledge how much we owe to our truckers, essential workers who bring our food and other supplies to us.  I have no truckers in my family (that I am aware of) but one of my neighbors back when I lived in Arkansas were both truckers, the husband and the wife.

C. W. McCall and "Convoy" from 1975.

Let them truckers roll, 10-4.

Vernors Ginger Ale

It's interesting how certain regional foods or drinks get a following.

Several years ago, while visiting Florida, I went into a Publix (regional supermarket chain).  My spouse and I like to go into supermarkets where we are staying because we usually find something interesting.

This time, it was Vernors Ginger Ale.  We decided to buy a two liter bottle and try it out.

I grew up in New York City, and have lived in New York, Florida, Iowa (briefly), Kansas, Arkansas and Texas.  So, I've learned to embrace certain regional specialties.  I had heard of Vernor's but had never tasted it.  In New York City, we have embraced another brand of ginger ale, Canada Dry.

Anyway....one taste of Vernors and I was hooked.   Ginger Ale, for those living outside the United States, is not an ale - it's a nonalcoholic soda.  It can be consumed on its own, as part of mixed alcoholic drinks, or as a treatment for stomach upset.  I never realized, until today, its history - and its importance to Michigan.

James Vernor, who invented this soda for stomach upset, was a pharmacist and Civil War veteran.  The soda was invented in 1866.  It is now a part of the Dr. Pepper portfolio.

The last three years, we've gone to Florida for a couple of weeks in January, and have brought back a bottle of diet Vernors on the Auto Train.  I usually wait for a special occasion to break into it. You can't hoard soda in these bottles - they eventually lose carbonation and/or flavor.  I wonder if the reason you can find it in Florida is because of all the Michigan natives who retired there.

The occasion to use it came today.  Feeling a bit under the weather because of a med I had to take for something not serious but annoying, I broke into the Vernors.  

It hasn't resolved the issue, but it sure tasted good.  I can't describe the taste.  Vernors has a creaminess - almost like a ginger flavored cream soda. At one time, it was actually aged in oak barrels, and the Vernors label shows that heritage.

So, I found a couple of places online where I can buy soda, including one specializing in Detroit food and drink products, but shipping costs are prohibitive for soda because of the special packing they require, and the weight of the liquid.

So, for now, I'll just hope I can get back to Florida.  It won't be this year.  In the meantime, Vernors is joining Cheerwine on my list of "one day I'll buy this local food or drink again".

Do you have favorite regional foods or drinks?

September Sunset #SkywatchFriday

The TV made me do it.

On the last day of September, I was watching the end of the local 6pm news.  The newscaster said something like "you really need to go outside and watch the sunset."  Their studio is high up on a hill, but I'm not.  Still, I grabbed my phone and headed for a place to watch.

The nice thing about living in a small city is that the broadcasters are local, too.  That newscaster wasn't kidding - I started to take pictures even before I got to where I wanted to stand. 

The horizon looked like it was on fire.

The west looked fine.

So I decided to point my camera in another direction. 

Along the river, an egret caught my eye.  You can barely see him (or her) as a tiny white dot towards the bottom center of the picture - this is as far as I could zoom my phone.

You could see the reflection of the sunset on the water.

Too soon, the show was over.  Thank you, local newscaster.  I may be treasuring this evening for days to come.

Joining with Yogi and other sky watching bloggers at #SkywatchFriday.