Almost There

Geese In V Formation

A warm beginning to March was chased in by a very cold February. Finally the temperatures drifted above freezing, and then higher. As the days went by the snow, which had been around since December, began to shrink. The snow banks grew smaller and the dark soil of the farm fields emerged. After the first week of March the snow covering the ground all around us was almost gone. The first storms in November had spread around a coating of soil that had blown off of the fields before they froze. Now that all the snow has melted there is a dirty layer covering everything, waiting for the spring rains to wash it off and soak it down. Within the first few days of March the birds began to return to the acreage, including multiple robins. The geese in their V formations are soaring back north, and closer to the ground the flies are buzzing around. Our dogs don’t really seem to care what season it is most of the time, as they roll on the ground as much as on the snow, and will eat anything they find most anytime. Of course as soon as I write about the coming Spring the National Weather Service has issued a a Winter Storm Warning for overnight and into tomorrow. I guess those lilac buds will have to wait a little longer to open up.

Obscure America: Animals

An Iiwi

Here are some obscure American animals. They might not be obscure where you live, but I don’t think I’ve seen any of these here in Iowa.

Amphiuma – aquatic American salamander with two pairs of small feet

Anhinga – long-necked fish eating tropical American bird

Anole – arboreal American lizard with ability to change color

Dowitcher – long-billed North American wading bird

Grison – weasel-like tropical American gray and black carnivore

Hellbender – large flat North American aquatic salamander

Iiwi – bright red Hawaiian bird

Vireo – olive-gray insectivorous American bird

Source: http://phrontistery.info/

Beef Vegetable Soup

This basic soup produces a delicious mixture of flavors when done, and smells pretty good, too. As usual, no measurements are given as I don’t use them myself. I put the piece of beef in a slow-cooker and build up the veggies around it until almost full, then add the liquids to completely cover it all. Season to taste.

Ingredients:

Beef

Vegetables (I usually use raw) such as potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Sometimes I have added canned corn, green beans and peas. Use whatever sounds good.

Barley

Mushrooms

Garlic, oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper, bay leaf

Beef broth

Tomato juice (sometimes I have used V-8)

Worcestershire sauce

Cook all in a slow-cooker on low for 6-8 hours or until done. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Image of the Month

Mildred Douglas riding wild steer, Cheyenne, Wyoming, c.1917

Mildred Douglas Chrisman (1895-1982) “left an East Coast finishing school and went west to join the 101 Ranch Wild West show, beginning a colorful career that included winning the World Champion Girl Bronc Rider title twice and acting in silent movies with Tom Mix. A versatile performer, Mildred was skilled in trick riding, trick shooting and training performing animals. After retiring, Mildred became a nurse and eventually opened her own museum dedicated to her cowgirl life.”

Heroes

The Heaven Of Mildness By David Jacobi

Take home your heroes

That weep in triumph

At this lost battle in the wild wind

We’ll never know the quick rain

The hardship of being human

And tree-sap

On is all, on both sides

Nothing to be despised

Kill the monument

But don’t be fooled

About where these monsters come from

The forecast is an unquiet future

So there is false speculation

Beyond reckoning

To those enslaved and renounced

Laugh!! You humans, false inhabitors

There is a ledge of fine marble that

God carves great images into

Of war and plague and horror and beauty

The signature of His will

2011 By David Jacobi

Monroe Elementary

Monroe Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa

There were slap fights on the playground, and sometimes we guys would have a “Slap Off” tournament, which involved speed much more than force. These could be fun (if you were winning) until you got down to the end and realized you had to face Todd, the slap champ, who never lost. I carried my brown paper sack lunch to school and would open it to find a note on top. It was from my mother, usually just telling me how much she loved me, sometimes giving commentary about something we had recently seen on TV or read or talked about. My two favorite teachers at the end of elementary school were one who was pregnant that we threw a surprise baby shower for, Mrs Mitchel, and one who told Italian ghetto stories at the beginning of history class, or longer and better ones at the end of class if we were good, Mr Bonanno. A black girl named Patty one time told me I was good looking for a white boy, which I did not really understand, but appreciated anyway. We had to suffer through trying to learn both New Math and the metric system, both subjects that were eventually done away with. One year we were presented with a little boy dressed up as George Washington, and the adults told us he was a distant relative of the first president. He didn’t do anything but stand at attention and look at the class. I attended Monroe from kindergarten through sixth grade, but actually made my first visit as a baby, when my older sister took me to school as her show and tell display. Thanks Ann!

Cold, Snow, Repeat

Rabbit Highway Next To Our House

Here in Iowa, like most of the rest of the country, we are currently locked into a polar vortex that is producing low temperatures of double digits below zero and highs of single digits above zero, sometimes not even reaching above zero. There has been steady snow to go with the cold out here on the acreage, along with the accompanying winds that turn a couple inches of snowfall into two foot high drifts around the outbuildings and across the driveway. Both the house and shop propane tanks were filled at the end of December and are now at 50%. I worry about how often the furnace keeps kicking on, day and night, if it is wearing out. Thankfully our tractor, outfitted with a snow thrower, continues to start and keep us dug out. It is an old John Deere 420 that I encourage before trying to start it, pleading with it, “Come on old girl,” then praising it when we are done and back in the machine shed and I am brushing the snow off of it, “Good job old girl.” The dogs always come out with me, to look for bunnies in the shed when I open the door, then to run around the yard and on top of the hard packed snow drifts while I am clearing the snow. When the job is done they are ready to come back in with me, all three of us cold and snowy, looking for warmth and comfort. Today, Valentines Day, the high temperature here was -7.

Obscure America: Band Names

The band formerly known as The Golden Gate Rhythm Section

Here are early names of 8 American bands:

Carl and the Passions turned into the Beach Boys.

Beefeaters became the Byrds.

The Golliwogs morphed into Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The Golden Gate Rhythm Section transformed into Journey.

My Backyard grew into Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The New Journeymen developed into the Mamas and the Papas.

Artistics converted to Talking Heads.

Falling Spikes matured into Velvet Underground.