The other night we were out on the porch when Verna noticed this fuzzy little fledgling sparrow in a nest in the top front corner of the porch. I ran and got the camera and snapped this picture of the little guy as he sat there looking at us.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Bad news with a couple of computers this week. The laptop lost it’s hard drive and the old workstation on my desk had a power supply failure. When it rains it pours. We’re trying to recover from the double crash, but it might take some time.
Meanwhile, check out this short video about Verna’s newest favorite hobby.
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I set the small animal trap to try and catch the squirrel that gets in Verna’s garden and raids the bird feeders, but this little ‘possum wandered in much to it’s dismay. Not to worry, though, he got released back into the “urban wild” shortly afterwards.
Opossums are probably more beneficial than they are destructive in urban areas. Consider this description from the National Opossum Society:
Opossums help to maintain a clean and healthy environment. They eat all types of insects, including cockroaches, crickets, beetles, etcetera. They catch and eat rats, roof rats, mice, and they consume dead animals of all types (carrion). They like over-ripe fruit, berries, and grapes. And they think snails and slugs are a delicacy! Nature’s little Sanitation Engineers!!
Typically they go about their quiet task late at night, and you usually won’t know they were around…unless your dog (being territorial) starts barking, or you happen to take a midnight stroll when one is munching insects or snails in your yard.
Welcome to Verna’s Diner. Over the weekend, we indulged ourselves by preparing this delicious blue-plate special: chicken-fried steaks with mashed taters and country-style green beans – served with a frosty mug of winter lager.
Although the meal seems a bit waistline-unfriendly, we did clean up the fat act somewhat. Verna fried up the steaks in light oil in a pan (rather than deep-fried) and low or no-fat dairy products were used to prepare the mashed taters and gravy. The green beans were accented with onions, garlic and bacon bits. By the way, we used fresh-picked green beans that are still growing in Verna’s garden.
Click on the image to enlarge.
On this Veterans Day of 2007, in addition to thanking all the veterans for their service, we wanted to recognize a special veteran, David Tallichet Jr. who recently passed away here in Southern California.
Image right: Proud Bird Restaurant – click for large view.
Tallichet flew 20 missions over Europe in the second world war, and then came to California where he became a successful restauranteer and entrepreneur. He was best known for his Proud Bird Restaurant located right next to the final approach path at LAX. David also established Ports O’ Call Village in San Pedro, California, which is a nautical-themed collection of restaurants and shops.
Image courtesy 100th Bomb Group – Milton Alvo crew. Standing (left to right): Walter M. Gibson, Jr., Milton Alvo, David C. Tallichet II and Donald E. Israel, Kneeling: George I. Murray, Boleslaw V. Bitel, Farrell J. Davis, Woodrow W. Wilson and Leonard G. Woodruff. Click on the image for close-up view.
Read the complete article about the life of David C Tallichet, II, from the South Bay Daily Breeze:
