This time of year, the weather can be very variable. We have had mild weather in the 50’s the last
few days and are supposed to get thunderstorms tonight. Then by the weekend we
are back to snow. Everyone who is going
to be traveling this Thanksgiving holiday needs to keep a close eye of the
weather forecast.
I went out walking yesterday with my dogs and the
grass was so green it looked like spring. I saw dandelions in bloom and also
found some snapdragons and pansies still blooming. I noticed the willows, the
chestnut and some maples still had dead leaves clinging to them. Many people
are talking about this, trees with dead leaves still clinging to them. The regular
abscission process was cut short by the cold and snow we had earlier so that’s why
some leaves are still clinging. They will drop soon and it’s not a problem for
the tree.
In weather that smells and looks like spring my mind
starts jumping ahead to that wonderful season. Seed and plant catalogs are
filling my mailbox. I am already looking at pictures of my garden in July and
August and trying to decide where I can put new plants in the spring. I hope
you take pictures of your garden beds so you can enjoy them deep in winter.
I spend some dreary winter days sorting through my
pictures, choosing the best and deleting the rest, so to speak. (It’s hard for
me to delete.) I take a lot of plant pictures, sometimes I look at a picture I
took this year of a beautiful lily in sunlight for example, and then find out I
took the almost exact same picture the year before. Even then I spend many
minutes deciding which picture to keep.
Some day after I am gone someone will look at all the
pictures I took of flowers and wonder why I did it. I hope someone will
appreciate them as much as I do. In previous times it was harder and much more
expensive to take a lot of pictures. You had to think about whether a shot you wanted
to take was worth wasting film on and you only had so many pictures on each
roll of film. Now you just click and
shoot, sometimes taking many, many shots of the same thing, hoping to get that
perfect angle. You simply delete the
ones you don’t want to keep. Well you should delete some of the shots
anyway. I always wonder if I am keeping
the best one, second guessing my own judgement so I keep 2 or 3. I just checked, and I have over 13,000
picture files in 98 folders. I need to really start deleting.
Don’t get me wrong, I have pictures of family and
pets, but a lot of my pictures are of plants and gardens. I think of someone
looking at my pictures after I’m gone and saying, “why would anyone want 30
pictures of the same tulips”? Or “why
was she taking pictures of spotted tomatoes and dead grass?” (I take pictures
of plant problems for writing purposes). And undoubtedly they will delete most
of them. But for now, I take pleasure in sitting and looking at moments of time
captured.
I have boxes of slides my father and uncle took and
boxes of pictures I took before the digital age. Many of those I have scanned
into digital files to preserve them but even so, they had deteriorated over
time in storage and aren’t as clear and colorful as they once were. I hope the digital files I make now and I
that I made of their pictures last longer in better condition than slides and
paper photos. I put the files I make on flash drives and in cloud storage so
maybe they’ll outlast me.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Christmas tree shortage and how to get an
inexpensive tree
Because of weather in previous years, the 2012
drought for example, and weather this year, your choice of a live Christmas
tree could be curtailed this year. Some Christmas tree farmers are also turning
to easier, faster maturing crops like hemp. Across the nation a shortage of
Christmas trees, especially larger ones, is predicted.
Most Christmas trees for retail sale have already
been harvested, so as soon as you see them at lots and stores in your area you
may want to buy one. You can expect that
prices will be higher than last year. You can wait until prices go down just
before Christmas but this year you may be left with a very poor selection of
small trees if you delay purchase. If you like cutting down your own tree you
may want to do that early this year too.
If you don’t want to set up the tree yet- and really,
you shouldn’t, you can store it outside in a cool area. If it’s above freezing, you may want to store
it with the trunk in a bucket of water.
Make a fresh cut across the stump about 2 inches wide before putting it
in the bucket. Keep the bucket filled.
Store Christmas trees where dogs and cats can’t pee
on them and deer can’t munch on them.
Deer usually avoid spruce, but may eat pines and firs. It’s best not to
bring trees inside until 10 days before Christmas.
How to get a low-cost Christmas tree
If you live near a National Forest, you may be able
to cut a Christmas tree down free or for a small fee for personal use. You must visit the nearest National Forest
Service office and get a permit and tree tag first. You will need a park passport
to be in the park and those of course cost money, prices vary. If you already
have a recreation passport you are all set. The park office will issue you maps
to areas approved for cutting and give you additional guidelines or rules for
that area.
Tip- if you have a fourth grade/ 10-year-old child
they may be able to get a special park passport for free, that you can use to
get into the national forest. Check with the park or a public school 4th
grade teacher. Also, senior citizen (over 62) park passports are less expensive
than others.
Tag prices and rules vary from park to park. In the Huron-Manistee National forest near me
tags cost $5 and each household may purchase up to three tags. You need a tag
for each tree you remove. I have seen other National Forests charge different
fees. You cannot sell any tree you cut from a National Forest. (By the way,
most National Forests will also sell you permits to cut/gather firewood. These
are separate from Christmas tree permits.)
You will be responsible for finding a tree in the
cutting area and bringing supplies to cut the tree down and transport it to
your car. Most parks require the trees be cut at least 200 feet from a
road. It can be hard work to get through
deep snow and transport a tree back to your car.
Here’s a link to a map of National Forest Areas. Click on the park nearest you and it will
take you to a page where you can find out about tree permits for that park and
where to go to get them.
Those “Christmas” cacti
About this time of year stores everywhere will be
putting out the Christmas plants and one of the first to appear is what we
fondly call “Thanksgiving or Christmas” cacti.
There is so much confusing and even false information given out at this
time of year about their care that I’d like to take a moment to share some
information.
First, the leaf segments on these cacti don’t really
determine when they will bloom, despite the charts people like to point to. The
cacti commonly called Thanksgiving or Christmas cacti are easily manipulated to
be in bloom when growers want them to be.
While there are two common species; Schlumbergera
bridgesii, (or Schlumbergera russelliana), and Schlumbergera
truncate, these species are often hybridized and will have blooming habits
intermediate between the species.
 |
| Notice the smooth edges on the leaf segments? This one blooms around Thanksgiving and not later in the year, contrary to popular lore. |
There are now dozens of Schlumbergera hybrid
varieties on the market. Most often the cacti you buy in stores will not be
labeled by species or even the variety name. You can buy them by the variety
name in specialty nurseries and catalogs.
Even in your home under natural conditions these
cacti may bloom at various times not necessarily coordinated with the shape of
the leaf segments. While leaf segments with sharper points and jagged sides tend
to bloom first, it’s not a hard and fast rule.
Growing conditions, cool nights and shortening daylight affect bloom
time. Each home has different conditions, the same cacti in different homes
will bloom at different times. These
cacti should really be named Holiday cacti.
(Easter cacti, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri, do
bloom much later in spring and have much more rounded leaf segments but they
also aren’t as common in the market as the other two species. Sometimes the
other holiday cacti are manipulated so that they bloom at Easter also.)
Second, while they are in the cacti family these Schlumbergera
cacti are not from a desert, they are from cool rainforests in Brazil. They
should not be treated like other cacti. One of the biggest mistakes new
gardeners make with these plants is to let them get too dry. They also need a
decent amount of humidity to keep their buds.
For an article on caring for these forest cacti please
go here;
I love the holiday cacti and I have several color
varieties. They are in bloom in my house
from early November way into spring. I
strongly recommend them to new gardeners, but make sure you learn the right way
to care for them.
 |
| This one blooms around Christmas and has pointed edges on leaf segments. |
Light pollution and what you can do
I like to look at the radar pictures from GOES EAST,
which shows the country in real time, and in real color. (You can see it by going to the National
Weather Service:
It’s fascinating to see the lights at night around
areas of the country from space. Some areas, like along the east and west coast
and around Chicago, are lit up brightly all night long. As darkness sweeps from
east to west you can watch the lights come on across the country. Even in the
dead of night the lights shine brightly in many places.
Science has confirmed that lighting at night disrupts
the natural cycles of life in almost every species from man to maple trees.
Every species, including plants, needs darkness in its life. Every species has a preferred cycle of light
and dark, a rhythm that sets the internal clock and regulates metabolism.
Light pollution is contributing to the decline of
many species. It can directly kill, like the insects killed when they are
attracted to a light or birds and sea turtles lured off their migration tracks
dying from exhaustion. Or it can indirectly kill, when hormones and life cycles
are disrupted with night lighting. Even animals that are active at night prefer
the night be dark and they need that distinction between day and night.
There are many things that we can’t do a lot about,
but we can do our part to reduce light pollution. And when we cut down on
lighting the night, we can also cut down on energy production, which is another
way to help the planet. There are several things everyone can do.
First, we can reduce outdoor lighting to what is
really needed. Instead of a porch light left on all night, use a motion
detector to turn on lights when they are needed. Use shades on light bulbs to
focus the light downward or directly on the spot it’s needed. The shape of a
bare light bulb mimics the moon and stars and can be confusing for birds and
insects. Light scattered to the sky is wasted.
Eliminate unnecessary lights. Using a high sodium
vapor light on a pole to light up the yard all night isn’t a good use of light.
Remote switches to turn on lights if needed are better than leaving lights on all
night. Timers on lights could also be used. Reflectors at the edge of driveways
may be better than lights.
Second, we need to rethink things like lighting
statues and flags at night. Your garden fountain doesn’t need night lighting. We
should stop lighting signs that aren’t vital and billboards. Empty parking lots should not be lit up. People relate light to safety, in some cases
that’s true but in other cases it has dubious value. Wherever there is no great
increase in safety we should eliminate lights at night.
The color and intensity of light can also make a
difference to the preservation of species. Humans and many other species have
their health affected by blue light on at night. Intense white light is also more
harmful than other light. Green light has also been shown to be harmful to many
species at night. Amber and red light seem to have the least effect on health
for most species. Bats will show few
behavioral effects from red light on at night for example.
If you must use outdoor lighting at night, use amber
or yellow lights. Many cities are switching their white/blue tone streetlights
to amber toned lights. Research has proven that white or blue light does not
lead to better vision or safety than amber light. Many people already know that
few insects are attracted to yellow light at night.
Use the lowest intensity of light that is effective.
A small dim light can be quite effective in many situations. Less is better
when it comes to light at night.
While Christmas lights are pretty, our use of them is
wasteful and harmful to the environment, plants and animals. I can hear people howling about this, but it
may be time to limit the amount of Christmas lights and the hours people can use
them. Certainly no one needs to leave Christmas lights on all night, and they
don’t need to be lit up more than a couple weeks around the holiday, a few
hours an evening. And no one needs thousands of lights.
Darkness is needed at night for every living thing. Do
your part. Keep the night dark.
Turkey tips
Did you know you can cook a frozen turkey safely? If you didn’t get it defrosted, you can still
have your turkey as long as you have plenty of time on Thanksgiving Day. Depending on how frozen the turkey is it can
take twice as long or longer to cook it than if it was defrosted. Unless you
have a really small turkey it’s going to take 8 hours or more so get up early.
Put a frozen turkey, breast up, on a shallow tray
instead of a deep roasting pan. A
broiler pan can work. Remove all the plastic wrapper of course. If you can get
the giblet package and neck out of the turkey do so, but if you can’t get them
out now, you can do it later. Tent the turkey loosely with foil. Put in the oven at 350 degrees.
After an hour or so check to see if you can remove
the giblet package and neck yet if you didn’t get them out. Butter or oil the turkey
skin. Continue cooking at 350 degrees
for at least 3 more hours.
After 4 hours you could transfer the turkey to a roasting
pan. You could put stuffing around it but don’t stuff the cavity. Baste the
turkey with juices or broth or melted butter or olive oil. Add your favorite spices. Tent with foil or
cover the pan and continue cooking until the turkey tests done. This can take
another 3-5 hours depending on the turkey size. During the last hour of cooking
remove the foil tent or cover to let the turkey brown.
If you started with a frozen turkey don’t rely on a pop-up
timer to tell when the turkey is done. Instead use a meat thermometer. The
correct internal temperature to ensure a safely cooked turkey is 165 degrees. Place
a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast to test but don’t let the
thermometer touch bone. Also test the
turkey at the thickest point of the inner side of a thigh. There are
thermometers that can be left in place while the bird is cooking but most are
inserted to take the temperature and then removed. When the temperature is 165 degrees the
turkey is done.
If you added stuffing, it’s a good idea to stick your
meat thermometer into the center of the stuffing and see if it has reached 165
degrees. If not and the turkey is done,
heat the stuffing in a pan in the oven until it reaches 165 degrees.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer the other way to
tell if a turkey is done is to poke the center of the breast with a knife or
meat fork. If the juices are clear instead
of pink, it’s probably done. The legs will fall away from the sides easily. A
slice cut down by the breastbone will show no signs of pink flesh and the flesh
will be white and firm.
Let the turkey sit 15 minutes before you try to carve
it. Leftover turkey should be cut off the bone and placed in tightly sealed
bags or containers. Refrigerate or
freeze the meat. Use unfrozen meat with a week.
Turkey tip two
The day before
Thanksgiving arrange all the empty pans for cooking your side dishes with the
empty turkey roaster to get a feel for how many items can cook in your oven at
the same time. To cook correctly pans need a little space around them for air
to circulate. You may have to cook side
dishes and desserts in shifts or after the turkey is removed.
If oven space is tight, you could partially cook the side
dishes in the microwave, then finish cooking them in the oven when the turkey
is removed. You should have about 15-20 minutes after removing the turkey since
turkeys should be “rested” about 15 minutes before carving. Or you can cook
some side dishes the day before and just reheat them. Pies and cakes, bread, rolls and biscuits, sweet
potatoes, green bean cassorole and stuffing are dishes that reheat well.
Here are two of my favorite biscuit recipes if you want
to serve biscuits at your holiday meal.
Beer Biscuits
These biscuits, made with beer, have a yeasty flavor
like good homemade bread. They can become your signature side dish. They are
quick and easy to make. Serve them with jam or honey or add some sausage gravy
for a yummy breakfast. They freeze well so make a batch or two on the weekends
for school day breakfast during the week.
3 cups
flour
3
teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon
salt
3
Tablespoons sugar
1 cup
beer, any kind
Grease a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients together, kneading with
floured hands right in the pan until the dough feels smooth.
Pick out a small ball of dough and flatten it on the
greased pan. The size can be any biscuit size that appeals
to you. The recipe will make about 18
medium biscuits.
Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown.
Cheddar and onion biscuits
These are a more traditional biscuit with a flavor kick. Use chopped frozen onion for the best
results. These are a great dinner
biscuit and will be gobbled right up. Just right for serving with turkey, steak,
baked chicken or fish. Makes 12-18
biscuits.
2 cups
Bisquick or other baking mix
2/3 cup
milk
1/2 cup
shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup
finely chopped onion
1/2 cup
melted butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together except butter. Dough will be sticky.
Drop by spoonfuls on a ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve warm.
"May the stars carry your sadness away, may the flowers fill your
heart with beauty, may hope forever wipe away your tears, and, above all, may
silence make you strong."
- Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
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