Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide

I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Isn’t it wonderful that we can take the small action of hanging out a birdfeeder and almost immediately be blessed by their presence?   It’s hard to explain my growing interest in birds, but I know how Thoreau felt when he wrote the statement above.  A visit from a bird, especially a rare or new one, is like a small miracle.  A new book by a  Arin Murphy-Hiscock, Birds: A Spritual Field Guide, explores these sightings and encounters from a new perspective.

Why do these sightings and encounters feel this way?  And what is behind this feeling of significance?

The book uses cultural myths, popular culture, folklore and legend to explain what each bird divines.   Here are some things I learned about a few favorite species, the ones that I’m drawn to as my own “spiritual guides.”

Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – Cardinals mate for life and defend their territory with song.  Cherokee’s believe that the cardinal is the daughter of the sun.  The legend says that if you see one flying upward, toward the sun, you will have good luck.  If you see one flying toward the earth, watch out.   Associated energies: leadership, self-worth, confidence, creativity, vitality, activity.

Chickadee (Poecile or Parus atricapillus) – The chickadee’s brain allows neurons and associated old information to die, each year, leaving room to absorb new information and adapt to it.   They are said to bring good news – if you hear a chickadee chirping, expect good weather.  Chickadees are often found in mixed flocks and it’s considered a leader in these flocks, drawing many groups together.  Chickadees are bold and quick to approach humans.  Associated energies: industry, activity, communication, leadership, unity, playfulness, cheer, adaptability, optimism.

Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) – There are about forty different members of this genus.  Crows are among the world’s most intelligent creatures, having been known to use and construct tools, and engage in play.  In folklore, Crows are known as “psychopomps” or guides between the world of the living and the afterlife.  They’re also portrayed as tricksters in Native American mythology.  Associated energies:  Death, prophecy, change, play, innovation



Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best.  ~Henry Van Dyke



Mockingbird (Mimus polygottos)- A songbird with a long tail, the mockingbird mimics the songs and calls of other birds, improvises, makes up new songs, and is cocky and confident. It is said that the Cherokee fed their children mockingbird hearts so that they’d learn to talk.  Another folk anecdote: If a mockingbird flies over the head of a single woman, she’ll be married within a year.  Messages from a mockingbird: be brave, be original, use your own words, don’t take yourself too seriously.  Associated energies: Reflection, communication, humor, improvisation.



A bird is a free spirit.
– Marc Morrone “The Petkeeper”



Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) –  (in first photo above) The wingspan of a heron can reach up to 70 inches.  They use their feet to stir up mud, and hunt by standing motionless in the water, waiting for fish.  Folklore says that a heron landing on your house is a sign of good fortune.  Seeing a heron could be a message to be patient and choose the right moment.  Associated energies: patiences, self-reliance, observation, focus, concentration.

Murphy-Hiscock, who is a third-degree Wiccan High Priestess, encourages us to construct our own method of interpretation, and develop our own system of observation, noting that bird divination can vary greatly from person to person, or culture to culture.   She suggests keeping records, noting dates, times, locations, mood, weather and moon phase in addition to the type of bird in the companion: Birds: A Spiritual Journal.

Which birds would you consider your “spiritual guides”?

Nyack is Now Zone 7a

I'm getting into my zone. My new USDA hardiness zone -- 7a.  

It was big news to gardeners when the USDA announced the changes in the plant hardiness zone map a couple of weeks ago.  The map serves as a guide for growers all over the continent, helping them figure out which plants might survive winter in their area, meaning they are “hardy.”    If a plant is “hardy to zone 6,” that means it will most likely not survive the winter in zones below 6 without some kind of protection. 

Here in Nyack, we are now zone 7a - Lucky number 7.  Just a little north of us, Bear Mountain is zone 6b, and Harriman State Park is mostly zone 6a.   So three zones are represented here in our little county.   Talk about microclimates!

Why get excited about a higher zone?  Well,  I went right to the catalogs to see what new things I could grow.   Here are a few things I might be trying for the first time this year.  

Arp Rosemary

From Richter's Herbs

This is the hardiest variety of rosemary available - able to withstand both cold and heat.  Rosemary prefers a sandier soil than I have, so I'll probably try it in a container where I can easily ammend it.  I've tried overwintering Rosemary inside many times with mixed success -- this will be different!

Agastasche

Anise Hyssop, which I've grown for a couple of years now, is a variety of Agastache.  Richter's Herbs has "Summer Fiesta" Agastache that I think would be beautiful in my sunny patch of perennials.  I've found that it easily reseeds, in fact, the Anise Hyssop borders on invasive -- wonder if this will too?

Conandria Fig (Ficus carica)

Edible Landscaping Online has a nice selection of figs.  I've had good luck with "Brown Turkey" and would like to try another lighter-colored variety.  This one is hardy in zones 7 - 9.  It's described as a "large yellow fig with a high sugar content."   Bill's Figs is another great source of fig trees in our area.

Canna

Cannas and Elephant Ears (Colocasia) - two plants that we've always been advised to dig up before a frost in zone 6a should be perennial with a layer of mulch in zone 7!  Maybe Gladiolus too!  We're inching toward tropical.

Society Garlic (Tulbaghia viola) - grown primarily as an ornamental, this chive relative has lavendar/pink flowers that smell like hyacinth.

Raja Puri Banana



From Willis Orchards

There are a few kinds of banana that are hardy in zone 7.  I'm only interested in ones that will fruit, and although many kinds don't produce fruit in colder climates, some people have had good results with Raja Puri.  It grows to 10-12 ft. tall and is stout and sturdy. 

Here, from Organic Gardening, is their suggested February To-Do List for Zone 7:

1) When you see the first crocus open, consider it time to set out transplants of lettuce, cabbages, and onions; cover them on cold nights.

2) In the garden, sow seeds of radishes and cold-hardy lettuces.

3) When daffodils "pop," plant seeds of spinach, turnips, and peas.

4) Cover the pea bed with clear plastic until sprouts begin to emerge; then, immediately switch to a floating row cover to protect the seedlings from weather and birds.

5) Start herb seeds indoors under lights.

6) Also indoors, start seeds of annual flowers—such as ageratum, petunia, and snapdragons—that need 8 to 10 weeks to reach transplant size.

Did your zone change?  Find out by clicking on this link.  Have you grown any of the plants above that I'm considering?  I'd love to hear your experience!

Your Average Backyard Bird



Dark-eyed Junco with snowy beak

European Starling

Once the snow hits, and the ground is inaccessible, the action at the feeders really picks up. That means the best time of year for bird watching has begun! The Audubon Society’s Great Backyard Bird Count was set up to help track wild bird populations. It helps scientists figure out which species are surging in numbers and which might be declining. They can also track their patterns of migration and determine the effects of urbanization, climate change and disease. Last year 594 species were represented, 92,000 lists were submitted, and over 11.4 million birds were counted! On their website, you can see lists of the most populous birds in the country, or break it down locally. Last year, these were the most common birds in the Nyack area:

1) European Starling
2) American Goldfinch
3) House Sparrow
4) House Finch
5) Junco
6) White Throated Sparrow
7) Crow
8) Mourning Dove
9) Northern Cardinal
10) Blue Jay/Turkey Vulture/Chickadee (tie)



Red-bellied Woodpecker



White-throated Sparrow

Maybe you're wondering how Nyack compares to the rest of the Northeast? Here are the most populous birds last year in the Mid-Atlantic, East Central, Northeast, Great Lakes, Allegheny and Atlantic Canada regions, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

1) Chickadee
2) Dark-eyed Junco
3) Mourning Dove
4) Downy Woodpecker
5) Blue Jay
6) American Goldfinch
7) Northern Cardinal
8) White-breasted Nuthatch
9) House Finch
10) Tufted Titmouse

By conducting our own hyper-local bird count, we can see what the most common birds are in our own backyards and compare our results with our neighbor's. Do you have more Blue Jays than Juncos? More Chickadees or more Woodpeckers? I did an informal count of the birds at my feeder this past weekend, and made a list of the most popular birds. It ended up being much different from their's:

1) House Sparrow
2) Dark Eyed Junco
3) Blue Jay
4) Tufted Titmouse
5) White Throated Sparrow
6) Chickadee
7) White-breasted Nuthatch
8) Downy Woodpecker
9) Red Bellied Woodpecker
10) Mourning Dove

 

Downy Woodpecker

I’ve only had a few transient European Starlings visit, though it’s the top bird nationally. I rarely see Northern Cardinals and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen an American Goldfinch. What about you? How do these lists stack up to yours?

Go to the Great Backyard BirdCount site and sign up for this year’s count, running February 17 – 22.





Mourning Dove

What to Grow? Seed Inventory and 2011 Review

What to grow? What to grow?  Time to think about the vegetable garden of 2012!  I love browsing the seed catalogs and figuring out what seeds to buy – but my eyes are bigger than my stomach. (Or, rather, my seed purchases are always too prolific for the space I have!)

It’s so hard to narrow it down, but recently I heard some good advice: “Grow what your family eats.”    I had to think about that because even though I enjoy growing and eating exotic colored radishes and garnishing crudite plates with them, they are probably something that my kids would pick out of a salad.  They love tomato and basil, though, and just about any kind of potato.  They’ll eat sugar snaps, cucumbers, lettuce, sweet peppers, spinach and chard.   Potatoes will be my new experiment this year – maybe sweet potatoes too!

The space I have for starting seeds is very limited, so I’ll probably buy tomato seedlings this year.   I’m setting up a small indoor growing station in my closet, though.

PEAS, PEAS, PEAS

Blauschokker Flower

How could I have neglected to plant peas last spring?   The lapse prompted me to purchase some late in the season and plant them in August.  We (well, mostly Betsy) got a few handfuls of “Sugar Snaps” and “Sugar Ann” in October.  The flowers for “Blauschokker Alauws Blue” were stunning.

HERBS



Dill Flower



The small-leafed mounding Italian basil did well for me this year.  It didn’t flower or wilt as quickly as the Genovese, and it looked nice in the front of my community plot.   I don’t remember where I got a bunch of generous and inexpensive packets of Pagano seeds, but it was probably at the grocery store.  I’ve had good results with all the herbs I’ve grown from this Italian company.  I also saved lots of dill seeds from the plants that volunteered.

CUCUMBERS

Probably my best crop.  I made 12 pints of pickles.  The Japanese Long produced well for the second year.  So did the slicing cucumbers that Meems from Gardening in the Boroughs of NYC sent.   Didn’t get any lemons but I have enough to try again.

The 2011 Squash Vine Massacre

SQUASH, PUMPKIN & GOURD

I’m getting rid of my pumpkin and gourd seeds.  They just take up too much space.  If you follow this blog, you may have witnessed the Great Squash Vine Massacre of 2011.  Lesson learned.  I’ll grow bush or compact vines from now on.  I saved “Bush Delicata,” not knowing that it was a hybrid.  Curious to know what turns up.   I’ll get an heirloom zucchini and yellow squash this year.

TOMATOES        

My big mistake this year was not labeling my tomatoes.   One standout was a fuzzy hybrid called "Alberta Peach."   I grew too many cherries and not enough slicers.  This year at a book fair, the publisher gave out tomato seeds to promote the book Urban Farming by Thomas Fox.   I love this promotion idea!  But not the fact that the variety of tomato is nowhere to be found on the package!   On my wish list this year for tomatoes are Yellow Pear, Sungold, Sweet 100, San Marzano, Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter.   I’m done with the purple and brown varieties for awhile.

RADISH



Watermelon Radish



I had my best results ever this year with watermelon (aka red meat) and daikon radish. I’ll use up these seeds and also try some podded radishes.

GREENS

I have “Tuscan Lacinato” kale, “Bright Lights” swiss chard, a “Salad Bowl Blend” from Botanical Interests.  Also quite a few “Drumhead Savoy” cabbage seeds, however, that’s another vegetable my family is not big on, and it took me a year, overwintering, to get a full-sized head.   I loved growing Radicchio this year and it was super hardy.  Wish I could remember what variety it was.

FLOWERS:

I collected and saved perennial and annual flowers last season: Gaillarda “Indian Blanket”, Coreopsis “Tickseed”, Tropical Milkweed, Purple Columbine, Delphinium, Marigold, Cardinal Flower Vine, Cleome, Morning Glory, Zinnia, Scarlet Runner Bean, Purple Hyacinth Bean, Black Eyed Susan Vine, Lunaria, Snapdragon, and Strawflower.

So here are my seed needs:  Spinach, Beans (I’m looking for a thin, stringless, French-style green bean.  Kylee at Our Little Acre has recommended “Jade”), carrots, zucchini and yellow squash -- recommendations, anyone?

Seedlings needed: Tomatoes and peppers.    

SEED OFFER:  Minnesota Midget (small cantaloupe) – I may put in one of these plants.  But I saved like 400 seeds!  Just email me your address if you’d like some: nyackbackyard@gmail.com

Here are some seed companies that I’ve used and recommend.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company

John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

Johnny Seeds

Abundant Life Seed Company

Hudson Valley Seed Library

What new things are you growing this year?   Any old faithfuls that you'll be sticking with for sure?

Kristy McNichol Forever

My daughter asked me last night what celebrities I wanted to be like when I was her age.  I searched my memory.  The most obvious choice was Olivia Newton-John, but even then I knew that I had as much chance of becoming a blond Australian songbird as I do of winning the HGTV Dream Home in Salt Lake City Utah this year.  No, the celebrity I studied with the most interest back then was undoubtedly TV actress Kristy McNichol. 

“Who’s that?” was her response.  

People used to tell me I looked like Kristy, and since my best friends at the time were twins, I fantasized that Kristy was my twin sister.    She was “family” in my head.  Oh, and we were psychically connected, as most twins are.    

A Google search revealed a recent photo of Kristy (above), posted THAT VERY DAY along with a story about how she’s come out of the closet as a lesbian to help bullied kids through their own struggles with acceptance. How kooky is it that I hadn’t thought about Kristy in almost 30 years, and she pops back into my mind on the SAME DAY she comes out?   Proof once again that Kristy and I have a psychic connection. 

Kristy has suffered with bipolar disorder and rumors of drug addiction.  According to Perez Hilton:

"The Family and Empty Nest start decided to make an official statement about her sexuality not only because she is "approaching 50,": but she wants to "be open about who I am" and "is very sad about kids being bullied."

Her rep says: "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support.  She would like to help others who feel different.  She is very happy and healthy.  And she enjoys living a very private life."

 

Aside from being comfortable with one's sexuality, there's another positive message that Kristy’s reappearance sends:  that there is happiness in being true to yourself, and that “success” is all relative.  It’s not always about finding the brightest spotlight, even if you’re one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.   

Kristy, I know you’re not one of the 6 people who read my blog, but it’s okay because we’re telepathic.  Thank you for what you’re doing.  I’m so happy that you’re finally feeling confident enough to do it, and I’m sure it will inspire those troubled kids, and maybe some adults, too.   It’s sure inspiring me to do something brave with my year. 

Love, your twin sister,

Jennifer

Theme Thursday: The Night Tree

One of our favorite books to read this time of year is Eve Bunting's "The Night Tree."  Our church has even created an annual tradition around this story!

The book is about a family that goes out in the woods to hunt for a tree.  You might assume they're going to cut one down.  But no, this is a different kind of outing.   And the "gift"  is for the birds.

They've brought handmade treats to hang on the tree for the birds and critters. 

After reading the book, why not make some of your own bird treats?  And hang them on your own trees?   Here are some ideas:

Cover a pinecone with peanut butter, then roll it in birdseed.  Hang it from a string on a tree.

Make some homemade suet. Melt 2 cups of lard (get it from your butcher!) and 1 cup of peanut butter together, then add 2 cups of corn meal and cool. Choose your own add-ins. Try seeds, raisins, cereal or oats. Or just skim the fat off soups and soak it up with stale bread.   Put it in a suet holder.  Woodpeckers love this. 

For the mice other animals below, use a stick to anchor some bits of fruit in the ground.

















I love the rose-colored house finches.  We had one gift us with a visit last week. 

Father's Fancy Finch Feeder
Use a piece of wood at least a foot long.  Leave the bark on, if you like.  Ask Father screw a sturdy ring on one end.  Can he drill several holes down and around?  big enough to hold small paper cups?   Fill these cups with several mixtures.  Suet and bird seed.  Suet and nut meats.  Suet and peanut better.  Put cups in holds. 

Hang your Finch Feeder near a window.  But not where cats can climb.  Then watch the rosy finches feed on Fathers Fancy Finch Feeder. 

Isn't Father wonderful? 

(from "A Child's Christmas Cookbook" by Betty Chancellor)

See also:
Attracting Birds (And Keeping them Happy)

Getting Creative With Pizzelles

Grandma Rose was the expert pizzelle maker in our family, and she and my mom got together every year to make them.  My mom, in turn, became a pizzelle fairy, distributing them to friends, teachers, physicians, mailmen and anyone else lucky enough to cross her path during the Christmas season.  So of course, when I got married, a pizzelle iron was among the gifts.  

Here’s what my pizzelle iron looks like today. 

Mind you, I know people who would be horrified by this, but Grandma Rose would have said that the golden-brown patina caused by decades of burnt grease is useful for "seasoning" the iron and enhances the flavor.

Pizzelle recipes are fun to tinker with.  The basic recipe is:

1 cup (two sticks) margarine
6 eggs

1.5 cups sugar

2 t. vanilla

4 t. baking powder

3.5 c. flour

1) Melt and cool one cup of margarine (be sure to use margarine – it doesn’t burn as quickly, which is important in the iron)

2) In a large bowl, combine the margarine with 1.5 cups of sugar and 2 t. vanilla. Add the eggs one at at time.

3) In a separate bowl, combine 4 t. baking powder and 3.5 c. flour., and with a hand mixer, add to the wet ingredients, about a cup at at time and beat until smooth. 

4) Put 2 t. on each side of a hot iron and bake for about 30 seconds until golden.  (All irons are different!  Your mileage may vary).

The fun usually starts by substituting other flavored extracts for the vanilla.  Anise is popular, but I’ve also used orange and lemon extracts. 

     You can also add an additional  1/2 c. of cocoa, 1/2 c. of sugar and 1/2 t. baking powder to the dry ingredients to make chocolate pizzelles, then put a scoop of peppermint ice cream in between.   Move over Klondike.

     Pizzelles right from the iron are still pliable and can be rolled into tubes (for cannolis) and cones.   For my wedding, we filled pizzelle cones with Jordan almonds and gave them out as favors.  At Italian weddings five almonds symbolize health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.

     I tried something new this year with colored sprinkles.  These must be handled with caution, because if they’re applied too densely, they’ll melt into a big wad and muck up your iron.  I had better results sprinkling them onto pizzelles that were about 10 seconds from being fully baked, then reapplying the iron for the remaining 10 seconds or so.    The sprinkles stuck nicely to the cookie. 

    Chocolate chips can be melted in the microwave and spread on the back of a spoon, applied lightly to the relief pattern of a finished cookie, then, quickly before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with nonpareils. 

If you’re not feeling fancy, they’re wonderful just sprinkled with powdered sugar.   

Have you started your holiday baking yet?  What kind of cookies are you making?

See also:  Sandwiches and Santascones for Grandmama