Here’s a little escape for you. Lots more wildlife trail camera videos on their page here.
My cousin, his wife, and a group of turtle volunteers in North Carolina spent their hurricane prep time helping loggerhead baby turtles make their way to the ocean. I’m a little jealous.
I may or may not have a recipe thread tonight. I have a lot to catch up on before the week starts again. Dad update: he’s doing really well, meeting all his rehab goals and surprising no one in his determination to get home. Including making me take everything home we had brought to make him comfortable. That’s for losers who are staying in rehab. LOL
And yes, I did get to visit him. The facility allows one visitor a day. Fully vetted and masked.
Medical care in the era of Covid-19 is just an added level of stress. But being in a medical facility, you begin to realize that when there are no active infections, masks and handwashing are enough. So I’ve become less panicked every moment of every day. Now if I could just convince people to wear masks when they visit my mom.
Respite open thread. Share some fun things that get you through the days.
And remember to be kind to yourself…and others.
WereBear
Baby meese are so adorable.
TaMara (HFG)
@WereBear: Aren’t they? I felt my blood pressure lower just watching them gallump around.
WereBear
@TaMara (HFG): They have that wolf/tiger cub vibe: right now all that potential danger is so darned cute…
Ken
@WereBear: Evens out for the adults, who are – well, adorable in their own way, but alarmingly huge.
WereBear
WIth the heat (and in the Adirondacks that needs air quotes for most) I’ve sidelined baking and do a lot of braising on the stovetop. Brisket keeps going on sale and I keep letting it sit.
It’s ideal for my cooking skills, since forgetting about it just makes it more tender.
WereBear
@Ken: Agree. For some reason the size doesn’t come across in pictures.
TaMara (HFG)
@Ken: And fast! I watched one lope through a meadow, probably not even breaking a sweat and I couldn’t believe how fast he was…and huge.
Ohio Mom
I’ve been to a handful of medical facilities in the past few months — check-ups and follow-ups, and the better part of a day waiting in a hospital while Ohio Dad had his kidney stone lasered to smithereens.
For the first time in my life, going to the doctor is relaxing, because I feel safe there. All the protocols are being followed.
Unlike say, going to a store, where I occasionally find myself going, “Uh Oh, maskless person, turn the other way and exit this aisle!” I have no confidence that I can let my guard down for a moment. It wears at me.
debbie
That woods is pretty busy!
narya
Kitchen is about 95% put together! Emptied all the boxes, stashed most stuff in a reasonable location, found homes for stuff (and, oh my, are there more homes available!). Today I may try some convection baking–I have peaches and blueberries that need using. Tonight’s dinner: fish tacos (or deconstructed tacos, if I make some wild rice), and caprese salad (lovely tomatoes at the farmers’ market today, and back-porch basil is going nuts), and maybe some roasted cippolini onions. I’m going to hold off returning the dining room table to the dining room until all of the work is done, and I’ll clean that floor, too, but at least I can cook in the kitchen.
Betty Cracker
Growing up in Florida, I’ve seen many sea turtles over the years, including Loggerheads, Greens and Leatherbacks almost the size of a VW. I’ve seen sea turtles lumber onto the beach, dig holes and deposit eggs.
But I’ve only seen hatchlings once. I was walking with a friend on Jupiter Beach after sunset, and we saw what looked in the fading light and distance like bugs boiling out of the sand. As we got closer, we saw that it was newly hatched Loggerheads coming out of the sand and making their way to the Atlantic.
We watched until all were on their way, and we escorted a few that headed in the wrong direction toward the sea. It was one of the most magical things I’ve ever witnessed.
debbie
@TaMara (HFG):
Every year, my sister-in-law and her mother search out moose rather than autumn leaves in New England. They almost got trampled once not realizing how fast an angry could move.
No matter the species, those babies are so cute!
Ken
Maybe they were evolving to live on land again?
zhena gogolia
@Ohio Mom:
I literally have been nowhere but my empty office (twice) and doctors’ offices (many times) since March 13. I don’t feel nervous in medical facilities at all. Maybe I’m being silly. (We are also in a relatively cool section of a relatively cool state right now, so maybe that helps.)
zhena gogolia
Great news about your father, TaMara!
Dorothy A. Winsor
@narya: Now to remember where you put everything!
Luciamia
@debbie: Loved the moose that settled into that rivulet with a self-satisfied plop!
Elizabelle
Dragon capsule splashdown today in Pensacola. 2:48 EDT.
Elizabelle
@ TaMara: great to hear about your dad. Sending the comforts of home home, cuz he is following them soonest. LOL.
==
I got to see some turtles hatch, on Ponte Vedra beach in Florida a few years ago. At sunset. It was wonderful. Save the turtles!
burnspbesq
Sunday is for recording and uploading homework assignments for my Berklee Online courses. The objective is always to get it in one take, but that ain’t happening today. The second part of the assignment for guitar chords 101 is a beast.
wish me luck.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@WereBear: mmmm brisket is so good. Thank have to see what the price is today at the store. We have four smokers and my husband make a beautiful brisket. I miss the summer BBQs we used to do….ribs, pork shoulder, sausage. So good
Ken
@burnspbesq: I suppose the instructor would notice if you played air guitar and used a YouTube sound track of someone playing it correctly?
HumboldtBlue
I’m fascinated by the rules of this game
burnspbesq
@Ken:
‘that would defeat the purpose.
Ken
@burnspbesq: Oh, you’re that kind of student. Very good, carry on.
TaMara (HFG)
BTW, before I head out to mow the lawn. Whoever recommended Hamish Macbeth in one of the “what to watch” threads, thank you. It’s been the diversion I’ve needed. And I’ve loved Robert Carlyle forever.
Betty Cracker
This West Texas hummingbird feeder cam is great for de-stressing.
Kelly
For a long time I’ve believed a significant problem in American society is insufficient appreciation for how luck or more scientifically random chance determines our fate. This was dramatically illustrated to me Friday afternoon.
Mrs Kelly and I were kayaking our favorite run with some friends as we have many fine summer days for many years. While drifting along on a flat section enjoying the scenery a dead tree a couple feet in diameter and 60~70 feet tall broke with the ripping sound of velcro separating and splashed into the river.I heard it breaking glanced around and had time for one evasive stroke. Missed me by few feet. I reached out and touched it. I was covered in tiny pieces of wood, bark, moss and lichen. As my dear departed father used to say it’s better to be lucky than good. It’s a class 2 run but I’m not sure how falling trees figure into the rating scale.
I’m still alive, it’s summer and the blackberries are ripe :-)
zhena gogolia
@TaMara (HFG):
We watched the first episode and were greatly entertained. The scenery alone is fantastic.
Have to have captions on, though!
laura
Heading off to the farmer’s market to see what’s abundant/affordable. I’ll be making Gazpacho today riffing on the FTFNYT recipe and adding watermelon to round off the sharp tomato edges.
TomatoQueen
@Elizabelle: Coverage on Discovery Channel, history of SpaceX, lots of reassuring “crew will be fine”, amazing advances in design and looks, hoping for no appearance by that dog-awful Musk troll, all will be well.
narya
@Dorothy A. Winsor: I’ve thought about creating a map to remind myself!
Yutsano
Okay so it’s political, but this op-ed from Lieutenant Colonel Vindman will help uplift you about our current situation.
arrieve
Thanks for the video, TaMara. I could literally feel my stress levels going down as I watched it. Baby moose are adorable.
And so glad to hear the good news about your father.
Off to look up Hamish MacBeth.
mrmoshpotato
@WereBear:
Mmmmmmmmmm
I have 7.5 of spare ribs in my freezer. A buck 99 a pound? Oh yes!
More slow-cooked pork ribs in my future.
wmd
Limiting access to indoor space too. I hope the masked visitors to your mother are visiting outdoors.
Elizabelle
NASA feed for today’s return to Earth. Safe return, astronauts!
Princess Leia
Highly recommend the Brooks Falls Bear cam at Katmai NP – Explore. org has a few other cams at the park as well. Lots of young bears and their moms on the cams, and at the falls, the big boys fish. So beautiful and relaxing.
Yutsano
@Elizabelle: Splashdown was successful! They’re getting the astronauts out right now.
Elizabelle
@Yutsano: Wonderful day in the the Gulf. Lovely to see it go so well.
NotMax
@WereBear
Brisket? Don’t want to use the oven?
Instant Pot. ’nuff said.