I have not been tuned in to much these days online or on the news, so I almost missed this. Lots of green jobs, I’m hoping!
Open thread
Open Thread: President Biden Live on InfrastructurePost + Comments (83)
TaMara has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2015.
by TaMara| 83 Comments
This post is in: Climate Change Solutions, Open Threads, Politics
I have not been tuned in to much these days online or on the news, so I almost missed this. Lots of green jobs, I’m hoping!
Open thread
Open Thread: President Biden Live on InfrastructurePost + Comments (83)
by TaMara| 26 Comments
This post is in: Duck Blogging, Pet Blogging, Something Good Open Thread, I Will Cut You If You Muddy This Thread
Some feel good after a rough week.
I needed this one this morning:
By now, most of you have probably seen this, but I wanted to make sure:
here’s the full story on Sisu, as well as many more pics of the two of them ?https://t.co/sHrKQAerXX
— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) March 27, 2021
We don’t deserve dogs.
As promised, I finally put together the photos and video from week 3
Respite Open Thread: Loving Sons, Dogs and Ducks – Oh, My!Post + Comments (26)
They spend a great deal of time out of their crate now. They mostly sleep on their blanket, but they do waddle into the kitchen for some cat grass now and then. I expect they’ll become more mobile as curiosity takes precedence over growing. Right now, growing requires lots of eating and sleeping. Occasionally, they do wander off to the kitchen (sometimes to keep me company while I empty the dishwasher).
Loved all the name suggestions yesterday…
Here’s a bonus Scout using Bixby as her own personal pillow:
And yes, for those wondering, it’s very messing having ducklings running around. I do have diapers for them, but they are a bit too small yet to wear them. I think by the time they are big enough they’ll be spending a lot more time outside in their pen so, like Penelope, it might not be worth the trouble. For now, I just wash their blanket every night and clean up any other mess they make fairly easily.
But I’m definitely rooting for warmer weather so they can start going outside.
More photos and some cute duckling bathtime/Bixby video at this link.
And finally, if you didn’t see it, this interview with Tammy Duckworth was really good.
Respite open thread
by TaMara| 124 Comments
This post is in: Duck Blogging, Open Threads, Pet Blogging
Looks like we could use a new post.
I owe you a full-fledged duckling post, but it’s been a busy week of cleaning up after the blizzard and taking care of increasingly more time-consuming soon-to-be feathered housemates. So here are a couple of photos from yesterday. Tomorrow they’ll be bigger still…
This happened yesterday:
I have lost all control. The ducklings were out and I was busy working. Suddenly all I hear are duck feet running and lots of squawking.They had made their way to the bathroom and were making a ruckus at the bathtub.To recap, three weeks old, they know the word bathtime, they know how to find the bathroom and they know how to get their point across. Give them another week, they’ll be running their own bath.(Oh, please, warm weather hurry up, these guys need outside time!)
So I’ve kind of named them. But I’m not sharing in case it doesn’t stick and you guys complain for the next 8 years that you know them as their original name from when they were 3 weeks old. ?
How about you take a swing at it? What should I name them? They have very distinct personalities. The larger one is very grumpy and protective. Not fond of being picked up and prone to nibbling on me. The smaller one is the adventurous one and loves to be held.
Remember….we don’t know their sex yet, but by their voices, I’m still suspecting they are both female.
No. Food. Names. It’s not funny, even though you think it is. ?
Otherwise, open thread
by TaMara| 51 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics
Mocs up! Sec. @debhaalandnm swearing in ceremony. Watch on IG live @coffeequeer. pic.twitter.com/pCSK8N2vHs
— Navajo County Democrats (@navajocountydem) March 18, 2021
OMG I’m bawling! ???pic.twitter.com/cjj5r98Klc
— Tell Newsom I’m Busy ?? (@JuneSummer1) March 18, 2021
We must create a future that lifts up all communities. @SecDebHaaland has committed her life to ensuring justice, equality, and fairness for all. Today, as she makes history, I am proud to swear her in as our Secretary of Interior. pic.twitter.com/Zgi8vjP1mb
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 18, 2021
Open thread…
Afternoon Open Thread: Biden On Vaccines and Deb Haaland Sworn InPost + Comments (51)
by TaMara| 110 Comments
This post is in: Duck Blogging, Pet Blogging
The speed at which they grow is amazing. Here they are on Saturday. Just a couple of ducklings with their Great Dane and his stuffed duck.
And here they are today. They grow like Great Dane puppies! And their feet are sooo big now, it’s comical. I tried to get a photo of them, but cooperative they were not. I’ll try again tomorrow.
This has been a big week. They’ve been learning to swim (yes, they kind of have to learn), they’ve spent time running around the house (for enrichment – once the weather is nice, they’ll go outside in their penned area to explore), and their time with the Danes much more playful and they hold their own.
When they were running around the living room the other night, Bixby brought them his tug rope and they went after the fringe. I intervened before it took a turn. He continues to bring them toys to play with when they are out of their crate.
Bless the big Beast for being such a love.
As their third week progresses they’ll begin to get their pin feathers and move into their awkward phase. When Penelope came to live with us, she was just moving out of that phase – she was about 4-5 weeks old. As weather permits, these two will spend more and more supervised time outside. There are several neighborhood kids who cannot wait.
I was going to wait and post this tonight, but it looks like we could use a lunchtime (ish) diversion.
Go ahead and consider this an open thread
Respite Open Thread: Ducklings Week 2 UpdatePost + Comments (110)
by TaMara| 47 Comments
This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipe Exchange, Recipes
I made this for dinner tonight and wrote up a post on it, so I thought I’d share here, since we haven’t had a recipe post in a while.
We ended up with about 24 inches of snow, not counting the impressive drifts. Everything was closed again today while we clean up. As it’s Colorado, it’s already melting and the sidewalks, driveways and patio are already dry. The four-foot drifts/snow piles from shoveling will take a bit more time. But it will be in the sixties by the end of the week.
In less than good news, two of my plum trees lost huge branches, and my 10-15 foot bushes’ health is still to be determined. Most will probably survive.
The big ducks demanded access to the yard, so I shoveled a path and they hung out on the patio, quickly understanding that those snow walls were unscalable. Although Maddie gave it a good try. That duck is small enough to fly short distances and uses it to scale any obstacle I put in her way. She gave me two eggs this morning, so spring can’t be far away.
Anyway, the weather just cried out for comfort food. So tonight it’s chicken and biscuits.
Recipe Exchange: Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuit PiePost + Comments (47)
Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuit Pot Pie
Set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat
In a large bowl, combine the chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil. Sear chicken in pan, stirring occasionally until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside in a separate bowl. Add butter to the pan and, when melted, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock, browned chicken, potatoes, and spices.
Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat so that the sauce just simmers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are tender…about 25-35 minutes.
While it simmers, prepare Buttermilk Biscuits, below.
Just before adding biscuits, fold peas into chicken mixture and then remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place the biscuits on top of the chicken and gravy, with 6 biscuits around the edge of the pan and the remaining 4 biscuits in the center (if you have a leftover biscuit or two, bake on a separate baking sheet). Be sure the biscuits do not touch, so they cook thoroughly. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and flaky…14 to 15 minutes. Allow the pot pie to cool briefly before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Mix dry ingredients, make a center hole in the dry ingredients and add in shortening and milk. Blend together, then knead 10-12 strokes on a floured surface, roll out to ½” thick, cut into 8-10 biscuits.
What’s on your plate tonight? I’m going to try and get some actual work done, since today seemed to be about recovering from shoveling, time change and accessing yard damage.
Open thread
by TaMara| 66 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Breaking WaPo: U.S. authorities have arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. https://t.co/dF6qULW0DP
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 15, 2021
“Give me that bear s—,” Khater allegedly said to Tanios on video recorded at the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol at 2:14 p.m., where Sicknick and other officers were standing guard behind metal bicycle racks, arrest papers say.
Open thread
Two arrested in assault on police officer Brian SicknickPost + Comments (66)