horseradish!

A gardening co-worker left a styrofoam cooler of horseradish bulbs in my classroom last spring. I planted them, and in March up popped some beautiful plants.

Today, finally, after several afterschool consultations with said coworker, I dug up the bulbs and cleaned them off and trimmed them. I had been advised to do all of this outside.

I cut up the roots and added honey and white vinegar and chopped in a food processor for a very long time.

The resulting sauce is very mild and smooth, but with all the distinctive flavor of horseradish.

Adding the vinegar later rather than right after chopping would have meant more spice- vinegar, or another acid, stops the chemical reaction which occurs when the horseradish is grated.

One jar for my coworker, one jar for me. There's an epic dinner party in the works- Springtime Hunter/Gatherer/Gardener - and I'm imagining mixing this horseradish with cream as a sauce for grilled duck... ?

Happy spring. Its really here now.

duck surgery

This week, our Black Swedish duck named Penguin had been hanging back, often found alone, resting under mayapples while her cadre of three male Welsh Harlequin ducks stood guard. Upon examination, Jake diagnosed Bumblefoot, a painful infection that very occasionally occurs in the feet of ducks and chickens.

We keep a bucket o' duck first aid kit supplies, including gauze, tape, an X-acto Knife, antibiotic ointment and antibiotics for mixing into drinking water, and vanilla extract, which supposedly scares away the biting flies that devasted our 2011 generation of chicks.

While I held her, Jake cut open and drained spots on both of Penguin's feet. Then she had a utility sink bath, which she loved. I know this because she was so obviously grunt-quacking with pleasure.

After she was done, which she made clear to us by flinging herself out of the tub and trying to climb into the washing machine, we dried her off and wrapped up her wounds.

Hang in there, Penguin.

She'll sleep for the rest of the week in a dog kennel on the screen porch, with antibiotic water and fresh food. Hopefully she won't move around too much. The three males will stand guard right outside the screen all day! By Sunday, she should be as good as new.

Morels!

Most of these came from around a single tree! Keeping our eyes trained on the ground to find these yesterday evening revealed other surprises- the first of the trilliums and jack-in-the-pulpits have bloomed!

early spring garden bouquet

familial

A typical TelltheBees holiday weekend so far... lots of food, coffee, card games, hikes, and projects, with some group nap and reading times thrown in for good measure.

Amayah is still getting used to her future favorite aunt.

We celebrated Grandpa's 84th birthday!



Erykah made placecards.



TelltheBees new peeps: 4 reds, 4 barred rocks.



Erykah soaking up the sun with her "best daddy"

Jake supervising the screen porch addition 

Pete, typically indifferent.

Spring in full bloom!

Happy Spring weekend to you and yours!

Heirlooms

These trilliums are from my mom's backyard. She transplanted them from the farm where she grew up, where they grew in my grandma's garden.

And now here they grow.

I love that.

Here, there, and everywhere

I was in New York over the weekend. Here's my oldest friend, posing with the flowering trees in SoHo.

A good, good time, that. Back home now. Sigh.

Flowering trees are here, though, too!

I could have stood and inhaled the scent of these flowers all evening. Wild plums! So sweet.

Mayapples are emerging in the woods.

Pasque flowers dot the forest floor.

Fiddleheads are unfurling.

Leaves are filling in the empty spaces among the trees.

Asparagus is coming up!

Among those other surprises...

I was reminded of Boo Radley. Its one of those most treasured in-between nights- window open, woodstove burning, and I realize its been more than a full calendar year since I've read To Kill a Mockingbird.

It is good to be home.