Best ever pumpkin-pecan pie

Best  Ever Pumpkin ~ Pecan Pie

Crust

1 ½ c flour

1 T sugar

½ t sea salt

½ c. grape seed oil (you can substitute canola)

3 TBS 2% milk

Put all ingredients in a 9” pie crust pan, mix together thoroughly with fork, press into pan to form pie shell. Prick lightly with fork every 1” or so to prevent puffing… Place in refrigerator while preparing filling

Pumpkin Filling*

½ C granulated sugar

1/4 C light brown sugar

1 teaspoons Pensey’s ground Vietnamese cinnamon

½  teaspoon freshly ground dried ginger

¼  teaspoon Pensey’s Chinese 5 spice powder

½  teaspoon Penzey’s double strength vanilla

2 large eggs

1 15 ounce can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk

Using whisk beater on KitchenAid Pro mixer, blend together sugar & spices. Break eggs into bowl, add vanilla and blend well, about 30 seconds on speed 2.  Add pumpkin, stir on speed 2 about 30 seconds, then slowly pour canned milk into filling and mix about 1 ½ minutes on speed 2, until well blended. Pour filling into pie plate shell that has been set onto a cookie sheet for easy transport into oven, and easy clean up if it spills over.  Bake in preheated 400* oven 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake about 20 minutes more, til filling is starting to set but still jiggly…

Remove pie from oven, quickly & gently drop crumbly Topping mix (recipe below) on top of pie and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, till knife inserted ¾ way from edge comes out clean.  Allow to cool for a few hours before cutting

Topping

½ C light brown sugar

5 Tablespoons softened butter

¾ C roughly chopped pecans

While pie is baking, mix topping ingredients together to form a crumbly mess.

  

*Note: I used a 29 oz can of pumpkin & doubled remaining ingredients in filling recipe. That which didn’t fit into the pie shell, I:

Poured filling into vintage Corning Blue Cornflower rectangular 1 1/2 qt baking dish; sprinkled cinnamon on top and swirled with finger into figure 8. Placed baking dish into Corning French White 2.8 ltr baking dish making a hot water bath, and set onto cookie sheet. Moved cookie sheet to oven rack, then filled hot water bath with boiling water. Baked at 350 about 45 minutes til still jiggly but knife comes out clean, for a delicate pumpkin custard pudding with no crust♥

Bear, Buck & Birdies

Well, the laptop finally arrived so now I can (easily) check the trail cam captures and begin to compile a mass of photographs again!!  Last night's trail cam photos (not to mention my visuals from the living room window) show a buck in velvet has begun to visit the HRD ...it may 

be Cinco??!! Just big spikes at the moment, but it's early in the season. He was sharing the  table with some turkeys, and Puff stopped by for a few minutes too, though she was not warmly welcomed...

 In the overnight hours, the trail cam did see what I've not in quite a while...a bear guest.  I put a few apples on the rock today hoping to entice it back in the daylight, to no avail.  the bear, and the raccoon, only seem to come out at night lately.

Annie and her fawn are here every day though, and the birds are doing quite well.  The hummingbirds are still here, although not in great numbers.  Still, I'm always happy to catch a glimpse (and may have to get one of those hummer swings, LOL!!!) of course, I'd bet you could get any bird cage swing, and the hummers would perch on it if placed anywhere near a feeder or favorite plant.  I've seen them at the hibiscus and rose of Sharon as well as the lemon balm, honeysuckle and fuschia.  And they love to set in the Japanese red maple tree.  I wish one would nest there someday, but with all the towering oak and maples, that isn't likely.

Chickadee in Maple

Today's "save" was a junco that Shadow brought inside.  I made the fast grab (Shadow's tail), he dropped the bird which I scooped up.  It's little heart was beating a mile a minute, but as soon as I went outside and opened my hand, it flew off. No harm, no foul. Unless you ask Shadow... 

Well, it's late and I'm tired, so I guess I will call it a day.  Now that I have the laptop capabilities, the trail cam has been switched to take video clips, so I hope my bear comes back tonight.  Maybe I'll be able to figure out who it is! 

The end - compliments of the buck...

Birds and other Flying Things...

Picaso Sky after Irene

The waterworks from above seem to have subsided; I sure HOPE that's the end of the rain for a while. That bright glowing object in the sky, what's that??  It's been so long since colors jumped out at you;

everything has been in shades of gray. Good thing I love gray :-)

The trail cam continues to provide some cool pictures, including another beam of light. I know these images must be attributable to the moon, since they are captured before sunrise... but they sure are evocative.  In another from this set of three, I really, really thought I saw a cross, or an Angel.    But back to the mortal creatures...

There has been a plethora of turkey dining daily, but I got a kick out of this picture of the mourning doves on the rock with the turkey.  Then today, the flock was trying to dry out a bit, and a couple were 'sunning' themselves (although the sunshine was still just a promise), standing on the bench by the pond.

Back on the trail cam, there was a cute capture of the fawn, apparently nursing!  I watch it grazing on its own quite a bit, but I guess sometimes this years' babies still need a little nutrition from Mama. Maybe that's why Annie looks so thin... In looking at the two grazing yesterday, it was apparent just how different in color they are...but it also seems that the fawn is beginning to darken in the neck area too. 

After all the rain, there is indeed lush vegetation for the critters.  And at least in my immediate area, the flooding was apparent but not life-altering, with the possible exception of some wildlife but I suspect they took precautions too.



This is the Delaware River at Callicoon, NY at about noon today, with water levels already dropping. I saw no signs of street flooding, thankfully.   Folks north and west of us were not as lucky.




All in all, the past couple of weeks have been for the birds. No, really!! They have been here in abundance, eating, molting, pooping, flitting and flying all over.

One hummingbird impaled its beak in the window screen, what a hoot to watch it throw itself into reverse turbo thrust to extract the beak!! Wish I could have gotten a video of THAT!  There are still quite a few hummers around, but I will get up one morning soon and not see one... it will happen that quickly that they will be gone so I am trying to spend a little time watching, and talking to them before they go...

The goldfinches and chickadees, woodpeckers and several other birds will remain here all winter.  Goldfinches are molting, chickadee babies are talking to one another (and to me, occasionally) and sharing the suet feeder with each other and the baby woodpeckers.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ... probably one of the last weekends of 'summer' weather upcoming.  So with just a bit of luck, the animals and I will have a healthy and safe weekend, which is exactly what I'm wishing for each of you.  I'm also wishing to see a bear ... it's been a while since I saw one here, and weeks since one was even spotted on the trail cam.  BUDDY??? where are you??? I need a bear-fix♥ But in the meantime, I've got a few photographs to pine over, and a couple kitties to snuggle with.  I think I'm good. 

The end (hahahahah, not mine... HubbyButt♥) 

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“When you are in doubt, be still, and wait; when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists—as it surely will. Then act with courage.”  — Ponca Chief White Eagle

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Well, my mighty hunter Shadow (here, looking longingly at the birds in the Japanese red maple tree) decided to capture another young chickadee yesterday.  Hubby realized it, when he heard what sounded like a parakeet squawking in the bedroom... and we were able to grab Shadow and retrieve the little bird.  It was raising a heck of a commotion, so I cradled it in my hand and went outside (cats closed inside...). No time for pictures, concern for the little bird overwhelmed me.  Outside, I opened my hand and checked out the birdy. No blood, no lost feathers, no signs of "damage".  Just a scared bird lying motionless in my hand until... she hopped up and fell onto my pants leg! I picked her back up and she bit me (always a good sign!!), then jumped onto my shirt. She walked all around the back, through my hair and onto the other shoulder, chirping up a storm as if to tell me all about my 'wicked' cat ... then flew off into the woods.  I HATE that the cats capture critters but I have to tell you, that little bird walking all over me yesterday ~ spunky and strutting and acting much LIKE a pet parakeet, even if for a brief moment ~ was  magical.  That word comes to mind when thinking about the moonbeam photo posted yesterday,

and the one that was captured in the wee hours this morning as well.  It almost seems that something ethereal is behind these beams of light that shine down right on the HRD through the rain that has inundated our area for the past 4 days. 6" and counting, not including 4+ inches from Irene not 10 days ago.  The land is as soggy as an old, wet sponge.  Mother Nature is certainly in overdrive this year...

And speaking of Mothers... Annie and the fawn are here as usual, and I see that Peg and the fawn are also dining together from time to time, with and without Annie. I don't know the dynamics of a deer "family", but I suspect I am watching some of that unfolding at my door step. Or rock-step ♥

 I did think it was pretty adorable, catching Annie and Fawn in a 'tender' moment as Peg watched from her place at the table... it will be interesting to see the relationships develop over the next few months and during the winter, praying they all get through hunting season okay.  I wish I could tell them to just STAY HERE and stay safe. But animals do what animals do, whether they're first-generation house cats born of feral parents .. or the truly wild deer, turkey, bear and other critters that come around our home in PA ~ "Fawn Haven". 

The End.  

Well, the fawn's, anyway♥

Love them critter butts!!!

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“ …Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus should we do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World. ”         — Black Elk

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THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Despite 2 1/2" of rain in the past 24 hours, the trail cam took 480 photos of visitors to the HRD; by and large, it was the usual guests.  Many turkeys in several flocks, with varying amounts of poults, are here even during the heaviest of rainfall.

Peg seems to come around early morning or late evening, or both.  I doubt that she ventures too far away. 

 She refuses to allow me to get close to her though, which is okay.

I think she'd be dead were it not for the HRD, so I'm just glad she found it, and us.    It seems that she is doing okay ... at least it appears that all her bodily functions are , ahem... working...
 
Meanwhile, Annie and the fawn are regulars several times daily, on their travels.  There is a large, safe meadow to our south, and they are often seen grazing there and on the natural vegetation of the woods around us.
I was amazed at how quickly Annie changed color... I wonder what that means?   Typically, the darker colors are found in deep woods.  But nothing has been 'typical' with nature, of late. There has been evidence of raccoon activity in the wee hours of the morning, but no sight of any bears.  The most interesting picture I saw on the trail cam from last night however, was the unexpected visit from a moonbeam.  "Beam me up, Scotty"♥ ...

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“ 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

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So, what's it been?? Nearly two weeks since my last blog? It's amazing, how lack of a good trail cam has curtailed my creative writing!!  Well, that ... and an earthquake, hurricane (and two days without power), and the demise of my computer resulting in loss of all data and over 15,000 photos (outside chance I may be able to retrieve some from the external hard drive...). Lesson learned. Redundant back-up now in place ... or, it will be shortly anyway.  I'm finally going to buy on-line back up as well as the external hard drive (when it gets back from the shop), and all of my photos on DVD's.  

 I've seen the turkeys and babies, and even some strutting Toms lately. 

Peg has been coming around. So has Annie (whose coat is already dramatically changing in  preparation for winter) and her fawn (who is no longer spotted). 

But overnight last night, the trail cam saw what I haven't in quite a while ... 

Raquel and her 3 raccoon babies, 

Fox....


And, a bear

Can't tell who it is ... maybe tonight??

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"We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything, and that he never forgets, that hereafter he will give every man a spirit home according to his deserts; If he has been a good man, he will have a good home; if he has been a bad man, he will have a bad home. This I believe, and all my people believe the same."                                                      Chief Joseph, Nez Perce (Nimiputimt)

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This is the best trail cam .... even though the first one had to be replaced under warranty.  Having tried the Tasco 5MP that cost $90 ... this one for less than $170 is a great camera at a reasonable price. Plus, if you buy it by clicking the link below, I think I earn a commission! 

Retrograde

So, how has your August been??? Mine hasn't been too great, so far.  Bushnell trail cam sent back for repair or replacement.  Tasco trail cam disappointing. Expensive Toshiba computer finally dies (less than 2 years old) ... of course it's final gasp may have come at the hands of my spilled Columbian coffee, with fat free hazelnut creamer....

So, I had to buy an el cheapo laptop; plug the external hard drive in that was used to back up all my photos, music, documents and projects from the Toshiba ... and the new laptop can't read anything.  Then says there is not much of the Ext HD used, which there sure had been when I last backed up the Toshiba 8/4!  So now it's all at the computer shop where who knows what it will cost to find, fix or otherwise retrieve my lost data.

Add to that, no bear sightings in far too long, and I am severely bummed out.  Damn Mercury...

Mercury in Retrograde-what it means

But..... Annie and her fawn were at the HRD, and so was Peg.  And the little turkey flock, with the sole baby now scratching up the dirt like a big guy! Things could be worse...

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy"

Leo F. Buscaglia

http://www.buscaglia.com/