SEAGULLS & SNOW

SEAGULLS

Mention the word, and there are probably visions of blue sky, warm sun, and sand in the toes at a beach or other seaside location. Those delightful days of SUMMER. This crazy bird will entertain you with it's aerial ability and wing action, performing seemingly miraculous maneuvers in the sky. Just gliding overhead, performing instant turns or stopping, diving, flying sideways, or just being able to hoover motionless over one spot in the wind. They must have incredible eyesight to spot a crumb on the beach and swoop down to snatch it up.

It also conjures up thoughts as a pesky scavenger, with a clever skill to spot FOOD! Those snacks you take to the beach, and leave unattended on your blanket, become a prime target for a Seagull raid. And they practice with diligence their skill for the infamous airborne "poopy drop" in the most unwanted places.

Summer thoughts, but, it's Winter here in NW Indiana at the Lake Michigan beach, and Seagulls remain year round. They don't seem to be any less fat than the summer, when there are more chances to find food on the beach. So if you've never thought about Seagulls and Snow, here we go.................

They can glide down to land right in the middle of a flock.

Searching the snowbank, barefoot, hoping to find a morsel of food.

Follow me, I think there are some snacks over there.

If one finds a crumb, more will invade the area, and a fight may ensue.

Despite the season, they still squawk to claim a territory.

Thanks for taking a few minutes for a Winter walk at the beach today.

But I'll take summer any day.

SPROUTS Home Grown

Just dragged my ancient Sprout Garden device out of the closet and cleaned it up. Have not used that poor thing in ages. The question would be "Why not?". Home grown sprouts are fast, easy, cheap, and delicious. You can grow a tasty crop in as little as 3-7 days, requiring very little space. They are great for taste, let alone the nutritional and health values.
Here is my old circular "sprout garden" Globe from long long ago.

The bottom half is filled with water, just enough to "touch" the tray. After preparing, via rinsing or soaking, the seeds are placed on the tray. Set the cover on top, and wait for the seeds to sprout. The colors are intended to keep sunlight away from the seeds as they grow. Just keep the water level up to the bottom of the tray. This one is a large garden, and will grow way more than I need. If you don't need many, learn how to grow them on the top of an ordinary Mason canning jar. The successful results may have you advancing to a medium size tray garden, investing less than $10.
The garden can produce a wide array of edible sprouts to fill most any need and tastes. Shop around Health Food stores, or online to compare availability, and prices, for seeds made for sprouting. The cost of a small 4 oz. pack of seeds, sometimes a years supply, will be way cheaper than buying a single container of sprouts in your grocery store produce section.
Some that I use are: 1) Alfalfa Sprouts. Probably the most common, and seen on your store shelf in those plastic boxes. An excellent addition to salads, sandwich toppers, or soups/cooking. The seeds are VERY TINY, and a few go a long way. 2) Mung Beans. A small, green bean, which grows into Bean Sprouts.
Think Chop Suey/stir fry/Asian cooking. Salads and sandwiches. Just yank up a handful and eat them. Fresh from your garden and into the pan is a great addition. Give them 7 days to grow.
3) Lentils (brown). An oval seed (like the ones you see for soups). Snack on the crunchy, nutty flavor of a fresh sprout.
Sprouts  ... a don't have to dig in the dirt garden, sitting right on your kitchen counter. Give it a try.
Thanks for stopping by today.