Big Bird Obliges

And the seasons, they go 'round and 'round and 'round…

Our regulars are abundant at their station, plowing through a feeder-full of sunflower treats every day. Soon, there shall be mating calls and nest-building by these gorgeous finches of the rose-breasted and gold varieties. Just loved capturing them in sunshine, this morning.

Meanwhile, the lake is almost completely thawed. But yesterday, in conjunction with my thinking that I seriously needed a photo shoot, Joe exclaimed,

"I think there's a juvenile eagle on the ice!" 

Sure enough, there he was on the tip of a remaining iceberg. Very young, indeed, with just the beginnings of white sprinkled throughout his feathers. As always, what a treat, as he took off over the shadowy branches reflecting on moving water!!

Oh, and for the record, black and white captures came naturally. 'Twas a gray day, here on Golden Pond.

Sometimes, Ya Just Need Dessert!

Okay, okay, so it's not (recipe link) Bûche de Noël, this time of year. It's simply Chocolate-Strawberry Roulade. Fine. That'll do. And we just had to have it, this past week. So, I obliged. It was beyond delicious. Same drill as the former recipe, with juicy, sweetened strawberries added to the mix.

I used the shelf-safe whipping cream from Trader's for this one. Joe detected no difference, but as for moi? I did. Ever so subtle, but nonetheless a difference. Maybe good in a pinch, but…

 My cream has to be fresh, refrigerated and in a container. Purity is the name of the game.

Update: Idle IDOL Chatter

Wow, the week flew 'round to the show once again. It's in a shortened season, so one night and two cuts did it for this week. Eight contestants remain. Once again, I'm afraid my Colton didn't fare as well as the brilliant La'Porsha ("Halo") or Trent ("When A Man Loves A Woman"). 

Regardless of the outcome of the show, I expect to see La'Porsha's name in Broadway lights, one day.

We shall see; but for last night, I agreed with J-Lo. Oh, and have I mentioned how danged cute that Harry Connick, Jr., is??

Must-See Movie "Boyhood"

We recently watched this unique and fantastic movie. It was filmed over twelve years, using the same main cast and depicting the story of a boy's growth from the ages of six to eighteen, told through his eyes. What a brilliant idea to portray real-time growth, along with all the changes that come to life itself in such a time span.

Ellar Coltrane played Mason, the boy, in a totally relatable and tender performance. Patricia Arquette won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2015 for her part as the mom, with all the hair, weight and style changes that came with the passage of time. Ethan Hawke played a terrific dad.

Highly recommended.