Hooded Merganser

I saved a recipe from the co-op newsletter that has looked intriguing to me. It has sat with my recipes for a few months and finally today I made it. It is called pumpkin cheesecake bars, though that is a little misleading as it is vegan. It is also a bit of a splurge as it has a bunch of pricey ingredients (medjool dates, pecans, cashews...). We will try it after dinner.

I bought a couple tomato plants and some wildflowers seeds to plant at my dad's. I don't know if I'll be able to water them enough or if we'll enjoy the fruits. But my niece and nephew really like tomatoes so it is worth a try.

There are two very small ponds near where I live. They are actually water containment created because of flooding issues in the past. They are well done and despite their tiny size full of wildlife. The other day I saw a really interesting bird that I have not identified, and today I think I saw a hooded merganser. It was a duck on a tree branch which surprised me but I just looked it up and it said they often nest there. Sometimes when I've gone out in the morning I stop there and sit for ten minutes. Today I did just that and I noticed the merganser because I heard an unusual sound in the tree above me.

On sad news Michael just said the two bright blue eggs in the nest right by the front door are gone! They were there yesterday! I was becoming friends with that mama robin as she stood watch on the lawn. I was concerned because her nest was so low - in a bush only a couple feet high.