Remains of the Day

By Elizabeth Prata

Several other people have remarked on the string of great weather plus lockdown equals unexpected enjoyment I'm usually working until 3:30 and by then the sun as gone behind the house. By the tie school gets out it's too blazing hot to sit on the concrete patio in the humidity. I enjoy sitting on the patio in these mild days. A lot. I like the delicate lavender of these wildflowers on the lawn-

I've been watching the birds. We have Carolina wrens who have flown the nest but are still living their little birdie lives around here. We also have a mated pair of Eastern Phoebes, fr the first time. Another mom is VERY busy all day catching insects and bringing them to her nestlings in the big birdhouse at the back of the yard. She works all day! There's a red flash of the cardinal I can never quite spit fully. And of course the mockingbirds. I'll post more photos of the yard action at the bottom.

This morning dawned a bit chilly so I fired up the oven to roast the root veggies a friend dropped off to me the other day. Beets, Turnips, and one honkin' huge russet. This will kill 2 birds with one stone, warm the kitchen and give me some already-cooked veggies to have for dinner and lunch tomorrow.

I halved the russet and drizzled oil on the cut sides. I sprinkled paprika and Parmesan on top of that, along with some cracked pepper. Roast cut side down. My gaffe today was not greasing the sheet enough. The potatoes stuck to the baking sheet.

I peeled and cut the turnips and beets and tossed them in oil too. Spread in one layer in a baking dish and salt and pepper them. (You can add whatever spices you like beyond that). I roasted at 400 degrees until soft and crunchy. Yum! Forget lunches and dinners I had some for breakfast!

FODMAP issues force me to monitor what I consume. I absolutely love roasted beets and I was hoping against hope when my friend dropped them off that they would be on my "OK to eat list." Phew, they are, but only 20 grams at a time. That is 2 small slices. OK, well, better than nothing! I can have about twice as much turnips. I ate a quarter of the potato due to carb issues. I don't want to fall asleep when I just got up!

Here are the birdies of the yard today. They are enjoying the weather too! Apparently Eastern Phoebes when they perch, bob their tails up and down. Both the male and female feed the babies. Also, they fly fast and catch their insects in the air. I watched one actually hover like a hummingbird. They are expert are flying fast and catching those bugs. When I came out and sat down at the table the bird began flying around the roof to get to her nest. She had been flying directly to it but my presence meant she'd have to fly by me so she created and alternate route.

I think this is a Carolina Wren mama bringing food to her babies. The birdhouse is about 150 feet from where I was sitting so it's hard to tell for sure that it's a wren but I'm pretty sure. But look closely. Not only is the mom bringing the food but inside the birdhouse you can see one of the baby's mouth wide open. Cute!

The days just sort of blend one into another, don't they. We are still on lockdown here but it is supposed to lift by May 1 with staggered openings and a slow getting back up to speed. School will remain closed though. We are working from home, meeting with students virtually, and doing lots of professional development and communication.

I'm reading Robert Capon's The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection, a sort of religious/cooking/philosophy book. It defies description. Also Ferrol Sams part 2 of his fictionalized autobiography The Whisper of the River. The cat and I are doing well. At night I've been enjoying the Sherlock Holmes series Elementary and also the Hulu series Mrs America, about the divide over second wave feminism in the 1970s. How are you doing?