Mabel the Maple in May

Mabel is having a fine spring. This pic was taken May 28. For background on Mabel the Maple, click here.

The Bird Feeder Rules

Unlike the Cider House Rules, the Bird Feeder Rules are not posted anywhere. Nevertheless, by watching Violet and Ray closely, I’ve figured out what they are. And so:

The Bird Feeders

1. A few birds are OK at the bird feeders, but if a lot of birds congregate at the feeders all at once, it becomes not OK. It’s irritating. Solution: Bark aggressively.

2. Squirrels are definitely not welcome at the feeder, especially if they come in twos and try to scarf up seeds that have fallen to the ground. Solution: Bark like mad.

3. Racoons, rabbits, dogs, cats and other small animals are not permitted at the feeders at all. Granted, visits by these animals are rare, but if any one of them happens to make an appearance, it is definitely not OK. Solution: Bark like crazy.

4. Deer are not only NOT permitted at the feeders under ANY circumstances, they are not permitted ANYWHERE in the yard, either. We cannot emphasize this enough. Solution: Frenzied barking.

Spring Snow

Petals from the blossoms of black locust trees are collecting in our back yard like snow

The blooms during this wet spring have been remarkable. First to flower throughout the region were ornamental pear and cherry trees, followed by redbud, a native tree with a bright pink blossom that beautifully highlights the forest edge. Now honeysuckle and black locust trees have taken over, and for the latter, it’s the most prolific bloom we’ve seen in four spring seasons here.

Black locust is a relatively nondescript tree most of the year, but in this month it sports big, creamy blossoms. Since it’s a common tree, the blossoms are everywhere, and now that the petals are beginning to fall, they’re decorating lawns, roadways and even tree branches like fallen snow.

As always with photos on this blog, you can click on it to enlarge it, then click again to enlarge it even further.

The Evolving Midwest Food Scene

I’ve been critical of local restaurants here in Cincinnati, and largely, they deserve it. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of energy in the food scene here, especially in terms of producers who are dedicated to quality/organic vegetables, poultry and livestock. Feeding on this, a number of new restaurants have opened over the last two years that are a cut above the ones that came before, from bakeries and Italian trattorias to BBQ joints and fish houses. Good things are happening.

Interestingly, a recent article in the New York Times took note of a food and restaurant revival in the Midwest; although the article didn’t mention Cincinnati, its conclusions do apply here. Among the interesting points made in the article:

“Until recently, the American food revolution seemed to bypass this region, leaping from Chicago to Philadelphia without making stops in places like Toledo, Cleveland, Akron and Pittsburgh.

“Now, the region is linked by a group of educated, ambitious chefs who are building a new kind of network. Its scale is tiny compared with the steel and shipbuilding empires of the region’s past. But they are nonetheless convinced that an interdependent web of chefs, butchers, farmers, millers, bakers and brewers will help bring the local landscape back into balance.

“To that end, they are cooking sustainably, supporting agriculture and raising families — all while making world-class food with a strong sense of place….

“Chefs and farmers say that Ohio and Pennsylvania share high state and popular support for new farms… (And) the numerous Amish communities in the region are a resource for newcomers who want to reintroduce traditional farming methods here.”