The Gathering Place, A place to blether

Gwynhwyvar,You are most welcome, I like when the rabbits face off and one runs at the other and the other jumps over the attacker, this goes on for hours sometimes.
To everyone, What Gwynhwyvar said....... fwwwww , caught my breath reading it.

USN

Sorry if I was too wordy in my last post - it's just that y'all are like family and I want to say hello to everone here. Which brings me to a question - what happened here on CR over the last couple of days. I have not been able to get on at all. I thought it was me, but several others that I'm in contact with said they were unable to get on too.

I just chalked it up to the earthquake that was felt in the North Georgia mountains on Wednesday - it was a 2.8. It happened in an area that was not "populated" - mostly a mountainous area - but it is a place that we used to do a lot of hiking! That would have been quite wild if that had ever happened while we were hiking.

Just wandering in to see how everybody is doing. Its been a loooong week and I'm glad its over. Weather as been a bit humid but bearable. Sprinkles of rain now and then. I'm hoping I can just kick back and have a pleasant weekend for a change without having to run somewhere. I'm so behind on housework and projects that I may never catch up. At least CR is back on. Looks like I may have to take a second job too to catch up on bills. Too many things going wrong at once. Sigh, I really hate having to work two jobs

Robert Phoenix, Ironwood? I know that place!

Sorry about the two job thing. Been there. And the rain. Right now, it's a wonder I still have power it's been pouring again. Several thousand around us are without but so far so good for us...

Gwynhwyvar, I understand from reading one of the technical threads that the DSL lines were inadvertently cut but workers in the neighborhood and Killian had to rewire everything. That's why everything was down.

Congrats Leenie!

Just stopping in to say hello, Patti was telling me I am the featured member of the day!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Lots of thunderstorms came rolling thru this weekend.
Finally got the pool all set up, I kept some of the Grey Tree Frog eggs, try to hatch me some little pollywogs. Has anyone ever heard one of these little buggers? LOUD, for such a small animal, my they are loud.
Our local dsl service has been interrupted alot this past week at work and the cable was on the fritz at home this weekend.

USN, I get them here and you're right. They are really loud! We don't get many though. We get Cicada every year though I thought they were supposed to be a seven year thing. Someone must not have told them what cycle they're supposed to be on.

This past week though, with all the humidity from the rain, my backyard has been wall to wall lightning bugs or fireflies, whichever you prefer to call them. Pretty, but if you go outside, they're all over you!

WallaceGal, We get the frogs every spring when they migrate over from the pond to the water in the pool cover. First time my wife heard them she thought it was some big wild animal, they are that loud.
The cicadas we have in the states are the 13 and 17 year ones, that usually show up in massive amounts. I remember one big crop when we were kids, cicadas absolutely everywhere, they covered the cars, the houses, the ground, I never will forget that.
Then we have the lesser ones that have like a 3 to 5 year year life cycle, these we see more often, and yup, they can be loud.

PS , they are delicious, fried in peanut oil, touch of curried spices, soy sauce and pepper to taste. Served hot. I have another grreat recipe for them also if interested.

USN

I would like to "see" the recipe but don't know if I could eat them.

Slàinte,    

Patch    

USN, I'll pass on the recipes. Last bug I sampled was a chocolate covered cricket and I just couldn't get the 'crunch' out of my head for the longest time...it just wasn't right in chocolate of all things!

I think somehow, around here, our cicadas ended up all being in endless cycles. Maybe I have seven different cycles of them and that's why they're so loud every year.

I back to a nature preserve so I don't get many of the tree frogs in the yard, though they do come up this far, but usually, they're centered near the creek that runs behind the house. But yeah, they're loud enough to wake me if I'm trying to sleep at all.

Cicada Recipe: NOTE:Disclaimer, eating cicadas is not for everyone nor recommended for those with allergies or other ailments, check with your doctor.

2 lbs Cicada, some people prefer to pull the head off , wings and legs from adults, I do not. The best are the newly hatched, female adults are next best.
grasshoppers work well also, but definitely pull the heads off with entrails.

Sesame oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
a bunch of scallions, green onions, chopped
a good size ginger root finely chopped, to about a 1/4 cups worth
a heaping tablespoon of curry paste, we prefer mild

3/4 to 1 lb plum tomatoes chopped
a goodly amount of fresh basil, chopped

Soy sauce and fresh ground pepper

In a hot wok or a large cast iron fry pan add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and add the garlic, scallions, ginger and curry paste, saute for 2 minutes.

Add cicadas, saute for another 2 to 3 minutes

add tomatoes and basil, continue to stir and mix for another 2 to 3 minutes.

add soy sauce and fresh ground pepper to taste, about 3 to 4 tablespoons soy and a good sprinkling of pepper.

Remove and serve with rice or cous cous, we also like to sope up the juices with a nice olive oil ciabatta bread.

Now for the squimish, you can replace the cicadas with shrimp or chicken, just as good but not quite as exotic. A quick and easy meal.
USN
Bon Apetite

From internet:
Before You Begin

Who to Cook: Newly hatched cicadas, called tenerals, are considered best for eating because their shells have not hardened. It is best to collect these in the very early hours of the morning, just after they have emerged but before they have time to climb up out reach. The best way to do this is to simply go outside with a brown paper bag and start scooping them in. You can cook with them immediately, or refrigerate them (they will remain alive but will mature much more slowly) or freeze them.

Keep in mind that freezing will work best for those that you are going to roast, as the consistency of the cicada may change and make them inappropriate for dishes that call for fresh cicadas. If you are unable to get any tenerals, then mature females are the next best thing. Adult males have very hollow abdomens and will not be much of a mouthful, but the females are filled with fat. Just be sure to remove all the hard parts, such as wings and legs, before you use the adults. These parts will not harm you, but they are also not very tasty.

WallaceGal,
Cicadas are very cycllcal for a reason. The 13 and 17 year ones are based on prime numbers so when they hatch, they are in such uneven years as not to allow the predators to match their cycles, does that make sense. Also the minor 3 to 5 year ones fill in the gap for the longer cycles, so yes, every year you will have some cicadas but some years it is extreme.
USN

Seasoned like this, you could probably prepare it with big waterbugs.

I might be able to do that. I noticed living around the Navaho and Southern Ute Indians in Southwest Colorado that some insects are bitter. Are these?

Slàinte,    

Patch    

Hello all!

we are supposed to be approaching our monsoon season here in the desert which means flood rains, dust storms and humidity. So far, in my area, we have only had one area be affected. Guess I need to go out and give my cactus plants their once a month watering.

all goes well here. Just been very busy or I have been flat on my back. Please do not take the latter as whining, but the reason I cannot get on here every day as I would like.

My doggies are doing well.

I am hoping to go to Flagstaff for the 1745 Jacobite re-enactment event at the Flagstaff Highland games in a few weeks. The event is July 18-20th. Hope to see the Wicked Tinkers perform most of all! And most of all I hope to see many of you who can make it to the event. I will will be at the 1745 Jacobite re-enactment camp, which every organization places us as far as possible due to our black powder demonstrations and safety.

More soon!