Rocchina

I was in the upstairs bathroom brushing my teeth yesterday when I looked out the window into the garden and saw what appeared to be a small bear.This is not unlikely as we had in June a huge hoohaa over a two year old black bear who had got himself in a pickle merely two blocks from here on Wells St.

Well on closer examination from the downstairs window it was not a bear but a massive raccoon. Said raccoon seemed a bit dozy. She would amble around then bang into a tree trunk followed by a bit of grooming, rather like when a cat makes a graceless landing and promptly grooms to show you that they meant to fall on their arse. She bumbled her way onto the deck while I hollered for reinforcements from upstairs. While I chased Rocchina back into the yard with help from my handy walking stick and loud profanities, the Better Half started working the phones to see who would take her away. No one apparently. The Ministry of Whatever (Raccoons?) would have to be advised in triplicate.
In the meantime, Girl of the Limberlost is heading for Betty Next Door who has two dogs who are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. I called her to warn her of the approach so she locked up the doggies and came out armed with a broomstick. The two of us beat the bushes with our weapons of choice but no sign of Rocchina. She had vanished into thin air and I sincerely hope that's where she stays.

What's in a Name?

I was thinking about names this morning and how they can be fiddled with, as in nicknames etc. I remembered an old song I used to sing to various kiddiewinks in years gone by. It was called the Name Game. I first heard it sung by Goldie on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh In". If that doesn't date me nothing will. It was sung to a really bad little tune as you plonked along on a guitar.
(the name) let's say Jen, then the twaddle:
"Jen jen bo ben, banana fana fo fen, mee my mo men, Jen!"
Lunacy really.
Next I got thinking about the flowernames I gave to my sprogs when they were little. Lily Martina, Lupin Jamey, Victoria Rose, Hannah Dahlia. Now we have the next generation so they too have flower names and no complaints as I thought long and hard about this. Here we go: DanielLion, Sorenthymum, Jakeynachea and little Frankigolds. They all look and smell divine! And they are good for your health!

Huck and Tom on the River

On one of the very few hot and sunny mornings of 2009 we helped launch the Guppy into the upper reaches of the Don River. Victoria and Laura were manning the oars and heading south to the Keating Channel in Lake Ontario for pick up. Loaded with supplies they drifted off around a bend and we went off to find the rendevous. The weather was due to change to thunderstorms in the afternoon. Natch!
Well it seems we got lost and so for a while did they. After much driving in circles we found the Keating Channel but no sign of the Gup or it's voyageurs. By early afternoon the black clouds rolled in and then the heavens opened. The river rats had to get out or risk electrocution but get out where was the question. They were under a green bush and it all looked the same! Hurried phone calls narrowed the pickup site to somewhere near Bloor Street. Then more land marks were looked at and it seemed to be Todmorden Mills. Finally the river rats, all wet by this time, were found in a layby off Pottery Road. Sodden gear was tossed in the car and off home for hot showers and hot food. Tom developed a bad cold but Huck stayed healthy and is raring to finish the job. If we get some decent weather. The Guppy awaits.

Pigs in Blankets

I had a scio treatment last night and it left me wide awake but stupified for lack of sleep if that makes sense. Well it does to me. Between repeated jaunts to the loo, and much tossing and turning in a desperate need to focus on something non miserable I came up with a great way to use leftover knackwurst. You know how pesky those leftovers can be and when you buy things in a pack they seem to multiply overnight in the fridge. Must be the dark.
Right, on to the pigs. These are leftover boiled knackers. I wouldn't use them au naturel though it says on the pack you can. They are disgusting. Right boiled cold knackers and a thawed piece of PC puff pastry. Cut into six pieces[ the pastry] and wrap the piggy tight with little head and feet hanging out. Prick all over with a fork and slam into a 400 degree oven on a parchmented baking sheet until they smell good. They will be golden brown on top and darker on the bottom and Red Hot so eat with caution. Really delish. Can have with hot mustard and also good cold. Pastry is crumbly so have a bib handy.
There, I had a cup of cocoa today. That means there may be another bad night so we will see what comes up food wise.