Cicadas...Summer-time...Brunch with Diane...and NPB

 They are EVERYWHERE, now. 

And if they're not in your neighborhood yet...well, enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. They are on their way.

One afternoon we had a few just bumbling about...now there are literally thousands.

Singing to song of their people at deafening decibels and kamikazing into windows...doors...trees...the ground....you, if you are in their flight path.

This 17 year group is different.

Not the charming tze...tzee...tze of other batches that serenades you out on the patio while sipping sweet tea.

No...these are haphazard...loud...no particular rhythm or rhyme...endless and loud...did I mention loud?

If you do try to sip sweet tea around these, it better have a lid, or they will end up swimming in it. Not because they like it...just because they are that clunky.

And my poor Sofi-Cat (who had finally bested her fear after The Terrible Bee Sting Incident) went outside briefly...heard the cacophony...was immediately buzzed into by one of the errant bastards...and fled for the safety of the house.

"What Fresh Hell is THIS???"

She eyed me warily from the empty seat of my wheelchair as I deadheaded, pinched back the overgrown herbs and vines...all from inside.

"They can't get me up here..."   

                                            -Sofi
 

Although Summer proper is not here yet (arriving June 20th this year) you wouldn't know it by the humidity and heat. Our high today is forecast to reach 91.

Our middle son, Lennon, already proclaiming that Florida is already

"...hotter than the hinges of HELL, Mom."  

and the eldest stating that there is a dip in the creek in his future.

This week's rains punctuated by heat and the occasional thunderstorm and then sunshine have Indiana feeling a lot like a tropical rainforest.

The various birds screeching and diving for the multitude of cicadas and the plant overgrowth just adds to the atmosphere.

Excited for Chris, the youngest, who has finished college and has been getting numerous nibbles on his resume, already.

Two have been second interviews!

He is excited about beginning his new career.

His wife, Tina, is soon to start her paramedic training...and eventually her goal is to join the Lifeline Team.

Enjoyed a mid-week shop and brunch with Diane, who has found the joys of snow-leopard print and now has jeggings, a purse, a summer scarf and a scrunchie in the black and white print.

Loretta would be so proud...lol.

She has ruined us....just ruined us.

Loretta is doing good...and we are going to celebrate her 80th birthday together this August! Taking her shopping and to dinner...and finding her a new outfit for church. You know there will be a purse involved...right?

Angie is STILL suffering the after-effects of Covid from last year. The shit is brutal. 

The Shoppe is still doing well...and the buy out fell through so she will be in the same building for a while longer.

NPB is...kind of muddy/soggy at the moment...but crawling with cicadas, anyway...I have been out sunning my face, arms and the v-neck of a tee-shirt...also known as a Farmer's Tan.  Better than nothing, I suppose.

Tried something new this week, as well.

Papa John's Parmesan Encrusted Papadia

More than a sandwich or pizza the Papadia is big enough for 2 meals.

About the size of a small pizza folded in half, and stuffed with pretty much whatever you like, and a dipping sauce of your choice on the side.

Much more meat, cheese and veggies that your average sandwich or pizza.

What elevates this is the addition of a crispy crust of toasted Parmesan cheese on the outside of the entire thing.

So good!

Try one for yourself...only $7.00.  

 

The Movie of the Week:

An old one (2004) suggested by John...that apparently
I had missed.

Drama/Comedy...but mostly comedy.

Bronson and Harrelson are the perfect foils for each other!

Great twist at the end.

You'll love it...I did.

This Week's Book:

Everything this book needs to say is covered in 2 and a half pages.

Unfortunately that wouldn't even be a pamphlet, much less a book. So it meanders on another 200 pages.

Get it from your local library...read pages 35-36 and half of 37...then return it.

You're welcome.

Excellent advice...terrible book.

Getting everything together for Brenda's upcoming 67th birthday. We are celebrating next week!

 

Have a great weekend...

 

 

 

 

My Guy on Rick's Harley!

See you soon!!!!

Virtual Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro

 

At 16,100 feet Kilimanjaro towers over the Tanzanian Savannah. Not only the highest mountain in Africa...but the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

A beautiful backdrop...also a great climbing destination.

Its name means mountain of caravans.

The mountain is composed of three volcanic cones. Two extinct...one dormant.

The last time lava flowed from one of the smaller parasitic cones on the side was the early 1900's.

Roughly 150 miles of the top is covered with glacial ice.  This is shrinking rapidly and being studied related to global warming. It is estimated by 2030 to 2050 the glaciers will disappear completely.

The mountain has five distinct climate zones 

• Bushland / Lower Slope:, 800 m – 1,800 m (2,600 ft – 5,900 ft);
• Rainforest: 1,800 m – 2,800 m (5,900 ft – 9,200 ft);
• Heather / Moorland: 2,800 m – 4,000 m (9,200 ft – 13,100 ft);
• Alpine Desert: 4,000 m – 5,000 m (13,100 ft– 16,400 ft);
• Arctic: 5,000 m – 5,895 m (16,400 ft – 19,300 ft).

and the top gets from 9 to 19 inches of snow annually. 

The oldest man to reach the summit was 85 years old...the youngest a mere 7. 

Today, you must be at least 10 years old for a climbing permit. 

View from The Summit

Climb to the Summit

https://youtu.be/znB4BQwFm3w

Climbing Kilimanjro from the base to (almost) the summit

https://youtu.be/7MZoIN9I8oU

 

And there we are for today's virtual adventure...

 

 And before we go...an update on what I have come to call our Birdseed Beer.

Fermenting nicely now...and the smell is fantastic.

Grainy...alcoholic and sweetly banana.

This must be the scent that permeates Tanzanian pubs that brew the stuff on site!

It will be ready to strain off by Sunday, and we will chill it and taste Monday.

 

Next time: Tanzanian Art Style.

Until then...

 

 

Virtual Africa: The Origin...Tanzanian Street Food...and Mbege

 

In Olduvia Gorge, Tanzania in 1913 the oldest human remains were found. More of a common ancestor, actually.  

This discovery would later lead to the Leakys and "Lucy" and Tanzania would be considered the very origin of humankind.

Fun Fact: Lucy was not discovered by Louis Leaky...but his wife, Mary.  Louis had been dead for some time, by then.

Lucy's pelvic structure would confirm she walked upright and fashioned crude tools.

Fossilized human footprints would also be found in this Tanzanian Gorge.

A museum stands where humanity began.

So we are all essentially Tanzanian...just removed several millions of generations.

Fast forward 250 million years and now we have cars and societies and skyscrapers...also Traditional Tanzanian Brew.

Yes...we are now beer makers.

The Traditional Tanzanian Beer...Mbege.

Still made of basically 3 ingredients.

Water, bananas, and millet.  (yes...parakeet food...who knew...)

 

After hearing about Mbege...and although I do not care for beer...I HAD to start my own brewing, you know.

Apparently the addition of boiled millet takes the place of hops, and more importantly, keeps this from being banana wine.

The bananas are chopped into medium chunks and boiled with the millet in several cups of water.

 TIP: Little balls of millet are messy. They roll everywhere. Pour it in a bowl first. Trust me on this.

When this mixture cools one of the skins of the banana is dipped in the porridge for a few minutes to harvest the wild yeast on its surface. Then removed and discarded.

The bananas have plenty of natural sugar in them.

The mush and water is then transferred to a glass container and loosely covered to ferment for 7 days.

 

When strained...the resulting amber liquid is Mbege.

 

Since both the bananas and the millet I used were less that $3 USD together this may be the cheapest beer ever...which may have been the point.

While the banana and millet is boiling it smells remarkably wonderful!

Now that it has been transferred to ferment in a quart jar...well, it resembles something a parakeet might have thrown up.

Just saying.

Another omnipresent street food you will find here is Ungali.

See the white mass that looks a lot like mashed potatoes or grits. 

That is Ungali.

Traditionally made of white cornmeal, it is cooked in boiling salted water.

Because I do not have white cornmeal on hand, I will be using yellow.

I believe the Italians have a similar side-dish they call Polenta used for much the same reason. 

It does not have a lot of flavor on its own...but when used to scoop/accompany stews and sauces it leaves the diner feeling full.

(...it is a cheap easy filler...)

The recipe is simple...water ratio is 2 to one and a sprinkle of salt.

Bring water to a boil and add cornmeal. Turn off heat and stir until firm. Cover to steam for 10 minutes.

 

It smells a little like hot popcorn...I could see butter being a nice accompaniment for this. 

(...tasty...but oh so sticky...)

Another street food you will see a lot of is Mishkaki...basically meat on a stick with vegetables. Usually sweet potatoes, onions or peppers.

In The States they are generally known as kebabs.

They are made with chicken, beef or pork.

Threaded on wooden skewers and grilled until done...occasionally basted with various sauces. These smell heavenly when grilling and are perfect with the Ungali...especially when you scoop up a bit of the sauce with it.

Traditional Tanzanian Meal

 The last Tanzanian street food we will discover is Chipsi Mayai.

It sounds more exotic than it is...being basically an egg omelette with fries (chips) tossed in.

Add ins include peppers and onions...and ketchup is used on it.

The taste is just like a breakfast skillet with fried potatoes.

 

We will leave our Mbege brewing and check on it in 7 days...

 Next time Kilimanjaro!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lady Sofi and Tsar Ivan...Mulching...Cicadas and More

 

Spent most of the morning spreading fresh composted topsoil and black mulch. 

Most of it while watching the antics of Sofi...and her new suitor (through the window) a large Russian Blue I have dubbed Tsar Ivan.

The Tsar is obviously owned...collar and all...but he and Sofi met through the patio door and both are fairly smitten. Talking to one another through the glass with soft purrs and other little happy noises. It is sweet.

Much more laid back than yesterday, when I inadvertently brought one of the thousands of shrieking cicadas in on my pants leg.  She is fairly frightened of them outside...but in her domain is another story, entirely. She lost her little kitty mind...and the chase (leap, bat, and zoom) was on.

It was pandemonium.

Cicada buzzing and flying...bumbling about.

Sofi leaping...and knocking stacks of books and anything else in her way.

Me, trying to shoo the poor bug back outside.

An outsider would have thought he had stumbled into a mad-house.

All is well that ends well...and the unfortunate creature finally made it (unscathed) back outside.

The cicada have arrived en force now. The tze-tzee-tze is so loud you cannot hear yourself think. The birds and squirrels are feasting on them.

Called Brood X, these are the 17 year cicadas, and they are everywhere.

John and friends have been fishing a lot this week.

He was happy to report that love has won out, and our duck pair is back for another summer.

Also a family of Canadian Geese and their goslings.

and this guy...

Who was caught standing like a giant lifeguard over John and Marsha (...marshmallow...) our Duck Odd Couple.

"Who's going to bring me lunch???"

I think I am naming him Steve, honey.

We are making arrangement for our June Escape to Terre Haute and over into Illinois soon. He was born there.

"Don't think I can get a refund...pretty sure the warranty has expired by now."

Looking forward to seeing where it all began.

No new book or movie this week.

Did manage to get away to Brunch with Brenda and a little shopping together...which was nice.

But mostly an outside soaking up sunshine kind of week...and dodging a few raindrops.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

 

 

 

Virtual Africa: Tanzania-The Serengeti

 Covering 5,700 square miles,  Serengeti means "the place where the land runs on forever".

The National Park was founded in 1940.

It is broken into 

The Plains

 

The Western Corridor

 

and Northern Serengeti.

 

Human habitation is forbidden in the park.

Serengeti is thought to be home to the largest assortment and numbers of animals and birds in the world.

An iconic migration takes place annually as 1.5 million wildebeest migrate from the south to the North.

 

They are joined in this migration by Eland, Gazelle and Zebra.

 

https://youtu.be/IfxoZ_tiE0g

Animals of the Serengeti.

Complete Tour

 

Recently a rare sight was seen

 A spotted zebra foal.

This happens very very infrequently.

Now you have seen him, too!

I hope you have enjoyed today's tour of the Serengeti!

Next time 

Mbege and some local cuisine.

 

Virtual Africa: Tanzania

 Welcome to Tanzania.

(pronounced tan-zuh-NEE.uh)- not tan-zany-uh

This East African country might be the quintessential Africa.  There is so much to see and do here. 

The sprawling Serengeti

 

Dense jungle and forests 

 

The African Great Lakes

Elephants, Wildebeests, Cheetah and Lions, Zebra, Giraffes, Hyena, and a bit of everything else.

 Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest mountain)

Umbrella trees and Baobabs

 

Coastline  (Indian Ocean) and Islands

Street food, Coffee and Mbege 

and much much more.

We will be spending some time in this country.

  You are here.

...well, virtually anyway...

The primary languages are Swahili and English.

The predominate religion, Christianity.

The Country's name means to "sail in the wilderness", referring to its large uninhabited plains.

The coastal city of Zanzibar was used in the 1840's for the East African Slave Trade and roughly 90% of its native population was enslaved and shipped elsewhere.

Tanzania was in the hands of the  Arabs, Dutch, Germans, British, Portuguese, and French at various times.

...history class must be hell for these kids...

Today is is officially  The United Republic of Tanzania, and as of March 2021, has the first female President in this area....ever.

 Samia Suluhu Hassan- 6th President of Tanzania

Tanzania covers over 947,000 square miles and incorporates several offshore islands.

Also, three of Africa's Great Lakes fall within Tanzanian borders. 

The are three rainy periods here...in short...it rains....a lot.

Climate change has caused periods of intense rain events and flooding in recent years.

There are 21 National Parks, Reserves, one Conservation area and three Marine Parks in Tanzania.

The Tingatinga form of art comes only from Tanzania, and is something we may explore more closely.

 

Tanzania also has its own film-making industry known as Bongo Movies.

We might even find one and watch it!

 

Tanzania Overview

https://youtu.be/ul0oMWpieyc

 

We will start with 

The Serengeti 

next time...