new year's eve 2017

Well. Holy jumpin'!

Making slow cooker meatballs for the fourth time this month. Basically, I have made them on average once a week, or, more precisely, every 7¾ days.

These ones are getting the longest soak in the crock pot. They should be super juicy and super tasty.

The balls are for a New Year's Party we have been invited too. The only actual invitation we got, but hey, works for me. There were a couple of sniffs from friends about what we were doing for the last day of the year, but only one outright invite.

One year, we had loads of invites and what we did was started quite early in the evening and visited them all for a short while. The one we were going to ring in the New Year at was, to be honest, a bit of a dud. So we went back to another one that we were having a great time at. I think it was our first stop that night. It made it a kind of circular evening as we ended up where we started.

This year, one place, and one place only, which suits me just fine. 

The wife has selected a walnut torte to bring as well. A very nice winter and celebratory confection.


A lot of birds today by the feeders. Another nice end to the year. It is pretty cold out, -25℃ (-13℉), but sunny. So the mourning doves, juncos, nuthatches, finches, chickadees, and sparrows are putting out a good showing. There was even a trio of Crows for a while.

The squirrels are definitely fewer. There are only two or three hanging around right now. Mostly not a nuisance. The wife says I am torturing them. All summer I was shooing them away. Yesterday, I bought a bag of peanuts to put out for them. Hey, I am not a monster, usually. (Two full moons in January, who knows what is going to happen then.) So, I open the door to put out some nuts (legumes, really, I believe) and of course they take off. They must be confused as I immediately tossed them my nuts.

What are they going to make of that? Who knows. If they are confused and still back off when I come out, then maybe we can come to a new understanding. I have never had a problem with them being around per se, and I do not even mind feeding them a bit. What cheeses my toast, is that they get on the feeders. I draw the line there. Maybe I will put some of my squirrel recipes in the window for them to read. Then, maybe they will understand the tenuous relationship we have.

There are reports too, that our friendly neighbourhood rabbit is about. There were two way, way back. One brown and one black. We named them Hoss and Pepper, respectively. It was a play on hasenpfeffer. It dovetails with my twisted sense of humour. Pepper has not been seen for some time, but Hoss seems to have found a mate and there were several mini-Hosses running around this past spring through fall. However, only Hoss seems to have stayed for the winter. 

There are tracks all about and some unconfirmed sightings. Hoss has at least two dens, one of which I know and the other is only suspected. We may yet see Pepper, he/she usually shows up a few/couple times in the very late winter / early spring and sometimes in the late summer / early autumn. So, a while off yet for that guy to show up again.

Wow! A pair of ravens just showed up. I suspect they are the same pair who were here a few times earlier this year. They are definitely not the crows from earlier. These guys are bigger and their beaks are not the same. They also prefer the Balsam Firs (which I think may really be Eastern Hemlock, but I am no expert; to me they are all "pine trees") to the Birch tree (perhaps a Paper Birch or most likely a hybrid of some sort) that the crows from earlier were roosting in.

Anyway, the meatballs are looking awesome! 

I am going to thicken the sauce about an hour before we go though so it is rather clingy. That way everyone gets a bit more goodness.


A couple/few final comments on this last day of the year:

If you are celebrating tonight, then enjoy. I intend to. However, please keep in mind that your travels should remain safe and sensible. If you have too much fun (ie get inebriated) then beach it for the night. No one needs to take unnecessary risks or inflict stupidity on others. I certainly do not want to deal with anyone's foolishness.

Spring is around the corner. The days are getting longer, the wildlife is roaming later in to the day. It will be warm and toasty soon enough for those of us who have cold and snowy winters. Take what nature and your surroundings offer. Regardless of season or weather. This planet is full of wonders we often miss. Take time to catch a few.


Time for us to visit and celebrate.


Happy New Year and see everyone next year!

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