Wildlife on the lake

I feel blessed to be able to look out at this beautiful lake we call home, and see wildlife migrating - or living here. The beautiful great blue herons and hawks among them.

Gorgeous red foxes, who dash away before I can take their picture, along with the shy but awesome kingfishers.

My spirit soars with my winged friends.

Cold snap continues this month, so no kayaking yet...but I will be out as soon as we reach the 50's again.

See you on the lake,
Eloise

Aww...shucks

Lake Norman is more than just a lake.

Some of the people who live here still have farms.
Just down the street from our lake home, people lease farmland from another neighbor every year to grow the most awesome corn you have ever tasted. Juicy & sweet.

You know it's ready when their sign goes up by their garage: $3 a dozen.

The farmer's wife gave me a great recipe for when you just can't wait for dinner & have to try a single ear for yourself, as a snack:

Shuck the corn and roll it into a twist of wax paper. Microwave on high for one minute.
Butter it - or not. Enjoy!

Secrets of the Tomato Whisperers

Hey Bloggerson the lake,

I can't believe this really works - but it does.

Hot humid weather makes it difficult for tomato blossoms to pollinate themselves - mostly because the pollen gets too sticky - it needs to be able to travel and waft in the breeze enough to reach other blossoms.

You know you have this problem when the blossoms drop - or just fail to start producing a tomato.

A horticulturist shared this tip with me - and I have tested it.
I have the ripening tomatoes to prove it - where before I had blossom drop.
I now have the dubous distinction of actually saying that I have performed reproduction on my own tomatoes....

All you do is this:
Head out to the garden in the early AM, before any heat has started to build.
Gently shake the plants, making sure that you are shaking stalks containing any blossoms that you see.

That's it. That's all. And it works.

Happy tomato shaking,
Eloise

Lake Norman Snow

Just about every 4 or 5 years, there's a snow or ice storm here at Lake Norman - this one was a combo of both, including some "thunder snow", which is basically a thunder and lightning show while it's snowing. Our power was out over 36 hours, and it was windy as all heck from the northeast...but what a gorgeous synrise on the several inches of fresh white stuff. And since the camelias have already started to bloom, we had the rare treat of camellias in the snow. I love NC!

See you on the lake,
Eloise