A BAKING TIP

 Picking up from my success with a Cherry Clafoutis recently, I decided to make one with a partial package of blueberries that had been taking up space in the freezer for ages.

By the way, I've gone to the 9 inch square baking dish rather than the glass pie plate because it's deeper and makes the trip from the counter to the oven less hazardous.

But here's the background of today's tip.

I put the bag of blueberries out on some paper towels on the counter to thaw.

And then when I was assembling, I just picked up the bag and poured the contents into the dish.

I hadn't counted on the berries putting out that much liquid and the result was blueberry soup.

But never say mind.

I finished the pudding base with the other ingredients and poured it in on top of the blue morass and sent it into the oven.

Baking for the normally alotted time (45 minutes) seemed to have done the job; a knife inserted into the center came out dry and mostly clear of any crumbs.

But when I sliced a piece from the cooled product it seemed a bit moister than usual for this pastry.

My Chief Taster and Kitchen Expert said it tasted wonderful but she opined that it would have been better to have drained the berries and left the juice out.

So there's your tip for the day - dry those blueberries.

Better yet, use a firmer fruit and save the blueberries for a different recipe.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 It's Full Moon Friday!

Also the final time my friend Phil can celebrate his birthday by saying "I'm seventy- - - -."

How quickly the years have passed.

So for Phil and all other Senior Citizens, here's a diet regimen to help you live on into your "Golden Years".

And those are the jokes, folks.

Now whether it's your birthday or not, endeavor to have an exciting and excellent weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

ThrowBack Thursday

 Your scribe, some time in the 1940's.

Gadfrey! 

That necktie! 

That collar! 

That smirk!

Then . . . 70 or so years later.

Thank gawd!

The necktie is gone.

The collar is gone.

But, peeking through the beard, the smirk lives on.

Remember the Old Catalyst's admonition: Keep Laughing!

HARVEST

 The plants seem to be enjoying our cooler and wetter weather of late.

The gourd vines are beginning to climb their stakes and heading for the arbor supports.

They're being guided by some string help from the Master Gardener.

(Hint: that's not me.)

Meanwhile, snuggled in with the gourds are some Summer Squash plants which suddenly have produced some beginners.

They're just babies yet but they're growing down there.

Meanwhile, across the yard at the tomato barrel, there's one peeking out that is just about ripe enough to be picked.

He'll probably leave the vine today and join a handful of others on the kitchen counter.

Ah summer produce, fresh from the garden.

Ain't it lovely?

A TALE

 Once upon a time there was a curious black cat.

He used to show up on our back wall from time to time.

While curious, he was also cautious.

"Let's see, I wonder if this is a safe place for me to take a little rest."

"It seems to me like I can smell a trace of other cats here before me.

It might not be prudent. I am not in the mood for a cat fight."

But comfort won out over caution and he stretched out for a bit.

But as he rose up after his period of relaxation, he spotted me, spotting him.

"Okay, human, are you going to chase me out of your yard? But he's inside, behind that window, I don't think he's much of a threat."

"I'll just use this old blue cat as a stepping stone to cross over and see if there's anything to eat outside their back door."

But the tale took a sudden turn when he got to just a few feet from the glass slider door and I loomed up on the other side of it.

I carefully slid the door open and called to him but he was already back across the yard and up on the wall.

When I inched outside intending to sit down in my chair and see if he'd come over to me, he took off the other way.

At the far end of the wall, he stopped and turned to look back to make sure I wasn't coming after him.

All right, black cat, I'll see you later.

"Not if I see you first, human."

DROP-INS

 Yesterday we had a young Mountain Jay in the birdbath.

Today it was a young Robin enjoying the waters.

He's nearly submerged in this photo as he dunks his face and his body in the cooling bath.

If I had only that photo it would be hard to identify him.

But there's another where he comes up for air.

Even as he wildly flaps his wings, you can see his red-breasted coloration.

And look who else showed up after a week-long absence.

Only a couple of days ago I had figured out that the lovable Matty's family had gone away for the week.

When that happens, Matty gets confined to his house, tended to by visits from a family friend, but kept inside.

When he was let out (finally, he intimated) he was quick to make a visit and let us know he was all right.

He didn't stay long.

As Judy pointed out, he seemed to be saying "I've got places to go and people to see."

AFTER THE DELUGE

 We finally got a fairly heavy rain here last night.

We were watching "The Queen" on Netflix and sometimes the crashing thunder echoed the drama on our t.v. screen.

We had opened the windows and when the movie was over and I came into my room to check my email, I found water all over my desk and keyboard.

As I was swabbing it all off Judy asked me if the keyboard was ruined.

I said "No, it was dirty and needed a washing!"

At any rate, after I got the water shaken and mopped off, it worked just fine and still is this morning.

I once had a friend who said when your keyboard gets dirty you can just run it through the dish washer.

I have yet to try that.

I just heard some squawking coming from the backyard and when I glanced up I saw this noisy guy on our birdbath.

Judging by his conduct and the amount of fluffy gray feathers I think he's a fledgling Mountain Jay.

But as has been noted by SWMBO and commenters here before, the Jays seem to know that birdbaths that match their coloration are safe harbors for them.

A couple of doves apparently have a nest under the eaves of an empty neighboring house.

They've been flying back and forth from it repeatedly this morning.

And as I was opening the blinds in the front room I saw a couple of finches playing tag out front.

It seems the birds appreciate the rainfall and cooler temperatures as much as we do.