Fall?

There’s a tinge of fall in the air, and much rain, lightning and thunder, so we’re not grilling this evening. I have thin-sliced pork chops that I’ll pound even thinner, then dip them in milk, flour, egg and bread crumbs. I have thinly sliced potatoes in the oven with a bit of milk and cream for scalloped potatoes, and have some corn on hand.

Friday morning before leaving for Jim’s mechanic we saw the two adult cranes being stalked by a coyote. I saw one later that afternoon but heard them calling to each other over the weekend and believe I saw the colt (baby) trying to fly. I thought it was the baby because the flying and turns were irregular and its parents are master flyers. So I hope they’re all still alive.

After we dropped Jim’s car off at the shop I took him to work and was two minutes out when he called and said he forgot his badge. I turned off the freeway into a neighborhood and called back. I hoped not to have to drive all the way home, into town again and back home but it was OK. Seconds after getting off the phone I was pulling out to turn around and saw something. Young deer, in about six front yards in 20 seconds, just hopping away, its legs literally springs. I know the homeowners don’t like them eating their veg’s and flowers but this was a beautiful sight.

Dinner went well last night. Jim called them “chicken fried” pork cutlets. I took 1/2 inch cutlets and pounded them thinner, then coated them with milk, flour, egg and breadcrumbs. We saved extra room for potatoes, but I put too much liquid in them and were great but not quite as brown as I’d like.

Tonight I must get started on stuffed peppers. Unfortunately I only have a handful of regular rice so will use a cup of Arborio and probably make something else. Perhaps meat loaf with a very basic risotto and sauteed onions and peppers. Sounds good to me, thanks for the ideas.

The great news is that we saw the entire crane family early this morning, confirming that the parents hid the colt (baby crane) and fended off a coyote on Friday and perhaps over the weekend. It was heartening to see the family out “shopping” for food this morning. If I were a coyote I’d go after less lethal prey. They’re big birds, know how to protect themselves (though have lost one colt this year to predation or disease), will kick and I’ve seen their beaks kill a 1-2 lb. rodent in seconds, fillet it and gulp it in three portions. All in less than two minutes.

When the coyote was stalking them, hours on end, they never flapped their wings and flew away (hence protecting hidden colt). Amazing what beautiful creatures we get to see here. We’ve been here a while but I never tire of nature and mountains. Thanks again for helping me think through dinner. It’ll be good. Jim loves meat loaf, but always puts ketchup on it. Hey, if he did it to an aged NY strip, well, he never would in my presence. Cheers! Dee