So in my reducing-the-eating-of-meat process, a friend recommended Gardein veggie burgers.
I inadvertently bought what is likely their spiciest product — Chipotle Black Bean patties. I am not a spice person, and nearly died eating the first two patties.
So two more patties had been sitting in the freezer, and today I figured out a way to use them in what we like to call “lazy cabbage rolls.”
Cook a bunch of long-grain or jasmine rice only about 2/3 done. Mix with chopped cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, crumbled chipotle black bean veggie burgers, whatever, in a large casserole and mix in a can of mushroom soup. Bake in the oven for an hour or so (the rice will finish cooking without becoming overly soggy)..
Still a tish on the spicy side, but edible for a wuss like me .
We don’t often walk the lower portion of the dyke confining Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, but a fellow had contacted me for information about flood gates impacting salmon movement, so we went down to take some photos this evening.
To our delight, a pair of sandhill cranes flew by as we were crossing the railway tracks at Byrne Creek near the Riverview Golf Course.
And then for bonus points, Yumi spotted a kestrel high up in an alder. Cool!
I hear tell that kestrels are among the killer elite, ounce for ounce one of the most efficient avian predators. . .
Been hearing Barred Owls along Byrne Creek on our last several walks, and today we saw one.
Max 40X optical zoom on my little pocket Canon SX730H at ISO 800, which is about as high as you can push the wee sensor before you seriously start losing definition.
Barred Owls have been nesting in the ravine park, so please give them their space, minimize observation time, and don’t make them uncomfortable.
I was happy to spot a garter snake in Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby today. I used to see them several times a year, but had not encountered any for a few years.
Yumi spotted what she thought were coho fry in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby last Saturday, and today I got a few semi-decent shots confirming that yes, we have coho babies! Yay!
This is so uplifting to know that coho spawned successfully in the creek last autumn, and now fry are hatching out.
Pics aren’t that great, but you can see the distinct black and white edges on the anal fin.
Lots of bird action at Piper Spit at Burnaby Lake today.
For some reason a Canada Goose got angry at the heron and chased it over a hundred meters. Lots of male birds of various species were getting into spats with spring in the air, so perhaps the goose saw a misplaced rival?
A couple of male Wood Ducks wraslin’ as a female looks on
I win, I win!
Northern Pintails were feeling their oats, too
Lots of Red-Winged Blackbirds making a ruckus
Scaup
Teal
Canada Geese
Looks like a beaver, but this is the best shot I got from far, far, away. I got the sense that it had a broad tail. OTOH is does look muskratish, too. . . Looked through my photos again, and none really displayed the tail clearly.
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