The View from Swampview Manor

It's not quite the pristine, sky-mirroring Lake View that real estate buyers and sellers in these parts yearn for. But I have become just a little bit fond of the swampy little millpond outside my humble little pied-a-terre. Swans, mallard ducks, Canada geese, and redwinged blackbirds seem to enjoy the pond and its brushy surroundings. I've seen rabbits galore, plus some aquatic mammal that might be either a small beaver or a large water rat. An acquaintance who lived in the same apartment complex in the past claims to have seen a red fox. I can't personally verify the vulpine, but it wouldn't surprise me.

One of these days it would be nice to take a canoe or kayak and go idly paddle about the waters to see what else I might scare up. Late last winter, I came across a bedraggled rowboat that had apparently sunk halfway into the water near a brushy trail through the undergrowth. Someone seems to have reclaimed it this spring. It sits now on the bank near the parking lot, ugly and muddy but apparently quite waterproof, since the rainwater that's accumulated in it shows no sign of leaking out. I've seen folks slowly motorboating their way around the pond with fishing poles in hand. Whether they've caught anything edible I know not.

Meanwhile, I've been occupying myself with small scale vegetative projects, as seen here. Spearmint, chives, rosemary, catnip. Plus dill, because I liked the looks of its feather fronds even though I haven't the foggiest idea how to use it, and coriander because I liked the smell. We'll see how long they manage to survive.







If anyone has any wonderful and foolproof recipes using these herbs, let me know!