Barred Owls - Who Cooks for You?

Barred Owl on Stoney Lonsesome Road

I think barred owls are my favorites, if for no other reason than their most recognizable call. The mnemonic is "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all".  Today we were driving along Stoney Lonesome Road, on the north side of Eagle Lake in Essex County, and Mary spied this fellow in the woods. Luckily I had my camera on the back seat set up with a telephoto lens. 

I think we should call him Archimedes. Anyone remember why?

"Lobster" Mushrooms

It is the first day of autumn and we had some scattered showers overnight. 

We found lots of "Lobster Fungus" mushrooms all over the property today. 

The fungus is technically not a mushroom, but a parasite that feeds on mushrooms. Whatever it is, it's delicious, with a mild "seafood" flavor and firm texture (and it does look like a cooked lobster!)  I found a few rissoto recipes on the internet, but a quick saute in butter yielded great results.