Very few things appeal to Negra more than sweet spring grass. There’s an abundant supply just outside the greenhouse door, so she doesn’t have to travel far for her favorite seasonal treat.
This morning, however, she was also inspired to take a leisurely stroll around the hill. As you might guess from her rather pale complexion, Negra is a lover of the great indoors. She likes to wear her bed like a turtle’s shell, poking her head out only when she hears the food grunts that accompany the presentation of meals. But once in a blue moon she gets a bee in her bonnet and sets out to explore some of Young’s Hill, just for the sake of exploring.
It’s funny to watch her inspect her surroundings as she ventures into relatively uncharted territory. Huh, how long has this tree been here? (Uh, ten years, Negra).
As I stood at the very top of the hill watching the others play beneath the pines, Negra sat somewhere near the halfway point, appearing to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of venturing further afield:
(#of pine branches to snack on) x (lovely view of the river) / (energy expended) x (time not spent in bed) = ?
After a few minutes of pondering, Negra appeared to have decided that the only logical course of action was to return home, wrap herself in blankets, and save her energy for the next morning, at which point she could reconsider her options with the benefit of a good night’s sleep.
Negra’s friends also took advantage of this beautiful spring morning.
Foxie:
Burrito, Foxie, and Annie:
Burrito:
Marya says
Thanks for this great assortment of pics, JB. It looks like things are returning to some normalcy this week after the intensity of last week’s loss — if “normalcy” will ever actually be attained again. It will be different, that’s for sure. Even with Foxie and Strawberry Shortcake on patrol and the others doing their usual things, we move on incorporating Jody’s spirit amidst the rest of her family’s choices of climbing, pulling & chewing grass, skipping along with the grass between their toes, waiting for dinner, etc. It’s a hard process but I’m finding the chimps to be good role models. I’ll try to follow their lead…
Linda C says
Just as some Amazon tribes think that a medicinal plant’s potency increases the deeper into the jungle it is/the farther from “civilization” it is, maybe Neggie thinks the needles and the grass taste better up there. Whatever the reason, I’m glad to see her exploring more. Like a once a month grocery haul 🙂
I’ve thought over the last year or so that she seems to have dropped a little weight. Is that so, JB? If it is, maybe that’s why she’s venturing further.
Let me know if you’ve got her birthday cake sorted. I’ve got an almond cake recipe to die for (easily made gluten free. But it does take 7 eggs. Eggs, almonds, butter, lemon, <1C sugar and a tiny bit of whatever flour you want)
Marie says
Oh Yes…Please.******…. make that Almond cake… make Two or Three and let’s maintain that Beautiful Voluptuous Figure that Neggie so Gracefully Parades
Francoise says
I’m an almond fiend, Linda, and they sre so so healthy. I’ll take that recipe if you’re sharing. :o) Hee hee….
Linda C says
will do, Françoise, will get exact measures in the morning (I mostly remember it, want to be sure: 3C almonds, toasted, cooled, ground, then (1 stick?) butter, vegan would probably work, (2/3C? sugar) add 7 eggs 1 at a time – this is the only leavening, so 1 at a time- and (1/4?) C flour. I’ve done it with rice flour for celiacs, works great, Add zest of one lemon (or orange, if you want). Bake in a springform pan…I think a 9 inch. Will gverify temp and time tomorrow. when it comes out, poke holes in it and pour in the juice of that lemon. Pop it out when cooled. There’s supposed to be powdered sugar on top, but the chimps probably don’t need that. Use a stencil and get fancy 🙂
It’s a tarta de Santiago, but a little better than traditional. Moist
Françoise says
Sounds wonderful!. yiu can email me directly if yiud like.
Marie says
let us all know
Linda C says
I’m 9n my.ph9ne, so will type it out below, as this is getting too thin to read :heartpulse:
Paulette says
if Jodi had been there she would’ve been escorting Negra back to her nest! with her loss I look upon the others with even greater love and appreciation for the time we are honored to have with them. Thank you for the beautiful green grass photos today, peppered with our loved ones.
tomaustin says
J.B………..she likely has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering………plotting courses of least resistance for the maximization of minimun funding from physical effort……….
tomaustin says
J.B………..she likely has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering………plotting courses of least resistance for the maximization of minimum funding from physical effort……….
Marie says
Neggie……..I just love your Rippling Wavy………….Head!:scream::grin: It’s Okay …. Enjoy your Brief time out… go back into your SHELL…. and have Sweet Dreams…Say Hi to JODY for Us:kissing_heart:
Rosalie Allen says
As i look at Negra sitting and enjoying her grass and viewing the hill and her family members, i can’t help but think she is mulling over the loss of her friend and the joy of having a family to be with everyday. Too many times we do not look to those who have lived more for their ways and wisdom-I can learn from her everyday!
Kathleen says
Oh Negra, I adore you. And I adored you even before I knew you were part turtle.
Negra looks so very small tucked into her field of sweet grass. Maybe she was remembering the day Jody lead her on the big adventure all the way to the pine trees and the tower. Or maybe sitting at the halfway point gives her the best vantage point of her surroundings. 360 degrees and an eagle eye on everyone. Queen of all she can see. I believe this might be it! Oh Negra, you are wise in your choices, a very clever girl.
Françoise says
So true. I adore Negra. I can relate, as they say.
Ben Krantz says
Thanks for sharing. Do they seem to be returning to normal?
Ken & Sonny says
love the equation.
looks beautiful out.
cheers.
Linda C says
Ok, first of all, I’ve discovered that the heart emoji is achieved by hitting the upside down smiley face! (for all of us who have tried and wound up with a question mark).
From Williams Sonoma’s “Savoring Spain and Portugal “:
–9 inch springform pan, buttered. Oven at 350F.
–1 lb / 300g (@3C) blanched almonds. Toast 8-10 min, cool. Grind them up with a couple of T of the sugar. ( you probably could use almond flour, but this gives you little pieces of almond within the cake, and I have never substituted flour for the actual almonds).
–Beat 6oz/ 180g (3/4C, 1.5 sticks) of butter with 2 1/4C (18oz/560g) sugar. I don’t see why vegan butter wouldn’t work.
–Add 7 eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each one.This is your only leavening, so it’s important to do it this way.
–Add in almonds, 1/3C flour (rice works fine), and the grated zest of 1 large lemon.
Pour into prepared pan, bake 1 hour. Remove, Prick surface all over with a fork, sprinkle the juice of that one lemon all over cake, release sides of pan, cool on a rack or plate.
–top with confectioner’s sugar (I often find it doesn’t need it).
6 ingredients
8-10 human servings.
It does have more sugar than I remembered.
I think all of the nutrition info/macros should still be on Livestrong.com under “torta de santiago” (I wanted the info bc I made it for a friend/colleague’s grandson about 15 yrs ago, who was both celiac and diabetic and thought he could never have cake; this way, he could program his carbs and have cake on his birthday. His mom loved me for this one, hated me for the more labor-intensive marjolaine, bc he requested them for his birthdays after :laughing:).
Enjoy, everybody!
Françoise says
Thanks so much, Linda. I will be thinking of sweet Jody whenever I make this cake.
Linda C says
yw! But I was thinking of Neggie’s bday in June. Hope you like it!
Françoise says
Of course! I forgot.