i removed the concrete around it and tore out 1.5 walls. the other concrete walls are there, just disguised w/ a liner and well-placed rocks to make it look like it isn't square. the stump is a chunk from the boxelder that was cut down. it isn't "attached"...just hasn't been moved :)

Edward, I think that Val and Kathy may have it right. The descriptions of Coral Bells that I read online match the plants in my yard very well. Kathy, I grew wood hyacinth in north Louisiana also, zone 8a, and it was a great naturalizer there, as it is here in Delaware. In Louisiana, it tolerated a great deal of shade, even under shrubs. Not sure how it does in zone 8b. As I'm sure you know, it comes in white and pink also, but the blue ones are my favorites. On behalf of whoever planted the pink azaleas in my yard, I thank you all for commenting. I always like to think that somewhere out there, someone I'll never meet is appreciating something I planted somewhere a long time ago. Christine

Posted by mustangs “I can't imagine anyone at the party not being blown away with your quail presentation. It certainly screams "special" and whose to say they aren't partridges?” Thank you very much. You gave me an idea. That’ right, not many people can tell the difference between quails and partridges. Posted by dedtired “That is one singular sensation, every little step they take. One thrilling combination, for sure.” Thanks. I thought quails would be more special than turkey, chicken, duck, or pheasant, especially when accompanied by wild rice. Posted by soonergrandmom “I usually leave them whole and wrap a slice of good bacon around it and secure with a toothpick. Then I dredge in flour and fry until the bacon is cooked and the exposed quail is browned. I then place on a bed of seasoned rice (varies from time to time) and cook in the oven until done. I have some in the freezer so will try to remember to take a picture next time I do them. Yours look really pretty tho.” Thanks. I was hesitant about bacon. Now that you mentioned it, does sound pretty good. I may try that. Posted by ann_t “Moe loves quail so I make them occasionally. They are great boned and stuffed, but also grilled. “ Thank you for posting your quails. They look like perfectly grilled. Of course I am not surprised. I may try grilling also, if and when it stops raining outside. :-) Posted by islay_corbel “I like them wrapped in bacon and roasted, soak raisins in brandy overnight or for a few hours, then deglaze the pan with the raisins and brandy and add a little cream. The flavours are very festive.” Thanks for the suggestion. Once more, I am convinced that I should try bacon. May be I should use sun dried cranberries instead of raisins, and Herbs De Provence I still have from France. May be I can tell the guests that these are Ortolan Buntings? :-) Posted by jasdip “Wow dcarch. Very impressive presentation. I'm interested in how you cooked the rice.” Thanks. Good question. How? I cooked the rice with a lot of respect. Just kidding. :-) I think I have a great simple way. Wild rice with chestnuts boiled in pure chicken stock, salt and pepper. Posted by punamytsike “Where/how can I learn to present my food like that?” Thanks. To me there are three major types of food plating: 1. Elaborate carving, (food topiary)i.e. carving a carrot to look like a butterfly, a radish to look like a rose, etc. 2. Elaborate sculpturing, using food that’s not even part of the recipe to arrange food to perform all kind of gymnastics. 3. Using food’s nature color and shape and arrange them simply in a logical visual composition. I am more of the third category. It get very easy and quick once you realize how effective it is to enhance the eating experience. Posted by spacific “Ok, don't laugh,... but from a pure design standpoint, the red cabbage leaves keep jumping out at me... maybe it's a clash of colors with the red pomegranate sauce, maybe the thought of raw cabbage clashes with what I'm "tasting" when I look at it, but, how about a green leaf... slightly blanched red swiss chard perhaps? Always a pleasure to see your photo/subject line combos. Ann” Thanks. Thanks for the compliment and most of all thank you for you observations. You have a very good sense of design. Just to clarify one thing, those are radicchio leaves, not cabbage. You are correct, cabbage would be a bad idea. The elegant bitter taste of radicchio accentuates the tart/sweetness of the pomegranate sauce; also it echoes a salad in which it is also an ingredient. The purpose of the leaves is more than decorative. Since the roasted quail is a finger food, I was thinking of having the wild rice wrapped in the radicchio leaves to be enjoyed with your fingers. I agree with you also the white bright background makes the plating kind of glary. It would probably look better with a less contrasting composition. Posted by therustyone “A very attractive, unusual, and festive presentation, as usual, dcarch. But I kind of thought the leaves were Raddichio, rather than cabbage. But what do I know. I've never prepared Quail, either. I find the simple (appearing) preparation and outstanding presentation very appealing and festive. And very special. What do you have in the wild rice? Thanks for sharing! Rusty “ Thanks. As I said, those are radicchio leaves. Very good. You should try quails, they are not gamy and very flavorful. Only if you like dark meat though. I like the wild rice flavor, my preference is not to season it too much. For this dish, the rice is cooked with chestnuts in chicken stock, no water, just salt and pepper, and a little light olive oil. Posted by bbstx “I have made this recipe many times. I always get compliments on the dish. Quail in Wine ------ They go nicely with gruyere grits. “ Thanks for the recipes. More ideas for me to try out! dcarch

I didn't say I *hated* the Heritage - just wouldn't have been what I would have picked as my everyday set if we had registered, or if we'd even had any money when we got married and I had to replace my set of 16 (4 plc settings) Corelle. Since then, we still haven't had the money to spend on replacing perfectly good (OK, a few chipped but I got rid of cracked ones) dishes. The serving pieces are a bonus and do come in handy, though I wouldn't use them with anything else except another heavy looking set. So when the plates go, the serving pieces go. I don't have to have matching serving pieces, but if I get Filigree "everyday" dishes, I would like some large serving bowls (preferably covered) and a platter that are similarly delicate since I don't have good china, these would have to serve as my "having people over for dinner" set too. And I hate the idea of going out and spending $25 for a non-matching platter at TJ Maxx when I can get the Filigree one for $20 or so anyway. If I got nice white (Filigree) serving pieces, I would probably use those instead of buying matching china serving pieces when I did get around to buying china. I already mix in some silverplate at the holidays when I use the Heritage. I would love to find some V&B - my sister got some as her "everyday" dishes from MIL. Of course, her "good" dishes are Wedgewood. There are also some Lenox patterns of china I like, though my favorite (would be too afraid to use it) would be antique flow blue. I have only used the tureen once since I bought it (for the plate that came with it!) at Goodwill a year ago, but the covered dishes (casseroles?) and the platter get used whenever there are more than the 4 of us - the platter even with just the 4 of us if I make a big roast or a whole chicken.