I am trying to attract insect eaters too. I started growing mountain mint (not a mint but a native) and New Jersey tea. Next year hope to add sweet cicily. These plants are recommended in making an insectivary (attracts a lot of insects). THe plants were recommended for attracting beneficial insects but they should also attract hoards of bugs in general and hopefully bring in the warblers.

It's nice to see warbler shots again! I've not heard or seen any yet this spring - but I've had zero time with the birds so it could be that I'm just missing them :^(

Hard Candy~ Artist:Counting Crows On certain Sundays in November When the weather bothers me I empty drawers of other summer's Where my shadows used to be She is standing by the water As her smile begins to curl In this or any other summer She is something all together different Never just an ordinary girl And in the evenings on Long Island When the colors start to fade She wears a silly yellow hat That someone gave her when she stayed I didn't think that she returned it We left New York in a whirl Time expands and then contracts When you are spinning In the grips of someone Who is not an ordinary girl When you sleep You find your mother in the night But she stays just out of sight So there isn't any sweetness in the dreaming And when you wake the morning covers you with light And it makes you feel alright But it's just the same hard candy You're remembering again You send your lover off to China Then you wait for her to call You put your girl up on a pedestal Then you wait for her to fall I put my summer's back in a letter And I hide it from the world All the regrets you can't forget Are somehow pressed upon a picture In the face of such an ordinary girl When you sleep You find your mother in the night But she fades just out of sight So there isn't any sweetness in the dreaming And when you wake the morning showers you with light And it makes you feel alright But it's just the same hard candy You're remembering again Again 4X It's just the same hard candy You're remembering again Again 4X And it's just the same hard candy You're remembering again Go ask her to come around And see me late after dark Don't ask me to come around Then wait to see if there's a spark. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVpewZ2dGQ

I didn't take any photos, but in honor of ElizPiz and the lovely group I will share my favorite dessert recipe. Eliz gave us all one of her faves! It was adapted from two different recipes. (all art is derivative). Very yummy and impressive. Hope it doesn't get weird when I cut and paste .... Pear Quince Tarts with Salted Caramelized Pistachio Brittle Yield: Serves 12 Ingredients 1 sheet (about 10 by 12 in.) frozen puff pastry (14-oz. package), thawed (I use DuFour) 3-5 ripe yet not mushy pears, I prefer Bartlett About 1/3-1/2 cup quince paste 1 large egg, beaten About 2 tbsp. raw sugar 1/2 pint whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out pastry to 16 by 18 in. Cut pastry in thirds lengthwise and in half crosswise. Cut in half again crosswise. With a wide spatula, transfer the 12 rectangles to baking sheets. 2. Core pears and cut into ~1/4" thick slices; do not peel. Arrange, slightly overlapping, on pastry rectangles, leaving a ~1/2" border bare (angle slices if necessary). Use at least 1/4 pear for each tart, or as much as half a pear. Warm the quince paste (carefully and briefly on a low setting) in a microwave oven to melt, then brush over pears. Fold border over edge of pears, stretching slightly and pressing down to hold. Brush edges with egg, then sprinkle sugar over tarts, especially pastry edges. 3. Bake until pastries are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. 4. Whip 1/2 pint of fresh whipping cream and 1t vanilla extract, just until stiff peaks form. 5. Serve tarts warm or room temp with pistachio brittle (see below) on the top, and whipped cream on the side. Salted Caramelized Pistachio Brittle Servings: Yields 2 cups Ingredients 1 cup salted whole roasted shelled pistachios 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt (very important to the flavor) Directions 1. Line a baking sheet with foil or waxed paper. Butter the foil or waxed paper. 2. Microwave the nuts on high for 1 minute so they will be warm when you add them to the caramel. 3. Pour 1/2 cup water into a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Pour the sugar and salt in the center of the pan and pat it down just until evenly moistened (there should be clear water all around the sugar). Cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook without stirring until the syrup begins to color slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, swirling the pot gently if the syrup colors unevenly. 4. When the caramel is a pale to medium yellow, about 3 minutes more, add the warm nuts. With a heatproof silicone spatula, stir gently and slowly to coat the nuts with caramel. Continue to cook until a bead of caramel dribbled onto a white plate is reddish amber, about 3 minutes more. Immediately scrape the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it as thin as you can before it hardens. When the caramel is slightly cooled but still warm, slide the foil or wax paper with the caramel nuts into a zip-top plastic bag and seal the bag. Cool completely. Chop or crush. NOTE The the timing to make this varies widely with the btu of your burner, gas vs electric, etc. Hang in there if it takes longer. Watch it like a hawk in case it takes less.