Guess Who Lost the Rat Race

Dateline: Sat 06 June. As the first full week of June was drawing to a close, there was quite a bit of excitement happening. Let’s start with a first-time accomplishment by the house imp, Scarlett: she managed to pounce on and eliminate a yard rat.

Then, no more than 40 minutes later, I’ll be darned if she didn’t slay a second larger rat. That girl must’ve wanted to get in my good graces something fierce.

The next day, there was a third rat slaying by this girl. Not only did I have no idea we had such a rat problem, I had no clue that she was such a rat problem solver.

You go, Scarlett Impia!

But wait! There is more! When I was getting that Saturday morning started in the kitchen, the number and speeding intensity of a convoy of Winston-Salem police cars piqued my curiosity enough to tune into the scanner on Broadcastify.

Once the communications exchanges made clear there was a complete shutdown of Salem Parkway and US 421 just down from the house, I thought I’d stroll to see what was afoot. From the Peters Creek Parkway bridge over the highway I snapped these shots.

Eventually the local news had the fuller story: this was the conclusion of a vehicle chase that left one WSPD unit flipped onto its roof and another slightly smashed into a small SUV.

Meal No. 4113: Chicken Souvlaki on Homemade Flatbread

I'm kind of proud of the dinner served up on Memorial Day last week: grilled chicken souvlaki skewers on homemade flatbread with homemade tzatziki. The marinade for the chicken was so very spot on, and then those morsels grilled perfectly on the Weber. The tzatziki was really excellent, too, just the right garlic kick and plenty of amalgamated deliciousness with the rest of the ingredients.

But boy howdy: that flatbread! Tasty on its own but elevated by the melted ghee that sizzled in the griddle, this second recorded attempt at these Mediterranean specialties proved to be more than worthy of our platters that night.

Mind you: they are not hard to make but it is an involved process and consumes more time than I was planning for. I'm pretty sure when I make them again, I should break out the Blackstone griddle.

Between rolling them out individually, brushing them with melted ghee, but then doing five minutes per side in a single skillet...let's just say dinner was about 45 minutes late.

But let's contrast late with early, because in the quiet of that evening, as I ventured out for a sit on the driveway, I also got to hear the first cicada of the season. He sounded mighty lonely, with no answering replies that I could hear, but I guess somebody's got to be the first to emerge at the call of coming summer.

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"Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe with Tzatziki" [Published 11 June 2018 / Updated 16 October 2020] and "Authentic (Easy) Tzatziki Sauce" [Published 03 June 2016 / Updated 27 September 2023] from Suzy Karedsheh of The Mediterranean Dish.

"Layered Yogurt Flatbreads," from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. [Published 30 April 2020]

Groundhog Vanquishing No. 1

Oh, gentle readers: this post comes with a warning if you are on the more skittish side of the natural world's cruelty line. But the RoHo blog favors full documentation of all things Roediger House, and last Monday offered up a new encounter with wildlife for the resident pooches.

It proved distracting, while sitting at the kitchen table in deep conversation with visiting friends and colleagues Donna and Ebbie, to see a groundhog traipsing across the neighboring gravel lot. But when it came back over to the backyard here, it brought back to mind the trouble caused by the one that took up residence in the crawl space right beneath us. Initially all I could do was corner it under my Camry.

I summoned for backup in the form of two eager household hunters and they were more than equal to the task. As that potentially pesky invader and destructive digger tried to bolt from under the car, Sumner was on him in a flash, and Scarlett was close behind. And yes: I was a proud papa punching up the camera app on his phone to document the battle royale. The rascal put up a good fight but he was not equal to the double-teaming of our yard guards. I will spare you the final photo of him but you may depend on the fact that he is now a 6-feet-under-ground-hog.

Groundhog sightings ain't the most regular part of life on this cozy quarter acre, but they have occurred from time to time (in 2022 and 2024). With the tag-team duo to dominate him, this particular groundhog will not be making camp under my house like one of his relations.

Meal No. 4094: Cinco de Mayo Tacos

I keep having to dig into the pantry stores for supper because I've not been making my usual grocery runs. And since Tuesday was Cinco de Mayo, it seemed reasonable to try to get into the spirit of things. This led me to try sheet pan tacos, with a choice either of grilled spiced chicken and black beans, or Cuban pulled pork. A fresh batch of lime crema made it all come together.

It turned into a gorgeous spring day, with plenty of time outside with the pups. But that proved to be exceptionally upsetting to a pair of mockingbirds, who were flitting and hollering and occasionally even swooping down at the dogs. Eventually, it dawned on me as to why, and when I finally spotted their bedraggled and flightless offspring along the driveway wall, I braved their disdain to snag a shot or two.

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"Easy Lime Crema," from Lisa Bryan of DownShiftology.com. [Published 22 April 2020]

Sumner's Squirrel Kill No. 14

In a combined effort to trap a young squirrel who was surprised by the sudden emergence of the house pooches Monday evening a week ago, it was Sumner whose instincts took over, with his intentional rapid tight-jawed shaking to quickly subdue and defeat a pesky yard invader. Scarlett has not yet demonstrated that she is his apt pupil, but she is carving her niche with baby rabbits, unfortunately. In the tally column, this represents Sumner's 14th squirrel kill, and I remain very proud of his prowess and his contribution to managing our overwhelming squirrel situation.

Meal No. 3977: Roasted Spiced Salmon on Caesar-Dressed Greens

After a three-week stretch of mostly being on the road, I was so glad to get settled back into homelife as last week wrapped up. The salmon at my Thruway Harris Teeter was looking thick and gorgeous again, and it was a no-brainer to snag a couple of portions to bring home for Friday night's supper. Fresh salad greens and a reserve of Caesar dressing, plus the usual shake or so of roasted sunflower seeds, all combined into a ballin' bowl of goodness.

Also: I'm trying to make sense of spotting a bluebird couple at very nearly the middle of November. I snagged just a quick photo from my coffee-drinking spot in the early hours of that day; all you can see are their silhouettes, really. It was not even 10 years ago that I even saw a bluebird here, so let's just say this was unexpected and unprecedented on this downtown quarter acre!

Spotted Lanternfly Spotted Right Here

We've been on the lookout for this invasion, especially since the first big infestation in North Carolina was in the neighboring city of Kernersville, in eastern Forsyth County. Last Saturday afternoon, I looked in front of me as I sat in the good weather under the Bradford pear tree, and there it was on the bark at perfect height for me to knock it down, see its markings, and crush its head and belly. We're pretty sure this is a losing battle but that will not be the moth that does me in.

Meal No. 3961: Roasted Salmon on Salad

After a week on the road to a conference in St. Louis, it was great to return home and to find myself again in the kitchen. But it was also a busy enough day taking care of postponed tasks that a supper of limited and uninvolved prep was needed. That's how I came to roast spiced salmon to go atop some fresh leafy greens, all adorned with creamy Caesar dressing I had on hand, and glorified as is necessary with a few good shakes of roasted sunflower seeds.

We were back to stunning weather even though it was past the middle of October, and after the meal it seems Sumner had no interest in being anywhere except for outside.

Alas, there is a sad note to append here: Scarlett got ahold of one of the young rabbits from the fluffle that's apparently created a warren in the lost back slope of overgrown shrubbery and ornamental grass. She is not yet as skilled as Sumner and so the job was an incomplete one; the colony's census has decreased by one and I'm unhappy about it. Still, this is in fact nature and instinct at work, isn't it?

September's Wild Things

With cookies or cakes that require pecans or walnuts, the simple chopping endeavor provides quiet contemplation time but also requires careful sorting to eliminate the bad pieces. I figure there are some yard squirrels who might be tempted by them, perhaps enough so that to the wind is tossed their caution—and into the canine crosshairs might they then be placed. Loading up the kitchen sink window platform feeder with these seductors is thought of as “salting the mine” for yard quarry.

There was only one taker for that pile, though, and he let me know what he thought of being spied upon while his belly was filled.

The yard had some other wildlife of note during September, including this cicada (above) tightly gripping the door jamb and ready to give me an annoyed greeting when I emerged early one recent morning. I hope he knows that in our yard lurk terrible dangers, including the troubling tendency of the house pooches to snatch these rascals from their ground squats because it must be enticing to try to chew them. (Sweet Sumner has received a couple of haunch-swats as I have tried to break him of this instinctive insubordination.) But there are also those cicada killer wasps, previously chronicled. Here’s one I managed to capture and toss quickly into the freezer in hopes it can be a suitable specimen for my UNC chum Kelly to add to his collection:

Finally, after over two decades of calling the Roediger House home, while recognizing that this is very much a downtown patch of yard that will not draw in creatures that run freely amongst the flora in larger neighborhoods, the security camera caught the fast fleeing and first witnessing of a rabbit here:

I suspect the intimidating aggression of our ever-watchful pups will make any reappearance unlikely, but time may indeed tell.

July Wild Things

Here are two items that I file under “wildlife” on this quaint urban quarter acre. The first is that dramatic summer sound that catches one’s ear, the singing cicada abruptly interrupted in mid-love chant, then the downward sloping pitch as the tune struggles and then peters out, because a cicada killer wasp has successfully tackled its prey.

Sometimes I’m lucky enough to be adjacent to the field of battle, when the entwined bodies lightly smack the ground nearby, and I can capture some of the action. This time it was only a few snaps at the Bradford pear, and these I happily share here.

The day before I posted this entry, I had reason to add one more cicada killer wasp action photo, because yesterday was another proximity-to-battle moment while I was enjoying the gorgeous afternoon. This time the killer wasp manhandled its target in the rear corner of the property and was unbothered by my photographic pursuits.

The other quick encounter with nature was the following Saturday, during my early morning coffee sit out on the driveway, next to the bee balm and black-eyed Susans near the porch steps. My ear was first caught by the light humming of a hummingbird, and then in my peripheral vision appeared its darts and dashes and thrusts and sweeps. A slow raising of the cell phone allowed me inexpert documentation of this amazing creature’s brief visit.

Meal No. 3895: Juicy Burgers on the Grill

Last Friday was a gorgeous summer day to coincide with the Fourth of July. I finally talked myself into one of my overdue yard projects: trimming a bunch of limbs from the Bradford pear tree in the side yard. And from that I worked up a pretty good appetite. The holiday, the weather, the belly rumbles: I knew of no smarter option than juicy burgers on the grill, well-covered with doubled cheese, plus homemade souped-up Thousand Island dressing on the brioche buns.

When I first stepped outside to light the grill, though, I was distracted by a plaintive cry, coming from under the firewood rack behind me. I opened up the rack cover enough and spotted a poor left-behind fur-ball.

I fetched some tucked-away cat food that I have on hand, more often used when it's necessary to trap a feral cat. But it was the cool water that seemed much more appreciated by this booger with its beautiful eyes. I pulled it out just to give it a quick look-see, and it had a lame rear leg.

That's the reason the shelter took her when I bundled her up on the first Saturday of July: because she had an injury they'd try to help her recover from or heal and then put her up for adoption. I think some family could really love her, with all her sweetness and readiness for human contact. We just could not be that family.

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Adapted from "Grilled Juicy Burgers," originally from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks recipe magazine, July 2003, p. 52-53. After Pillsbury was purchased in 2001 by General Mills, home of Betty Crocker (founded in 1921, mind you!), it basically ceased to exist as a company and lives on just as a brand. I guess that's why a Pillsbury cookbook recipe from 2003 is now only found on the Betty Crocker website.

"Thousand Island Dressing," which was based on a version from Graybert on GeniusKitchen.com.

Meal No. 3893: Emeril's Skillet Beef Stroganoff

The latest three-diners dinner for a midweek boost occurred Wednesday of last week, and it featured a long time comfort dish: skillet beef stroganoff. The hearty beef, the soft egg noodles, and the balanced spice in the slightly creamy broth base put tasty temptations in our sights.

Dessert was also required, of course, and I whipped up (as I often do, at the last minute) a vanilla bean pudding cake. It wasn't as soft and pudding-y as I've become accustomed to, so I may have botched some part of the recipe this time. But was it still good? Yeah. C'mon: sugar, vanilla, cake, sauce. It was good.

If you’ll forgive the quick cell phone photo through the window (and its screen), I had to capture a remarkable convergence on the fence of this central urban downtown lot: a bluebird and a goldfinch just inches from one another. The bluebird family has been here for weeks but goldfinches are rare! Given that I have not been caring for or cultivating the bird population here, I’m glad to have witnessed this happy coincidence.

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Based on "Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Dinner in a Skillet," by Emeril Lagasse. Found online at The Food Network and also on Emerils.com.

Meal No. 3881: Grilled Glazed Pork Kebabs

Ah, the advent of summertime! In spite of the remaining drizzles from a squall that passed quickly over us late afternoon last Wednesday, I stuck fast to my plan for grilling for three of us that night, featuring barbecue-glazed pork kebabs. Pretty perfectly cooked and nicely flavored with that homemade sauce, brushed on at the right intervals, these tender morsels went well with a heap of yellow rice and roasted herbed whole green beans. We were back to full sunshine by the time dinner was served, and it was a pretty nice June night.

On Thursday, as the final hours of spring expired, we spotted our first shed exoskeleton from a recently-emerged cicada nymph, another happy sign of summer. Alas, because I'd left the camp chairs on the porch through the winter, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that one of them became a nesting spot. I hope I didn't ruin their temporary homestead when I started to grab the chair so I could clean it up. Both the mother bird and I were very surprised by one another.

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"Grilled Pork Kebabs with Barbecue Glaze," by Andrea Geary. Recipe was an online extra from Cook's Illustrated and based on "The Best Way to Grill Pork Tenderloin," Issue No. 134, May & June 2015, p. 6.

King Arthur Baking's Original Cake Pan Cake

Last Tuesday I tried the recipe for King Arthur Baking's original cake pan cake. I'd tried the vanilla version a while back but this was the inaugural cocoa-based single round layer, all so that I could put to use the trial run of a white chocolate whipped ganache. When I'd made the super epic rainbow cake the weekend before, I was unsure how the quantity of Swiss buttercream would work out, and I had to have a back-up ready to go since there were six for our dinner gathering. Anyway: I didn't need the ganache base I'd prepared and didn't want to let it go, so here's the cake I made to go under it.

Probably because of all that good cake, I felt compelled to make my Tuesday evening downtown stroll a bit longer and somewhat aggressive, clocking in at just over 4.5 miles. Once again, that left me kind of soaked. But as I cooled down out in the side yard, I was exceptionally happy to hear the first cicada love song of the summer season, for me a most joyful noise.

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Based on "Original Cake Pan Cake," from PJ Hamel of King Arthur Baking Company. [Published 01 October 2015]

"Vanilla Whipped Ganache," from Christina Marsigliese of ScientificallySweet.com. [Published 12 August 2024 / Modified 12 June 2025]

Squirrel No. 13

One might suggest that the above photo captures Sumner's triumphant application of war paint, of a sorts. And yes: it's a testament to his predatory cunning while patroling the yard for the always-present and regularly invasive squirrel horde.

While opinions may differ, in this household, we have no issue with the dogs operating on their well-developed instincts and appreciate that the natural order of things leads to moments like this one, from last Saturday.

Faithfully supported and cheered on by his younger sister, Sumner has now scored his 13th squirrel kill here. The little guy did not know what hit him and his own sense of self-preservation was mighty in the face of the larger, and more empowered, foe. Sumner's victory would not be denied, even if it proved to be a more fully engaged battle. The triumph left him well-marked as a champion, and we are more than happy to see a subtraction from the yard rodent census.