Hallet's Cove species count

Yesterday I saw three swans in the cove. This would be Hallet's Cove, in Astoria Village, where I live. Astoria Village:

Hallet's Cove is on the bottom left corner of the map. The wharfs are fenced off now, alas. This probably has something to do with the housing project that they abut. But even though I don't get to dangle my toes off of a pier as if I were some kid in the country, I do get to bird-watch alongside the coves, and yesterday I saw three swans, which was cool, because I had never seen more than one swan in the cove at once before. One swan was bigger than Ruby (my rottweiler), which is a damn big bird. When Ruby spotted the swan, she raised all the hair along her back and stood on the riverbank, posturing and growling. Meanwhile the swan, which had been serenely floating on the water, puffed up all the feathers on its neck, and started swimming towards the bank. So I called Ruby off of the swan, and because she's a good girl, she listened to me. I didn't really want to see blood-stained feathers everywhere. I mean, I kind of did. But my better angels didn't.

Last week I planted garlic in my garden. The "Italian Late" Variety. I should be harvesting it in what? August? I don't know for certain because I've never grown garlic before. But it is a very uncharacteristically optimistic thing for me to do- sow for such a distant harvest. (Edit: It's not actually called "sowing" unless you put a seed in the ground, is it? What's a poetic way to describe putting a clove in the ground?)

And tonight I cooked dinner!

**The Ornery Mechanic's Sublimely Delicious Turkey Stew**

Soak chickpeas: Take chickpeas, wash and pick over, put in a pot, add plenty of water, bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes, cover pot, put in refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, put the following ingredients in a crockpot:

• Soaked chickpeas
• Smoked turkey wings
• Cubed potatoes
• Tomatillos (from my garden! still!)
  
• Garlic
• Vegetable bouillon
• Kasuri Methi
• Fresh herbs (from my windowsill!): Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
• Chili powder
• Salt

Go to work. Come home. Examine the content of the crockpot. The flavors will have melded by this time, but if the chickpeas are not yet fully cooked, put the content of the crockpot into a pot on the stove and simmer for another half and hour or more, stirring occasionally. While the stew simmers, remove the turkey wings from the pot, scrape the meat from the bones, return the meat to the pot and give the bones to your salivating dogs. Make a beautiful salad of baby spinach, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, orange pepper and fresh parsley from your windowsill. Make a salad dressing of tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Cut up a hero roll and toast it.

Serve stew, salad and bread. Put away mucho leftovers.