RIP to at good buddy

[Richard Flanders]

The sauce is indeed wonderful Edgar. It was a little heavy on butter and light on heavy cream in this attempt. It's supposed to be a white cream sauce, but I never seem to get it quite right. I did indeed use some of it on some buttery potatoes as a side dish, licked the plate clean and cleaned the sauce from the pan with a rubber spatula and put it into a container to be reused, likely on some pasta. Not a drop of that goes to waste for sure. I do like your bread idea; just didn't have any bread here.

Gerald: the viking sendoff I gave him was actually most interesting. I save all my bird carcasses and put them out for the ravens and such, but I very rarely see whatever comes and gets them. Generally a raven just comes in, grabs it and flies off. For the first time ever I watched the raven take this one apart in the yard for a while, which is a first. After he flew off with the scraps a huge cross fox came in and did cleanup on the sight; I watched that for a while. A hour later a huge red fox came in looking for scraps. Never before have I observed all that and I somehow just can't accept it as coincidence. I think my bird buddy possessed big Juju. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Southpaw]

Circle of life. Obviously your grouse was treasured by many but probably only you will have a fond remembrance. Growing up on a gentleman's farm every year we would take a steer or two we raised to put meat in the freezer. I guess we were ahead of our time because all our beef was non hormone pasture grass feed critters.

Unfortunately we also named all our animals and put their names on freezer wrapped packages. They were plain animals so we gave them plain names. Remember when my parents had an old friend that came and visited a few days with us and she went into the freezer and saw the packages named Hank's Rump Roast, Darryl's tenderloin, Eunice's ground round. That was an interesting conversation.

[Richard Flanders]

I understand completely Todd. My sister raises all her own beef, pork and chickens-for eggs and roasters. Some of them get names, especially the laying hens and roosters. I've toyed with names on my prominent grouse visitors but they never seem to stick for some reason.

[Southpaw]

Richard, your recipe reminds me of one of my favorites, Trout Avery Island. Typically employed for Speckled Sea Trout or even bass. Btw the Cajuns called bass, Green Trout since meat has same texture, taste and qualities as speckled trout. I'll bet if half the bass fisherman used this recipe they would never put em back. Recipe has a ton of butter and white sherry and its baked in the oven. I like to cheat it and pan fry the fish with a light corn meal and flour coating before putting in oven with the butter and all the fixings. But hey I am from the South and like everything fried. Grits are always optional but we put a bed of grits down on a plate then the fish with all that sauce over top. The grits take all the sauce in and guaranteed you won't be able to eat without tapping your toes.

[C.O.B.]

I think Edgar has the right idea on the usage of grits. Birds eat grit I'll eat the birds and thats as close to eating grits as I care to get.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

I think Edgar has the right idea on the usage of grits. Birds eat grit I'll eat the birds and thats as close to eating grits as I care to get.

Ha. I don't think you fellas are truly embracing all things southern with the big event coming up this week. That's okay though.

[Dean Romig]

I prefer my speckled trout (salvelinus fontinalis) with blueberry pancakes, both pan fried in bacon fat. And a good hearty mug of coffee.





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[Alfred Greeson]

You may be a Yankee by birth but you definitely have some Southerner at heart!

[CHE]

Happy Birthday Richard!

[Tom Flanigan]

I'm surprised that the bird committed suicide in the spring. I have had a grouse fly through my windows twice in my life. Both times were in the early fall.

Some say it was due to the grouse eating fermented fox grapes. But I don't think so. I think it has more to do with the young scattering and flying crazy. Young grouse will scatter somewhat which is natures way of managing the gene pool. I don't know for sure but that sounds pretty good to me.

Your bird was obviously trying to get into the house to get more seed. Did you forget to feed him? What a shame. His death should be on your conscience.