Banana-Buck Fever

This afternoon I needed no further excuse to pull out the old blender and build myself a tall cool smoothie than to read the deck thermometer registering 90 degrees in the shade. On days such as this, there’s nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold smoothie to perk up sagging spirits.

Into the blender went the ice, a ripe banana for sweetness and body, a bit of orange juice, a little milk, a dash of vanilla to finish it off and I let ‘er rip. Done!

Banana smoothie in hand, I headed outside to catch the late afternoon breeze as it washed over the hillside behind us and cooled the backyard deck. I eased onto a lounge chair, took a long draw on my thick smoothie, and inhaled the summer pine-scented air. It was enchanting, truly enchanting. My entire body levitated as I floated into sublime smoothie bliss. I sipped away, lost in euphoric contemplation - but in the recesses of my mind, a vague snap-crackle tiptoed into my consciousness; then came the hazy slow motion of a branch swaying - likely stirred by the wind. More twigs break. There was simply too much perimeter interference to ignore any longer. In disdain, I turned my attention to the disturbance; 20 feet away a muscular buck with fuzzy fir on his forked horns was frozen in his tracks - staring right back at me.

There was a time when we had plenty of animals roaming down from the hillside behind us, but in recent years the gun shots echoing off the neighboring canyons have surely been a deterrent. This is indeed a rare sight.

Nonchalantly, I picked up my handy camera perched next to me, aimed it in his general direction, and fired one frame; just enough for Buck to hightail it through the trees.

You may wonder, “What is an out-of-focus deer doing in a food blog? Who cares?” Today, I was a witness that Buck existed and my one photo here is evidence. This is a record that Buck strutted tall and gracefully through my backyard, as his forefathers did before him; and today, with the help of a banana smoothie, this beautiful, wild creature made at least one person very happy. Who knows Buck’s fate, as hunting season looms?

Banana-Buck SmoothieThis is a basic recipe; other fruit, juices, and dairy products can be substituted

1 cup ice
1 ripe banana, sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup milk, yogurt, or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
garni: mint, strawberry, or orange slice

Into blender container place all ingredients; pulse to combine and then blend until smooth. Pour into tall glasses, garnish with mint, and a piece of fruit. Serve with a straw or a long spoon for stirring. Serves 2 ~~

Note: Other suggestions: peaches and apricot nectar; blueberries and cranberry juice; pears and apple juice, mangoes and guava juice, etc.