Hummingbird Syrup and Ramblings

     I love hummingbirds! Their tiny features are so stinkin' adorable!  My husband spotted one yesterday, so it's time to get the feeders out!  I make my own syrup, and I'll share the recipe in a bit. ... But first, some wild ramblings!
     Call me crazy, but sometimes I notice the weirdest things!  For instance, have you ever noticed how when you are stirring the sugar in the water to dissolve it, that the pitch changes as you stir?  I have. ( I know, super crazy.) If I ever go blind, I'll still be able to tell when my sugar is dissolved. :) So, I always wondered why it happens.   Well, I found out yesterday! I'll attempt to explain it without boring you to pieces!  I think it's cool, and you know,  it's the little things!
Sound waves travel through air, liquids, and solids. They travel the fastest through solids and the slowest through air.  So when you stir the sugar  solution, it is mostly liquid, but as the sugar (a solid) dissolves, the solution becomes more saturated with the sugar molecules, and as a result is more dense than it was before the sugar dissolved. (More solid like.)  So as you stir, the pitch changes because the density changes and the speed of sound changes.  Cool, huh?
OK, enough of that!  Here's my recipe for hummingbird syrup: 1/4 cup of sugar dissolved in one cup of water. Don't add any food coloring.  After the sugar has been dissolved,  boil in a microwave safe bowl or on the stove.   Cool to room temp before filling your feeder.  Store any extra syrup in the fridge for up to one week.  Clean feeders weekly and replace the syrup.  Hummingbirds like it clean and will not drink from moldy or bug ridden syrup.
I sometimes put in 1/3 cup of sugar at the beginning of the season to draw the hummers in, but after about 3 weeks or so I switch to a healthier amount of sugar.
Now, when you make your batch, notice the pitch change when you stir! Hmmm, music to my ears! :)