10 Years Ago – In August 2002

Many years ago I started collecting headlines/news blurbs as a way of honing my reading of news. Over the years, the headline collection has been warped by the sources of news I was reading…increasingly online. Reviewing the August 2002 headline gleanings - I forced myself to pick 10.    

1. Overfishing of shark prey in the Atlantic Ocean means sharks are coming closer to shore to find food
2. A quest for oil in the North Sea has turned up an ancient well-preserved impact crater
3. Global warming is causing squid to grow abnormally large and speeding up their breeding cycles,
4. Archaeologists have discovered an Egyptian birth-brick. It would have been one of pair used to support a woman's feet during childbirth.
5. Maryland to poison pond to kill Snakehead fish
6. A dense blanket of pollution, dubbed the "Asian Brown Cloud," is hovering over South Asia
7. Prague prepares for the worst as waters rise
8. 100th birthday celebrations of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl
9. Nearly one million volunteers and soldiers in China's Hunan Province are racing against time to stop what could become the biggest flood in decades
10. An ancient skull found on a London riverbank with a large hole in it shows that brain surgery was performed at least 3,750 years earlier than thought. The skull dated by English Heritage to 1750 B.C. 

As usual - the list is heavily skewed toward science and technology.

August Celebrations

August begins tomorrow. What do you celebrate in August? Here are some ideas:

Watermelon. Locally grown watermelons are ripe in many areas. Check out your farmers market. I’ve always thought that the large and long ones with black seeds had the best flavor but they’re hard to find any more. August is the month to enjoy watermelon in whatever form you choose to buy it.

End of Summer Vacation. August is the time that many people take vacations before the busy fall activities (school and increased work schedules) start. Even if you don’t take off a whole week - plan a mini-vacation/day trip to someplace that helps you glory in the warmth of summer - usually someplace with water like a beach, a lake, a river.

Start of the School Year. Yes - the start of the school is in August for some people and the reason I have it on the celebration list is that some actually do like the beginning of the school year…and the new clothes/supplies that go with it.

Two full moons. This is special to this particular August. It turns out there are two full moons: on the 2nd and 31st of this August. Take your binoculars out if the night is clear and enjoy the summer night. 

Brookside Gardens Reflections - July 2012

On a cloudy day at Brookside Gardens - after a rain - there were plenty of summer reflections.

The reflections of the treetop canopy by water filling the depression in a boulder marking a path 

Cattails and thick vegetation along the edge of the pond reflected in the water

And the panorama of the Japanese Teahouse and hill behind reflected in the pond as some Canadian geese swim into view.

Gleanings of the Week Ending July 28, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Colorful Science Sheds Light On Solar Heating - visualization from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. There is a short video to explain how they do the color coding.

You May Never Need to Clean Your Car Again, Thanks to New Coating Technology - estimated 6-8 years to production. If it works - it will be used on many more things that cars

Radiant creatures and their fluorescent proteins - DayGlo color from living organisms. Also take a look at the slideshow.

Insider Tips From The Grand Teton National Park Foundation - This is a recent post about Grand Teton but the site includes posts on all the parks…check it out as you plan a visit to one of them

Mad About Moths – National Moth Week! - Butterflies tend to capture more attention….but moths are interesting too!

A California jail offers a glimpse of the economic and environmental benefits of locally generated energy - microgrids already are cost effective in some parts of the country particularly for organizations that require very reliable power (hospitals, prisons, data centers, etc.) and their cost is coming down

Chris Helzer - Prairie ecologist and photographer - video that shares photos from the prairie; there’s a lot there to see

The Devil’s Pool - The swimming hole at the top of Victoria Falls (video)

Massive Ice Melt In Greenland - 97% of the Greenland ice sheet has surface melting. Last time it occurred was in 1889 based on ice cores. It went from 40% to 97% in 4 days!

Treatise on Landscape Painting in Water-colours - by David Cox and C. Geoffrey Holme and published in 1922. The images are not in color but they are detailed and still evoke stories of place. The link above is directly to the beginning of the image section in the ‘read online’ double page format that I prefer for books like this; the image below is what that format looks like and the green arrows show how to ‘page forward’ . To view the book in a different format, start with the main entry for the book on the Internet Archive here.

Magnolia at Brookside Gardens

Earlier this month I posted some photographs of Southern Magnolias from Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The photographs in the slide show below are all from one tree in Brookside Gardens in Maryland taken in the early morning of 7/20 after a good soaking rain the night before. The sign at the base of the tree (picture at right) said that is was a Magnolia virginiana var. Pumila or a Dwarf Sweet Bay. This one tree had all stages of the bloom - from bud to the bright red seeds popping out of the pod.   

Enjoy!

Brookside Gardens Lotus Blossom - July 2012

On Friday (7/20/2012) when we made our trip to Brookside Gardens - the only Lotus blossom was facing into some leaves and too far away to photograph…but there were buds.

On Sunday (7/22/2012) when we returned - after almost 24 straight hours of rain - one of the buds had opened fully. I took a number of pictures and noticed that there seemed to be a lot of bees coming and going from the flower.

The only way to see inside the flower was to reach as far as I could and point the camera into the flower from above (in other words - taking the picture without being able to see the screen of the camera at all). The best one is below. It clearly shows that bees love lotus flowers! I think there are 6 bees visible!

Brookside Gardens Cloudy Day - July 2012

Brookside Gardens - high humidity relieved a bit with an occasional breeze - was between rain showers. We were there first thing in the morning before the heat of the day became overwhelming and the water droplets dried. The gardens were lush with greenery even though there was still some visible damage from the storm in early July and the more recent rains: freshly cut marks on some trees where limbs had broken, trampled high grass and buds nibbled by deer that got in when part of the fence was down, mulch washed to the side of paths leaving mud behind. I particularly liked the papyrus in pots in one of the pools and the garden with a low wall looking toward the wisteria arbor and tall trees beyond.

The slide show below includes my favorites of the closer study pictures: flowers with water droplets and shiny from overall moisture, a small stem of leaves blown into a pine, water droplets on a large leaf, and a classical looking tree trunk.

Summer Lotus

Over the past month, I’ve seen lotus plants in two separate gardens and photographed them. The pink ones were in the Dallas Arboretum (with the Chihuly glass) and the white ones were in Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County Maryland.

I like the big leaves of the lotus. They 

• Are almost circular.
• Curve into a shallow bowl to capture a pool of water in their centers when it rains.
• Unfurl like lily pads, starting out in two curls toward the center.
• Are veined from the center outward.
• Flutter gently in the breeze on their long stalks that are anchored in muddy shallow water.
• Have gentle waves around their edges. 

Enjoy the lotus slideshow below!

Gleanings of the Week Ending July 14, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Way out in a barren Chilean desert, the biggest telescope ever made is taking shape - Photos from the construction of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array

High-Tech Tools Give Researchers New View Of Yellowstone Thermal Features - Thermal maps of popular areas within the park

Electricity Storage - Wow - there are a lot of new ways out there and the idea of ‘storage’ of electricity implies a more robust infrastructure for reliable power than we have now

12 stats that matter to digital publishing - the number of people reading electronically rather than from paper is growing….and what/how they read is changing too

Heron Cam 2012 Highlights - All 5 have fledged from the Sapsucker Woods nest!

Scientific History and the Lessons for Today's Emerging Ideas -  A look back at what was happening in the 1890-1910 time period…lots of theories…some are threads to current theories, others are on the trash heap

Bridges for Animals - All around the world…this is an idea being tried to reduce road kill on highways

The 10 most pristine places on earth - none are in the US

Yama no sachi - A Japanese book from 1765. Read it on the Internet Archive. Use page down (or up) to browse through the book. It has illustrations of flowers, insects, and animals. My favorites are the peony (at right) and the poppy.

Drought leads to declaration of natural disaster in 26 US states - That’s more than half the states!

Southern Magnolia

As I made my way through Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee a few weeks ago - I decided to take lots of pictures of Southern Magnolias. They are appealing trees with shiny green leaves and creamy white flowers. Some become very large with enough warmth and moisture. I was frustrated the some did not look healthy…but there were enough that did to make a collage of pictures from bud to flowers to the beginning of the seed pod.

Texas Gardens in June 2012

A few weeks ago - before and after my time in Tennessee - I was in the Dallas, Texas area visiting family. June is one of the best times for gardens in Texas - before the heat burns or dries out the more delicate vegetation. But don’t be fooled - even the arbor covered with trumpet vine was no substitute for escaping to an air conditioned house after being out for a morning walk! 

How many plants can you identify in the slide slow below? Here’s a quick list of what it includes: 

• Trumpet vine
• Lilies (several kinds)
• Mesquite
• Canna
• Hibiscus
• Sunflowers
• Amaryllis
• Onion
• Pinks
• Purple peas
• Beets
• Squash 

Rock Island and Burgess Falls and State Parks - Tennessee

Continuing my series of posts about my trip to Tennessee several weeks ago - today the focus is on two more state parks: Rock Island and Burgess Falls. Both of these parks are all about water…Center Hill Lake and the falling water around it. Rock Island has falls that come out of a cavern mid-way up a cliff. The road over the dam is closed so it takes some driving around to see the whole park…but is well worth the effort. There is a charming spring house associated with the ruins of a textile mill. Burgess Falls is more water over rocks. Both parks have interesting hikes. The best time to go is probably late spring/early summer or in the fall…not in the heat of summer unless you are going to actually get in the water! Enjoy the slide show below - I’ve marked the pictures by park.

Other Tennessee posts: 

• Falls Creek Falls and Cumberland Mountain State Parks - Tennessee
• Museum Strategies
• Water Lilies
• Cheekwood Garden and Art Museum
• Cheekwood’s Howe Garden
• Cheekwood Tree Houses

Falls Creek Falls and Cumberland Mountain State Parks - Tennessee

A few weeks ago when I was in Tennessee - I enjoyed several state parks in the area between Nashville and Knoxville. The first one was Falls Creek Falls which is located near Pikeville, TN. It has shady trails and water falling over rocks and over cliffs. The rhododendrons were blooming when we were there. The trails are well maintained and labeled - but prepare for some up and down hills if you want to see the waterfalls really well. Many trails don’t require a long hike and hikers can take advantage of the water to cool off (wading…some swim) once they make the trek.

Right outside the park was a trading post where I found some great earrings and bracelets at very reasonable prices. It was a spur of the moment stop but it was probably the best shopping of the entire week.

The next day we went to Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville, TN. The 7 arch sandstone bridge that was built by the CCC is relatively dry with the lake lowered to rebuild another bridge. We hiked to get several vantage points of the bridge; the quality of the work overall and the drainage structures from the road bed were impressive. The slide show below is from our hike. After enjoying the park we toured one of the houses built as part of the Cumberland Homestead project in the 1930s.

There is a brochure that has a blurb on all the Tennessee state parks that is available at Tennessee rest stops and parks; another good source is the Tennessee State Parks web site.

10 Years Ago – In July 2002

Many years ago I started collecting headlines/news blurbs as a way of honing my reading of news. Over the years, the headline collection has been warped by the sources of news I was reading…increasingly online. Reviewing the July 2002 headline gleanings - I forced myself to pick 10.   

1. "Power Nap" Prevents Burnout; Morning Sleep Perfects A Skill
2. AIDS will claim 70 million by 2022
3. U.S. millionaire Steve Fossett became the first solo balloonist to circle the globe nonstop
4. The monuments of ancient Egypt may have stood for thousands of years in the desert sands, but now they face a new threat -- from rising groundwater.
5. There are approximately 100,000 more wild flowering plants in the world than previously thought
6. Sesame Street to introduce HIV positive muppet
7. Weeks into the state's effort to kill every deer in part of southwest Wisconsin to halt an outbreak of chronic wasting disease, wildlife officials still don't know how they're going to dispose of the tens of thousands of carcasses.
8. Glowing lava set trees afire and oozed into the ocean before dawn Saturday as thousands of spectators braved Kilauea Volcano's scalding spray to witness the spectacle.
9. Sea temperatures around Australia's Great Barrier Reef reached record highs this year, doing major damage to the world's largest living entity
10. During excavations last week at a Roman era palace in Butrint, Albania, researchers working in an upper level reception hall found a tiny ivory object dating to 465 AD. They believe it is Europe's oldest known chess piece.

As usual - the list is heavily skewed toward science and technology although the two about HIV/AIDS reflect how prominent that topic was in the news 10 years ago this month.

July Celebrations

July begins tomorrow. What is there to celebrate in July? Here are some ideas.

Independence Day in the US. The official day is July 4th. Have your own celebration with a family gathering or join your community for a celebration with a crowd. Our local celebration is a street festival followed by fireworks on July 7th. Last year we almost missed it (because we didn’t realize it was no on the 4th!) so we were looking for the flyer in the snail mail when it came. We’re set to load the lawn chairs in the car and get a great spot to relax and enjoy the show just after dark!

Summer and water. When it’s hot - getting wet is a welcome respite. Think about spending some time at the beach or the swimming pool. Alternatively - keep spray misters or water pistols handy for those times when the family is outdoors and needs a quick cool down.

Cherries. My favorite fruit for July is cherries and I keep the supply going as long as they are reasonably priced. I save watermelon for August although I like it so well that I buy it in July if the price is right. And what about the orange fleshed honey dew melons! They’ve just made an appearance this year in my local grocery although I’ve been reading about them. It’s easy to find foods for celebrating in July.

Early morning walks. It’s so hot later in the day that the early morning may be the only time to get out and about comfortably. Celebrate hearing the birds chattering - since they are usually at their liveliest in the morning.

Dallas Arboretum Chihuly - June 2012 - Part II

Continuing the post from yesterday….some other pictures are in today’s post. The blue font below indicates the pieces that are in today’s post.

The Dale Chihuly glass was placed in interesting settings within the gardens. The Blue Icicles (they look like blue yucca or aloes to me) were the first pieces we saw before we even bought our tickets. There was a tower of yellow icicles. The Blue Polyvitro Crystals were installed in a rocky creek - like chunks of blue ice. The Red and Blue Reeds stood in water or at its edges. Some were installed where mist would rise around them or in front of falling water. The Blue Marlins were in the area of rising mists. They somehow reminded me more of great blue herons than marlins. The Dallas Star was in an allee of crepe myrtle. There was glass on boats with balls of glass floating around on the water. Some clear and white glass forms were in a pool mimicking the lotus leaves growing there. There was a fanciful piece with green mirrored glass called Mirrored Hornets. There were towers of reed pieces. Ones I liked the best were the Scarlet and Yellow Asymmetrical Towers.

Enjoy the second group of pictures below. 

Lotus

Lotus

Dragonfly

Mirrored Hornets

Mirrored Hornets

Pretty pinks and greens

Scarlet and Yellow Asymmetrical Towers

Round and pink

Carnival Boat

Spider Lily

Marlins in Front of Falling Water

Yellow Hibiscus

Dallas Star (also like an allium)

Double Azalea

Succulent

Blue Marlins (herons?)

Trumpet Vine

Red Reeds

Garden Glass

Dallas Arboretum Chihuly - June 2012 - Part I

The Dallas Arboretum is hosting an exhibit of Dale Chihuly glass through November 5th. I was there earlier this month and thoroughly enjoyed both the arboretum and the glass.

The Dallas Arboretum opened in 1984 and is on the bank of White Rock Lake. We were there when it opened at 9 AM - trying to ‘beat the heat’ of the day. We walked around and saw almost everything by about noon (even making a short tour of the DeGolyer Mansion that is included in the Arboretum).

The Dale Chihuly glass was placed in interesting settings within the gardens. The Blue Icicles (they look like blue yucca or aloes to me) were the first pieces we saw before we even bought our tickets. There was a tower of yellow icicles. The Blue Polyvitro Crystals were installed in a rocky creek - like chunks of blue ice. The Red and Blue Reeds stood in water or at its edges. Some were installed where mist would rise around them or in front of falling water. The Blue Marlins were in the area of rising mists. They somehow reminded me more of herons than marlins. The Dallas Star was in an allee of crepe myrtle. There was glass on boats with balls of glass floating around on the water. Some clear and white glass forms were in a pool mimicking the lotus leaves growing there. There was a fanciful piece with green mirrored glass called Mirrored Hornets. There were towers of reed pieces. Ones I liked the best were the Scarlet and Yellow Asymmetrical Towers.

Enjoy the first batch of pictures below….there will be more tomorrow. The blue font above indicates the pieces that are in today’s post.

Water Lilies

I managed to capture a classic water lily picture at Cheekwood Garden and Art Museum - crisp flower and black background. It looked good on the small screen of my camera but even better once I saw it on the larger monitor of my computer. So - enjoy my June 2012 pictures of water lilies from Tennessee and Texas! If you want more - check out the post from last November - Water Lilies at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

 

Cheekwood’s Howe Garden

The Howe Garden at Cheekwood Garden and Art Museum in Nashville, TN has been recently renovated so the plantings are just becoming established. There were three things that caught my interest: the rain garden, the botanical images stamped on the gates, and the thatch roof on the cottage.

A rain garden is made to retain water with terrain and plantings. I had read about them but never seen one. The renovation to the Howe Garden included one that can be viewed from both sides of the bridge (the metal silhouettes of the bridge add to the view as well).

The botanical images stamped on the panels of the garden gate were of familiar things - lilies, lady slipper orchids, morning glories, and trilliums…and some I couldn’t name. They were wonderful images for a garden gate.

And last but not least the thatched room of the cottage. It was a thick layer of rushes, tightly layered. The underside, visible from inside the cottage looked just as neat.

Gleanings of the Week Ending June 23, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week:

Mars Weather Report: Size of Particles in Martian Clouds of Carbon Dioxide Snow Calculated - Using several years of data…and multiple data sources

Get the Most from Your Skin Care Products: Sequence in Which You Apply Skin Care Products Influences Their Effectiveness - Cleanse, treatment/medication, moisturizer/sunscreen, makeup….but using several products at the same time may negate the benefits and irritate the skin

Antibacterials in Personal-Care Products Linked to Allergy Risk in Children - Another study that suggests that children need exposure to common pathogens to build healthy immune responses…or the immune system can become overactive to food, pollen or pet dander

Million-Year-Old Groundwater in Maryland Water Supply - Wow…Even no-so-dry places are using up ground water faster than it can be replenished

Birding In The National Parks: Top 10 Birding Spots In The National Park System - I’ve been to 4 out of the 10!

5 solar myths busted - infographic

Pralines - Follow the link in this piece if you want to try making your own pralines!

Oil and Conventional Gas Extraction Can Cause Earthquakes Too - evidently biggest risk of earthquakes is when the wastewater from those operations is pumped back down into deep sandstone or other formations for permanent disposal

Non-Antibiotic Approach for Treating Urinary Tract Infections - Promising approach….could eventually be used for other types of infections as well?

What America Spends on Groceries - Comparison between 1982 and 2012