Plant of the Month – Crepe Myrtle

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I had originally thought holly would be the February plant of the month but then I was drawn to the seed pods of the crepe myrtle. I’ve already included images of them in my earlier post about our yard.  Those were taken at a time it was cloudy.

More recently I photographed them again in very bright light although when I look at them in the images it almost seems like they are glowing from within! Right then – Crepe Myrtle became the plant of the month.

I like the way the pods split into wedges that are the seeds…that the interior is a lighter color than the exterior husk. That lighter color reflects the light better and creates the ‘glow from within’ look.

Hurray for some February color in the wild!

Gleanings of the Week Ending February 25, 2023

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

The ancient diseases that plagued dinosaurs – Interdisciplinary teams are re-looking at dinosaur bones and comparing anomalies to diseases visible in modern bones….finding examples of dinosaurs with malignant bone cancer, septic arthritis, and airsacculitis. And it seems that there is a lot more to discover with the technologies now available to look at the fossils more closely and collaborating with vets (particularly vets that work with birds and reptiles).

A worthless life and the worthy death: euthanasia through the ages – The post is written from an Australian perspective and about Caitlin Mahar’s book: The Good Death Through Time. The topic is a thought provoking one….made more interesting with an overlay of history.  I wondered how much the growth of medical interventions has changed the way we envision ‘worthy death’ or is the phrase ‘death with dignity’ a better description now.

Residential solar advantages – 5 top benefits – This is something my husband and I plan to do…solar-plus-storage is our 1st choice. Residential solar also has advantages beyond the home itself: it can power your transportation home too!

Fructose could drive Alzheimer’s disease – More research is needed…but it is interesting that the fructose consumption has gone up in the US (in 1977-1978 it was 37 g/day….in a 2008 study, it was 54.7 g/day). Maybe reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s is another reason to eliminate ultra-processed foods that typically contain a lot of fructose from our diet.

High-paying jobs that don't need a college degree? Thousands of them are sitting empty – Making a career in the trades….and there is a lot of work available.

Why methane surged in 2020 – Interesting findings and how they were developed. The two main reasons: 1) heightened emissions from wetlands because of unusually high temperatures and rainfall and 2) decline in NOx due to COVID-19 lockdowns which broke the chemical reaction in the atmosphere that produces hydroxyl (OH) that serves to remove methane from the atmosphere.

Why aren’t energy flows diagrams used more to inform decarbonization? – Yes! These are easier to understand than a lot of other graphics. The ‘heating the UK with heat pumps or green hydrogen’ diagram caused a ‘learned something new’ moment for me!

Will we ever be able to predict earthquakes? – The answer might be ‘no’ – but there are still a lot of people trying. We can’t rely on predicting them to reduce the destruction in infrastructure and lives. Enforced building codes would reduce destruction and save lives since we already know the areas of high risk for earthquakes. It will be interesting to see an analysis of what the damage from the recent Turkey/Syria earthquake would have been if building codes would have been enforced (the ones that Turkey evidently instituted after the previous earthquake…and also if the ‘best in world’ standards has been enforced).

15th-Century Spices Identified in Royal Shipwreck – Analysis of plants from a 1495 shipwreck in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden: nutmeg, cloves, mustard, dill, saffron, ginger, peppercorns, almonds, blackberries, raspberries, grapes and flax. The findings provide insight on cuisine and trade of the era.

Did you know pronghorns shed their horns? – No…but it a good piece of trivia. I remember seeing pronghorns in New Mexico – racing our vehicle during a guided tour of Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.

Ceramics of Masayuki Imai

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Like many other museums, The Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum has contributed many volumes to Internet Archive. This exhibit book from 1985 is just one example. Books made to sell in museum gift shops during an exhibit quickly go out of print so being able to browse them digitally is the best way to savor an exhibit whose contents has long scattered.

Masayuki Imai ceramic art 1985 : Peabody Museum of Salem, 21 March-21 May, 1985

I chose 3 images from the book as sample images for their shapes and subjects. I like all things botanical and there were a lot of plants featured in Imai’s work; there probably are not many pots that feature floating pitcher plants like his! Cranes might be a more popular decoration…but the shape of the pot was unusual. The color of the 3rd pot was different than the majority of the pots, making it stand out.

The book includes a short biography of the artist. I did a search but couldn’t find an updated one.

Table Rock Lake

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On a sunny day last week, we headed south to Table Rock State Park – situated on the shore of Table Rock Lake. The drive down had many roadcut cliffs….curving highway…scenic. We parked near the boat launch and walked along the paved lakeside trail. There were frequent ad hoc trails going all the way down to the lake…using ‘stairsteps’ in rock down to water level. We saw at least one person fishing. There was rain in the previous days so the eroded rock held small pools of water.

The first side trail we took down to the water included a surprise. There was a whole watermelon at the water’s edge! How did it get there? Did someone put it in the water to cool down then forget it was there? We wondered how long it had been at the edge of the lake since we are well past the season for them to be in grocery stores. It was the only ‘trash’ we saw during our walk!

I was fascinated by the intensity of the color on wet rocks compared to the rocks that had dried out on the shore.

The water itself changed the way the rocks look too. These two pictures are of the same area but the water acts as a distorting lens!

I turned aroud and took some zoomed images of drying debris, a chuck of rock, and the layers in one of the ‘stairs’ – then made my way back up to the paved trail.

We started looking at the sights along the trail. There were limestone boulders along the edge and I started noticing inclusions in some of them. Some areas were forested…with enough underbrush to support communities of lichen and moss….and, my favorite, turkey tails (shelf fungus).

We didn’t see a lot of birds – and I didn’t get any pictures. It was not the best time of day for bird watching. I saw a nuthatch, crows, and turkey vultures…without even going into ‘birding’ mode.

There were not a lot of people in the park this time of year even though the day was warm enough for a picnic (there was one family with one children that was enjoying a snack). It is easy to imagine the place being full of people when the temperature is warmer…and everyone would enjoy the activities on or in the water!

Now to plan some other day trips….take advantage of any pleasant day to do a little more exploring of places within an hour of where we live!

Ice and Algae

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It was below freezing for almost 24 hours before I ventured out last week an hour or so after sunrise. The temperature was in the 20s and I anticipated capturing ice on our neighborhood pond. I bundled up in my heaviest coat and gloves…already had the lens cover off my camera since it is hard to remove with gloves on.  I noticed the robins were around and probably beginning to scout nesting locations.

There was a small group of Canada Geese; most stayed on the bank but two ventured into the pond through mats of algae. I began to worry that maybe the sun shining on the pond surface had already melted the ice even though the air temperature was still below freezing!

As I looked more closely I noticed that there was ice between the mats of algae! Some of the ice had a look of cut glass. There were leaves just under the surface in some places – distorted by the ice – but some are, quite clearly, oak leaves. The color of the algae is a nice contrast with the ice!

My favorite picture of the morning was a patch of ice surrounded by algae. The green mats creates a fuzzy (slimy?) frame around the ice structures.

I continued aroud the pond and noticed that a twig of red maple flowers had fallen onto the path. The tree blooms so early that the hard freezes sometimes are problematic. The red maple that this twig came from seemed to still have quite a few flowers that had tolerated the cold so the tree should still be producing seeds this year.

Overall – I’m glad I went out when I did. This could be one of the last times to capture ice on the pond since spring is one the way.

Edamame Pods

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Edamame pods have become my favorite light meal/snack. I usually look for shelled edamame for stir fries but recently discovered snack-sized packages of frozen soybeans in pods that are intended to be microwaved 2.5 minutes in the package…then eaten. They are unseasoned. I like them plain but variety could be added by sprinkling with your favorite no salt seasoning. They have 9 grams of protein…90 calories…along with fiber, essential fatty acids and isoflavones….probably one of the healthiest snacks around.

My daughter had introduced me to soybeans in pods served as an appetizer at a restaurant while we were in Canada. The learning curve to get the beans out of the pod neatly was an adventure…but didn’t take long. In restaurants they are often served with salt crystals. I’m glad I noticed the packages at my grocery store so I can include them more frequently in my diet.

The pods are left after the snack. They are not edible. Another edamame pod adventure: some macro photography (with my phone – a Samsung Galaxy S10e). The pods retain the bumps from where the beans were….and begin to curl as they dry. The inside has a lighter layer that looks like padding for the bean. There are also bristles and tiny dark channels on the outer part of the pod.

Now - I’ve collected enough pods over several days. I am putting them in my small compost pile.

Gleanings of the Week Ending February 18, 2023

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

Farmers Find Wild African Cat Wandering Around Missouri – A serval found when a farming family set a live trap to capture the culprit leaving bones and feathers between their stacks of hay bales! The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge came to the rescue. This is all close to where I live and I was saddened that evidently the new Big Cat Public Safety Act does not include the smaller non-native wild cats…and that someone was cruel enough to release this cat of the African savanna into the wild in Missouri.

Caribou have been using the same Arctic calving grounds for 3,000 years – Analysis of antlers found on the tundra….discovering some of them are 3,000 years old! But the Arctic is warming faster than other parts of the globe. The elders of the village south of the calving grounds comment that they have noticed a lot more trees, less barren tundra. What will happen to the barren ground caribou as this habitat gets converted to forest?

Why fabric fraud is easy to hide – The fashion supply chain is fragmented and very dense….most apparel companies do not track their own supply chain (or don’t go past their immediate suppliers). Organic cotton is one of the prime examples of how end products labelled as organic cotton…might not be. It is hard to determine where the fraud is inserted in the process; the result is that the consumer is paying a premium price…not getting what they are paying for. And to improve the system will require big changes in the fabric/apparel business.

A Field Guide to Unexpected, Out-of-Place Wildlife – Sometimes animals have ranges that are changing or are a lot larger than we anticipate…sometimes birds are in very different places that their usual range!

Dirty Laundry: How much microfiber do we emit with our laundry – A study done in the UK…but probably relevant to the US as well. Microfibers from laundry in the UK weigh 6,850 to 17,847 tons per year. Yes…that’s a lot and pollutes water…however, it is a dwarfed by the 365,000 tons of clothing going into UK landfills per year.

Antibiotic use in farming set to soar despite drug-resistance fears – The increase in bacterial infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics (because of bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics) has been growing in recent years. Overuse of antibiotivs in agriculture is thought to be a major driver of the problem. Governments around the world have attempted to curb the use of antibiotics to promote growth but the use is still expected to grow by 8% between 2020 and 2030. The article includes a chart of agricultural antibiotics by country in 2020…and a projection for 2030.

The Lifelike Glass Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka – Thousands of realistic models of plants and sea creatures made by a father and son from the 1860s until 1938.

8 everyday foods you might not realize are ultra-processed – and how to spot them – I am cutting back on ultra-processed foods this year. Some of the 8 listed in this article are easy: I don’t eat breakfast cereals, I only eat protein bars as ‘emergency rations’ (i.e. not frequently) and avoid yogurt, meal bases and sauces, processed meats, and margarine. I’m still looking for a soy milk that has fewer ingredients; will give up on soy milk soon if I don’t find one. And I try to buy bakery bread.

Did Philip II bring invasive fish to Spain? – Evidently his efforts to acquire fish and crayfish from afar spanned at least 25 years!

Study reveals that much still not known about cognitive decline - Data came from 7,068 participants in the 1996-2016 Health and Retirement Study. Participants were born between 1931 and 1941. Researchers measured their cognitive functioning at age 54 and how it declined until they were 85. At age 54, socioeconomic status, education and race -- explained only 38% of the variation in functioning. Those same factors explained only 5.6% of the variation in how quickly cognitive functioning declined in people between age 54 and 85. So much we don’t know about cognitive decline although it is pervasive in older adults, even those without dementia.

Settling in, developing new routines – 8th month

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We moved to Missouri eight months ago and have adjusted in many areas…but there are still things to do. My previous ‘settling in’ posts were made in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th month; it’s time for another update. The upheaval of the move is waning. The changes between our 4th month and now are more gradual; there isn’t the frenzy of activity like in the first few months. We’ve voted in the mid-term election, subscribed to a local news feed… are experiencing winter and working on our 2022 tax filing (it is more complex this year with the sale of a house and two state taxes). I’ve sustained my treks to Texas; it’s become apparent that the monthly plan might need to be adjusted quickly depending on the care my parents need; the priority of being available for my parents will keep me from signing up for volunteer gigs or university classes. Our three kittens are keeping us close to home too; they need a lot of attention but we have successfully done day trips and 1-2 nights away; my daughter checks on them when we are gone for more than a few hours.

There are still things we are anticipating:

Spring in Missouri. The rhododendron flowers were already fading by the time I first looked at the house…the irises had already bloomed too. I’ll enjoy seeing the flowers…supplemented with the additional bulbs I planted last fall. We are also talking about day trips for gardens and birding hotspots within the state.

All-electric. We are talking more about the order of steps we will take to move the house toward being ‘all-electric’ over the next 3 years or so…and then adding solar panels/battery.

Dark sky. My husband is keen to go to a dark sky site…hopefully once the temperature is a bit warmer, he’ll be able to do it.

Yard. I have been putting off contacting a nursery…but need to do it soon if I want things in before it gets too hot (and potentially dry) this summer.

Overall – we are not venturing out very much right now because of the cold…but we’ll do more outdoors in the spring. And maybe meet more of our neighbors too!

Our Nixa, MO Yard – February 2023

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February started out bitterly cold – with sleet/snow that stayed on the ground for days. I bundled up and ventured outdoors with my camera to document the situation in our yard. There had been some freeze-thaw cycles already, but the concrete and rock covered beds were still very white. A downspout had dribbled water than had frozen before it could escape. In the yard, the grass bristled through the whiteness; I left footprints, but they didn’t go very deep. The yard was pristine; our Missouri yard (and neighborhood) is not a deer highway like our Maryland house was.  The iris leaves in one bed seemed unfazed by the cold (hope that continues to be true!).

I went through the house to go out to the front because all the gates were frozen in place. I was surprised that mine were the only footprints on our sidewalk; with schools closed and the bitter cold, people were not taking walks as usual.

I was intrigued by the round seed pods on one of our larger crepe myrtles. The wind and gravity had emptied some of them, but others still contained the seeds from last fall.  The seeds were ready to scatter…they fell out easily with a nudge of my fingernail.

Our Missouri Neighborhood – February 2023

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There were a few days of snow and ice early in the month; I stayed indoors for the first days but then the sun came out and I decided to bundle up and walk around the neighborhood to document the event. The pumps in the largest pond were keeping some open water.

Two geese ventured out on the ice…but turned around and rejoined their friends on the bank before getting all the way to the unfrozen part of the pond.

The snow that fell on the slides in the playground had gone through some freeze-thaw cycles and was extending past the end of the slides!

The contrast of tree trunks and snow/ice was stark…the snow creating a different pattern than usual when the mulch around the trees is almost the same brown as the tree trunk.

My favorite sights of the morning were the neuron shapes in the pond. My theory is that the center part that looks unfrozen is either a shallow spot or has a lot of water plants near the surface. The ‘dendrites’ coming out from the center are cracks in the ice that are mostly refrozen. I zoomed in on one of the centers; the texture of the ice looks like cut glass!

Or maybe I was just thinking about neurons too much since I’ve been learning about them recently…stay tuned for tomorrow’s post for more about that.

Gleanings of the Week Ending February 11, 2023

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

Why the world feels so unstable right now – Intermittent instability of nonlinear systems of nature and global society –weather and climate, the economy, a pandemic, a war. We attempt to model nonlinear systems to predict these intermittent instabilities…but it is hard. Right now there seem to be significant nonlinear systems interacting: weather/climate + diseases (COVID-19 and bird flu (US)) + inflation + Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Completing The Electrical Circuit at Kilauea in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park – The technique to get a detailed ‘CAT scan’ of the volcano…..mapping locations of subsurface magma in 3D.

Ex-cell-ent Clouds off Chile’s Coast – Open and closed-cell marine stratocumulus clouds photographed by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. Learning more about these clouds….contributing to better weather prediction and improving the accuracy of climate models.

The Surprising Substances Ancient Egyptians Used to Mummify the Dead – Evidently some of the substances the embalmers were using came from Southeast Asia. Perhaps embalming instigated early global trade.

Algae robots transport antibiotics to infected tissues (infographic) – Researchers inserted the modified algae into mouse windpipes…they spread into the lung tissue and killed pathogenic bacteria!

Hundreds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Designs were never built. Here’s what they might have looked like. – Computer generated models from David Romero.

5 expert tips to protect yourself from online misinformation – We all need tools to help us distinguish information from misinformation.

Montessori: The world’s most influential school? – I sought out a Montessori pre-K and K for my daughter about 30 years ago…and it fit her needs. I have no way of analyzing how closely the school adhered to classical Montessori ideals.

An action plan to prevent Alzheimer’s disease – Defining what 2nd generation memory clinics should include.

Gallup: Fewer than half of Americans believe US healthcare is good enough – Not surprising really – it’s expensive and we are all getting more skeptical that the system is as effective as it should be for what it costs. Evidently the people in my age group (over 55) were generally more satisfied with their health care than other age groups; people old enough to qualify for Medicare may not be as anxious about costs but I was surprised that I am in the minority in thinking US healthcare is ‘subpar’ rather than ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ based on the effectiveness issue and the structure of the system overall.

The Whole Orange

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I’ve enjoyed oranges all my life….sometimes cutting them in slices…sometimes in wedges. In recent years, I cut them in wedges so that after I eat the pulp, the peels fit nicely into the food processor.

Once the peel is chopped up, I let it dry on a plate to be used in cooking…or in hot tea.

It feels good to use the whole orange….getting all the nutrition from the fruit! I have some recipes that use the whole fruit as well; my favorite is cranberry orange relish that I make any time I see fresh cranberries in the produce section (usually November and December).

My mother reminisced that oranges were special treats of the holidays when she was child, and her mother often candied the peel. Every time I use the whole orange, I feel an affinity with my maternal grandmother…good vibes through the years!

Spring Yard Dreaming

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Moving to a new area of the country….a new house…I am full of dreams for the yard.

I’ve already bought way too many seeds for the existing flowerbeds. Most of the beds contain landscaping cloth covered by river rock. Maybe I could plant mini-pumpkins in those beds by poking a hole in the fabric. I’d like to grow enough plants to have a good harvest in the fall. I’ve already identified some beds in the back of the house that will be changed dramatically. And there are areas between trees that I will turn into flower beds because I don’t want to mow there. One plant I want to grow…and harvest…is stevia; my CSA in Maryland had hardy plants that withstood harvesting of their leaves/small branches all during the growing season; putting a few leaves to steep with tea gives just a hint of sweetness that I enjoy; I will order organic seeds.

I have chives seeds gleaned from my parents’ Carrollton yard that I will plant to grow as ‘edges’ of flower beds. Since I purchased seeds as well (that have pink flowers) I will probably mix those seeds with the ones I gleaned to add splashes of color/texture variety.

My larger plan it to plant some native bushes in the back yard to reduce the amount of yard that is mowed and have some deeper rooted plants on the slopes at the side of the house. I need to go to a nursery to hone my list of natives that are hardy in this area. I’ll ask about some of my favorites: oak leaf hydrangea, beautyberry, and ninebark. I’d like to plant something that would provide winter food for birds; maybe the nursery will have some recommendations. I need to check the guidelines from our Home Owner Association to see if I need to get permission; if I do, hopefully it will be an easy process.

February is the ‘yard dreaming’ month….I’ll need to act soon to make it happen…but maybe it won’t all get done in 2023!

Carrollton Frosts – January 2023

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There were two frosts in late January when I was in Carrollton. The first day started out at 30 degrees and 96% humidity. I made the first round of pictures around the yard of my parents’ house not long after sunrise.

Frost covered the upper surfaces of everything.

The seed pods of the red yucca are my favorite images – coated with frost that highlights the ridges and folds of the pods.

I went inside for about an hour then photographed more plants and objects. The crystals on a tiled counter near the gas grill were the largest (mostly columns).

On another morning, the temperature was 34 degrees and the humidity was not as high…but frost formed anyway. I wondered if the oxalis would be able to withstand the two days of frost. The tiled counter was encrusted with crystals again.

Josey Ranch – January 2023

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The birds on the water at Josey Ranch in Carrollton, TX changed from when I was there in December. The Northern Shovelers were not there in January! The American Wigeon were there the first day I went in January but not on the second. It seems a little early for them to be migrating; maybe they have moved to a bigger pond. On my first visit – I saw American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, American Coot, Great Egret, Ruddy Ducks, and gulls.

The surprise birds of the day were a pair of Buffleheads. They were busy diving for food! I’ve seen them occasionally at Josey Ranch before but they are not in the ‘regular’ birds there.

On the second day I visited, there were gulls lined up on the walkway near the parking lot. The Lesser Scaup, American Coot, and Great Egret were still around. The mallards seemed more numerous than on the first day (seemingly skewed toward males). There was a Great Blue Heron almost hidden in the reeds. The Ruddy Ducks were still there but sleeping just as they were on the first day.

I walked around to the native plants in a terraced area between the Library and Senior Center. It was almost too windy for macro pictures…but I tried anyway. Some berries were the only color….but the shapes of the dried remains of the plants from last summer are interesting enough.

eBotanical Prints – January 2023

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Twenty more books were added to the botanical print collection this month. Two series were from Australia: 8 volumes of A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus and 3 volumes of the Australian Orchid Review (there are many more volumes of the orchid review that I will browse in February). And there were two additional books about Australian plants: A manual of the grasses of New South Wales and How to know western Australian wildflowers.

The whole list of 2,552 botanical eBooks can be accessed here. The list for the January 2023 books with links to the volumes and sample images is at the bottom of this post.

Click on any sample images in the mosaic below to get an enlarged version. Enjoy the January 2023 eBotanical Prints!

The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants * Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Lindenmayer, Aristid * sample image * 1990

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V1 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1909

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V2 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1914

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V3 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1917

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V4 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1920

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V5 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1922

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V6 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1924

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V7 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1929

A Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus V8 * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1929

A Manual of the grasses in New South Wales * Maiden, Joseph Henry * sample image * 1898

Trees Of Northeastern United States Native And Naturalized * Brown, Harold Philip * sample image * 1938

Cotton in India * Sikka, S.M.; Singh, Arjan et al * sample image * 1962

House Plants * Van Tress, Robert * sample image * 1937

A description of the genus Pinus V1 * Bauer, Ferdinand; Lambert, Alymer Bourke * sample image * 1803

A description of the genus Pinus V2 * Bauer, Ferdinand; Lambert, Alymer Bourke * sample image * 1803

Malcolm Howie Watercolors * Howie, Malcolm * sample image * 1935

How to know Western Australian wildflowers : a key to the flora of the extratropical regions of Western Australia  * Blackall, William Edward * sample image * 1900

Australian Orchid Review 2019 (February - March) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2019

Australian Orchid Review 2019 (April - May) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2019

Australian Orchid Review 2019 (June July) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2019

Carrollton Yard – January 2023

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I was in Carrollton, TX the last week of January. It was almost spring-like on a day early in the week. I took pictures of the yard – dried or frost damaged vegetation – but noticed signs of spring as well: the Japanese quince in bloom, the fronds of the naked lady lilies up through the mulch and some new leaves on the rose bushes. The oxalis had recovered from the deep freeze in December…providing swaths of green in the flower beds.

The bird feeder is very popular with a flock of house sparrows. They like the larger seeds – often flying to nearby bushes with their seed – leaving the feeder available for their friends. There are occasional chickadees and house finches that comes to the feeder too.

The mourning doves clean up the seeds on the ground – the rejects of the feeder birds.

There seemed to be more robins around in the front of the house – another sign that spring is on the way!

Ten Little Celebrations – January 2023

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January is usually the calm after the flurry of holidays and other big celebrations in November and December. Still - there are plenty of little celebrations to choose from; these are the top 10 for January 2023.

50th wedding anniversary. My husband and I celebrated our 50th anniversary….a delivered lunch with our daughter. Our anniversary celebrations have always been relatively low key; this year I thought more about my parents’ 70th anniversary back in December…savoring enduring relationships with my family.

A new low weight for the year. I put on some weight in November and December. I put myself on a “healthy food” diet (logging my food into the Cronometer app) and celebrated that it worked…slowly but surely taking off pounds!

Lake Springfield. A winter meadow…and black vultures. Celebrating being outdoors in winter.

Another frost data point. I celebrated getting a second frosty morning to add to my project…noting temperature and humidit and photographing the crystals.

Hurray – bone density results still in the ‘normal’ range. Every time I get new bone density check, I am always a little anxious. I am leery of medications to treat bone density issues so I’m glad my preventative exercise - calcium – magnesium – Vitamin D regime seems to be maintaining my bones.

A sunny day in Carrollton (and seeing a downy woodpecker). After clouds and rain, a sunny day is always welcome and seeing a small woodpecker getting breakfast in a tree near a window adds to the celebration.

Coursera anatomy course. Starting a new course…celebrating filling in gaps in what I already know. Its always fun to slip back into the student role.

Pumpkin custard with peanut powder. I celebrated the success of my culinary experiment of the month: adding a cup of peanut powder to pumpkin custard (and rounding up on the spices). Yummy…and high in protein.

Snow (pictures) from Nixa/Springfield. I celebrated the event while I was in Texas.

Frosty morning in Carrollton. I added 2 frost events into my project while I was in Texas…celebrated that the conditions were cold enough…humidity high enough too.

Zooming – January 2023

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Birds (Great Egret, Northern Shoveler, Great Blue Heron, Northern Pintail, Red-tailed Hawk)….evergreens…dried (or frost damaged) plants…Texas sky - January was good month using the optical zoom on my camera! The locations were Texas (Carrollton, Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge) and Missouri (Nixa, Springfield). Enjoy the slideshow!

Gleanings of the Week Ending January 28, 2023

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

What links litmus paper and lichens? – How did I not know that litmus dye was made from lichens? I remember using red cabbage to tint paper for an elementary school science project with my daughter. We tested everything in the house…discovered that even the fumes from toilet bowl cleaner turned the strips we made bright pink!

How donkeys changed the course of human history – The beast of burden. During Roman times the subspecies used was larger than modern donkeys…specifically bred for the expanding empire.

Jungle realm of the Snake Queens – A 5-part article about 2 Mayan queens: Lady K’abel and Lady Six Sky.

Marriage in Minoan Crete – A surprise – it was very common to marry one’s first cousin!

Kenya’s Rift Valley lakes are rising, putting thousands at risk – A study reveals that there have been increases in rainfall since 2010…an increase of only 0.4-2% of mean annual rainfall leads to the observed rising lakes/flooding.

EPA requirement keeps electric buses out of low-income schools – Low-income school districts often don’t own their school buses; they rely on contractors or subsidized lease deals. So --- they can’t meet the requirement to scrap the old diesel buses.

Ten-minute scan enables detection and cure of the commonest cause of high blood pressure – The hormone aldosterone causes 1 in 15 cases of high blood pressure. This new technology/treatment is a big improvement for the way those cases can be treated.

Dead Humpback Whale Washes Ashore at Assateague Island – This is the second one recently. I am familiar with the place this time…Assateague Island was a place my husband and enjoyed for birding when we lived in Maryland.

China’s population declines for the first time in six decades – Changing demographics in China.

Bees exposed to common weedkiller via wildflower nectar – Evidently the flowers can be contaminated even if they are not sprayed directly!