Sunday, 7 December 2008
Some days, by this hour, my brain is pure mush and I haven’t anything interesting in mind to write about. So, here’s a mystery of sorts: how does a plant manage to survive when its leaves become this color, given that its chlorophyll activities are extremely frustrated*.
Still, pretty darned beautiful!
* I once heard The Botanist characterize plants bred to have non-green leaves using this word….
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Today wasn’t our first hard frost, but almost. Certainly it’s the first I got outside to record!
I remain amazed that the pansys can survive our winters—and be cheerful about it! (well, wilty until the temps rise).
Trying a new recipe tonight. Chicken (pieces). Roasted. Should be easy. I’ll type it up if it works! (Stay tuned!)
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Are these asters? I always think of them as asters. They’re blooming now, along with pansies. My sense of the seasons developed in the upper Midwest, and I find blooms outdoors this time of the year just plain strange.
Prediction:* when they log the votes tonight, the turnout will have been LOW and Saxby the Sleeze will get the voter’s nod, thanks to the rural vote, or alternatively because of the low urban turnout (your choice).
* Yeah, we went to vote. No line; a steady flow of voters, but no line. Remember 4 Nov? We waited an hour. BTW, we voted on four runoff elections, two of them judges….
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
I’m giving myself flowers today—well, a single digital posy….
Here, share with me!
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Yesterday I wrote about the eastern hemlocks, which are on the cusp of disappearing from our forests. This is an American chestnut, a species that used to anchor our eastern forests (about 1/4 of the trees), but is now reduced to an extremely rare mature specimen, and a few natural-coppice-growth trees less than twenty years old or so, like this one. These commonly get the blight and die back.
By the way, don’t forget that we have also lost our American elms from our forests. They were also commonly chosen as shade trees along residential streets within their range.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Here’s another of those floral devastation stories: the Eastern hemlock is under attack by infestations of hemlock woolly adelgid, an Asian import that sucks the sap from young twigs, retarding growth, causing needles to drop prematurely, and ultimately killing the trees—within a few years, actually, so it’s a short “ultimately.” Every hemlock we examined yesterday during our hike in Lumpkin County was infested.
Hemlocks are one of my favorite trees, and there is no stopping this invasion. These forests have already lost the legendary chestnuts, and this is another huge blow to this ecosystem. The Forest Service predicts that the loss of this species will change stream flows, light permeation, and in turn, of course, change habitat for many other species, including in streams.
Sad, sad, sad.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Okay, I admit it; this was yesterday when it was sunnier than today’s overcast.
As I watch the plants prepare for wintery doldrums, I can’t help but think about…plant* foods!
So, I’ve posted two new recipes for side dishes (well, postings are new; recipes are not). Celery salad—it’s heavenly, and I’m not a celery fan. And cracked wheat pilaf, which is a tasty way to enjoy those whole grains you know you should be eating….
* Oops; I erroneously typed plabt….
Sunday, 9 November 2008
The leaves, they are a-falling. In step with the financial markets?
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
You didn’t know he was running, didja?
He won the $25 gift bag from TJs.* They loaded up a reusable bag with goodies—all seemed like newer products.
We now have a free way to try Israeli couscous, blackberry tea, citrus-flavored thirst quenching drink, three cheese tomato pasta sauce, a Lumpy-Dumpy bar, flakes of dried ginger, and several other products. Surely, we’ll dig into the microwave popcorn tonight!
Now that wasn’t the total excitement of our trip to TJs—read more as you “flip through” the pictures….
* You get to make an entry in the weekly drawing each time you make a purchase and have your own bags. In contrast, our local Whole Foods gives you a dime refund per bag used.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Okay, KW, here ya go: a picture series from yesterday’s hike.
BTW, the image above is looking through the not-falls—the drought and general autumnal conditions mean there wasn’t enough water to make even a trickle over the outcrop….
