Nativars

June 09, 2026

Toward the back of my local Sunday newspaper was a USA Today article on the need to plant native plants to help pollinator insects.  This caught my eye as I have dedicated two of our flower beds        to growing native wildflower mixes and Melissa has increased the number of potted plants around both the front and back of our house.  The bed in front was planted last year with perennials, and it reproduced this year.  The bed to the north (not full sun) contains two small tables with succulents but I added sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) to the rest of the bed.  All the seeds in the north bed were past their expiration, but I prepared the ground and sowed the seed on the off chance they would grow.  While not all the seeds sprouted, I was pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of plants that are now growing.  While the newspaper article stressed how native pollinators prefer native plants, it also mentioned how recent plant breeding has created hybrid plants known as nativars.

When I went online, I found nativar is a blend (portmanteau) of the words ‘native’ and ‘cultivar’.  A nativar is a horticulturally bred strain of a plant species which distinguishes them from their native counterparts.  These plants may have different genetic traits from those formerly prevalent in the wild.  The difference between a ‘nativar’ and a ‘cultivar’ is if the species is grown within its native historic range.  The goal of using nativars within their historic species range is to reintroduce their ecological benefit into the local ecology.  The ecological consequences and benefits of nativars are a widely discussed concept within gardening and horticultural communities, as the capacity of nativar plants to fit the ecological niche of their native counterpart may be manipulated during the breeding process.  Nativars are developed for a variety of reasons, including disease resistance, pest resistance, and drought tolerance.  Within the horticulture industry, nativars are often developed for aesthetic reasons, such as improving bloom and foliage size, shape, form or scent, along with improved growth habits for a garden setting.  Nativars are developed within the agriculture and forestry industries for improved yield, flavor and quality.  Finally, nativars have been developed for restoration purposes in hopes of re-establishing native populations.

One of the ways nativars can be manipulated during the breeding and cultivation process is the capacity for a plant species to fit the needs of pollinator species that coevolved to rely on them.  Pollinator visitation rates of nativar plants may be increased, decreased, or unchanged relative to their wild native counterparts depending on altered factors such as bloom time, color, and shape. Nativars that dramatically change the bloom color of the species compared to wild populations can disrupt the ability of native pollinators to recognize the flowers as a food source.  The ecological benefit of nativars for pollinators can also be reduced by diminished nectar, pollen production, and flower form.  Not all cultivars that alter the bloom color from the most abundant naturally occurring flowers result in decreased ecological relationships.  It depends on the resulting hybrid and the selectivity of the pollinator.

THOUGHTS: Nativars are hybrids created for humans and not native pollinators.  They increase the bloom size or even result in double blooms, but they can also cause the plant to be sterile or reduce the amount of pollen or nectar produced.  Since our purpose for planting wildflowers is to attract (and feed) native bees (genus, Apis) and butterflies (order, Lepidoptera) I do not plan on sowing nativars.  Why and how humans act depends on the desired outcome.  If we are not purposeful, we cannot complain about an undesirable outcome.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Vulture

June 08, 2026

Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) say invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Everglades are facing an unexpected new threat.  A newly published UF study found that Black vultures and Turkey vultures have become significant predators of python eggs.  Motion-activated cameras are capturing the birds digging into nests and consuming eggs while mother pythons temporarily left to bask in the sun.  Scientists said the findings could help explain why the rapidly growing python population has not expanded even faster across South Florida despite the reptiles having few natural predators in the region.  The study documented vultures destroying nearly half the eggs in monitored nests, raising hopes that native scavengers may be adapting to help naturally suppress the invasive species.  Researchers said Burmese pythons have devastated native wildlife populations in the Everglades by preying on mammals, birds and reptiles since becoming established in Florida decades ago.  The findings, published in the journal Reptiles & Amphibians, suggest that native wildlife may be adapting to exploiting the destructive, invasive python as a food source.

When I went online, I found vulture refers to a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors).  Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia while New World vultures have 7 species and are restricted to North and South America.  Old and New World vultures are not closely related, and their resemblances in similar form or function are not present in the last common ancestor of those groups (convergent evolution).  A characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head believed to keep the head clean when feeding.  North America has three species of vulture.  The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is across the US and South America and is moving north into Canada.  The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) lives in southeastern US states and into Mexico.  California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest North American land bird.  The species became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild birds were captured but has been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah, the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico.

Researchers stumbled on four vultures eating python eggs in the dense underbrush of the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area in Broward County, Florida.  This is the first documented case of a native Florida bird preying on an invasive python nest.  The event occurred in 2023 but was not published until this year.  The researchers used a “scout snake” with a radio transmitter to locate the nest and were coming to collect the eggs.  The vultures fled the nest when approached and could not be identified as Black or Turkey vultures.  The only other documented case of predation on python eggs was in 2021 when a trail camera captured a bobcat eating python eggs in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve.  There is a precedent for native animals learning to consume invasive species.  The Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) was near extinction when it started eating an invasive snail that is larger than the native snail the birds typically ate, resulting in a rapid microevolution to have larger beaks to be more adept at digging into the larger snail. 

THOUGHTS: Growing up in Kansas I saw many a Turkey Vulture, but it was not until we moved to Arkansas that I became aware of the Black Vulture.  The two species are often together fighting over carrion or swarming the skies.  The Turkey Vulture has a smaller red head and can find carrion with its excellent eyesight or with its sense of smell, while the Black Vulture has a black head and can only find its food visually.  While humans may appear divergent, we are all the same species.  We need to try and behave like it.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Volunteer

June 03, 2026

I went to the eye doctor for my annual checkup today and when I returned Melissa wanted to show me something that had sprouted in the mailbox planter.  Melissa has tried to grow several different flowers in this brick planter.  The grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) has done well and explode in early spring, but they dwindle and die leaving the box empty during the summer and fall.  We have tried a variety of different perennials, but none have lasted through the season, yet alone come back the following year.  This year Melissa tried something different by planting a central coneflower (Echinacea) hybrid (sombrero lemon yellow) surrounded by rose moss (Portulaca grandiflora) starts to act as an annual bedding and keep down the weeds.  While the rose moss plants are doing well, the coneflower is again struggling.  What Melissa wanted to show me, however, was an intrusive weed that was beginning to take over the lower left side of the planter.  It was obvious this volunteer was a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plant.

When I went online, I found “volunteer” plants in gardening are those that sprout and grow on their own without being intentionally planted.  They emerge from seeds dropped in the previous season, spread by wildlife, or distributed through homemade compost.  While some volunteers are thought of as nuisances, they can be surprisingly vigorous, cost-free additions to your garden.  On the plus side, a volunteer is free and takes no effort from you.  They can be exciting to find and can add fun and unpredictability to a well-planned garden.  On the minus side, the volunteer can grow in unwanted places, and you can never be sure what you are getting.  Seeds from open pollinated plants always produce a vegetable identical to its parent.  Seeds from hybrid plants are not true to form and it is more likely the volunteer will resemble one of the plants that produced the hybrid seed, and some hybrid plants will not produce any fruit.  The intruder can mess with the crop rotation you planned for your garden and can also carry soil borne disease.

When I saw the volunteer plant I wanted to dig it up and transplant it in the container where some animal had sat on one of my Roma tomatoes.  Melissa wanted to let it grow in place and see what it will produce.  All the seeds grown in my garden are from older cultivars (heirlooms) but most of the tomatoes are nursery purchases (heirloom and/or hybrid).  Since we have never planted tomatoes in the mailbox bed it must have gotten there from an animal or in the compost I used to enhance the soil.  This year I also noticed several volunteer plants in my raised beds.  These are some sort of unknown squash (genus, Cucurbita) that have sprouted in the rows of beets (Beta vulgaris) and a leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa) that sprouted after I replanted the spinach with a cucumber (Cucumis sativus).  Here again, we must wait and see what is produced.   

THOUGHTS: While this is the first time to have a volunteer tomato in the flower bed, I have had a volunteer in my raised beds both years.  Last year my sown seed in one of the beds was overcome by large ground cherry (Physalis angulata) plants.  These grow wild in Arkansas and some harvest them from the open woods where they thrive.  I let them grow after finding out what they were and even tried harvesting them.  I did not like the taste and since they were blocking light to what I had planted I tore them out (again, one person’s weed is another’s harvest).  When you get a volunteer, you can leave them, relocate them, or remove them.  Humans seem to take a similar approach when other people move into their neighborhood.  Some are welcomed, some are asked to move to another area, and some are physically removed.  Currently in the US, the difference seems linked with ethnicity and culture.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Canyon

May 29, 2026

Getty Image

Melissa and I took two long trips this Spring in the RV.  We took two trips last Fall to begin RVing.  Both trips were less than 100 miles (161 km) and consisted of three days during the middle of the week.  We did not pull a vehicle (“toad”) on the first trip and any missed items we went without.  We towed the Jeep the second time and were able go into town pick up needed items, including a hose extension for water.  We thought we had worked out the kinks and left in February on a 1100-mile (1770 km), 2-1/2 week trip to Florida, but struggled keeping the toad battery charged and had to buy a sewer extension.  We thought we solved the battery issue during the week home before we left in March for a 1200-mile (1931 km), 3-week trip to Arizona.  We did not.  Every time we left the toad attached overnight it still ran down the battery.  To top it off, the city water connection valve stripped and we could not connect to the camp hoses.  We had planned on stopping at the Grand Canyon, but our main sights were set on my old stomping ground in Utah, so we powered on by.

When I went online, I found a canyon forms by a combination of flowing water, tectonic uplift, and weather acting on the earth’s surface over millions of years.  The process of canyon formation often begins with downcutting as rivers and streams carve deep, steep-sided valleys into the earth’s bedrock.  The rushing water uses gravel, sand, and rocks it carries like liquid sandpaper to grind away the rock beneath its flow.  For massive, deep canyons to form, the ground beneath the river must be pushed upward by shifting tectonic plates (tectonic uplift).  This uplift makes the river steeper, increasing its speed and cutting power.  Weathering and erosion are the third force acting to create a canyon.  Rainwater seeps into cracks in the rock, where it freezes, expands, and breaks the rock apart.  Wind, flash floods, and rockslides further widen the canyon walls and wash the debris downstream, preventing the valley from simply becoming a flat slope.  All three processes occur simultaneously, and when you add the dimension of time you get a canyon.

It was appropriate that after missing a tour of the Grand Canyon that an article on how it was formed appeared in a USA Today article in our local newspaper several weeks after we returned.  A study published April 16 in the journal Science provides one answer to the mystery.  According to the study, the Colorado River did not always flow through the canyon and instead began to carve its path around 5.6 million years ago after an ancient lake overflowed.  Ryan Crow, co-author and researcher with the US Geological Survey, said scientists have known the river existed 11 million years ago in western Colorado and that it did not exit through the Grand Canyon until after 5.6 million years ago.  The mystery was where did it go?  Crow said the study tested the idea that the river flowed into the Bidahochi basin in northeastern Arizona.  Sand deposits in the ancient lake showed a clear Colorado River signature, indicating the river flowed into the lake.  As the lake rose, a spillover became the primary process that established the river’s course through the (emerging) canyon.  About two million years later the lake no longer existed and the Colorado River system was fully born. 

THOUGHTS: My son and I went to the south rim of the Grand Canyon when he was a child.  We did not take the day long hike/mule ride to the bottom but were able to peer into its massive depths.  Our takeaway from our two RV trips was that we needed to be more leisurely when we travel.  We missed quite a few historic/archeological features because we felt pressed to reach our reserved campground.  We assumed if we did not reserve sites, we would not have a place to stay.  While that was true for the state parks, every commercial park where we stayed had open spaces.  In Europe we took time to “see stuff”, but at home we did not.  Do not regret taking time to enjoy the wonder of where you are.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Diet Coke

May 26, 2026

I came across a Reuters article on my local newspaper that addressed closing of the Strait of Hormuz effect on India.  While India sells most of its soda beverages in plastic, glass, and cans, one beverage is only sold in cans and has made the beverage vulnerable to supply chain disruptions caused by stoppage of shipments.  Limited quantities of cans can still be purchased online, and Indian pubs and social media influencers have spotted a chance to profit from the scarcity by organizing parties that come with a US$10 to US$16 entry fee, offering access to the cans along with music, alcohol, can decoration and themed T-shirt painting.  Partyers in New Delhi come dressed in themed attire and are experimented by mixing the drink with local spices, jalapenos and honey.  At a Mumbai event, entry tickets doubled as raffle entries, with two winners taking home 50 cans each.  “We had a cocktail menu which we call Coke-tails.  The idea was to bring fans together,” said 25-year-old marketing executive Ishika Gupta.  Gupta was the first to throw a Diet Coke party in India in early May, plans to organize more, and is holding discussions with Coca-Cola given the trend.

When I went online, I found Diet Coke, also branded as Coca-Cola Light or Diet Coca-Cola, is a sugar-free and low-calorie diet soda produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company.  The cola is based on a different recipe from the flagship Coca-Cola drink and has a distinct taste of its own.  Diet Coke was unveiled on July 8, 1982, and was the first new brand since the company’s creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark.  The drink became wildly successful and a cultural status symbol, leading worldwide diet soda sales for most of its existence.  Diet Coke launched in 28 international markets successfully in 1983 and in many was branded Coca-Cola Light or Coke Light.  The soda launched in ten additional markets in 1984, including Japan.  In 2010, Diet Coke surpassed Pepsi in sales for the first time to become the second most popular soda in the US after Coca-Cola but dropped below Pepsi again in 2014.  Diet Coke has had a significant cultural impact, including links with healthiness and wellness but also negative connotations regarding body image.  The drink has achieved high popularity in certain circles with loyal fans, including in popular culture.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi both see India as a major growth market, and most of their drinks are sold in plastic and glass bottles, as well as cans.  A Ninecamp Ventures restaurant hosted a party near New Delhi where it offered “Diet Coke on the house” with ​snacks for $16.    Diet Coke is ​a preferred alcohol ⁠mixer in India, often paired with rum.  The soda is also popular among health-conscious consumers, and shortage has seen social media flooded with humorous memes showing people hoarding the cans in India.  Retail chain Broadway is using the shortage to promote its ⁠New Delhi ​event, saying “In light of the great Diet Coke shortage of 2026 … we’re ​turning our space into a full-blown Diet Coke experience.”  Tickets are 999 rupees (US$10) and have burgers, Diet Coke, vintage art, and custom T-shirt painting.  ​Broadway CEO Sankalp Kathuria.  “It’s a love letter to the cult of Diet Coke”.

THOUGHTS: Hoarding (and indulging in) Diet Coke during this shortage is not dissimilar to the US reaction to toilet paper in 2020.  A shortage creates a self-reinforcing cycle of hoarding due to fear, uncertainty, and rational self-interest.  Bare shelves cause consumers to panic that they will be unable to purchase essentials in the future, prompting them to buy more than they need.  Ninecamp CEO Chaitanya Mathur said, “For the young people it’s about scarcity being a premise of the entire event.  That’s where the fun is – the less there is of something is when they want more of it.”  Some are probably still using Toilet paper they bought six years ago.  Hoarding creates irrational fear and deprives access to others.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Snakehead

May 26, 2026

Last Friday Melissa and I decided to treat ourselves to a visit to a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) along the Arkansas River that has been getting constant sightings on the Arkansas Birders group.  The area is not too far from our house, and I had even visited once before while looking for a place to fish.  We did several errands on our way out of town and by the time we were leaving rain had started to fall.  By the time we reached the WMA the rain was light but steady.  The last section of the road was dirt but well maintained.  This area in an old oxbow (curve) that has formed a lake apart from the main channel of the river.  The WMA now has 2,180 acres (882 ha) and is primarily managed for migratory waterfowl and wetland restoration by the Arkansas Game and Fish (AG&F) Commission and Ducks Unlimited.  This makes the site popular destination for local hunters and bird watchers.  Despite all the amazing bird photos we had seen, we saw very few birds.  The waterfowl that had been present when I last visited were non-existent (afraid to get wet?) and there were no birds fliting in the trees.  As we drove slowly through the area we crossed over a bridge on a backwater section of the lake.  I stopped because there were dozens of 1-pound (0.92-l) gas canisters floating in the water.  Next to a sunken log in the bayou was a 30-inch (76 cm) snakehead.

When I went online, I found the northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a species of snakehead fish native to temperate East Asia, in China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea.  Their natural range goes from the Amur River watershed in Siberia and Manchuria down to Hainan, China.  Snakeheads are an important food fish and one of the most cultivated in its native region, with 562,179 tons (510,000 tonnes) annual production worldwide.  This has led to the fish being exported throughout the world and has resulted in established non-native populations in Central Asia and North America.  The species has a long dorsal fin with 49 to 50 rays, an anal fin with 31 to 32 rays, a small, anteriorly depressed head, eyes above the middle part of the upper jaw, and a large mouth extending well beyond the eye.  The small, slender teeth form velvety bands (villiform) with large canines on the lower jaw and upper mouth plate (palatines).  It is generally reported to reach up to 3 feet 3 inches (100 cm) in length, but specimens approaching 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm) are known according to Russian ichthyologists (fish scientists).  The largest specimen registered by the International Game Fish Association weighs 21 pounds 0 ounces (9.53 kg).  In the US, it is found in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi.

The northern snakehead first appeared in US news when a fisherman discovered one in a Maryland pond in 2002.  In 2008, the fish was found in drainage ditches in Arkansas because of a commercial fish-farming accident, and flooding may have allowed the species to spread into the nearby White River which would allow an eventual population in the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers.  Arkansas is the birthplace of warmwater aquaculture in the US and currently ranks as the second-largest aquaculture-producing state.  It is also the epicenter for the four species of invasive Asian Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Ctenopharyngodon Idella, and Mylopharyngodon piceus).  The invasive snakehead can now be added to the list.  All five species are said to be quite edible, but getting the American palate to try the fish is a harder sell. 

THOUGHTS: AG&F says if you encounter the northern snakehead, silver, bighead, or black carp, kill it (humanely) and report your encounter to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Aquatic Nuisance Species coordinator by email (reportans@agfc.ar.gov).  It is illegal to transport these fish species alive.  While I did not catch the snakehead, I did report it.  Invasive species may never be eradicated, but with help they can be managed.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Pseudorabies

May 19, 2026

Inside the front section of Sunday’s local newspaper was a USA Today article on an outbreak of a virus thought to have been eliminated in the US in 2004.  An Iowa pig (Sus domesticus) producer received fire affected boars from an outdoor facility in Texas where they may have been in contact with feral swine.  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with the two commercial herds and about 100 pigs were destroyed in Iowa to prevent further spread of the disease.  The USDA did not report how many pigs were destroyed in Texas.  This is especially concerning in Iowa, which is the nation’s largest producer of pork.  The virus can kill or stunt the growth of hogs or cause abortions or still births in sows and resulted in tens of millions (US) of dollars in losses.  Pat McGonegle, CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Associations said they appreciate the government’s aggressive actions to get the disease “stamped out as quickly as possible.”  The Iowa department of Agricultural said, “pseudorabies is still found in wild or feral swine populations, which remain a potential threat of exposure for domestic pigs.”

When I went online, I found pseudorabies (Aujeszky’s disease), usually called in the US, is a viral disease in swine caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV).  The disease is constantly present or maintained at a baseline level (endemic) in most parts of the world.  Pseudorabies is considered the most economically important viral disease of swine in areas where classical swine fever (hog cholera) has been eradicated.  Research on PRV in pigs has pioneered animal disease control with genetically modified marker vaccines lacking an antigen, which allow for immunological differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals.  PRV is now used in model studies of basic processes during lytic herpesvirus infection, the stage where the virus is actively replicating within the host cell, and for unravelling molecular mechanisms of herpesvirus neurotropism.  Other mammals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, and raccoons, are also susceptible. The disease is usually fatal in these animal species.

State and federal officials are expected to monitor 20 to 30 farms near the outbreak in Iowa to ensure the virus has not spread.  The USDA said, “detection does not pose a risk to consumer health, not affect the safety of the commercial pork supply.”  While pseudorabies can infect other mammals, pigs are the only known host.  While usually thought to be safe, humans can contract pseudorabies from pigs.  However, the overall risk is extremely low and limited almost entirely to those handling raw, infected pig meat or working closely with infected swine.  The euthanized pigs are not allowed to enter the US food supply.   The state agriculture department in Iowa has spent years preparing for these animal health events and has a strong team to respond.  Mike Naig, Iowa Agriculture Secretary, said, The United States pork supply remains safe and secure.” 

THOUGHTS: The pseudorabies virus was quickly identified in the US, and immediate action was taken to eliminate any threat.  When the Ebola virus was identified in the DR Congo and Uganda last week there had already been 100’s of suspected cases and dozens of suspected deaths stretching over weeks.  The consequences of delay could prove catastrophic as there are no vaccines or treatments for the rare species of Ebola Bundibugyo responsible for the current outbreak.  One American health worker has contracted the virus, and six others have been exposed, and all have been removed from the area.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel warnings and introduced restrictions prohibiting non-US citizens who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the last 21 days from entering the US.  Seems none of this is our problem if we keep others out.  Sounds like the US response to covid.  Act for all.  Change will come and it starts with you.

Pyrenees

May 18, 2026

We are planning a cruise to Alaska and the inner passage this summer and I decided to do some clothes shopping before we left.  July is the warmest month of the year in Alaska, but temperatures vary drastically by region.  The Coastal and Southeast areas (Juneau) where we will travel typically range from 55F to 65F (13C to 18C).  That meant I needed to find additional transitional wear that I could layer.  I tend to follow my father’s rule-of-thumb when it comes to clothes and closets.  I keep three pairs of each type of outer wear, along with 10 shirts and 10 tee shirts.  I do have a variety of pants for different occasions (dress, daily, work).  This can drive Melissa crazy because every time she buys me a shirt, I donate one of my older shirts to charity.  In contrast, the other three closets are dedicated to her clothes, which she alternates between winter and summer outfits.  We went to the new big box sports store, and I got and nice short sleeved collared shirt to wear for dinners and a lightweight hoodie I could layer for sight-seeing.  I tried the hoodie on today and walked into the living room to show Melissa how it looked.  Our Pyrenees (Zena) was asleep on my spot on the couch (her favorite) when I walked in with the hood up.  She saw me and went nuts.

When I went online, I found the Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées, is a French breed of livestock guardian dog.  The Pyrenees breed originates from the eastern or French side of the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France and Spain and is recognized as a separate breed from the Mastín del Pirineo or Pyrenean Mastiff from the Spanish side of the mountains, although they are closely related.  It is sometimes claimed that the forebears of both breeds were white livestock guardian dogs brought to the area from Asia in Roman times.  The Pyrenean is large and heavily built, with males standing from 28 to 31 inches (70 to 80 cm) and bitches from 26 to 30 inches (65 to 75 cm).  Healthy adults typically weigh between 120 and 165 pounds (55 and 75 kg).  The neck is short and strong, the chest broad and moderately deep, and the tail long, hanging low when the dog is at rest but curling over the back when the dog is roused.  The dogs are widely used throughout France as a livestock guardian, particularly in the French Alps and the Pyrenees, protecting flocks from predation by wolves and bears.  It is known as the Great Pyrenees in the US.

Beginning in the late 1970’s, sheep farmers in the US began employing livestock guardian dogs to protect their flocks from predators, particularly coyotes (Canis latrans) and black bears (Ursus americanus), but also cougars (Puma concolor) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).  A 1986 survey of over 400 farmers employing 763 livestock guardian dogs in the US found 57% of them used Great Pyrenees.  While we do not own sheep, we have toyed with the idea of living off grid.  Our black Pyrenees (common but not AKC worthy) was the runt of the litter and now considered small at 90 pounds (41 kg), but she is still a very good protector, always patrolling our fence.  She did not recognize me in my hoodie and shot off the couch ready to protect Melissa, sounding her warning bark and her tail was tightly curled over her back.  She stopped being aggressive when she realized it was me, but it took a good five minutes of consoling to settle her and down.

THOUGHTS: We did not have a Great Pyrenees when I was growing up, but we did have a large Boxer named Lucky.  My sister never cared much for the dog until one day when she was alone at the house.  People knew our home as a place to get help with food or even money.  One day a man came onto the porch and tried to open the locked front door.  Lucky saw the threat and immediately slammed into the door barking, startling the man who quickly ran away.  Dogs give protection and keep alert to threats.  That is why many people on the streets keep dogs, and why we support a local feeding program by providing dog food.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

Oriole

May 17, 2026

I try to put a variety of seeds in the 11 feeders we have on our pool deck.  I purposefully dedicated the two farthest feeders under the trees to the eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis).  I put shelled peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) and a corn (Aea mays) log in one and cracked corn in the other.  I did this as it was a losing battle to try and keep the squirrels out of all the feeders.  I found the northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) prefer these feeders, while the squirrels run along the fence to feast on the two feeders with common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed on the other side of the deck.  I have also stocked meal worms (larva of Tenebrio molitor), two feeders with roasted peanut chips, and a wild bird seed mix (cereal grains of Family, Poaceae).  I currently stock the two window feeders with safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seed, but this is messy and I am considering switching back to sunflower chips.  The last feeder is a suet corn cake.  While most of the birds which visit are the same every day, we do get an occasional new species.  Last week the new arrival was a Baltimore oriole.    

When I went online, I found The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small blackbird of the icterus family common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird.  The species was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Coracias galbula.  The bird received its name from the resemblance of the male’s colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th-century English Baron Lord Baltimore.  There have been observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock’s oriole (Icterus bullockii) which led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995.  Research by James Rising, a professor of zoology at the University of Toronto, and others showed that the two birds did not interbreed significantly and they are again classified as different species.  The Baltimore Oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and the namesake and mascot for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

Melissa has a friend who has been texting her pictures of an oriole who has been visiting her feeder.  She put out a tray with orange (Citrus sinensis) slices and grape jelly, and they clean her out several times a day.  We have only seen the oriole twice on the suet cake, but I figured we might get more activity with orange slices and grape jelly.  A number of other birds (and squirrels) are fond of oranges so this may bring other birds as well.  I followed the friend’s example and initially set the feeder next to the suet cake, but the grackles pounced on the feeder looking for the peanut chips and knocked it to the ground.  This afternoon I set the oriole feeder back up and moved it farther away from the others.  Hopefully this will work and attract an oriole before they migrate through our area. 

THOUGHTS: When I was growing up in north central Kansas there was a Baltimore oriole that would nest in the branches of a tree outside my second story window.  This was a massive American elm tree (Ulmus americana) that stretched over the enclosed side porch.  I was fascinated by the bird and its flashy orange and black body.  I was also into collecting baseball cards and listening to my older brother’s radio playing baseball as we fell asleep at night.  I became a huge fan of the Orioles (team) in part because of my connection to the bird outside my window, along with the fact they became an American League powerhouse in the 1960’s, wining two pennants and their first World Series.  Although I now (mostly) follow the Kansas City Royals baseball team, I still have a fond spot for the Orioles.  Most of our traditions and habits were ingrained in us during our youth.  That is why it is important to train a child to be willing to reach out and embrace others.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

Distribute

May 16, 2026

After filling my bird feeders, I was sitting on the patio waiting to see what species would arrive.  What I noticed instead was how my tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants had begun to grow this last week.  I mentioned I planted fourteen tomato plants this year, using four different types of containers.  My two sweet 100s (cherry) are in 5-gallon (19-l) buckets.  Three of the Arkansas Travelers (slicing) are in 5-gallon grow bags and the other three are in 10-gallon (38-l) terra cotta pots.  The six Romas (sauce) are in the plastic self-watering containers I purchased last year.  All 14 plants were over 2-1/2 feet (0.76m) and are starting to produce (green) fruit.  While I have known since our family garden as a child that tomatoes need trellises or cages for support, it was not until three years ago that I learned you should also prune your plants.  The small, secondary shoots that grow in the “V” joint where a leaf branch meets the main stem (suckers) should be removed as these produce less desirable fruit.  The bottom branches should also be removed to guard against pests and disease.  Pruning encourages the plant to focus on growing fruit rather than tall, bushy vines.  With the number of plants in the ground, it got me thinking of how to distribute the expected tomatoes.

When I went online, I found one way to distribute excess produce was called Fresh Food Connect.  This group was formed in 2016 with the goal of connecting local gardeners with the hunger relief efforts in their community to grow a more local and resilient food system.  Fresh Food Connect has a free mobile app that connects gardeners with their communities.  By 2024, Fresh Food Connect had grown to over 4,300 gardeners with over 65 hunger relief nonprofits in 28 states and has shared over 300,000 pounds (136077.7 kg) of homegrown produce with 166,000 community people experiencing food insecurity.  During 2025, 5,210 registered gardeners in 18 states connected with 54 local community partners to provide over 91,490 pounds (41,499 kg) of homegrown produce to over 51,870 individuals facing food insecurity.  This distribution amounted to grocery savings of US$457,460, or over 76,240 meals and over 91 tons (82.5 mt) of CO2EQ saved.   

I got excited when I learned of this effort to efficiently distribute home grown food to those with food insecurity.  I immediately downloaded the app and typed in my zip code to find a distribution center near me.  While there was (currently) no distribution near me, the Ozark Church Food Pantry was listed as only 52 miles (83.5 km) away.  I used the app to suggest they partner with the Crawford Sebastian Community Development Council in Fort Smith (15 miles/24 km away).  The app does allow me to register my donations outside of their network so I will probably continue to give locally and register my donation with Fresh Food.  Last year I also shared with my neighbors and several friends, and I will probably do that again this year.  Today I used my last jar of dill pickles making pickle de Gallo, so I am also looking forward to restocking my garden favorites.

THOUGHTS: Cassey Anderson, Colorado State University Horticulture Agent, provided the three Golden Rules when planning to distribute your harvest to a local food bank.   These are: Keep it cool, Keep it wet (when appropriate), Handle with care.  Harvesting is best done in the cooler parts of the day (morning/evening) and many crops can be harvested and placed directly into a container of cool water.  If you continue to harvest, make sure they are placed out of the sun.  Using a sharp knife or scissors is a better choice for harvesting rather than tearing the crop off the main plant.  This reduces stress on the plant, reduces chances of damage, and makes for a cleaner product.  Food insecurity is limited or uncertain access to adequate, nutritious food due to limited funds or resources.  Arkansas has the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 19.4% of households struggling to access consistent, nutritious meals.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.