July 09, 2022

When I played with our previous dog Bella, I was often scratched by the small claw spaced about three inches above both of her front paws.  I wondered why this claw was there as it did not seem to serve any purpose.  When I asked Melissa about the claw, she said it was often vestigial in small breed dogs, and some owners have them surgically removed.  Melissa had not and said others warn against removal as this can be painful.  Now that we have Zena, I found she not only has the claw above her front paws, but also on both rear paws as well.  Again, the only purpose I have seen for this claw is to scratch us when Zena jumps into your lap (yes, she is a 50 pound lap puppy).  Melissa said this was called a dewclaw.

When I looked online, I found a dewclaw is a digit on the foot of many mammals, birds, and reptiles.  This claw commonly grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot and does not contact the ground when the animal is standing.  The name refers to the dewclaw’s alleged tendency to brush dew away from the grass.  Dogs almost always have dewclaws on the inside of the front legs and occasionally also on the hind legs.  Unlike front dewclaws, rear dewclaws tend to have little bone or muscle structure in most breeds.  It is normal for certain breeds to have more than one dewclaw on the same paw.  At least one of these dewclaws will be poorly connected to the leg and is often surgically removed.  For certain dog breeds like the Beauceron used for herding sheep in France, a dewclaw is considered a necessity as it helps the dog navigate snowy terrain.  There is some debate about whether a dewclaw may help dogs gain traction when they run.  In some dogs, the dewclaw contacts the ground when they are running and the nail on the dewclaw often wears down the same way the nails on their other toes do.  In other dogs the dewclaw never contacts the ground, and the nail never wears away, and it is often trimmed to maintain the claw at a safe length.

The dewclaw is not a dead appendage.  They can be used to lightly grip bones and other items the dog holds with its paws.  In some dogs, these claws may not appear to be connected to the leg except by a flap of skin, and the claw does not have a use for gripping, as the claw can easily fold or turn.  Others suggest dogs like the Great Pyrenees (Zena) use the dew claw to aid climbing on rocky mountain slopes.  The dewclaw is also used by the dog to scratch itself to remove irritants from around eyes, ears, and fur. The technical term for these additional digits on the rear legs is hind-limb-specific preaxial polydactyly (now you know).  Several genetic mechanisms can cause rear dewclaws; they involve the LMBR1 gene and related parts of the genome.  Rear dewclaws of the mountain dogs do have phalanx bones and can be used for a variety of purposes.  Dewclaws are also recognized as the breed standard for the large shepherd dogs by the American Kennel Club as well as Britain’s Kennel Club.

THOUGHTS:  While a dewclaw may seem superfluous for smaller breeds of dogs, they appear to provide an advantage for large breeds that typically navigate rough or snowy terrain.  A similar vestige is evident with some larger snakes who have stunted legs beneath their skin and tiny, claw-like spurs on each side of the single opening where waste and reproductive fluids exit the body (the cloaca), which include remnants of what used to be leg bones.  Male snakes use these spurs during courtship and for fighting, but not for locomotion.  There is a common belief that the human appendix is a vestigial organ, but recent research has shown the appendix has several important immune effects in the womb and as an adult.  Whether a dewclaw, the spur on a vestigial leg, or an appendix, what we keep finding is that the answer is, “I do not know.”  The ability to admit what is not known and question what is known is the essence of the human quest for understanding.  That also works for understanding other people.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 08, 2022

We went out to dinner with friends last night and were shared a photoshopped version of “Dirk the Bison” from Yellowstone National Park.  The video came in response to the four bison goring’s in the park over the last two months.  The video depicted a bull bison loping along the prairie with four stylized human figures with arms raised spaced across the hump of his back.  The caption read, “Rapidly approaching ‘Ace’ status!”, referring to the number of victories needed by fighter pilots in modern arial warfare.  The video was first posted with only two humans, then upgraded to three, and now has four figures being tossed into the air along its hump.   While this may have been a long month for the humans, Dirk seems to be thriving.  Sadly, I could not get the actual photo to download (but it is on FaceBook).

When I looked online, I found the American bison (Bison bison) is a species of bison native to North America often referred to as buffalo.  It is one of two extant species of bison along with the European bison.  By 9000 BCE the American bison’s range (or the great bison belt) covered a tract of grassland from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Atlantic Seaboard as far north as New York, south to Georgia, and some say even further south to Florida.  North America has two subspecies of bison.  The plains bison (B. bison bison) is smaller in size with a more rounded hump, and the wood bison (B. bison athabascae) is larger with a taller, square hump.  The plains bison has been suggested to consist of the northern plains (B. bison montanae) and southern plains (B. bison bison) subspecies, but this is not generally supported.  The wood bison is one of the largest wild species of extant bovid in the world, surpassed only by the Asian gaur (Bos gaurus).  Among extant land animals in North America, the bison is the heaviest, the longest, and the second tallest (after the moose).  It is also known as the most likely to attack tourist.

While bison once roamed in vast herds, the species was nearly extinct from commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century and introduced bovine diseases from domestic cattle.  The population was more than 60 million in the late 18th century, but the species was culled to just 541 animals by 1889.  Recovery efforts expanded in the mid-20th century, with a resurgence to roughly 31,000 wild bison by 2019.  The population was primarily found in a few national parks and reserves, but reintroductions allow the species now freely roam wild in several regions in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and they have been introduced to Yakutia in Russia.  The Indigenous tribes of North America have had cultural and spiritual connections to the American bison for millennia and the bison is the national mammal of the US.  The National Park Service takes visitor and animal safety seriously and the front page of the Yellowstone website tells you to stay 25 yards (22.8 m) from bison and elk and 100 yards (91.5 m) from bears and wolves because the park’s animals “are WILD and DANGEROUS” (emphasis NPS).  Despite the precautions, warnings, and guidelines, bison attacks are on the rise inside the park.

THOUGHTS:  While the streak of goring’s may not be common, bison are the biggest threats to humans in Yellowstone Park.  Between 1978 and 1992, 56 people were injured and two were killed by bison, and from 2000 to 2015, 25 people were injured by bison.  The recent uptick can be chalked up to an increase of bison within the park, an increase in visitors, and the number of visitors willing to get up close and personal with a bison to securing an Instagram-worthy shot.  I guess it is no longer enough to loss control of a vehicle or fall off a cliff in quest of the perfect shot.  Perhaps this could be an example of evolution.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 07, 2022

I came across an article from the LA Times this morning about almonds being stuck in port.  This year California almond growers are looking at a 2.8 billion pound harvest to match the 2.9 billion pounds in 2021 and an all-time high of 3.1 billion pounds in 2020.  California produces about 82% percent of the world’s almond supply, and 70% of those almonds are exported for sale.  However, exporting requires shipping containers, and it has reached a point where demand for containers in Asia was so high that after dropping off their loads in Southern California, the containers were being sent back to Asia empty instead of taking the time to head north to the Port of Oakland where the almonds are exported.  That means California’s almond production is exceeding export demands, and 1.3 billion pounds of almonds are sitting unsold in California storehouses.

When I looked online, I found the almond (Prunus amygdalus, syn. Prunus dulcis) is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries.  The almond tree prospers in a moderate Mediterranean climate with cool winter weather (California central valley).  The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree.  The almond is classified with the peach in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by corrugations on the shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.  The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed and is not a true nut.  Almonds are sold shelled or unshelled.  Blanched almonds are shelled almonds that have been treated with hot water to soften the seedcoat, which is removed to reveal the white embryo.  Once the almonds are cleaned and processed, they can last in storage for around two years.

Agriculturalists are saying due to high acreage and water demand for cultivating almonds, and need for pesticides, California almond production may not be sustainable.  That is especially so given the persistent drought and heat caused by 21^st century climate change and some producers have left.  To grow one almond requires 1.1 gallons of water, and to grow a pound takes 1,900 gal/lb.  Nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and cashews all use roughly the same amount of water, but the demand for almonds has been high.  California is amid a 5 year drought that has everyone blaming the nut industry as farmers shift towards growing more almonds.  The drought has also sent the per pound price of almonds to US$6 a pound, as opposed to US$2 a pound in 2010.  Almond exports are down about 13 percent this year, with around 1.3 billion pounds of almonds left undelivered.  California Almonds’ May data shows that the uncommitted almond inventory was over 660 million pounds, or up 52% over the same period last year.  That is bad news for the state, as almonds were California’s last year’s top agricultural export, worth about $4.7 billion.  Now they cannot seem to get rid of the almonds.

THOUGHTS:  The almond industry has recently been making a push toward sustainability, reportedly cutting water usage by 33% with plans to reach a total 53% reduction by the year 2025.  This effort might not solve the shipping problem, but it will make a difference for California’s drought.  It is hoped more sustainable farming practices and a shift in global distribution trends will relieve California’s almond surplus.  Inflation and drought have driven the cost of producing the nuts up even as the average price has dropped.  The average US farmer feeds 155 people, up from only 26 people in 1960.  Today’s farmer grows twice as much food as their parents using less land, energy, water, and fewer emissions.  Farming has always been a risky business regardless the crop, both financially and physically.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 06, 2022

With the temperatures slated to be over 100F (37.7C) all this week, Melissa sent me a text from the city Fire Department asking dog owners to be aware of the effect of heat coming from asphalt roads on your dog’s paws.  As little as 77F (25C) could raise the asphalt to 125F (51.6C) and 87F (30.5C) to a scorching 143F (61.5C).  The suggestion was to put your hand on the roadway for 8 seconds to see what your dog will feel before you walk.  I dutifully felt the pavement before I took Zena on our walk.  I was surprised how much the heat had affected the neighborhood lawns.  Most of the residents cut their lawns short, and the heat had turned the beautiful green lawns of last week into dry dormant lawns this week.  Even the yard display I mentioned for the Fourth seemed to have been affected, as the inflatable Sam and Eagle were lying flat on the grass.  The heat advisories this week are not just from the high temperatures, but from the heat Index.

When I looked online, I found the heat index, or the “feels like” temperature is the way the human body feels the temperature in the air.  The index takes into consideration humidity and wind speed, then calculates the heat the human body “feels”.  On a windy day, you can feel cooler even if the temperature does not change.  During a humid summer day, you may feel more uncomfortable than on a hotter but drier day.  While forecasts state the temperature of the air, they are now likely to consider factors that influence what it feels like outside.  The heat index measures the comfort of the body during a hot day.  When the body is too hot, it perspires to get rid of excessive heat and cool itself off.  In a more humid environment, perspiration does not evaporate as quickly and cooling the body becomes complicated.  When the temperature tops 100F the humidity causes the heat index to rise, and we have a heat advisory.

Southern summers are notorious for high temperatures and 100F days are normal.  Like Zena’s paws you would not dare to walk outside without shoes, leading to the saying, “It is so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk!” According to the Library of Congress, it is possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but not probable.  Eggs need to reach a temperature of 158F (70C) to cook through, and sidewalks can usually only get up to 145F (62.7C).  That does not keep the city of Oatman, Arizona, from holding an annual Sidewalk Egg Frying Contest as part of their Fourth of July celebration since 1983.  The 150-person town usually has around 20 contestants vying to fry an egg in 15 minutes or less in front of 1,500 spectators.  Contestants use anything from aluminum foil to magnifying glasses to homegrown solar devices to create “the most edible egg.”  The rules are simple and include two eggs per team and the freedom to use any kind of utensil, or pan, or mechanism to see if they can cook the eggs with solar power in 15 minutes or less time.  The participants are also supposed to preserve their eggs from being eaten by the wild burros.  Prizes and medals are given for the youngest contestant, absolute showmanship or best costume, best cooking contraption, and the contestant who’s traveled the farthest.

THOUGHTS:  When I watched the weather last night I had to laugh as the forecaster told of the cold front that was going to come through over the weekend.  The temperatures are predicted to be over 100F (103F-104F) with a “feels like” temperature of 110F to 115F range through the end of the week.  When the cold front rolls in on Friday it is predicted to drop weekend temperatures down to 99F.  This did not strike me as much of a cold front.  Just as the heat index determines relative heat, the cold front is relative to the rest of the week.  Our view of the differences between the world’s peoples and cultures is also relative.  What is considered odd in Asia may be the norm in North America, and vice versa.  It is when we can experience those differences that makes life fun.  That requires us to participate with others.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 05, 2022

After I realized it was a raccoon that was getting into the bird feed on our back porch, I did take the steps I mentioned to keep the critter out.  I rearraigned the buckets to make them more difficult to knock over and taped up the lid the animal had broken when it had tipped over another bucket.  I even put the “Amish stove” space heater across the door to deter him from coming in.  I thought we were ready, but the next night the raccoon was back.  He crawled through the screen and squeezed past the heater to get to the seed.  Zena notified Melissa he was back and this time it was she who turned on the light to see the raccoon at work trying to open the seed buckets.  When we surveyed the damage the next morning, he had chewed a piece off one of the lids but had not been able to get inside.  The lid that had cracked the previous night was now completely split and I thought might be unusable (I salvaged it).  What I had done had not resolved the problem.  I wondered if I needed to get a trap.

When I looked online, I found the recommended way to get rid of raccoons is to use a live trap.  The Sherman trap is a box-style animal trap designed for the live capture of small mammals.  It was invented by Dr. H. B. Sherman in the 1920’s and became commercially available in 1955.  The Sherman trap has been used by biological science researchers to capture animals like mice, voles, shrews, and chipmunks.  The trap consists of eight hinged pieces of sheet metal (galvanized steel or aluminum) that allow the trap to collapse for storage or transport.  Other animal traps have been built along the same design but use metal wire mesh for the hinged pieces.  People like using traps for animal control because they are a humane and safe solution to getting rid of animal pests.  Both ends of the trap are hinged, but in normal operation the rear end is closed and the front folds inwards and latches the treadle, or trigger plate, in place.  When an animal enters far enough to be clear of the front door, their weight releases the latch, and the door closes behind them.  The lure is usually a paste bait placed at the far end of the trap that can be dropped in place through the rear hinged door.  It was suggested for faster results, place the paste on an apple slice or ear of corn.  Apparently, raccoons do not live on past alone.

While the live trap would have been an effective solution, it would have cost around $100 to purchase and time to procure.  I decided to do what I should have done in the first place, fix the screens on the porch.  When we first brought Zena home, she had heard the dogs barking next door and had run through the lower screen.  Several of the window screen had also been pushed in by other critters (the raccoon?).  I had purchased a screening tool several weeks ago but had not gotten around to fixing the screens.  I put new screws in the windows which had been breached and re-set the screens in the outside door.  I finally re-attached the lower portion of the door to the hinge (Zena is rough) and placed plastic over the bottom half of the door thinking it might provide a visible deterrent to both Zena and the raccoon.  Zena no longer tries to run through the screen and the raccoon has not been inside, at least not for three nights.

THOUGHTS:  The conference center where I worked in Kansas was in a rural setting, and one summer we had a skunk decide to have her kits (babies) under the back porch.  I thought it was fitting as it was during the Women’s Weekend, but the other women did not welcome her presence.  I called animal control and they brought out a wire mesh version of the live trap.  We never caught the skunk but several days later they were gone.  I was glad we did not catch the skunk.  I was not looking forward to having the mom or one of the four kits decide they needed to spray.  One of the harder lessons for humans has been learning to cohabit with other animals.  We have destroyed or encroached on their natural habitat and seem to use extermination as the first choice to remove the “pests”.  Cohabitation requires us to understand the wants and needs of others so we can cooperate.  That is true among humans as well.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 04, 2022

While Zena and I were walking our neighborhood I was surprised by the number of yards decorated for Fourth of July.  Our subdivision has always had proliferations of displays for Halloween and Christmas, and even a few displays for Thanksgiving.  We also have quite a few houses which fly American flags on holidays and special occasions.  Even permanent flag displays and flag poles have become more prevalent over the last several years.  However, this is the first year I have noticed the yard displays for the Fourth.  Most of these displays are small and consist of small flags lining the walls or driveways, but one house went all out.  The display had 3 foot (1 m) high blowup letters spelling freedom along the walkway to the house, a 40 inch (1 m) inflatable Uncle Sam, and a 7 foot (2 m) inflatable bald eagle with red and white stripped wings and a blue vest full of stars.  This was accompanied by the flags and flag bunting around the yard and windows-white-and blue wings set with stars.  I am sure many of these same yards will contribute to the neighborhood fireworks demonstrations that mark the day in our community.

When I looked online, I found the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will be back at The Hatch Memorial Shell for the first time since 2019.  The Boston tradition has been sidelined during the pandemic but will return to Boston’s Charles River Esplanade on the fourth of July.  The usual rehearsal by The Boston Pops on Sunday, July 3 will happen, but the rehearsal “will be closed to the public to focus on the return of the Fourth of July holiday celebration,” according to Pops.  The July 3rd show does not include fireworks but has always been popular because it is less crowded than the show on the 4th.  The program on the fourth runs from 8 pm – 11 pm and includes a world-renowned fireworks display.  The 2022 Fireworks Spectacular will include a special moment in memory of David Mugar, who died this past January.  Mugar’s support of Boston’s Independence Day celebration began in 1974 and transformed the event into one of the most recognized Independence Day celebrations in the country.  Melissa and I attended the fourth concert several years ago along with 3 million of our closest friends.  Melissa checked off another item on her bucket list.

While the fireworks are returning to Boston, they are still absent in other locals.  When my son was small, we usually spent the Fourth at his grandparent’s house in Colorado.  The town is named for the landmark mesa that jutted out of the prairie in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains that appeared from a distance to look like a castle.  Every Fourth the Castle Rock Fire and Rescue would hold a display that was visible for miles around.  I recall attending two years in a row where the display never made it to the finale due to falling debris igniting the dry grass and sagebrush surrounding the rock outcrop.   The third year the Fire Department gave up and called off the event because of dry conditions.  I saw the town’s officials decided to proactively cancel the Fourth of July fireworks show again this year.  The community has been under Stage 1 fire restrictions since April 21.  Conditions are not expected to improve before July 4 and may get worse.  Stage 1 fire restrictions permit the sale of fireworks, but not the use of the private fireworks you just bought.  You can buy them; you just cannot shoot them.  I wonder how well that goes.

THOUGHTS:  Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart said, “The past three years have given us profound lessons on the importance of not taking things for granted and appreciating the many everyday gifts of our lives, as well as caring and looking out for each other.  I am so grateful that we can come together once again to celebrate Independence Day and all that we aspire to be as citizens of this great country and the city we’re proud to call home.”  Appreciating the people and things of our past (and present) is part of the celebration of life we all experience.  It is not about us; it is about us.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 02, 2022

I am beginning to think we have created our own butterfly house with the different species that have been attracted to the inside of our screened porch.  I thought it was interesting as I had just commented on the butterfly houses located at the botanicas in both Fayetteville and Wichita, and to then go out on the porch yesterday and see a large black butterfly with orange tips on both its fore and back wings fluttering on the screens.  This was a butterfly I have seen frequently around the phlox and hydrangea in the front yard.  My thought was the succulent flowers must have attracted the butterfly into the porch, and now it was trying to get back out.  I was not surprised when I came out later and it was gone.

When I looked online, I found the Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana) is a fritillary butterfly found in several wooded areas in southern and eastern North America (primarily in the Arkansas River valley and along the Appalachian Mountain range).  The common name fritillary refers to the checkered markings on the wings, usually black on orange, and derives from the Latin “fritillus” meaning dice-box or chequerboard.  Most fritillaries belong to the family Nymphalidae.  The larvae of the diana feed on the leaves of wild violets (Viola odorata).  Dianas are unusual in that they do not lay their eggs directly on the host plant, and instead scatter the eggs around the base of the plant.  Upon hatching, the larvae burrow into the ground and over winter to emerge in spring to feast on the leaves.  Adults feed on flower nectar and dung.  The species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism, with males of the species exhibiting an orange color on the edges of their wings, with burnt orange underwing. Females are dark blue, with dark, almost dusty underwings, and are also larger than males.  I spotted a male.

On February 28, 2007, Act 156 of the Arkansas General Assembly designated the Diana fritillary as the official state butterfly.  Introduced by Representative John Paul Wells of Logan County, the legislation for making the butterfly a state symbol took note of the butterfly’s beauty, educational importance, and impact on tourism.  Arkansas is the only state to designate the Diana fritillary as its state butterfly, pairing it with its state insect, the honeybee.  The main threat to this magnificent butterfly species is the climate change which has altered and affected the butterfly’s natural habitat. The Diana fritillary population in the Appalachian Mountains and populations living out west are decreasing in number.  Other threats to the Diana fritillary butterflies include loss of habitat and agricultural development.  Overall, this butterfly species is expected to have a population decrease by the year 2050.  

THOUGHTS:  I have always thought it interesting that states would designate a “state insect”.  Only two   of the 50 US states do not have a state insect, along with the District of Columbia.  Of those, 14 states have selected the Honeybee and another 20 have a butterfly (6 Monarch and 10 with a species of swallowtail).  I was not surprised to learn ants and wasps did not make any of the lists.  It appears we prefer either aesthetic (butterflies) or economic (honeybee) representatives.  More than half of the insects chosen are not native to North America, because of the inclusion of three European species (European honeybee, European mantis, and 7-spotted ladybird), each having been chosen by multiple states.  This seems appropriate as 14% of US residents are foreign-born and over half of those are naturalized US citizens.  Taken back farther, only the Indigenous peoples were here prior to 1492 and they immigrated from Asia.  While we may not have melted together as one, we do make for a fascinating stew.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

July 01, 2022

I have mentioned that we have been having something rummaging around on our screened porch for the last several weeks.  This has resulted in the screens being pushed in and forced us to put the bird feed I have stored on the porch into plastic buckets with lids that can be sealed.  I had at first blamed the squirrels and had hopped it was not the occasional rat we find from the field behind the house.  Last night we heard a noise on the porch, and I went to investigate.  When I switched on the light, I saw an innocent little face peeking over the seed bucket it had knocked over and was trying to pry the lid off.  As he looked up at me, I could almost hear him say, “It wasn’t me!”  When I opened the door, the young raccoon sped off into the night.    

When I looked online, I found the raccoon (Procyon lotor), is a mammal native to North America.  It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 16 to 28 inches (40 to 70 cm), and a weight of 11 to 57 pounds (5 to 26 kg).  Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather.  Escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century have resulted in the raccoon being distributed across much of mainland Europe, the Caucasus, and Japan.  In Europe, the raccoon has included on the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list) since 2016.  That means it cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment.  Though once thought to be solitary, recent evidence shows the raccoon engages in social behavior.  Related females may share a common area while unrelated males can live together in small groups to keep out foreign males during mating season and guard against invaders.  After a gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young (kits) are born in spring.  The kits are raised by their mother until dispersal in fall.  Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, life expectancy in the wild is only 2 to 3 years.  Hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death. 

Three of the raccoon’s most distinctive features are its dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail.  These features form the themes in the mythologies of Americas indigenous people.  The raccoon is noted for its intelligence, and studies show that it can remember the solution to tasks for at least three years.  The raccoon is usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.  The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests, but because of their adaptability they have extended their range to prairies, mountainous areas, and coastal marshes.  In urban areas some homeowners consider them to be pests.  When they break through my screens and eat my bird seed, I would be one of them.

THOUGHTS:  When I lived in Berkeley, California, there was a raccoon who would fight the homeless people sleeping along the sidewalk for the food in their packs.  I walked the grounds as security guard, and they would tell me of the battles they had with the animal.  I lived along the street and opened my fence one night to find three sets of raccoon eyes staring at me.  I felt like Val Kilmer facing the lions in the Ghost and the Darkness.  Now that I know what is getting into my seed, I am bound to do something about it.  That means rearraigning the buckets so they cannot be knocked over and securing the screens.  Now that we know how to combat the virus, that should mean we do something about it.  That means vaccinations and monitoring our activity when we do not feel well.  The lions ate those who ignored the threat.  The virus seems to do the same.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

June 30, 2022

I received a post today from Vicki Brown, one of the members of the Arkansas Gardening Group that I follow.  Most of the posts are from fellow gardeners either displaying the uniqueness of their own yards or asking questions concerning how to control pests or grow vegetables.  This post took a different direction and contained pictures of one of the unique plats on display at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.  While most of the plants on display are native to the region, the black bat flower is not.  The plant derives its name from the fact that it tends to look like a bat.

When I looked online, I found Black Bat flower (Tacca chantrieri) is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae and was first described in 1901 by Édouard André.  The bat flower is unusual because it has black flowers.  The black bat grows to a height of 24-36 inches (60-90 cm).  The flowers are somewhat bat-shaped, are up to 12 inches (30 cm) across and have long ‘whiskers’ that can grow up to 28 inches (70 cm).  There are ten species in the genus Tacca.  Both the black and the white bat flowers (Tacca integrifolia) are native to the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical central Asia, in forests and valleys, along rivers in altitudes from 200 to 1300 meters above sea level.  They flourish in the understory of humid rainforests in shady spots.  Another Tacca called the white bat flower reaches up to four feet in height (120 cm), or almost twice the size of black bat flower.  The black bat flower was first thought to have been pollinated by flies seeking decaying organic material (since it was black) but study has found the plants are essentially self-pollinating.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is in Fayetteville, in Northwest Arkansas and draws more than 70,000 visitors a year.  The Garden features 12 themed gardens and Arkansas’ only butterfly house.  The landscaped grounds display four seasons of native flora and fauna.  The public garden is dedicated to education and environmental awareness and serves as a community destination for a unique nature experience.  The Garden’s education programs include workshops, classes, and lectures for adults in horticulture, conservation, and other topics of interest to gardeners of all skill levels, and for others who admire the beauty and science of the natural world.  Most of the education programs are for children of all ages.  The Garden also cooperates with area school districts to provide hands-on nature and science learning experiences.

THOUGHTS:  When we lived in Wichita, Melissa and I were members of the local botanical garden, and my brother and his wife still are.   The garden did not have a bat flower of any kind on display, but that is not surprising as the plants are only hardy to zone 11.  Wichita is in zone six, but Fayetteville is only located in zone 7.  It makes me wonder how the Fayetteville Garden keeps the plant from freezing during the winter.  Botanical gardens serve several purposes.  They are repositories for local plants and small fauna (insects, amphibians, birds, mammals) and act as displays for unique species (like the black bat plant) that are not native.  They also serve to educate the public on the important role other species play in our ecosystems.  We are not alone and cannot act like we are.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

June 29, 2022

As Zena and I got to the far end our walk this morning we came across an unmown lawn that had dozens of yellow flowers individually spaced across the entire area.  While I am well familiar with the dandelions that dominated our lawn as a child, the stems and flowers of these plants seemed somehow different.  When I tried to identify the flower on my phone app it alternated between calling it flat weed and then saying it was a dandelion.  I took a picture so I could unravel the mystery for why different apps, and even the same app at different times, would provide contrary information on this simple unknown flower.

When I looked online, I found flat weed (Hypochaeris radicata or Hypochoeris radicata), is also known as cats-ear or false dandelion, and is a perennial, low-lying edible herb often found in lawns.  The plant is native to Europe but has been introduced to the Americas, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, where it can be an invasive weed.  It is listed as a noxious weed in the northwestern US state of Washington.  Its name is derived from Greek “hypo” (under) “choeris” (young pig), so the name should rightly be spelled Hypochoeris.  The adjective radicata means “with conspicuous roots” in Latin (somehow, this plant did not appear to me as “under a young pig with copious roots”).  In English, cats-ear is derived from the words “cat’s ear”, and refers to the shape and fine hair on the leaves resembling the ear of a cat.  The plant is known as false dandelion because it is commonly mistaken for true dandelions.  Both plants carry similar flowers which form windborne seeds, but the cats-ear’s flowering stems are forked and solid, whereas dandelion stems are un-forked and hollow.  Both plants have a rosette of leaves and a central taproot.  The leaves of dandelions are jagged in appearance, whereas those of cats-ear are more lobe-shaped and hairy.  Both plants are said to have similar uses, and both are considered weeds.

All parts of the catsear plant are edible, but the leaves and roots are what are most often harvested.  The leaves are bland in taste but can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, or used in stir-fries.  Some recommend mixing them with other vegetables.  Older leaves can become tough and fibrous, but younger leaves are suitable for consumption.  In contrast to the edible leaves of dandelion, catsear leaves only rarely have some bitterness.  The root can be roasted and ground to form a coffee substitute.  I have been told since I was a child that the dandelion greens were poisonous, but that is not the case.  Dandelion is taken by some for its healing properties (unproven) and many people eat it as a vegetable.  You can eat all parts of the dandelion plant, including the flowers.  Dandelion root is often used as a dietary supplement, whereas dandelion greens are common in salads and soups.  Consumed in moderation or as a tea it may provide several interesting benefits that range from diuretic, detoxifying, and acne-fighting properties to protection against eye diseases, cardiovascular illnesses, and intestinal problems.  This seems to be the same go to list of benefits I have come across for other non-traditional health foods.

THOUGHTS:  One of the Cub Scout badges (arrow points) I earned dealt with wild edible plants, and one of the plants I tried to eat was the dandelion.  My (memory says) handbook said the leafy green leaves were edible, but you needed to blanch them several times to remove the toxins present.  I blanched the leaves, and the resulting greens had the texture and look of boiled spinach.  Perhaps that is why I still do not eat cooked spinach.  I have shared the story of my dandelion experience many times, and it was not until today that I realized the greens are not toxic and do not need to be blanched.  I still doubt I would have made dandelion greens a steady part of my diet, but now I know they are not toxic.  Misinformation is often provided through publications, friends, or social media which we take as fact because of the “trusted” source.  We need to learn just because “someone says so” does not make it true.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.