Pressure

August 03, 2025

I decided I had enough tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) to make another batch of pasta sauce. We used the last 2024 jar during January and have been using “store-bought” sauce. I like the store brand, but it never seems as good as my home canned sauce. The recipe calls for 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of tomatoes and makes around 10 quarts (9.5 liters) of sauce. I never have that many tomatoes at one time, but I had prepped and frozen a gallon (3.8 liters) from a previous harvest and the cool(er) spell last week produced another burst of fruit. This would give me 4 or 5 jars of sauce, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly. I have been able to make my sauce using a water bath (boiling water) due to the higher acidity of the tomatoes. Last week I had also prepared the carrots from my garden and the slices were sitting in the refrigerator. I had been reluctant to can them because of their low acidity. To can the carrots, I would need to do something I had never done before, use a pressure cooker.

When I went online, I found a pressure cooker is a sealed vessel for cooking food (pressure cooking) with the use of high-pressure steam and water or a water-based liquid. The high-pressure limits the water from boiling and creates higher temperatures not possible at lower pressures. This allows the food to be cooked faster than at normal pressure. The prototype of the modern pressure cooker was the steam digester invented in the 17th century by the physicist Denis Papin. The cooker worked by expelling air from the vessel and trapping steam produced from the boiling liquid. The steam is used to raise the internal pressure up to one atmosphere above normal (ambient) and gives higher cooking temperatures between 212 F to 250F (100C to 121C). Together with high thermal heat transfer from steam it permits cooking in between a half and a quarter of the time of conventional boiling while saving a considerable amount of energy. Almost any food that can be cooked in steam or water-based liquids can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Modern pressure cookers have many safety features to prevent the pressure cooker from reaching a pressure that could cause an explosion. After cooking, the steam pressure is lowered back to ambient atmospheric pressure so the vessel can be opened. All modern devices also have a safety lock to prevent opening while the cooker is still under pressure. According to the NY Times Magazine, 37% of US households owned at least one pressure cooker in 1950, but by 2011 that dropped to 20%. This decline was attributed to a fear of explosion (rare with modern pressure cookers) and from competition by other fast cooking devices such as the microwave oven. Today’s third-generation pressure cookers have many more safety features and digital temperature control, do not vent steam during cooking, and are quieter and more efficient. These conveniences have helped make pressure cooking more popular. I bought Melissa a third-generation electric pressure cooker (an odd gift?) before we were married. I later found out she never used it.

THOUGHTS: As I was making the carrots Melissa told me of her experience with an early pressure cooker. She loved to watch her granny canning in the kitchen when she was a small girl. Then one afternoon when she was three, the old-style first-generation pressure cooker exploded, sending hot water and glass everywhere. Both her granny and mom wore glasses, but she did not, and glass got in her eyes. A quick trip to the doctor removed all the glass, but neither she nor her mom ever watched granny using the pressure cooker again. Even with the modern versions, her dad was the only one in the house who used one. It took me a week to build up the nerve to use the pressure cooker. I had never used one and had “heard the stories”. I went online to learn how to operate it and found it easy to use. I now have a new cooking method to add to my resume. New things are generally only daunting if never tried. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Honeycomb

July 30, 2025

Today’s MSN browser had an article about a discovery that has resolved a 70-year debate. A team of chemists and archaeologists used cutting-edge analysis techniques to test the pasty residue found in the bottom of bronze jars found in the sixth-century BCE city of Paestum in southern Italy. The researchers published their findings today (July 30) in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The 8 bronze jars were discovered in an underground shrine in 1954. Honey and honeybees were important in ancient Greek and Roman medicine, rituals, cosmetics, and food, so it was assumed the substance was remains of ancient honeycomb offered as a symbol of immortality. Despite at least four attempts over seven decades to confirm the presence of honey, no evidence of sugars was ever found. Lead author Luciana da Costa Carvalho, a chemist at the University of Oxford, England, and colleagues decided to take advantage of recent advances in chemical analysis techniques and reopen the question of the substance’s origin. Using mass spectrometry to identify the different molecules and compounds, researchers were able to identify intact hexose sugars in the ancient jar residue for the first time, confirming the jars originally contained honeycomb.

When I went online, I found a honeycomb is a mass of 6-sided (hexagonal) prismatic cells built from beeswax by honeybees (genus, apis) to contain their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and stores of honey and pollen. Honeybees consume about 8.4 pounds (3.8 kg) of honey to secrete 1 pound (450 g) of wax so beekeepers may return the wax to the hive after harvesting the honey, leaving the comb intact to improve honey output. The honey is extracted by uncapping and spinning in a centrifugal honey extractor. If the honeycomb is too worn out, the bees can reuse wax by making sheets of comb foundation with a hexagonal pattern. These foundation sheets allow the bees to build the comb with less effort, and the hexagonal pattern of worker-sized cell bases discourages the bees from building the larger drone cells. New honeycomb is sometimes sold and used intact, especially if the honey is spread on bread rather than used in cooking or as a sweetener. The brood comb becomes dark over time (travel stain) due to empty cocoons and shed larval skins embedded in the cells, along with being walked over constantly by other bees. Honeycomb in the hive boxes (supers) that is not used for brood stays light-colored.

The research presents the first direct molecular evidence supporting the presence of honey, which was likely offered as honeycomb. Analysis of the goop can help archaeologists better understand ancient rituals and shrines. The jars were found in an underground shrine (heroon) that included a large, wooden table with wool-wrapped iron rods placed on top. The offering may have been made to Is of Helice, the mythical founder of the ancient Greek city of Sybaris, located in what today is the arch of Italy’s boot. When Sybaris was destroyed in the sixth century BCE, its inhabitants fled and founded a city called Poseidonia. When the Romans took the city in the third century BCE, they renamed the city Paestum. The new study shows that “there is merit in reanalyzing museum collections because analytical techniques continue to develop,” according to Carvalho.

THOUGHTS: I have always preferred eating honeycomb over straight honey. Most of what I ate growing up was based on texture rather than taste, and I enjoyed the honey squishing out of the cells when I comped down on the waxy comb. Raw honey and beeswax are the two main components of honeycomb. Raw honey is rich in enzymes and antioxidants, while beeswax contains long-chain fatty acids and alcohols, all of which may benefit your health. As I have aged my eating habits have changed (I will not say refined). Texture is important, but taste also decides my diet. Is must have felt the same way about his offerings. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Corn Sweat

July 23, 2025

Hidden in the back of today’s local newspaper was a USA Today article about the heat and humidity pushing up the heat index. This is typical during mid-summer, especially in the wetter eastern half of the US. Bob Oravec, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) office in College Park, Maryland, says it is unlikely to break records, but it can be dangerous. On Monday the heat and humidity were centered over the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast. By midweek, they moved northward along the Mississippi Valley and up into the Midwest, then shift toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by the end of the week. Highs are expected to be 95F to 100F (35C to 38C), but the humidity will make it feel closer to 110F (43C) in some areas. This places most of the eastern US in the “major” Heat Risk category, an NWS classification that incorporates heat, humidity, and data on heat-related hospitalizations. Pockets will be in the highest “extreme” category on the four-category scale. Part of the reason for the humidity is that the wet weather pattern has saturated everything, causing more evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants. This is particularly true in the Midwest, where huge fields of corn, soybeans, and other crops release moisture as the temperature climbs. This is akin to how humans sweat in the heat and is nicknamed “corn sweat.”

When I went online, I found corn sweat is scientifically known as transpiration, the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers. This is a passive process that requires no energy expense by the plant. Transpiration also cools plants, changes osmotic pressure of cells, and enables mass flow of mineral nutrients. When water uptake by the roots is less than the water lost to the atmosphere by evaporation, plants close small pores called stomata to decrease water loss, which slows down nutrient uptake and decreases CO² absorption from the atmosphere by limiting metabolic processes, photosynthesis, and growth. In growing season, an acre of corn gives off about 3,000 to 4,000 US gallons (11,000 to 15,000 liters) of water each day. A large oak tree can transpire 40,000 US gallons (150,000 liters) per year. Crop plants transpire 440 to 2200 pounds (200 to 1000 kg) of water for every 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of dry matter produced. Roughly 95.3 million acres (38566541.7 ha) are planted with corn and soybean in the Midwest, representing approximately 75% of the region’s total agricultural land.

In Iowa, corn sweat releases 49 to 56 billion gallons (185,212 billion liters) of water each day. The NWS said that it can add 5 to 10 degrees to the dew point, a measure of humidity, on a hot summer day. Illinois boasts about 12 million acres (4,856,227.7 ha) of corn, that sweats up to 48 billion gallons (181.7 billion liters) of water daily. The weather service in Chicago is warning that the heat index in Illinois could reach 115F (46.1C) by July 23-24. Corn sweat will only add to the misery. Iowa state climatologist Justin Glisan said, “Of course, there’s a local contribution from corn/bean transpiration which can add additional low-level moisture and exacerbate dew points.” Weather patterns contribute more to the heat and humidity in the Midwest than corn sweat, which he said is “a more local or smaller-scale effect”.

THOUGHTS: While corn sweat might make summer days feel more oppressive, it is a sign of healthy crops. Evapotranspiration is essential for plant growth and helps crops reach their full potential. Once the harvest begins, corn sweat is eliminated. I had a summer job at a lake in the heart of Kansas corn country (7th largest producer in US). While the humidity averages in the mid-60’s, we joked about the temps being “100 degrees and 100 percent humidity”. The advantage of working at the lake meant whenever it got too unbearable, we jumped into the lake to cool off. Not everyone is so lucky. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Tomato Pie

July 21, 2025

One of the advantages of having a garden is being able to step outside and pick fresh vegetables for the night’s dinner. One of the disadvantages is trying to figure out what to do when large quantities of a particular vegetable ripen at the same time. I have mentioned how I have plied family and friends with the bounty of my crops, along with taking several loads to the local food bank. I have also learned to prepare, freeze, can, and preserve several different vegetables and even fruits. Whether it is fresh or preserved, the real question becomes how is it going to be served? There are always “go to” dishes that are the reason for a particular vegetable was grown, but having an abundance provides an opportunity to get creative. That means when a new harvest happens, I pour over recipes on the internet searching for ideas. Melissa has begun to cook meals more frequently. While I tend to focus on the Midwestern meat n’ potato dishes I grew up with, Melissa falls back on her Southern heritage. Several nights ago, she decided to make a Southern tomato pie.

When I went online, I found Southern tomato pie is a tomato dish popular in the Southern US (hence, the name). The dish consists of a pie shell with a filling of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), that are sometimes with basil or other herb), then covered with a topping of grated cheese mixed with either mayonnaise or a white sauce. Tomato pie is considered a summer dish that is to be made when tomatoes are in season. While tomato pie has its roots in Italian American cuisine, and particularly Philadelphia, it has become a popular and classic dish in the South during the summer months when tomatoes are at their peak. Southern tomato pie is enjoyed both as a main course and a side dish, and is a staple at potlucks, picnics, and casual gatherings. A sweet version called green tomato pie uses buttered and sugared green tomatoes, with a recipe dating at least as far back as 1877. The taste of green tomato pie is comparable to green apple pie. The sweet version is less common than the savory Southern tomato pie. In the US, tomato pie may also refer to some types of pizza, like Sicilian pizza (originated in Sicily), Italian tomato pie (thick dough with tomato sauce on top). In its simplest form, a Philly tomato pie is pizza with no cheese.

When Melissa told me she was going to make tomato pie for dinner, I had my doubts. Not being from the South, I had never tried tomato pie and wondered about the taste of eating a bunch of baked tomatoes. Being a meat n’ potato person, I also recognized there was no meat. Still, this was a way to sample one of Melissa’s family dishes, and to take on the growing number of tomatoes sitting on our kitchen counter. The pie starts with a baked pastry shell. Several large beefsteak tomatoes (we used Cherokee Purple) are peeled, cut into thin slices, and layered in the shell. Salt and pepper, basil, and chopped chives are sprinkled on the tomatoes to taste. Mayonnaise (always Duke’s if truly Southern) and grated cheese are mixed and spread over the top. The pie is popped into a pre-heated 400F (200.4C) oven and baked for 30 to 35 minutes. The pie did look good and tasted better.

THOUGHTS: My trepidation around eating my first Southern tomato pie was mitigated when Melissa chose to make it a side dish, with the entrée being fried chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Knowing my protein was secure, I admitted the pie was good. My Midwestern bent and Melissa’s Southern come from the comfort food we each grew up with. The term comfort food can be traced back to 1615 (at least) where in the beginning of the second part of Don Quixote his niece and her nurse/governess are told “to give him things to eat which are comforting and appropriate for the heart and the brain.” Comfort food provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to a person or a specific culture. Sampling another’s comfort may also provide insight into their soul. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Miniature

July 16, 2025

The “big town” near us operates 29 parks and recreation areas scattered around the city. These include everything from historic and nature trails, playgrounds and green space, aquatic and recreation centers, performing arts, and even two dog parks. The parks include three stocked fishing lakes that I frequent as often as possible. Another annual favorite is the light display located at Creekmore Park. This is an expansive venture that provided inspiration for the light displays I put up when I was director of a camp and conference center in Kansas. This summer, Creekmore has been undergoing needed improvements throughout the park. The pool’s bathhouse (built 1948) was demolished, and a new facility and diving pool were finished in June, just in time to host the state swim meet. The 18-hole mini-golf course (built 1959) was refurbished by volunteer labor from local businesses Graphic Packaging and IT Logistics and includes a little semi-trailer truck obstacle. The city said it is also resurfacing and expanding the parking lot. Sara Deuster, director of Fort Smith Parks and Recreation, said the upgrades are necessary to accommodate the growing number of families visiting the parks. One project waiting for funding is the miniature train that circles the park in summer and tours the Christmas lights.

When I went online, I found A ridable miniature railway, or in the US a riding railroad or grand scale railroad, is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives powered by diesel or gas engines, live steam, or electric motors. These miniature railways have a rail track gauge between 5 inches (127 mm) and under 15 inches (381 mm), though both larger and smaller gauges are used. With gauges of 5 inches (127 mm) and less, the track is commonly raised above ground level. Flat cars are arranged with foot boards so that a driver and passengers sit astride the track. The smaller gauges of miniature railway track can be portable. Portable track is used to carry passengers at temporary events such as festivals and summer fairs. These miniature lines are frequently operated by nonprofit organizations, and often model engineering societies, though some are in private grounds and others run commercially.

There are several national organizations representing and providing guidance on miniature railway operations including the Australian Association of Live Steamers, the Southern Federation of Model Engineering Societies (UK), and the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). The NMRA is a large, international organization focused on the hobby and business of model railroading. It provides education, advocacy, standards, and social interaction for its members. The NMRA has a strong presence in the US and operates in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands. Deuster said the miniature railway at Creekmore is a favorite of park-goers of all ages. There are three miniature trains housed at the park. The #200 Electric Steam Engine was manufactured by Western Train Company out of Temecula, California. There is also a standard diesel train named the Creekmore Express. The steam engine is currently waiting for funding for its restoration.

THOUGHTS: I frequent a coffee shop across the street from Creekmore and last week saw the miniature train chugging by with a full load of passengers. It reminded me of George Bailey’s comment from the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. George declares, “You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles.” Travel blogs say many are like George and share a love for travel and adventure, associating these sounds with freedom and the allure of the unknown. That is also the original impetus for this blog. While content has expanded, the blog still tries to express the joy (and irony) of life. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Carrot Cake

July 15, 2025

I have mentioned the great number of cucumbers and carrots I harvested from this year’s garden. After taking a load of cucumbers to the food Bank I thought I would try and share the wealth by bringing a basket filled with both to a potluck on Sunday. Although this could provide fresh vegetables, it would not do much for the meal itself. Having lived in different parts of the country I have noticed regional variations in potluck customs. Since this was going to be my first Arkansas potluck, I did not know what to expect. The potlucks I attended people have mostly brought side dishes, with fewer entrees and desserts. The organizations hosting the potluck often provide a main meat dish to make sure there is at least some protein. Since I had a lot of carrots, I decided to make something to feature them. Cooked or even glazed carrots did not sound like the zing I wanted to bring. What I decided was to make carrot cake.

When I went online, I found carrot cake (also known as pastel de zanahoria) is a cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter. While the origin of carrot cake is disputed there is an English recipe published in 1591 for “pudding in a Carret [sic] root”. This is essentially a carrot stuffed with meat, but it includes elements common to the modern dessert. That includes shortening, cream, eggs, raisins, sweetener (dates and sugar), spices (clove and mace), scraped carrot, and breadcrumbs (in place of flour). Many food historians believe that carrot cake originated in the carrot puddings eaten by Europeans in the Middle Ages when sugar and sweeteners were expensive and many people used carrots as a substitute for sugar. In volume two of L’art du cuisinier (1814), Antoine Beauvilliers, former chef to King Louis XVI, included a recipe for a “Gâteau de Carottes” which was popular enough to be copied verbatim in competitors’ cookbooks. Beauvilliers published an English version of his cookbook in London (1824) which includes a recipe for “Carrot Cakes” in a literal translation of his earlier recipe. The popularity of carrot cake was revived in the UK because of sugar rationing during WWII along with government promotion of carrot consumption.

My carrot cake mix became a conglomerate dessert. I bought a white cake mike and tub of cream cheese frosting several weeks ago when I had a craving for a cupcake. It seems almost impossible to find one cupcake in a store (my sister later reminded me I could have gone to a bakery). I ended up not making the cupcakes for the same reason, I did not want 24, just one. The potluck was different. I could bring the dish, eat my one cupcake, and share the rest. I took the boxed cake mix and added cinnamon, nutmeg, egg whites, candied pecans (it is The South, everyone keeps a batch in the fridge), and a cup of grated carrots. I also added cinnamon and nutmeg to the frosting mix to give it an extra umph. I only had 18 cupcake tins, so I turned the rest of the batter into a small carrot cake for Melissa and myself. I arranged the 18 cupcakes in a large corning ware roaster dish and brought them to the party. Walking in from the car the platter slipped and shattered in the street. That was the end of my carrot cake cupcakes.

THOUGHTS: Without my carrot cake cupcakes, I felt bad about going to the potluck without a dish. I told myself, “At least I have the vegetables to give away.” I labeled them as giveaway and provided paper bags to take the vegetables home. At the end of the meal not one was gone and I took them all home. The first potluck I attended when I lived in Utah had another twist. A friend and I both arrived “fashionably late” and ended up walking in together. As we came through the door the host exclaimed, “They are here, now we can eat!” Apparently, the custom was to arrive early and start the event “on time”. Getting to know customs can be a matter of trial and error. It could be more efficient to ask. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Red-bellied

July 14, 2025

Last weekend Melissa called me into the kitchen to watch the large bird that had been battling two squirrels over “rights” to what was left in my soot feeder. I grabbed my camera and by the time I arrived the squirrels had been driven off, but the bird was still there. Melissa said she had watched the bird attack the two eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) for about 20 minutes. The bird alternately flew at both squirrels keeping them at bay. This was a new species identification for Melissa, and the bright red head led her to believe this was a red headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). I occasionally see one of these birds at my feeders and had even identified one early in January (although without a photo). At first, I also thought it might be a red-headed woodpecker. My apps instead identified this as a red-bellied woodpecker.

When I went online, I found the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. While the species breeds mainly in the eastern US, it ranges as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. The most prominent feature is a vivid orange-red crown and nape, but this is not to be confused with a separate species in the same genus, the red-headed woodpecker. The red-headed woodpecker has an entirely red head and neck, a solid black back, and white belly. Red-bellied woodpeckers are 9 to 10.5 inches (22.85 to 26.7 cm) long, have a wingspan of 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 cm), and weigh 2 to 3 ounces (57 to 91 g). The red-bellied earns its name from the pale reddish tint on its lower underside. Adults are mainly light gray on their face and underparts and have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings, and tail. Adult males have a red cap going from the bill to the nape while females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill. White patches become visible on the wings in flight. The reddish tinge on the belly is difficult to see in field identification.

I have never noticed the red spot on a red-bellied woodpecker and have instead identified them by the black and white barred pattern on their backs. I always wondered why they were called red-bellied, and now I know. Predators of adult, red-bellied woodpeckers include birds of prey such as sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), Cooper’s hawks (Astur cooperii), black rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis), and house cats (Felis catus). Known predators of nestlings and eggs include red-headed woodpeckers, owls (Order, Strigiformes), pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus), black rat snakes, and eastern gray squirrels. When approached by a predator, the birds either hide from or harass the threat with alarm calls. They will defend their nests and young aggressively and may directly attack predators that come near. While this bird did not have a nest, it was aggressively defending its food supply.

THOUGHTS: By driving off the gray squirrels the red-bellied woodpecker was it was exerting its territorial rights. A defended territory is typical of songbirds but is also found in many other orders of birds. Territory may be held by one bird, a pair, or a flock and can be held for all or only part of a year. It may be very large (eagles) and provide all the resources the bird needs or be very small such as nesting territories. It may be vigorously defended or loosely guarded. Typically, territories are defended against others of the same species but may also be defended against other species. Humans also claim both small and large areas we define as ours and actively defend. These are also shared, but generally only with those we define as “us”. Globalization is forcing humans to make new choices on us and them. Cooperation and sharing resources may provide for all. Hoarding resources has and will always lead to conflict. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Kerecis

July 12, 2025

In Wednesday’s local paper I found a USA Today article about a badly injured bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) who was treated by veterinarians and released just in time for the 4th of July. The bird was near death when volunteers brought her to the Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital (WFRH) in northern Wisconsin last August. Her leg was ripped open from knee to ankle, and maggots and bacteria had filled the dried-out wound. However, the bird was standing on its leg and its talons were still working. Veterinarian Kim Ammann, reached out to an Icelandic company which transplants the skin of North Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) to help heal human wounds and support tissue regeneration. The treatment had never been used on a species of raptor before. The company reached back almost immediately and offered the descaled, medical fish skin free of charge to the all-volunteer veterinary hospital. Within weeks, Ammann gave Kere (named in honor of the company) the first of two successful surgical skin grafts. Her recovery included 10 months of grueling wound care, bandage changes, and a mini vacation in the hospital’s Eagle flyway rehabilitation enclosure. By June 22, the wild bald eagle was ready to soar free again thanks to the medical technology developed by Kerecis.

When I went online, I found Kerecis is an Icelandic company that uses fish skins to treat wounds. The decellularized skin of the Atlantic cod is used as a graft, which increases the elasticity, tensile strength, and compressibility of the wound. In 2009 Fertram Sigurjonsson observed that the skin of the fish had qualities like human skin and could expedite skin regeneration and founded Kereceis in 2013. Kerecis Omega-3 fish skin was first marketed in Europe in 2012 and cleared for use in the US for the treatment of wounds by the FDA in 2016. In 2021, the FDA approved Kerecis Omega3 SurgiBind fish-skin for surgical use in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The company was valued at more than 100 million euros in 2021. Kereceis also works on medical research with the US Armed Forces and provides the grafts to branches of the military. Kerecis was sold to the Danish company Coloplast in July 2023 for US$1.2 billion.

The skin grafts provided by Kerecis allowed for the June release of Kere. The date was more about ensuring Kere had “the majority of the summer months” to reacclimate with being wild again than the holiday, but the symbolism of releasing a bald eagle so close to the 4th of July was not lost on Ammann. A group of about a hundred viewers gathered to watch Kere take flight. Amann said the day was “magical.” The eagle population began plummeting in the late 1800’s due to habitat destruction and took another loss from DDT following WWII. Bald eagles hit an all-time low in the 1960’s with just 417 nesting pairs in the continental US. The use of DDT was banned in 1972 and The Endangered Species Act of 1973 helped protect quickly disappearing species like the bald eagle. Today, there are an estimated 316,000 bald eagles in the US lower 48 states, and they became the US national bird in 2024.

THOUGHTS: Even though the process developed by Kerecis is relatively new, skin grafting has been practiced by the Egyptians and Greeks since ancient times and modern skin grafting was described in the mid to late 19th century. Xenotransplants (non-human organs) have been around since the first two decades of the 20th century but have been subject to tissue rejection as well as controversy over morality and animal rights. Xenogeneic grafts where the donor and recipient are of different species (like bovine cartilage or pig skin) are now common. Kerecis’ groundbreaking research and the innovative application by WFRH have taken the process to a new level. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Cherries

July 11, 2025

Our gardener friend is always on the lookout for fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from local farms and orchards. She often buys in bulk and then splits the cost (and produce) with Melissa. Several weeks ago, we got a baker’s dozen ears of corn (Zea mays), but we missed out on a bushel of fresh peaches (Prunus persica). She texted Melissa several days ago and said she had found another farm selling peaches nearby and she was going to get them. These were the free-stone variety that I really like, and I began to think of ways to use a half bushel of sweet Georgia peaches. After she bought them, she called Melissa and said she also had 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of cherries. When Melissa told me she was going to pick up the fruit, the only thought on my mind was, “What are we going to do with 10 pounds of cherries?”

When I went online, I found a cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus and is a fleshy stone fruit (drupe). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet Prunus avium and the sour Prunus cerasus. The English word cherry derives from Old Northern French or Norman “cherise” from the Latin “cerasum”. These are a reference to the ancient Greek region of Kerasous near Giresun, Turkey, where cherries were first thought to be exported to Europe. The name ‘cherry’ also refers to the cherry tree and its wood and is sometimes applied to almonds and visually similar flowering trees in the genus Prunus, as in “ornamental cherry” (Prunus serrulate) or “cherry blossom”. The word “cherry” is also used for some species that bear fruits with similar size and shape even though they are not in the same Prunus genus. These include species like the “Jamaican cherry” (Muntingia calabura) and the “Spanish cherry” (Mimusops elengi). Cherries, along with many other fruiting trees and plants, probably first arrived in North America around 1606 in the New France colony of Port Royal, which is modern-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

While Melissa was picking up the cherries, I googled to find out what to do with 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of cherries. I was surprised to find several sites attempting to address the exact issue. It seems unless you buy a controlled amount in the grocery store, they come in bulk. The obvious choice (other than eating them fresh) was to turn them into jellies, jams, or preserves. Melissa occasionally eats jam, but I rarely do, so 10 pounds of cherry jam seemed a bit much. Then there was cherry cheesecake and other cherry desserts. Again, we rarely eat dessert, let alone 10 pounds of such. That is when I came across a recipe for brandied cherries (brandy, water, sugar). This was said to be like maraschino cherries but with a wonderful flavor. The suggestion was to replace the maraschino in your favorite cocktail, but they could be used in a variety of ways. When the cherries arrived, it turned out to only be five pounds (2.25 kg), or 5 each. Our friend also lent us her cherry pitter. This quickly popped out the seed rather than cutting the pits out of a bulk of cherries with a knife. Five pounds (2.25 kg) of cherries is still a lot.

THOUGHTS: As we were pitting the cherries Melissa came up with several ways to use them. We made four cups into two pints brandied cherries, one of which was destined to become cheesecake. Another four cups were reserved to become cherry crisp. The last batch we left unpitted for Melissa to snack on. The first cherry pitter dates to the 1880’s as home cooks sought to simplify the task of cutting the stones out of the cherries for canning, baking, or other food uses. A straw or chopstick can also be used to push out the pit. The pitter I used reminded me of the cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. Both were designed to speed up the process and reduce the tedious task of seed extraction. Mechanical ingenuity saves time. These savings could/should be put back into building your family or community. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Food

July 09, 2025

I made some final harvests from my garden today. That included all my carrots (Daucus carota) and red onions (Allium cepa), along with a continuation of my cucumbers (Cucumis sativus). I grow enough vegetables to keep our family stocked with fresh produce during the season and have begun to can and freeze my produce for later. Still, there is a surplus which gives me the opportunity to share with friends and family. There always seems to be an overabundance of some vegetables. I have tried to compensate this year by growing a greater variety of produce and even staggering when I plant. I also planted this year’s crop with the intent of sharing a portion of the produce with our local food bank.

When I went online, I found a food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger. This is usually done through food pantries and soup kitchens, but some food banks distribute food directly with their food pantries. St. Mary’s Food Bank was the world’s first food bank, established in the US in 1967. Now thousands of food banks have been set up all over the world. Their numbers grew rapidly in Europe after the global increase in food prices which began in late 2006, and as the 2008 financial crisis began to worsen economic conditions. The inflation and economic crisis of the 2020’s has exponentially driven low and middle-income consumers to get at least part of their food from a food bank.

Some US cities have organizations that provide dog and cat food for pets whose owners qualify for food assistance. Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen in Lawrenceville, Georgia is considered the largest pet food aid agency in Georgia, distributing over 800,000 pounds (362874 kg) of dog and cat food in 2012. Daffy’s was started in 1997 by Tom Wargo, a repairman who was working in an elderly woman’s home when he noticed her sharing her Meals On Wheels lunch with her pet cat because she could not afford cat food. Daffy’s was one of seven non-profit organizations recognized by Barefoot Wine in 2013 through a US$10,000 donation and by being featured on labels of the vintner’s Impression Red Blend wines. Pet Buddies Food Pantry in Atlanta, Georgia is another establishment that provides food aid for pets. The St. Augustine Humane Society in St. Augustine, Florida, distributes over 1,600 pounds (726 kg) of pet food each month to families who are experiencing economic hardship and cannot afford to feed their pets.

THOUGHTS: While food banks are a vital resource for those who are food insecure, they have also led to a rise in obesity and diabetes. Many foods offered to clients in food banks are high in processed sugars and salts and low in vitamin and mineral content. The low nutritional quality of foods available to clientele at food banks has led to further health effects. A study showed 33% of American households visiting food pantries had diabetes. When you grow and share locally grown fruits and vegetables you can help alter this trend. Community gardens are another way to help. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.