Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Office plant found at ground zero a symbol of rebirth - CNN.com

2011-09-12T20:37:00.000-04:00

Office plant found at ground zero a symbol of rebirth - CNN.com:

'via Blog this'

isn't this a wonderful miracle?

I think this plant might be a creeping dwarf myrtle

Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2011-09-12T17:38:00.001-04:00

Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

best photographic documentation I ever came across AND you can translate the pictures' text into about any language

9/11 remembered

2011-09-11T14:55:00.001-04:00

9/11 remembered

*the* symbol of 9/11 to me is the survivor tree - beaten up by the fire, nursed back, again beaten up by forces of nature and still

standing tall, very much alive and flowering

9/11 to me wasn't just an attack to the USA - it was an attack to what the US is standing for, and this is applicable to ALL people worldwide:

freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom to think(!), freedom to live in peace and have your representatives listen to you, freedom to pursue your way of finding happiness and worship the way you believe (as long as this will NOT hurts anybody else)

a long long time ago a German poet rendered a very very old poem of unknown origin (I'm citing the original 6 strophes and those that got translated have their English translation right behind die German original), and Pete Seeger made it a song:

from about 1800:

1. Beleget den Fuß
Mit Banden und mit Ketten
Daß von Verdruß
Er sich kann nicht retten,
So wirken die Sinnen,
Die dennoch durchdringen.
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

2. Die Gedanken sind frei
Wer kann sie erraten?
Sie fliehen vorbei
Wie nächtliche Schatten;
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen,
Kein Kerker verschließen
Wer weiß, was es sei?
Die Gedanken sind frei.

Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They flee by like nocturnal shadows.
No man can know them, no hunter can shoot them
with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!

3. Ich werde gewiß
Mich niemals beschweren,
Will man mir bald dies,
Bald jenes verwehren;
Ich kann ja im Herzen
Stets lachen und scherzen;
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei

4. Ich denk was ich will
und was mich erquicket,
Und das in der Still
Und wenn es sich schicket;
Mein Wunsch und Begehren
Kann Niemand mir wehren;
Wer weiß was es sei?
Die Gedanken sind frei.

I think what I want, and what delights me,
still always reticent, and as it is suitable.
My wish and desire, no one can deny me
and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!

5. Wird gleich dem Gesicht
Das Sehen versaget,
So werd ich doch nicht
Von Sorgen geplaget.
Ich kann ja gedenken,
Was soll ich mich kränken?
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

6. Ja fesselt man mich
Im finsteren Kerker,
So sind doch das nur
Vergebliche Werke.
Denn meine Gedanken
Zerreißen die Schranken
Und Mauern entzwei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon,
all this would be futile work,
because my thoughts tear all gates
and walls apart: Thoughts are free!

[added later]
Drum will ich auf immer
den Sorgen entsagen
und will mich auch nimmer
mit Grillen mehr plagen.
Man kann ja im Herzen
stets lachen und scherzen
und denken dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei!

So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
and never again will torture myself with whimsies.
In one's heart, one can always laugh and joke
and think at the same time: Thoughts are free!

my blue coneflower opened

2011-05-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

isn't she pretty?

From blue coneflower

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

2011-05-23T14:59:00.002-04:00

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler aka Paulchen about 4 years old in my Ohio-garden:

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

Common Name:.............Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

Classification:..........Hybrid Musk, Rambler

"born":..................1916

Color:...................light pink - white

Average Height:..........20" - 30"

Average Width:...........n / a

Number of Petals:........double

Cold Hardiness:..........zones 4 - 9

Resistance to disease:...yes

Fragrance:...............very, musky

Foliage:.................small-ferny

Growth:..................climbing

Bloom:...................once in late spring / early summer

History:.................?

and:.....................avoid pruning, very thorny stems

as I just couldn't do without this rose, I ordered Paulchen bareroot from David Austin roses (VERY strong plants you get there!)

and now photos of Paulchen in spring 2011 - he's nearly 2 year old now:

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Poulsen Parade white - Freya

2011-05-23T14:56:00.002-04:00

last year I found out, these darling miniroses sold at the grocery store were Poulsen roses! I was so thrilled to see these Danish beauties grow in my yard, and this year they are just stunning!

the creme Poulsen Parade Minirose I identified as Freya ™ (most likely it's this rose, as she has a distinct fragrance resembling Iceberg)

below how this minirose looks like on the Poulsen website:

From Poulsen Parade white

Sale Name:.................Freya ™
Introductionsyear:.........2009
Product Group:.............Parade ®
Flower color:..............white or almost white
Flower Description:........double
Flower Size:...............small, between 5 and 8cm
Number of Petals:..........more than 25
Fragrance:.................wild Rose fragrance
Flowering:.................normal
Growth Form:...............bushy
Plant Height:..............low, 40-60cm
Foliage:...................dark shiny

Freya gracing my yard - we had a lot of rain this year, on some of the photos her flowers are just filled with rainwater:

From Poulsen Parade white

a still very small firefly on Freya:

From Poulsen Parade white

an unknown bug (ant perhaps?) on Freya:

From Poulsen Parade white

my blue coneflower

2011-05-22T22:50:00.001-04:00

for about 2 years there were some bright green leaves and I had no idea at all, what this plant could be about... but this year it started to have a bud - very beautiful:

From blue coneflower

and thanks to google and this photo I could identify my "sleeping beauty" as a blue coneflower:

Tornado Outbreak April 25-28-2011

2011-05-03T16:07:00.000-04:00

there are no words to describe the devastation this tornado outbreak brought with it... .. ...

View Tornado Outbreak April 27, 2011 in a larger map

some statistics (citing NOAA as of May-02-2011):

April 25-28, 2011, Tornado Outbreak Statistics
NOAA's preliminary estimate is that there were 362 tornadoes during the entire outbreak from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 25 to 8:00 a.m. April 28, 2011.

During the 24-hour period from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 27 to 8:00 a.m. EDT April 28, The National Weather Service (NWS) estimates there were a total of 312 tornadoes.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center issued severe weather outlooks five days in advance and tornado watches hours in advance.
NWS Weather Forecast Offices issued life-saving tornado warnings, with an average lead-time of 24 minutes. NWS issued warnings for more than 90 percent of these tornadoes.
NWS decision support for this event has been extensive. NWS Weather Forecast Offices in the affected areas of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia advertised the potential for severe weather in the Tuesday through Wednesday timeframe since late last week. Local offices provided direct decision support services to meet the specific needs of local emergency manager partners and the general public. NWS Weather Forecast Offices issued Hazardous Weather Outlooks up to six days in advance noting the greater threat of strong, long-track tornadoes was expected.
The largest previous number of tornadoes on record in one event occurred from April 3-4, 1974, with 148 tornadoes.

Expert analysis by NOAA Research and the National Weather Service of the fatality information indicates that at least 350 people were killed during the entire outbreak from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 25 to 8:00 a.m. April 28. There were 340 fatalities during the 24-hour-period from 8:00 a.m. April 27 to 8:00 a.m. April 28.

The April 26-28 period had the most people killed by tornadoes in a two-day period since April 5-6, 1936, when 454 people were killed, mostly in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Gainesville, Georgia.
April 27, 2011, is the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that had 747 fatalities across 7 states (including the Tri-State Tornado).
The Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado during the April 2011 event caused at least 65 fatalities. This tornado had a maximum width of 1.5 miles and a track 80 miles long.

These are the most fatalities from a single tornado in the United States since May 25, 1955, when 80 people were killed in a tornado in southern Kansas with 75 of those deaths in Udall, Kansas.
The deadliest single tornado on record in the United States was the Tri-State tornado (Mo., Ill., Ind.) on March 18, 1925, when 695 died.

Ongoing (preliminary) List of Tornadoes by EF Rating (EF3 to EF5):

EF5: 2
EF4: 11
EF3: 21

Note: All numbers are based on combined NOAA and historical research records and current fatality estimates. The historical research records extend back to 1680.

Month of April 2011 (and record monthly) Tornado Statistics
NWS’s preliminary estimate is that there have been more than 600 tornadoes thus far during the month of April 2011.

The previous record number of tornadoes during the month of April was 267 tornadoes set in April 1974.
The previous record number of tornadoes during any month was 542 tornadoes set in May 2003.
The average number of tornadoes for the month of April during the past decade is 161.
The overall monthly average number of tornadoes for the past decade is 106.

2011 Year-to-Date (and record annual) Statistics
NWS’s preliminary estimate is that there have been 881 tornadoes so far this year.

The previous yearly record number of tornadoes was set in 2004 with 1,817.
May is historically the most active month for tornadoes.
The overall yearly average number of tornadoes for the past decade is 1,274.

American Robin 2nd week

2011-04-21T23:11:00.000-04:00

little Robin is one week old today and look who it grew since 2 days ago:

From Mummy Robin

Mummy Robin working on food (earthworms) for her little one:

From Mummy Robin

Tornado Preparedness

2011-04-18T13:24:00.003-04:00

What To Do:

get a NOAA weather radio
turn it on if the weather is favorable for strong Tstorms

What To Listen For:

Tornado Watch: Tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms.
Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. If a tornado warning is issued for your area and the sky becomes threatening, move to your pre-designated place of safety.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Severe thunderstorms are possible in your area.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Severe thunderstorms are occurring.

Keep in mind, tornadoes occasionally develop in areas in which a severe thunderstorm watch or warning is in effect.
Remain alert to signs of an approaching tornado and seek shelter if threatening conditions exist.

Environmental Clues to look out for:
about 1-2 hours ahead of a possible tornado:

all birds gone, deadquiet with no singing and tweeting (of birds)

minutes ahead of a possible tornado:

Dark, often greenish sky
Wall cloud
Large hail
Loud roar; similar to a freight train

if you see or hear any of these, immediately get into a safe room:

if you have a basement, rush into your basement,
if there is no basement, move into a windowless room or closet or under a sturdy piece of furniture at the lowest level of your home,
if you're living in a mobile home: get out there and hide in the next ditch/ low lying area as shown in the image below (NOAA)
if you're in a car: get out there and hide in the next ditch/ low lying area as shown in the image below (NOAA)

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Busting Tornado Myths

2011-04-18T12:45:00.001-04:00

a must watch about what to do and more importantly what not to do when a tornado hits your home:

AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Busting Tornado Myths

Historic Tornado Outbreak

2011-04-17T15:37:00.009-04:00

The tornado outbreak on Apr 14-16 led to a total of 241 tornado reports in 14 states.

View Larger Map
This tornado outbreak already ranks as the most deadly outbreak since the Super Tuesday tornado outbreak on Feb 5-6 2008.

the NOAA-Storm-Report graphics for Apr-14 to Apr-16,
and below each image the link to the full storm-report of the corresponding day:

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Apr-14-2011 report

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Apr-15-2011 report

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Apr-16-2011 report

read more here:
AccuWeather.com - Weather News | Historic Tornado Outbreak: 3 Days, 241 Tornadoes, 14 States

American Robin

2011-04-14T00:28:00.003-04:00

in February our American Robins built - as they did every year - their nest in the tree trailing it's branches over the back of our trailer... but it got snowed on and soon after abandoned... our Robins now have a very nice and save place: they chose a wreath on the backwards deck of my bird-loving neighbor :)

first nest snowcapped:

From Mummy Robin

a save haven to raise little Robins :)

From Mummy Robin

and on April-14 the first little Robin hatched (photos taken Apr-15):

From Mummy Robin

little Robin growing real fast - Apr-17-2011

From Mummy Robin

little Robin 5 days old (wondering if or when the 2 others might hatch) - Apr-19-2011

From Mummy Robin

Celebrate Arbor Day on April 29, 2011

2011-04-13T21:30:00.002-04:00

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April.

What is Tree City USA?

The Tree City USA program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities that more than 135 million Americans call home.

The many benefits of being a Tree City include creating a framework for action, education, a positive public image, and citizen pride. Read more about the benefits of becoming a Tree City.

Did you know?

There are more than 3400 communities that are currently a Tree City USA.
There are more than 500 communities that received a Growth Award.
Over 135 million people live in a Tree City USA.

Delaware has 13 Tree Cities:
City............Years...Population
WILMINGTON......17......73135
DOVER...........21......36359
NEWARK...........9......29992
SMYRNA...........7......10429
MILFORD..........7.......6500
DOVER AFB.......18.......6089
LEWES............9.......3000
DELAWARE CITY....8.......1500
REHOBOTH BEACH..20.......1495
FENWICK ISLAND...5.......1400
OCEAN VIEW.......4.......1114
DAGSBORO.........3........750
ODESSA...........8........300

Tree City USA is supported by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program.

spring beauties - Monkeyball trees

2011-04-13T20:17:00.000-04:00

now our gumball trees (or Monkeyball trees) are finally "waking up" too:

some good helpers to identify (Eastern)trees or about trees:

Decorah Eagles

2011-04-07T19:48:00.001-04:00

The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree (about 80 feet high) at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. The live video feed is streamed online 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers through the cam. Infrared light is not visible to eagles, they do not see it or know it is there.
The eagles (not banded) build this nest in 2007, today it's 5-6 feet across, about the same deep and it weighs about 1½ tons!

First hatch 4/2/11.
Second hatch 4/3/11.
Third hatch 4/6/11.

for more information about the eagles please visit their Raptor Resource Project blog:

Streaming live video by Ustream

Spring Beauty: Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata'

2011-03-28T18:09:00.002-04:00

From spring beauties - perennials

a very nice ground cover - the tiny flowers are resembling little orchids - don't they?

Variegated Creeping Charlie, Variegated Gill-Over-the-Ground, Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata'
Category: Perennials
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Glechoma
Species: hederacea
Cultivar: Variegata
Synonym: Nepeta glechoma
Synonym: Nepeta hederacea

Bloom Color: Medium Blue
Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Mid Summer
Foliage: pretty and steppable
Height: 5-10 cm / 2-4 inches
Spread: fast - 45-75 cm / 18-29 inches

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-9
Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Needs: average, water regularly, do not overwater

and: may be a noxious weed or invasive

some of my fav books about gardening:

Magnolia

2011-03-23T23:23:00.000-04:00

the Magnolia trees are blooming and yes, now we're having cold weather, even snow, to come...

From Magnolia tree on Mar 22 2011

an early Mosquito resting on this beauty

From Magnolia tree on Mar 22 2011

spring beauties - Acer rubrum

2011-03-19T23:14:00.009-04:00

our gumball trees (or Monkeyball trees) not only have "burning" foliage in fall but also a beautiful spring "burst" (that's what I'd thought during the last days) - but today (Mar-26) I found out, that these (I thought they were gumball trees) trees that have these beautiful red flowerlike sprouts are different from all (I KNOW these are gumball trees) trees in our yard, which don't even get started with any bloom-like growth didn't - did some research and identified them as Maples - here's a link to this Maple-Beauty: Acer rubrum (I'm hoping I got this right now)

some good helpers to identify (Eastern)trees or about trees:

Dortmund

2011-03-12T23:28:00.010-05:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:...............Dortmund
Classification:............Climbing Rose
"born":....................1955
Color:.....................deep red with white center
Average Height:............15 - 30 feet
Average Width:.............5 feet
Number of Petals:..........about 5-7
Cold Hardiness:............zones 5 - 9
Resistance to disease:.....yes
Fragrance:.................some
Foliage:...................large, glossy, dark green
Growth:....................strong
Bloom:.....................blooms all summer
History:...................Kordes Rose
and:.......................tolerates some shade and very hardy

ordered from Antique Rose Emporium

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Westerland

2011-03-12T23:28:00.009-05:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:...............Westerland
Classification:............Climbing Rose
"born":....................1969
Color:.....................bright copper-salmon
Average Height:............5 feet
Average Width:.............3 feet
Number of Petals:..........semi-double
Cold Hardiness:............zones 5 - 9
Resistance to disease:.....yes
Fragrance:.................strong
Foliage:...................glossy, bright green
Growth:....................strong
Bloom:.....................blooms all summer
History:...................Kordes Rose
and:.......................tolerates some shade and pretty hardy

ordered from Antique Rose Emporium

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Will March 19 'Supermoon' Trigger Natural Disasters?

2011-03-12T15:16:00.013-05:00

this article I read *before* this devastating earthquake in Japan happened, as Yahoo tends to delete articles after a while, I will cite it full length - the source's URL as of today

Space.com – Thu Mar 10, 10:15 am ET

On March 19, the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18 years, lighting up the night sky from just 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away. On top of that, it will be full. And one astrologer believes it could inflict massive damage on the planet.

Richard Nolle, a noted astrologer who runs the website astropro.com, has famously termed the upcoming full moon at lunar perigee (the closest approach during its orbit) an "extreme supermoon."

When the moon goes super-extreme, Nolle says, chaos will ensue: Huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters can be expected to wreak havoc on Earth. (It should be noted that astrology is not a real science, but merely makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.)

But do we really need to start stocking survival shelters in preparation for the supermoon? [Photos: Our Changing Moon]

The question is not actually so crazy. In fact scientists have studied related scenarios for decades. Even under normal conditions, the moon is close enough to Earth to make its weighty presence felt: It causes the ebb and flow of the ocean tides.

The moon's gravity can even cause small but measureable ebbs and flows in the continents, called "land tides" or "solid Earth tides," too. The tides are greatest during full and new moons, when the sun and moon are aligned either on the same or opposite sides of the Earth.

According to John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington in Seattle and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, particularly dramatic land and ocean tides do trigger earthquakes. "Both the moon and sun do stress the Earth a tiny bit, and when we look hard we can see a very small increase in tectonic activity when they're aligned," Vidale told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to SPACE.com.

At times of full and new moons, "you see a less-than-1-percent increase in earthquake activity, and a slightlyhigher response in volcanoes."

The effect of tides on seismic activity is greatest in subduction zones such as the Pacific Northwest, where one tectonic plate is sliding under another. William Wilcock, another seismologist at the University of Washington, explained: "When you have a low tide, there's less water, so the pressure on the seafloor is smaller. That pressure is clamping the fault together, so when it's not there, it makes it easier for the fault to slip."

According to Wilcock, earthquake activity in subduction zones at low tides is 10 percent higher than at other times of the day, but he hasn't observed any correlations between earthquake activity and especially low tides at new and full moons. Vidale has observed only a very small correlation.

What about during a lunar perigee? Can we expect more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on March 19, when the full moon will be so close?

The moon's gravitational pull at lunarperigee, the scientists say, is not different enough from its pull at other times to significantly change the height of the tides and thus the likelihood of natural disasters. [Infographic: Phases of the Moon Explained]

"A lot of studies have been done on this kind of thing by USGS scientists and others," John Bellini, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told Life's Little Mysteries. "They haven't found anything significant at all."

Vidale concurred. "Practically speaking, you'll never see any effect of lunar perigee," he said. "It's somewhere between 'It has no effect' and 'It's so small you don't see any effect.'"

The bottom line is, the upcoming supermoon won't cause a preponderance of earthquakes, although the idea isn't a crazy one.

"Earthquakes don't respond as much to the tides as you'd think they would. There should actually be more of an effect," said Vidale.

Most natural disasters have nothing to do with the moon at all. The Earth has a lot of pent up energy, and it releases it anytime the buildup gets too great. The supermoon probably won't push it past the tipping point, but we'll know for sure, one way or the other, by March 20.

This story was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site of SPACE.com.

Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover

SuperMoon vs. SuperWeather, Earthquakes, and More

2011-03-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

source: AccuWeather.com - WeatherMatrix | SuperMoon Vs. SuperWeather, Earthquakes, and More

Did the "Supermoon" cause today's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, or [insert recent natural disaster here]? This is something that we discussed with our readers on our Astronomy Bloglast week and again today. The short answer is: Probably not. But just for fun, I charted the Top 50 Deadliest Natural Disasters Since 1900, along with "Super moon" dates that I obtained from our Astronomy Blogger Mark Paquette (click to see full-size chart):

Jumping Spider enjoying a sunny day

2011-03-11T23:38:00.003-05:00

when planting a rose, I saw a little supposedly jumping spider munching some other bug (spider?):

From Bugs

Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake

2011-03-11T14:35:00.003-05:00

and

http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

Tiny wasps could curb a massive stink bug invasion

2011-03-01T18:28:00.002-05:00

USDA researchers in Delaware are working to find a safe way to dispatch the region's newest pest
By Mary Carole McCauley, The Baltimore Sun

Maryland's newest terrorist life form — the brown marmorated stink bug — may eventually meet its archnemesis in the form of a tiny prizefighter of a wasp from Asia.

The parasitic wasps that are being raised in quarantine in a Delaware laboratory are not glamorous-looking bugs. They are black, stocky and about the size of the comma in this sentence.

But they are uncommonly efficient at hunting down and injecting their offspring into stink bug egg masses. In true horror-movie fashion, the larvae consume the stink bugs from the inside out. When the wasps grow into adults, they chew their way out, procreate — and go on the hunt for more stink bug eggs.

"Tests have shown that these wasps will destroy up to 80 percent of the stink bug population," says Kim Hoelmer, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture scientist in charge of the project. "They're efficient egg-stinging machines. For something so tiny, it's absolutely amazing the behaviors that are hard-wired into their little brains."

Stink bugs aren't a threat to human health. And if they were merely odoriferous and annoying, chances are that the nation's top bug experts wouldn't be going to so much trouble to locate and develop an insect assassin.

But not only do stink bugs represent an unprecedented threat to U.S. vegetable farms and orchards, they have the potential to drive up food prices just when the nation is struggling to emerge from a recession. Bug experts say that the Asian wasp may be one of their best tools for keeping the stink bug population down to a manageable buzz.

"I've never seen such a serious pest enter the U.S. agricultural system," said Tracy Lesky, research entomologist with the West Virginia-based Appalachian Fruit Research Station, "if only because they attack so many crops."

Populations of stink bugs have been increasing steadily in Maryland for the past five years, and are poised to invade the state in record numbers during the coming growing season.

"I think we're going to have a bumper crop," says Michael Raupp, an entomologist at the University of Maryland. "If 1 in 10 people had stink bugs in 2010, 9 in 10 people will have them in 2011."

Hoelmer and his team have been importing and studying the parasites since 2005.

Because the wasps are not allowed inside the United States except for research purposes, technicians must don biohazard suits before going through a set of five pressurized locked doors inside the Louis A. Stearns Laboratory, where the wasps are housed.

Inside the quarantine rooms, research technician Kathy Tatman stuck a wad of cotton inside a piece of plastic tubing. She inserted the other end of the tube into a petri dish in which live wasps are kept, and inhaled through the cotton until several female bugs were pulled up into the tube. Tatman moved the tube into a second petri dish containing a fresh layer of pale green stink bug eggs, breathed out, and deposited the mama wasps on a nearby leaf.

Once the wasps find the egg mass, she said, they will almost certainly "sting" every one, eventually killing the embryonic stink bugs inside.

Preliminary indications are that wasps are effective, Hoelmer said, and, just as important, won't attack other, more beneficial bugs.

But establishing the necessary scientific proofs takes time. If all goes well, Hoelmer hopes to have authorization to release the Asian wasps into the environment some time in 2013.

For desperate farmers, two years might not be soon enough. So last month, Maryland joined nine other states and submitted a grant proposal for $22 million to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to explore both long and short-term solutions to the stink bug problem.

Hoelmer's wasps are part of that proposal. So are a group of scientists in Beltsville who think they have identified the stink bug pheromone, or chemical signal, that causes a large amount of the insects to congregate. If researchers can replicate the pheromone, they could potentially trap and kill the bugs before they damage the fruit.

Researchers also are trying to come up with pesticides that will poison stink bugs, repellants that will deter them, fungi that will attack them, and a various other methods.

"We're taking a cafeteria of different approaches," Lesky said.

"We still don't have any proven tools, but we're way ahead of where we were at this time last year. We have all the pieces in place, and we're working to find solutions as quickly as we can."

Right now, stink bugs are causing the most damage to the mid-Atlantic region. But it's only a matter of time before the epidemic reaches the rest of the nation.

Stink bugs are portable, voracious and formidably adaptable, and populations of the insect have been verified in 33 states.

Brown marmorated stink bugs can walk, and they can fly long distances. They are superb hitchhikers, often traveling unseen inside the door jamb of a car or truck. They can live in wet places and dry. They flourish in hot climates, and in cold ones.

In China, Japan and Korea, stink bugs don't have much of a taste for veggies, but in the United States, the bugs will happily consume everything from soybeans to tomatoes. The insects also seem to enjoy munching on such ornamental shrubs as butterfly bush and dogwoods.

Orchard owner Robert Black knows the bug experts are doing everything they can. He just hopes he can hold on long enough for them to find a solution.

Last season, he found stink bug damage on a third of the Catoctin Mountain Orchard's entire fruit crop, and on fully half of his Pink Lady apples.

Though Black can recoup some of his loss by converting damaged produce to applesauce and juice, these items are much less profitable than whole fruit.

"We need help," Black said. "I had 30 to 35 percent damage last season, and I can't handle 40 to 50 percent. That's what I'm scared about."

He warned that if the problem continues unabated for too long, food prices could rise.

"This is a major problem, not just for fruit growers, but for consumers," he said. "I don't mean to scare people, but eventually, this could start affecting the food supply. People can live without gasoline, but they can't live without food."

U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett will hold a town hall meeting for farmers in Emmitsburg on March 18 specifically to discuss the stink bug problem in Maryland.

"Stink bugs have all the features you'd design in a terrorist bug," he said. "They're an invasive species, and they have no native predators. They eat every plant with a thin skin and sugar. They could inflict a plague of biblical proportions."
read the hole article here
autor: mary.mccauley@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2011, The Baltimore Sun

Spring is coming

2011-02-27T18:00:00.016-05:00

in spite of temperature rollercoaster

Tstorms and High Winds

2011-02-25T18:00:00.037-05:00

not done yet

2011-02-22T18:00:00.007-05:00

From Jan-Feb 2011

we're not done yet

From Jan-Feb 2011

Snow-Art 2011

2011-02-02T00:02:00.002-05:00

and even more snow

2011-01-27T18:00:00.019-05:00

icepellets

2011-01-18T06:00:00.008-05:00

From Jan-Feb 2011

frosted sidewalk

and even more snow

2011-01-12T18:00:00.008-05:00

From Jan-Feb 2011

some more snow

From Jan-Feb 2011

digged out

white Christmas

2010-12-27T18:00:00.011-05:00

first snow

2010-12-16T18:00:00.023-05:00

our freezing lil pet-froggies still without heating pad on Dec-09

one happy froggy - we're feeding them with Purina kitten pellets and they seem to thrive well

the froggy survival heating pad :)

froggy pond all covered up - it's a makeshift birdbath, but as 2 tiny froggies insisted on living in there instead of hiding at some safe place we had to construct them a safe haven with the pond-lid and (previous picture) a heating pad I found at Amazon

little Poulsen-Roses just won't give up in spite of this winter's first round of snow

Monarch resting in our yard

2010-09-23T23:02:00.004-04:00

and this one was a little bit late and took a break in your yard late afternoon on Thursday, September-23-2010:

Moving monarchs color the sky

2010-09-23T18:00:00.013-04:00

Don Freiday planned to host a poker game Saturday night. He canceled it, amid one of the most spectacular shows nature has put on in years. Saturday evening, hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies converged at Cape May Point in New Jersey. "It was off the scale," said Freiday, director of birding programs at the Cape May Bird Observatory. Thousands of butterflies rested on shrubs and trees. He estimates the number at about half a million.

Then on Sunday morning came a picture-perfect beach day -- and the monarchs began to fly across Delaware Bay. "There were just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them," said Diane Kane, who came to the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch to count birds on Sunday morning. "The sky was just littered with them."

Forrest Rowland said he was birding at Prime Hook when he got a call from a colleague in New Jersey. Doug Gochfeld, who was at the Cape May Hawk Watch Sunday morning, called Rowland about the butterflies early on. "The monarchs here are crazy," Gochfeld said. Rowland, who runs the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch, said he wasn't all that interested until Gochfeld called him back and said: "This is like getting 500 golden eagles. You've got to see this." So Rowland went to Cape Henlopen and as the morning when on, he couldn't believe what he saw.

By 10:15 a.m., he was counting 50 monarchs a minute. By 11, there were hundreds. "The whole sky was covered with monarchs," he said. By most accounts, the migration started just before 8 a.m. and ended around noon. "I've never, ever seen anything like it," he said. It was the sort of natural event that people likely will be talking about for years to come. Freiday said that many of the top naturalists in the Cape May area are ranking the migration phenomenon as among the top five natural history events they have witnessed. "There were places where they were just covering the trees," he said.

On Sunday, Freiday said he was on the dunes and "it was liking being in a snow globe except orange instead of white." The last big year on record for a monarch migration was in 1999, he said.
But in history, events like this may not have been that unusual, said Douglas W. Tallamy, professor and chairman of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. Large monarch migrations were recorded in earlier scientific literature, he said. And earlier in this decade, researchers identified the Eastern Shore of Virginia as an important accumulation point for monarchs during their fall migration.

Here in Delaware, there are still monarch larvae around, but the Canadian monarchs have already begun their southward migration, Tallamy said.

The nonprofit MonarchWatch estimated that typically monarchs move through our area from Sept. 19 to Oct. 1.

One possible explanation for the explosion in monarchs may be the same thing that has made many species of butterflies thrive this year. "The year before there were almost no butterflies" in our area, Tallamy said. The spring of 2009 was cold and wet at the time the first generation would have emerged. With butterfly densities so low, Tallamy believes it is likely that parasites and predators couldn't track the insects. Meanwhile, all the rain was great for the vegetation. With plenty to eat and low mortality, the hatch that went into winter was likely strong. "That set the stage for tremendous winter survivorship," he said. Then, in the winter, there was record snow, which protected the insects both from predators and from loss of moisture. "Right away in the spring, we had a lot of butterflies," he said.

Brian Taber, president of the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, said the predictions for monarchs this season were actually pretty bleak. But at Kiptopeke State Park, at the southernmost tip of Delmarva, observers are beginning to see large numbers of monarchs -- including about 15,000 on Wednesday at a roosting area in the park, he said. Here in Delaware, it's been a great year for monarchs, buckeyes, tiger swallowtails and spice bush butterflies.

"It's the year of the butterfly," he said.

credits: this article was published in The News Journal on Sep-23-2010, and written by Molly Murray

bald faced hornets

2010-09-23T00:14:00.011-04:00

In May a (later identified as) bald faced hornet queen started to build a nest under my backdoor-light, soon it grew and the first worker hornets emerged. By Mid-August the nest looked abandoned and when I took it down by end of September, there were a lot of unhatched queens and drones still inside - very sad...

a very good description of the bald facet hornet's life-cycle I found here.

Bald faced hornets are absolutely peaceful companions - I could touch(!) their nest and they didn't mind! And very useful garden-helpers too - the aphid population was about zero...

Praying Mantis

2010-08-25T18:00:00.005-04:00

Praying Mantis trying to hide from next day's storm on Aug-25-2010

she was climbing up the house, but didn't make it - too slippery,

after she fell down frequently I picked her up, and put her on the trunc of one of the trees and she happily climbed up there to find a save place to hide,

when you look at her body, it's a lil bit swollen - she's pregnant, and soon will prepare this Ootheca to hide her eggs in.

glow-bug

2010-08-17T20:39:00.002-04:00

I have no idea, what this bug might be about - a strange caterpillar perhaps?

any suggestions to identify this bug would be greatly appreciated:

a BIG thank you to Saskia, who identified this caterpillar - it's a Orgyia leucostigma or White-marked tussock caterpillar

From Bugs

and that's how the mature moth looks like, image found here:

torrential rain

2010-07-14T22:15:00.001-04:00

on July-14-2010 we got out of these nasty "red-flag" conditions - for a few days at least...

Eco-friendly Tip: Reuse Coffee Grounds

2010-03-27T19:41:00.001-04:00

Eco-friendly Tip: Reuse Coffee Grounds

Sprinkle used coffee grounds around your favorite plants before you water them. Coffee grounds are full of nitrogen, which plants crave.

Got Milkweed? It May Save The Endangered Monarch Butterfly

2010-03-22T10:54:00.003-04:00

Photos: Jeff Foott & pellaea (Flickr)

Bright and ephemeral like a flittering orange ray of sunshine, the monarch butterfly is facing serious trouble. They are well-known for their annual mass migration from Canada and the U.S. down to warmer climes in Mexico, forming dense colonies before heading northward again in the spring to breed. However, according to some of the latest counts this year at their overwintering home in Mexico, the monarch butterfly population has been reduced by around 60%, the lowest in decades. A little rain usually doesn't hurt anybody, ...
Read the full story on TreeHugger

New Study on Butterflies Links Warming Climate to Human Activities

2010-03-18T10:58:00.002-04:00

Photo via internets_dairy

It's no surprise to hear that butterflies are emerging earlier than usual - we've been witnessing that for several years now. But Researchers from the University of Melbourne have looked at the ever earlier emergence of butterflies is due to a climate being warmed by greenhouse gasses, and they state that not only are the results the first concrete evidence of a link between greenhouse gases and the timing of a natural event, but that it also shows t...
Read the full story on TreeHugger

New Bird Species Picked Out by its Eyes

2010-03-16T11:00:00.003-04:00

Newly-discovered Laniarius willardi had been noted as an anomaly among Malaconotidae (pictured) for years. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

One small branch of the bird kingdom's species tree has sprouted a new bud. Researchers from Texas A&M University believe they have found a new species of shrike living amongst the more common Malaconotidae. The new species, labeled Laniarius willardi, was picked out from the crowd by its unique blue-gray eyes....

Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pothole Gardening for the Truly Compulsive

2010-03-08T11:02:00.004-05:00

Image from P. Dungey

We have had match stick gardening and upside down plant holders and guerrilla gardening but this is one for the gardener who is truly compulsive. Potholes, filled with flowers... Why?

Read the full story on TreeHugger

Blizzard on Feb-06-2010

2010-02-06T18:33:00.004-05:00

From Feb-06-2010 Blizzard

it's the season

2009-12-20T18:02:00.022-05:00

red aphids on my tomato plant

2009-08-30T21:08:00.007-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

all at a sudden this strange red bugs were sitting on the screen close to this tomato leave - not moving much over the few days they emerged from some unknown source - first time ever I saw these little "devil bugs"

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

after torturing google those bugs turned out to be red aphids:

Red Aphids - Organic Gardening Articles

By Patricia Wainwright

The beginning of Spring usually signals warm weather and an urge to spend some time in the garden admiring our plants and their fragrant flowers. This enthusiasm can be dampened, however, if we happen to find colonies of red aphids on our carefully looked after plants. If this is the case, don’t worry, there are quite a few things you can do to save your plants.

Red aphids are small insects that multiply in the spring, with the advent of warmer days. They form colonies at the ends of the greenest and most tender shoots. The reason for this is that they feed on the plant’s sap by introducing their long and thin suckers into the tender parts of the plant. Their constant feeding depletes our plants of energy and they become weak, their leaves curl up, and the flowers can drop. They could also transmit viruses and other diseases from other plants in the area, so it is extremely important to get rid of them as soon as we notice their presence.

Fortunately, it is quite easy to get rid of red aphids, and there are many ways of doing so. Maybe the most natural way of disposing of red aphids is to use a jet of water directly from the hose in order to make them fall off, in which case they will most likely get stuck to the mud under the plant. This method can be very effective, but you must always remember to check every week to see if the aphids have reappeared. If they have, you could always try another method.

To drastically reduce the number of red aphids in your plants, you should prune the tips of the branches, where aphids gather. Of course, this is not possible if your plants are in bloom, but if not, this is a quick way of getting rid of great numbers of aphids naturally. Another organic and natural way of controlling red aphids is to introduce into our garden the species of insects that feed on red aphids. The most beloved of these insects is sure to be the ladybug, but there are others, like the lacewing fly and the praying mantis. These beneficial insects can eat large quantities of aphids, assuring our plants’ survival by keeping aphids under control.

If this solution does not appeal to you, you can try making mixes with a variety of ingredients that are sure to keep them at bay. A possible option is to mix alcohol and water, and add to it about five crushed cloves of garlic. Soapy water will also do the trick. Spray any of these on your plants once a week and you will have no more problems with red aphids.

If none of the previous suggestions work, you can always resort to pesticides. Try to use a systemic pesticide to control aphids, so that you do not kill beneficial insects as well. Be careful not to use systemic pesticides on plants or fruits that you will later want to eat. Follow these suggestions and your problems with red aphids will be solved for good.

Author Patricia Wainwright Resource: Get all the facts about pest and disease and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Article Source: Red Aphids
Article From: Organic Gardening Articles

just a little earthquake

2009-07-01T23:29:00.002-04:00

amazing - a little earthquake pretty close to where I'm at - this morning at 10:44 a.m. EDT in New Jersey... not much, just 2.8...

not sure if this link will keep:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/events/ld/1024312/us/index.html

some statistics about earthquakes in Delaware:

New Jersey - Delaware border

1871 10 09 14:40 UTC

Intensity VII

Largest Earthquake in Delaware

Chimneys toppled and windows broke in northern Delaware at Wilmington. Damage also was reported at New Castle (10 kilometers south of Wilmington) and at Oxford, Pennsylvania, (about 40 kilometers west of Wilmington). Also reported felt in New Jersey.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1871_10_09.php

and:

Earthquake History

One of the 13 original States, Delaware entered the Union in 1787. But its residents had noted effects from two earthquakes before that time, a strong New York shock a half-century earlier and another in 1755 off the Massachusetts coast. Neither caused damage in Delaware, but the first knocked chimneys over in the New York City area; the second downed walls and chimneys in the Boston vicinity, broke gable ends and vanes on buildings, and opened small ground cracks, an undually severe shock for that area.

The only earthquake to center in Delaware and cause severe property damage occurred on October 9, 1871. At Wilmington, Delaware's largest city, chimneys toppled, windows broke, and residents were quite bewildered by the unusual event. Lighter damage was sustained in northern Delaware at Newport, New Castle, and Oxford. Earth noises, variously described as "rumbling" and "explosive," accompanied the shock in several areas.

A tremor in March 1879 on the Delaware River, not far from Dover, was felt "strongly" in that area according to old seismic records. The records, however, do not describe the "strong" effects.

The last shock to center in Delaware and cause minor effects occurred on May 8, 1906, just three weeks after the noted San Francisco earthquake in California. Records state this shock was strong at Seaford, in southwest Delaware, but list no details concerning the event.

Two tremors in recent years, both below intensity V, occurred in Delaware, one on the Lower Delaware in December 1937, and one near Wilmington in January 1944.

Nine earthquakes centered outside Delaware have been felt within the state. These include the two previously described in New York and Massachusetts, four minor New Jersey, and three major earthquakes - two in Canada and one in South Carolina. The South Carolina quake, the strongest in Eastern U.S. history, destroyed much of Charleston in August 1886, and shook up a region from Boston and Milwaukee in the north to Bermuda and Cuba in the south.

The most recent earthquake to be "felt" in Delaware occurred in southern New Jersey in December 1968. Wilmington residents noted slight effects of the Richter magnitude 2.5 tremor, which caused no damage as it rumbled through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, May - June 1971, Volume 3, Number 3.

For a list of earthquakes that have occurred since this article was written, use the Earthquake Search.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/delaware/history.php

Eastern Tent Bugs

2009-06-30T23:26:00.009-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

I discovered these on Sunday last - that's what Wiki tells about them:

Eastern tent caterpillar

"""The Eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) is a univoltine, social species that forms communal nest in the branches of trees. It is sometimes confused with the gypsy moth, or the fall webworm and may be erroneously referred to as a bagworm which is the common name applied to unrelated caterpillars in the family Psychidae. The moths oviposit almost exclusively on trees in the plant family Rosaceae, particularly cherries (Prunus) and apple (Malus). The caterpillars are hairy with areas of blue, white, black and orange. The blue and white colors are structural colors created by the selective filtering of light by microtubules that arise on the cuticle.

In terms of complexity of interactions, the Tent Caterpillar stands near the pinnacle of caterpillar sociality. The adult moth lays her eggs in a single batch in late spring or early summer. The egg masses contain on average 200-300 eggs. Embryogenesis proceeds rapidly and within three weeks fully formed caterpillars can be found within the eggs. But the small caterpillars lie quiescent until the following spring, chewing their way through the shells of their eggs just as the buds of the host tree begin to expand.

The newly hatched caterpillars initiate the construction of a silk tent soon after emerging. They typically aggregate at the tent site for the whole of their larval life, expanding the tent each day to accommodate their increasing size. Under field conditions, the caterpillars feed three times each day, just before dawn, at mid-afternoon, and in the evening after sunset. During each bout of feeding the caterpillars emerge from the tent, add silk to the structure, move to distant feeding sites en masse, feed, then return immediately to the tent where they rest until the next activity period. The exception to this pattern occurs in the last instar when the caterpillars feed only at night. The caterpillars lay down pheromone trails to guide their movements between the tent and feeding sites. The insect has six larval instars. When fully grown, the caterpillars disperse and constructcocoons in protected places. The adults (imago) emerge about two weeks later. They are rather strictly nocturnal, they start flying after nightfall, and possibly stop some hours before dawn already (Fullard & Napoleone 2001). Mating and oviposition typically occur on the same day as the moths emerge from their cocoons; the females die soon thereafter.

The tent of the eastern tent caterpillar is among the largest built by any tent caterpillar. The tents are constructed in the crotch of the host tree and are typically oriented so that the broadest face of the structure faces the southeast, taking advantage of the morning sun. The caterpillars typically add silk to the structure at the onset of each of their daily activity periods. Silk is added directly to the surface of the tent as the caterpillars walk back and forth over the structure. The silk is laid down under slight tension and it eventually contracts, causing the newly spun layer of silk to separate from the previously spun layer. The tent thus consists of discrete layers separated by gaps within which the caterpillars rest. The tent has openings that allow the caterpillars to enter and exit the structure. Openings are formed where branches jut from the structure but are most common at the apex of the tent.

Light has a great effect on the caterpillars while they are spinning and they always spin the majority of their silk on the most illuminated face of the tent. Indeed, if under experimental conditions the dominant light source is directed at the tent from below, the caterpillars will build their tent upside down. Caterpillars continue to expand their tent until they enter the last phase of their larval life. The sixth-instar caterpillar conserves its silk for cocoon construction and adds nothing to the tent. The tents are multifunctional. They facilitate basking, offer some protection from enemies, provide for secure purchase, and act as a staging site from which the caterpillars launch en masse forays to distant feeding sites. The elevated humidity inside the tent may facilitate molting.

Eastern tent caterpillars are among the earliest of caterpillars to appear in the spring. Because the early spring weather is often cold, the caterpillars rely on the heat of the sun to elevate their body temperatures to levels that allow them to digest their food. Studies show that below 15 °C (59 °F) the caterpillars are unable to process the food in their guts. Early instars of the tent caterpillar are black and their bodies readily absorb the rays of the sun. When basking, the caterpillars typically pack together tightly, reducing heat loss due to convective currents. The long setae that occur on the caterpillars also serve to stem convective heat loss. The caterpillars may aggregate on the surface of the tent or within the structure. The tents act as miniature glass houses, trapping the heat of the morning sun and allowing the caterpillars to warm more quickly than they would if they remained outside the tent. Studies have shown that basking, aggregated caterpillars can achieve temperature excesses (Tbody-Tambient) of as much as 44 °C. Indeed, the caterpillars can easily overheat and they must take evasive action when they become too hot.

Because of its layered structure, the tent is thermally heterogeneous and the caterpillars can adjust their temperature by moving from layer to layer. The caterpillars may also aggregate on the outside of the shaded side of the tent and hang from the tips of their abdomens to enhance convective heat loss and cooling.

As shown for some other caterpillars, eastern tent caterpillars are capable of generating a small amount of metabolic heat while they digest their meals. When recently fed caterpillars pack tightly together, the temperature of the caterpillars in the interior of the mass may be several degrees Celsius above ambient temperature even in the absence of a radiant heat source. It is unclear whether this small heat gain has a significant effect on the rate of caterpillar growth.

Tent caterpillars, like many other species of social caterpillars, vigorously thrash the anterior part of their bodies when they detect predators and parasitoids. Such bouts of thrashing, which may be initiated by a single caterpillar, radiate rapidly though the colony and may result in group displays involving dozens of caterpillars. Such displays create a moving target for tachinid flies, wasps and other small parasitoids that lay their eggs on or in the body of the caterpillar. They also clearly deter stink bugs and other timid predators. Groups of caterpillars resting on the surface of the tent constitute aposematic displays. Few birds other than the cuckoo find the hairy caterpillars palatable. The leaves of the cherry tree are cyanogenic and the caterpillars regurgitate cyanide ladened juices when disturbed.

Tent caterpillars secrete silk from a spinneret wherever they go and frequently used pathways soon bear conspicuous silk trails. As the caterpillars move about the tree, they largely confine their movements to these trails. Curiously, it is not the silk that they follow but a trail pheromone secreted from the posterior tip of their abdomen. Caterpillars deposit exploratory trails by dragging the tip of their abdomen as they move over the tree in search of food. Caterpillars that find food and feed overmark the exploratory trails they follow back to the tent, creating recruitment trails. Recruitment trails are much more attractive to the caterpillars than exploratory trails and they serve to lead hungry caterpillars directly to the newest food finds. It is possible for a single successful forager to recruit the entire colony to its food find.

The exact identity of the trail pheromone of the eastern tent caterpillar has not yet been determined but the chemical 5ß-cholestane-3-one has been shown to be fully competitive with the authentic trail pheromone. Caterpillars readily follow trails of this chemical, even abandoning their own trails in favor of artificial trails prepared with the compound.

The eastern tent caterpillar is of some importance as a plant pest since it may defoliate ornamental trees. Defoliated trees, however, rarely suffer significant damage and typically refoliate within several weeks. More seriously, the caterpillar has been implicated in Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS), but the exact mechanism by which the caterpillar triggers abortion in horses has yet to be determined. Many different theories have been proposed, but many scientists now believe that the hairs of the caterpillar act as tubes that, once puncturing the digestive tract, allow bacteria to escape into the uterus."""

source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_tent_caterpillar

flooding June-19-2009

2009-06-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

Europeana

2009-06-17T15:27:00.007-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:...........Europeana

Classification:........Floribunda

"born":................Netherlands 1963

Color:.................dark crimson

Average Height:........2' - 5'

Average Width:.........2' - 4'

Number of Petals:......5-30+ (single- to fully double-petalled)

Cold Hardiness:........zones 4 - 9

Resistance to disease: watch for black spot and mildew

Fragrance:.............yes!!!

Foliage:...............finely toothed edges, glossy, medium to dark green, new growth bronce-green

Growth:................vigorous, upright, bushy and tall

Bloom:.................blooms from spring to frost in large clusters

History:...............breeder: de Reuiter, Ruth Leuwerik x Rosemary Rose

and:...................edible flowers

ordered bareroot from David Austin roses (VERY strong plants you get there!)

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Marine Litter A Global Challenge

2009-06-09T12:17:00.003-04:00

Report Brings to the Surface the Growing Global Problem of Marine Litter

UNEP Head Calls for World-Wide Ban on Pointless Thin Film Plastic Bags

Washington DC/Nairobi, 8 June 2009 - From discarded fishing gear to plastic bags to cigarette butts, a growing tide of marine litter is harming oceans and beaches worldwide, says a new report.

The report, the first-ever attempt to take stock of the marine litter situation in the 12 major regional seas around the world, was launched on World Oceans Day by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Ocean Conservancy.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said:

"Marine litter is symptomatic of a wider malaise: namely the wasteful use and persistent poor management of natural resources. The plastic bags, bottles and other debris piling up in the oceans and seas could be dramatically reduced by improved waste reduction, waste management and recycling initiatives".

"Some of the litter, like thin film single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere-there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere. Other waste can be cut by boosting public awareness, and proposing an array of economic incentives and smart market mechanisms that tip the balance in favor of recycling, reducing or re-use rather than dumping into the sea," he said.

The report's findings indicate that despite several international, regional and national efforts to reverse marine pollution, alarming quantities of rubbish thrown out to sea continue to endanger people's safety and health, entrap wildlife, damage nautical equipment and deface coastal areas around the world.

"This report is a reminder that carelessness and indifference is proving deadly for our oceans and its inhabitants," says Philippe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International and Ocean Conservancy board member. "Offered here are more than mere facts and figures. The time for action is now, and true change will require taking a bold and courageous stand. There are solutions that everyone, everywhere in the world, can adopt to make a positive difference for our water planet."

Plastics and cigarettes top the "Top Ten" of marine debris
Plastic - especially plastic bags and PET bottles - is the most pervasive type of marine litter around the world, accounting for over 80 per cent of all rubbish collected in several of the regional seas assessed.

Plastic debris is accumulating in terrestrial and marine environments worldwide, slowly breaking down into tinier and tinier pieces that can be consumed by the smallest marine life at the base of the food web. Plastics collect toxic compounds that then can get into the bodies of organisms that eat the plastic. Global plastic production is now estimated at 225 million tons per year.

Plastics can be mistaken as food by numerous animals, including marine mammals, birds, fish and turtles. Sea turtles in particular may confuse floating plastic bags with jellyfish, one of their favorite treats.

A five-year survey of fulmars found in the North Sea region found that 95 percent of these seabirds contained plastic in their stomachs. Studies of the Northeast Atlantic plankton have found plastic in samples dating back to the 1960s, with a significant increase in abundance in time.

Smoking-related activities also receive top rankings when it comes to sources of marine litter. Cigarette filters, tobacco packets and cigar tips make up 40 per cent of all marine litter in the Mediterranean, while in Ecuador smoking-related rubbish accounted for over half of the total coastal litter 'catch' in 2005.

"The ocean is our life support system - it provides much of the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat and climate we need to survive - yet trash continues to threaten its health," said Vikki Spruill President and CEO of Ocean Conservancy. "The impact of marine debris is clear and dramatic; dead and injured wildlife, littered beaches that discourage tourism and choked ocean ecosystems. Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution threats facing our ocean and it is completely preventable."

The two sides of tourism
The tourism and recreation sector has a significant impact on the state of seas and coastlines around the world:

In some tourist areas of the Mediterranean, more than 75 per cent of the annual waste production is generated during the summer season.
In Thailand, it is recognized that marine litter affects tourism - a high-value industry for the entire region.
Shoreline activities account for 58 per cent of the marine litter in the Baltic Sea region, and almost half in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
In Jordan, the major source of marine litter is recreational and leisure usage contributing up to 67 per cent of the total discharge, while shipping and port activities contribute around 30 per cent and the fishing industry three per cent only.
Tourism is the third most important source of revenue in Egypt, while one-fifth of the country's hotels are located along the Red Sea coast.

If well-managed, tourism can contribute to maintaining the pristine appearance of beaches and waters, as demonstrated by Seychelles and Mauritius which contribute almost nothing to the marine litter load in the Western Indian Ocean despite being popular tourism destinations.

However, ocean winds and currents may carry unwanted marine rubbish far from its point of origin. For instance, Seychelles have reported an accumulation of rubbish on the east coast of the Mahé Island during the southeast monsoon, while items dumped off the west Australian coast have been retrieved on the east coast of South Africa.

From source to sea
Land-based activities are the largest source of marine litter. In Australia, surveys near cities indicate up to 80 percent of marine litter originating from land-based sources, with sea-based sources in the lead in more remote areas.

The problem of marine litter is likely to be particularly severe in the East Asian Seas region -home to 1.8 billion people, 60 per cent of who live in coastal areas - which is experiencing simultaneous growth in both shipping activity and industrial and urban development.

Oil-based economics and an associated construction boom in the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea have made marine litter a new and emerging concern in the littoral states, particularly Iran and Azerbaijan.

In South Asia, the growing ship-breaking industry has become a major source of marine debris and heavy metal pollution to the adjoining coastal areas.

In Gujarat, India - one of the largest and busiest ship-breaking yards in the world - operations are carried out on a 10-kilometer stretch on the beaches of Alang, generating peeled-off paint chips, iron scrap and other types of non-degradable solid waste often making its way into the sea.

The Southeast Pacific has important ports and intense maritime traffic. In the five littoral countries, wastes from marine-based sources have been reported, but there is very little information regarding the origin and volume of these wastes. According to one estimate, the Colombian fishing fleet generates approximately 273 tons of marine litter each year.

The lack of adequate solid waste management facilities results in hazardous wastes entering the waters of the Western Indian Ocean, South Asian Seas and southern Black Sea, among others.

The cost of rubbish
Unsightly and unsafe, marine litter can cause serious economic losses through damaged boats, fishing gear, contamination of tourism and agriculture facilities. For example:

The cost of cleaning the beaches in Bohuslän on the west coast of Sweden in just one year was at least 10 million SEK or $1,550,200.
In the UK, Shetland fishermen had reported that 92 per cent of them had recurring problems with debris in nets, and it has been estimated that each boat could lose between $10,500 and $53,300 per year due to the presence of marine litter. The cost to the local industry could then be as high as $4,300,000.
The municipality of Ventanillas in Peru has calculated that it would have to invest around US$400,000 a year in order to clean its coastline, while its annual budget for cleaning all public areas is only half that amount.

At the same time, flexible and economic incentives and deterrents need to be put in place to address the growing problem of marine litter.

At the moment, port authorities sometimes unwillingly discourage ships from bringing their galley waste back to shore - as seen in the East Asian Seas region where ships are charged on a fee-for-service (user pays) basis. Some vessel operators therefore opt to dispose of their garbage at sea - at no cost.

Adopting a 'no special fee' approach to port waste reception facilities, as pioneered in the Baltic Sea region, can substantially decrease the number of operational and illegal discharges and help prevent pollution from ships to the marine environment.

The level of fines for ocean dumping also needs to be reviewed to make them a sufficient deterrent. For example in the US the cruise ship Regal Princess was fined US$500,000 (about ?336,600 or £268,719) in 1993 for dumping 20 bags of garbage in to the sea. Fines of this level would act as a genuine deterrent to dumping of marine litter.

Finally, income-generating opportunities linked to collecting and recycling marine litter can make a big difference in some of the world's poorer regions. For instance, in East Africa small-scale projects that create jobs and reduce the levels of marine rubbish need to be further promoted.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=589&ArticleID=6214&l=en&t=long

Marine Litter: A Global Challenge

http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/Marine_Litter_A_Global_Challenge.pdf

and I thought I got rid of them

2009-06-07T00:19:00.002-04:00

fool I was - I thought I got rid of those twisters when moving from SW-OH (Montgomery County) to Delware (Kent County)... NOAA's site tells I was right out wrong:
18 TORNADO(s) were reported in Kent County, Delaware between 01/01/1950 and 02/28/2009.
versus
8 TORNADO(s) were reported in Montgomery County, Ohio between 01/01/1950 and 02/28/2009.
ok, let's cross fingers they (twisters) never fly over/ touch down where I'm at, or my cute ole trailer might go Wizard of Oz...

Green Ice

2009-06-04T15:02:00.008-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:...........Green Ice
Classification:........Miniature Rose
"born":................1971
Color:.................(slightly pink)white to soft green
Average Height:........18" - 24"
Average Width:.........12" - 16"
Number of Petals:......30-35
Cold Hardiness:........zones 6 - 10
Resistance to disease:.yes
Fragrance:.............slight
Foliage:...............small-glossy-leathery
Growth:................vigorous-bushy
Bloom:.................blooms early spring till frost
.......................(starts blooming under snow)
History:.............. hybridized by Ralph Moore
.......................(R.wichuraiana x Floradora)x Jet Trail
and:...................buds are pastel pink, blooms white if hot and pink of cooler, changes to light green when fading

ordered from NorEast Miniroses, my favorite Minirose nursery, which unfortunately will stop all personal orders by end of June 2009

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Cinderella

2009-06-04T15:01:00.007-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:...............Cinderella

Classification:............Miniature Rose

"born":....................1953

Color:.....................flesh pink - white

Average Height:............10" - 12"

Average Width:.............10"- 12"

Number of Petals:..........about 55

Cold Hardiness:............zones 6 - 11

Resistance to disease:.....yes

Fragrance:.................yes

Foliage:...................small-ferny

Growth:....................rounded

Bloom:.....................blooms all summer

History:...................'Cecile Brunner' x 'Tom Thumb'

and:.......................tolerates some shade and container-planting

ordered from NorEast Miniroses, my favorite Minirose nursery, which unfortunately will stop all personal orders by end of June 2009

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Iceberg

2009-06-04T15:00:00.007-04:00

From Pawgang's roses and weather-rollercoaster

Common Name:............Iceberg

Classification:.........Floribunda

"born":.................1958

Color:..................pure white

Average Height:.........3' - 5'

Average Width:..........3' - 5'

Number of Petals:.......24-26

Cold Hardiness:.........zones 4 - 9

Resistance to disease:..watch for black spot and mildew

Fragrance:..............yes!!!

Foliage:................light-green, glossy, shiny

Growth:.................vigorous, upright, bushy and tall

Bloom:..................large clusters from spring to frost

History:................'Robin Hood' x 'Virgo'

and:....................tolerates some shade, also goes by the name of Schneewittchen (in Germany)

ordered bareroot from David Austin roses (VERY strong plants you get there!) - I ordered the not climbing Iceberg

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

easy cleaner recipes

2009-03-25T19:17:00.003-04:00

DIY Household Cleaner

By Paul McRandle
May 3, 2007
The healthiest, least-toxic cleaners you can find are the ones you make yourself. They're effective too: According to a study at Virginia Tech, spraying hydrogen peroxide and vinegar right after one another is just as effective at killing germs as lung-irritating, stream-polluting chlorine bleach. Here are a few easy cleaner recipes to kick-start your Saturday chores.

EIGHT ESSENTIALS
These eight items make up the basic ingredients for nearly every do-it-yourself cleaning recipe.

Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times
Borax: disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes; very handy in laundry mixes
Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaces
Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches
Lemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use bit more to get the same results
Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well
Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose cleaners
Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes; should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores.

Don't forget to pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, and keep those old rags and used toothbrushes for wiping up and scrubbing.

WHOLE HOUSE
All-Purpose Cleaner
1/2 cup borax
1 gallon hot water
Mix in pail (or use smaller amounts in a spray bottle: 1/8 cup borax to 1 quart of hot water) dissolving the borax completely; wipe clean with rag.

Floors
Wood
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Linoleum
1 cup white vinegar
2 gallons warm water
Mix in mop bucket, rinse afterwards.

Furniture Polish
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Mix and apply with a clean rag to dust and polish. Reduce the olive oil if wood looks too oily.

Metal Polish
Copper and Brass
2 Tbsps salt
White vinegar
Add vinegar to salt until you've created a paste. Adding flour will reduce abrasiveness. Apply with a rag and rub clean.
Stainless Steel
Baking soda
White vinegar
Apply baking soda with a damp cloth, using the vinegar to eliminate spots.

BATHROOM
Toilet Bowl
Baking soda
White vinegar
To clean and deodorize, sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, add white vinegar and scrub with a toilet brush.
Tub and Tile
1/2 lemon
Borax
Dip the face of the lemon half in borax to create a hand-held scrubber for dirty areas. Rinse and dry the surface afterwards.

KITCHEN
Countertops
Marble: Mix one Tbsp castile soap with a quart of warm water, rinse well, then dry with a warm cloth.
Other surfaces: half a lemon and dip the face in baking soda to scrub off residues. Follow up by spraying with glass cleaner mix (below).
Drains
1 cup baking soda
1 cup vinegar
Add baking soda and vinegar to a pot of boiled water and pour down the drain, then flush with tap water. For more stubborn clogs, use a "snake" plumbing tool to manually remove blockage, or try suction removal with a plunger. To prevent clogs, install inexpensive mesh screen, available at home improvement and hardware stores.
Glass
1/4 cup vinegar or 1 Tbsp lemon juice
2+ cups water
Fill a clean spray bottle with water and either white vinegar or lemon juice; wipe with a rag or old newspaper.
Oven
Baking soda
Water
Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces, spray water, then let soak several hours or overnight. Rinse with water.
Stovetop and Oven Grease Remover
1/2 tsp washing soda
1/4 tsp liquid soap
2 cups hot water
Add washing soda and soap to hot water in spray bottle. Since washing soda is caustic, wear gloves.

LAUNDRY ROOM
Bleach alternative
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

"real winter" for a change

2009-03-02T02:00:00.014-05:00

about 9 inches of powdery fresh snow this morning and some more added throughout the day... now drifting and blowing snow atop... .. ...

Statement as of 2:41 PM EST on March 2, 2009

Location storm total time/date comments

snowfall of (inches) measurement

in Kent County:
Houston 9.0 655 am 3/2
Viola 8.8 1025 am 3/2
Hartly 8.5 835 am 3/2
Harrington 8.2 800 am 3/2
Magnolia 6.3 1100 am 3/2
Dover 5.1 800 am 3/2

Frost Pattern Art

2009-01-16T23:26:00.004-05:00

in between our windows - looks like ferns or fractals, doesn't it?

sunset Jan-13-2009

2009-01-13T18:33:00.002-05:00

Hanna's sky

2008-09-05T20:54:00.004-04:00

except for some beautiful clouds fortunately hurricane Hanna didn't hit where we're at:

2007 was Tenth Warmest for U.S., Fifth Warmest Worldwide

2008-03-16T23:02:00.004-04:00

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in 2007 is officially the tenth warmest on record, according to data from scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The agency also determined the global surface temperature last year was the fifth warmest on record.

U.S. Temperature Highlights

(Credit: NOAA)

The average U.S. temperature for 2007 was 54.2°F; 1.4°F warmer than the 20th century mean of 52.8°F. NCDC originally estimated in mid-December that 2007 would end as the eighth warmest on record, but below-average temperatures in areas of the country last month lowered the annual ranking. For Alaska, 2007 was the 15th warmest year since statewide records began in 1918.

Six of the 10 warmest years on record for the contiguous U.S. have occurred since 1998, part of a three decade period in which mean temperatures for the contiguous U.S. have risen at a rate near 0.6°F per decade.

For the contiguous U.S., the December 2007 mean temperature was 33.6°F, near the 20th century average of 33.4°F. The Southeast was much warmer than average, while 11 states — from the Upper Midwest to the West Coast — were cooler than average.

Warmer-than-average temperatures for December 2007 in large parts of the more heavily populated eastern U.S. resulted in temperature related energy demand about 1.9 percent below average for the nation as a whole, based on NOAA’s Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index. For the year, the REDTI estimates that national residential energy consumption was about 2.5 percent below average.

(Credit: NOAA)

U.S. Precipitation Highlights – December 2007

December 2007 was wetter than normal for the contiguous U.S., the 18th wettest December since national records began in 1895. Thirty-seven states were wetter, or much wetter, than average. Only Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Dakota were drier than average.

Precipitation was much above average in Washington State, due to a powerful storm that struck the Pacific Northwest in early December. Heavy rain and wind gusts greater than 100 mph caused widespread damage and the worst flooding in more than a decade in parts of western Oregon and Washington. Many locations received more than 10 inches of rainfall during the first three days of the month.

While above-average precipitation in late November and December led to improving drought conditions in parts of the Southwest, Southeast, and New England, more than three-fourths of the Southeast and half of the West remained in some stage of drought.

Global Highlights

(Credit: NOAA)

For December 2007, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the 13th warmest on record (0.72°F/0.40°C above the 20th century mean). Separately, the global December land-surface temperature was the eighth warmest on record. The most anomalously warm temperatures occurred from Scandinavia to central Asia.

La Niña continued to strengthen as ocean surface temperatures in large areas of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific were more than 3°F (1.7°C) below average. The continuation of cooler-than-average temperatures dampened the global ocean average, which was the 18th warmest on record for December.

For 2007, the global land and ocean surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record. Separately, the global land surface temperature was warmest on record while the global ocean temperature was 9th warmest since records began in 1880. Seven of the eight warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, part of a rise in temperatures of more than 1°F (0.6°C) since 1900. Within the past three decades, the rate of warming in global temperatures has been approximately three times greater than the century scale trend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

Note to Editors: Additional information on U.S. climate conditions in December and for 2007 is available online at:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/dec/dec07.html

and

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/ann/ann07.html.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080115_warmest.html