Blackburnian Warbler, saw, heard
Scarlet Tanager, heard
Chimney Swift, heard
Black and White Warbler?, heard
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, heard
Catbird, heard
Turkey Vulture, flying low over school grounds.
Two Chipping Sparrows mating near chapel entrance.
Early 15th, Cardinal and Robin dominate the sound waves.
The Robin’s eggs hatched sometime Monday (11th), or earlier.
A dead Black-throated Blue Warbler lay on the ground nearby.
Chimney Swifts heard several days ago.
A woodcock performed this evening.
White-crowned Sparrows sing conspicuously.
Spotted Sandpiper called from the ploughed fields.
An owl? uttered one syllable shrieks a night ago.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrived last Wednesday, I think. First their warbled song, then two appeared at the next door neighbor’s feeder. Warbling birds were noted in the woods nearby. On Sabbath, White-crowned Sparrows showed themselves. They appear a stately sparrow. The churrup of the Oriole was heard as well. Scores of gulls have been counted. Last night, a strange brief gull-like scratchy screech was heard. It called several times. Its very last call seemed different than the others. I listened at my bedroom window for some time, wondering.
Today, Sunday, the wind blows and blows like it is bringing in an enormous storm.
This morning – not many noticeable new arrivals. Warblers sing in the distance.
Rain arrives, heavy at times.
Late, after sunset, rain stops. Some migrants heard chirping
as they fly unseen overhead.
Memo: Deer seen a few days ago in Westrate’s back yard.
Robin still sits on nest.
I also suspect a Cardinal’s nest in a neighbor’s front yard.
Another clear crisp morning. Heard a warbler singing. Getting rusty on warbler sounds, I guess. An Evening Grosbeak flew and called straight overhead. Blue Jays make their presence known. Do they migrate? Or, spread out somehow.
Clear, crisp morning. Wood Thrush. Chickadees. Yesterday, Barn Swallow. Blue Jays.
The stormy weather continues to bring in the migrants: Yellow Warbler?, Catbird?, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher (in tree outside the boy’s dorm),
Other birds seen earlier not yet reported:
Horned Lark
Late evening, sunset time, Brown Thrasher calling in clear couplet phrases.
After dark, actually May 3. Woodcock calling from ploughed field area. Killdeer fussing.
April 30, 2006
Category: Foraging, Wild Food Recipes – admin – 5:46 am
This refreshing beverage is also known as Indian lemonade.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus hirta) berries grow in velvety RED clusters on shrubby trees 20-25 feet tall.
This is NOT poison oak (R. quercifolia or R. diversiloba) The first has white berries, the second is a vine.
Always refer to my my test for determining edibility before consuming a full portion of any wild edible.
Always be careful not to gather wild edibles within 50 feet of any regularly traveled road.
I happen to like the lemony taste of sumac hot or cold, so I do not add flavor. However, a bit of maple syrup, honey or other flavors makes sumac a very versatile, easy to prepare wild edible. These berries are most flavorful in summer, but even in autumn they are a reliable wild food.
Ingredients:
1 quart sumac berries*
1 gallon water
Optional: maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves
Cheesecloth or drip coffee filter
Procedure 1:
1. Bring water to a boil
2. Immerse sumac and any spices
3. Bring water back to a boil, lower heat
4. Simmer for 15 minutes
5. Drain through cheesecloth or coffee filter
Remove berries and strain liquid through cheesecloth or coffee filters
Add honey or maple syrup and enjoy or
Refrigerate and enjoy cold
Procedure 2:
Rinse seedhead and drain on a towel
Fill a container with cold water
Put sumac seeds and spices in water
Set aside at room temperature or in the sun for 1-2 hours
Remove berries and strain liquid through cheesecloth or coffee filters
* For a Single serving:
2 quarts water
1 cup sumac berries
Flavors of your choice
Cheesecloth or drip coffee filter
| The Cherry Creek News and Central Denver Dispatch, an award-winning community newspaper, reaches 30,000 readers direct by mail every month in the heart of Denver, including Cherry Creek, Country Club, Bonnie Brae, Hilltop and Lowry! |
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| Recycling Styrofoam – EPS Expanded polystyrene |  |
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| Written by Earth Talk | |
| Tuesday, 07 August 2007 | |
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How do I find a Styrofoam recycler in my area? My company receives huge sheets of the stuff on a regular basis and it just gets thrown straight into the trash. What can a business do to get this stuff recycled economically and efficiently? — S.R.M., Mesa, AZ
Known within the packaging industry as expanded polystyrene (EPS) and usually bearing the “#6” recycling symbol, Styrofoam (which is actually the trademark name for Dow Chemical’s product) has long been an environmental bugaboo, as it is contains chemicals known to cause central nervous system damage and other health problems for workers regularly exposed to it. And since it is difficult and expensive to recycle, EPS tends to clog landfills already teeming with toxic garbage. But EPS has proven to be one of the lightest and least costly forms of packaging material, so the industry has worked hard to make recycling it more cost-effective and convenient. More than 80 packaging manufacturers, polystyrene suppliers and equipment makers joined together in 1991 to form the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (AFPR). The Maryland-based industry association works to facilitate recycling between EPS manufacturers and the companies that buy from them. It currently boasts of overseeing the recycling of 10-12 percent of the post-consumer EPS packaging produced every year.
Member companies, which provide drop-off services at their facilities, reprocess up to 60 percent of the EPS foam collected and incorporate it directly into new packaging. Some of the material is reformulated and used in a wide variety of durable plastic products. Currently, more than 110 plant locations serve as collection centers which together receive upwards of 50 million pounds of post-consumer EPS packaging each year. AFPR provides a comprehensive list of EPS drop-off locations from coast-to-coast on its website. While companies sending the EPS in for recycling must bear the shipping or drop-off costs, they may save money over paying for disposal fees at the landfill.
One caveat: AFPR does not get involved in the recycling of the foam “peanuts” so often used as packaging filler. Most “pack-and-ship” shops (like UPS stores) will accept used but otherwise clean foam peanuts to reuse in their own shipments. Otherwise, the Plastic Loose Fill Council, another trade group, runs a free web-based database where users can find a local drop-off center by simply punching in their zip code.
Also, food service managers should bear in mind that recycling of soiled food-grade EPS is more difficult and expensive due to issues of bacterial contamination. Most EPS packaging recycling centers will not accept such tainted foam. Many food service companies have followed the lead of McDonald’s and phased-out their use of EPS containers for disposable dishware and to-go orders.
Companies that don’t find it convenient to recycle or otherwise dispose of large amounts of EPS (food-grade or otherwise) might want to consider purchasing one or more StyroMelt machines from UK-based Purex. The technology uses a thermal compaction process to reduce the volume of EPS by up to 95 percent. The resulting solid EPS “briquettes” are dense enough to make for good recycling fodder, a |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 August 2007 ) |
Thanks to:
The Funk of 40,000 Years
The 69th Semi-Annual Williams College Trivia Contest. December 9, 2000
jack in the pulpit, harmful
| Balsam Fir | a) root has calmative and antispasmodic properties. a popular over-the-counter tranquilizer in Europe. |
| Caraway | b) plant relieves nausea, used in glaucoma treatment, and is antibiotic for gram-positive bacteria. |
| Castor Bean | c) plant is a good cold/flu remedy due to it’s expectorant, analgesic, anti-inflammitory, and sweat inducing properties. |
| Goldthread | d) seed tea relieves gas and soothes upset stomach. |
| Jewelweed | e) leaf tea relieves menstrual cramps, and aids in childbirth. |
| Marijuana | f) root is highly astringent, and chewed on for canker sores. |
| Purple Coneflower | g) sap is antiseptic, used in hemorrhoid treatment and root canal sealers |
| Red Raspberry | h) root used to treat 2nd & 3rd degree burns and stop bleeding. |
| Salad Burnet | i) plant is a nonspecific immune system stimulant. |
| Valerian | j) seed oil used as laxative and purgative. |
| White Willow | k) sap relives itching from skin irritations. |
| Yarrow | l) bark used to lower fever, kill pain, and reduce inflammation. |
Long before a sadistic television producer stranded those folks out on a deserted island, television gave us survival tips from the real pro, that cold-war heartthrob and mechanical genius, MacGyver. For one hundred and forty-one episodes, he and his trusty Swiss Army Knife did the almost-possible, every week. We know, the producers intentionally left key ingredients out of his accomplishments so that kids wouldn’t try them at home. But that just made them more exciting. Wow, that was a long introduction for just seven questions, wasn’t it? Well, we think MacGyver’s worth it.
Number these survivor contestants in the order that they were voted off the island:
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