Everything Almanac from Almanac.com

It's Blueberry Time

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

It's August and the blueberry bushes here in New Hampshire are overflowing with berries. Birds love them and so do most of us. If you don't have a bush nearby visit a local farmers' market.

Blueberries are native to North America and one of the few truly blue foods on earth. For centuries Native Americans gathered "star berries" (the blossom end of each berry forms the shape of a perfect five-pointed star) from forests and fields and ate them fresh or dried them for later use. The dried blueberries were added to stews, soups and meats. Dried berries were also crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat for flavor. Blueberry juice was used to cure coughs and the juice also made a nice purple dye for cloth and baskets. A tea made from the leaves of the blueberry plant was believed to be good for the blood.

Today blueberries are known to improve your vision and protect your arteries, wrinkle-proof your skin, and strengthen your body's natural defense system. There's also some proof that blueberries prevent urinary tract infections and may help improve short-term memory.

Enjoy fresh blueberries on cereal and in muffins, or try our favorite Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp and Blueberry Pound Cake recipes.

99 reasons why . . .

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

It's that time of year: Friends, neighbors, coworkers, even some side-of-the-road vegetable vendors are trying to give away zucchini.

Our advice? Take it! Use fresh zucchini in pasta dishes, chocolate cake, brownies, pizza, and a whole lot more. Those are a few of the 99 zucchini recipes available on Almanac.com.

Got too much to eat now?

Freeze it. Here are two methods.

Slice it

Wash the zucchini, then cut it into one-and-a-half-inch rounds. Blanch it in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain the slices, and allow them to cool and become completely dry.

Grate it

Wash the zucchini, then grate it. Blanch it in for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool it.

Place measured amounts of zucchini pieces into containers or freezer bags. Squeeze out as much air as you can and put the container into the freezer.

Freeze smaller portions in an ice cube tray. When they cubes are solid, remove them from the tray and put them into a freezer bag.

Enjoy it

Use frozen zucchini in soups, stews, casseroles, lasagnas, and more (essentially anything but the salads).

With so many options, you'll never say "no" to zucchini again.

Community Garden Tour 2

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

We are having a great year, as you can see. The frequent showers have eliminated the need for much hand pumping at the well (details below) and the long sunny days have enticed everything to climb high.

That's not to say that there have not been challenges:
If purslane is any measure (and it is, I'm told) we have good soil; the plant thrives here but fortunately slips out easily if you grab it at the root stem. (Would you like some in your salad? Help yourself!)

The potato beetles have developed an appetite for bean and tomato leaves.

The white moth dancing around the brussels sprout stalk had a certain charm, until someone told me it was a cabbage moth.

Deer have found some people's peas, beet greens, and broccoli.

Still and all, we are having a ball!

How is your garden growing??

Ants in the Mailbox

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

A few weeks ago, I had a surprise one morning when I opened my mailbox to put in a letter. Inside were dozens of medium-sized black ants busily tending a nursery of a hundred or so cream-colored eggs.

Well, thank goodness for the Internet! I quickly scanned the Web to see if anyone else had this trouble, and sure enough, quite a few people did. They had recommended some courses of action and I tried several, just in case. Whether it was one method in particular or the combination of all that did the trick, the ants have not returned.

In case you ever have this happen to you, here is what worked for me:

(1) Clear out the ant nursery. (Not a pleasant task. I felt sorry for the ants, but it had to be done.)

(2) Wash the interior and outside of the mailbox, and upper part of post, with a liquid disinfectant.

(3) Wash with vinegar.

(4) Wash with soap and water. (I used liquid hand soap.)

(5) Place a fabric softener sheet inside the box, over any entrance holes. (The mail certainly smelled fragrant the first day, but the scent faded after that.)

Have you had an experience with ants in the mailbox? Share your tips with readers in the Reader Comments section below. Thank you!

Community Garden Tour 1

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Near end of May: The Peterborough (New Hampshire) Community Gardens are thriving, thanks to much rain, warm days, cool nights, and enthusiastic gardeners.

Take a stroll through . . .

Tomato (and other harvest) Update

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

I think I learned something last weekend about growing tomatoes.

A woman at the high school plant sale told me that tomato roots like warmth; they shouldn't be set deep in the soil. Then she picked up a six-pack of long, leggy tomato plants. She pointed at the "bumps" at the bottom of the stem. "Those are new roots," she said. "Instead of digging down, when you set this plant, dig horizontally. Lay the root ball and the stem in the horizontal 'hole' up to the first leaf. Pull that leaf off. Then cover the root ball and stem, including where the leaf was, with soil."

She advised planting the six tomatoes in a circle, with the root balls in the center and the plant stems forming the "spokes."

Have you heard of or had luck (good or bad) with this planting method?

I did it, and I have high hopes for lots of Romas to slow roast!

July 1: Romas are not very promising but the Brandywines may be the most productive ever, thanks in large part to a heap of Cock-a-Doodle fertilizer and the remains of the horse manure/wood chip pile. Now, if I can only keep the beetles away!

July 18: The plants are big and bushy (the best my tomatoes have every looked) but there are few flowers and no fruits.

Elsewhere in the garden, massive moths have been spotted. Some believe these are signs of pests to come.

July 25: After five days of rain, some of it torrential, the sky is finally clear and the sunshine is brilliant. Hopefully this will "push" the little yellow tomato flowers into becoming fat fruits.

August 14: Lots of fat green brandywine tomatoes on the vines, thanks to all of the rain we have had. I saw some poop from what I guess is a finger-size horn worm, but could not see the creature himself anywhere. I fear that any day, I will discover that he will snuck into the garden and took killer bites out of my tomatoes. Has anyone got any defenses? The Romas have been slower to develop but if all of the flowers become fruits, it will be a bountiful harvest?if I can keep the worm(s) away.

About woody radishes: I think they just grow too big to be tender. I let some of mine go to seed and many are now as big as potatoes, while the greens have sent up lovely white flowers.

The carrots are getting fat as baseball bats and the beets are becoming like baseballs. Ah, but those beet greens are delicious lightly steamed, then sauteed in butter and a few drops of lemon.

Picked two heads of half rotted, mushy green/white cabbage this past week and one good one. I never saw a pest on the plants, so perhaps the brown mushiness was caused by all the rain...? The one good head was delicious, too, as slaw.

Nearby, the cauliflower is coming along nicely and a second planting of greens (spinach and lettuces) should be ready soon.

Profile of a Quill Pig

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The view from my living room shows a sloping field surrounded by woods. As I was talking to my sister on the phone one late afternoon, I noticed a large dark object moving slowly on one of the tree branches at the edge of the field. With a quick "Wait a minute! I'll be right back!" to my sister, I grabbed the binoculars and saw the last glimpse of a porcupine moving slowly along the branch.

If the subject of porcupines ever comes up during a conversation (as it did with my sister), here are some facts that might be handy to know beforehand:

Several types of porcupines live in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The North American porcupine has the grand scientific name of Erethizon dorsatum, which can be translated as "to irritate with back." The word "porcupine" comes from two Latin words: "porcus" for pig and "spina" for spine or prickle.
The North American porcupine is sometimes called "quill pig," since that is rather what it looks like--plump and prickly. Scientifically speaking, though, it should be called something like "quill rat," since it is a member of the rodent family. Being a rodent, it has four long teeth in the front of its mouth for gnawing (two above, two below); these bright orange incisors grow continuously and are kept to manageable size by frequent gnawing.
The North American porcupine is a slow-moving, docile animal that will only attack if threatened. It is active mainly at night.
Although a North American porcupine is usually black or brown, with yellow or white quills sporting dark tips, occasionally, this animal can be all white.
Growing to about 30 inches long, the North American porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America. (The beaver is the largest.)
The North American porcupine can climb trees (not all porcupines across the globe can).
The porcupine is a good swimmer.
One porcupine may have as many as 30,000 quills. These are modified hairs that are mostly hollow.
The North American porcupine's quills range from 1 to 4 inches long, but other types of porcupines may have quills more than 12 inches long.
A porcupine does not have quills on its stomach, which is why predators, such as fisher cats, bobcats, or coyotes, attack that area.
Contrary to the popular myth, a porcupine can not shoot its quills, although they are easily detached. (New quills grow to replace those that are lost.)
Quills stick fast to an attacker because of hundreds of tiny barb-like scales on the quill. The motion of the unfortunate quilled animal may cause the quills to work their way deeper into the skin and can cause severe injury or death if they reach vital areas. (If your pet gets quilled, call a vet immediately. Do not break off the quills--fragments can be even more difficult to remove and just as dangerous.)
To see a photo of a porcupine quill taken by a scanning electron microscope, click here.
In addition to quills, a porcupine has soft fur sprinkled with stiff guard hairs.
An average adult can weigh between 9 and 18 pounds, with some male porky pines reaching 25 pounds.
A porcupine has poor eyesight, but can smell and hear very well.
As a vegetarian, it likes to snack on leaves, evergreen needles, twigs, bark, buds, roots, grasses, aquatic plants, flowers, fruits, and nuts. It also searches for sources of salt and calcium.
A porcupine mom will have only one baby per year. Called a porcupette, the baby comes equipped with front teeth and quills. The soft quills harden within a few hours. The porcupette stays with its mom for a few months and then goes on its merry way.
The North American porcupine likes to be alone, although it may live with others of its kind in winter.
Porcupines do not hibernate.
A porcupine home can be a rock crevice or hollow tree or log.
In the wild, the North American porcupine lives about 5 to 10 years.
A porcupine issues a great many sounds. To hear one sound, go here and click on the porcupine photo.

Hope you have enjoyed learning about porcupines as much as I did!

Peonies and Ants

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The peonies in my backyard always have ants crawling on the flower buds. A popular myth that ants "tickle the buds" or "lick the sugar" to help them open is not really true. The ants are attracted to the sweet nectar exuded on the buds, but the blossoms would open regardless of the ants' presence.

The ants do provide protection--they attack other bud-eating pests by stinging, biting, or spraying them with acid and tossing them off the plant. By protecting their food supply the ants help my peonies bloom.

The first buds usually open after Memorial Day. The pink, red, and old-fashioned white peonies are the focal points in my backyard. I treasure them in my garden, but I also fill my house with their beauty and fragrance. Before i move the blooms indoors I carefully shake off the ants.

Go With the Flow

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Have you been feeling like you aren't communicating as clearly as you normally do? Does it seem like everyone around you has more than enough gossip to share? Or have you just heard from a long lost friend that you haven't communicated with in 15 years? It may be that Mercury is the culprit.

Several times a year, the planet Mercury is retrograde. That means because of its position relative to Earth, it appears to be traveling backward through its orbit. When that occurs, even the best-laid plans can go awry. Mercury entered its retrograde phase on May 26, and it won't be direct again until June 20. In general, when Mercury is retrograde, it pays to exercise more patience and flexibility. It is a good time to review projects and plans, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.

Mercury's influence over us during its retrograde period depends on what zodiac sign the planet is in at the time. Right now, the planet is retrograde in Gemini. Because Gemini is the sign that rules communication, expect more misunderstandings, misplaced mail, or email problems.

Despite the upsets that may occur during this period, Mercury retrograde is a beneficial time to reflect on the past. Intuition is usually spot on, and coincidences are common. So for now, take time to reflect on your life, be patient, choose your words carefully, and, if possible, hold off on making any major decisions. In other words, go with the flow.You'll have plenty of opportunities to catch up on all that misplaced mail and lost emails after Mercury goes direct on June 20.

The Saga of Cynthia

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

5/16/08

A new baby was delivered today. She has cream-colored skin and a black head. She's only about 1/4 inch long. Her name is Cynthia, and she's a painted lady butterfly larva. Her scientific name is Cynthia cardui, also known as Vanessa cardui.

Painted lady butterflies are found throughout much of North America. The larvae and adults like thistles, members of the aster family, and many other plants. They often are seen in meadows and other open areas.

We ordered Cynthia from a place that raises butterflies. (At least, we think it's a she--we're not sure.) You can order online butterfly kits containing caterpillars, or sometimes you can get a kit at a nature store that includes instructions as to where to send away for the actual caterpillar.

Cynthia came in a vial that contains all the food that she needs as a caterpillar. During this time, she'll go through several molts, and grow larger and larger. After a few weeks, she'll turn into a chrysalis, or pupa. She'll remain in that stage for a week or two, and then hatch into an adult butterfly.

At chrysalis stage, we are to transfer Cynthia to the larger container provided, so that when she hatches, she'll have plenty of room to move about. Both the vial and larger container are not airtight, so Cynthia can breathe easily.

There is a cotton ball provided if we want to feed her as an adult butterfly. We're told that she will enjoy a solution of 1 part sugar or honey mixed with 10 parts water; we are to soak the cotton ball in this mixture and let her sip to her heart's content.

Once Cynthia becomes an adult, we will release her into The Old Farmer's Almanac garden.

Over the next few weeks, we'll update you on how Cynthia is doing, including photos.

Welcome to your new home, Cynthia!

5/16/08 10:30 a.m. -- Baby Cynthia is enjoying a snack at the bottom of the vial.

5/19/08 10:05 a.m. -- Baby Cynthia is growing! She is now about 3/8" long, and has turned from cream-colored to dark brown, with black spines along her back. She has set up some webbing in the vial and is cradled in it.

5/21/08 9:05 a.m. -- Cynthia is no longer a baby! She is 3/4" long and much thicker around the middle. She still is cradled in webbing and enjoying her meals in the vial.

5/23/08 2:30 p.m. -- Cynthia is now 7/8" long. She likes to hang out upside down at the top of the vial.

5/27/08 2:35 p.m. -- Cynthia is stretched out on the lid of the vial.

5/28/08 9:50 a.m. -- Cynthia has taken a giant step--she is a chrysalis! She is a medium brown color, with part of the chrysalis resembling the spines and orange spots she had as a caterpillar. She is attached to the lid of the vial. It will be a week or two before she hatches as a butterfly. Congratulations, Cynthia!

5/29/08 3:05 p.m. -- Cynthia the chrysalis has changed color slightly. She is now a lighter brown color and her spines have almost a metallic gold sheen to them. Cynthia is quite the fashionable dresser!

6/2/08 1:15 p.m. -- Cynthia the chrysalis is now in her new, larger home in preparation for her emergence as a butterfly. She's still dressed up in her bright gold dots.

6/5/08 9:00 a.m. -- Cynthia is a beautiful butterfly! We will release her into the garden this afternoon (the fog should have disappeared by then). Cynthia is fairly motionless, although she does flap her wings back and forth occasionally. There was a bit of pinkish liquid at the bottom of the container, which we are told is normal. The empty chrysalis case is still attached to the lid. Cynthia was given a cotton ball soaked in 1 part sugar mixed with 10 parts water to feed on, but so far, she is content to just relax. (We still don't know if Cynthia's a she, although we've read that the females have thicker abdomens than the males.) Her wings are folded upright, so we can only see the undersides, which are a beautiful pattern of brown, white, and black patches and dots, with a few pale blue spots and diamonds, and a hint of red. Her antennae have little balls at the ends. Her body is a pale beige. Her head is fuzzy, with dark brown on top and white underneath. Welcome to your first day as an adult, Cynthia!

6/5/08 12:35 p.m. -- Cynthia was released into the OFA garden, accompanied by friends to cheer her on. She was hesitant about her first steps onto a chive flower, but then seemed content. We left her there to contemplate her new world. We wish her well. Thank you for joining us as we watched her grow into a pretty, young butterfly.

I hold you at last in my hand,

Exquisite child of the air,

Can I ever understand

How you grew to be so fair?

--Alice Freeman Palmer, American educator (1855 - 1902)