Thursday 29 February 2024

The Red Chili in the Market - 126

 We "very rare" to see red chili in common grocery stores such as Walmart. We may find this chili in the place such as ethnic groceries and farmer market.


Image - Red chilis, sold in the ethnic store.

Red chilis are essential to many cuisines for many countries around the globe. We may use them as adding of:
- flavor
- heat 
- and even color to dishes.

In addition to fresh, we could find red chilis in forms of powdered, dried and in sauces.

Do you like chilis?

Saturday 24 February 2024

The Minorca Rooster and Leghorn Hens - Nature 125

We talked about chicken at previous posts, the topics include "Chickens Enjoying Freedom Outside" and "The Free Ranging Chickens."


Image 01 - The Minorca rooster.

This post talks about "The Minorca Rooster and Leghorn Hens." The Minorca origins from Minorca, Spain. Other common names:
Gallina de Menorca (in Catalan)
Menorquina (in Spanish).

The Minorca was imported by J.J. Fultz to Ohio, USA in 1884. Then, spreading across America.

Since our areas are warm and humid during summer, this breeding is suitable enough to grow well.


Image 02 - Several chicken Eggs from yard.

# Important postings:


Image 03 - Chickens on the yard.

The Leghorn hen was origin to Tuscany region, Italy, then export to America in 1828. Americans called its as "Italians" initially.


Image 04 - A Palm, illustration only.

Leghorn hens are amazingly producing a great number of eggs compared to other breeding.


Image 05 - A beach, illustration.

The breeding could produce eggs at average of 250 eggs per year. The Leghorn hens produce eggs from 4 months old to several years. 


Fig 06 - Several Leghorn hens and a Minorca Rooster.

Do you know about a Leghorn hen and a Minorca Rooster?

## Previous postings:

Monday 19 February 2024

Spicy Food and Alzheimer's Disease – Part 2 - Alzheimer's 14




Image 01 - Food with chili flavor

The last research was that capsaicin is able to prevent neurogenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease.

In fact, there is Qutenza (Capsaicin 8% patch). It is a prescription medicine used for the management of nerve pain after shingle in adult patient or to relief from post-shingles nerve pain.

Qutenza is synthetic capsaicin equivalent to the nature. Just to let you know that "Qutenza treatment should only be performed by a healthcare provider, and you should never apply or remove it yourself" (Averitas Pharma, 2024). 


Image 02 - Pain relieve with Capsaizin, sold in Walmart

Salonpas pain patch with Capsaicin is very popular among us. It is used for temporary relief of muscle. 



Image 03 - Chai Tea, illustration.

# Important postings:



Image 04 - Rural area, illustration

This patch is also to reduce joint pain caused by strains, sprains, arthritis, bruising, or backaches.



Image 05 - City hall in the small town.

Considering all of benefit of capsaicin in chili pepper, years ago I always went to Whole Market for my lunch.


 
Image 06 - Cookbook, illustration

Sometimes, we had Shrimp Thai Basil Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup. Spicy and delicious.


  
Image 07 - Painting by local artist


## To be continued to Part 3


### Previous postings:

Saturday 17 February 2024

Leaves of Maple Tree Hardly Turn Red in our City - Nature 124

We have one Maple tree at backyard, its leaves hardly turn red before fall down. It might be related to temperature.  


Image 01 - A single tree turned its leaves to red.

Our areas are known for "mild winter" in which we have no or less snow during winter seasons. Sure, we have "mild fall" season as well.

As far as we remember, the last snow (light snow) fell in Baton Rouge in 2017, seven years ago.

However, surprisingly, the foliage of Maple trees at our backyard and neighborhood turns beautiful "red" before falling down in the last several years. Some reasons include our areas have temperature below 0* C (below 32* F) and freezing blast from Artic regions for weeks. 


 
Image 02 - Read leaves, look pretty

# Important postings:



Image 03 - A cat on the fallen leaves.

Due to its beautiful red foliage makes this tree to be one of favorite choices for landscape in many areas.



Image 04 - A cat sitting on the street.

In addition to temperature, red leaves are influenced by many factors include sunlight, soil condition and rainfall.



Image 05 - Tree with red leaves.

Love to observe red foliage during fall season to early winter in our areas.



Image 06 - Closer look at Marple tree. 

How about weather in your areas?

## Previous postings

Wednesday 14 February 2024

A Fox Crossing the Street at Neighborhood Recently - Nature 123

When drive our car, we saw a fox passing our car at one of our neighborhood corners just few days ago. 


Image 01 - A fox from a distance.

Actually, our first respond that "oh, look is that fox?." Then, we had to circle around to check it out.

We hardly seeing a fox around, and they are smaller than you might imagine. From several readings (please Google it), reminding us that foxes are generally not going to harm us humans and our pets. 

No, the foxes are not harmful to our lovely pets (dogs or cats) as they are about the same sizes. Many of our neighbors believe that the coyotes that we would have to worry about.


Image 02 - A dog, just for illustration.

# Important postings:


Image 03 - Flowers, just illustration.

One neighbor found one fox laying on the ground in the grass beside her dog. Both seemed totally relaxed. 


Image 04 - A little Kitty, could be attacked by Fox.

So, let them be and allow them to live in nature without human intervention. Interesting sight for the night though.  


Image 05 - A plant with red flowers, illustration.

Leave the fox and her kits alone. They are not hurting anything and will help keep the rodent population down.


Image 06 - A fox at yard, neighborhood. 

Have you seen foxes around your neighborhood?

## Previous postings:

Monday 12 February 2024

What is in the Valentine's conversation KISSES?

A kind of a challenging question: Who can refuse KISSES, especially in the Valentine's Day?


Image 01- A single 12 ounces (340 gram) Kisses.

This heavenly milk chocolate with teardrop-shaped is available in many sizes with a romantic fashion for the Valentine's Day.

Valentine KISSES offers a single candy in a beautiful pink box. The above picture is a giant milk chocolate single KISSES 12 ounces (340 gram) candy, wrapped in red Valentine's day foil in a pretty box.

The smallest size chocolate, I believe is a milk chocolate single candy with 10 ounces (284 gram) weight and be wrapped by red Valentine's Day foil in the lovely pink box. 


Image 02 - A single 1.45 ounces (41 gram) Kisses in a pink box


Beside a single candy in the box, Hersey KISSES has the Valentine's conversation.

What is that?


Image 03 - Milk tea, illustration

Kisses's milk chocolate candies with a sweet message in each one of candies.

These teardrop-shaped milk chocolate candies were wrapped with pink, purple, and blue shiny foils. The message is in the bottom of the candy's wrapper.


Image 04 - Valentine's conversation

What are the messages? 

LUV U, UR Sweet, Me + You, Wanna KISS, Sweet KISS, Let's KISS, HUG Me, BFF, Hey You, LOVE & KISSES, A KISS 4 You, etc.


Image 05 - A cup of milk tea.

KISSES Valentine's conversation has a sweet message in the bottom of each one candy.


Image 06 - Miniature Hersey's.

Hersey also has Valentine Miniature candies which are mr.Goodbar, Krackel, milk chocolate, and special dark. Their wrappers are cute with pink and red with sweet heart-shaped flush.


Friday 9 February 2024

The Interesting Plant at Neighborhood - Nature 122

When we saw first time, we thought the plant is a kind of citrus trees. After looking in details, the plant has no characters of citrus trees. 


Image 01 - Plant with lemon-like fruit

Citrus trees such as orange, lemon and lime have similar characters or appearances that they have:
- thorns to deter herbivores
- fragrance and beautiful flowers to attract pollinators (bees and butterfly). 

Helping by GoogleID and Gemini (Google AI Chatboot), the plant was identified with common names as:
- day cestrum
- night blooming jasmine. 


Image 02 - Edible citrus plant, just comparison.

# Important postings:


Image 03 - Tangerine, just comparison.

This plant has a scientific name as Cestrum sp, native to Caribbean and Central America, hence it grows well in warm state like Louisiana.


Image 04 - Cestrum with yellow fruit.

Have you recognized this plant?

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Saturday 3 February 2024

A Male Peacock in Neighborhood - Nature 121

We saw a peacock, a male one, roaming around in our neighborhood when we are doing daily walking. 


Image 01 - The male peacock. 

The male peacocks are recognized by their long feathers of tails, together with their colors to be attractive parts for mates.

GoogleID and Google AI Chatbot suggested that this peacock belongs to Indian peafowl, a native to Indian subcontinent.

It has a scientific name, Pavo cristatusIn addition to Indian peafowl, the fowl has another common name, called as a blue peacock, it is because of its vibrant blue and green plumage. This peacock is the most common and well-known peacock in the world.  

 
Image 02 - Myrtle trees without leaves, illustration.

# Important postings:


Image 03 - A peacock, roaming around.

Even though that not common to captive peacocks as a pet, some people do raise this bird as a pet. 


Image 04 - Blooming in the winter.

Regulation to keep peacocks as pets are different from one area to other places in the USA.


Image 05 - Green, just for illustration.

However, we believe, the peacock we saw recently was a pet, the bird runs away from an owner.


Image 06 - Free ranging chicken.


Image 07 - A female peacock in the captivity. 

Do you know some people raising peacoks as pets?

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Friday 2 February 2024

The Girl with Yellow Skirt – Part 2 – Reading 14

 You may read the previous posting (Part 1):


Image 1 - Book cover of Lemon.

Her mother feels the same, pain and regret. She blames herself about to change name, she wants her name to change back to the first time she named her daughter, Hye-eun. 

She went to court, but the court gave back millions of won (Korean $$$), because the court cannot change the name for deceased. 

Crying and sobbing, she left the court, and she changed her daughter’s name in her own way. In the ending chapter, the readers were drawn about her other “weird” way to satisfy her griefs.


Image 02 - Content of book, Lemon.

# Important postings:


Image 03 - A corner of traditional market, illustration.

Da-an does not believe God, but she believes poetry. Then she does not believe God, but she never makes poetry either. 


Image 04 - Turkey smoke, illustration.

Thinking about her sister’s life and Han-Manu’s, she feels doubt about divine providence. Shanghui also does not believe God.


Image 05 - A city, just illustration

Taerim, the third narrator, believes Jesus, and she actives in her church with her big family. She was also Hae-on’s classmate. Taerim was so depressed about the killing of Hae-on and then she loses her baby girl. She needs God and she makes poetry.


Image 06 - Blooming of magnolia, illustration.

The last chapter DUSK, 2019, after 17 years, from the first narrator, “They are gone now… I am still here and each day I carry on. With me are my mother and little Hye-eun, a guilt no one knows about and an abiding loneliness.”


Image 07 - Cacti fruit, illustration.

Lemon, originally published in Korean in 2019. This book was translated by Janet Hong and published in 2021. This novel only has 147 pages, sweet, fresh, and great novel to read with a small cup cold lemonade. Or with slices of canary melon?


Image 08 - Illustration only.

Have you heard about canary melon? I just learned about canary melon from this book. How it looks like, let’s google😊


Image 09 - Wild fruit, illustration only.

What do you think?

## Previous postings:

Short Lifespans of Male Mosquitoes - Nature 140

We have posted the lifespans of female mosquitoes with maximum about 5 months only in nature.  Image 01 - Live of male mosquitoes (from Goog...