Breeding of Silkie Chicken is Fascinating - Nature 174

The people who have Silkie Chickens make them as a great pet, since they are sweet and docile.

Image 01- A silkie Chicken

Some other fascinating things of Silkie chicken as a great pet are:

- a fancy appearance

- they may be able for caring and raising other breeding.

- nice to all family members, include children

- calm and quiet.

- and just need a small space.

Unfortunately, they are prone to being bullied by more aggressive breeds so tend to be loners when in a mixed flock.

Image 02 - A lonely chicken

Our friend has other breeding chickens with one white Silkie chicken. The white one got pecked and pushed away from food by the others.

Image 03 - Other breeding chickens

One night a possum got in the coop and the next morning the white one was dead and dragged out of the coop.

Image 04 - Can't mix with other breeding.

Do you know of white Silkie chicken breeding?

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The River at Nearby Area - Nature 173

 We have at several rivers and streams around our neighborhood. We just try to walk around to one of them.

Image 01 - A boat on the river.

The river is quite natural, with almost no pollution. What can the river and the area around it offers to visitors?

Some of the offers are:

- stunning views of wildlife

- watching boats and jet skis

- enjoy a peaceful moment by the water.

- even cast a line for some great fishing

- and chances for kayaking.

Image 02 - Signs to the river and pond

Image 03 - River's side

Image 04 - Calm water

Do you have rivers around your areas.

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The Dirt Dauber on a Fig Tree - Nature 172

We saw this kind of insect when we were picking figs last season. We believe it is an insect called as Dirt Dauber. 

Image 01 - Dirt Dauber on the fig's leaves.

It's scary looking for many people. However, this wasp is common in our southern state, Louisiana. 

The insect has other common names such as:

- a black and yellow mud dauber.

- a dirt dinner

- a mud dauber

- a mud wasp

- a blue mud dauber

Image 02 - Fig fruit, ripe

Several sources reported that Dirt Daubers no harm to the leaves and trees, they just consume other insects live around there.

Image 03 - A dirt dauber, walking on.

Do you know about this insect?

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Blooming of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana - Nature 171

In our areas, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana has blooming time in the late winter or early spring, around December or early February to March.

Image 01 - Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, blooming.

We know this flower with other common names, just some:

- Christmas Kalanchoe

- Florist Kalanchoe

- Window Kalanchoe

- Madagascar Kalanchoe

- and Flaming Katy

We might wonder why the flower blooming during late winter while temperature "little bit lower." even in our southern area.

Image 02 - Kalanchoe sp in the corner

It is because the flower needs longer darkness or short-day light to bloom.

Image 03 - Flower indoor.

Do you know about this flower?

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The Volunteer Sunflowers from Birdseed - Nature 170

In some seasons, especially from Spring to Fall, we have volunteer sunflowers and (wild) flowers in our backyard. 

Image 01 - A beautiful sunflower.

As we might know, there are certain critters that plant wildflowers include sunflowers from birdseed on the backyards. 

We observed some wild animals that responsible to do "this business." Just three of them are:

- squirrels

- birds

- and raccoons

In addition to 3 of animals, wind and rain might play important roles as well.

Image 02 - A raccoon on the lawn

Image 03 - A squirrel plays on yard

Image 04 - Finches on birdfeeder

Image 05 - Another sunflower.

Do you have Volunteer Sunflowers from Birdseed?

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Babies of Black Bellied Whistling Duck - Nature 169

We saw beautiful colors of ducks with cute babies walking on the street at nearby our house in the last Summer. 

Image 01 - Babies duck

Babies duck (ducklings) belong to duck called as Black Bellied Whistling Duck, also known as: 

- Mexican Whistlers.

- Mexican squealers

Interestingly, these ducks don't quack, but they are whispering. When wandering, they are in group of 20 to 30.

On the sandbars of Mississippi river, we use to see them by the hundreds or might be by thousands.

Image 02 - An adult of Whistling Duck.

The Whistling Ducks are noisy around or on the branches of trees at night until they go to sleep.

Image 03 - Ducks and ducklings

Have you seen these duck around?

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Growing a Pineapple Fruit - Food 52

After eating the fruit, we replanted the top by placing in water, rooting, then planting. The pineapple was bought from nearby grocery.

Image 01 - A young pineapple 

This is a kind of tries and error little experiments. We start by putting the spikes (top part of fruit) in the water of a small glass bowl on our dining table.

We observed fine hair roots. After it got too big, we removed and then planted in the soil about 1.5 years ago.

After about a week, we tried the same previous methods to grow other three (3) heads of pineapples fruits.

We were nursing them along and also put the top of the pineapples in water and they grew great.

Image 02 - The riped pineapple

Of the first four (4) tries, we get one to produce fruit, ripened fully, and ready to be consumed.

Image 03 - Slices of pineapple

Have you tried pineapple?

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Pollinators of Mexican Torch Sunflower - Nature 168

The Mexican Torch Sunflower grows well in the yard in this time of year. Flowers continuously blooms from spring to frost,

Image 01 - Butterfly with Mexican Sunflower

By far the best attractor for pollinators in the yards. We observed some pollinators as frequent visitors:

- Butterfly

- Bees

- Hummingbirds

- Moth etc.

Almost every morning, we enjoy seeing pollinators sip nectar of multi-headed Mexican sunflowers.

Image 02 - Bee as a pollinator

We bought the plant from a local nursery close by our neighborhood, or you might order seed from online stores.

Image 03 - Swallowtail butterfly

Do you know this flower?

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Blooming of African Lily - Nature 167

We posted the beautiful flower from Africa. Flower has "3 colors combines white, yellow and purple blue."

Image 01 - Purple African Lily.

The flower called African Iris, you may read the posted:

- The Flower of White African Iris – Nature 68

The different that African Lily is purple with scientific name Agapanthus africanus. Another common name is Lily of the Nile.

We believe the flower has grown well in our areas, because of similarities with flower origin in terms of:

- warm temperature

- average sunny time more than 8 hours

Image 02 - Plant in the market.

The maintenance of flower is not so difficult, we just need watering and little bit fertilizers.

Image 03 - Purple in blooming

Do you of African lily?

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The Alligator in the Man-made Lake - Nature 166

We have several Man-made lakes around our cities. At least two lakes close by the state university. 

Image 01 - Alligator in the lake

We saw an alligator in one of manmade lakes, the size about 6 feet (2 meter) length or may be more.

Actually, it natural to see alligator in nature in our state. Just to let you know, the greatest number of Alligators in the states:

- Louisiana is about 2 million.

- Florida is around 1.3 million.  

However, it is dangerous that Man-made Lakes in residential areas are not "natural" habitats for apex predators.

Image 02 - Another alligator

Wildlife and Fisheries will come out and relocate the gator to another less populated location where there aren’t people jogging and walking pets.

Image 03 - Handbag, look like alligator skin

What do you think?

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Watermelon Called Mountain Magic - Food 51

I don't know in your case, but we never seen this kind of watermelon in groceries, sweet yellow watermelon called Mountain Magic. 

Image 01 - The yellow sweet watermelon

We may grow this fruit in warm climate yards like in our areas. The best time to grow is March to April. 

However, the growing seasons also good in the late summer to early fall. If we are planting from seed, the harvest takes about 90 days.   

It is quite surprising that the fruits could reach 20 to 30 pounds in weight, might relate to fertilizer. 

The taste was slightly different compared to "red meat" watermelon and it also had a smoother texture.

Image 02 - Sold for fundraiser, red watermelon

Luckily, rats and squirrels don't like this fruit. But yes, we can also buy a plastic shell for our melons protection or to shape them.

Image 03 - Harvested.

Have you tasted Mountain Magic watermelon?

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