Take Care of Winter Storm in Early 2022 – Part 1 – Nature 16

In the early January of 2022, it was predicted that winter storm will visit several parts of USA:

- Northwest
- Midwest
- South and Mid Atlantic
- DC areas

Fig 01- Icy during last winter storm

One of reasons is a blast of cold and dry air from northern part of America or Arctic region, then move to the south.

In the south, cold and dry air then mix with:

- warm
- and moisture air

The storm could travel hundred miles, and even reach Gulf of Mexico in deep south states.

Fig 02- Ice covered tree’s twigs

Fig 03- Ice on an ornament plant

Temperature is expected to drop to:

- F below zero or around 17 C minus degree
- so much below the freezing point.

The winter storm might result in more than a one feet snow along its path of movements from North to South.

Since winter storm cause temperature dropping and bring snow, and snow could cover many spots, thus very hazardous to walk or drive in this condition.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- The Prodigy Kid - Marla Olmstead’s Paintings – Part 2- Art 3
- New Parents often Faced Depression – Part 2 - Healthy Life 15
- Recreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 1 – Nature 13
- Growing Tabasco Peppers in My Yard – Part 1
- Recreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 2 – Nature 13

What Autumn is Like in My Town, Baton Rouge LA – Part 2 - Nature 15

You may read previous posting: What Autumn is Like in My Town Baton Rouge LA – Part 1 - Nature 15

Our state, Louisiana faced very short of Autumn period. Starting around late September or October to the end of November or early December.

Just approximately two months only.

Fig 01- Different colors of trees.

Compared to upper or northern states, not much colors of leaves changing in Louisiana.

Many trees are evergreen in Louisiana, these trees include (Regina Sass, 2017: Evergreens That Will Grow in Louisiana):

- Atlas Cedar
- American Olive
- Japanese Plum
- Red Bay
- Swamp Bay

Fig 02- Bonsai, illustration only

Fig 03- An Autumn tree in neighborhood

Fig 04- One of Autumn tree

Fig 05- Leaves of trees start to fall down

Fig 06- Leaves are everywhere in neighborhood

Now early December already, many leaves have started to fall down. Our neighborhood looks so dirty.

Temperature may drop, especially in the night. We wear jacket to make little bit warm when going outside.

Moreover, the winter, even very short, from December to January. Only a small chance to have snow, no more than 3 times in the last 10 years.

A kind of miracle. Every bodies look very happy with snow, and snowmen seen at every corner of our city.

# Previous postings:

- Can Six Dolar Drug Kill Covid 19 Virus? - Healthy Life 3
- Hot Summer in the USA – Temperature above 40 Celsius degree – Nature 6
- Which One Has Vitamin C more - Red Bell Pepper or Orange? - Healthy Life 4
- Alligator in the Nearby Neighborhood - Nature 7
- Wild Animals and Birds in my Backyard – Nature 8a

What Autumn is Like in My Town Baton Rouge LA – Part 1 - Nature 15

I call “late autumn,” because our city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana just get the stage that leaves colors changing, and some leaves of trees start to fall down in the late November or early December this year .

Fig 01- Colorful autumn leaves

while in the northern parts of America the falling snow piled up more than 8.5 inches, and even snowstorm in several states

Top 10 snowiest states in the USA are following:

- Vermont
- Maine
- New Hampshie
- Colorado
- Alaska
- Michigan
- New York
- Massachusetts
- Wyoming
- Wisconsin

Fig 02- Trees in the corner of a park

Fig 03- Leaves changing colors from green to brown to red

Fig 04- One corners of my town during autumn season

Fig 05- Fall leaves

Fig 06- Fall in front of coffee shop.

Yes, temperature dropped below 0 degree Celsius (32⁰ F) at night at the end of November this year (2021), but no snow yet.

Daylight temperature could reach 15⁰ C (59⁰ F). A quite nice weather for me.

You might wonder the different between night and day temperature is quite huge, about 15 degree Celsius.

I don’t know why.

This is typical southern part of USA. Many people got sick due to temperature different.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Snowy Owl Re-Appearing after Hiding for 130 years – Nature 3
- Paris in the Eyes of Vincent Van Gogh - Art 1
- How Many Animals Are Expected to Extinct by 2050? - Nature 4

Do You Know Ghost Orchids? - Part 2 – Nature 14

A ghost orchid print, sold by Walmart

Previous posting (Part 1):

- Do You Know Ghost Orchids? - Part 1 – Nature 14

It is believed that ghost orchids are decreasing day by day due to many causes include:

- over collection by human
- but the most responsible is human development in state of Florida.

The development leads to destruction and changes of habitat and hydro-logical conditions.

From several sources that no nursery and garden centers sell the ghost orchids, but we can buy the seeds in some nursery centers in the Florida.

I tried to search in Walmart and Home Depot nurseries at my town, Louisiana, but nothing.

I just found the print without frame for US$ 11.99 and with frame for US$ 29.99 each piece.

Quite beautiful to hang on the wall.

One of ghost orchid pollinators, fig sphinx (credit to iNaturalist NZ).

Like other flowers, ghost orchids have pollinators as well. Four or five moths species visit orchid for pollination frequently.

Three of them are well known:

- fig sphinx (Pachylia ficus)
- pawpaw sphinx moths (Dolba hyloeus)
- giant sphinx moth (Cocytius anteus)

The giant sphinx moth has long proboscises to feed on orchid’s nectar, then pollinates the flowers.

Did you hear about ghost orchids?

Have You Seen them in Nature or somewhere else?

# Previous postings:

- Alligator in the Nearby Neighborhood - Nature 7
- Wild Animals and Birds in my Backyard – Nature 8a
- Flash Flood at my Neighborhood - Nature 8b
- First Important Step to Know Mental Illness - Healthy Life 5
- Family Saga and Meaning to be a Good Person – Part 1 - Reading 1

Do You Know Ghost Orchids? - Part 1 – Nature 14

One of ghost orchids (credit to The news-Press)

I just read from medias and make me curious about “ghost orchid” (Dendrophylax lindenii).

It is because:

1. Ghost orchid is a rare species, found only in Cuba and Florida
2. Two thousand orchids only live in the Florida
3. Several percentages, about two hundred orchids blooming in summer.
4. Orchids have no leaves
5. Roots cling to the bark of trees.

Uniquely, ghost orchid blooming once a year only from June to August in nature. The blooming could last for several weeks.

As suggested by Russell McLendon (2019: 12 Enchanting Quirks of the Rare Ghost Orchid) that other specific characters of ghost orchid:

- orchid may germinate after infection by certain fungus
- smell likes apples

Another ghost orchid (credit to Florida Native Orchid)

What species of trees which ghost orchids to attach to?

Four important tree species are:

- maple
- cypress
- pond apple
- palm tree

How about with ghost orchid population in nature?

Are they decreasing in number?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- White Azaleas in the City Garden – Nature 5
- The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5
- What is Coronasomnia? - Healthy Life 2

Recreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 2 – Nature 13

Fig 01- Fishing recreation boats in lake Pontchartrain basin.

Please read the part 1: TheRecreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 1 – Nature 13

When I travel from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, I pass through the bridge over Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

I saw many fishing boats both belong to real fishermen and fake fishermen (just for fun).

Fake fishermen refer to recreational and game fishing, include some of my neighbors and friends.

Lake is quite big in size, about 24 mile width, and 40 mile length. It is the largest lake in the Louisiana.

Its contains many aquatic animals, and important to ecosystem. They are including many species of:

- Fish and Crustaceans
- Mussels and Reptiles

Fig 02- Dark cloud in the city

Fish species includes:

- Anchoa mitchilli
- Bull shark
- Gulf Sturgeon
- Paddle fishermen
- Flagfin
- Broadstripe

Fig 03- Turtle, for illustration only.

Some crustaceans:

- Ribbon Crawfish
- Plain Brown Craw fish

Mussels live in the lake are:

- Rayed Creekshell
- Elephant-Ear
- Southern Pocketbook
- Southern Hickorynut

We may see reptiles too:

- Alligator
- Snapping Turtle

Off course, we never fishing alligators. We collect crustaceans and mussel with specific gears.

Have you ever fishing by a machine boat in the coastal areas or lakes? 

Recreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 1 – Nature 13

Ready for fishing

May be, I just once went fishing in the last 15 years, but never using boats to catch fish in the ocean.

I just sit on the bridge or sea port, waiting for fish to bite my baits of fishing gear (fishing line).

Some of my neighbors and friends have a boat, just very small boat for recreational fishing.

A boat at above belong to my neighbor, they are ready for fishing at one of coastal areas of Louisiana.

They might go a bit far, hundred miles from home to find the best coastal fishing places.

Some well known coastal fishing areas include:

- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Mississippi coastal places
- Florida beach areas

Fish sold in the Walmart, illustration purpose.

Louisiana has several lakes as well that good for recreational fishing, namely:

- Lake Pontchartrain Basin
- Calcasieu Lake
- Lake D’Arbonne
- Toledo Bend Reservoir
- Red River

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous posting:

- Wild Animals and Birds in my Backyard – Nature 8a
- When do Pine Trees of our Neighborhood Produce Nuts? - Nature 9
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Birds Fly Over Our Backyard – Nature 10

Will Wild Horses Able to Ride Out Hurricane? - Part 2 – Nature 12

Herds of wild horses

This posting is part 2, the first part was:

- Will Wild Horses Able to Ride Out Hurricane? - Part 1 – Nature 12

Feeding the horses is illegal conduct, it is because wild horses can’t consume human diets such as:

- fruit
- vegetable
- and off course burgers.

These diets have bad effect, and lead to:

- serious health issues
- or even may cause to death to horses.

What stunning me that horses are not evacuated during Dorian hurricane currently. Will Wild Horses Able to Ride Out Hurricane in North Carolina?

Yes, the horses able to ride out the storms.

This skill is inherited from their ancestors since 500 years ago.

Decorative horse head, illustration only

The horses skillful to sense the bad weather such as hurricanes and heavy rains, then they respond by:

- grouping together
- going to higher ground
- finding sturdy trees for protection

Hope, the hurricane is over soon, and everything goes well and safe.

# Previous postings:

- Hot Summer in the USA – Temperature above 40 Celsius degree – Nature 6
- Alligator in the Nearby Neighborhood - Nature 7
- Flash Flood at my Neighborhood - Nature 8

Will Wild Horses Able to Ride Out Hurricane? - Part 1 – Nature 12

 

Wild horses on beach, North Carolina

I knew the wild horses are living in the forest or jungle close by mountains. It was surprising me, herds of wild horses wandered on the beach.

They are feeding on wild grass that growing lightly on the sand or sand dunes. Grass looks green and fresh.

The horses, colonial Spanish Mustang have lived on the Outer Banks beach, North Carolina for around 500 years.

Tourists have come to beach not only to observe the horses, but also other purposes:

- warm summer
- beautiful sandy beach
- awesome waves
- spacy place (miles of beach)
- clear ocean waters during summer and fall

What visitors are prohibited to do with wild horses?

An antique brass horse, just for illustration.

In respect to wild horses, visitors are prohibited to:

- pet the horses
- try to ride the horses
- approach the horses at 50 feet distance.

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous posts:

- Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
- Snow Storm in Our City Baton Rouge – Nature 2
- Snowy Owl Re-Appearing after Hiding for 130 years – Nature 3
- How Many Animals Are Expected to Extinct by 2050? - Nature 4
- White Azaleas in the City Garden – Nature 5

Hurricane Ida Hit Our Neighborhood – Nature 11

Fig 01- Tree down in our neighborhood

Hurricane Ida with speed of 230 km per hour, called as a category 4 hurricane. Then its traveled to US mainland and our city, Baton Rouge, LA with category 1 storm.

It was mean the wind slow down from 230 km per hour to 155 km per hour. I think this is a strong wind, enough to damage some public and private entities.

Moreover, the causalities of hurricane Ida in our state are following (just few important facts):

+ 10 death (Axios, 2021 reported 13 death in Louisiana)
+ more than 1 million houses and businesses have no electricity
+ more than 14,000 people are displaced
+ flash flood with rain 2 to 3 inches (51 to 76 mm)
+ hit oil industries, caused shortage in gasoline supply. We have no gas for several days.
+ Estimated economic lost between US$ 70 to US$ 80 billion.
+ Ports in the gulf of Mexico are closed.

Fig 02- Branches and leaves scattered everywhere

Fig 03- A big tree hit a house and electric wires

Fig 04- Cutting and cleaning works

Fig 05- Trucks and line men to fix the electric wires

In our neighborhood and city, we saw that hurricane Ida took down:

- electric lines
- trees, especially old and tall trees.

Some house’s roof are damaged and part of city was flooded. We can’t drive in several flooded roads.

We experienced for about 5 days after hurricane Ida:

- power outages
- no internet connection
- no cell phone network (for two days).

Finally, we have a lot of branches and leaves in our yard, and we start to clean our house and yard now.