Category Archives: Nature

Tornado Strikes Attack OK

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Should you be the praying sort, please add Oklahoma to your list. They have had quite a rough day with brutal tornadoes:

A tornado at least a half mile-wide with 200mph winds churned through Oklahoma City’s suburbs Monday afternoon, killing at least 51 and causing significant property damage for the second day in a row, forcing rescue crews to search for survivors in the debris of flattened homes, businesses and two schools.

Amy Elliott, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, said the death toll is expected to rise. Oklahoma City Police say seven of those deaths were children at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which was hit by the tornado, Fox 25 reports. Oklahoma police also told Fox News’ Casey Stegall, on the ground in Moore, Okla., that at least four people were killed at a 7-11 convenience store.

I can think of several blogger and reader friends who live in this region. I hope they, their friends, and family are okay.

Cryin’ in a Field of Bluebonnets

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Happy Easter (or a late Happy Passover) if you are celebrating it today. Don’t be too sad if your bunny ears do not fit. Someone’s bound to take a picture. And before you know it, it’ll go up on someone’s blog. Just sayin’:

Nine-month-old Jaycee Philen cries as she has her photo taken by her mother in a field of bluebonnets along Highway 290 near Chappell Hill, Texas, March 28, 2013.

Nine-month-old Jaycee Philen cries as she has her photo taken by her mother in a field of bluebonnets along Highway 290 near Chappell Hill, Texas, March 28, 2013.

Most Depressing Day of the Year

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Standby Shipmates, do not despair. Monday may be the most depressing day of the year. Get on yer peacoat, batten down the hatches, and put a smile on your lips. If you want to blame anyone, Melanie McDonald, of Anglian Home Improvements, is your huckleberry. She commissioned the study: The survey shows a clear link between natural daylight, mood and motivation. Thank you Melatonin, I mean Melanie.

Breastfeeding, By Any Weans Necessary

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(Prior warning: Some blogposts may make your thirsty for a nice cold cup of lowfat milk, this is probably not one of them.)

I first noticed that breastfeeding acquired a militancy when I went to college. Perhaps it was Berkeley, perhaps it was the time. But I stumbled across a woman breastfeeding her daughter in the airport, in full view, without any effort to cover up. I walked past them and thought it odd. The baby was happy, like Maggie from the Simpsons, on her bottle. And after that, I saw 2-3 women doing the same. (Although none were quite so open about it as the airport lady.)

This week, Time magazine published a cover photo of a nearly four-year old kid standing on a stool, suckling at his mother’s teat. And the reaction has been loud. One woman had this to say:

I applaud Time magazine for its eye-opening cover photo of a breastfeeding mom. The Cutline quotes some readers who are scandalized. Well, good. The photo is a good wake-up call that breasts are not just ornaments. It’s nice to see cover girls using them for the purpose God made them.

Granted Time’s cover is a bit edgy. Mom Jamie Lynne Grumet is shown suckling her camo-clad 3-year-old.

I still dream of nursing babies. I miss the prolactin high and the sleepy, cuddly loving. Nursing is the most spiritual experience in the world.

Nursing’s the most spiritual experience in the world? Someone’s got to get out the house more often.

Don’t Cry

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They say that pet owners start to resemble their pets. Pete Glazebrook sort of looks like his prized vegetable:

Pete Glazebrook poses for photographers with his onion weighing 17lb 15.5oz (8.150kg), that now holds the world record holder for being the heaviest onion, at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in Harrogate, northern England.

Can you imagine cutting this onion up? Watery eye city. . .

Gumbo Soil: Don’t Be Guilty of Crape Murder

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Yes, I may be a linguist, but I simply do not speak this green thumb language:

Anything man can do, Mother Nature can do better. Unfortunately there are too many gardeners, landscapers, nursery people and misinformed others who apparently don’t believe this to be true, otherwise why do we continue to see Crape Myrtle trees being disfigured every spring for no reason?

The wrong way to prune a Crape Myrtle

This practice of topping trees, often called crape murder, does nothing but disfigure the tree and leads to small, pencil thin branches that are disproportionate, add nothing to the tree’s value and in many cases weaken it and make it more susceptible to pests and disease. Some claim it leads to more blooms but others say that’s an old wives tale.

There you go, the wrong way to prune a Crape Myrtle. My brain is one ounce heavier.