Forget-Me-Not

The official state flower of Alaska is the wild native alpine forget-me-not. It was adopted in 1917 and belongs to the species Myosotis alpestris that is part of a few plant families with true blue flowers. The flower grows throughout the state of Alaska, especially in rocky regions of the mountains. It is unclear why the pioneers of the state chose the forget-me-not as the state flower, but given its distribution in the state, it was a natural fit. The poem “Forget me not” by Esther Birdsall Darling states that the flower is one thing that is cherished in the state, and by choosing it, the people of Alaska are ensuring that the state is forever remembered.

Characteristics Of the Flower

The forget-me-not is quickly identified because of its sky blue color, and the five blue petals appear vividly against the green grass. The stem is between 6 to 12 inches long and contains several flowers. The flower is about half an inch wide with a yellow center. Fine hair-like fibers cover both the flower and the stem.

Symbolic Meaning of The Forget-me-Not

The forget-me-not flower is a plant that is spoken of in Alaska when people are talking about faithfulness. In the past, women would wear the flowers as a sign of devotion to their lovers and that they are always thinking of their husbands when they are not around. Others use the flower as a symbol of remembrance of a loved one in the event of death although this tradition has faded over time. The abundance of the forget-me-not in Alaska is an experience that one will not easily forget and therefore represents the wild nature and beauty of the state. A legend in Germany states that a lord and his lady were walking along a river bank. The lord was about to give the flowers to the lady when he fell into the river, he tossed the flowers to his lady and shouted “Forget me not!” in German. He was dragged by the river never to be seen again, and the flowers were the only thing that reminded the woman of the lord.

Care And Cultivation

The alpine forget-me-not grows in wet areas because they thrive in damp soil. They are found in rocky environments, wooded areas and under bushes. They reach maturity in late spring and early summer, but bloom from spring to fall.

SOURCE: WORLDATLAS.COM

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

Want to see a hundred bald eagles in a single glance? Spy a couple dozen roosting in a lone tree? Listen to the hair-raising chorus of their weird, trilling calls? Visit the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve—site of the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. Each October and November, between 3,000 and 4,000 bald eagles descend upon this 48,000-acre preserve centered on river bottomlands a few miles north of Haines to feast on late runs of salmon.

When these eagles converge, photographers travel from all over the world to capture images of the iconic birds jousting over chum and coho spawners. They perch in trees, land on gravel bars, and wing across a stunning Southeast Alaska vista. Even without the birds, the preserve anchors a pristine riverine wilderness traversed by a paved road minutes from a friendly small town with full services. The Chilkat River Valley forms a natural travel corridor between the interior and the coast, attracting moose, beavers, coyotes, wolves, brown and black bears, mountain goats on the ridges, forest birds, plus long distant migrants like trumpeter swans and Arctic terns.

Where Will You Find the Most Bald Eagles?

A vast sand-and-gravel “flat” where the Tsirku and Kleheni rivers merge with the Chilkat serves as the main viewing area, located along the Haines Highway between Mile 18 and 24. With thousands of fish finning and dying among a myriad of shallow channels that remain open well into winter, the zone draws thousands of eagles seeking a late-season snack. It is considered critical habitat for the species in the region, and the preserve was formed in 1982 with a mission to help protect this space. Eagles can be found throughout the preserve, however, with an estimated 300 to 400 of the birds in the area throughout the year.

Tips For Visiting the Park:

Best viewing will be from four main pullouts between Mile 18 and Mile 24, but eagles might be anywhere along the river.

The Council Grounds pullout at Mile 19 features pit toilets, informational displays, a boardwalk, viewing scopes and a two-mile river-side trail. Go there first.

Please pull completely off the road to view or photograph bald eagles! Keep watch for other eagle enthusiasts so awestruck that they simply brake in middle of the highway and leap out with doors ajar. (Yes, this actually happens—a headache for park rangers.)

Stay within the designated areas to avoid stressing individual birds. They need space to roost and feed.

Much of the preserve is not easily accessible, but during summer, rafting and jet boat tours are a great way reach remote spots along the river.

For more information, purchase the book Where Eagles Gather, the Story of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Haines, Alaska by Joe Ordonez, which features incredible photographs of the area.

Attend the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival held annually in November by the American Bald Eagle Foundation.

SOURCE: ALASKA.ORG

Purple…Carrots?

(You all know me by now…if it’s weird, I’m interested! I found this article on the Organic Facts website.)

Purple Carrot: Nutrition & Benefits

While many people have never heard of – or eaten – a purple carrot, they are deliciously sweet additions to many different meals. The taste of the purple carrots is not the only reason to eat them because they are also packed with a good amount of nutrients and health benefits!

What is a Purple Carrot?

A purple carrot is a color variant of traditional carrots, which bear the scientific name Daucus carota subsp. sativus. While most people in the US and UK are familiar only with orange carrots, purple carrots are far more commonly found in the East, particularly in China and India. However, they were first cultivated more than 1,000 years ago in the region of Afghanistan, and they spread from there. What many people don’t realize is that purple carrots were actually the original form of these globally popular vegetables. Paler colors only originated later, once the carrots were grown in different regions. These uniquely colored carrots are high in anthocyanin, which gives them their characteristic color and a surprisingly sweet taste.

The larger the carrots, the larger the central core, where most of the nutrients are stored, which results in more sweetness. Although the exterior of these carrots may be purple, the center is often yellow or orange. Purple carrots can be used in the same ways as any other carrots – in soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, stir-frys, and as a raw snack. While they aren’t as readily available in the US and UK as they are in Asia, they can easily be found in specialty grocery stores and import stores.

Purple Carrot Nutrition

Purple carrots have a similar nutrient profile to other types of carrots, with a few important distinctions. These carrots are a rich source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and vitamin K. There is a low level of calories – only 25 calories per cup – and only 5 grams of carbohydrates. When it comes to antioxidants, however, purple carrots have a good lutein and beta-carotene content. Purple carrots also contain more phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, than any other carrot variety, except for black carrots.

Purple Carrot Health Benefits

The most impressive health benefits of purple carrots include its effects on weight loss, chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions, vision, and circulation, among others.

Weight Loss

Purple carrots are particularly prized for their place in a weight-loss diet. This low-calorie, low-fat, and high-fiber vegetable is an excellent way to fill yourself up without compromising your dietary goals. Furthermore, digesting all of that fiber can help to speed up your metabolism, which can help with passive fat-burning if you’re trying to shed pounds.

Cardiovascular Disease

With high levels of dietary fiber and antioxidants that can help protect the integrity of the cardiovascular system, purple carrots are great for heart health. The fiber can help to lower overall cholesterol levels, which will lower your risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as cardiovascular diseases. The vitamin C in these carrots is also critical for the strength of the artery and blood vessel walls.

Reduces Inflammation

Research has shown that anthocyanins, which are found in high concentrations in purple carrots, can help relieve many different inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, gout, headaches, and even hemorrhoids.

Improves Vision

Although purple carrots contain less beta-carotene than orange and yellow varieties, there is also a significant amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in these carrots, all of which can help to improve vision. These antioxidants will reduce oxidative stress in the retina, preventing macular degeneration and lowering your risk of cataracts. ^]

Improves Circulation

There is a decent amount of iron in purple carrots, which is great for boosting circulation, but the presence of vitamin C and other antioxidants will also help to prevent breakage and blockage within the circulatory system, ensuring that all your metabolic processes continue normally.

Treats Chronic Disease

The high level of anthocyanins found in these colored carrots means that they are excellent antioxidants; these compounds are able to seek out and neutralize free radicals, which are responsible for cellular mutation and other forms of chronic disease, such as heart diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis.

How to add Purple Carrots to your diet?

Adding purple carrots to your diet is very easy and healthy as well. Here are some simple ways to add them to your diet.

Purple carrot salads: You can dice some purple carrots and add to any salad of your choice

Roasted purple carrots: Slice the carrots and roast them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper

Stir-fries: You can add purple carrots to while making any stir fry along with your favorite vegetables or meats

Carrots and hummus: You can serve sliced purple carrots alongside hummus

Soups and stews: Purple carrots can be added while preparing any soup or stew

There are many ways to enjoy purple carrots, so start cooking and enjoy!

SOURCE: ORGANIC FACTS

JOHN STAUGHTON

African Violets

African violets are one of the world’s most popular houseplants and for good reason. These compact, low-growing plants flower several times a year, and they are available in a multitude of leaf forms and colors. African violets are distinguished by a rosette of thick, fuzzy leaves and violet-like flowers that bloom just above the evergreen foliage.

Don’t be put off by their reputation for difficulty: providing you follow a few simple rules, African violets should thrive indoors. With a little experience, it’s possible to keep these slow-growing plants in flower nearly all year round and grow them to the size of dinner plates.

African Violet Care

African violets will thrive in bright, warm and humid conditions. Keep water from touching their leaves or it will leave brown spots. Remove dead flowers and leaves as soon as you see them to encourage a healthier plant. Regularly check the soil for excess moisture. This will encourage rot. Growing these houseplants is really a matter of balance; you have to make sure that the different factors that go into their cultivation all are weighted against each other. They should be kept in moist enough conditions that they don’t dry out, yet still exposed to a fresh breeze to avoid letting them get too stuffy, and exposed to sunlight without damaging their leaf tips. Don’t be discouraged if your African violets suffer some damage—it’s all part of the process.

Light

African violets do well in bright but not direct sunlight. They are commonly grown under fluorescent lights placed 12 to 15 inches above the leaves. If the leaves start getting light green, your plant is getting too much light, while thin and dark green leaves or a leggy plant indicate too little light.

Soil

A well-drained potting mix is essential for African violets. Poor drainage can cause root rot, in which the plant becomes waterlogged and its leaves begin to fall, so make sure that the plant is never allowed to be exposed to standing water for an extended period of time.

Water

Keep soil moist with warm water and strive for high humidity. Do not allow water to contact the leaves of the plant to prevent damage, other than light misting. Water from below, or push the water spout into the soil when watering. Don’t allow the plant to sit in water.

Temperature and Humidity

African violets like warm and humid conditions and thrive at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not allow the temperature to fall below about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Do your best to keep the plants away from any drafts in the home.

Fertilizer

Feed with an African violet fertilizer every other week during the spring and summer. For the amount to use, follow product label instructions.

Types of African Violets

The original plants, the S. ionantha, were introduced in Germany in 1893. Shortly after, the S. confusa were introduced when a grower at the nursery noticed subtle differences among some of the plants. Since then, thousands of varieties have been produced. Today, African violets are available in single and double flowers, frilled and different shaped flowers. Their flowers come in all different colors, and the plants have widely varied leaf shapes. They come in both single crown and also multi-crown, trailing plants. These are just a few examples.

‘Persian Prince’ is a miniature-sized plant with scalloped medium green leaves and semidouble dark purple flowers.

‘Lyon’s Lavender Magic’ is standard size with medium green foliage, and white with light purple colored star-shaped flowers that can be single or semi-double and frilled.

‘Hawaiian Pearl’ is a standard size plant with dark green foliage and has a semi-double star shape flower that is ivory with a dark lavender/rose band.

‘Summer Twilight’ has variegated leaves with frilled lilac-purple flowers that have a white edged border.

‘Lonestar Snowstorm’ has variegated leaves with single white frilled flowers.

‘Little Maya’ has dark green foliage with deep crimson red flowers.

SOURCE: THE SPRUCE

Mandarin Dragonets

The mandarin fish is the most beautiful member of the genus Synchiropus. It is also one of the most breathtaking marine fish ever found in our oceans. It looks more like an intricate painting than it does a fish, with its entire body made up of wavy alternating lines of orange, blue and green.

While commonly known as the mandarin goby and the mandarin fish, its true name is the mandarin dragonet. It is similar to the scooter blenny (Synchiropus ocellatus) in this respect.

Mandarin Dragonets Have Particular Needs

Due to its natural beauty, this fish is heavily collected from throughout the Indo-Pacific. I’ve visited wholesalers with tanks upon tanks filled with mandarin fish, with the vast majority sure to perish within a month.

Sadly, these fishes do very poorly in captivity. They have special dietary needs that are not met by the vast majority of hobbyists. Most pick one up and simply assume they’ll get by like the rest of their fish. This could not be further from the truth. Most hobbyists cannot provide the mandarin with the proper food, and they end up starving to death.

Tank Size

Mandarin dragonets reach a maximum of 4 inches in length. They require a tank no smaller than a 30-gallon if they are accepting prepared foods.

If they are not eating anything you offer them, then you need a large established aquarium with a lot of live rock at a 75-gallon minimum per mandarin.

Temperament

Mandarins are peaceful fish that are well-suited to community tanks. They are only aggressive towards conspecifics, i.e., other mandarins and dragonets like the psychedelic dragonet and the scooter dragonet.

Diet

Getting a mandarin to take prepared foods is one of the most challenging tasks for a hobbyist. In the wild, they are carnivores that constantly scan live rock for small crustaceans such as copepods and munnid isopods. This is all they eat in the wild, and this is where the problem lies. They just don’t eat prepared foods.

Thankfully, there are solutions.

Use a Large, Well-Established Tank

The easiest solution is to house them in a well-established 75-gallon or larger aquarium that is full of copepods. This, then, requires no feeding as the mandarin will simply graze on the existing copepod populations. Smaller tanks cannot have large enough populations to feed a mandarin long-term. They’ll be wiped out in a matter of weeks.

Train Your Mandarin to Accept Prepared Foods

For this, you need frozen and live brine shrimp, preferably adults.

First, get them feeding on live brine shrimp, which is simple enough to do.

Then, mix in frozen artemia with the live ones. Once they start feeding on frozen artemia, slowly scale back on the amount of live brine shrimp you feed.

Eventually, you’ll be able to feed them exclusively on frozen brine shrimp.

But your work isn’t over yet. You need to get them on something nutritious like mysis shrimp, krill and a good pellet.

Start mixing in mysis with the frozen brine.

Do the same for all the other foods.

Breeding

Mandarin dragonets have been bred in captivity. They are pelagic spawners, which means the male and female both rise up into the water column to release eggs and sperm. Raising their larvae is a tough job that requires live rotifers, live brine shrimp and phytoplankton cultures.

Identifying Males and Females

If you want a pair of mandarins, buy a male and a female and put them together. The very first dorsal spine in males is very elongated and can be seen clearly. Females lack an elongated spine.

SOURCE: PETHELPFUL

What Shall We Make Today?

I’ve found some wonderful flavored popcorn recipes and decided to share the recipes one a month for the year! This month’s offering is Parmesan Ranch!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

¾ teaspoon garlic salt

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dried dill

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels, OR 12 cups freshly popped popcorn, unseasoned

Instructions

Measure Parmesan, garlic salt, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, dried dill, and black pepper into a mini food processor (or blender). Pulse until all ingredients are ground into a fine powder. Set aside.

Cube butter and melt (either in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove). Allow to sit for a few minutes.

To pop 6 cups of popcorn at a time in the microwave, pour ¼ cup popcorn kernels in a clean paper sack (I use a 12 ⅜ X 6 ⅛ X 4″ brown paper lunch bag). Fold over the top several times. Microwave on high until there is a 2-second pause between pops (all microwaves vary, but this will probably take around 2 minutes, give or take 30 seconds). Shake the bag so that any unpopped kernels roll to one corner. Tear a tiny hole in that corner and shake out kernels. Pour popped popcorn into a large bowl. Repeat entire process one more time for a total of 12 cups popcorn.

Use a spoon to skim the foam from the surface of the melted butter and discard. Slowly drizzle the clear, yellow, melted butter over the popcorn in the bowl, occasionally stirring with a large spoon to make sure that all of the popcorn is evenly coated. Stop pouring out the melted butter once you reach the milky solids in the bottom of the cup/pan (you may discard these or reserve for use in another recipe).

Sprinkle the popcorn with the Ranch Popcorn Seasoning, carefully stirring and tossing so that the popcorn gets evenly coated. Taste as you go…you may choose to use some or all of the Parmesan/herb mixture, and at the end, you may season with additional salt and/or pepper, to taste, if desired. Serve immediately.

These are TIPS & TRICKS from the insanelygood.com website:

Tips + Tricks

There are a couple of easy secrets-to-success behind this Ranch Popcorn Seasoning.

By grinding the Ranch Popcorn Seasoning into a powder, it distributes the flavors and coats the popcorn more evenly than would be accomplished by simply mixing everything together.

Also, the purpose of only using the clear, bright yellow layer of melted butter is that you’re essentially drizzling your popcorn with clarified butter. And since clarified butter is pure butterfat — with excess water and milk proteins removed — your popcorn is less likely to become wet and soggy. Yay!

Surprising Uses for Vicks Vapor Rub

I found a great article, written by Adrienne @ Whole New Mom detailing some surprising uses for Vicks Vapor Rub! In these tough times, we need to get the most bang for our bucks, so look over her article for some tips!

Vicks Vapor Rub is known for helping soothe coughs, stuffy noses, and the like, but there are other practical uses for Vicks® VapoRub (or most more natural or homemade alternatives) that you probably didn’t know about. Get ready to be surprised about how versatile this common household remedy is.

Vicks® VapoRub is one of those things that almost all of us have memories of from childhood. We’d get sick and mom would bring out chicken soup, ginger ale, tissues, and the Vicks®.

Well, believe it or not, Vapor Rub is actually a pretty versatile thing. And never fear–for those of you who aren’t a fan of Vicks® (I’m not really, however there are much worse things out there that you could put on your skin), much of the versatility applies to other chest rubs on the market, as well as ones you can make yourself.

One way to avoid waste, as well as to save money, is to have multiple uses for things that you have on hand–that way even if you only need a little of something, you don’t end up tossing whatever is left over.

So instead of buying (or making) Vapor Rub and having it go rancid, try out some of these other uses to really get your money’s worth–some of them are sure to amaze you!

Unusual Uses for Vapor Rub

Soften Feet

Vapor rub is essentially made up of a base of petroleum jelly and essential oils. This combo can be great for softening your feet.

Apply a layer to your feet at night, or just after taking a bath or shower. Massage in and then cover with socks.

Your tootsies will thank you!

Remove Warts

Some people report that vapor rub is a great (mostly) natural wart remedy–crazy, huh?

To address warts, try applying a thin layer of vapor rub and then covering with a bandage.

Protect Irritated Skin

Do you sometimes get itchy, irritated skin?

Petrolatum is a great barrier, while cedar oil is known to soothe skin.

Soothe Blemishes

Some of the ingredients in vapor rub help soothe inflammation and address bacteria, and help dry out oily skin. The cedar oil in Vapor Rub has been shown to address blemishes, while eucalyptus is antimicrobial.

Combined, these features make for a great alternative blemish salve that is another option to try.

Soothe Itching Skin

The same antimicrobial and moisturizing properties can also be put to use when dealing with itching. Simply put a thin layer of vapor rub on the irritation and rub in gently.

Soothe Dry Cuticles

Vapor rub can also help revive your dry cuticles. You can rub it on your cuticles just like a cuticle cream.

The combination of camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil have been known to moisturize the cuticles nicely,

Stop Cats From Scratching

Do your cats use your furniture and curtains as a scratching post? If so, you can rub a bit of vapor rub on the things you want them to stay away from.

Cats don’t like the smell of vapor rub, so it’s a great way to repel them. Try mixing a small amount of vapor rub with water in a spray bottle and lightly mist your furniture and curtains whenever needed.

Remove Ticks

Some people swear by using vapor rub to remove ticks. They recommend smearing a bit of it near where the tick has lodged itself. The strong scent of the vapor rub causes the tick to let go, so you can easily remove it and kill it. Make sure to save any tick for testing for Lyme and other tick borne diseases.

Repel Insects

Vapor rub contains cedar leaf oil, which insects apparently hate. Rub some Vicks® on your skin to help repel all kinds of insects–including ticks.

Soothe Tick and Insect / Mosquito Bites

Interestingly, it’s sometimes said that things that repel insects will help soothe their bites as well. Vapor rub can help to not only soothe the itching, but it can also help to reduce swelling and redness.

Ditch Toenail Fungus

Have a stubborn bout of toenail fungus and can’t wait to get rid of it? Yet again, the antimicrobial ingredients in vapor rub allow it to do so much more than just getting rid of chest congestion.

Clean your feet thoroughly and then apply some vapor rub onto the affected area.

This isn’t going work overnight, of course, and should be monitored. If you feel that the toenail fungus is getting worse even while using the vapor rub, please contact your physician.

Moisturize Skin

Several of the ingredients in vapor rub are fantastic for hydrating your skin and locking in the moisture.

Petrolatum is a great balm (while some prefer a more natural alternative, it does work really well) and cedar leaf oil is known for its moisturizing qualities.

Take caution if your skin is exceedingly dry, however, as Vapor Rub is best not to be used on severely dry and potentially highly damaged skin.

Prevent Wrinkles and Stretch Marks

Not only can vapor rub help to hydrate your skin – but it can also help to tighten it. This is good news for those of us wanting to fight wrinkles and stretch marks.

I can’t say that this product will make your stretch marks disappear (though some say that this is the case), but it can help soften them and reduce the dryness that often makes stretch marks stand out.

Train Dogs

Got a pooch who keeps marking his territory in your home? Try “spot treating” those areas with some Vapor Rub to steer him (or her) in another direction.

Soothe an Earache

If you or someone else is struggling with an earache, try placing a dab of Vicks on a cotton ball in your ear for several hours.

Of course, see a physician if need be to rule out an ear condition that needs further attention.

Get Rid of Bruises Faster

Vapor rub can also be used to help bruises fade faster–especially if you manage to use it shortly after the bruise appears. Put a dab of vapor rub onto the bruise and massage it in. Most likely this is due to the action of the menthol and camphor on blood flow.

Some say that adding salt to the rub helps it work faster. Not sure why that would be, but….it’s an interesting thought for sure!

Soothe Head Pain / Tension

Feeling tension and discomfort in your head? The cooling menthol in vapor rub addresses the pain and pressure, giving quick relief.

Silence a Squeaky Door

Got a door that’s squeaking? Skip the WD-40 and try some Vicks® instead.

It works great and you won’t have to worry about inhaling toxic fumes.

Soothe Sore Muscles

The next two uses are not as “surprising” in the sense that they are actually listed on the Vicks® label. However, they were for me, and I suspect there are some of you out there who didn’t know about these uses either.

The ingredients in vapor rub actually have anti-inflammatory properties. That means it can be great for soothing sore muscles. Simply rub it into the affected area like lotion so it can work its magic.

You can add a few dabs of vapor rub to a carrier oil (one of my favorites is coconut oil) and massage the blend into your skin for fast relief. The vapor rub will cool the muscles, help with inflammation, and offer some relief from the discomfort.

Provide Joint Pain Relief

The anti-inflammatory properties of vapor rub also make it a great solution for people who have painful joints. Just rub a small amount into your joints and let it do its job.

Soothe Neuropathy

A reader shared with me that her doctor recommended vapor rub to help soothe her neuropathy–and it worked! Great to know that something so simple can give relief.

How to Safely Use Vapor Rub

Before you dive into any of these uses for vapor rub, make sure to read the following tips / safety concerns. Vicks may or not be safe for you to use, depending on your situation.

Menthol and Young Children

Menthol can be harmful to babies and toddlers (it can actually aggravate a cough for them, so if you’re using any of these tips on small children, be sure to invest in a menthol-free baby rub.

And for sure, skip the Vicks® for babies and very young children.

Avoid Contact with Eyes

When using vapor rub (whether store-bought or homemade), you definitely need to make sure you avoid contact with eyes. It’s also a good idea to wash your hands after using vapor rub so that you don’t mistakenly rub your eyes.

Avoid Use Under the Nose for Kids

Vapor Rub should never be used under the nose for children. While the menthol has a cooling effect, and it seems that it helps with breathing, it can actually make it harder for the child to breathe.

Avoid Use on Broken Skin

Contrary to advice you might see on other sites, do NOT use Vicks® on broken skin. There are a lot of posts out there advocating the use of VapoRub on cuts and splinters, but the company does not recommend this use.

Do a Patch Test

When using something new on your skin, it’s generally a good idea to do a patch test – especially if you have sensitive skin. Choose a small section of your skin to use the vapor rub on and wait at least an hour to see if you have any type of negative reaction.

Reactions can include itching, burning, a rash, inflammation, or anything else out of the ordinary.

Camphor Toxicity

Camphor is one of the ingredients in Vicks®. It supposedly helps to open up stuffy noses and ease chest issues, but it is, surprisingly, toxic. In fact, eating or drinking as little as 5 ml can kill a young child.

Now, you most likely don’t have to worry about this since in 1983, the U.S. FDA instilled regulations that products like Vicks® could not contain more than 11 percent of camphor. Vicks contains less than 4.8%.

Regardless, overuse of the product is not a great idea, especially for kids. And be really careful about using camphor essential oil in any DIY chest rub or any other product.

Avoid Use on Mouth

Contrary to tips on other sites recommending using Vapor Rub as a lip conditioner or to remove lipstick, do not do this. Vicks® contains camphor. As mentioned above, camphor is toxic in certain amounts. Now, most likely you wouldn’t ingest enough Vapor Rub to cause a problem, but just to be on the safe side, just don’t.

Of course, depending on the ingredients, if you’re making a DIY Chest Rub, you could try your hand at using your homemade version instead for applications like this.

Is Vicks® Safe During Pregnancy?

If you have concerns about the safety of Vapor Rub, please consult with your physician. Some medical groups state that it is safe, while other non-medical groups warn against its use.

Does Vicks® Expire?

Yes, according to Vicks® website, the product does expire.

Now, I know–if you’re super duper frugal minded like me, you might be tempted to use any old ancient containers of vapor rub up now that you know about all of the ways you can use this handy dandy product, but—just don’t. It’s not that expensive to head on out and get a new bottle to avoid any issues with expired product.

SOURCE: Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Blue Morpho Butterfly

A Morpho Butterfly (Morpho menelaus), is one of over 80 described species of butterflies that reside in the rainforests. Morpho butterflies are neotropical butterflies found mostly in Central America as well as Mexico and South America including Brazil, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Morpho Butterflies dwell in the forest canopy layer and rarely come near the under story and forest floor layers.

However, they have sometimes been observed flying near the ground in clearings.

Morpho Butterfly Characteristics

Morpho butterflies range in wingspan from the 3 inches to the larger 8 inches of the Sunset Morpho (M. hecuba).

Many Morpho butterflies are colored in metallic, shimmering shades of blue and green on the upper wing surface. The underside of the wings resembles foliage, with mottled brown, greys, blacks and reds. The female Morpho butterfly is less vivid than the male. The males bright coloring is designed to intimidate any rivals that might fly into his territory. The male’s wings reflect the bright, iridescent color over an extremely wide angle, to maximize its visibility in the rainforest.

These colors are not a result of pigmentation but rather are an example of iridescence (an optical phenomenon characterized as the property of surfaces in which hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed). The colors produced vary with viewing angle, however they are actually surprisingly uniform, perhaps due to the tetrahedral (diamond-like) structural arrangement of the scales. This structure may be called a ‘photonic crystal’.

The ventral side is decorated with ‘ocelli’ or eyespots. Not all Morpho butterflies have iridescent coloration, however, they all have ocelli. The eyes of Morpho butterflies are thought to be highly sensitive to UV light and therefore the males are able to see each other from great distances.

There also exists a number of white Morpho species. An unusual species that is white in coloration, but which exhibits a stunning purple iridescence when viewed at certain angles. The metallic blue Morpho species (M. rhetenor) stands out as the most iridescence of all.

Morpho Butterfly Habitat

Morpho butterflies are forest dwellers but will venture into sunny clearings in order to warm themselves. Males are territorial and will chase any would-be rivals.

Morpho Butterfly Diet

The Morpho butterfly drinks its food rather than eats it. It uses its proboscis (long, protruding mouth part) to drink sap and fruit juices. Morpho butterflies taste with sensors on their legs and taste-smell the air with their antennae. Morpho butterflies feed on the juices of fermenting fruit with which they may also be lured. The inebriated butterflies wobble in flight and are easy to catch. Morphos will also feed on the bodily fluids of dead animals and on fungi. Therefore, Morpho butterflies may be important in dispersing fungal spores.

Morpho Butterfly Behavior

Morpho butterflies are diurnally active (active during the day) and have the capability of ‘crypis’, meaning when they sleep at night, they fold their wings so that only the dark underside is seen, making them less visible to predators. It also has a ‘flashing’ defense mechanism, meaning, due to the slow beating pace of their wings, the iridescent blue is flashed and then disappears as the wings are raised only to return in another place in a short while. This causes predators to lose track of the Morpho butterfly when it is flying as they only glimpse blue flashes as the brown underside makes them invisible in the thick foliage of the jungle.

Morpho Butterfly Reproduction

Like all butterflies, Morpho butterflies pass through four distinct phases of metamorphosis.

First, the pale green eggs that resemble dewdrops hatch into larvae, better known as caterpillars. The caterpillar is red-brown with bright patches of lime-green on its back and has stinging hairs. The hairy brown caterpillars feed on a variety of leguminous plants (a simple dry fruit which develops from a simple carpel and usually opens along a seam on two sides). In some species the caterpillars are cannibalistic. If disturbed, some Morpho caterpillars will secrete a fluid smelling of rancid butter. The tufts of hair decorating the caterpillars have been recorded to irritate human skin.

After a while, the caterpillars wrap themselves in a protective enclosure, called a chrysalis. At this stage the insects are called pupae. After some time, pupation ends and the mature butterfly emerges from its chrysalis.

The entire life cycle of the Morpho butterfly, from egg to death, is approximately 137 days. The adults live for about a month. They have few predators as the adults are poisonous due to the feeding caterpillar sequestering poisonous compounds (the process of animals accumulating poisonous compounds from the food they are eating in order to become poisonous themselves for their predators). But like all butterflies, adult morphos were plant-chomping caterpillars as youngsters. Blue morpho caterpillars are especially fond of leaves in the pea family.

SOURCE: ANIMAL CORNER

Camellia—Alabama’s State Flower

The camellia is a flowering evergreen shrub with dark, glossy leaves and large, lush blossoms that appear and bloom for several weeks during the fall through early spring period in warmer regions. Where it is reliably hardy (zones 7 to 9), the camellia is a very popular plant that is used in much the same way that northern gardeners use peonies. Similarities between peonies and camellias include lushly petaled blooms and a tendency to outlive their owners.

Camellias can be planted from container-grown nursery plants at almost any time of year except during the hottest summer months. They are slow-growing but exceptionally long-lived plants.

Camellia Care

Camellias are best planted in rich, moist soil in a partial shade location. If planting multiple camellia shrubs, space them at least five feet apart. They do not like to compete for water and nutrients with trees in close proximity. They should be planted at the same depth they were growing in their nursery container with the top of the crown slightly exposed.

Know the mature size of your camellia, and plan accordingly if planting close to a window or home foundation. You do not need to amend the soil at planting time; instead, rake compost or well-rotted manure into the top few inches of the soil.

In favorable conditions, camellia is an easy-to-care-for plant that requires pruning only to remove dead branches. However, some gardeners might find them susceptible to a variety of pest and insect problems, which are more serious if the plant is neglected or in poor health.

Light

Camellias thrive in partial shade or in locations that receive dappled sunlight for the entire day, such as the understory beneath tall airy trees. Camellia sasanqua cultivars can tolerate more sun than Camellia japonica cultivars.

Soil

Camellias require well-drained soil, and an ideal soil pH for camellias is within the 6.0 to 6.5 range—slightly acidic.

If your garden soil consists of dense clay and doesn’t drain well, grow your camellia in a container. Smaller cultivars are more suitable for container growth and require large, wide, heavy containers with adequate drainage holes and filled with rich, moisture-retentive potting soil.

Water

Camellias require consistently moist soil. Dry periods that occur during bud development result in fewer flowers with a lower petal count. Drought-stressed plants can also cause spider mite infestations. Twice-a-week watering for a total of one inch of water per week is a good watering schedule. Apply a three-inch layer of mulch to moderate soil temperatures, retain soil moisture, and stifle weeds.

Temperature and Humidity

Camellias are reliably hardy in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9, although some, especially the hybrids, are known to be hardy in zone 6. Gardeners in colder climates can increase the chances of their camellias surviving the winter by carefully selecting a permanent planting site in the landscape. A northern-facing location has an advantage over a warmer south-facing location. South-facing locations can cause the plant to break dormancy too early, resulting in the loss of flowers to frost damage. A north-facing site combined with a building, hedge, or fence that acts as a windbreak gives cold-climate gardeners the best rate of success.

Fertilizer

Camellias are best fed with a nitrogen-rich slow-release fertilizer, such as 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 applied in three applications: early spring, late spring, and mid-summer. Avoid feeding after August because the new growth that fertilizer promotes can be damaged by cold temperatures.1

The acidity that camellias favor can be provided by a fertilizer designed explicitly for camellias or azaleas.

Types of Camellia

Although camellias are indigenous to Asia, the genus is named for Moravian Jesuit priest Brother Josef Kamel, a botanist, pharmacist, and missionary who classified plants in the Philippines.

The Camellia genus belongs to the Theaceae (tea) plantfamily and includes well over 100 species. But nearly all garden camellias, of which there are hundreds of different types, are cultivars developed from C. japonica (Japanese camellia) or C. sasanqua (sansaqua camellia). A third common species, C. sinensis, is normally grown for tea production, not as an ornamental plant. Additional species sometimes lend their genetics to hybrids.

Some popular garden varieties include:

‘April Dawn’: Reliably hardy in zone 6, this variety has double white flowers streaked with pink.

‘Elfin Rose’: This cultivar has pale pink double blooms that appear in October and November.

‘Fragrant Pink’: This variety has small pink flower clusters with a sweet fragrance that is especially obvious on warm winter days.

‘Francis Eugene Phillips‘: This popular cultivar has highly ornamental fringed foliage and ruffled pink flowers edged in white.

‘Yuletide’: This plant features red single blooms on a compact, four-foot-tall shrub.

SOURCE: THE SPRUCE

Happy National Penguin Day!

Penguins are flightless, aquatic birds that spend half their lives in water, and on land. They mainly habitat the Southern Hemisphere, with only the Galapagos penguin, north of the equator. They are members of the order Sphenisciformes and family Spheniscidae, and the number of extant penguin species is debated, somewhere between 17 – 20 current living species in total.

They range in size from the Little Blue (or Fairy) Penguin (Eudyptula minor) which stands just 40-centimetres tall to the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) which averages just over 1-metre tall. Depending on the species, Penguins can weight from as little as 1-kilogram up to 40-kilograms and can live to 20 years. These meat eaters are usually found in coastal waters as well as areas that that are covered in ice.

One misconception about penguins is that they are all cold weather creatures. They are native to the southern hemisphere and are found not just in the Antarctic. Many species inhabit warmer climates with one in particular – the Galapagos Penguin – that calls the region near the Equator home.

Penguins can’t fly, but they sure can swim.

The wings of the Penguin have actually become flippers. This means they are somewhat clumsy on land, but can really move underwater. In fact, they are so agile ducking and weaving about that their actions in water look much like a bird in flight in air.

Penguins are speedy underwater and are deep sea divers.

When a Penguin dives into the water it can reach a speed of up to 12-kilometres per hour and when in high gear, some can reach up to 27 km/h. As for diving, the larger penguins can go deeper, with Emperor Penguins capable of diving down to depths of 565-metres – with dives lasting up to 22-minutes.

The average Penguin spends as much time on land as it does in the water.

Actually, they will spend half of their life in one or the other.

Penguins have devised ways to travel on land that would otherwise be hampered by their overall body shape and length of their legs.

They slide across snow on their bellies in a move known as tobogganing. When upright, Penguins waddle on foot or jump with both feet together in order to navigate terrain.

Although the actual number is not clearly known, there are many Penguin species.

The common belief is that there are between 17 and 20 different Penguin species on the planet.

Penguins use a layer of air for various benefits.

When underwater, the layer of air that is trapped in the smooth plumage of the bird provides buoyancy. The air layer also acts as an insulator when in cold water.

The diet of the Penguin is met with underwater diving.

It may look like they are playing, but since the Penguin feeds on sea life while swimming, it spends a lot of time in the water. One species, the Gentoo Penguin, can make up to 450 dives in a day when foraging for food.

Penguins have special underwater vision.

The eyes of the Penguin have special adaptations which provide superior underwater vision. It assists in finding food and spotting predators.

Penguins are highly social.

Because they tend to live in large colonies, Penguins have constant opportunities for social interaction and as a result have a number of vocal and visual signals that they have developed in order to communicate with one another.

They have large extended families.

Penguins also breed in large colonies. The Gentoo Penguin colonies can number just 100 pairs where other species have colonies in the size of several hundreds of thousands.

Penguins know the value of working together.

In harsh environments, Penguins will huddle together to stay warm and conserve energy. Once a bird in the center has warmed up, it moves to the perimeter and this continues so that each Penguin gets a turn in the center of the huddle.

Monogamy is common in the Penguin world.

Pairs will stick together during the breeding season. Often they will re-couple afterwards, or it depends. Sometimes a couple just goes their separate ways after the young have hatched and grow old enough to take care of themselves.

Homosexuality is part of the Penguin culture.

Penguins have the distinction of having the most widely publicized homosexual relationships of the entire animal kingdom.

Penguins have small families.

A typical clutch is two eggs however, the King and Emperor – the largest of the Penguin species – only have a single egg in a clutch. When measured proportionately to the adult Penguin body weight, these birds have the smallest eggs of any bird species on the planet.

Roughly 99.999% of the Penguin species will share the incubation duties.

It’s true, males take on as much of the work as females in the care of the eggs of their young. Well, that is with one exception. The male Emperor Penguin does not participate in this process.

It’s a good thing that most of the male Penguins pitch in with incubation shifts.

When one part of the Penguin couple ventures off to sea in order to feed, the incubating egg is left with the other partner. Sometimes the shift can go days and even months simply because the ice pack can form leaving open ocean as much as 80-kilometres away from the colony.

Penguins have incredible hearing.

It is with their sensitive hearing that parents and chicks are able to locate each other in a crowded colony.

Penguins have a built-in camouflage.

The counter shading of the Penguin plumage – black backs with white fronts – protect these birds from most prey that cannot distinguish a swimming Penguin from sun shimmering on the water surface when viewed from deep in the water below. The dark plumage on their backs helps to ‘hide’ them from above.

They have no land predators.

Penguins are safe in colonies on land as they have no predators except those living in the water. This is very likely why Penguins have little or no fear of humans. Humans have taken advantage of this and have been able to conduct many studies on these interesting birds without much problem.

The size of the Penguin can tell you where they are from.

The larger Penguin species inhabit the colder climates. This obviously means that the smaller Penguin species would live in the warmer climates of the world.

SOURCE: FACT ANIMAL