Homemade

Do you ever think about how we learned to do so many things?  I spent some time the other day researching how to make paper.  It stemmed from reading a book in which one of the characters made their own paper and ink to draw and illustrate plants.  I will likely attempt it at some point, but it looks like a lot of work.

I wonder if early paper was conceived by watching wasps build their nests.  There are over 1100 species of paper wasps around the world, so it is quite possible that primitive man sought to reproduce the material that comprised wasp nests.

Rock, wood and vellum (animal skin or membrane) were likely the first writing or drawing surfaces for primitive artists and calligraphers.  Around 3,000 BC the Egyptians developed a process of making paper from the papyrus plant.  It was commonly used for thousands of years until replaced by thinner, smoother sheets made from milled plant and wood fibers in a process thought to have been developed in the Han Dynasty of early China around 20-220 AD.  Because it provided a better writing surface it spread westward and became widely adopted by the Islamic world by the 8th Century.  It was another 300 years before it spread to Europe where it replaced the use of animal skins.

Papermaking continues to improve even today with the addition of plastics as well as more advanced fiber processing.  Adding a wax coating to paper allows its use for drinking cups or straws that are completely biodegradable, unlike plastic based coatings.

Paper wasps construct their nests with fibers pulled from dead wood and other dried, fibrous plant material.  The fibers are chewed and mixed with saliva before being pasted into the familiar umbrella-shaped nests filled with chambers for raising the next generation.

The wasp in the photo is stripping wood fiber from some oak firewood.

 Mid-Air Refueling

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures.  We planted Texas Lantana and Texas Sage specifically to attract them and the butterflies.  A couple of the Lantanas are in beds which front our porch where we have a couple of rocking chairs that allow us to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been experiencing.  We sometimes sit there watching birds and using the Merlin app on our phones to help us identify them by their calls.  We also hope for the tiniest of winged visitors to helicopter in for a quick sip of nectar from the flowers.

The Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the most common out of the 363 species found across the Americas. (For a great list of 10 Interesting facts, click here.)  I was fortunate a couple of days ago to have phone camera in hand when one made a brief re-fueling stop.  The buzz of wings sounded like a giant bumblebee as the tiny, winged blur dropped in for his snack.

How can such a high-energy consumer drink enough nectar in tiny sips to keep its body fueled?  It is no wonder they always seem to be in a hurry, dashing from flower to flower for quick a caloric boost before moving on.  Unlike bees and other pollinators, they don't lite upon the flowers but delicately partake of their meal without touching other than with their beak and tongue.

I wonder if engineers got the idea for mid-air refueling from watching hummingbirds.

 Preconceptions

As we sat on the patio yesterday during a break from our yardwork, I noticed what I thought was a beetle land on one of the tomato plants.  I watched him a moment then decided to take his picture to see if I could identify what he was.  He was rather unique looking, but I feared he would start munching on the leaves and if that was the case he would find his life span shortened significantly.

It was identified by iNaturalist as a Black Firefly (Lucidota atra).  That gave me pause because fireflies are supposed to fly at night -- hence the name.  It turns out this particular species is diurnal (likes the daylight).  It preys on soft-bodied invertebrates such as snails and slugs.  That makes him one of the good guys.

I have to admit that I judged him prematurely.  I thought he was there to attack the tomatoes, and I was prepared to take immediate action.  We do that about a lot of things -- prejudge.  It is because our crazy minds are wired to defend against things we have been conditioned to see as potential danger.  These preconceptions can be useful but can also cause behavior that is harmful.  That Firefly was a beneficial that would have fallen to my preconceptions had I not paused to learn a little more about it.

One of the things that sets humans apart from animals is the ability to override the wiring in our DNA and use reason.  That ability to reason opens doors of understanding.  This world needs a lot more understanding.

 Confusions From Conclusions

Sometimes the "Ah ha" moments shouldn't be.  Jumping to conclusions with incomplete information can lead us down paths that only add to the confusion already sloshing away in the chemical solutions of our minds.  A small piece of information can ignite those synaptic connections in a way that could best be described as a short-circuit.

Using the iNaturalist app on my phone I identified the flower pictured below as Carolina desert-chicory (Pyrrhopappus carolinianus) and given the name, jumped to the conclusion that I had finally discovered what Chicory looked like.  Chicory has been a common substitute or, addition to, coffee for many years.  In my mind I associated it with the Deep South -- especially during the Civil War when Naval Blockades limited the supply of coffee to southern ports.  So, seeing the "Carolina" in the name as well as the word "chicory" I had an "ah ha" moment that led me to believe we had the coffee substitute growing on our place.  I was wrong.

When I dug deeper and did a little research on the plant, I found that, although in the same Family, Asteracea, it was not the same plant as is used as a coffee substitute.  I did learn that it is also called the Texas Dandelion and is common on roadsides throughout the state.  Hmmm...maybe the leaves are edible like those of the true Dandelion.  Nope, wrong again.

Our brains are amazing and work in ways beyond our understanding.  Unlike the massive AI data centers currently under construction, they utilize only a small amount of energy to gather, organize, store and comprehend vast amounts of information.  But, just like a computer program, the saying, "garbage in, garbage out" is also true.  That amazing organ in our skull can make mistakes but it also holds the power to limit those mistakes and to correct them.

We believe many things that are simply not correct.  Those beliefs stem from the information that we feed into that amazing organ which resides between our ears.  If the information is incorrect, or incomplete, we draw wrong conclusions and what we think we know is really the confusion caused by incomplete or incorrect information.

In today's world of social media, the propagandists understand and exploit that weakness.  We all need to learn to dig a little deeper.

 On The Shelf

Being put on the shelf can be a good thing or it can be a signal that utility has diminished.

We have all heard of "Top Shelf" items such as a valuable Crystal Bowl, or for some, a high-dollar bottle of Bourbon.  It's also where one might place objects they wish to admire such as photos of loved ones.  Maybe it's an old Cream Pitcher that a great-grandmother used which once held cream separated by her own hands that ended up on great-grandfather's oatmeal.  Whatever it might be, it is held in a place of honor.

We have also heard the term used in a less honoring way such as when one is "put on the shelf" which connotes that they are no longer needed for service.  This happens to older employees who are given a watch and a plaque as they are retired.  It is a symbolic way of telling them they are no longer needed.

Life is a series of cycles, all of which fit into the larger cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth.  In nature, death is followed by resurrection as the nutrients are broken down and then utilized by plants, animals, insects and other living things such as fungi.  If your view of life is simply that of the natural cycles, then that is what you have to look forward to.  My view is that is what will happen to our physical body and if you have never experienced a Spiritual Birth, that will be the end.

Stereum fasciatum is a fungus that colonizes dead trees.  It is a "shelf fungus" and clearly signals the end as it breaks down the wood into its component nutrients.

 Aggressive Home Invaders

Yesterday was tree trimming day around our place.  We have several large Sweetgum trees that needed some shaping up.  One of them contained a birdhouse which I had not seen any birds approach.

We've only been here since mid-January and things like the undesirable branches and the birdhouse were left by our predecessor for the new owners to handle.  There are a couple of other birdhouses, one of which was featured in a previous post with a nest of baby Eastern Bluebirds in it.  No birds would come near the birdhouse hanging in the Sweetgum tree.

I decided that since the birds didn't like the birdhouse in question, I would remove it from its prominent place.  After trimming limbs which had grown near it, I unhooked it from its perch and let it drop to the ground.  I quickly found out why the birds avoided it as a number of red paper wasps came boiling out of it in search of something to blame for their short drop and abrupt stop.

After batting the most persistent of them away with my sweaty cap, they learned to keep their distance from me but continued to remain in the neighborhood.  Wasp stings are not something I desire and when younger, would react somewhat severely to them.  Needless to say, I was wary of the tiny, winged warriors as I completed my task of trimming the tree.

In recent years there have been numerous stories of home invaders in the news.  I find it disturbing that someone would think it is an acceptable thing to do.  As I think about it though, I realize it is simply animal behavior.

In nature it is not uncommon for animals to occupy burrows created by other animals (think Rattlesnake in a Prairie Dog hole).  Animals will slip into a temporarily unoccupied den and then defend it by force.  In this world of increasingly animal-like behavior by humans I suppose it was only a matter of time that such things as home invasion and adverse occupation would occur.

Below are a couple of photos of the birdhouse in question.  The first shows the entire house while in the second you can see the dislodged Paper Wasp nest resting on the bottom.

Fear vs. Knowledge

We sometimes fear things that we know to be harmful.  Through past experiences or, perhaps, through study, we learn -- we expand our knowledge -- regarding that thing and acknowledge it is potentially harmful.  Knowledge helps us to know how best to respond.

There are many things, however, that we fear due to ignorance or misperception.  We are wired (my term for our genetic inheritance) for fight or flight.  It might be as simple as public speaking or as complex as using a computer for the first time.  In the case of speaking, it is fear of appearing foolish or of failing to make a positive impression.  In the case of the computer, it is fear of breaking it.

One of the things most people grow up with is a fear of snakes.  That fear is societally programmed into us and likely wired into us.  Some snakes can be deadly and if you don't know what kind of snake you are dealing with it is best to err on the side of caution.

Snakes play a beneficial role in nature.  They are especially adept at managing the population of many pests.  Rodents are a primary source of sustenance for many species whereas insects play a significant role in the diet of others.  Even those species of snakes which are potentially deadly due to their venom can play an important role if they are respected and given space.

My grandfather's barn had a workshop just inside the main door, and Grandpa always threw junk scrap metal in one corner at the end of his workbench.  It was on an outside wall and in time, a rattlesnake made that scrap pile its home.  I knew about it as long as I can remember.  Until I was old enough to understand the danger, Grandpa wouldn't let me go into the shop alone.

He didn't have any rodents in the shop thanks to that snake.

After Grandpa died and we were cleaning his shop that snake played an interesting role in a story I will relate at a later time.

Learn about snakes.  They are interesting creatures and provide an important service.

Below is a Western Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) pictured both coming and going.  He was resident in a small woodpile we moved.  I don't think he was happy that we discovered his hiding place but there are plenty of others to which he can relocate.  Rat Snakes are interesting in that they often winter in shared dens with other species of snakes -- especially Copperheads and Timber Rattlers which are both poisonous.

 Gone Wild

I think sometimes that we have become too domesticated.  People don't know where food comes from, they live more in fear than in freedom and they have lost the ability to survive and thrive in this world gone mad.  Skills for survival, many of which are genetically programmed into us, have been suppressed and are slowly being bred out of many genetic lines through the natural selection process which draws individuals of similar temperament to each other.

A couple of days ago we stumbled across some roses growing wild in an off-the-path part of our place.  We were astounded at their beauty.  They spread over a significant area and were in full bloom.

There are many beautiful varieties of roses that are grown domestically and there are many people who deeply enjoy cultivating various special varieties of roses.  To me they seem a little unnatural -- too domesticated.  Finding the wild variety in an unexpected place reminded me that it is often the untamed that exhibits true beauty.

 Is It a Weed?

Green Antelope Horn Milkweed (Asclepias viridis) is an important plant for the Monarch Butterfly.  The Monarchs reproduce in the southern U.S. in late summer when the plant is tough.  The problem is that they prefer tender leaves which provide food for the caterpillar stage.

Many ranchers see the Milkweed as just that -- a weed.  It is often targeted along with other weeds that compete with the grasses for grazing.  In many areas, although the Antelope Horn is a perennial, their presence is declining due to the use of herbicides for the control of all non-grass species growing in pastures.

For those ranchers who utilize mechanical means, such as mowing to control pasture weeds, the Antelope Horn and Monarchs can benefit.  Mow in July so that there will be new, fresh growth of the Antelope Horn in August when the Monarchs arrive and are looking for places to reproduce.

Any plant can be considered a weed.  The definition of a weed is any plant growing where it is not wanted.  Competition between plants for limited resources is a critical issue for ranches -- especially during drought conditions.

The way ranchers choose to control weeds is generally an economic decision.  Often, chemical means are the most effective and the most cost effective.  Many weeds are a sign of overgrazing.  They colonize where the grasses have died due to drought and inadequate leaf cover -- not enough left standing.  Without the standing forage, the heat and drought conditions can kill the roots, creating bare areas.  When the rains come, forbs -- weeds mostly -- are the first plants to return.  Reducing weeds allows more grass to be produced.  It is something of a balancing act that requires careful attention to maintain soil health and a healthy balance of the plants growing.  Those factors then determine the level of grazing that can be healthily maintained.

When you add the desire to retain habitat for species such as the Monarch Butterflies, the equation becomes more complex.  Despite the bad reputation they often receive, most ranchers wish to see nature thrive and work to maintain healthy land and pastures.  For those who have areas where the Antelope Horn is established, they can use mechanical means only for weed control while utilizing the more effective chemical means in places that don't contain critical species.  Summer mowing would open the canopy for late season growth while stimulating re-growth of the milkweed prior to the needs of the butterflies.

 Perspective

According to Merriam Webster the first definition of "perspective" is "a mental view or prospect."  It recognizes that our mind shapes what we see.

The obvious shaping by our mind is the simple interpretation of the light reflected from an object that creates an image on our retina that is then transmitted to the brain by the optical nerve.  The quality of that image is a function of the shape of the lens, the eyeball which determines the focal length and the healthiness of the tissue over which that image is passed.  It is purely physical in nature.  But there is also a mental aspect to perception.  The mental part of interpreting what we see is shaped by experience and knowledge.  It is something I might call positional perspective.

Positional perspective might simply refer to where we are standing.  If I am in front of an object and you are to the side of that same object, we might see very different shapes.  It's like the old tale of the blind men touching an elephant -- each at a different point -- and each describing it very differently.  We do the same thing mentally when we view something.

Sometimes our view is of an idea or concept.

City dwellers see things very differently than those who live in sparsely populated areas.  The problems that face those living in a crowded environment are not the same as those faced by rural populations.  Their perspectives of what are the most pressing problems vary widely.  Even when they recognize each other's challenges, they often perceive very different solutions. Their environment and experiences shape their view or, perspective.

Much of the division in our country is due to this issue of perspective.  Until we learn to "walk in the other guy's shoes" occasionally, we will not solve the problems that we face as a nation.  Understanding comes with experience and knowledge.  If we feed ourselves the same thing every day in the news we consume, the books we read or the people we listen to, our understanding of other perspectives is not likely to occur.  We all need to spend time with those who are not like us -- whatever "us" happens to be.