"Astronomers at the University of Sheffield have managed to record for the first time the eerie musical harmonies produced by the magnetic field in the outer atmosphere of the sun.
They found that huge magnetic loops that have been observed coiling away from the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as coronal loops, vibrate like strings on a musical instrument.” (Full article here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7840201/Music-of-the-sun-recorded-by-scientists.html )
Speaking of musical instruments, I have been spending my time preparing harp music to play at an event that was scheduled for last week. I found that I needed to practice five hours a day, every day, in order to be able to play well for an hour and a half....
Good grief it has been hot here.
The hottest spring and the hottest June that I can remember.
The heat index is 105 today. I’ve been out since the early morning working in the yard. At 11AM I just couldn’t take it any longer. In fact, I was feeling a little sick. We have three acres and I am responsible for taking care of it all...and the worst thing that can happen is to get behind - any farmer would know that.
It is not my imagination that it is this hot - crepe myrtles which are typically in bloom in the last week of June have been in bloom since June 1. I have never seen that. I have some white Natchez crepe myrtles - they always bloom first and blooms last for about three months. In the winter they lose their leaves but have a very interesting shape.
The watermelon colored crepe myrtles lag behind in blooming - but they have started to bloom also. I usually do not see blooms on these until the fourth of July.
Some Before and Afters:
While cleaning out a flower bed I discovered that a tree looked like something from the Enchanted Forest.
Yep, you could see right through it. But I did not notice it until I was cleaning out the bed - there are azalea bushes in front of the tree and a fence directly in back of the tree.
From the azalea side, the side that I see all the time, the tree looked pretty good - branches and leaves. The azaleas hid the hollowness. Yes, it did have a “bird condo” on top but it wasn’t until I was cleaning out the bed from the fence side that I discovered the "enchanted tree.” Dwarves or elves could live there but it was a safety hazard that I am glad I discovered. Here’s the before:
A tree service did a great job with the tree - no damage to the fence or the azaleas. It was really a tight space. Here’s the after:
Since the tree service was out, we had another tree taken down that I’ve been worried about. It had a real bird condo at the top.
Once again, they did a great job - they were able to leave the two scrub trees growing around the dead tree.
And finally. They took down the wild rose bush from hell. I spent a lot of time cutting it back this winter - but it now has more sunlight because we removed a tree last summer which shaded it. I felt it was a danger to the dogs - worried about one running into a branch. And it was also growing into a camellia.
Here’s the before:
Here’s the after:
The tree service just whacked the rose bush - I did the rest...
Another before - Happy Father’s Day to Mr. Blue Bird (before the second clutch):
And the after: FIVE babies hatched two days ago (Picture taken looking into box from the viewing side - there is a reflection from the plexiglass barrier which reduces the possibility of a baby fledging when you check on them)
And in the Kitchen a before and after:
It’s from the book,
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg, MD, and Zoe Francois
The basic bread was very successful - and it is true - it takes five minutes a day. No proofing, no kneading. The cost per loaf is about thirty cents. There are about a hundred recipes in the book. We also tried the pumpkin bread - it was outstanding as well.
Here’s a video:
"With bread all sorrows are less” (Sancho Panza speaking to Dapple, his donkey in "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes)
And I would have to agree.
Happy Summer Solstice!!
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