06Apr 2016 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Honeybee Swarm Caught on Film in Spring 2016

Biology
A family of friends of mine took a vacation in California, staying with family. They are the outdoorsy type and are into water events, although the water was very cold on this trip. It was the tail end of March. During their stay, they experienced a fascinating event. Grabbing a camera and laying on the ground, my friend memorialized the event. He took two snapshots. They are seen below, along with an image taken of the photographer himself. It was a spring honeybee swarm! [caption id="attachment_14002" align="alignleft" width="380"] Be careful, Guy![/caption] Honeybee Swarm Mechanism Like a plant that grows by producing an offshoot, a nest of bees may divide with a mature or older queen leaving the original nest, taking a large percentage of the worker bees with her in…
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24Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Orange Oranges is an Historic Controversy

Food, Health
[caption id="attachment_10239" align="alignright" width="440"] Orange oranges.[/caption] As a kid many moons ago, I was told there really aren't any orange oranges.  That is to say, they aren’t naturally orange, but are really green. Is this true? Not entirely,  but it is partly true. Many oranges do turn orange, at least in part. Temperature and sunlight levels are relevant. The green color present in some ripe fruits is chlorophyll. Yet, when we go to the store, we see oranges that are at least mostly orange, usually completely so. Oranges, you see are often dyed. Now you may have already known that. But did you know there once was a controversy over it? We transcribe a Palm Springs, CA Desert Sun news article for 1958. The Supreme Court Rules Washington (UPI) –…
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04Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Point Loma, California – 1997

Genealogy
[caption id="attachment_5196" align="alignright" width="380"] Point Loma, California[/caption] Editor's preface: Author Ellen Hetland Fenwick sprinkled the ashes of her deceased husband in the waters of the Pacific, at Point Loma, California. In this memorial, she notes other family members with at least symbolic connection with water, including the death of John Sommers, our joint great-grandfather.- VES I hear that the depths of the Pacific are cold. Never mind. You will not feel the chill. I wish you to see all the finny life as you go around the world with unseeing eyes and without having to bother to breathe. I wish for you to go around the world entombed in the lower fathoms. My oceanographic friend says that rather than this fate, you will swirl around the Pacific lower and lower…
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16Aug 2013 by Vincent Summers 7 Comments

The Brown Widow Spider

Biology, Health
[caption id="attachment_8515" align="alignleft" width="440"] Brown widow spider image by Matthew Field, GNU Free Documentation License 1.2[/caption] The brown widow spider? When we think of widows and spiders together, we think of the black widow spider, no? In reality, there are not one, but three slightly different versions of the black widow. There are the northern black widow, the southern black widow, and the western black widow spiders. Easily identified by its disproportionately fat, round, shiny black body emblazoned with a red hourglass, the black widow is dangerous to the old and to the young. The bite of the black widow elicits a variety of symptoms. These may include localized pain, cramping, nausea, a rise in blood pressure, and respiratory problems. For further details, see emedicinehealth. It's Not a One-Act Show…
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