Readers

These are the notes for "Nuff Respect." Enjoy some recipes for Jamaican and Minoan foods in memory of minoanmiss.

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This evening we held our esbat with an owl theme, inspired by the Festival of Owls this weekend.  We charged a set of owl beads for people to keep.

... I am disappointed that I did not think ahead to obtain a gummy rat for the cakes and ale. 

librarygeek has sponsored "Nuff Respect." I'll get that posted as soon as I can, but at the moment I'm gardening while the sun shines.

If anyone else is still shopping for poetry, now's the time to make your final selections.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- janetmiles will be sponsoring "Confident Guesswork and Improvisation."

At the moment, "Walnut Park" and "Foraging Forever" are still available.

Satellites are exposing weak bridges in America and around the world

Satellites may soon help spot the world’s weakest bridges before they collapse.

Satellites are giving scientists a powerful new way to watch over the world’s bridges. Using radar imaging, researchers can detect millimeter-scale movements that may signal early structural problems long before inspectors notice them. The study found many bridges—especially in North America—are aging and increasingly vulnerable, but satellite monitoring could sharply reduce the number classified as high-risk. The approach could be especially valuable in regions where traditional monitoring barely exists.


The problem is, this won't fix the bridges. America already knows that many of its bridges need repair or replacement. There just isn't enough money for all that work. A big issue is that most government funding focuses on building new infrastructure, not maintaining old infrastructure. Satellite data can't change that.

Today is sunny and cool, a beautiful spring day.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches at the hopper feeder, and a male cardinal flying around.

I put out water for the birds.

Several of the gardens are now bursting with flowers. Honeybees are swarming over the flowers. :D

More of the fruit tree seedlings have sprouted in their jugs. The ones in the house are sprouting more too. The willow cuttings in water have rootlets over half an inch now!

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I filled 18 pots in a flat with potting soil.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I planted fruit sprouts in most of the pots: Ginger Gold apple, Pink apple, and yellow pear. I'm pretty sure that I ran out of Ginger Gold and Pear sprouts. There are some Pink sprouts left, so I'll probably finish the pear row with those.

A fox squirrel was scolding from a tree overhead. I've also seen a dark-eyed junco flying around.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I finished the last three pots with Pink Apple sprouts, and put labels in all but those. I still need to make the last few labels.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I labeled the last 3 Pink Apple pots. I put a tub over the flat to serve as a greenhouse.

I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

EDIT 3/8/26 -- I set up another 12-cell tray indoors with Green Striped Cushaw Winter Squash, seeds I saved from a tiny butternut, Landrace Zucchini, and Lofthouse Landrace Muskmelon. I gave each variety 3 cells, and I put 2 seeds in each cell.

Today is cloudy and cooler, but still comfortable.  It stormed again last night.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 3/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.  A skein of geese flew overhead, honking quite loudly.

The almost-black miniature irises are blooming.  :D  The first of the bluebell shoots has appeared.

I am done for the night.

I took some pictures around the yard today. These are from the savanna. (See the house yard.)

( Walk with me ... )

Water bears on Mars: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy?

Tardigrades – also known as water bears – are tiny animals about 1 mm or less in size. They’re known for being able to survive in extreme environments.
Tardigrades can survive in simulated Martian regolith, researchers found … if you rinse it with water first.
Future astronauts could use tardigrades to help grow plants and survive in habitats on Mars.


Tardigrades are interesting little extremophiles. They can survive a wide array of harsh conditions, such as radiation and starvation. Some live in desolate conditions; others live in warm, green places hence their nickname "moss bears." This implies that they excel at colonizing harsh terrain, but they can also take advantage of better conditions. They're about as close to indestructible as life on Earth has gotten. So it makes sense to take them along for space exploration.