lighten up...

Green is the word, everyone is going green, and I am excited about the momentum and positive changes that are being made, and this is only the beginning. So, lets explore the some other colors on the colour wheel (oh ,this is going to anger some art majors) Lets go Black!


I remember when I was a child, I grew up in a small town, less than one hundred on the population sign. We spent much of our time outdoors, exploring the wonders of nature, but we also spent a lot of time outdoors at night as much as the day, and many of those nights was spent looking up at the amazing star filled skies.

Comparison View Effects of light pollution on the right.

I now live within throwing distance of St. Louis Lambert Airport, and let me tell you, star gazing is more like star searching. Light pollution has filled my view from my front porch, and crowded out the dark star filled skies I remember as a child. I often wonder if I was not actually dreaming, that those star filled skies are just a figment of my childhood memories.

I hope the green movement will assist the black movement, but it is our responsibility to change. The good news is, by helping reduce light pollution, we also reduce energy waste, so they compliment each other well.

The human eye has an extraordinary ability to see well in dark conditions. Unfortunately it takes some time for our eyes to adjust, partially due to light pollution, but after a few minutes in the dark our eyes start to adjust and we can often see things better then we could with light! The reason is is sometimes the glare from lights can cast heavy shadows in areas and put the eye in a vulnerable state where our night vision is impaired.

Comparison view of night sky.

So as I replaced my bulbs with a CFL to reduce energy, I thought to myself, how much light do I really need? The minimum amount of light, shielded so it can not cause any glare, and aimed downward so light can not escape upwards or outwards is best. These shields prevent wasted light escaping into the sky, improves our night vision by reducing glare, and wastes less energy.

Safety is another concern. Leaving my porch light on all night should deter thieves and criminals. Maybe due to our natural fear of the dark we suspect this is the only time crime is committed, but we must realize criminal activity often takes place in the light of day, and lights, casting those heavy shadows we discussed earlier, can even help conceal a criminal! So a motion activated light that is only activated when needed may be a better choice for any safety concerns. Or if you are turning off your safety lights manually, maybe a timer would be a great option to turn off those lights when the morning light takes over, but you are still asleep. These motion lights are often sold with high pressure sodium bulbs and unshielded fixtures, so be sure to purchase one with shields and a model that is capable of accepting CFL's or LED bulbs.

It only takes a moment to replace a bulb with a lower lumen output, yes that's right, wattage is no longer a reliable means of light output. Lets reduce wasted energy and direct our lighting where needed, and only when needed! The night is often neglected when we think about nature, but it is so important for animals and plant life alike. Light pollution is thought to be harmful to many migrating species, such as sea turtles, and trees as there is the constant presence of artificial UV light affecting they're biorhythms.

The benefits of reducing light pollution are too many to discuss in my short blogs, but they are plentiful enough we should not ignore it! I say we get outside, and we bring the stars back!

Samhain, summers end...

One of my favorite holidays is fast approaching: Samhain. This holiday is little known to the American culture, as Halloween, though very similar, has taken the lead in fall holidays. Did I mention Halloween is my wedding anniversary? One year ago I married the woman of my dreams during the beautiful celebration of Samhain.

Dan & Mel's Halloween wedding cake.

Samhain marks the harvest, when all the grown food is gathered, thus seeing first hand what is available to survive the coming cold dark days of winter, understand this was a time before central heating and fiberglass insulation. This was a time of fire and lambs-wool! The world around them was turning brown, like ours during fall, and they would have to decide which animals they could keep fed through the winter, and those that they could not, would be slaughtered for their meat and supplies. It is easy to see why this time of year was a dark and "creepy" setting.

Costumes are plentiful during Halloween, but the origins of costumes may be Samhain. It is believed that Celtic tribes wore costumes and masks during Samhain, maybe as a ritual for ancestors or to ward off the angry vengeful dead. The particular reasons are debated, but its ties to the American Halloween are unquestionable.

One of my favorite traditions is pumpkin carving, or Jack-O-Lanterns. It is believed the Jack-O-Lanterns origins point to Ireland's Celtic history. There are many debated stories of the origin of Jack-O-Lantern, but it is known turnips, not pumpkins, where carved out and used for lanterns in Ireland, and in order for the light to escape, a hole, and often a design, would be cut into the turnip to make a fashionable lantern.

Fun Carving : Dan 2009

So whether or not you have Celtic Blood, Samhain... or Halloween, can be celebrated by all. It is a modern celebration of fun and joy, and the collection and stockpile of sweets to get you through a long cold winter. It is also a time to explore other cultures and learn about each other. So have a gathering, carve a pumpkin, or a turnip, and enjoy Samhain!

woolly bear myth

I remember exploring the woods as a child. I would disappear, much to the dismay of my mother, often for an entire day. There was something very comforting about the woods, so much so I often found a tree and would sit against it and fall asleep, waking hours later to realize I might be missing my dinner!

I used to always catch things, fire-flies, bull frogs, and the like. I never feared anything, with the exception of the time a cicada pushed me out of a tree, but that's a whole different story! One of the things I loved was the great "Month of the caterpillar!" Every fall there would be hundreds of "Woolly Bear Caterpillars" (Pyrrharctia issabella) making their way to prepare for winter. I remember my neighbor, an old farmer who always had a story for everything, told me the woolly bear could for tell the coming winter. The thicker the brown band in the center, the milder the winter would be, and if it was all black, oh boy, you better be ready for the worst winter of all time. All this while I giggled as the woolly bear caterpillar would tickle the back of my arm as it made its way around. The sense of touch, like all senses, are so sensitive as a child, I wonder why we neglect them now.

Woolly Bear Larvae

Well as I got older I had to 'unlearn' quite a bit, and my critical thinking took over. Just last week, I saw an all black Woolly bear, the sign of the apocalyptic winter to come, and shortly thereafter, near by, on the same day, an all brown woolly bear, a sure sign of a snow-less winter. As it turns out they all differ in color, even when they emerge from the same clutch. As a famous "Dan-Look-alike" would say (Adam Savage from Myth Buster's,) "BUSTED!"

Beautiful Adult "Woolly Bear" aka "Tiger Moth"

To learn more about this interesting species please visit here.

Though the myth is busted, it is interesting how nature can invoke such imaginative ideas. It is not hard to fathom all the mythology and fairy tales from our childhood when we look around at the majestic wonders of nature. I hope you can get outside this beautiful week and explore your imagination, even if it is as simple as picking out shapes in the clouds! Explore every sense outdoors, touch, sound, smell, taste, and sight...We all have a little child residual packed away somewhere within. Have a great week!

October glory...

The temperatures are falling, the leaves are changing, and soon we will be welcomed to the aroma of burning leaves and kids pouncing into leaf piles! Its fall, and its time to do some last minute things to prepare your yard for the coming cold weather!

We are already seeing frost on the turf, and frost can damage your yard if your not careful. Be sure to stay off your yard when there is frost on the turf, the ice crystals that form inside the plant tissue will damage the plant if stepped upon or driven on, so if you want to avoid brown footsteps through your yard, stay off the frost until the sun melts it off.

Leaves are starting to make their graceful way to the grounds beneath, and into our yards and gardens. Another option for leaves is to continuously mulch them with a mulch mower into your yard or flower beds as opposed to raking them. It is much greener, considering you are adding organic material to your yard, so think of it as free fertilizer, and best of all, for us lazy gardeners, its much less labor intensive than raking! (And it is so much fun to shoot sweet-gum balls back into our neighbors yard!)

A mixture of Gourds and Squash can make a great dramatic impact in your garden.

A lot of gardeners plant mums and pansies in the fall. Pumpkins and squash make a great filler for beds, take a lot less work to plant, and you can eat them! Then they can be turned into Jack-O-Lanterns later in the month, and the seeds can be prepared as a healthy treat for kids and us kids-at-hearts alike. Pumpkins are often cheaper per square footage when compared to fall flowers, and look great in the fall garden!

Mmm! Can't wait!

I hope you get outside and get a chance to enjoy the fall air. I remember sleeping in the leaf-covered forest floor as a child, and its something we often neglect; some time outside, some time for ourselves to reconnect with our memories and the beautiful world around us! Have a great fall!