Most vegetable gardens, whether in the back yard or in pots on the balcony, feature tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash [usually the prolific zucchini]. All are easy to grow and attractive with their lush leaves and yellow flowers. I enjoy the lacy effect of these tomato blossoms in my garden. Americans also like the taste of
Articles Categorized Sandra Wagner-Wright
VICTORY OVER SMALL POX
While spending time sheltering-in-place at home, I, like many other people, considered previous pandemics. Many media stories compare COVID-19 to the 1918 H1N1 virus pandemic. But that event is one of many throughout history, including small pox, also known as the speckled monster, a virulent viral disease once endemic in Europe, Asia, and Arabia. It
MADAGASCAR LEMURS
Nosy Be is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar Island, the fourth largest island in the world. There are two major industries on Nosy Be: Ylang-Ylang plantations and tourism. Ylang-ylang is a flower valued for its essential oils that provide a key ingredient in production of perfumes and essential oil. Its intense fragrance
GORILLA TREKKING IN RWANDA
According to Skilled Adventurer, trekking is a “long arduous journey, typically on foot” that can test your ability and sanity. Hiking, on the other hand, is walking a long distance, usually on trails or roads. Neither involve safari vehicles that deposit visitors at the end of the road and fade from sight, seemingly forever. I
DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TIGER? COME TO RANTHAMBORE
If you want to see the elusive tiger, Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve is a good place to look. Deer are the primary source of food for tigers, and at Ranthambore there are plenty of deer to choose from. The spotted Axis deer are called cheetah in Hindi because cheetah means spots. Sambar deer
“I Love Cebu” Is an Accurate Song
The second stop on my recent wildlife safari was Cebu Province in the Central Visayan region of the Philippines. From the air, the approach to Mactan Island reveals a sizable city and busy harbor. The name Mactan evolved from Mangatang, meaning pirate. Once upon a time, islanders preyed on passing ships. The pirates are long
SAFARI IN MAASAI MARA, KENYA
The most magical location of my wildlife safari was the Maasai Mara National Reserve, a savanna wilderness in southwest Kenya that borders on the Serengeti in Tanzania. The site in the Great Rift Valley features grassy plains and rolling hills crossed by the Mara and Talek Rivers. The famous migration of wildebeests from the Serengeti
SNOW MONKEYS & CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN JAPAN
Just before the world turned upside down, I returned from an incredible adventure that took me to wildlife sanctuaries at different sites around the world. The first stop was Japan where I was able to visit the surprisingly famous Snow Monkeys and enjoy an early viewing of cherry blossoms. The extremes of winter and spring
Saints & Snakes
Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day. A day to drink green beer, catch a leprechaun, and cheer the Emerald Isle and it’s legends. So, of course, this blog has something to do with St. Patrick, but it has more to do with snakes. In the Christian tradition, it’s fair to say snakes have a bad rap.
Beware the Ides of March
When I was in high school during the last century, students studied Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in 10th grade. Besides grappling with impossible language and syntax, we encountered the soothsayer’s warning in Act 1, Scene 2. Caesar and his advisors make their way through a crowd on a festival day, perhaps the festival of Lupercalia, an
Women’s History Month: An Unfinished Revolution
Fifty years ago, with some notable exceptions like Eleanor Roosevelt, women were invisible in history. White males led corporate America while secretaries took notes and made coffee. And marriage was the goal of most college educated middle class young women. Though many issues remain unsolved, Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate positive changes
Jumpin’ Jiminy: It’s Leap Year
You may not have noticed, but we have an extra day this month. Leap Day, February 29, is this Saturday. For most of us, it’s just another day, but it’s existence is what keeps our solar calendar in sync with the earth’s orbit around the sun. So let’s do some calendrical history. The Ancient Romans
Practice Random Acts of Kindness
It seems that every event has its boosters which is why there are so many commemorative days like Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day which happened on Feb. 1 (not an entirely bad idea) or National Chopsticks Day that inspired a previous blog. But today shines light on a practice we would all benefit from.
Romantic Love in the Digital Age
GOOD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT. PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW, THAT I SHALL SAY GOOD NIGHT TILL IT BE TOMORROW. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, written in 1594, encapsulates romantic love at its most appealing. Juliet speaks these words as Romeo departs from her balcony, her longing and complete surrender a match for Romeo’s intense commitment. Unfortunately,
The History & Impact of Chopsticks
Did you know February 6 is National Chopstick Day? It’s an obscure commemoration for unique eating utensils used by about one-third of the world’s population. Chopstick use requires a surprising amount of dexterity, and involves 30 joints and 50 muscles in the right-hand fingers, wrist, arm, and shoulder. In other words, using chopsticks is harder
How Do Groundhogs Predict Weather? Not very well.
Sunday is Groundhog Day, the day when a large rodent leaves his burrow, looks around, and decides whether or not winter will continue another six weeks. Some folks say the groundhog is correct about 37 percent of the time, though that could be pure luck. Groundhogs are actually squirrels, commonly known as marmots. Groundhogs are