Drug, Smoke and Alcohol Free Campus – Sign 40

We posted the sign of firearms free zone, then a sign about homeless and drug addiction in our city, Baton Rouge, LA.

Fig 01- The sign of Drug, Smoke and Alcohol Free campus.

You may read the previous signs:

- Firearms Free Zone – Sign 12 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Homeless and Drug Addictions – Sign 35 | Tanza Erlambang Update

A couple days ago, we found the sign of Drug, Smoke and Alcohol Free Campus hang on the side wall of our city community college entrance. The campus has about 8,500 students enrollment in recent years.

What make me wonder is the word “smoke!”. Is it a problem for young generation in our state or America?

Fig 02- Flowers, just illustration

Louisiana is the third higher rate of smoking in the USA. National smoking rate is 15.5%.

The top 3 states with higher smoking rate for adults in 2023:

1) West Virginia, 23.8%

2) Kentucky, 23.6%

3) Louisiana, 21.9%

Fig 03- The sign of a weapon free zone.

Louisiana state government prohibits smoking on properties belong to the state since 2014, then revised in 2015.

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The Sign of Lower Inflation – Sign 39

In fact, inflation rate drops from the highest ever, 9% to about 6% in the USA recently, and we have found the food prices in the groceries are little bit lower compared to several months ago.

Fig 01- Sign of happy shopping.

Increasing price of eggs not only due to inflation but also diseases, then “millions of hens are slaughtered due to bird flu:”

- Crisis of Chicken’s meat and Eggs – Sign 31 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Egg prices reached peak at US$ 11.09 per 18 count of eggs in January, 2023. Nowadays, we just buy about US$ 4.34 per 18 count of eggs.

Chicken egg price drops so much at almost all food stores in our city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We pay less than a half price compared to two months ago, and might be much lower in near future.

Fig 02- Colorful signs

We show some “inviting” signs for shopping from malls, supermarket and shopping centers in our city currently.

Fig 03- Three colors signs

Other items such as clothes, furniture, and even rental apartments getting lower and lower prices.

Fig 04- The Towne Center, Happy shopping

How about with your areas? Do you experience with lower price of goods and services?

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The Portable Stump for Hunting Blind – Sign 38

We saw “a strange property” called as the stump when we visit a plant nursery a few days ago.

Fig 01- The stump, a property

We took several photos of stump’s inside and its exteriors. It is said the weight of stump is 325 lb (147 kg)

Inside room is quite spacey with dimensions:

- diameter of 64 inches (163 cm).

- 80 inches (203 cm) in height.

After searching through internet, we understand that this property is used as a conceal place or a temporary shelter and storage for hunters. Hope, they will not be detected by animals.

Fig 02- The stump’s interior

Fig 03- The stump’s door

Fig 04- The Brochure with price tag

Fig 05- The stump’s tower, just illustration

Have you ever experienced for hunting? Do you know this kind of stuff?

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The Cactus Fruit Sold in the Market – Sign 37

Some of American farmers, especially in the drought areas grow cactus as a forage crop for their cattle.

Fig 01- Sign for the green cactus fruit

Cactus plants are good for feed of livestock and cattle with several reasons such as they are:

- rich in nutritional values

- source of water intake

- and cheaper compared to commercial fodder.

Moreover, there are plenty of cactus species could generate fruit in the USA. At least, 6 varieties cactus produce edible fruit or fruit which are safe for human consumption.

Fig 02- Look like pears

As suggested by Esther, 2023: Are Cactus Fruits Edible? (6 Cacti with Edible Fruits) that varieties of edible cactus are Peruvian apple cactus, Organ pipe cactus, Hylocereus, Barrel cactus, Opuntia and Saguaro cactus. 

Fig 03- The green fruit of cactus

In the USA, cactus is found in some states, they are including Massachusetts, New Mexico, Montana and Florida.

Fig 04- Cactus fruit, sold in the grocery

Have you tasted cactus fruit? What do you feel?

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- Goslings at the Neighborhood Lake – Critters 5 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Have You Tasted Fruits Called as Muscadine? - Part 1 – Food Variety 19 | Tanza Erlambang Update

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Mayflower the Moving Business Company – Sign 36

In case you forget, that Mayflower was name of a ship to transport families from England to USA. They then established the second colony in the areas of Massachusetts called as “New England” in 1620.

Fig 01- A Mayflower truck

The first colony was found as “Jamestown settlement” in Virginia in 1607. The settlement could be visited as a historic site nowadays.

Actually, the second colony, New England is a region with 6 states now:

- Massachusetts

- Connecticut

- Rhode Island.

- Maine

- New Hampshire and Vermont.

Fig 02- International movers

Mayflower is the “brand name” used as one of moving business companies since 1927 until today. The company has several other similar companies to be “the largest moving co-op” in the USA.

The co-op provides moving services locally, across America and even internationally. Military, commercial and individual may use the services provided by this company.

Fig 03- Mayflower in the parking lot

Have you experienced with Mayflower moving services locally or internationally?

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Homeless and Drug Addictions – Sign 35

We found a sign on the grass when we have daily jogging. The sign highly probably from a homeless man.

Fig 01- Sign found on the lawn

We can read the sign said :”Homeless Going Through A Hard Time Anything Helps.”

Then, close to the sign, we found a box and several of used syringe needles (please see Fig 02 and 03). You may conclude who have the needles.

Do you believe the homelessness is a matter of choice in life?

As reported by Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities (August 6, 2020: Homelessness Survey 2020 Results) that there are 3 (three) main causes of homelessness in the USA.

Fig 02- Drug needles at roadside

Top three causes of homelessness, especially in the big cities across America:

- drug addictions

- job loss

- mental health

1 of 5 (20%) of homeless are drug addictions and alcohol abuses. Actually, they got drug and alcohol after they are homelessness.

Fig 03- Syringe needles in the box.

However, small proportion only, less than 1% of population is homeless. City administrations have good programs to reduce this number.

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The Typical French Garden Style in Louisiana – Sign 34

After a while, we are aware that the specific part of our city, Baton Rouge, LA botanical garden has a geometric pattern. The pattern origin was from one of French kings.

Fig 01- A geometric pattern of garden

The king was King Louis XIV, rained the country from 1643 to 1715, more than 400 years ago.

The miniature of this geometric garden was established in 2017 in our city. Then, maintained by:

- Baton Rouge Botanical Garden Foundation

- and Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission (BREC).

Uniquely, we may see hedges to “fence” flowers and grasses. The hedge was kept short enough, so we can observe surrounding easily.

Fig 02- Entrance of geometric garden

When Spring or Summer, we may see plenty flowers and plants, just few of them are Yellow jasmine, Ferns, False Indigo, Loropetalum, Holly, Azalea, Irish, Rose, Lily and Confederate jasmine.

Image 3- At the middle of garden

Have you seen geometric garden style of King Louis XIV in your areas or other places?

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The Painting Exhibition in Our State – Sign 33

Our state art association (Art Guild of Louisiana) is like other art organizations, has several missions in respect to art, local art off course.

Fig 01- An artist from art association

The missions include to provide opportunities to all stage (proficiency) levels of artists in terms of exhibition and education.

We love to attend painting exhibitions in public areas or buildings in near by our neighborhood through out the year.

Few venues for art or painting exhibitions are:

- restaurants, coffee shops

- libraries

- hospitals or other public venues.

Fig 02- The pelican, painted by Lisa

One of artists who show their paintings is Lisa Sanchez. She is very young and talented. Her paintings depict of beautiful birds as you may see at Fig 02 and Fig 03.

Fig 03- Painting of two birds

What do you think?

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