No Tariff for Local Produces

We noticed that price of imported produces and products increases so much, especially from China and Mexico. 

Fig 01 - Several fresh produces

Just for an example, we love to consume Mexican avocado with reasonable price, now increasing from US$ 0.2 to US$ 0.8 each.

Soaring about 400%. Turn to be luxury food!

Forget about imported things, we change our diet to fresh local produces with off course "no tariff at all." Some of them include:

- tomatoes

- cucumber

- peaches etch  

Fig 02 - Local market

We have several farmer markets around our neighborhood. One of our favorites is located at rural part of our city.

Fig 03 - A parking lot

How about the price at your areas (cities)?

# Previous posting:

- May Yogurt Reduce Risk of Heart Diseases? - Part 2

- A Gator in the Neighborhood’s Lake – Critter 21 | Tanza

- Edible Mushroom in the World – Food Variety 24 | Tanza

- Why are these Foods Stolen? - Part 2 – Food Variety 23 | Tanza

- Pollinators which Love Coleus Plants – Critter 22 | Tanza

A Bald Eagle Flying over our Areas - Critter 100

As you might know that Bald eagles were included as endangered species list for around 4 decades. 

Fig - A bald eagle flying

Due to conservation efforts by relevant institutions, include education and community, then number of bald eagles has increased significantly.

Number of nesting pairs is only 417 at 48 states in 1967, after 40 years, the number has jumped to 11,040 nesting pairs. 

These magnificent birds are removed from endangered species list in 2007. In fact, we can have this sort of delightful sighting right over our areas.

We believe their nest not far from our neighborhood, close to Mississippi river that why we may see them flying over sometimes.

Have you seen bald eagle flying over your areas?

# Previous postings:

- Halloween Wreath Business in Neighborhood – Sign 22 | Tanza

- Have You Tasted Pistachio Muffins? - Part 2 – Food Variety 22

- Do You Know that Your Cat Love you? - Part 1 - Critter 20 |

- The Fiber Art in Our Community – Sign 23 | Tanza Erlambang

- May Yogurt Reduce Risk of Heart Diseases? - Part 2 – Heart 11 |

Delphinium is a Flower within Flower - Gardening and Hobby 70

The Delphinium is a unique Flower in term of its blooming seasons which depends on its varieties or hybrids. 

Fig - The gorgeous flower.

Many people call Delphinium "the flowers within flowers" as you might see at above photo (purples with white flowers in the center).

Just for your information, our areas have 3 well known different types of Delphinium, and their blooming seasons are following:

1) Tall flower 

- blooming time around Summer

2) Diamond blue flower

- blooming is around Fall to Spring

3) Improving flower, by cutting spike of flower

- blooming between Summer and Fall

Finally, how about Delphinium flowers in your areas?

# Previous postings:

- From Caterpillar to Monarch Butterfly – Critter 18 | Tanza

- May Drink Coffee Regularly Improve Healthy Heart? - Part 2 - Heart 8

- Jersey Giant Roosters Look Like Hens – Critter 19 | Tanza

- Why are These Types of Foods Stolen? - Part 1 – Food Variety 23 | Tanza

- Halloween Wreath Business in Neighborhood – Sign 22 | Tanza

Caroline Wren was Using the Flower Petal to Scoop Poop - Critter 99

We saw wrens, either House Wren or Caroline Wren come and nesting at our yards almost every year. 

Image - Caroline Wren to Scoop Poop.

Some posting about Wrens are following:

- The Wren's Eggs and Two Babies - Critter 84 | Tanza Erlambang

- Caroline Wren Babies in the Mailbox - Critter 75 | Tanza

We had a nest next to our front window, and one day we observed interesting of baby birds' behaviors:

- turn their backside to the nest opening.

- then pooped there (smart bird!).

Mama bird doing the parent work that is "changing diapers." She is removing poop or the fecal sac to keep the nest clean.

As we understand the bird was using the flower petal to scoop poop. Amazing.

Have you ever observed this kind of behavior?

# Previous postings:

- Have You Tasted Pistachio Muffins? - Part 1 – Food Variety 22 |

- Snails as One of Popular Seafood – Sign 21 | Tanza Erlambang

- May Yogurt Reduce Risk of Heart Diseases? - Part 1 – Heart 11 |

- From Caterpillar to Monarch Butterfly – Critter 18 | Tanza

The Mosquito Control Plane Flying over Our City

We saw Low flying plane over our city a couple day ago. We believe it was a 1976 Britten-Norman BN-2A-21.

Image - The low flying plane

The plane is mosquito control plane, now flying over to bomb insects. Actually, it is rare to see plane at daytime.

The local administrations use the plane when they have a budget for it during heavy mosquito seasons.  

I thought they just used aerial spraying from a truck. However, spraying from a plane is concerning for many people, it can access places that trucks can't go, and then can cause:

- dead to on many bugs such as lightning bugs in our back yard.

- impact on caterpillar and monarch eggs

- harmful to pets and etc.

What do you think?

# Previous postings:

- A Blonde Squirrel at Our Backyard – Critter 16 | Tanza

- Blooming of Freesia Flowers – Part 2 - Gardening and Hobby 25 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Two States of USA are Legal for Texting and Driving – Sign 20 |

- Waking up after Sleeping for 24,000 years – Part 2 | Tanza 

- Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp in Our Neighborhood – Critter 17 |

Colorful of Snapdragons - Gardening and Hobby 69

 The photo was from Spring, then we enter very hot Summer with temperature reaches around 97* F (36* C). 

Image of Snapdragon flowers

Some said the Snapdragons with scientific name Antirrhinum majus could bloom until Fall, I don't know.

The flowers have many colors, our favorite includes:

- yellow

- pink

- orange

- red 

- and white

Few people grow the Snapdragons from seeds. It could take months until flowers blooming. We never did it.

Do you know about Snapdragons?

# Previous postings:

- Waking up after Sleeping for 24,000 years – Part 1 | Tanza

- May Drink Coffee Regularly Improve Healthy Heart? - Part 1 - Heart 8 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Herbs Show at Our City Park – Sign 19 | Tanza Erlambang

- Demanding of Tofu was Increasing During Covid 19 Pandemic – Part 2 – Food Variety 21 | Tanza

- A Blonde Squirrel at Our Backyard – Critter 16 | Tanza

The Red Bellied Woodpecker - Critter 98

We believe; we have not seen any Red Bellied Woodpeckers at our yards for long time. Purely by chance, we saw one recently. 

Image - Red Bellied Woodpecker

Luckily, we could take one "good" photo, before the bird flying away. Actually, this bird should be "common" in our areas.

They may appear on the feeders. We don't know why they disappeared a while from our backyard.

The Red Bellied Woodpecker used to stop on our very old fig tree and then make a hole for a full life.

Actually, a half dead fig tree, and the other half has leaves. We are waiting to see if it produces figs.

Finally, do you have experience with the Red Bellied Woodpecker?

# Previous postings:

- Drinking Problem in the USA – Sign 18 | Tanza Erlambang

- Blooming of Freesia Flowers – Part 1 - Gardening and Hoby 25

- Peanuts in the Farmer Market – Part 2 - Food Variety 20

- A Fox on the Box of Neighborhood – Critter 15 | Tanza

- Waking up after Sleeping for 24,000 years – Part 1 | Tanza