Pumpkin Seed Dormancy

This year, next a cool, wet boundary together with a hot, dry out summer, a pumpkin constitute appeared on our Littleton, Colorado, farm.  Not a surprising event, i powerfulness think, simply nosotros accept non planted pumpkins hither for at to the lowest degree 23 years!

The lonely constitute is growing inwards an expanse where nosotros i time had a pumpkin field together with is clearly the production of a long dormant seed.  While close pumpkin seeds germinate easily, given proper conditions, this i remained dormant for either exogenous or endogenous reasons; the erstwhile refers to inadequate moisture, oestrus or nutrients (or an unusually dense seed coat that did non allow essential ingredients to arrive at the seed embryo) spell the latter indicates abnormalities or inhibitors inside the embryo itself.   This year, proper weather condition together with a receptive seed led to germination.

Seed dormancy is mutual inwards the constitute world, preventing germination when environmental weather condition create non favor survival or when over-crowding would upshot if all seeds germinated.  Dormant seeds that are hundreds or fifty-fifty thousands of years old accept been discovered inwards nature simply our 23+ year-old pumpkin constitute is impressive plenty for me!

Sailing Amongst Magellan

Attending a used majority sale concluding week, my married adult woman bought Over the Edge of the World, past times Laurence Bergreen, which documents "Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe."  She idea I powerfulness bask the majority and, every bit usual, she was right.  Ironically, Magellan, his 260 homo crew in addition to their 5 ships ready off from Seville, Spain, 500 years agone this month!

Portuguese past times birth, Magellan came of historic menses during the Golden Age of Portuguese navigation, when Vasco de Gama in addition to other mariners established merchandise routes to the Spice Islands (Indonesia) past times sailing along the southern coasts of Africa in addition to Asia.  Convinced that he could achieve that same goal past times heading due west (but denied funding past times Portugal), Magellan turned to the King of Espana to sponsor his voyage, promising to provide inside 2 years amongst untold riches from the Spice Islands.

Three years later, a handful of the master crew members in addition to alone i send (the Victoria) limped dorsum to the Castilian Coast, devoid of riches only having proved, for the outset time, that our habitation planet is indeed a globe.  Highlights of Magellan's expedition (all from Bergreen's account), volition endure offered inwards coming posts.  Having read the outset few chapters to date, I highly recommend the book.

Searching For The Strait

Twenty-five years earlier Magellan's voyage, much of Eurasia too Africa had been mapped exactly exploration of the seas too their unknown lands awaited.  Since Portuguese too Castilian mariners dominated that exploration, Pope Alexander VI arbitrarily drew a describe from pole to pole that cutting through eastern Brazil (then even so discovered), declaring that Portugal could claim lands eastward of that describe too Espana had rights to lands to its west.  Of course, Columbus had claimed Caribbean Area islands for Espana on his voyages inwards the belatedly 15th Century too Portuguese mariners would honor the Brazilian Coast before long thereafter (in 1500 AD).

When Magellan's armada stopped inwards the Canary Islands to direct maintain on to a greater extent than supplies, he learned that the King of Portugal had sent a fleet to arrest him too disrupt his search for a western road to the Spice Islands (Indonesia).  Magellan hence left early on too avoided the established road to Brazil, sailing far downwards the African Coast earlier crossing the Atlantic; though he outwitted his Portuguese pursuers, the voyage was much longer than expected, fueling discontent alongside his crew.

Finally reaching Rio de Janeiro inwards belatedly Dec (4 months later on leaving Seville), Magellan's fleet worked their agency downwards the South American Coast, dealing with storms, unsafe shoals too both friendly too hostile native tribes.  An Easter Mutiny was aborted exactly 1 ship, the Santiago, was lost inwards a tempest (though well-nigh of the crew survived).  Large bays along the Argentinian Coast were explored too sounded, hoping that they powerfulness live the Strait to the Spice Islands, exactly no such strait was found.  After waiting out the Southern wintertime inwards Port St. Julian Bay, the remaining 4 ships reached the eastern entrance to the Strait of Magellan on Oct 21, 1520, fourteen months later on leaving Seville.

Note:  Most of this data was taken from Over the Edge of the World, past times Laurence Bergreen, a detailed even so highly readable describe of piece of job concern human relationship of Magellan's voyage.  See previous post.

Crossing The Dandy Ocean

It took Magellan's crew a total calendar month to negotiate the direct that would come upwardly to comport his name.  Strong currents, fog, a tortuous course, unsafe rocky outcrops too shifting gales slowed progress too a mutiny on the San Antonio, the chief render ship, cutting the fleet to iii boats past times the fourth dimension they entered the Pacific inward tardily November, 1520.

Having no concept of the corking distance that yet prevarication ahead, Magellan sailed northward, paralleling the coast of South America equally far equally present-day Santiago, Chile.  Then fishing to the WNW, his ships caught the merchandise winds too enjoyed pleasant atmospheric condition for the adjacent iii months.  Unfortunately, since maps of the Pacific had non yet been created past times Europeans, the fleet could non "island hop" to restore supplies; malnutrition too scurvy took a pregnant terms on the crew earlier they finally reached Guam inward early on March, 1521.  There they encountered friendly natives whom they managed to mistreat too kill despite receiving life-saving nutrient too water.

By mid March, the fleet reached the Philippines, having crossed the Pacific Ocean inward iii too a one-half months.  Today, nosotros know that their finish of reaching the Spice Islands (Indonesia) was unopen to realized but, inward 1521, alongside no maps of Southeast Asia available, Magellan too his crew were equally lost equally they were at the Strait.

Note:  As mentioned inward the lastly 2 posts, these brief summaries are taken from Over the Edge of the World, past times Laurence Bergreen.  Interested readers are encouraged to obtain that highly-detailed simply easily read concern human relationship of Magellan's Journey.

See also: Polynesian Migration  for perspective on pre-European colonization of the Western Pacific.

Magellan's Mixed Legacy

Ferdinand Magellan was sure enough a courageous private in addition to an special navigator, having crossed the Atlantic, maneuvered through a dangerous, unmapped strait in addition to rallied his crew equally they spent months on an unknown body of body of water (the Pacific), dying off from malnutrition in addition to scurvy.  Then again, he took on slaves, ordered the slaughter of many native villagers in addition to left 2 mutineers on a small, uninhabited island.

And but equally his destination was close to live realized, having received a warm welcome from natives inwards the Philippines, he attacks a manly someone monarch in addition to his tribe who refused to convert to Catholicism; Magellan was killed inwards that battle in addition to his remains were never recovered.  In to a greater extent than stark terms, Magellan survived 19 months at sea, oft nether trying weather condition in addition to inwards uncharted waters, to perish on a beach inwards the Philippines during a battle of his ain making.

Of course, Magellan's journeying began non long later the Castilian Inquisition, when religious fervor was at a peak.  But hither was a homo who undertook a treacherous circumnavigation of our planet based on the leading scientific assessments of his twenty-four hr menstruum exclusively to succumb to religious mysticism.  On both counts he taught humanity a peachy deal.

See the previous iii posts for details, all taken from Over the Edge of the World, yesteryear Laurence Bergreen 

Dorian Gains Strength

Hurricane Dorian, churning toward the Northern Commonwealth of the Bahamas together with the Atlantic Coast of Florida, has strengthened to a Category four tempest this evening, amongst maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.  Though withal far from the Florida Peninsula, at that spot are no atmospheric or oceanic features that advise weakening of the hurricane volition occur.

Indeed, a depression pressure level zone to its southwest has backed away, reducing the run a endangerment of meaning current of air shear together with the tempest volition shortly instruct into warmer waters equally it reaches the Commonwealth of the Bahamas together with the Gulf Stream.  The solely remaining enquiry is whether the high pressure level ridge to its northward volition shift eastward, allowing the hurricane to bend northward earlier it makes landfall inwards Florida.  Even so, a powerful tempest moving parallel to the coast volition probable create devastating tempest surge, beach erosion together with inland flooding.

Mandatory evacuations convey already been ordered for low-lying areas of Brevard County, Florida, together with many similar proclamations are expected inwards the days ahead.  Once again, climate modify may live on playing a business office inwards both the hurricane's intensity together with its coastal effects, equally body of body of water temperatures increase together with sea levels rise.  Followup posts are anticipated over the coming week.

Flashback Postal Service Xv

As the forecasts of Hurricane Dorian's path popular off along to wobble, I am reminded of a postal service from February, 2010.  My sympathies prevarication amongst the beleaguered meteorologists.

See: Physicians & Meteorologists

Eagle Bluffs Later The Flood

For the starting fourth dimension time since mid spring, I visited Eagle Bluffs Conservation expanse in addition to was able to access the entire refuge.  The extensive flooding that had long persisted across the Missouri River floodplain has lastly receded.

Dense fog enveloped the refuge when I starting fourth dimension arrived simply the belatedly August Sun chop-chop broke through the haze, revealing a rich light-green landscape, adorned amongst numerous stands of rose mallow.  Despite the inviting scenery, birdlife was relatively sparse, dominated yesteryear large flocks of turkey vultures in addition to virtually 50 great-blue herons.  While a few red-tailed hawks patrolled the floodplain, bald eagles were non observed and, to my dismay, shorebirds were express to killdeer in addition to lesser yellowlegs.

While it was far from the best birding excursion of the year, it was rewarding to re-explore the entire refuge, most of which was submerged for the yesteryear 2 months.  The resilience of found in addition to creature life was inspiring to detect in addition to the flood's express effects on Eagle-Bluffs roadways in addition to levees was remarkable.  Though my catch to Missouri volition live relatively brief, I promise to furnish to this fabulous refuge inwards the fall, when hordes of migrant waterfowl descend on the floodplain.

Flashback Postal Service Xvi

In recent days, the Bahama Islands bring been inwards the intelligence every 2d they bring endured the wrath of Hurricane Dorian.  A review of their natural history thence seems appropriate, the champaign of written report of a post service dorsum inwards September, 2009.

See: Natural History of the Bahamas

Ospreys Inwards Missouri

Once mutual along all major rivers together with large lakes inward Missouri, ospreys were extirpated from the State during the widespread purpose of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane inward the early-mid 20th Century.  Once that pesticide was banned, they bring made a gradual comeback exactly remained primarily seasonal migrants until a reintroduction conception began inward the mid 1990s; fifty-fifty today, these "fish hawks" are best observed every bit they migrate through the Mississippi together with Missouri River Valleys, on their agency to together with from breeding grounds to our north.

Nevertheless, on this mild, late-summer morning, my married adult woman together with I encountered a lonely osprey at Perry Phillips Lake, inward due south Columbia.  Perched on a tall post service due south of the lake, he/she was easily identified past times its large size, white caput together with distinctive dark eye-stripe.  Since the reintroduction programme has concentrated on large reservoirs across Missouri, I suspect this aeroplane was a production of that endeavour together with is wandering most the percentage earlier heading due south inward October.

Highly adaptable, ospreys inhabit all Continents except Antarctica, favoring coastlines, large rivers together with lakes.  In North America, the bulk breed along both Coasts, inward Florida together with throughout the Great Lakes percentage exactly many nest across Alaska, Canada, the Northern U.S, the Mississippi Valley together with the Rocky Mountain corridor.  Come autumn, most caput for Florida, the Gulf Coast, Southern California, Central America or South America.  Hopefully, these violet raptors volition larn increasingly mutual breeding residents hither inward Missouri.