Lately I’ve noticed lots of fruits, especially citrus just ripening on the tree. And was wondering how anyone could actually eat or pick them all.
Sometimes I think I wouldn’t mind asking for permission to pick some of the fruits. But I just can’t help feel like I’m intruding on someone’s life. Maybe even being seen as strange for not wanting to just buy the fruits instead. As it seem people believe only good fruits come from the supermarket.
Back in January, residents of Echo Park (in LA) were lucky enough to get free fruit trees. A great idea to have residents growing their own food and maybe sharing them too. Photo source.
California law states it’s OK to pick any fruits hanging over the fence. The people in LA even have a website dedicated to foraging for these urban fruits. Even then, I still think it would be nice to ask. It would seem too rude to just show up at someone’s front yard and start plucking their over hanging fruits.
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Life as a pen-tailed tree shrew in the tropical forest can seem like a party. The pen-tailed tree shrew is the first non-human mammal known to display alcoholic behavior. As these cute little creature feed on fermented bertam palm nectar without ever getting “drunk”.
The bertam palm plant flowers nearly year-around in the rain forest, so they make perfect food source. The tree shrew spend about two hours per night drinking up the nectar. A nectar with 3.8% alcohol content, much like beer.
Pen-tailed tree shrew are native to the tropical rain forest of Southeast Asia. They look a bit like squirrels and are about the same size.
This little tree shrew looks more like a bat or mouse with an unusual tail. The tail looks more like wheat then than a pen… maybe an old fashioned pen. Those tiny fingers and toes are really good at gripping the branch too. Photo from National Geographic.
Frank Wiens, a biologist at the University of Bayreuth (Germany) checked to see the animals’ alcohol consumption by testing hair samples for ethyl glucuronide.
Wiens found that the tree shrews consume alcohol at rates that would be dangerous to most mammals. It seem their body is able to metabolize the alcohol differently then humans and do no get drunk from these nightly nectar.
Wiens also adds that the palm flower also benefits from the tree shrew too. And if alcohol production appears critical to the palms’ reproduction because it entices tree shrews to pollinate their flowers. So Wiens wonder, “If alcohol is crucial for an ecological relationship [like the pollinator relationship], then it should also exert some sort of beneficial effect to the animals and we can only speculate on those effects.”
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Last weekend, I decided to pick up Costco’s Kirkland brand of green tea.  It was surprisingly very good green tea. The tasted reminded me of the green tea served at authentic Japanese sushi restaurants.
It turns out the teas are Japanese grown green tea and packed by Ito En. According to Ito En, out of Japan’s 47 prefectures (provinces), there are only three major tea producing regions. For a small island nation where space is a premium, growing tea must be something they cherish.
It is definitely good green tea. Even when steeped for a long time, the green tea never gets bitter. It reminded of the green tea I got from Two Leaves and a Bud, but so much cheaper. Being that it was 100 bags for around $12. They are also available at for slightly more.
The tea is packed in flat nylon mesh bags. At first thought, maybe this contributed to the taste of better tasting tea. As the material is suppose to encourage a better infusion. Many “gourmet” packaged tea have been using these nylon tea bags for the past decade.
The downside to the nylon bags is that it’s not biodegradable. And at the rate of 100 bags per customer, that’s a lot of nylon bags being thrown in the landfills.
I also don’t feel so safe (health wise) about exposing the nylon bags to the high temperature of my water.
Due to these reason, I can’t get myself to purchase the teas again. I would suggest they change to tea bags made from natural fiber. Even the cornstarch based mesh tea bags are biodegradable, but they are still made with GMO- based material.
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Interesting ideas come out of Japan. The latest trends over the years is the Cat Cafe. I wonder if such a cafe business would work in the U.S., but probably not as successful as in Japan.
I have heard of dogs for rent, where people can rent dogs for the hour and just take them out for the day.
At Cafe Nekorobi all the cats have their own photograph albums for visitors to look through. Image source.
Norimasa Hanada, owner of Neko no mise (Shop of Cats) was among the first to open up a cat cafe. Handa explained, cat cafe are popular with young urbanites who live in rental apartments that prohibit pets. While most family condominium allow pets, it’s really the young single people who could use some comfort and companionship of a pet.
Here is Megumi, 33, an office worker. She noticed that each cat cafe has it’s own vibe. This one at Neko no mise, has more friendly cats that are less stressed out. Image source.
The fees are charged by the hour, from $7 - $10. In order to survive in the cat cafe business, they need a high turnover rate of visitors. Despite the recession, the folks here don’t mind spending the money to hang out with these furry creatures. Maybe it is due to work or other stressful events, that cat cafes are so popular. Consider it “pet therapy”.
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It may still be snowing and chilly in other parts of the states, but here in Northern California it’s starting to feel very much like spring.
These were taken earlier today. It’s only middle of February. There were so many blossoms after all the rain we had recently.
Notice the Oleander bush with pointy green leaves, they are also growing new leaves. Oleander leaves and sap is poisonous if eaten by pets. Fortunately the cats stay away from them. And it’s best to avoid touching the sap too. But they do have pretty flowers that bloom from summer to autumn.
I like how the blossoms bunch up. Also looks like the juniper are creeping up, they need some spring pruning.
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I have a cabinet full of supplements, from fish oils to CoQ10. In the past, I was never big on taking supplements or pills of any kind. But it wasn’t until I found out how effective the supplements were for my health, that I took them more regularly.
My favorite is CoQ10 as it’s not only good for your gums, it’s also good for your skin. Another great supplement is fish oils. They provide Omega 3 fatty acids are great for health and beauty (skin).
The best place to get both CoQ10 and fish oils is at Costco. The fish oils are a great deal at $10 for 400 softgels of 1,000 mg.
Other supplements I take daily is Jarrows Bone-Up. It’s a multivitamin which has calcium, vitamin C and D3 as well as other good stuff for young women.
Senator John McCain has introduced the “Dietary Supplement Safety Act”. If passed, it will drive up the cost of dietary supplements and restrict your access to them.
We need to make sure supplements are within all of our reach. This act even has a misleading title to it too. I have emailed my representative about opposing this bill. Please take action by clicking here.
Just enter your zip code to contact your local representative. It’s simple and easy to do. Exercise your right to representation!
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I’ve made wine soap, now it’s time for beer soap. Beer contains many nutrients such as wheat and hops. People have washed their hair with beer and find it leaves it well conditioned. But I personally think washing with this soap bar would be much easier.
In case you are wondering, it does not smell like beer after it’s cured (over 3 weeks). It looks almost like a bar of chocolate, but I would advise you to not eat it.
The addition of spices such as cinnamon and cloves is great for the skin. It’s naturally antimicrobial, detoxifying, stimulating and has antioxidants too. Because the soap is made naturally using the cold process method all the nutrients are retained.
If you suffer from skin rashes or just want healthier skin made with natural ingredients, try handcrafted soap!
Ingredients: Olive oil, Coconut oil, Palm Oil, Soybean oil, Castor oil, Sapporo Beer, Grounded cloves, ginger and cinnamon, Vanilla fragrance.
All the vegetable oils combined with the beer becomes a skin conditioning bar. I made sure to add lots of lovely spice and Vanilla fragrance oil to blend in with the beer soap. It’s a perfect soap bar for both men and women! It’s also a very warming soap, especially for the winter time.
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“Mercedes has a really big heart and lots of love to give.” Card designed by Rachael Hale of New Zealand.
And if puppies don’t warm your heart, here is the lovely city of San Francisco.
Famous for it’s cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge, steep hills and more. It’s a great place to see anytime of the year.
A recent study by the The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry noted six scents that helps soothe away stress.
The scents include lavender, lemon, orange, grape, mango, and basil. Each of these fruits and herbs contain linalool, which is a chemical that appeared to offset the effects of stress. Linalool provides a calming effect on the limbic center of the brain, which is involved in processing emotions.
I’m surprise peppermint didn’t make it on the list. Peppermint is great at relieving headaches and also very uplifting. I always feel more relaxed and calm after being around peppermint.
The scent of any fruit makes me happy. Especially guava, but mangoes come out second. There is actually a tree that grows in my mom’s yard with leaves that smell very much like green mango. The young leaves are edible and taste just like tangy green mango! I don’t know the name of it, but will have to take a picture of it when spring arrives.
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Today is opening day of the Winter Olympics 2010 held in Vancouver, B.C. California’s governor Schwarzenegger kicked in the 106th and final day of the 28,00 mile torch relay by ending at BC Place Stadium.
And I happen to have a postcard of the stadium (from my last trip to Vancouver!). “BC Place and Vancouver skyline at night.” Printed by the Postcard Company.
I’m glad the city got to host the winter Olympics. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s a very scenic city that’s great for people who like the outdoors, from nearby surroundings of the bay to the mountains. And the people there are always so friendly. I hope to visit Vancouver again sometime soon.
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