Blog Entry Follow Ups

 It seems I learn something new every day. Actually, I guess that's a good thing.

Today's walk covered some of the same route as that of the "Strange Weather" entry of a couple days ago. As I neared the spot where I took the photo of the unidentified bush that was first in my previous blog entry, I saw there was a wetlands restoration volunteer taking cuttings off that same bush. In response to my question, he told me it was an "Indian Plum" and that he was taking cuttings to make new starts for other restoration projects. 

Here's a partial description from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Fact Sheet:

Osoberry is a frequently used common name while Oregon plum, Indian peach, and bird cherry are also synonyms. Often the first deciduous native shrub to flower in late winter, Indian plum is an important early season nectar source for hummingbirds, moths and butterflies, native bees and other pollinator species. Indian plum is popular for Pacific Northwest restoration projects due to its ease of propagation, rapid growth, and wide tolerances for various shade and moisture regimes. The fibrous roots resist erosion. Clones that root more readily can be employed in restoration projects as live stakes or as rooted cuttings. With adequate sunlight, it bears numerous late winter/early spring flowers from a young age but root sprouting may limit its landscape use to larger settings. Various small mammals plus foxes, coyotes, deer, bears, and many bird species consume the ‘plums’ and disperse the seed. For livestock, this species is considered unpalatable. Indian plum fruit is edible for humans but is often bitter, even when fully ripe. Native Americans ate the fruit fresh, dried, or cooked. The bark was used as a tuberculosis remedy and a mild laxative. Strips of bark were used to bind harpoon tips. 

Farther along I saw another rose in bloom with many buds. In the first photo, I was experimenting with the "selective focus" setting on my smartphone camera. The photo below is of the same rose with the regular settings. 

Here's a photo of the Rosemary hedge I mentioned in the previous entry. It's difficult to see in this photo but the upper part of the hedge is covered in blooms.

In the entry made on 12/21/20 I was discussing the various forms of twilight and the various speeds of the Earth's rotation, depending of location between the pole and equator. It entered my mind that, because of centrifugal force, we should weigh less at the equator than at the poles. 

The NASA website confirmed that suspicion, although the difference isn't much. If you weighed 100 pounds at the pole, at the equator you would weigh 5.5 ounces less due to centrifugal force. 

The effective acceleration of gravity at the poles is 980.665 cm/sec/sec while at the equator it is 3.39 cm/sec/sec less due to the centrifugal force. If you weighed 100 pounds at the north pole on a spring scale, at the equator you would weigh 99.65 pounds, or 5.5 ounces less. (gfsc.nasa.gov)

I also should make clear that when I said you aren't moving at the pole, that referred only to the speed of rotation of the Earth, not the various other speeds that we are part of. We are traveling around the sun at about 67,000 mph. The sun (and the rest of our solar system) is traveling 514,000 mph around our galactic center. Our Milky Way Galaxy is traveling at about 1.3 million mph. 

It's a little difficult to answer the question, "How fast am I traveling while sitting watching TV in my living room?" I'd start with the Galactic speed, but that would be accurate only when our solar system was either in the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock position in relation to the galactic direction of travel. If our sun were at the 3 o'clock position, we'd need to subtract 514,000 mph from the 1.3 million, and if the sun were in the 9 o'clock position we would need to add that same 514,000 mph.  We would need to make the same calculations regarding the Earth's speed (67,000 mph) and position around the sun. 

Then there is the unanswered question of whether, besides expanding, our universe is traveling (and how fast) in relation to possible other universes or whatever might exist external to our universe.

Sort of mind boggling, isn't it. 

Strange Weather

 So far this winter, we haven't had a killing frost here in Edmonds, at least in the lower part of the Edmonds Bowl where we live. My weather monitor reported only one night when the temperature dropped to a little under 32° F. There were several other mornings when there was frost on the ground but the temp never dropped to 32. 

Friday, and again today I took some photos while walking. Walked yesterday too but I was carrying ceiling tiles for the VFW so no time for photos. In any case, even though it's not yet the middle of winter by the calendar, thought you might like to see some winter flowers and early signs of the coming spring.

I'm not sure what kind of bushes these are but their sap is running and buds are swelling. These were beside the nature walk around the north side of the Edmonds Marsh where I frequently walk in the peaceful atmosphere, a little removed from the traffic on Edmonds Way.

Roses is someone's garden, doing quite well in the middle of winter.

The Oregon Grape flower stalks are already forming.

Fuchsias in a planter box on a north-facing deck. They are a little leggy but have been blooming since summer.

The weather has tricked this azalea into blooming early. Typically they bloom in February or March around here, but the warmer temperatures this winter have encouraged them to bloom now.

Some Alder tassels are swelling. Most Alder trees are still dormant but around the marsh I see some tassels growing.

Here's a nice white single camellia. It's a popular flower around here because it blooms almost all winter. Unfortunately our rain makes the flowers rust but when new buds open to sunny weather they are beautiful.

Vinca Minor is common in the understory in many gardens and wooded areas.

Snapdragons aren't supposed to be blooming this time of year but here are a couple braving cold nights to bring color to this garden.

This is the time for rosemary to bloom. I see lots of them and they bloom around now if planted in a garden. There is even one large hedge of rosemary on one of my walks. I grow a rosemary plant near my front door where it can get a little sun. Since it's in a container it doesn't bloom until the fall but it gives me fresh rosemary whenever I want it.

Another beautiful camellia flower.

Heather is another plant that normally blooms in the winter. This one is not unusual.

Hellebores are also common around Edmonds. In fact, I have a couple on my deck. Their flowers aren't as bountiful as these but they aren't doing bad for container plants facing north.

A shy double camellia flower showing the world its intricate design. 

I think this is Alyssum having a flowering good time. 

On the way back home today walking down a nearby alley, I couldn't resist taking a photo of this old gate. Don't know about you, but it struck a chord with me. Some rot here and there, covered with moss, slowed by foot-tangling plants, but still standing and enjoying the great outdoors and this year's strange winter weather.