Sheepscot Pond will benefit from alewives

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Frank Richards
President Webber Pond Assn.

I read, with interest, the Community Commentary column about LD 922 in last week’s issue of The Town Line (October 5). This is legislation to open the fish way on Sheepscot Lake and allow sea-run alewives to return.

That column makes a reference to Webber Pond . . . “but, overabundance of alewives (as has been experienced recently in Webber Pond) can degrade water quality and cause other complications.”

I am the president of the Webber Pond Association. That commentary goes way beyond both the discussion at our annual meeting this August and the article in The Town Line about that meeting by Roland Hallee, published in September.

There has never been a recorded case of overabundance in a spawning run causing problems. Alewives have overpopulated in the Great Lakes. However, that is comparable to living in the ocean, not a spawning run from the ocean to an inland lake.

Webber has had alewives since 1997. The run has slowly grown over an approximately 20-year period. In 2014 the run plateaued at 350,000 spawning adults and seems to have stabilized at that number, way more than we ever expected.

The Webber Pond Asso­cia­tion is trying to learn about an academic model, which estimates inputs of nutrients from spawning adults and outputs of nutrients from out migrating juveniles. Evidently, it may be possible to estimate an optimum sized run for Webber, where the most nutrients would be exported.

It’s fair to say that the Webber Pond Association has questions about the size of the run. At least one person has undocumented suspicions that it has become so big that it may be degrading water quality. However, rumors about overabundance of alewives actually causing problems on Webber Pond are erroneous.

It is important for people interested in LD 922 to understand that Webber’s experiences with alewives have been positive and alewives are popular among its residents. The lake has cleared substantially following their return.

When alewife restoration began in the mid-1990s, we too heard about the studies, mostly from the Midwest, which warned of negative effects. However, nearly 30 years later none of those problems ever materialized.

The good experiences on Webber have been replicated locally on Three Mile Pond and Togus Pond. Further north, Sebasticook Lake, Pushaw Lake, Chemo Pond, and Davis Pond have also had the same good experiences.

Last year, I was invited by a representative from the Natural Resources Council to testify in favor of LD 922 at the initial hearing. The committee seemed to already know about the positive effects of alewives on several inland lakes. As one might expect, it also seemed well aware of the economic development benefits of alewives to the lobster industry as bait and to the ocean fishery as forage.

The committee has probably been advised that the fish ladder passed alewives for many years without creating problems for the rearing station. They seemed openly skeptical about both lampreys and rearing station issues.

Several people with scientific credentials testified in favor of LD 922. No one with credentials testified in opposition. If it had been a fight, they would have stopped it.

A legislative committee will listen respectfully to any citizen. However, on something like this, at some point there needs to be confirmation by a scientist, before the committee will give those views much weight.

The Sheepscot Lake Association has been engaging in a political campaign to defeat LD 922. They are acting in good faith, out of concern for the lake’s welfare.

I wish they had reached out more to get a broad range of ideas and professional advice. I will assert that they have arrived on the wrong side of history and are actually opposing something that has worked well on other lakes and that credentialed scientists believe would benefit Sheepscot.

Alewives are the means by which nutrients are exchanged between the ocean and inland lakes. There is more involved than simple clearing of lakes, such as Webber, with phosphorus imbalances.

I predict that LD 922 will be reported out of committee as “Ought to Pass,” possibly by unanimous vote. I predict that a few years down the road, after gaining experience with alewives, Sheepscot’s residents will be as happy as the residents of any other lake that has them.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of October 12, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Yes, the very first thing WALLS want to say is a message of thanks to the faithful readers of this column! Yes, a huge thanks to all of you who call me Walls, or who ask about having so much to say about so much every week. Well, surely you recognize me from the picture that appears at the top of this column. Yes, folks, when I visited the eye-doctor, I said I had to have a wild glasses frame so that people would recognize me. In fact, while I was waiting for the lenses, I never got a ‘hi’ or a wave, but I do again now! So WALLS say ‘thanks’ again!

Frankly, I used to work for Dr. Poulin, the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, in Waterville. Yup, his office was over LaVerdiere’s Drug. Why am I telling you this faithful readers? Well, surely, you who have frequented Waterville of late know that the city that was a shopper’s delight has changed BIG. Yup, Waterville downtown is now Colby College’s annex. Lordy, Lordy, how Watervile’s downtown is changing and almost by the minute. Yes, faithful readers, if you are old enough, you remember when Colby College’s Campus was on Waterville’s College Avenue. As a matter of fact, Joe Denis lived on Abbott Street and his class of ’52 was the first to graduate from the new campus called Mayflower Hill. Now Colby is back, in part, on Waterville’s Main Street.

Well, WALLS, you saw the photo of my trying on my wedding gown with the help of an employee at Alvina & Delia’s Dress Shop, on Waterville’s Main Street and you know that Alvina & Delia’s no longer exists, just as Dr. Poulin’s Office above LaVerdiere’s Drug. Ah, how times change our yesterday’s memories. Remember Levine’s Clothing Store for men? Yes, it has gone, too, and will soon be a boutique hotel!

Yes, WALLS, you have concentrated on Waterville, but city and town has changed or is changing, as we so well remember. Just for kicks, you have been writing about Skowhegan’s Water Street and the town that used to be a tourist’s mecca has changed much since the youth of many. We’ve lost Woolworth’s, Grant’s, McClellan’s, The Bonnet Shop, Cora Cayouette’s and Laney’s Men’s Store plus Rexall Drug, Haines’ Drug and LaVerdiere’s Drug (yes, Skowhegan, too) and even the liquor store is now in a grocery store!

Yes, times do change and young people will soon be part of the Skowhegan downtown scene, when the Charter School moves to what used to be Holland’s Variery.

We are told that folks in Maine are old, but youth has taken control of Central Maine, for sure.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of October 12, 2017

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Legos Time will be Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m.- noon, at Stewart Public Library, 37 Elm St., North Anson. Regular library hours will be 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. that same day.

The Embden Community Center will be serving chicken cordon bleu at there monthly public supper on Saturday, October 14, at 5 p.m.

On October 21, Steve & The Good Ole Boys band will be playing at the Embden Community Center from 7 – 11 p.m.

There were at least 125 motorcycle riders at the Solon Hotel on a perfect, beautiful fall day recently who were all going for a ride in this event. This is the 23rd year that it has taken place starting at the Solon Hotel. A spaghetti supper would be served to those who were hungry after their ride. Eleanor Maclean was making her famous recipe of spaghetti, which she has done for many years, and is now still doing it at 88!

Somerset Woods Trustees and Brian Alexander are still at it! Two more work days have been scheduled to complete Phase 1 of the new Coburn Woods Trails before their grand opening, scheduled for October 29. (Put that date on your calendar too!)

On the e-mail that I received it tells of two working days, Oct. 7 and Oct. 15. for those Eager for Exercise Before the Snow Falls? No tools are necessary as Brian has plenty but if you have a favorite trail cutting tool please do bring it. Starting time is 8:30 a.m., work until 1 p.m., or as long as you have to work.

We appreciate your help to build these trails! Once all phases are completed they will have around six miles of trails for all users, including mountain bikes.

I know how much many of you love Percy’s memoirs and before that, his wise words of wisdom! And so in memory of Percy who died two years ago, I am going to share especially those of you who are ‘Cat Lovers’ with some information on cats. Some of this information comes from a little three-inch square book that I bought at a yard sale, and in the introduction it states, “No wonder the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods – is there an animal with more dignity, more aloof serenity, and innate grandeur? What other domestic creature behaves like an honored guest and is treated as an equal?”

Cats fix us with their gaze and put us in our place. They beguile us with their startling affection and charm us with the beauty of their fluid bodies. They amaze us with their composure and delight us with their agility.

Cats do as they please, and for that we admire – and even revere them. They treat us as companions, demanding and receiving our respect as their due. The fact that they choose to spend their lives with us is a gift we accept gratefully.

Now for a few of the quotes in this little delightful book in memory of Percy! “His friendship is not easily won but it is something worth having” – words by Michael Joseph, English publisher; and by Lilian Jackson Braun, American writer – “To understand a cat, you must realize that he has his own gifts, his own viewpoint, even his own morality.”

One by Mark Twain says, “One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.” And by Jim Dais, American cartoonist – “Way down deep we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.” I like this one from Abraham Lincoln – “No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.”

And so I will close with this one which was anonymous – “No self-respecting cat wants to be an artist’s model.” (I didn’t find that to be true, Percy let me paint him several times!)

GARDEN WORKS: Stampede of fun – Stomping grape juice the old-fashioned way

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Emily CatesGARDEN WORKS

by Emily Cates

My eyes dart back and forth between another tub of apples waiting to be made into sauce and a shimmering colander of freshly-picked grapes. “What shall I do?” I wonder as I try hard to figure out what to do with my precious few moments of spare time. As I picture in my mind the other day when my neighbors and I got together for a grape-stomping party and how much fun it was for the kids to stomp around on the grapes to make juice, the grapes won out and the rest of my day’s activities were set.

Making grape juice is refreshingly simple and an exciting departure from the occasional drudgery that can accompany preserving jar after jar of produce in the autumn-time kitchen. From there, the juice can be enjoyed right away, left a couple days to develop effervescence, or aged further into wine or vinegar. (I’ll leave it to you to determine how you wish to proceed.) For now, though, let’s look at the joyous occasion of extracting the juice the way it has been done for ages. From the vine to the press, we’ll see how to handle grapes in a way that will produce some of the yummiest juice in all the land.

The first thing we could do, if we’re up for it, is to invite friends for a stomping party. If pressed for time, we could have the grapes already harvested; if there is time, let’s invite friends to help us harvest and hand them an extra pair of pruners. It can be a lot of fun that way, especially for kids who can see where the scrumptious juice comes from and who have a part in its production. (Of course, juice-making can be a relaxing solo endeavor as well, though I really enjoy watching the expressions people make when they smoosh grapes between their toes!)

How the fruits are harvested makes a huge contribution to the quality of the juice. I personally use whatever variety is ripe, sometimes blending different varieties to taste. Since I never bother to spray my grapes with pesticides or anything, I occasionally do find “organic” things on them we would not want to eat.

Spiders, especially, seem to enjoy spinning webs on or near grapes. Yellow jackets and ants will clue me in on to deliciously ripe fruits by their presence. And where individual grapes grow touching each other, there is a greater chance of something taking up residence in this area. With all this in mind, while harvesting, before the clusters are placed into the basket, make sure to carefully inspect each individual grape and toss any that are substandard.

Unripe, overripe, diseased and insect-ridden fruits should be discarded – preferably into a container, and tossed away from the vines for the chickens or compost pile. If the grapes are thoroughly picked over and rinsed clean, they should be in beautiful shape when ready to press.

At pressing time, place cleaned grapes into a sturdy colander set into a stock pot or something similar that is not iron, aluminum, or Teflon-coated cookware – always keeping in mind this could make a mess! Whoever stomps on the grapes must have impeccably clean feet. (While we’re at it, let’s sing/dance/ make up songs about juice-pressing!) The juice is then strained through a sieve and poured into clean glass containers of choice. Make sure everyone has a taste! Ahhh….delectable! Now you have participated in an activity that has delighted mankind from the ages of long ago.

TECH TALK: A.I. on the Road: Who’s Driving?

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ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

In an automobile accident – in the moments before your car impacts an obstacle, in the seconds before glass shatters and steel crumples — we usually don’t have time to think, and are often haunted by self-recriminations in the days and weeks afterward. Why didn’t I turn? Why didn’t I hit the brakes sooner? Why’d I bother even getting out of bed this morning?

Driverless cars aim to solve this problem by replacing the human brain with a silicon chip. Computers think faster than we do and they are never flustered — unless that spinning beach ball is a digital sign of embarrassment? — but the move to put control of an automobile in the hands of a computer brings with it a new set of moral dilemmas.

Unlike your personal computer, a driverless car is a thinking machine. It must be capable of making moment-to-moment decisions that could have real life-or-death consequences.

Consider a simple moral quandary. Here’s the setup: It’s summer and you are driving down Lakeview Drive, headed toward the south end of China Lake. You pass China Elementary School. School is out of session so you don’t slow down, but you’ve forgotten about the Friend’s Camp, just beyond the curve, where there are often groups of children crossing the road, on their way to the lake on the other side. You round the curve and there they are, a whole gang of them, dressed in swim suits and clutching beach towels. You hit the brakes and are shocked when they don’t respond. You now have seven-tenths of a second to decide: do you drive straight ahead and strike the crossing kids or avoid them and dump your car in the ditch?

Not a difficult decision, you might think. Most of us would prefer a filthy fender to a bloody bumper. But what if instead of a ditch, it was a tree, and the collision killed everyone in the car? Do you still swerve to avoid the kids in the crosswalk and embrace an evergreen instead? What if your own children were in the car with you? Would you make the same decision?

If this little thought exercise made you queasy, that’s okay. Imagine how the programmers building the artificial intelligence (A.I.) that dictates the behavior of driverless cars must feel.

There may be a million to one chance of this happening to you, but with 253 million cars on the road, it will happen to someone. And in the near future, that someone might be a driverless car. Will the car’s A.I. remember where kids often cross? How will it choose one life over another in a zero-sum game?

When we are thrust into these life-or-death situations, we often don’t have time to think and react mostly by instinct. A driverless car has no instinct, but can process millions of decisions a second. It faces the contradictory expectations of being both predictable and capable of reacting to the unexpected.

That is why driverless cars were not possible before recent advances in artificial intelligence and computing power. Rather than traditionally linear, conditional-programming techniques of the past (eg: If This Then That), driverless cars employ a new field of computer science called “machine learning,” which utilizes more human-like functions, such as pattern-recognition, and can update its own code based on past results in order to attain better accuracy in the future. Basically, the developers give the A.I. a series of tests, and based on its success or failure in those tests, the A.I. updates its algorithms to improve its success rate.

That is what is happening right now in San Francisco, Boston, and soon New York. Las Vegas is testing a driverless bus system. These are opportunities for the driverless A.I. to encounter real-life situations and learn from those encounters before the technology is rolled out to the average consumer.

The only way we learn is from our mistakes. That is true of driverless cars, too, and they have made a few. There have been hardware and software failures and unforeseen errors. In February 2016, a Google driverless car experienced its first crash, turning into the path of a passing bus. In June 2016, a man in a self-driving Tesla was killed when the car tried to drive at full speed under a white tractor trailer crossing in front of it. The white trailer against the smoky backdrop of a cloudy sky fooled the car. The occupant was watching Harry Potter on the car’s television screen and never saw it coming.

Mistakes are ubiquitous in our lives; “human error” has become cliché. But will we be as forgiving of such mistakes when they are made by a machine? Life is an endless series of unfortunate coincidences, and no one can perfectly predict every situation. But, lest I sound like Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man, quoting plane crash statistics, let me say I am certain studies will eventually show autonomous vehicles reduce overall accident rates.

Also to be considered are the legal aspects. If a driverless car strikes a pedestrian, who is responsible? The owner of the driverless car? The car manufacturer? The developer of the artificial intelligence governing the car’s behavior? The people responsible for testing it?

We are in the century of A.I., and its first big win will be the self-driving car. The coming decade will be an interesting one to watch.

Get ready to have a new relationship with your automobile.

Eric can be emailed at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

Five Myths And Facts About Cholesterol

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For Your Health

(NAPSI)—High cholesterol is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke and is estimated to cause nearly 2.6 million deaths annually. Yet, a survey from the American Heart Association shows that nearly two-thirds of people who have high cholesterol don’t think they’re at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.

“My Cholesterol Guide” is a new, online tool that provides information, practical tips and downloadable resources to help the more than 94.6 million Americans living with high cholesterol. The guide is the latest offering from the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke.

What it is.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance found in all cells of the body. Elevated levels of blood cholesterol can create blockages in the arteries and is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

“People with high cholesterol usually don’t have symptoms, so unless you get tested, you may not realize you need treatment,” said Ann Marie Navar, M.D., Ph.D., a volunteer member of the Association’s Cholesterol Advisory Committee and an Assistant Professor of Cardiology at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C. “Even though we have a lot of evidence about the benefits and safety of cholesterol-lowering treatment, the challenge is that cholesterol remains underdiagnosed and subsequently undertreated.”

What to do.

The best way to manage high cholesterol is a multipronged approach, including diet, exercise and medication if cholesterol levels remain elevated, she said.

The challenge is that many people don’t recognize their risk due to some of the following misconceptions about cholesterol.

Myths and Facts

Myth 1 – High cholesterol isn’t a concern for children.

High cholesterol can be hereditary. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder that can cause early heart disease. If someone is diagnosed with extremely high cholesterol or familial hypercholesterolemia, it’s important that all family members get tested, including young adults and children, so that treatment isn’t delayed, Navar said.

Myth 2 – You don’t need a cholesterol check until you’re middle-aged.

Getting your cholesterol checked starting at age 20 and talking with your health provider to ensure you understand what it means is crucial because getting treated early can play an important role in reducing the risk of heart disease.

“For every decade your cholesterol is high in your 30s and 40s, you increase your risk for heart disease by more than 30 percent,” Navar said.

Myth 3 – Thin people don’t have high cholesterol.

Overweight people are more likely to have high cholesterol, but even people who maintain a healthy weight and regular exercise can have high cholesterol.

“Since genetics does play such an important role, some people may be doing everything right and still have high cholesterol,” she said.

Myth 4 – If the nutrition label shows no cholesterol, a food is “heart healthy.”

Nutrition labels can be helpful, but you should read beyond the amount of cholesterol a food contains.

“It’s important to look for saturated fats, trans fats and added sugars because these all affect our heart health and cholesterol levels,” Navar said.

Myth 5 – Only people with “high” cholesterol need medicine to lower their cholesterol.

“Even people whose cholesterol falls within what we would call ‘normal’ range can benefit from having cholesterol-lowering medication if they have other risks for heart disease or stroke,” Navar said. “Beyond just your cholesterol numbers, knowing your overall risk of heart disease can help determine if you need to be on treatment.”

Where to learn more

The American Heart Association’s Check.Change.Control.Cholesterol initiative, supported by Sanofi and Regeneron, has information and resources for identifying and managing your cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors. Visit www.heart.org/cholesterol for further facts, and www.heart.org/MyCholesterolGuide to download the free guide.

Talkin’ Trash with Irene Belanger, Week of October 5, 2017

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by Irene Belanger
Trnasfer Station coordinator

Thank you Bob Bennett for your letter to The Town Line last Thursday. Keeping the roadsides in China, Maine clean from trash is ultra important. Once again I’d like to remind everyone that it’s State Law to keep trash loads SECURED when traveling to the transfer station. Thank you to Katie McCormick for roadside work she does in the South China area.

Autumn is a good time to clean up any trash that has landed in each of our front roadsides as we prepare for winter. Thanks to you all!

Reminders:

Saturday, October 21, 8:30 a.m. – noon, is your chance to get rid of hazardous waste items and old TVs by taking a load to Winslow. You’ll need to go to the China Transfer Station to get an application and information. Your tax dollars at work.

Saturday, October 28, we’ll have a grand opening for our Free For Taking building. Items are there for anyone who can use them. Also it’s Kennebec Sheriff’s Office Drug Drop Off Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the recycle building.

And the Paper Shredder will be at the town garage on Alder Park Road from 8 a.m. to noon. Your tax dollars at work.

We could use some more volunteers that day.

To find out more please call Irene at 445-2349 or the transfer station at 445-3033. Thank you.

Agility: Are manners and obedience necessary?

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Training Your Performance Dog

by Carolyn Fuhrer

YES, YES, YES! I can’t tell you how many times we receive a call from a frustrated pet owner who says, “My dog is out of control and has a lot of energy. I think agility would be good for him.” Wrong! In order for the dog and handler to enjoy doing agility, the dog and handler need to have a connection that they have established through basic pet training.

Dogs must understand how to work for what they want, pay attention to the handler and understand the basic commands of come, sit and wait, come along with me and know when they can go (a release).  If a dog has basic good pet manners (which all dogs should have whether they do agility or not) and understand how to get “paid” by their owners, then they are on their way to becoming excellent agility candidates. Dogs must understand how to work for what they want, pay attention to the handler and understand the basic commands of come, sit and wait, come along with me and know when they can go (a release).  If a dog has basic good pet manners (which all dogs should have whether they do agility or not) and understand how to get “paid” by their owners, then they are on their way to becoming excellent agility candidates.

Many people see agility as simply an outlet for energy when actually it is a fast-paced journey through many obstacles in which the dog is cued and instructed by the handler in how to negotiate the course.  It is a fast-paced teamwork sport that needs to done safely.

Sometimes in learning agility you may need to hold your dog by the collar for motivation, perhaps to steady him, or to define a position. Your dog should have no aversion to you taking his collar. You should be able to hold your dog by the collar without him being upset or frightened. Sometimes you might also need this for safety. This can be taught as a “touch” game with a clicker so that the dog will willingly “give” his collar to your out-stretched hand. Your dog should not be afraid of your space nor should he be attempting to control the space.

Any dog that will have the privilege of being free needs to understand and respond when his handler says “come”. Anything less than this is really unsafe. Perhaps “come” is one of the best things we can teach our dogs. Name recognition (which should be taught in puppy class) should bring your dog’s attention to you and the word “come” should physically bring the dog to you. These two skills name recognition and “come” — should be reinforced through– out your dog’s life. Someday they may even save his life.

Sitting and waiting to be released is a necessary skill to start the course so you can give your dog proper direction and help him safely negotiate the course. Running alongside you and taking direction without tripping you, biting you or running away to visit or jump the ring boundaries because of distraction is also a necessary skill. While it is nowhere near as precise as heeling in obedience, the agility dog needs to go with you and respond to your movement without interfering with you.

Taking the time to teach basic manners and basic obedience skills will give you a dog that is ready to explore and enjoy the challenges of agility. As an added bonus, you also get a well behaved pet to live with.

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 90 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 2 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 25 years. You can contact her with questions, suggestions and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: It takes many generations of Monarchs to complete migration

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Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee

A little while ago, while watching the National Geographic’s channel on television, I saw an episode of a series called Great Migrations, and became very interested in the Monarch butterflies, who are among the most intriguing of the migrating species.

The monarch, Danaus plexippus, is probably the best known of all North American butterflies. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 3-1/2 – 4 inches.

It takes four generations of Monarch butterflies to complete southern and northern migrations.

The monarch is most famous for its southward migration and northward return in summer in the Americas which spans the lifetime of three to four generations of the butterfly.

The upper side of the wings is tawny-orange, the veins and margins are black, and in the margins are two series of small white spots. The fore wings also have a few orange spots near the tip. The underside is similar but the tip of the fore wing and hind wing are yellow-brown instead of tawny-orange and the white spots are larger.

In North America, the monarch ranges from southern Canada to northern South America.

Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. In North America they make massive southward migrations starting in August until the first frost. A northward migration takes place in the spring. The monarch is the only butterfly that migrates both north and south as the birds do on a regular basis. But no single individual makes the entire round trip. Female monarchs deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations.

By the end of October, the population east of the Rocky Mountains migrates to the sanctuaries of the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests in the Mexican states of Michoacán and México. The western population overwinters in various sites in central coastal and southern California, United States, notably in Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz.

The length of these journeys exceeds the normal lifespan of most monarchs, which is less than two months for butterflies born in early summer. The last generation — also known as the super generation — of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase and may live seven months or more. These butterflies fly to one of many overwintering sites. The generation that overwinters generally does not reproduce until it leaves the overwintering site sometime in February and March.

It is the second, third and fourth generations that return to their northern locations in the United States and Canada in the spring. How the species manages to return to the same overwintering spots over a gap of several generations is still a subject of research; the flight patterns appear to be inherited, based on a combination of the position of the sun in the sky and a time-compensated sun compass that depends upon a circadian (repeating in a 24-hour cycle) clock that is based in their antennae.

Monarch butterflies are one of the few insects capable of making trans-Atlantic crossings. They are becoming more common in Bermuda due to increased usage of milkweed as an ornamental plant in flower gardens.

Because they feed mainly on milkweed, monarch butterflies are poisonous or distasteful to birds and mammals because of the presence of cardiac glycosides that are contained in milkweed consumed by the larva. It is thought that the bright colors of larva and adults function as warning colors. During hibernation monarch butterflies sometimes suffer losses because hungry birds pick through them looking for the butterflies with the least amount of poison, but in the process killing those that they reject. Some birds, such as orioles and jays have learned to eat only the thoracic muscles and abdominal contents because they contain less poison. In Mexico, about 14 percent of the overwintering monarchs are eaten by birds and mice.

Many people like to attract monarchs by growing a butterfly garden with a specific milkweed species. Many schools also enjoy growing and attending to monarch butterflies, starting with the caterpillar form. When the butterflies reach adulthood they are released into the wild.

A problem in North America is the black swallow-wort plant. Monarchs lay their eggs on these plants since they produce stimuli similar to milkweed. Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are poisoned by the toxicity of this invasive plant.

The common name “Monarch” was first published in 1874 by Samuel H. Scudder because “it is one of the largest of our butterflies, and rules a vast domain.”

Monarchs are beautiful to watch during the summer, but the next time you see one, think of what that particular butterfly may have gone through to be with us.

I’m Just Curious: Wedding Boxes, etc.

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by Debbie Walker

“Wedding Box” brings different thoughts to each person who might see the words. I originally thought it was some sort of a goody box wedding present.. Nope, that is not what it is. I did some looking but all I could find was that the author is “unknown,” I don’t know who wrote it and the first time I saw it was on the internet being passed around. I printed it off because I thought it was rather special. So I hope you enjoy it too.

Marriage Box

Most people get married believing a myth that marriage is a beautiful box full of all the things they have longed for; companionship, intimacy, friendship etc. The truth is that marriage at the start is an empty box. You must put something in before you can take anything out. There is no love in marriage. Love is in people. And people put love in marriage. There is no romance in marriage. You have to infuse it into your marriage. A couple must learn the art and form the habit of giving, loving, serving, praising, of keeping the box full. If you take out more than you put in, the box will be empty.

I am hoping all of you who are married or in a committed relationship will take this all quite serious. How wonderful it would be if we could bring up our children with two loving parents. You will have to excuse me; I put my rose-colored glasses on for a few minutes!

Okay, now I have room for one of my questions. I have soooo many questions! This one involves underwear. Why can bras and panties be advertised on models on TV and pictures in catalogs but if anyone went into a store dressed like that they would be arrested for indecent exposure!

Now that would be rather foolish, because bathing suits with less fabric than most underwear can be worn in public. I just don’t understand.

Onto my next subject: Some of you know that I am involved with the Foster Grandparent Program. I just love it! If you volunteer in a school or day care now it would be to your benefit to check this out. You would call Maria Staples at 973-3611. If you are just one person or are involved in a group have Maria come and speak. This is part of Penquis. It is interesting and the kids are wonderful! They can use your attention.

And as usual I Am Just Curious, hoping you will be a little curious about the Foster Grandparent Program. I am looking for any questions or comments, send to dwdaffy@yahoo.com, sub: Marriage, Underwear, or FGP. Have you checked us out on-line yet?