Back to Nature: Gates of the Mountain

The visitor is transported back in time to a day of discovery on the Gates of the Mountain river tour located a short drive from Helena, Montana.  The days of operations run from May 24 to September 20.  You will have a choice of various river boats for a one and a half hour tour of the pristine waterway with cliffs jetting some 1200 feet and the bluest skies in the west.  Awestruck, Meriwether Lewis named this area "Gates of the Rocky Mountain."

If you are interested in the natural inhabitants of this majestic spot you may be lucky to view the Longhorn Sheep making their way above the rocky cliffs. The bird life is abundant. You may see a hawk, an osprey or a variety of blue birds as well as ducks, loons, tanagers and meadowlarks.

The boat tour makes one stop along the way at Meriwether Campground where passengers can disembark and enjoy the scenery. If you travel early enough you can stay, have a picnic and catch the next boat for a ride back to the marina dock.

The Hilger Family is owed a great debt of gratitude. They were one of the more vigilant stewards of the land and water. Each and all of them loved the place and protected the area as if it was a special duty. The son of the original owner Brian Hilger was the embodiment of the western gentleman. "

The river cruises schedule and fare for 2015 is available by clicking this link.

CERN's Hadron Collider Up: What Does It Matter?

Thirty-years in the making, and responsible for the creation of the world wide web, CERN's Large Hadron Collider takes a look at our sub-atomic world known as Particle Physics. This is the stuff that occurred shortly after the Big Bang. The documentary Particle Fever provides a palatable version of the big questions raised by the multi-billion dollar and multinational experiments emanating from this colossal man-made machine located in Switzerland. 

In 2012, the Collider was set in motion collecting data which later led to a corroborative finding of the Higgs-Boson, sometimes referred to as the "God Particle". The scientists behind this theory were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2013.

Since the initial trials in 2012 other important discoveries have been made utilizing data from CERN's experiment. However, the machine has been shut down for the past two-years to make necessary upgrades which will allow scientists to speed up the accelerator with the hopes of taking the experiments to a higher level. CERN will roll out the next level beginning in June, 2015 if everything is a go and thus far all systems are a GO,

 

Cinco de Mayo 2015

Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday in Mexico. The holiday celebrates the victory of Mexican loyalist against the French troops sent by Napoleon III to create a dependent territory. To the surprise of the well armed French troops, a small band of Mexicans defeated the insurgents on May 5, 1962.  The state of Puebla where the battle took place celebrates the victory, but for most Mexicans it is a day like any other day.  

In the United States and Mexican communities in other places the holiday is set aside as a day of fun, food and cultural appreciation.  It is not as some think a day of liberation or independence. Mexican Independence from Spain is celebrated on September 16th. Read On.

Good food and drinks symbolize Mexican hospitality and culture. If you are looking for some spirits and heart warming good food, check out AllRecipe/CincodeMayo.  Enchilada Verde, City Ceviche and Chili Relleno are my favorites.

Viva Mexico!

Gardening Tips: Natural Deer Deterrent

By: Mary Anne Simpson

Deer are strict vegetarian. Co-existing with the deer in town or in the country requires planting items the deer do not like. There are at least 600 plants that deer either find offensive or simply do not like. Interestingly sage is one plant that deer do not like. Other plants include Peony, Poppy, Mock Orange and Morning Glory to name a few. A list of vegetables and plants by their common name can be viewed at deer-departed.com

There are numerous products on the market that promise to deter deer from eating up your ornamental plants and vegetable gardens. Some products are abhorrent to deer. Specifically, blood meal is disliked by deer. The only problem here is that blood meal has a raunchy smell that most humans do not like either. If you enjoy evenings in the garden, the aroma of blood meal emanating from the garden is not a welcome smell.

Other items suggested by various self help web sites include using human hair, soap, creosote, rotten eggs and garlic. Some of these techniques can be further reviewed by checking out: homemade deer repellent recipes. The problems with all of these home products and commercial products is that while they may deter the deer they also deter human beings.
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Wind Chimes and Garden Ornaments:
 
The other unique feature of deer is their sense of hearing. While many deer have become accustom to human beings because of their change in habitat, they do not like sharp or unexplained clanging sounds. It is a feature intrinsic to the deer and a survival mechanism. If the deer hears sharp, or even clanking sounds they usually will speedily make an exit.

I moved a chime and bell ornament near the plant area I was trying to protect. For larger areas I have heard about using tin pie plates affixed to one another and clanking objects within the plates. All you need to do is hang them from ornamental trees and shrubs.

Co-existing with urban deer is a challenge for gardeners, but wise planning will make the task easier and mutually beneficial to you and the deer population.

Grateful Deadheaded Petunia

                                                             The Most Fragrant Variety

By Mary Anne Simpson

Petunias are very grateful when gardeners deadhead the faded blooms. The practice of deadheading a petunia means to remove the dead bloom and the area below the bloom. Deadheading encourages growth, more blooms and discourages the petunia from going to seed. Potted grand floras petunia thrive on deadheading. The spreading petunia and multifloras petunia enjoy deadheading.

The grand floras petunia is generally used for hanging basket and this variety is three to four inches across. The multifloras petunia variety is smaller and generally used as border plants or as a splash of color in the garden. The spreading petunia is small and may be used as ground cover. All three varieties are hardy and require very little care once the plants reach maturity.

Pinching the petunia encourages blooming and healthy plants. Pinching means to trim back the petunia plant when it reaches around six-inches. According to the University of Minnesota's Department of Horticulture, do not pinch back multifloras and spreading petunias. Pinching only applies to the grand floras petunia.

Petunia Tips 

Over the years I have become a fan of the grand floras petunia for hanging baskets. The solid deep purple variety has a gentle sweet fragrance and works great hanging outdoors near the front door. The other colors and varieties do not in my opinion have the exquisite fragrance. The other great aspect of the petunia is its resilience. If a heat wave hits or you forget to water it for a few days the petunia forgives you.

All petunias need a liquid fertilizer during late July and August in three week intervals. I generally use a Miracle-Gro or the generic variety Wal-Mart sells. Only fertilize early in the morning or in the cool evening hours. Water the plant thoroughly before fertilizing. I fill a one-gallon milk jug with water and add one-teaspoon of Miracle-Gro. The reason for these instructions is to prevent burning the leaves and over fertilizing will kill the petunia.

Petunias are for gardeners who enjoy flowers, but do not want to spend a great deal of time fussing over them. Petunias are not orchids. Orchids are for people with time and money. Petunias are for people with little time, no money to spare on flowering plants that die for want of obsessive care.