January 8, 2009 

razy!!! I was looking at my tomato listing last night and I have 61 varieties of tomatoes! And Bren was drooling when I told him I had 40-something. He is going to jump up and down when I tell him how many I really have. I am going to have to watch him or he is going to eat all of the tomatoes before I can get any seed from them. My trick is to usually tie a bit of flagger's tape or hot pink yarn on plants I do not want anyone to touch. Once a friend of mine went out to my greenhouse while I was cooking dinner and Nicole came in screaming all upset, saying something about midgets (And I am trying to figure out heads or tails of this conversation) and come to find out she had eaten all of the fruits off my lone "Mexico Midget" tomato plant late in the season and then realized her mistake. Good thing I had given seed to someone the previous year who had saved some and shipped it back up to me from the States.

There is a whole bunch of seed that was accidentally mixed together by someone once and then given to me and I would really like to try to grow a bunch of that out this year. There are some interesting old varieties in that batch, but it is like a grab-bag in seeding them out.. or something like what Forrest Gump would say about chocolates. (Mmmmmmmmmmmm Chocolate!)

When I was speaking with Linda, she was telling me about the Yellowstone National Park's volcano. Well you guys know I am into natural earth things and so I had to check this out. You may not have known I thought about becoming a geologist once.

Live video from Old Faithful geyser (you might not be able to get it on dialup). When it stops, re-click start and it will continue with footage and commentary. Geologists are warning there is a possible eruption from the super volcano there.

There has been over 500 Earthquakes at Yellowstone in just a few days, although The Yellowstone Caldera earthquakes have settled down in terms of intensity, with nothing in the 3.0+ range since January 2 (the Caldera is the depression in the photo above):

18 earthquakes on January 2, 2009
12 earthquakes on January 1, 2009
58 earthquakes on December 31, 2008
23 Earthquakes on December 30, 2008
38 Earthquakes on December 29, 2008
103 Earthquakes on December 28, 2008

Three hundred of the earthquakes (including all >M2.0) have been reviewed by seismologists. There have been 86 earthquakes with M > 2.0 and 16 earthquakes > M3.0. About 200 smaller earthquakes have yet to be reviewed.

It is good to have lots of little bursts of activity as it lessens the chance of a large one, as it slowly releases the growing pressure. Put your hands together like you are praying, then apply pressure and then try to slide one hand past the other.  See how the little movements are less 'traumatic', than one large shift with your hands? This is like how the geological plates work. The USGS Volcano alert level for Yellowstone Volcano remains at Normal/Green.

If the Yellowstone Caldera, which is about 30-35 miles across,  does decide to up its activities and have a big blowout, some people say it will make Mt St Helens look like a wee dust storm. I remember what the Mount St. Helens ash was like. If it does happen to take a turn to the extreme at Yellowstone and you get ash your way, you might want to take these tips.  Volcanic ash is actually pulverized rock and is superfine, finer than baby powder.

Heavy ashfall may reduce sunlight, causing a sudden demand on electrical power and possible brownouts. Ash can clog watercourses, sewage plants, and various machinery. A one-inch layer of ash weighs ten pounds per square foot. Fine ash is extremely slippery, hampering both driving and walking. Ash can also damage the lungs of small infants, the elderly and infirm, or those already suffering from respiratory illnesses. I remember sweeping it off the streets of Portland, Oregon in front of my grandparents home.

How to Protect Yourself During Ashfall

Volcanic ash is actually fine, glassy fragments and particles that can cause severe injury to breathing passages, eyes, open wounds, and irritation to skin.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.      
• Use goggles to protect your eyes.      
• Wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses.      
• Use a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to assist in breathing.      
• Keep vehicle engines off.

What to Do After a Volcanic Eruption

• Help a neighbor who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities. The elderly disabled may require additional assistance. People who care for them or who have large families may need additional assistance in emergency situations.
• If possible, stay away from volcanic ashfall areas. The fine, glassy particles of volcanic ash can increase the health risk to children and people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. Stay indoors, wear face masks designed to protect against lung damage from small particles, use eyeglasses instead of contacts, and protective goggles to protect eyes.
• When outside, protect yourself from the fine, glassy particles of volcanic ash.
  
  • Cover your mouth and nose. 
  • Wear goggles to protect your eyes. 
  • Wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses. 
  • Keep skin covered to avoid irritation from contact with ash.
• Sweep roofs of ash . Do not wash off. Ashfall is very heavy and can cause buildings to collapse, especially if it is wet. Exercise great caution when working on a roof.
• If you have a respiratory ailment, avoid contact with any amount of ash. Stay indoors until local health officials advise it is safe to go outside. Volcanic ash can cause great damage to breathing passages and the respiratory system.

For more really good information, click on this link. Click on all the tabs which say "Agriculture", "Buildings", "Commuunication", etc.

I remember the ash in the bottom of mom & dad's pool, all over my rabbitry, in the berry fields picking strawberries... people having to wear masks and bandanas over their faces and scarves being put over the air filters of cars. Dad & mom put damp towels at the base of doors and windows to keep ash out of our house. The novelty of ash wore off in about 5 minutes. It soon was a 4 letter word and we got another dump of ash in July after the first blow from Mt St Helens. UGH!!!