Weekly Six 11th - 17th June 2007

Item 1: Planetary Revelations - Jupiter

Jupiter is the 5th planet from the sun and the largest planet in our solar system. Its' diameter is 142,600 km, that's 11 times the diameter of the earth. Were Jupiter hollow you could fit over 1000 earth size planets inside! My point in emphasising the size aspect is, in the words of the late, great Douglas Adams:

'Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.'

And much of what's in space is also.......big! While we are on the subject of Douglas Adams here is a bit of trivia for you that I found amusing.

Douglas Adams chose 42 as the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe, and Everything simply because he thought it was the funniest-sounding of all two-digit numbers. "A completely ordinary number, a number not just divisible by two but also six and seven. In fact it's the sort of number that you could, without any fear, introduce to your parents."

Anyway, getting back to Jupiter. It boasts 63 natural satellites although another 4 Trojan Asteroids have recently been located (Information credit Scott Sheppard). Jupiter has rings, like Saturn and Uranus, however they are much smaller and barely visible. They were discovered by Voyager 1 in 1979.

1 solar orbit takes Jupiter 11.8 earth years however due to its' rapid rotation 1 day on Jupiter equates to 9.56 earth hours.

It's rotation speed at the equator exceeds 43,000 Km/hour. Due to it's composition, 90% hydrogen and 10% helium in both liquid and gaseous states, Jupiter is subject to differential rotation hence the rotation speed at the poles is less than the rotation speed at the equator.

Jupiter was named about two thousand years ago for the Roman god Jupiter, who was the chief god of the many gods that the Romans believed in. All of the planets have names that come from the Romans. (Information credit Scholastic) (A Final Note - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and other works by Douglas Adams, are available to read in full on line at: Dig)

Item 2: Herbal Remedies - Essential Oils

I am a big fan of herbal remedies and believe that through natural ingredients and 'alternative medicines' most ailments can be effectively treated. I have utilised acupuncture for several ailments and have found it to be highly effective and I am building up a library of useful reference books that allow me to tackle everything from health issues to house cleaning without a employing the use of a 'chemically-laden' product....well that's the aim!

It is not always easy, and so I plan to share a few gems I have picked up, read about or had shared with me for anyone who is interested.

Essential Oils -

Lavender - OK fairly obvious but if you don't know a few drops in a bath is a fabulous relaxant, a few drops on your pillow aids restful sleep and a few drops on your collar is calming.

Tea Tree - A few drops in a foot bath on a regular basis will tackle Athlete's Foot, and Tea Tree proves very effective for blemishes anywhere on the body. A small dot application will rapidly reduce the appearance of a blemish and can be used on the face. For anyone with sensitive skin The Body Shop do a diluted version - Tea Tree Blemish Stick.

Chamomile - Chamomile essential oil rubbed directly onto the abdomen gives almost instant relief for menstrual pains. It works very rapidly! (Sorry to any chaps reading but really it is a godsend!)

(There are rather a lot of things that are not appropriate for pregnant women so I would advise checking out the use of any treatment, whether natural or not, with a pharmacist or doctor prior to use if you are expecting.)

If you would like to find out more I would strongly recommend '1001 Natural Remedies' by Laurel Vukovic.

Item 3: Bird Food of the Week - Peanuts

Anyone who has read previous weekly six postings may know that I recently heralded Niger seed as my 'bird food of the week' as it instantly brought goldfinches to our garden. We now have 6 that visit daily!

I have always fed the birds, it started with my parents weekly bread supply when I was a child and has grown to a separate shopping venture undertaken of a fortnightly basis. I have tried many different seeds in an attempt to: increase bird diversity while catering for all of our visitors whether popular by public perception or not, and reduce the formation of seed beds throughout the garden that grow rapidly from the overspill.

I am currently satisfied with my bird food selection, the most recent addition being meal worm mix which has proven very popular and is good for breeding adults and fledgelings alike however the best, longest lasting, most waste free, high energy content bird food I can recommend is peanuts!

The birds will obviously tend to the easiest food first, foods that require less effort to eat, however in times of food shortage I always make sure the peanut feeders are full, or there are some available for the bigger birds on the bird table, and they all love them! I can see one of the peanut feeders from here and there have been two sparrows and a starling going at them for 20 minutes now!

So, to help keep the cost down but ensure a good bird food with little effort and mess, invest in some peanut feeders and sit back and watch.

(Our Jackdaws can fit 6 peanuts in their mouths in a line at one time for delivery to the nest!)

Item 4: Barbecues

I attended two BBQ's yesterday, one was part of my nephews school fete and the other a party held by a friend to celebrate her partners' birthday, their house warming...or rather house renovation completion, and engagement.

Being a vegetarian BBQ's can be a little limiting for me however there are many vegetarian meals that are suitable for cooking over a BBQ. I usually prepare some vegetable kebabs marinaded in a sauce which I can recommend however Mac's Niece has lent me a wonderful booklet from Old El Paso titled 'Summer Sensations - Sizzling Recipes for Outdoor Eating', and as the season is upon us, well in the UK at least, I thought I would share their wonderful ideas!

Now I am not going to type out recipes! But follow this link and have a look at the Old El Paso Betty Crocker website. Obviously all meat ingredients can be replaced with quorn, tofu or vegetables.

(If there are any vegetarians/ vegans or other interested parties reading this that haven't noticed I have a couple of links to vegetarian blogs on my site that I can recommend checking out for information and recipes.)

Item 5: Poem of the Week - The Law of the Jungle, Rudyard Kipling

Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, but never too deep;
And remember the night is for hunting, and forget not the day is for sleep.
The Jackal may follow the Tiger, but, Cub, when thy whiskers are grown, Remember the Wolf is a Hunter -- go forth and get food of thine own.

Keep peace withe Lords of the Jungle -- the Tiger, the Panther, and Bear.
And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the Boar in his lair.
When Pack meets with Pack in the Jungle, and neither will go from the trail,
Lie down till the leaders have spoken -- it may be fair words shall prevail.

When ye fight with a Wolf of the Pack, ye must fight him alone and afar,
Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack be diminished by war.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he has made him his home,
Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Council may come.

The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, but where he has digged it too plain,
The Council shall send him a message, and so he shall change it again.
If ye kill before midnight, be silent, and wake not the woods with your bay,
Lest ye frighten the deer from the crop, and your brothers go empty away.

Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need, and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill Man!
If ye plunder his Kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride;
Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the head and the hide.

The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye must eat where it lies;
And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or he dies.
The Kill of the Wolf is the meat of the Wolf. He may do what he will;
But, till he has given permission, the Pack may not eat of that Kill.

Cub-Right is the right of the Yearling. From all of his Pack he may claim
Full-gorge when the killer has eaten; and none may refuse him the same.
Lair-Right is the right of the Mother. From all of her year she may claim
One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may deny her the same.

Cave-Right is the right of the Father -- to hunt by himself for his own:
He is freed of all calls to the Pack; he is judged by the Council alone.
Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripe and his paw,
In all that the Law leaveth open, the word of your Head Wolf is Law.

Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they;
But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is -- Obey!

(Image Credit First People & Novawolf)

Item 6: Song of the Week - Jimmy Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower (written by Bob Dylan)

OK, I am guessing there are few music collections around the world without this song in but please feel free to take this opportunity to listen to it, or view Hendrix playing it live! It's a Sunday as I am writing this and it's my first song of the day. A good choice I feel!

Listen to Song, performed by Hendrix

Watch Hendrix Playing Song Live

Well that's if for this week. I am happy to say I have found the time to complete this posting in one go, at my leisure, and not only is it on time but I am actually a day ahead of schedule! I hope you have enjoyed reading this. Please feel free to leave me a comment on any of the items I have mentioned.