Suicide of a Sunflower

Ah Sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done;

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow,
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my Sunflower wishes to go!

Although my sunflower never got the chance to live, if it had, it would have looked somethign like this. This life was just too much for the poor baby sunflower to endure.

Oh Mother!!

Mitochondrial DNA is found in the mitochondria organelle of a cell. It is inherited directly from the mother and can be traced back through a family tree. Scientists have been able to trace this back and come up with a picture of Mitochondrial Eve. Mitochondrial Eve is considered the mother of all living humans today. She depicts the most possible first ancestor of people today. Below is a picture.

 

Through time, people have developed and adapted so much that most no longer have the features of the mitochondrial Eve. This is because as people branched out to different areas thousands of years ago, they had to adapt to the new environments. This adaptation cause difference in skin pigmentation based on sun exposure, differences in bone structure because of survival, and many other things reasons.

 

Below are a few people who are obviously from a certain part of the world. I will let you see if you know where each of them comes from.  

 

 

Answers: 1 Irish, 2 African, 3 Indian, 4 Chinese, 5 American.  Did you get them all?

Ocmulgee National Monument

When the indigenous people of the now Macon area settled, they mostly settled along the geographical fall lines. There are many different reasons for this. Settling on the fall line, a geological boundary usually marked with a river, provides a lot more opportunity for prosperity for the people. Not only did the indigenous people have two types of soil to plant anything and everything on either side of the river, they had a mode of transportation. The river provided food and also transport. It helped the people to prosper. This fall line runs just through the area of the Ocmulgee National Monument. This monument shows some of the formations that the indigenous people formed. It shows the area and provides more insight into the people through the history and culture of the area. Here is a link to more information about the Ocmulgee National Monument: http://www.nps.gov/ocmu/index.htm

 

 

Cemetary Legends

Rodney Maxwell Davis

(4/7/1942 – 9/6/1967)

 

 

 Rodney Davis was born and raised in Macon, GA. After graduating high school, Davis enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He spent many years in training and working his way up the ladder. He was promoted many times until he finally reached Sergeant on December 1^st, 1966. Davis was an inspiration to his men and when ordered to Vietnam in August of 1967, he didn’t even hesitate. He was constantly encouraging his men and still holding his own in battle. On September 6, 1967, he was still encouraging his men in battle when a hand grenade was thrown into the trench with him and his men. Without a moment of self-preservation, he threw himself on the grenade and saved his men. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless act of bravery and for his sacrifice. Rodney Davis was buried in his hometown of Macon, GA in the Linwood Cemetery.  

An Introduction to the Understanding of Soil

There are many different types of soil that are distinguished by different characteristics.

One way to characterized soil is by determining the percent of clay, silt, and sand within a sample of soil. These percerntages always add up to one hundred and can determine the general type of soil in the sample. This is found by using a soil texture diagram. Below is an example of this diagram.

Another way to identify the type of soil in a sample is to use the Munsell SOil Color chart. This chart uses three characteristics to determine the type of soil: hue, lightness, and color purity. This chart is best used as a tree dimensional representation or as a flip book. Below are two examples.

Soil comes in many different types. The most prominent twelve categories are called the 12 Soil Orders.  The following link leads to more information about each soil order and below is a picture of each.  http://www.soils.usda.gov/technical/soil_order

Georgia contains many different types of soil based on the area. The most well know type of soil in Georgia is red clay and is a result of  the decomposition of organic and inrganic materials in the soil.The red color comes from long-term weathering that leaves behind iron oxide.

Geology Fun!

Igneous rocks are rocks that are formed from the cooling of underground magma or above ground lava. There are many different forms of igneous rocks and below is an example of a few.

Granite

Pumice

Columnar Basalt 

 

Metamorphic rocks are rocks that started out as igneous or sedimentary and were transformed into another type of rock. This transformation is caused by massive amounts of pressure and heat. Some examples of metamorphic rocks are shown below.

Gneiss

Marble - Formed from Limestone

 

Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediment deposits accumulate and are pressed into rock formations. Sedimentary rocks can be formed out of any type of rock that has been eroded. Some examples of sedimentary rocks are shown below.

Limestone

Sandstone

 

There are many different naturally occurring minerals in the world. These include quartz, fieldstone, hornblende, pyrite, halite, calcite, and mica. Quartz is a particularly beautiful mineral. Its chemical formula is SiO2. Quartz or silica dioxide is commonly found all over the world. It is one of the most abundant minerals.  Here is a picture of quartz.

Trees, Flowers, and Shrubs...oh my!

There are many different types of trees, shrubs, and flowers all over the world. Here are examples of three of each. Attached are links to more information.

Trees

• Pecan Tree- The pecan tree is scientifically named Carya Illinoinensis.

Ø  http://www.pecanbiz.com/information.html

 

• Willow Oak Tree – The willow oak tree is scientifically named the quercus phellos.

Ø  http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/willow_oak.htm

 

• Bradford Pear Tree – The Bradford Pear tree is scientiffically named Pyrus calleryana.

Ø  http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/tree/fact%20pages/pear_bradford/pear_bradford.html

 

Shrubs

·         Sago Palm – The sago palm is scientifically named cycas revolute.

Ø  http://www.junglemusic.net/cycadadvice/cycads-sago-palm.htm

 

·         Virginia Sweetspire – The Virginia Sweetspire is scientifically named itea virginica.

Ø  http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/itvi.html

 

·         Periwinkle bush – The Periwinkle bush is scientifically named vinca and blooms.

Ø  http://www.bahamasgroup.com/xtra/herbs.htm

 

Flowers

·         Snapdragons – Snapdragons are scientifically named antirrhinums.

Ø  http://urbanext.illinois.edu/firstgarden/planning/dictionary/flowers/snapdragons.cfm

 

·         Angel’s Trumpet – An angel’s trumpet is scientifically named brugmansia.

Ø  http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/angels-trumpet/

 

 

·         Orchid – Orchids are scientifically named Orchidaceae. Orchids are my favorite flower. Below is a picture of a Cattleya Orchid.

Ø  http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/pow/Oncidium_Orchids.htm