Millions are Bitten by Snakes Every Year – Part 1

Black snake on my back yard

I found black snake and its skin at least twice at my back yard recently. My neighbors said that the snake is black racer, possibly.

This kind of snake is not venomous, it visits yard to search for food. Its natural foods include:

- insects

- lizards

- rodents

- bird and its eggs.

The black racer actives at daylight, it is the reason why I found the snake about mid day.

Moreover, as reported by World Health Organization (WHO, 2021), you might surprise that more than 5 million people are bitten by snakes world wide each year.

Flowers in the bushes, illustration.

Then, snakes, especially venomous species bitten lead to:

- die reach up to 138 thousand

- amputated around 400 thousand

- caused disabilities up to 400 thousand

You might wonder: what countries have the higher death due to snakebites?

# To be continued at Part 2

## Previous posts:

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Local Jelly at the Farmer Market – Part 1 - Food Variety 15

Pepper Jelly, the local product

Bulldog Pepper Jelly is a brand name only. It is homemade jelly which I believe to be produced and sold in our state only, Louisiana, so far.

Quite difficult to find this brand in groceries across our city, but, luckily I found it in the one of farmer markets close to our home.

There are four types of jellies in the market:

- Roasted Garlic Pepper Jelly

- Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

- Strawberry Pepper Jelly

- Roasted Pecan Pepper Jelly

The price is US$1.62 per ounce (28 gram), expensive compared to manufactured jelly sold in:

- groceries

- supermarket

- Amazon

Jars of pepper jellies on the shelves

However, Bulldog Pepper Jelly is made traditionally, hence fresh and high quality product. I think.

International friends might wonder: what is pepper jelly? What its taste like?

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous postings of food and varieties:

- Have you Tasted Red Pear? - Food Variety 1

- Have you Tried Rainbow Baby Carrot? - Food Variety 2

- Harvest Fresh Chili from the Pot Routinely - Food Variety 3

- Do You Like to Grill Fish? - Food Variety 4

- Do You Know a Prickly Cactus Pear? - Food Variety 5

Is Autumn Favorite Season in the USA?

Leaves start to change their colors

I thought Spring is the most favorite season for Americans, yes, it was before 2019, long time ago.

Survey done by Gallup (2005), about 16 years ago, indeed, It was Spring as the most lovely season in the USA.

Then, what is the most favorite season now?

Autumn or Fall season.

Based on survey by YouGov (2019), the percentage of people love Fall season is the highest than other seasons.

The result of survey is following:

- Fall 40%

- Summer 27%

- Spring 19%

- Winter 10%

- Don’t know 4%

We might wonder: why?

Color changed of leaves

Each one has own reasons to favor Fall season. For me, Fall is when temperature lower down, after long hot summer. I am waiting very much this season.

Some reasons why people love Fall season, just for examples:

1) A lot of festivals, some of them:

- Halloween

- Thanksgiving.

2) Foods and fruit

- pies

- seafood seasons

- apple harvest

3) Beautiful colors. We may see beautiful colors of leaves everywhere:

- red

- orange

- yellow

4) Temperature, not cold and not hot.

Finally, what season do you like?

Spring or Fall? Why?

# Previou posting:

- Is Remdesivir a Potential Drug Against Covid-19? - Virus 11

- Updates of Vaccines to Combat Covid-19 – Virus 12

- Rising and Falling of Prices during Covid-19 Pandemic – Virus 13

Banana Spiders in our Neighborhood - Gardening and Hobby 21

Fig 01- Yellow spider on the webs

We do not know whether the present in a quite abundance of yellow spiders in the some neighbor’s yards relate to hurricane or not.

This yellow spider called as banana spider, and some people called its as garden spiders.

There 11 species of banana spiders, our state species called with scientific name as Trichonephila clavipes.

Other important species include:

- Cupiennius cubae

- Cupiennius foliatus

- Cupiennius getazi

- Cupiennius granadensis

- Cupiennius remedius

- Cupiennius salei

- Cupiennius valentinei

- Cupiennius vodou

Fig 02 – Spiderwebs on the green leaves

Fig 03- Banana spider crawling down

As reported by the Sun Sentinel, Florida (2018), the banana spiders are not venomous.

The spiders are seen in some places in certain seasons. They can not kill people, just painful. Actually, they are not aggressive, but friendly.

In addition to USA, the yellow spiders are spreading in the Latin America, include:

- Guatemala

- Colombia

- Venezuela

- Brazil

- Guyana

- Ecuador

- Mexico

- Panama

- Costa Rica

Have you seen banana spiders in the garden or in nature?

What seasons they are abundant?

We Saw Dozens of Hummingbirds after Hurricane - Gardening and Hobby 20

Fig 01- Hummingbird flies near a feeder

Our state, Louisiana has two hummingbird migration visits every year:

- Spring migration

- Fall migration.

We saw dozens of hummingbirds visit our backyard after hurricane Ida. It is might be Fall migration.

About hurricane Ida hit our areas have been posted previously:

- Hurricane Ida Debris Piles in the Neighborhood

As reported by Baton Rouge Audubon Society (2021), we may find the following species of hummingbirds in our city or neighborhood:

- Anna's

- Allen's

- Buff bellied

- Calliope

- Black chinned

- Broad tailed

Fig 02- A little hummingbird

Fig 03- A hummingbird flies around

In normal time, we always see two beautiful species of hummingbirds in our backyard:

- Rufous

- Ruby throat

Some of our neighbors said that they saw at least 6 species of hummingbirds visited to our neighborhood every year. It is included very rare species called as:

- broad billed

How many species of humming have you ever seen?

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- Did you Go to Groceries During Self Quarantine Periods? - Virus 8

- Is Herd Immunity without Vaccine the Worst Strategy? - Virus 9

- Should We Get Covid-19 Antibody Test to Avoid Lock-down? - Virus 10 

A Low Carbohydrate Food – Diabetes 26

Fried rice with low calories

Many grains in the commercial markets are considered as high calories diet. These grains include:

- rice
- wheat
- oats

As suggested by Butler, N (MedicalNewsToday, 2018) that American should consume 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day.

About 1,100 calories must come from carbs which equal to 275 gram carbohydrates per day.

However, diabetes patients should eat much lower calories contents of foods, it is about 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day.

Since rice is one of higher calories foods, and should be avoided or limited, hence, unfortunate for many million of diabetic people around the globe, especially diabetic patients from Asian countries who eat rice as main source of energy.

Wild fruit, illustration only.

Sure, food intake management could be done to make blood sugar level under control.

Bird Eye is a brand well known for freezing foods in the package. The brand is own by several companies now:

- Conagra Brands (United States)
- Nomad Foods (Europe)
- Simplot (Australia)

The brand then develop called a “cauliflower rice” which contain:

- low carbohydrates
- high fiber
- antioxidants
- vitamins

Its may be alternative to real rice, and good for diabetic people.

# Previous postings:

- What is Type 2 Diabetes? - Diabetes 1
- What is the Relationship between Eggs and Diabetes? - Diabetes 2
- Why Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Persons Produce Less Insulin? - Diabetes 3
- Could Medicines Affect on Pancreas to Produce Insulin? - Diabetes 4
- Effect of Metabolic on Beta Cells in the Pancreas - Diabetes 5

Hurricane Ida Debris Piles in the Neighborhood

Fig 01- Debris on roadside and grass

As you might know that Hurricane Ida just hit Louisiana about 11 days ago, then travel to several states in the USA.

In addition to our state, other states hit by Ida include:

- Mississippi

- Alabama

- Pennsylvania

- New Jersey

- New York

Economic lost was estimated about US$ 95 billion due to this hurricane, and recorded as one of costliest hurricanes in the USA.

Death toll was estimated at least 60 people, and might be rises after counting process is finished.

Our neighborhood in Baton Rouge, LA was hit hard by this hurricane. Leaves and branches scattered everywhere.

Fig 02- A tree fall down

Fig 03- Branches and leaves scatter on the road

Fig 04- A falling tree and branches in the neighborhood.

Neighbors did do hard work to collect debris, then pile its on the:

- sides of curb (drainage)

- grass

- yard

No, we can not put our debris on the street, it is because debris will block traffics, and in many cases can cause damage to passing cars.

Unfortunately, we didn’t know when trucks will pick our debris, it will leave dead grass patches.

Hope, everything goes well in coming days.

# Previous postings:

- How to Know Someone Infected by Wuhan Virus? - Virus 1

- Is there Affordable Kit to Detect Corona Virus? - Virus 2

- Older, Men and Preexisting conditions are Vulnerable to Covid-19 – Virus 3

- When Will Vaccine for Covid-19 Available? - Virus 4

- Homemade Face Masks to Combat Spread of Covid-19 – Virus 5