The Attractive Flower to Butterflies and Bees

Duranta or Duranto repen is a shrub with blue, light blue and light purple colors. The flowers look like orchid flowers.

Fig 01- Duranta repen flowers

In addition to Duranta repen, this flower has several common names based on its characteristics, they are:

- Sky Flower

- Golden Dewdrop

- Pigeon Berry

- Geisah girl (Japan’s breed)

Why Duranta repen is one of attractive flower to butterflies and bees?

Fig 02- Lovely color of Duranta repen

One reason is that Duranta repen included in shrubs. The shrubs usually provide:

- succession blooming throughout growing seasons. In case of Duranta repen, the flower has long blooming, from spring to frost.

- good quality nectar

- pollen

This flower is easily found in many countries around the world as an ornamental plant in the gardens, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.

Fig 03- Duranta repen as a shrub

Even thought Duranta repen has been naturalized in many areas, the origin of flower from:

- Mexico

- other South American countries

- the Caribbean

Fig 04- A Butterfly flying

In the USA, this flower grow well in the states such as:

- California

- Arizona

- Texas

- Louisiana

- Mississippi

- Alabama

- Florida

Do you know about Duranta repen? Is there this flower in your place?

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Small Business at Nearby Neighborhood – Part 2

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Small Business at Nearby our Neighborhood – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Donuts sold in the shop

We love to eat in our favorite restaurants before covid 19 pandemic. Some provided international or certain ethnic menus.

For breakfast, we bought donuts sometimes. Sure, we consume local ones, not well famous brands such as “Dunkin Donuts.”

The price ranges from US$ 1.66 to US$ 15.99 for a dozen donuts, reasonable price, we guess.

Fig 02- One of my favorite donuts

Fig 03- Local product of Doughnut shop

Some of our Doughnut favorites are:

- Glaze

- Chocolate

- Apple fritter

- Cinnamon role

- Donuts holes

Doughnut's shops could sell coffee, juice, bottle water, soft drinks and other goods for additional profits

How about with local business in your neighborhood?

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Declining Population of Mammals with Cube Feces

You may read previous posting about animal with square feces:

- Have you Seen Cube Feces Animals in Nature? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- A décor bear, illustration

From searching through Google that there are 3 species of wombat living across the Australia continent:

- the common wombat

- the northern hairy-nosed wombat

- the southern hairy-nosed

Not surprise that wombats are enlisted as endangered species with population continue to decline since 1980s.

Fig 02- A wombat with a baby (credit to YouTube)

Fig 03- One of wombat cube poop (credit to Imgur)

Sadly, one species called as northern hairy-nosed wombat with scientific name Lasiorhinus krefftii is assumed extinct in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

The facts about wombat feces (sources from internet):

- feces was formed at the last part of intestines

- feces is dry, contain 60% water compared to human feces with 80% water

- cube shape is advantage than round feces to communicate, if placed on top of objects.

Finally, have you seen wombats and their feces in any places include zoos?

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- Over Crowded Tourists on Crucial Objects | Tanza Erlambang Update

- What is Inside Stupa of the Buddha Temple of Borobudur? | Tanza Erlambang

- What Food Should We Try While in Japan? - part 1 | Tanza Erlambang

Our Yards are Visited by Bees Regularly – Critter 12

The number of bee keepers is about 200,000 to handle production of 156 million pound honey in the USA yearly.

Fig 01- A bee flying over the plants

Surprisingly, America is both as honey bee importer and exporter country. In term of export, USA include in top 5 honey bee exporter in the world.

Main destination of American honey are following countries:

- Canada

- Japan

- South Korea

- Philippine

- Kuwait

Fig 02- One of flower in the yard

Honestly, I don’t know how many bee keepers in our city, Baton Rouge, LA. One report (Bee Happy – The Rise of Urban Beekeeping in Baton Rouge, 201) said that there are increasing of beekeeping in our city recently.

Image 3- A bee sips nectar from flowers

In fact, we could find fresh honeybee sold in the bottles or jars in the farmer market with reasonable price at any time, especially during Spring and Summer seasons.

Coincidence or not, we observe a lot of bees visit our yards (back and front yard) in these seasons.

Sure, they sip nectar and consume pollen from our flowers and fruits. As you know that they do pollination.

Bee is one of the greatest pollinators, they contribute very much on colorful of flowers and fruit productions.

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What is Tang Soo Do? - Sign 16

The words of Tang Soo Do are new for me. I just familiar with Japanese words of “Karate Do.” 

Fig 01- Sign of art in motion and Tang Soo Do

As you might know that the words of Karate Do from three Japanese words with the following meaning:

- Kara means empty

- Te means hand

- and Do means way

You may see the words of “Tang Soo Do” from above sign. I believe that it is kind of martial art.

Fig 02- Yellow elder, blooming.

Fig 03- Walking Iris

From internet searching, I find following facts about Tang Soo Do:

- Yes, it is a martial art and comes from Korea

- Tang Soo Do is developed based on Japanese Karate Do

However, I never seen this martial art on the stage, hence, I don’t know the different between Korean Tang Soo Do and Japanese Karate Do.

Moreover, Tang Soo Do is not qualify for summer Olympics. There are six martial art qualify for Olympics: karate do, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, Boxing, and fencing.

Do you know Tang Soo Do?

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- Reliefs on the Largest Buddha Temple in the World, Borobudur – part 1 | Tanza

- Why Medical Students Need Specific Social Media? - Part 2 | Tanza

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- What Effect of Diversity Patrons on the Arts in the 15th-18th centuries? - part 1

Cutting the Tree Before Hurricane Coming – Part 1

Our state, Louisiana is one of states hit most by hurricanes. Totally 54 hurricanes since 1851 with categories range from 3 to 5.

Fig- 01- Busted and broken tree.

We have 3 trees in front of our house. Squirrels, birds and some other critters use these trees as their:

- shelter

- play areas (branches)

- site for reproduction (nesting for birds)

- resting

- hiding from predators

- source of foods

Fig 02- An insect on the leave

We love to observe these critters, usually in the morning or afternoon while drinking a cup of coffee or tea.

Fig- 03- Falling part of broken tree

Unfortunately, the trees seem have been “decayed” due to fungi diseases, and even one of them busted and destroyed recently.

We got hurricane Ida last year. Our neighborhood not really in good shape yet like before disaster.

Then, we decided to cut all these trees down, the day before hurricane Ida “visit” our areas.

This Hurricane was estimated as category 3, where the wind could reach 115 mph (185 km per hour). Deadly wind actually.

# To be continued to Part 2

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Market of Ornamental Fish for Pond – Critter 11

At previous posting, we talked about trending to have ornamental fish in small pond during Covid 19 pandemic:

- Ornamental Fish for Pond in the Garden – Critter 9 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Fish swimming in the pond.

Ornamental fish tend to grow both in the global and USA market recently. The market value reached US$ 5 billion in the last couple years ago. Value is not that bad for one little critter.

Demand for ornamental fish is increasing due to many factors, some are:

- fish behaviors are attractive

- exotic species with beautiful colors

- psychological benefits such as reduce stress.

Fig 02- Watermelon, illustration only

Fig 03- Elderberry plant, illustration

About 68% of American household have a pet. In term of number, households have about 116 million pets.

What kind of pets they have? Here are:

- fish

- birds

- reptiles

- small animals.

Interestingly, 7.2 million American households have fish as their pet.

Do you have pets? What pets do you love?

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