R E F L E C T I O N S

Or maybe it was actually like this? A Prehistoric Rhinoceros Most likely it could just be a regular rhino.  They are not overweight lumbering beasts.  Some can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and run over 30 miles per hour! This video shows a rhino galloping like a horse.  Its horn must been broken off. Galloping Rhino Chester Zoo Maybe an actual unicorn that looked more like a horse did exist.  I'd like to think so.

I never knew how cashews grew.  It's amazing!  They grow out of the bottom of a fruit. Here's some information: "National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day is observed each year on April 21st. The cashew is a tree from the family Anacardiaceae.   Its English name comes from Portuguese the fruit of the cashew tree  “caju.”   Originally native to Northeastern Brazil, cashew trees are now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew fruit and nuts. Surprisingly, the shell of the cashew nut is toxic, which is why the cashew is shelled before it is sold to consumers.  The cashew nut is a very popular snack with a rich flavor.  They are a well-known favorite during the holidays, but can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year.  Enjoy the video:

Jan was a tremendous help by suggesting that my seedlings might be from some type of pine tree. (from my post  REFLECTIONS: Is This a Weed ? ) I searched the web and found photos that looked very close to mine. Here is a photo of my seedling: I now have two seedlings in the same ceramic pot. My wife Lynette suggested putting them in separate larger flexible plastic pots to make it easier to transplant when they grow larger. I'll let you know how it progresses.

I found this plant in one of my flowerpots last year.  It looked too good to discard so I left it in the pot.  It survived the winter and I want to see what it will grow into. I carefully dug it up and found this very long root.  It's more than twice the length of the plant! I found another identical plant while I was working.  It's root was much shorter. It's the plant to the left. I hope they live and maybe even grow into trees.  But they could only be weeds. Does anyone know what they might be?  I could not find it on Google.

This simple corkscrew is like the one my father used.  Surfing through the web I found some interesting ones, especially a very complicated machine for removing corks. This is the type of bottle opener I own.  It's only a little more complicated than the first one. This must be an antique model.  I have no idea how it works. Below is a video of the complicated bottle opener I was telling you about: I think the gun hammer is a bottle opener. Open it without a corkscrew. This is a sort of erotic model.   

The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione.   I've never heard of them but the video is interesting in a strange sort of way. "Palmer expounds on the many advantages an artificial partner has over real ones in a tick-tock rhythm reminiscent of  automata .  The song has broad overtones of loneliness and a desire for a relationship with idealized physical affection  but no personal sacrifice  or chance of getting emotionally hurt."  ~Wikipedia The video may seem "stuck" in the middle but it's part of the song.

The other day I cleaned out the drain at the bottom of the stairway leading to my basement.  I reused a tray from the garden store when I purchased plants a few years ago.  There's a collection of them and plastic flower pots in my garage that were never discarded. The water flowing down the steps wash the leaves into the drain.  But the tray prevents them from clogging it. Now I clean away the leaves and am left with a clear drain.  There's no rush to do this because the tray keeps the leaves away. I turn the tray upside down and place it over the drain.  It works, prevents puddles.