Little Libraries in our Neighborhood

We, our neighborhood have “creative” way to swap the books, by creating a kind of little libraries.

Image 1- A little library attached to the wall

People in our neighborhood also call this little library as:

- books swap box
- books donation bin

Uniquely, this library opens 24 hours a week, no holiday, no closing hours and sure, no librarians.

Why?

Image 2- A street, just for illustration

Image 3- Another little library

Image 4- We can open library by ourselves

It is because there is no lock, hence, everyone can “open and close” the library anytime they wish. Then, what the meaning of books swap?

A neighbor can take one book, but he or she leaves one in its place. So, a neighbor has a book to put in there when taking one.

She or he can do it again and again in other days. In addition to swap, a neighbor may donate books as many as she or he wish.

I read from internet that this tradition was start in Europe. Many European countries practicing this kind of books swap.

How about with your country? Are there books swap tradition?

# Previous postings:

- Can Six Dolar Drug Kill Covid 19 Virus? - Healthy Life 3
- Hot Summer in the USA – Temperature above 40 Celsius degree – Nature 6
- Which One Has Vitamin C more - Red Bell Pepper or Orange? - Healthy Life 4
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Alligator in the Nearby Neighborhood - Nature 7

Is It Safe to Consume Foods after Expiration Date? - Part 1 – Food 16

Surprisingly that no federal regulation to impose “product dating.” However, foods for infant are required to include “expire dating.”

Image 1- Sardine in the cans

The institution called as “Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)” requests voluntarily to label of dating some products.

Yes, quite strange for me that not all foods are required to put stickers or inks of expired dates, including:

- meat
- poultry
- eggs

Image 2- Infant formula

Image 3- Use by Sep 23 of infant formula

Image 4- Food preserved in the bottle

We may find the following phrases in the market, especially at the big groceries in the USA:

- use by
- sell by
- best if used before

“Use by” phrase means “the last date recommended for the use of the product.” Thus, not a safety date.

Phrase of “sell by” is used by a store management to display the products for sale to consumers. It is not relate to quality or safety of products.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : What is Coronasomnia? - Healthy Life 2
- Can Six Dolar Drug Kill Covid 19 Virus? - Healthy Life 3
- Hot Summer in the USA – Temperature above 40 Celsius degree – Nature 6
- Which One Has Vitamin C more - Red Bell Pepper or Orange? - Healthy Life 4

The Royal Ponciana Tree in the Neighborhood – Nature 30

Royal Poinciana tree also known as Flamboyant tree. These unusual and hard to find trees in our neighborhood, here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Image 1- Flowers of Royal Ponciana Tree

I saw the yellow flowers of Royal Ponciana Tree in our neighborhood. I never seen other color yet. Yellow might favorite color for neighbors.

However, from internet searching that in addition to yellow, the colors of flowers could be:

- red
- orange
- scarlet
- or combines of red and orange.

Image 2- A Sweet cat, walking on the floor

Image 3- A harmless box turtle

Image 4- A baby Royal Ponciana Tree

The scientific name of Royal Ponciana is (Delonix regia), and origin of tree from tropical, Madagascar, Africa.

We can observe this tree in the southern states of USA. It is commonly seen growing in south Florida. We have seen in Key West area, Florida.

You might find this tree gorws in the other states include:

- Louisiana
- Texas
- Mississippi and Alabama

Have you seen beautiful flowers of Royal Ponciana Tree?

# Previous postings:

- Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3
- Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
- White Azaleas in the City Garden – Nature 5
- The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5

A Chemist who Loves to Cook – Part 1 - Reading 11

The bright orange color with a cute illustration of this book was attractive and charming, “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus.

It seems a serious reading following the word “lessons” even more “in Chemistry”.

Image 1- Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry

I was so excited to read this novel, what the chemistry things in this book. This book is the first edition (2022), 386 pages, published by Doubleday.

If you are thinking, this book will challenge you about your memory of some chemistry courses from schools, it could be the chemistry language for salt and water.

Moreover, this is a fabulous book about a bright chemist lady who recognize as a famous cooking show “Supper at Six”

Image 2- Purple flower in the summer

The story back to year 1961. The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, is a Chemist. She works in the research center, Hasting Research Institute, that dominance by male.

At work she met Calvin Evans, a brilliant, lonely, Noble Prize nominated guy.

Image 3- Just for illustration

Garmus, the author, portrayed how the first time Elizabeth had conversation with Evans in the Chemistry Lab.

Image 4- A house in the city, illustration

From here, we also know how the Chemistry Lab in the past with all the graduates, beakers, and Bunsen burners.

It is a lovely first meeting between the two scientists. Elizabeth needs some beakers for her chemistry research, then finally she gets them in Evans’ room.

Evans does not know that she is also a scientist until he walks down to her room, then asks her about his beakers, but she ignores him, and she keeps busy doing her job with Bunsen burner.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Snow Storm in Our City Baton Rouge – Nature 2
- Snowy Owl Re-Appearing after Hiding for 130 years – Nature 3
- Paris in the Eyes of Vincent Van Gogh - Art 1
- How Many Animals Are Expected to Extinct by 2050? - Nature 4

Scan and Go at Walmart Shopping Center

First time when I came to Walmart, the biggest super center in the USA about 17 years ago, where each counter has own cashier, no automatic scanning at all.

Image 1- Self Scanning Machine

Then, there are a few self scanning, but there is someone to take care payment either by credit card or cash or even by cheque.

Since 4 years ago, 2018, almost all counters of Walmart groceries are automatic.

We take care ourselves, from scanning the goods, put and arrange in the plastic bags and do payment.

The payment by credit or debit card only. No cash payments or cheques.

Image 2- Medical drugs sold in Supermarket

Actually, the self scanning system is not new, first invented by Howard Schneider and applied by the supermarket, called the Price Chopper in New York in 1992.

Image 3- Chocolate, sold in Walmart

Then automatic machines were copied by many supermarket across America since 1997.

Image 4- No cashiers anymore

In addition to automatic check out, the Walmart offers shopping through online system.

We can order everything from computer devices to electronics to prescription drugs to tools and equipments to grocery items in order to avoid crowd in the checkout lines.

Then, we could pick up after the store completed our orders.

This is new thing for me. Quite difficult to adjust for me at first. However, technology changes can’t be avoided, we must face of its.

What do you think?

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Injured Hawk on the Street then Fly Away – Nature 29

We just found a hawk lying down on the street nearby our neighborhood. We don’t know why.

Image 1- Bird on the street

We think that there are several possibilities that why hawk is lying down on the street, some of them:

1) Hawk hits running car
2) Catching preys, then hit ground
3) Avoiding predators, then hit ground

As you might know, some predators that attacked hawk are:

- eagles
- owls and bigger hawks

Image 2- Red and Pink tulips.

Honestly, we don’t know what real causes of the hawk lying down on the roadside of our neighborhood.

Image 3- Beautiful flowers

We saw that the bird was probably injured, we then touch the hawk. After observing carefully, we thought the bird is only stunned even though it looked very weak or dead

Since its try to fly from our hand, as soon as we throw it to the air. The hawk come strong, and sure it fled away.

The bird disappeared from our eyes just in several minutes. However, we don’t know whether the bird suffered from brain injury and internal bleeding despite initially flying off.

What do you think?

# Previous postings:

- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 1
- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 2
- Important of Microorganisms in Food Industry – Healthy Life 1
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1

Crape Myrtle Blooming in the Summer – Nature 28

We know that many flowers blooming in the spring, but some flowers include Crape Myrtle blooming in the summer.

Image 1 – Red Crape Myrtle

Almost all houses in our neighborhood grow this kind of flower, sure with different colors.

We recognize at least four colors both in our neighborhood areas and nearby roads:

- red
- white
- purple
- pink

Image 2- Tend to pink color

Image 3- Purple color

Image 4- White of Crape Myrtle

Image 5- Crape Myrtle on the roadside

Based on internet searching, one author, John Barrat (2018: Crape myrtle trees aren’t native to the U.S., but hungry native birds still find them tasty) reported that this flower is come from Asia.

The origin of Crape myrtle from countries such as:

- China
- Korea
- and other hot temperature areas.

Since temperature of our city, Baton Rouge, LA could reach F 100 (C 38) degree, it is not surprising this flower grow very well.

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- Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1