I regularly listen to the “Geo Quiz” podcast from PRI’s The World radio show. A recent episode focused on wheelchairs in the third world. I learned there is a designer based in Nicaragua who won a MacArthur “genius grant” for his innovative work, designing wheelchairs that can easily maneuver the poor road conditions found in many developing nations. Apparently the designs are much more innovative than in the US, and much more affordable. One key feature is that they use common bicycle parts, so that anyone who can repair a bike (many such people in developing nations!) can repair the wheelchair. They release their wheelchair designs to the public domain rather than protect them by patent - how cool is that?

For more info, listen to the geo quiz and visit the web site for the organization (Whirlwind Wheelchair International). And watch this video to get a really good sense of how much better they are under tricky conditions.

Last week on my second time out (collecting for Z-boy’s class), I collected a ladybug pupa that was much paler than the others and didn’t have many spots. I wondered if this meant it was going to be a yellow beetle without spots (these multi-colored asian lady beetles have a wide color range), or if this meant it was a young pupa. I took another look at it later that evening, and it was orange and spotted. Was I imagining things? Had it really been yellow and spotless earlier? So imagine my excitement this morning when I noticed that the largest of my larvae was started to pupate, and it was in fact pale yellow without any spots. I kept my camera close at hand today, and documented the color change over four to five hours. Cool, huh? Now if I could just find out why they do those push-ups… (click on image for larger view)

Last spring, we collected some tadpoles and watched them turn into toads. I documented the various stages of growth in a photoset that is available on Flickr.

Then last Monday, we were collecting invertebrates to give the classroom support staff on our project some experience with the curricular activities. Underneath one of the maple trees, I found a veritable treasure trove of ladybird beetle (aka ladybug) larvae, feasting on an abundance of aphids. Harkening back to my tadpole experience of the spring, I decided to collect some and watch them go through their metamorphosis. I also took some in to Z-boy’s class, because their science and social study units both currently focus on life stages.

This photo shows three of the life stages together (more photos at Flickr). The black and orange thing at the top (and the thing disappearing under the edge of the leaf) is a larva (like the caterpillar stage in a butterfly). Right in the middle of the photo is a pupa (similar to cocoon/chrysalis). The bottom right is an adult ladybird beetle. I’m not sure exactly when the adults emerged, because I didn’t check much over the weekend, but obviously it was before today! These are all the multi-colored Asian lady beetle species (scientific name: Harmonia axyridis).

I went to get more aphids to feed the larva yesterday, and found two more larvae of different sizes. I’m going to try to keep better track of when they hit the different stages.

Even though I know they’re not “dead” or anything, I’ve always assumed that pupae would stay still. So imagine my surprise when I saw them doing “pushups” - raising up the end that is not attached to the leaf. (Maybe headstand would be a more appropriate term?) Sometimes the end stays raised for minutes at a time, sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes in happens multiple times in fast succession. I have no idea what this is, and my brief web search is not revealing any scientific explanation. The largest of the larvae has stopped moving and started doing this same hind end lifting thing - maybe it’s about to pupate? Hmmm, maybe I should get out the video camera…

Z-boy copied this recipe out of a book at school and brought it home. He made one the other night (using vanilla ice cream instead of fruit flavored frozen yogurt), and then shared it with me. We both thought it was pretty good, but he said the honey added a “weird taste.” You definitely could taste the honey, but that’s only “weird” if you don’t like the taste of honey. I guess he doesn’t! When he thought we were out of honey he suggested using maple syrup instead, but insisted on honey when we found it in the pantry. I think I would have preferred maple syrup (since I love maple flavor), but deferred to my little drink master. Next time, he’s going to make it without honey or maple syrup. After all, when you’re starting with ice cream and chocolate syrup, why add sweeteners?

This drawing was also on the sheet of paper. I forgot to ask whether or not this was also in the book, or if it’s his own interpretation of a milk shake.

The state of New Mexico was the first to adopt an official state cookie (the bizcochito - come to my house around Christmas and you can try some!) Now it looks like Michigan State University (aka the “Spartans”) is trying to get in on the action. Behold, I present you the recipe for their official cookie:

Okay, not really. Spartan is the store brand at my primary grocery store, and this is from the back of a bag of Spartan brand chocolate chips. But you have to admit, it’s pretty darn goofy!

Here’s what we had for dinner tonight, based on a recipe in 365 Great Soups & Stews. The original calls for cooking chicken to make your own stock as the first step. It’s more of a “weeknight supper” if you use pre-cooked chicken, as I did here.

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced fine
1 garlic clove, minced fine
olive oil
5 cups chicken stock (i used bouillon to make mine)
pre-cooked chicken
1 cup fusilli (or other pasta)
2 cups chopped arugula

1. Sauté onion and sweet pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add garlic and sauté a few more minutes (don’t allow the garlic to burn).
2. Add chicken stock to pan and bring to a boil.
3. Add chicken and fusilli. (Can add salt to taste - I didn’t need it, due to the bouillon.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
3. Add arugula (and up to 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs). Simmer until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.

As the recipe states, “Arugula is a type of salad green with a peppery, mustard flavor. When cooked, it loses its peppery quality and becomes nutty and mellow.” I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s true! This is a good thing, since (as mentioned before), Jonski Papa doesn’t really like arugula. But he does like this soup, so we can use up the arugula much more quickly than if I were limited to salads.

Local ingredients: onion, garlic, pepper, arugula. Chicken from a neighboring state.