| Norfolk Botanical Garden demonstrating conservation method
The small building where visitors buy tickets for boat rides at Norfolk Botanical Garden is now one of the garden displays, rather than simply an adjunct structure. The building's cedar shingles are gone and in their place is a green roof, a living bed of succulents such as sedums and hens and chicks. The year-round roof will be a natural part of the growing season along with all the rest of the garden's plant beds. Come spring and summer, the succulent roof will bloom and hens will produce chicks. Come fall, many will turn a rich red, pink or chartreuse, said Melissa Butler, herbaceous plants curator at the garden. "They are really very pretty in fall," Butler added. But unlike other plants in the garden, pretty is as pretty does for these succulents.
U.S. security turning border into parking lot, envoy warns
WASHINGTON U.S. Customs and Border Protection should review and reduce excessive security measures at the Canada-U.S. line or risk turning it into a parking lot, Ambassador Michael Wilson told the agency Wednesday. Idling trucks on both sides of the border aren't secure or profitable, he said, and fees are being slapped several times on the same products as parts travel back and forth during manufacturing. .
Pairings: Potstickers to match Pinot Noir bring properity for the ...
In China, red is an auspicious, lucky color. It is also the color for Chinese New Year. The 2008 Lunar New Year (the Year of the Rat) began yesterday, so this week's wine - Carneros Pinot Noir - is a perfect fit. Pinot Noir, one of the most food-friendly reds around, gets a pairing boost from Carneros' typical characteristics: moderate weight, red fruit and zingy acidity. Add generally lower alcohol levels (around 13.5 to 14 percent) and it's a red wine fit for many Chinese dishes, including those with a hint of chile heat. Cherry, red raspberry and strawberry fruit aromas and flavors will support but not overpower Chinese ingredients like oyster sauce, soy sauce and fermented black beans. The contrast of salty-savory sauces to tart red fruit is a complementary match.
Beaverdam community was once the target of nuclear waste repository
No admittance. One hundred and five square miles encompassing the entire Beaverdam community in Haywood County, Buncombe Countys Sandy Mush area and a slice of Madison County, extending almost, but not quite, to Hot Springs. No access to Crabtree Bald, the Rough Creek watershed or the Newfound Mountains. No residents. No churches. All off limits and property of the U.S. Department of Energy. This scenario loomed as a horrific possibility after a January 1986 announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that an area in the three counties was among 12 potential sites for location of a high level nuclear waste repository, named the Elk River Complex SE-5. Jack and Eileen Rice, of Beaverdam, were horrified when their pastor, the Rev. Kyles Wallace of Beaverdam United Methodist Church, broke the news on a Sunday morning.
|
