First Frost

The first frost occurred on October 17.It was a light frost,not a killer.Now the temperatures are on the upswing,giving us Indian summer.The honeybees will continue to visit the old field aster on the property,and wasps will use the Canada goldenrod.Letting these wildflowers grow,supporting the pollinators,is one of the most important actions a land manager can take.Without the pollinators,we are nothing.The full range of plant life,the basis of the food chain,cannot subsist without them.Wildlife and human alike are short-changed then.

Green Ship Awaits Commissioning

On 24 October,the USS Makin Island(LHD 8),an amphibious assault ship,will be commissioned at her homeport,San Diego.The Makin Island is characterized by operational upgrades and environmentally-conscious features.The ship will run on 28,000 dollars less worth of fuel than previous LHDs.She has a gas turbine electric propulsion system which is the equivalent of a hybrid car engine.Above a speed of 12 knots,she will run on gas;below 12 knots,she will run on electricity.There are no boilers or steam systems.Everything is electric,which is safer and improves operational readiness.The gas turbine engine can reach full power in five minutes;a steam plant takes up to a day to do that.
On the Makin Island,there is no steam-to-water process.Instead,water is chlorinated with salt.She has the most advanced machinery control system.The engineering plant is pretty much completely automated.She is truly a leaner and greener warship.
The commanding officer,Captain Robert Kopas,says that,by using these efficient,environmentally-conscious systems,it's not only going to help our nation,but the world as a whole.Northrop Grumman built the new warship.

New England Aster Blooming

New England aster has been blooming along hedgerows and roadsides,as well as in meadows and woodlot clearings.The purple flowers are found from southern Canada to the Carolina hills.They are a favorite source of nectar for migrating monarch butterflies.The closely-related New York aster occurs in wet meadows and along the shore.Both plants are among the most-admired wildflowers in the Middle Atlantic region,and there are many cultivars of them.

Blair Reveals Intelligence Scope

Admiral Dennis C. Blair,U.S. Navy retired,Director of National Intelligence,revealed the scope of U.S. intelligence operations to journalists recently.Mr.Blair was going over his four year blueprint for national intelligence when he disclosed that the U.S. activity is a 200,000 person,75 billion dollar operation.About half of the personnel are in the civilian intelligence agencies,and half in the military,according to previously disclosed figures,and the civilian budget was 47.5 billion in fiscal 2008.That would make the military intelligence budget about 27.5 billion dollars.Admiral Blair refused to give further details,such as how many personnel are in each of the many agencies or what the money was spent on.He just wanted to give a rough idea of how much was involved,the retired sailor said.
Raytheon is a prominent contractor in the intelligence field.It claims that its technology forms the eyes,ears and brains of intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

Color Surprise

Red maples have started turning in the Pennsylvania woodlot.Poison ivy has been brilliant red for some time.The autumn foliage of this common vine belies the suffering it causes many if they happen to touch it.It is the first of the plants to turn here.Probably few laymen realize that the color they've been admiring is poison ivy climbing up the trunks of all those trees.The fall display is the flip side of this native plant's existence in civilization.

Change 2.0

There is no doubt now about what season it is.Canadian air has started to flow into the Mid-Atlantic region.Though it isn't bone-chilling,it's cool enough for a sweater or light jacket-at least in the mornings.Hopefully the mosquitoes are done for now.We've all had quite enough of those vicious critters.Some furnaces have been turned on,and thoughts are turning to buying a pumpkin for the porch,if you haven't grown one yourself.

Gold Star Families Honored

The White House Commission on Remembrance hosted its fourth annual salute to Gold Star families-those who have lost a member to war-on the west lawn of the Capitol Saturday.About 2,000 families whose members died in Iraq and Afghanistan were honored.Attending were Admiral Michael Mullen,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,and General George W. Casey,Jr.,Army Chief of Staff and himself a Gold Star family member,his father having been killed in the Vietnam war.Each motherless or fatherless child received a gold medallion on a ribbon lanyard.Many of them were under 10 years old.The Armed Forces Color Guard paraded the 50 state flags,and Admiral Mullen,a frequent visitor to graves at Arlington National Cemetery,shook hands and spoke with the Gold Star sons and daughters.They have become so special to their nation in these historic times.