Things you can do at home but probably shouldn’t – April

Science Dog

Blowing (Up) Hydrogen Bubbles

A dramatic demonstration -- with exclusive video! -- of why the same gas that heats your house can also make it explode
By Theodore Gray

Living in the Midwest, where heating homes with propane is common, I periodically see reports in the local paper that yet another unoccupied house has exploded. They often note that the roof was found in the basement, while the walls were spread some distance into the neighboring fields.

To see the video and read more click Blowing (Up) Hydrogen Bubbles.


Making Glass in a Grill [With Video!]

The author creates an ornament—using his barbecue
By Theodore Gray

All the components of glass can be found in two places: the beach and the laundry room. It’s possible to melt pure white-silica beach sand into glass, but only at temperatures of 3,000 to 3,500°F. Washing soda, lime or borax (a traditional laundry aid) added to the sand disrupts the quartz-crystal structure of silica and reduces the required temperature to a more practical, though still dangerous, 2,000°F, which I achieved with a backyard grill and a vacuum cleaner. Glass is thought to have been discovered around 7,000 years ago by Phoenician merchants when cooking fires were built over sand that, by chance, had some of these substances mixed in.

To see the video and read more click Making Glass in a Grill.

Abby Wit & Wisdom

• It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.


• A fellow who is always declaring he’s no fool usually has his suspicions.


• Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.
  

DogMatch.com

I am not sold on using DogMatch.com. I put in my profile and pushed the search button and this is what I got. Hope you have better luck.

Woof

Abby

Texas Marshmallow Crop

Texas marshmallow crop takes a hit
and keeps on growing!

Marshmallow farmers in Aberdeen Texas recovered well from the early March freeze, recording more than $6 million in gross income.

“It was a bumper crop,” County Extension Agent Marvin Owings said.

(click on the pictures for a larger view)
Last year the Easter freeze devastated the crop. The region warmed early in the year and the marshmallow plants were in full bloom when temperatures plunged into the low 20s and high teens. The flowers froze solid, killing any chance of a large marshmallow crop.

This year was a different story. Collingsworth County had relatively good weather and benefited from an increase in demand for processed and puffed marshmallows. The county harvested 98 percent of a full crop, and had a total gross income of $6.2 million.

“As far as yield and crop and prices, I think everybody was pleased,” said Adam Pryor, Red River Marshmallow Growers Association president. “Especially given that the year before was a total failure.”

The county harvested 858,294 bushels of marshmallows that sold in bulk, 268,217 bushels that sold in tray packs, 536,434 bushels that sold in bags, and 804,650 bushels of marshmallows that sold for crispy treats.

Help from Mother Nature
Collingsworth County benefited from bad weather in other parts of the country. Processed marshmallow buyers purchased large quantities using several cold storage facilities that had not been used for four of five years. They were drafted into service because of the increased demand.

“That had a very large impact with the process industry,” Pryor said. “There was just a huge demand for Collingsworth County marshmallows, because of the shortages in other areas.”

Owings stressed the figures are just the gross income recorded by growers. It does not represent the cost of growing and harvesting the marshmallows.

Last year was a tough year for input costs. Fuel prices were at record levels and marshmallow seed and fertilizer costs were high, he said. This hurt the overall profits of many growers.

“Fuel was a big issue last year,” Pryor said.

The only negative aspect of the 2009 growing season was two hail events and wind damage. The Buck Creek area got hit with heavy winds on February 11. The Rolla area got hit by hail on Aug 7. The events damaged the crop, forcing growers to sell battered fruit as marshmallow pulp, which garners less money.

It’s looking like another good year for the county’s marshmallow growers. The weather is forecast to be cool this year, and the region has received some gentle, soaking rains that will help marshmallow planting recover from the drought conditions in 2008.

“We are looking forward to another good year,” Owings said. “Hoping next years April Fools day is as much fun as this one.”