Gardeners, unfortunately most of us are pressed for time and due to our time constraints, we tend to shop for everything hurriedly! Many of us shop for plants in the same manner, quickly, without regard to the plant label instructions (planting instructions listed on the reverse side of the label-though instructions are vague at best). For most annual bedding plants, perennials, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees it isn’t a huge issue and can often be managed simply by amending the soil as plants are planted, especially if new plants are placed in existing garden locations. There are numerous plant exceptions we as gardeners should be mindful of, plants that require specific soil types, such as acidic soil in which to thrive. There is a vast array of plants which are classified as “acid-loving’ plants which include: evergreens, rhododendron, hydrangea, camelia, azalea, and blueberry to name a few. Before I continue, note it is always best to have your garden soil analyzed before planting, to understand exactly the amendments needed the amount for optimal plant growth. Today we’re going to focus on growing blueberries and getting them to thrive in our Southeast TX climate.

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Chilean swimmer, Bárbara Hernández, has broken the Guinness World Record for swimming a distance of 1.55 miles in the frigid waters of Antarctica, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. And she did it wearing nothing more than a simple onepiece swimsuit in the 2.2 degrees Celsius waters off the coast of Greenwich Island. She had a purpose in mind when she decided to take a dip in some of the coldest waters on the planet. As she put it, 'Swimming in Antarctica has been a dream I've had for years, and part of my longtime ambition to swim in parts of all seven of the world's oceans. Physically it has been incredibly tough, but all worth it if the message on the need for urgent action to protect these amazing waters reaches decisionmakers.'

Exterminators were called in when the owners of a home in Sonoma County, CA started seeing maggots and mealworms coming out of a bedroom wall. At first the pest control technician assumed that a small animal may have found its way into the wall. But he discovered that woodpeckers had been poking holes in the home’s chimney stack to stash acorns, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. So, he went back inside and cut a hole in the wall and, sure enough, out came a lot of acorns-- an estimated 700 pounds of acorns. He figured the pesky woodpeckers had been at it for several years.

At today's meeting of the Rotary Club of Vidor Texas, Vidor High School students of the month from December and January were treated to a luncheon, recognized with a certificate, and had a book put on the Green Bus in their honor.

Strange as it may seem, surgeons in Italy recently performed brain surgery on a patient who performed on his saxophone during the operation, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. They explained that it helped them map the brain’s functionality was they cut away. Chief surgeon, Dr. Christian Brogna, explained that 'Awake surgery makes it possible to map with extreme precision during surgery the neuronal networks that underlie the various brain functions such as playing, speaking, moving, remembering, counting.'

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