September 8, 2023

Overview for this week.

1. The Princess of Tonga made an emotional visit to Lahaina this week showing cultural support for Maui and its large Tongan community.

2. We look a little deeper into the strong cultural bond between the geographically separated Polynesian groups.

3. September promises to offer many celestial events, culminating with a super harvest moon at the end of the month.

4. Dr. Fox is getting ready to offer online classes beginning this month and has made video of his July workshop available to the Flock.

5. In our disaster preparedness series we look at what to do if you live in an area prone to landslides.

6. We catch up with a rising star in women's tennis, Zoe Crimmel, and share her new blog.

7. In Wellness we look at the 10 healthiest nuts and the drawbacks of eating too many.

8. In the Book Corner we complete our series on The Chronicles of Narnia with the final three titles.

9. Our favorite mezzo-soprano Linda Collazo shares her fall performance schedule with the Flock.

10. We get the bird's eye view of a Kestrel pair raising their brood.

11. In the Pet's Corner we go on patrol with our favorite mouser Fern.

Now, to this weeks Flock.

This past Monday the Princess of Tonga made a royal visit to Lahaina as a show of support and compassion for the people of Hawaii affected by the recent wildfire. There is a tight cultural bond between Tonga and Hawaii. Maui itself, has a large Tongan population. The visit was an expression of 'Ohana, the belief among Polynesian cultures that despite the vast distances between groups they are all connected as a family.

From: Hawaii News Now, By: Chelsea Davis, September 4, 2023

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The devastation in Lahaina has captured the attention of the world, garnering a presidential visit and even words of support from King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla.

On Monday, there was another royal visit. This time, it brought together Maui’s Tongan community. At Kanaha Beach Park in Kahului, dozens gathered and grieved alongside the Princess of Tonga, Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mataʻaho Napua Okalani Tukuʻaho.

She spent the afternoon with residents in a showcase of culture and support. During the gathering, songs and dances were on display along with stories from Lahaina residents. At times, it moved the princess to tears.

Royal visit on Maui is bringing the Tongan community together in a time of sorrow

Over the past millennium Polynesian seafarers spread out across the Pacific Ocean and colonized remote islands over a vast area. A key to surviving in such remote areas was the ability to maintain communication and cooperation between isolated communities. Each group developed and still maintains their own unique culture while also sharing common cultural beliefs and a strong bond of kinship that remains intact today.

From: Australian Museum, By: Dr. Stan Florek, September 4, 2014

Polynesian people settled numerous islands in the area defined by a triangle with the sides of over 7,000 km long, spanning New Zealand in the south-west, Easter Island in the east and Hawaii in the north, over the equator. All three groups of islands (the largest New Zealand) were occupied between 700 and 1000 years ago. The entire population, at its highest, probably reached about a quarter of a million people. It is estimated that Polynesians numbered about 265,000 in 1800 and about 163,600 in 1850 – one eighth of the current population of Bali, comparable to the present population of Darwin or Hobart.

Speaking variants of the same Austronesian language and sharing numerous cultural traits as well as common origin, Polynesians inhabited the largest territorial estate, scattered through about a thousand islands and archipelagos. Long-term settlement on smaller islands was possible only by maintaining constant communication and exchange network between them. This networking resulted in the formation of the most extensive maritime culture in the world. In addition it was the geographically largest and most dispersed cultural entity ever formed.

Like people of Southeast Asia before them, Polynesians proved that the ocean was not an obstacle but rather a conduit for communication and contacts. But they proved it on the scale that is breath-taking even with modern means of seafaring.

From: Wikipedia

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a family-centered cultural tourist attraction and living museum located in Laie, on the northern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The Polynesia Cultural Center encompasses eight simulated tropical villages, in which performers demonstrate various arts and crafts from throughout Polynesia.

Keep your eyes on the night sky this month. September promises the chance to see the planets Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury and the newly discovered comet Nishimura. A super harvest moon will visit us September 28th and 29th.

From: Travel + Leisure, By: StePHanie Vermillion, September 1, 2023

It’ll be tough to top last month’s two supermoons, but September has a host of night-sky fun in store. We have planet sightings, the year’s last supermoon, a potential comet sighting, and it’s one of the last months of the year to spot the Milky Way core, according to Photopills. It’s also the return of the long-awaited aurora borealis season in the northern hemisphere.

Speaking of the lights, September offers some of the best aurora-chasing odds. Historically, lights chasers can enjoy an uptick in aurora activity around the equinoxes, including this month’s fall equinox, according to Popular Science. This has to do with strong geomagnetic storms and the tilt of the Earth’s axis. With solar maximum — the roughly 11-year peak of auroral activity — nearing, the northern lights odds are increasingly in our favor.

From: Newsweek, By: Jess Thompson, September 4, 2023

Gorgeous auroras were seen rippling across the night sky in unusually southern states on Saturday, when a G2-class geomagnetic storm had been predicted to hit the Earth.

The northern lights were seen across the U.S., including spectacular green lights over Lake Michigan, with a red-hued aurora even being visible using night-time settings on phone cameras as far south as Colorado and Missouri.

Comet Nishimura will shine its brightest in the night sky this weekend.

From: Phys.org, By: Agence France Presse, September 6, 2023

A comet called Nishimura discovered just a month ago could be visible to the naked eye this weekend, offering stargazers a once-in-a-437-year chance to observe the celestial visitor.

The ball of rock and ice, whose exact size remains unknown, is named after the Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura who first spotted it on August 11.

The blue supermoon is seen behind Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

BuzzFeed has assembled a gallery of photos of the August 30th blue supernoon from around the world.

From: BuzzFeed, By: Joseph Longo, September 1, 2023

Here's a stunning photo as seen from London of a plane flying by the blue supermoon.

Dr. Fox will be offering a series of online classes beginning in September. Every class will have a teaching, a discussion, and a guided meditation. You will receive a written synopsis of the teaching and a recording of the guided meditation to practice between classes.

To receive up-to-date class schedule and registration information, sign up to Dr. Fox's mailing list at the Institute of Personal and Transpersonal Knowledge.

As promised, Dr. Fox has made video excerpts from his July 29th workshop available to the Flock. Below you can watch a total of more than two hours of his July 29th Workshop.

Hayward Fox Workshop Part 1 [41:25]

Hayward Fox Workshop Part 2 [1:21:29]

5. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Landslides

Rockslide on California State Route 70 in the Feather River Canyon, Butte/Plumas county line, northern California. This slide was triggered on October 24, 2021 by a Category 5 atmospheric river, which released more than ten inches of rain in the area over a 48-hour period. Approximately seven thousand cubic yards of rock and debris buried and closed the highway.

From: American Red Cross

Landslides have occurred in almost every state and can cause significant damage. The term landslide describes downhill earth movements that can move slowly and cause damage gradually, or move rapidly, destroying property and taking lives suddenly and unexpectedly. Most landslides are caused by natural forces or events, such as heavy rain and snowmelt, shaking due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and gravity. Landslides are typically associated with periods of heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt and tend to worsen the effects of flooding. Areas burned by forest and brush fires are also particularly susceptible to landslides.

Landslides generally happen in areas where they have occurred in the past. Learn about your area’s landslide risk. Landslides can also be referred to as mudslides, debris flows, mudflows or debris avalanches.

• Assembling an emergency preparedness kit.
• Creating a household evacuation plan that includes your pets.
• Staying informed about your community’s risk and response plans.
• Ensuring each family member knows how to get back in touch if you are separated during an emergency.
• Download the Emergency App for iPhone or for Android

• Learn about local emergency response and evacuation plans.
• Talk to everyone in your household about what to do if a landslide occurs.
• Create and practice an evacuation plan for your family and your business.
• Assemble and maintain an emergency preparedness kit.
• Become familiar with the land around where you live and work so that you understand your risk in different situations.
• Watch the patterns of storm water drainage on slopes near your home, especially where runoff water converges.
• Create and practice an evacuation plan for your family and your business.
• Assemble and maintain an emergency preparedness kit.

Gatlinburg Tennessee Rockslide Breaks Through Safety Netting, Crashing onto Parking Lot, September 1, 2023.

6. THE NEXT GEN: Catching Up With Zoe Crimmel

We're checking back in with the Flock's favorite budding tennis star, Zoe Crimmel. We last checked in with Zoe in our June 23, 2023, issue and this week we have an update. 

Zoe has her own newsletter, 'Where in World is Zoe' where she shares her progress as a professional tennis player and her thoughts on other issues as well. Zoe has expanded her newsletter into a "real online blog" where she writes with a command of many topics and a compassion beyond her years. We at the Flock are in Zoe's corner and enjoy keeping up with her journey through professional tennis and the greater world. You can read her blog and sign up for email updates in your in-box here.

7. WELLNESS: Nuts

From: BBC good food, By: Kerry Torres, March 30, 2023

Nuts offer numerous health benefits, from supporting a healthy heart to potentially protecting against cancer – find out which nut is packed full of calcium, which has the lowest fat and calorie content and which makes the perfect addition to a plant-focused diet.

What are nuts?

Nuts are nutrient dense, edible seed kernels encased in a hard shell; and include almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachios, as well as cashews, pine nuts, pecans, macadamias and Brazil nuts. Although chestnuts (Castanea sativa) are tree nuts, they differ from the other common varieties because they are starchier and lower in fat. Often thought of as a ‘nut,’ peanuts are technically legumes, just like peas and beans.

From: University Hospitals, January 25, 2023

When your stomach rumbles between meals, a handful of nuts is a quick snack that’s tasty and good for you. Delicious and nutritious, nuts are full of fiber, high in protein and contain minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats and other compounds that can greatly benefit your health. And unlike other popular snacks, they are more likely to satisfy your appetite and keep you from reaching for more, less healthy foods.

Nutty for Nuts? Don’t Overdo It

The expression “everything in moderation” is especially important when talking about nut consumption. Because they are such a nutrient- and calorie-dense food, portion control is essential to avoid excess weight gain. More importantly, eating too many nuts can actually lead to food toxicity which can range from mild symptoms to severe illness. In addition, many nut varieties contain the amino acid L-Arginine, which can cause mouth ulcers if you over-indulge.

In general, one ounce of nuts a day is the guideline most dietitians recommend for people without medical contraindications or nut allergies. Some common snack nuts are discussed in more detail in the full article.

8. BOOK CORNER: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

In this week's Book Corner, we are completing our series on titles from The Chronicles of Narnia by author C.S. Lewis. This week we are featuring the final three books: The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle. You can find more on the order of the book's publication, their chronological order and different orders that fans like to read them here.

Don't hesitate to share these tales with your friends, adults too. I recommend family reading nights for all ages. It's a great family activity.

On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself.

The Magician's Nephew

By C.S. Lewis

Illustrated by Pauline Baynes

On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.

The Last Battle

By C.S. Lewis

Illustrated by Pauline Baynes

During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge—not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.

9. PERFORMING ARTS: Linda Collazo Update

10. NATURE: A Kestrel family's struggle to survive spring

From: Youtube, By: Robert E Fuller, February 17, 2022

Robert E Fuller is a British wildlife artist and filmmaker. In this film he documents a pair of Kestrels working together to feed and keep their chicks fed and warm through a cold dry spring. Apollo, the male kestrel hunts and brings food back to the nest so that Athena, the female kestrel can brood and feed the chicks while also defending the nest from intruders.

11. PET'S CORNER: Fern on Patrol

Morning on the porch. Fern ponders where to find the mice.

Fern on the hunt. Time to patrol the high grass.

Office Space Available

I was sitting with my friend Francoise, and she mentioned that she has an office space available for rent at Campbell and River here in Tucson. It's freshly painted and about 650 square feet. I've seen it and it is just lovely. If you're interested give Francoise a call at 520-419-9200.

2200 E River Road, #102

Call Francoise at 520-419-9200

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our second year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

520-818-4433

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