October 13, 2023

Overview for this week.

1. Right now it is really a time to pray for world peace regardless of your religious affiliation, so presented in this week's Flock are a collection of prayers for peace in this world.

2. The conflict and heightened tensions in the greater world can also bring personal stress and anxiety. I would like to remind you that Dr. Fox's guided meditations are available to offer some personal relief.

3. I am presenting an update from CNN on the attack by Hamas and Israel's reaction.

4. Then I wanted to get into The Heavens again, there's been a lot going on up there. Of course, I want to remind everyone to not miss the eclipse on Saturday.

5. With the eclipse coming tomorrow, I was wondering, "What do animals do when the sun disappears?"

6. I also wanted to get into the Kid's Corner again and point out that the Flandrau Planetarium is about more than the stars.

7. I also wanted to give a nod to some young tennis players I recently had the privilege to meet through the Tucson Community Tennis Program. These kids truly know the art of the thank you letter.

8. A great family activity to get into the Halloween spirit is to visit the Glowing Pumpkins exhibit at Tohono Chul Gardens.

9. I wanted to give Simone Biles a shout out in the Athletes Corner for her recent gold at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. This is what champions do, they come back!

10. Another shout out goes to Katalin Karikó, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. During her years of research leading up to the prize, Katalin also raised a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Because that is what mothers do.

11. Then we go to the Wellness section and look at the research behind therapeutic ice baths.

12. Fall is canning season. We'll provide tips on how to safely can and preserve foods at home.

13. This week in the Pet's Corner we meet Liam. Liam's taking in the sights of West Virginia and a little chilly and homesick for the warm, dry southwest. Baby Zeus also makes an appearance on a walk with sister Zuri.

Now, to this weeks Flock.

With the violent attack on Israel this last weekend, it has been brought to my attention that regardless of your nationality or religious affiliation, it's time to pray for world peace. So, I would like to present some prayers for world peace in this week's Flock. The first I've included below is from the Devon Faith & Belief Forum and is not associated with any one religion. Following that, I am providing a link to a collection of prayers for peace from the world's major religions that was compiled by Xavier University.

Being mindful of the interwoven nature of all things, and of the brevity of each life, let us treat everyone as our friend. Letting go of our fear, anger, prejudice and intolerance, let us find that beauty is everywhere and that every life is a precious gift. At peace with ourselves let us be at peace with the world.

From: Xavier University

The following link includes prayers for peace from Christian, Buddhist, Baha'i, Hindu, Jainist, Jewish, Muslim, Native African, Native American, Shinto, Sikh, Sufi, and Zoroastrian faiths.

Peace meditation, non-religious prayer | how to heal divides

In these times of great stress, don't hesitate to visit Dr. Fox's website and try one of the guided meditation audio files that he has posted there. They will help you to relax, gain perspective, and recenter yourself.

To receive up-to-date class and seminar schedules, registration information, and site updates, sign up to Dr. Fox's mailing list.

From: CNN, By:Anbbas Al Lawati, October 12, 2023

Israel has declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on Saturday.

The large-scale surprise assault has left more than 1,200 dead in Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in an update on Wednesday. It prompted a lethal volley of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that has killed at least 1,354 people and injured a further 6,049.

As they retreated into Gaza, the militants claimed to have taken up to 150 hostages with them and have threatened to kill them if airstrikes target Gaza without warning. Israel has pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price and may now be preparing a ground incursion into Gaza.

Locations of Hamas attacks and Israeli strikes

Israel is pounding densely-packed Gaza with airstrikes and militant group Hamas has launched barrage after barrage of rockets toward Israeli cities, following the militant group's unprecedented weekend assault.

I would like to remind everyone that the annular solar eclipse is tomorrow. If you are in Tucson, make sure to get down to the University of Arizona Mall outside of the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium. They will have solar viewing glasses for sale in case you don't have yours yet. You will also have a chance to view the eclipse through a solar telescope. If you are not in Tucson, you can find out how much of the eclipse you'll get to see here.

From: The University of Arizona Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium

Eclipse Timeline

8:12 AM - Partial Annular Solar Eclipse Begins

9:33 AM - Max view (time when the maximum amount of the Sun's disk is covered)

11:05 AM - Partial Annular Solar Eclipse Ends

From: Space.com, By: Tereza Pultarova, September 7, 2023

A newly discovered space rock about 6.5 feet wide (2 meters) zipped past Earth today at a distance five times closer than GPS satellites orbit.

The small asteroid, designated C9FMVU2, was first spotted on Thursday morning (Sept. 7), only a few hours before it made its closest approach to Earth. At 10:25 a.m EDT (1425 GMT), the space rock passed the planet at a distance of only 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) — about 1% of the Earth-moon distance. For comparison, satellites of the U.S. navigational and positioning constellation GPS orbit at an altitude of 12,550 miles (20,200 km). 

Because the asteroid is so small it never posed any danger to Earth, the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a post Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Had the asteroid collided with the planet, it would have burned up in Earth's atmosphere, causing a spectacular fireball. A few small fragments would likely have made it to the planet's surface

From: Space.com, By: Roberta Lee, October 11, 2023

The Milky Way's 'fountain of youth' is made of forbidden stars and water ice

Astronomers have spotted a figurative "stellar fountain of youth" at the heart of the Milky Way. Situated around our galaxy's supermassive black hole, it's an area that holds a shockingly high number of young stars and regions of ice water. 

The discovery was made by an international team of researchers, led by University of Cologne Institute of Astrophysics researcher Florian Peißker, that examined a star cluster close to our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*).

What do animals do during a solar eclipse? Does the disappearance of the sun upset their day? We don't really know, but small changes in animal behavior have been observed during past eclipses. This year, zoos around the world, especially those that are in the direct path of the eclipse will be monitoring and documenting their animals’ reactions to the eclipse.

From: CNN, By: Jen Christensen, August 9, 2023

While most of us will be looking up at the eclipse August 21, you may also want to look around and take a close listen, because something unusual could be happening with the animals on our planet – at least, we think it could.

“There are many more scientific papers about Sasquatch than about animal behavior during an eclipse,” said Adam Hartstone-Rose, adjunct scientist at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has been fielding dozens of calls from the public about what the zoo plans to do for the big day. It and a handful of other animal parks are in the path of full totality. That means, with the full eclipse over their zoos, there’s a chance to enlist the public to see what, if anything, animals are doing when their sun disappears and the temperature drops.

There is so much going on for children right now. I want to remind The Flock that Flandrau is much more than a planetarium and features exhibits that are not just about what is in the heavens, but also what is under the sea, and even what may be under our feet and all around us, i.e., the bugs, spiders and the creepy crawlers that we share the terrestrial world with. If you get down to the UofA Mall for the eclipse, be sure to take advantage of Flandrau's reduced admission fee this Saturday and check out the Wild World of Bugs exhibit.

From: Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium

Explore the fascinating lives of insects through graphic displays, hands-on activities and larger-than-life models.

The Wild World of Bugs magnifies our connection to the insects of planet earth through interactions that focus on insect anatomy, habitats and behavior, survival strategies, eating habits and other topics in entomology.

The Tucson Community Tennis Program is a local non-profit sports program that brings tennis instruction to elementary through high school students in underserved schools. Recently I was fortunate enough to participate in providing some program t-shirts and a field trip to the University of Arizona tennis facilities for some of these young students. I am so impressed with the thank you notes that I received from these future tennis stars. These kids truly know the art of the thank you letter.

Tohono Chul Gardens is a Tucson gem. They present the natural beauty and culture of the Sonoran Desert. I try to stop by whenever I can.

From: Tohono Chul Gardens

Glowing Pumpkins: A Jack-O-Lantern Adventure, is an outdoor Halloween event featuring over 5,000+ hand-carved pumpkins! This one-of-a-kind walk-through experience is the must-see event of the fall season.

Explore magical pathways of lit pumpkin sculptures and displays, with music, sounds, and special effects. With classic Halloween characters, dinosaurs and superheroes, movie and pop culture icons. This family-friendly event has something for everyone. Make Glowing Pumpkins, A Jack-O-Lantern Adventure, your new annual family tradition!

From: CNN, By: Ben Morse, October 8, 2023

Simone Biles won her fourth gold medal of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Sunday, finishing first in the floor exercise, as she completes her first international competition since her two-year break from gymnastics.

Despite being penalized for stepping out of the floor area in her routine, the high difficulty of her performance meant she finished well clear of second-placed Rebeca Andrade.

The gold in floor is Biles’ 23rd world championship gold medal and was her second of the day, having won the beam competition in Antwerp, Belgium.

Katalin Karikó won the most recent Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine along with her research partner Drew Weissman for their work that laid the foundation for the development of the Covid-19 vaccines. Despite early skepticism on her research direction, Katalin persevered and not only rose to the top of her field, but also raised her daughter, a two-time Olympic gold medalist at the same time. Because that's what mothers do.

From: CNBC, By: Aditi Shrikant, October 8, 2023

On Monday, Katalin Karikó won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Her research with Drew Weissman, with whom she shares the prize, laid the foundation for the Covid-19 vaccines developed by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna. 

Karikó's career serves as a lesson in perseverance. Her work on mRNA, the genetic messenger that sends DNA instructions to make specific proteins, was often dismissed. During her time at the University of Pennsylvania she had trouble securing grant funding and bounced from lab to lab

Her persistence and confidence didn't just make her a good scientist, she says. Those qualities also made her a good parent.

11. WELLNESS: Ice Baths

Ice baths, a common practice for many professional athletes, have been gaining popularity as a post workout therapy in the amateur and enthusiast ranks as well. Let's visit Healhline and see what the current research says about the benefit of taking an ice bath after a workout.

From: Healthline, By: Sara Lindberg, March 8, 2023

If done right, taking an ice bath may be helpful to those who are active or participate in sports. But it’s important to understand the technique before trying it out.

It’s not uncommon to see athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and weekend warriors jumping into an ice bath after physical activity.

Also called cold water immersion (CWI) or cryotherapy, the practice of taking a 10 to 15 minute dip in very cold water (50-59°F) after an intense exercise session or competition is believed to help reduce muscle pain and soreness.

12. CANNING: Preserving the Fall Harvest

It's canning season, it’s a great time to preserve fruits and jams from the fall harvest for the coming winter months.

From Home & Garden Information Center, JaNUARY 30, 2023

Canning is an important, safe method of food preservation if practiced properly. The canning process involves placing foods in jars and heating them to a temperature that destroys microorganisms that could be a health hazard or cause the food to spoil. Canning also inactivates enzymes that could cause the food to spoil. Air is driven from the jar during heating, and as it cools, a vacuum seal is formed. The vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product bringing with it microorganisms to recontaminate the food.

Safe Canning Methods

There are three safe ways of canning, depending on the type of food being canned. These are the boiling water bath method, the atmospheric steam canner method, and the pressure canner method.

13. PET'S CORNER: Liam, Baby Zeus and Zuri

Young Liam here, he's currently visiting West Virginia looking over the New River Gorge in Hawks Nest State Park. He's been to Kentucky, Tennessee, New Jersey, and all the states he passed through to get there. Liam can't wait to be warm again in the hot dry Southwestern air. It's so damp and cold here!

Baby Zeus taking a walk with sister Zuri.

photo: Cita Scott

Daisy dog ready for the eclipse.

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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