From this morning, Daylight Savings Time starts! This means that the days will be longer - and there is an extra hour of talk time with our folks in the USA! Until the United States moves back into Standard Time, we are now 17 hours ahead of the East Coast (or seven hours behind, the next day, if that’s less confusing!). Bring on Summer!
Yikes! Now New Zealand is on the opposite side of the spectrum - no dangerous plants or animals.
BANGKOK – Sophisticated computer scans of fossils have helped solve a mystery over the nature of a giant, ancient raptor known as the Haast’s eagle which became extinct about 500 years ago, researchers said Friday. The researchers say they have determined that the eagle — which lived in the mountains of New Zealand and weighed about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) — was a predator and not a mere scavenger as many thought.
Much larger than modern eagles, Haast’s eagle would have swooped to prey on flightless birds — and possibly even the rare unlucky human.
Ken Ashwell of the University of New South Wales in Australia and Paul Scofield of the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand wrote their conclusions in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Using computed axial tomography, or CAT, the researchers scanned several skulls, a pelvis and a beak in an effort to reconstruct the size of the bird’s brain, eyes, ears and spinal cord.
They compared their data on the Haast’s eagle to characteristics of modern predator birds and scavenger birds to determine that the bird was a fearsome predator that ate the flightless moa birds and even humans.
The researchers also determined the eagle quickly evolved from a much smaller ancestor, with the body growing much more quickly than the brain. They believe its body grew 10 times bigger during the early to middle Pleistocene period, 700,000 to 1.8 million years ago.
“This work is a great example of how rapidly evolving medical techniques and equipment can be used to solve ancient medical mysteries,” Ashwell said.
Because fossils are so fragile and most of the species were never seen by humans, CAT scans allow researchers to closely examine body parts of the long-extinct animals to learn about their behavior, Scofield said.
“The fossils are very valuable and you can’t just cut into the skull to look at the brain,” he said. “So by using nondestructive techniques, you can get a much better idea of the neurobiology of these animals.”
Scientists believe the Haast’s eagle became extinct about 500 years ago, most likely due to habitat destruction and the extinction of its prey species at the hands of early Polynesian settlers. Before the humans colonized New Zealand about 750 years ago, the largest inhabitants were birds like the Haast’s eagle and the moa.
Scofield said the findings are similar to what he found in Maori folk tales. “The science supports Maori mythology of the legendary pouakai or hokioi, a huge bird that could swoop down on people in the mountains and was capable of killing a small child,” he said.
New Zealand paleontologist Trevor Worthy said the study did a good job of proving the eagle was a killer.
“They provide a convincing case that the body of this eagle has rapidly enlarged, presumably adapting to the very much larger prey it had access to in New Zealand, but that the brain size had lagged behind this increase,” he said in an e-mail interview. “Convincing data shows beyond doubt that this bird was an active predator, no mere scavenger. It is a nice use of modern technology and the same old bones as yesteryear to advance knowledge.”
Jamie R. Wood, a researcher from New Zealand who has done extensive research on the moa, said the analysis strengthens the case that the eagle evolved quickly from a much smaller ancestor, “in what must be one of the most dramatic examples anywhere of how rapidly evolution can occur on islands.”
Yes, this is several months overdue - obviously because to our trip overseas. Some of the growth is credited to our wedding RSVP site being attached to the blog (especially in July when the page views drops off dramatically from June). We have seen steady growth in subscriptions, however, especially in August. Briefly, below are the stats for June, July, and August, respectively:
June 2009’s statistics summary for www.thestarbuckreport.com is as follows:
Reported period: Month June 2009
First visit: 01 June 2009 - 00:12
Last visit: 30 June 2009 - 23:30
Unique visitors: 365
Number of visits: 1959 (5.36 visits/visitor)
Pages: 8685 (4.43 pages/visit)
July’s statistics for www.thestarbuckreport.com:
Reported period: Month July 2009
First visit: 01 July 2009 - 00:22
Last visit: 31 July 2009 - 23:56
Unique visitors: 377
Number of visits: 2258 (6.09 visits/visitor)
Pages: 3816 (1.66 pages/visit)
August’s statistics for www.thestarbuckreport.com:
Reported period: Month August 2009
First visit: 01 August 2009 - 00:20
Last visit: 31 August 2009 - 23:58
Unique visitors: 387
Number of visits: 2174 (5.61 visits/visitor)
Pages: 3521 (1.61 pages/visit)
Since the wedding is over, we should be able to track progress more accurately moving forward! I will also be posting more frequently
As usual, thanks to all of our faithful readers, and a big “Kia Ora” (”Welcome!”) to our new readers! I encourage you to join our RSS and leave your comments in each article’s comment section. Cheers!
Samosas are some of the best things to come out of India. These flaky, meat- or vegetable-filled pastries are positively addicting! The beauty of samosas is the pastry can be filled with just about anything; you can make them your own! Rus and I enjoy them whenever we eat at an Indian restaurant, and one can find many heat-and-eat varieties in the grocery store freezer section. Nevertheless, nothing beats a fresh, homemade samosa, and this Tasty Tuesday, we are making vegetable ones!
Note: Samosas require quite a bit of time and effort, but they are worth it!
Ingredients:
1 small cucumber, grated
1 cup plain yoghurt
4 peeled and cubed potatoes
1 peeled and cubed carrot
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large chunk of ginger, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
3 bunches of fresh spring onions, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 teaspooon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
rice bran or olive oil
2 cups warm water
salt to taste
pastry squares, enough to make 30-50 samosas (you can use any fresh store-bought pastry or make your own; I used pre-made, pre-cut wonton pastry from my local Asian Food Warehouse)
Here’s what I did:
1. In a large frying pan (with a lid), saute the red onion in oil on medium-high heat until they begin to soften. Add garlic and ginger and saute those.
2. Stir in turmeric and cayenne pepper
3. Turn down heat to medium-low heat and add carrots and potatoes. Stir.
4. Add one cup of warm water, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. The goal is to soften the carrots and potatoes to the point where a fork easily pokes into them. You may need to add more water during this process. Warm water is recommended so as not to cool down the pot too much.
5. Once the carrots and potatoes are soft (there should be little water left in the pan), add the spring onions and fresh coriander. Mix thoroughly, then remove from heat.
6. Add sea salt to taste. The stuffing should be the consistency of roughly-mashed potatoes. If it needs more mashing, do so now. If not, the stuffing is complete!
7. Take a pastry square and put a tablespoon of the stuffing in the middle. Fold the opposite corners over to form a triangle and press the edges closed (it might help to moisten the edges to help them seal).
8. Repeat until the mixture is finished or you run out of pastry.
9. Time to cook the samosas! You can either bake these on a greased cookie sheet at 175C/350F for 15-20 minutes (or until golden brown) or fry them. We chose to fry them in rice bran oil at 150-175C/300-350F for two minutes on each side. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
10. Mix the yoghurt and grated cucumber together to create a dipping sauce (the yoghurt calms the spicy tingle on the tongue).
11. Serve! Eat with chutneys, fruit preserves, and the cucumber-yoghurt sauce.
Results:
This dish takes awhile to make, even using the pre-made pastry. Chopping everything took about 45 minutes, filling the pastries took another 30 minutes (and we only made 20), and deep frying took another 30 minutes. On top of all of the prep time, they were messy to make - and turmeric, used appropriately as a dye in India, will stain just about anything it touches. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely! These were melt-in-your-mouth goodness…we could hardly wait long enough for them to cool down without burning our mouths! Simon, currently not an “adventurous” eater, thought the sample was so good, he went back for seconds! Arno also loved them. The other flatmates were not available for tasting.
The verdict? While it was a bit of a Disaster in the “prep” and “clean up” categories, the end result for this Tasty Tuesday was a definite Delight!
Visit Flickr to see more photos!
Since returning from our holiday overseas, we’ve been aching to dive back into some classic outdoor Kiwi adventures! Monique’s aunt and uncle are vacationing in Australia for the next three weeks, so they have left a vehicle with us during their absence. Monique had the day off (as did Rus), so our original plan involved taking a day trip to one of the many ski fields. When it became apparent that most ski fields require snow chains to climb the unpaved, untreated (and, hence, treacherous) access roads to their lodges, we decided to have a day hike instead. Ultimately, we chose to go to popular Arthur’s Pass (about two hours northwest). None of us knew exactly which track we would hike, so we donned our layers and boots to prepare for whatever we decided once we got to the visitor’s centre there.
It was forecast to rain in Christchurch, but by the time we left mid-morning, the sun was streaming through the clouds. We drove towards the towering snow-covered Alps, surrounded by lush, green pasture. Since Spring is right around the corner, the sheep are lambing, and we saw hundreds of adorable little baby lambs bouncing around in the grass.
Soon, we were weaving up into and then between the giant mountains. What a sight! Some had snow, some did not, but all were stunning. Over rivers and one-lane bridges, we made our way to Arthur’s Pass. Besides the roads and the occasional utility line, and despite the popularity of the route (which goes straight through to the other side of the country), it was hard to discern humans had ever been there.
Nearly two hours later, we arrived in the tiny village of Arthur’s Pass, which basically consisted of a couple of cafes, a visitor’s centre, a shop or two, a train station, and a handful of backpackers’ hotels. As we pulled into the visitor’s centre for a trail map, we saw several Kea - a giant forest parrot only found in the alpine and forest areas of New Zealand. We wanted a closer look and started toward one, but we need not have bothered; it flew over to us and landed on the roof of a car parked next to us! There, it strutted and showed off, even trying to peck its way into the car! Kea are notoriously smart birds, apparently not fearful of humans, and it was cool to see one so close up!
After we got bored with the Kea (or, rather, it got bored with us!), we went inside to seek out a trail guide. Once we determined where we were going to go (Devil’s Punch Bowl Falls), we proceeded to a cafe to grab lunch before setting off.
The walk to Devil’s Punch Bowl Falls is short (less than an hour); we could see the falls from the road. It is a bridal veil-type falls, a tall, thin stream of water that mists before reaching the bottom. We walked through a damp, jungle-like forest - full of lichen, mosses, ferns, and moulds - toward the base of the falls. Once we made it there, we took some pictures and watched the water trip and fall over the rocks. Rus and I teetered into the river on some rocks and tasted the pure mountain water (for inquiring minds: it tasted clean with a slight “rock” aftertaste). I tried holding my hand under the rushing water and could only manage a few seconds because it was so cold!
After we had our fill of the scenery there, it was time to make our next move. We walked back the way we came and went back to the car. We chose another trail a few kilometres up the road. This one, called “Bealey Valley River Track”. The signs said it would take four hours, which was about as much daylight as we had left, so we went for it.
I found the first part of this walk very interesting. Again, the forests seemed almost tropical, as they were positively dripping and covered with all sorts of moisture-loving organisms. What struck me as odd, however, was the fact that such an ecosystem could exist in such a cold climate (the temperature that day was about 7C/45F). The difficulty level of this walk was harder than the first, with many steep “steps” and tricky climbs down. Eventually, we made it to a river, flowing rapidly from the snow-melt. We were in a giant ravine carved by the river, with the mountainsides tall and commanding above us. There was an “Avalanche” warning sign, and we could see distinctly where previous avalanches had stripped the areas of trees and rocks. In spots, the snow actually covered the rushing river.
Negotiating giant boulders and crunching through knee-deep snow, we made our way to another bridal-veil falls in the distance. Clearly, no one was here before us as we would have seen tracks. We had long since passed our last trail marker; however, we were only about 60 minutes into a supposed four-hour walk. Or so we thought. A light mist started to fall, and Monique - who was not wearing waterproof tramping boots - was falling behind. We had been walking in frigid mountain water for the last hour; her feet were surely cold. I was beginning to tire as the walk was borderline-treacherous. Was there water rushing beneath the snow? Would the rocks shift under our weight? Could the melting snow give way in the higher altitudes and put us in danger? It was beautiful up there, and I could not get enough of the fresh air. Monique and I both agreed that we could easily sit and simply watch the rushing water for hours. All of that aside, however, daylight (and our energy) would start fading soon, and it was best to turn around. We abandoned our journey to the second water fall and made our way back. As we we were descending, the sun shone through a cloud onto the mist and treated us with a colorful rainbow!
Once back at the car, we removed our gear and prepared to head back to Christchurch. On our way through, we decided to drive up the access road to Mt. Cheeseman (our previously-selected ski field), to see just “how serious” they were about snow chains. The road was one-lane, winding for kilometres, with no guard rails. It was wet and muddy, and I was happy that we had a four-wheel drive vehicle. We continued to climb until we saw snow and Monique felt uncomfortable proceeding any further; I supposed we needed snow chains after all! We took some amazing pictures, turned around, and drove back down to the highway to go home.
Later that night, Rus discovered that the last sign we saw on the trail was actually the end of the trail; we had completed it in about half of the estimated time and were tramping up the river in unmarked territory. Oops!
Winter has now melted into Spring (Fun Fact: 1 September is the official start of Spring in New Zealand), which means it is time to harvest our Winter garden. While we were away in the States, all of the veges grew much larger and many of them produced. We have already eaten four crowns of beautiful, fresh broccoli! Currently, there is one head of cauliflower nearly ready to pick. Also, all of the lemons on our lemon trees are bright yellow and ripe for picking!
In other news (and not unexpected given the particularly cold Autumn), all but one of the eighteen lettuce plants perished. Also, the cabbages have not materialised like I expected; however, they are flourishing and simply might require few more weeks before harvest. As a first-time grower of brassicas, I am not yet sure of the timing. That being said, the weather in late-Winter has been spectacular - sunny, dry (for the most part!), in the mid-teens during the day and above-freezing at night. Hopefully, this will be the boost the plants need to finish production before I have to pull them out - seeds for our Summer garden are already sowed inside!
All things considered, it was a good experience learning to grow (and growing new things!) in such a small space. I am not yet sure we have broken even cost-wise on the garden setup, but I am sure we will come out ahead once we harvest the Summer garden. Can’t wait to eat more fresh broccoli and try the fresh cauliflower!
With the advent of Spring upon us, and the winter snow melting in the Alps, Rus and I are eager to get back on the trails. So this Tasty Tuesday’s inspiration comes from the latest edition of Wilderness magazine, with an excellent recipe called “Unlucky Fisherman’s Risotto”. According to Wilderness, “There’s an unspoken rule of fishing in the backcountry: If you don’t catch anything, then you must be prepared to eat the bait”.
This particular recipe is (hopefully) a better-tasting version of the “real” version above. It’s well-planned, well-measured, and “weight-sensitive” - suitable for carrying and cooking on a tramp! Since Rus is my favourite tramping partner, he decided to assist with this week’s culinary adventure - even choosing to cook it using our camp stove and camping pots - to test its true viability. Was it a Delight or Disaster?
Ingredients
300g Arborio rice
100ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 cubes chicken stock (or 1L)
150g chorizo sausage
1 courgette (small zucchini), chopped
1 red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
50g parmesan cheese, shaved
salt, pepper, parsley
Here’s what we did:
1. Chop ingredients as instructed
2. In a small pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer, then cover to keep warm
3. Lightly fry the chorizo, onion, and garlic
4. Add oil and rice; stir for two minutes or until rice is well-coated in oil.
5. Pour in a cupful of stock and stir over a medium heat until it’s absorbed.
6. Add the rest of the stock a cupful at a time, stirring frequently.
7. Add the courgettes about half way through, and the capsicum with the last cupful of stock (to prevent over-cooking).
8. When all of the stock has been added, and the rice is soft, throw in the parmesan, season to taste, and garnish with parsley.
Prep time: 45 minutes; serves 4
So…how did it taste? The chorizo did a brilliant job of flavouring the rice dish. The capsicum and courgettes are nice additions, both for texture and depth. The rice came out soft as expected, though we did not need to use the entire one-litre of chicken stock (instead, about 750mL).
Flatmates say:
Dylan, Arno, Leanne, and Simon all loved it. Rus also liked it. I thought it was great, especially as a hearty meal after a tramp; however, I could do without the parmesan, and I would skip the salt (the chicken stock provides plenty to make it tasty). Monique was not available for testing.
I think this will become a regular recipe, from which we will begin experiments with different ingredients - both for tramping and dinners at home. All around, this recipe was a DELIGHT!