Outdoor
Assignment Texas: Texas from 200 ft.
By Russell A. Graves
While the ambient temperature isn’t all that cold – in the mid 50’s – I still grab the hoodie from my truck. Pulling it over my head quickly and putting my arms through the sleeves, I pull the rest of the garment around my waist, shoulder my camera backpack, and walk across the airport tarmac to the Robinson R-44 helicopter that’s sitting nearby on a trailer.
Before I’m able to get over to the helicopter, expert pilot and friend Dusty Whitaker is already going through his preflight check of the machine to make sure everything is functioning as designed before we take off. I don’t recall how many times I’ve flown with Dusty, but it’s a lot. After first meeting him several years ago while I was photographing a research project for which he was the pilot for a magazine, I could tell back then that he knew what he was doing.
Flying a helicopter can’t be easy. It takes two hands, two feet, your eyes, ears, and most importantly your brain. To pilot a helicopter is the epitome of multitasking, but Dusty looks like he could do it blindfolded. As such, I am relaxed as I settle into the left seat, put on my headset and adjust the microphone, and buckle up.
To read more pick up the December 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
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Parting Shot
By: Jelly Cocanougher
Delicate microbes buried just beneath the surface. We walk by them, unbeknownst to us. Spores, spawn, and sclerotia, each with distinct characteristics. It is said that these fungi are all connected, speaking to one another as they populate the earth. The interconnectedness of all living things and the decaying world, such beauty lies within these otherworldly alien organisms.
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Varietal Honey
By: Landon Moore
Landon Moore is the Wise County 4-H President and a member of the Wise County 4-H County Council. He is involved in beekeeping, as well as raising rabbits and poultry.
This essay was one that he wrote, and it was named the champion for both the Texas and National chapters of the Foundation For The Preservation of Honey Bees.
Varietal honey is honey that comes from a single source.
This honey has a flavor derived from the source flower and can even have a similar scent. In general, lighter colored honeys have a more subtle taste and dark honeys are more intense. Varietal honey has been compared to wine, in that honeys produced in different years can be distinguished, even if they come from the same flower and location.
This phenomenon is called terroir and is responsible for the individual taste of each honey harvest.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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The Garden Guy: America’s Sweetheart
By: Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
Early in the summer, I was sent a press release that caused one of those holy wow moments. The headline said it all, “Proven Winners ColorChoice Expands Catalog with the Addition of Hollywood Hibiscus.”
I had already become familiar with the Hollywood Hibiscus series and was thrilled that the Proven Winners was adding this to their lineup.
This flower is nothing short of beautiful and exhibits prolific flower production. The flowers show three distinct colors, deep red in the very center, then the majority which is a rich rose pink with lighter pink to white along the margins.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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