Biology, figs and snow

 A few links:

Shock

An essay about SHOCK as it relates to the human body and trauma. I was impressed by the fact this article was both readable and comprehensive. I will leave it to the medical professionals to point out any gross inaccuracies or advances in the state-of-the-art since 2006.

How long to bleed out?

Link. Surprisingly large ranges of time. Completely severing an artery allows our biological damage response to kick in. In general, bleed out faster from a major nick than total severing. I did not know that.

The fig farm

The second cooler of fig cuttings is full. The cuttings were a little farther along than the first set of cuttings.

I have a heat mat beneath the cuttings but I was getting too much air infiltration. 80 degrees F is the sweet-spot for getting most species (grapes, roses and so on) to callous and strike roots.

Fortunately, I have plenty of whips pruned from my hazelnut bushes. I doubled them up, tip-to-butt and bent them into bows. Then a paint drop-cloth over the top.

There is still quite a bit of snow in shady spots.

We had an ice fisherman fall through the ice and drown in northwestern Eaton County last week. There is still ice on most of the smaller, inland lakes but it is rotten.

I look at the snow drifts and how leaves blow into drifts and I have to wonder, is there a place where otherwise tender plants like figs could survive based on topography? I know a little bit about fluid dynamics. I know my prevailing wind is from the west-southwest. Year-after-year there are certain places where the snow (a great insulator, by the way) is the last to melt due to drifting.

How can I use that to my advantage?