Sometimes newcomers to this Blog ask "What are the topics here?" And, I stutter with the answer: "Well, it is a function of what InnovaScapes Institute works on, and that is pretty eclectic." Not very satisfying for someone wondering if this might be worth their time.
So, what topics are 'mostly' here? Well, InnovaScapes has pursued topics in a wide space, usually as a function of client interest or the founder's own interests. As such, there is a history of covering "high-tech" stories and analyses, by which is usually meant "computer high-tech." And medical topics often make the list. Innovation, too, is a common theme. Each of those have spawned their own blog: For example, "high-tech" around computing is often the theme of the HP Phenomenon blog (https://hpphenom.blogspot.com/); Innovation is often discussed from an Intrapreneurial standpoint (https://intrapreneuringinnovation.blogspot.com/) and medical topics such as COVID analyses and COPD analyses are included in the Breathe COPD blog (https://breathecopd.blogspot.com/).
A nascent blog exists for AstroVirtual (https://www.astrovirtual.com/astrovirtualblog) that discusses virtues and issues for multi-display environments, although this blog has much of the antecedent material for AstroVirtual and also much of the COVID work done at InnovaScapes.
Less frequent, but not unknown, are prejudices and persuasions of the founder and author, Chuck House.
And, just to be forewarned, House has written and pubished something like six books and a hundred articles about the computing world, but he has also written and published six horticultural books. Without delving into "Why", we can just note that there are many entries about trees and autumn color, or interesting discoveries while traveling, or just factoids that have no other place to be recorded. Luck of the draw, we call these. Obviously, you, the dear reader, are not obliged or even expected to read such material, but I cannot resist the notion of scribbling some of this down for posterity.
Such is today's column. AstroVirtual Inc. is dedicated to the notion that comparative pictures (graphs, photographs, charts, plots, etc) are powerful for quick conveyance of information. We focus for example on Charts that show facts from BIG DATA. The next image, for example, highlights the difficulty of understanding the impact of political decisions without recourse to data, but displays easily the impact of the Southern Republican governors in May and June 2020 to abandon lock-downs in early summer, and the result of the governor of South Dakota's asinine decision to allow (encourage actually) the Sturgis SD motorcycle rally at the height of the COVID pandemic in August 2020. Bet you never saw these images on your public TV channel (doesn't matter if it is Fox News or MSNBC--none of the networks have anyone involved who understand this material). The governor's action differentially infected more than half a million citizens, killed many thousands, while helping the bottom line of about fourteen bars and seven hotels in Sturgis. Great tradeoff. The dog killer--this was Kristi Noam--said none of this slander is true, that it was a hatchet job by left-wing activists. Ah, so! Damn that data.
In particular, the Sturgis event sent both South and North Dakota to the very top of the 'most infected' states in America, but more importantly, impacted adversely some 61% of America's counties and recorded the highest infection rates in fourteen states that had hitherto been relatively unscathed.
So, that is the value of comparative side-by-side images--as they taught us in the first science courses to hold the variables constant and then do time-lapse comparisons.
I titled this "Autumn and AstroVirtual" though for a different reason. I have been enchanted the past few weeks by the autumn hues on trees in our neighborhood. I have always been enchanted by the Jack Frost coloration in New England autumns, but over a lifetime have found that many places have beautiful hues.
First, a clear picture of Comparative images for one local Oak Tree, just to show Spring Advance:
And then, just to celebrate our local flora, here are some recent images from McMinnville, Oregon.
The first one compares changing yellow tones of the same Green Ash a week apart:
The next one compares several Green Ash with the White Ash cultivar Autumn Purple
Pictures of some more Ash, just to make the point. Unfortunately, Ash across America are in serious decline, due to the Emerald Ash Borer. In two decades, nearly all Ash in America will likely be gone.
Monocultures, e.g. the American Elm that once graced American towns, or the mighty Chestnut tree (under which the Village Smithy stood c.f. Longfellow), have been decimated. Meanwhile, enjoy these Ash.
New England's stunning fall landscapes are noteworthy mostly for their handsome varieties of Maple, especially the orange-reds of Sugar Maple and the vermilion reds of Canadian Maple. Ironically, Oregon (via the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland) has one of the most extensive Maple collections in the world. Here's their description:
"Maple trees thrive in the Pacific Northwest, and our collections reflect that vitality, The Maple Collection blazes with the colors of over 90 species, subspecies, and cultivars in autumn. Both are accredited by the Plant Collections Network of the American Public Gardens Association, which recognizes the quality and breadth of the collections, the garden’s long-term commitment, a favorable local environment, and institutional expertise."
Translation--our small town has planted many varieties of maple, and their foliage is stunning. I counted nine major varieties this week within two blocks of home (including the park shown). The bare tree in the foreground on the right below is the Green Ash shown above in yellow garb.
These trees are all Autumn Blaze, a cross between the Canadian Red and the Silver Maple.
The town has planted these rapid-growing beauties along many major streets. The bright vermilion color deepens to a solid crimson over a two-week period.
By contrast, the true Canadian Red Maple has a smaller, trident-shaped leaf, which colors early, and variably, eventually becoming the same brilliant vermilion of the later Autumn Glory.
I don't want to turn this into a Maple Encyclopedia, but it is true that the big genus of Maples, with all the varietals, are among the most diverse leaf designs in nature. So, just to give a bit of idea for that, the following several pictures illustrate indeed that a Picture is worth 1,000 words.
Clearly, not all Maples turn red in the fall. Here, a panoply of Yellow, clockwise from upper left:
Silver Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Japanese Maple, Norway Maple, Bigtooth Maple, another Norway
And there are many more Red or Red-orange varieties, On the left is the majestic Sugar Maple, native to New England, while the others are all forms of the palmate Japanese Maple, which are typically 'five-fingered', hence shaped like a hand (or palm).
Japanese Maple come in two basic forms--the Palmate, shown above, and the Japonica, a much fuller leaf with (usually seven) minor lobes. The Pacific Northwest shrub maple is a Japonica type
So there you have a brief run-through the autumn presentations of a few of the genus Acer (Maple)
Could words describe this panoply, or do the images help?
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