Comments on: Horse Apples, Disc Golf and Red Caterpillars

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:26:15 +0000

Yes, Phyllis. Sometimes the weather just calls you to go outside and enjoy it. But today? January 24, 2010 in southwest Nebraska? Not so inviting. 31 degrees, wind at 31 miles an hour from the north. Really miserable. Good day for stair climbing and stretching instead, I guess.

Regarding the Vitamin D. Apparently real sunshine is the most efficient way to get it. Good for your bones, isn’t it? And of course, the walking is, too. Great combination.

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:07:11 +0000

So, I have actually begun to finally realize walking is okay, and I like it…but then I have to be in the “Right” environment…preferably already outside and temperature over 60 degrees! ha

Yvonne made the comment to me about getting 15 minutes of “outside” sun or light to give me more Vit. D. I have to admit, I’d not thought of obtaining my Vit. D in that manner in a long time. [I use to tell me "students" we needed to go outside to get our Vitamin D and here I am forgetting that wisdom for myself!]

I enjoyed this blog, Cheryl, as usual of course. Now, if I could just read them when they come out!

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:47:13 +0000

Great, Yvonne! I can ask him all about it when I see him again. It looks like fun – lots of walking exercise, and a lot cheaper than golf, as in “free” in public parks like the one in Smyrna, except for the cost of your Frisbees, of course.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:43:33 +0000

About that osage bow, Yvonne? In my research, I came across that term, and immediately thought of an ornamental bow – one you would put on a package. When I followed the link, it was a how-to website on making osage bows for hunting. What a Duh moment – because, of course, the osage is a tree. I also found it interesting that one of the links I listed spells it “bodark,” while mentioning it’s a French term. Didn’t know what it meant, though. Thanks for that.

And regarding horses eating them? What I read suggests you have to be careful when feeding them to livestock, because they tend to get stuck in their throats. Maybe your walking club friend splits them open first.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:47:23 +0000

P.S. Sean plays disc golf. He has a course near him.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:44:17 +0000

The official name for the tree is bois d’arc, and it’s all over Texas and Oklahoma. “Bois d’arc is a small tree, Maclura pomifera, also known as the Osage-orange.

When early French explorers ventured west of the Mississippi River (New France and French Louisiana), they encountered the Osage Indians, who were known for making bows that were superior weapons for fighting and hunting. The unusual tree that the Osage used for making their bows was unknown to the French, who promptly called it bois d’arc, or “wood of the bow”[1].”

The first reference I found for it was actually an article trying to figure out how to kill it. One was growing in their lawn.

There you go…. more than you wanted to know. Our walking club had a member that would collect them to feed to her horses, which apparently is why they’re called “horse apples.”