Wonderful morning
Good Morning Augusta. There is a special statement in effect for tonight.
Areas of frost are expected across much of New Hampshire and Maine late
tonight into the early morning hours. This includes the foothills and
mountains as well as the Capitol district. Sensitive outdoor plants should
be covered.
This morning it is clear, high of 64F. Winds less than 5 mph.
Tonight it will be clear, then partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Low of
43F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
The readings outside right now, taken from my own weather instruments:
a relative humidity of 59% with a Dew Point of 38.3ºF.
The temperature is 52.2ºF.
Presently we have Northeast winds between 3.1 mph and 9.2 mph.
Our Barometric pressure is 30.07 and rising with a weather graphic
indicating clouds.
We had no precipitation overnight in this area.
Visibility is 10.0 miles and clear.
Have you ever heard of, or used "Witch Hazel"?
Walk into your local drugstore sometime and take a look around. On every
shelf – especially in the back where the pharmacist fills prescriptions –
you'll find chemical remedies for just about every imaginable ailment, all
developed by pharmaceutical companies who invest hundreds of billions of
dollars in the name of making massive profits. It may seem hard to believe,
then, that one of the most effective remedies in the drug store sells for
less than a dollar.
Witch-hazel has existed in its commercial form for about 150 years, but has
been in use for much longer. It looks unassuming in its clear plastic
bottle, like it could be just plain water. Actually, though, it's an extract
produced from the leaves and bark of witch-hazel plants – one of three
species of deciduous flowering shrubs found in North America, both in the
wild and as ornamental garden shrubs. The plant features shiny, green oval
leaves ranging in length from just under two inches to just over six and
arranged alternately along the branches. Yellow or orange flowers appear on
the plant in the fall or winter, depending on the species. It occurs
naturally throughout the eastern half of the United States and Canada.
Though witch-hazel's healing powers are pretty magical, the word "witch" in
its name actually has nothing to do with witches. Rather, it comes from the
Old English word "wiche," which meant "pliant" or "bendable." The term had
been used in the names of several plant species in Europe for hundreds of
years before it was applied to the genus Hamamelis in North America. Other
popular names for witch-hazel include "snapping hazel" and "winterbloom."
Witch-hazel's medicinal properties were well known to Native Americans, who
used it for a variety of purposes. Puritan colonists got wind of the plant's
potential almost as soon as they arrived in North America, and began making
their own witch-hazel extracts. By the mid-19th Century, companies had begun
to produce extracts of the plant for commercial sale.
By now you're probably thinking, "All that is well and good, but what does
it actually do?" Witch-hazel is an astringent, which means it helps to
shrink and contract blood vessels back to normal size. Native Americans used
it to treat swelling, inflammation, tumors, and other skin ailments. Today
it is used to heal sores, soothe bruises, reduce swelling, treat skin
conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, reduce varicose veins,
provide post-natal relief to new mothers, and more.
In addition, witch-hazel extract is an active ingredient in many
over-the-counter applications, including acne preparations, hemorrhoid
creams, aftershave lotions, treatments for poison ivy and insect bites, and
even eye drops.
Witch-hazel extract can be easily made at home, if you have access to the
plant. You just have to boil about a pound of the twigs in two gallons of
water. Because witch-hazel is so inexpensive and easy to get, though, most
people don't bother.
(Article lifted in whole from Farmer's Almanac)
Areas of frost are expected across much of New Hampshire and Maine late
tonight into the early morning hours. This includes the foothills and
mountains as well as the Capitol district. Sensitive outdoor plants should
be covered.
This morning it is clear, high of 64F. Winds less than 5 mph.
Tonight it will be clear, then partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Low of
43F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
The readings outside right now, taken from my own weather instruments:
a relative humidity of 59% with a Dew Point of 38.3ºF.
The temperature is 52.2ºF.
Presently we have Northeast winds between 3.1 mph and 9.2 mph.
Our Barometric pressure is 30.07 and rising with a weather graphic
indicating clouds.
We had no precipitation overnight in this area.
Visibility is 10.0 miles and clear.
Have you ever heard of, or used "Witch Hazel"?
Walk into your local drugstore sometime and take a look around. On every
shelf – especially in the back where the pharmacist fills prescriptions –
you'll find chemical remedies for just about every imaginable ailment, all
developed by pharmaceutical companies who invest hundreds of billions of
dollars in the name of making massive profits. It may seem hard to believe,
then, that one of the most effective remedies in the drug store sells for
less than a dollar.
Witch-hazel has existed in its commercial form for about 150 years, but has
been in use for much longer. It looks unassuming in its clear plastic
bottle, like it could be just plain water. Actually, though, it's an extract
produced from the leaves and bark of witch-hazel plants – one of three
species of deciduous flowering shrubs found in North America, both in the
wild and as ornamental garden shrubs. The plant features shiny, green oval
leaves ranging in length from just under two inches to just over six and
arranged alternately along the branches. Yellow or orange flowers appear on
the plant in the fall or winter, depending on the species. It occurs
naturally throughout the eastern half of the United States and Canada.
Though witch-hazel's healing powers are pretty magical, the word "witch" in
its name actually has nothing to do with witches. Rather, it comes from the
Old English word "wiche," which meant "pliant" or "bendable." The term had
been used in the names of several plant species in Europe for hundreds of
years before it was applied to the genus Hamamelis in North America. Other
popular names for witch-hazel include "snapping hazel" and "winterbloom."
Witch-hazel's medicinal properties were well known to Native Americans, who
used it for a variety of purposes. Puritan colonists got wind of the plant's
potential almost as soon as they arrived in North America, and began making
their own witch-hazel extracts. By the mid-19th Century, companies had begun
to produce extracts of the plant for commercial sale.
By now you're probably thinking, "All that is well and good, but what does
it actually do?" Witch-hazel is an astringent, which means it helps to
shrink and contract blood vessels back to normal size. Native Americans used
it to treat swelling, inflammation, tumors, and other skin ailments. Today
it is used to heal sores, soothe bruises, reduce swelling, treat skin
conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, reduce varicose veins,
provide post-natal relief to new mothers, and more.
In addition, witch-hazel extract is an active ingredient in many
over-the-counter applications, including acne preparations, hemorrhoid
creams, aftershave lotions, treatments for poison ivy and insect bites, and
even eye drops.
Witch-hazel extract can be easily made at home, if you have access to the
plant. You just have to boil about a pound of the twigs in two gallons of
water. Because witch-hazel is so inexpensive and easy to get, though, most
people don't bother.
(Article lifted in whole from Farmer's Almanac)
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