Death by Chocolate....

     

The biggest part of my education these days comes from my grandchildren.  Yesterday was soccer day for Arianna (my oldest grandaughter) and though it is my week to work I spent the biggest part of the day with her, Estelle (her 9 month old sister) and my son.   As always it was a very educational visit........ for me.  Arianna told me that if I wanted to catch a mouse I needed to use chocolate. I must have looked a little surprised as her father informed me it was true.  When she had come home and told them, they looked it up on the internet and found that mice do indeed like chocolate.  They like it better than cheese. Not that I doubted it but had to look it up for myself.... and share....

 

 

 

'Death by chocolate' trap for mice 14:39 17 July 2003 NewScientist.com news service Shaoni Bhattacharya   A chocolate-scented mousetrap has been developed by UK scientists to catch the pests without the need for bait. Contrary to popular belief, mice are more attracted to the scent of chocolate than the more traditional mouse-bait cheese, or other aromas like vanilla essence, according to Sorex Ltd, a manufacturer of rodent control products based in Cheshire, UK. So the company enlisted researchers at the University of Warwick to help them produce a chocolate-based trap to capture the rodents. Sorex originally had the idea of putting melted chocolate into a depression within the trap. "But we thought why not put the essences into the plastic itself?" says Ricky Singh, a senior research fellow in tooling, design and manufacture at the university. "That was the innovative part - making the product which already had the alluring smell." The lack of bait makes the trap unique, says Martina Flynn, rodent control product manager with Sorex. "It makes it very easy to use in just one step." Alluring combination Singh and colleagues tested different types of plastic with varying concentrations of chocolate essence to discover the most alluring combination. Together with Sorex, they plumped for a plastic known as ABS with a five to 10 per cent concentration by weight of chocolate essence. The plastic comes in polymer granules which have to be mixed by hand with the chocolate essence, Singh told New Scientist. It is then put through a high-pressure injection moulding machine to shape the plastic. The trap, which looks similar to a conventional mousetrap, is moulded in four separate parts so the concentration of the chocolate aroma can be varied. The mouse searches out the part of the trap with the highest concentration, says Singh. This is the spring-loaded base which, when trodden on by the mouse, snaps up and traps it. The sweet-smelling deathtrap has just completed trials and is already being used in hardware and agricultural sectors. But its fatal aroma does have a shelf-life, says Singh. The chocolate fragrance may start to fade after six months. However, it can then be used as a conventional trap with chocolate or cheese offerings. The team is now investigating a spray-on scent that would rejuvenate faded traps.

 

ScienceDaily (Jul. 21, 2003)

 

A collaboration of the University of Warwick's Innovation Direct service, a free consultancy service for SMEs (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) and Sorex Ltd, a leading manufacturer of rodent control products, from Cheshire, has developed the mousetrap made out of chocolate scented plastic.

A key part of the venture was to test what foods mice are most drawn to. Various essences were put into a cage to attract the rodents, including cheese, vanilla essence and chocolate. In contrast to the popular view that cheese is the mouse's favourite nibble, trials of the mousetrap carried out by Innovation-Direct showed that most mice prefer chocolate.

 

Now who would have guessed?...... maybe JohnOh

PICTURE PERFECT FRIDAY ~ HOBBY

   
 

 

Our host this week is JohnOh

  and the word he has chosen   is:    HOBBY (definition: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.)  

 

If you are not a part of PPF,

would like to know more about it

and join in all the fun

just follow this link --------->PICTURE PERFECT

 

 

"The most beautiful hobby

when you miss someone beloved,

is thinking of him or her with pleasure."

~unknown

 

 

My favorite Hobby ~ we all probably have a few. 

I know I like music, reading, sewing,

camping, swimming, fishing, backpacking,

and I seem to collect, music, books, and movies...

So what to choose....

the definition did that for me with the word pleasure.

The thing that has brought me the most pleasure

in my life, other than the people in it, is the music

(including nature's music).

It started with my record player as a child,

than my trumpet in the six grade all through

High School and College.....

In life, music has been there and brought me pleasure

through the happy times, sad times, quiet times, etc.

Music is my favorite HOBBY.

 

.......................................................................

 

"To stop the flow of music

would be like stopping of time itself,

incredible and inconceivable."

~ Aaron Copland

(American Composer 1900-1990)

 

 

 

"Music speaks what cannot be expressed,

soothes the mind and gives it rest,

heals the heart and makes it whole,

flows from heaven to the soul."

~unknown

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Wishing everyone a fantastic Friday!

Take some time this weekend

to enjoy your HOBBY

& your loved ones!!!

Be sure to make

a little music!!!

 

*The photo includes about half of my cd's, (Some of the old 33 albums

can be seen through the glass and the bottom of the cabinet is full of them),

my stereo (also behind the glass), one of my guitars, and my old trumpet. 

Have a closet full of cassettes, 45 records, and (lol) even a few old 8 tracks. 

It was taken today with my Kodak Z740 Digital Camera.

Love....

 

A life with love will have some thorns,

but a life without love will have no roses.

~unknown

 

 

One of my favorite poets, Merrit Malloy,

 wrote most of her work in the 70's and 80's.

I have so many "ah-ha" moments when I read her words.

This one  brings thoughts about judging, comparison, and love.

 

 

 

Frames

 

 

For a long time . . .

I only saw things in comparison

 

I only knew myself

In relation to other people

. . . and not in relation to who I am

Or was . . .

. . . Or why

 

I only saw you

In a line-up of men

For me to consider

. . . And choose

 

But once I loved my family

Without question . . .

Without a frame or social ruler

Without a measurement or accounting

 

We lose a lot in judgements

Mostly people . . .

But especially ourselves . . .

 

.....................................................Love is out of context

.......................................It has to be . . .

..................................................................It's when we stop comparing

...................................That we love

~ Merrit Malloy

 

 

 

 

 

Love is a fruit in season at all times,

and within reach of every hand.

~ Mother Teresa

 

 

 

 

Wishing everyone a week

where they reach out

for the fruit and enjoy

with smiles, hugs, and laughter!

PICTURE PERFECT FRIDAY ~ FRAMED

        Our host this week is Tint   and the word she has chosen   is:    FRAMED
 

If you are not a part of PPF

and would like to join in all the fun

just follow this link --------->PICTURE PERFECT

 

 

 

"for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows..."

 

Through faith we understand

that the worlds were framed

by the word of God,

so that things which are seen

were not made of things

which do appear.

~Hebrews 11:3 KJV

 

 

Wishing everyone

a Weekend full

of laughter, fun, faith, & love!!!

 

 

  Photo taken with my Kodak Z740 Digital Zoom Camera

Eva Cassidy - You Take My Breath Away

You take my breath away. . .
Yes, but you make my heart sing!



Eva Cassidy - You Take My Breath Away


Sometimes it amazes me
How strong the power of love can be
Sometimes you just take my breath away

You watch my love grow like a child
Sometimes gentle and sometimes wild
Sometimes you just take my breath away

And it's too good to slip by
Too good to lose
Too good to be there
Just to use
I'm gonna stand on a mountain top
And tell the news
That you take my breath away

Sometimes it amazes me
How strong the power of love can be
Sometimes you just take my breath away

Your beauty is there in all I see
And when I feel your eyes on me
Oh don't you know you just take my breath away

And it's too good to slip by
Too good to lose
Too good to be there
Just to use
I'm gonna stand on a mountain top
And tell the news
That you take my breath away

And it's too good to slip by
Too good to lose
Too good to be there
Just to use
I'm gonna stand on a mountain top
And tell the news
That you take my breath away