Shemya Island, is also referred to as the Black Pearl of the North Pacific Ocean, because of it’s black sandy beaches. This is a result of millions of years of volcanic activity. Shemya is located at the far western edge of the aleutian chain of islands and is part of what is known as the ring of fire. An area of active seismic/volcanic area that stretches from South America northward to California into Alaska and along the Pacific Rim of asia. My time spent on this tiny 2 miles by 4 miles was a weatherman’s dream. The daily climate was harsh with few exceptions. Annual temperatures are moderate for that far north of a latitude. Winter storms were violent, frequently accompanied by gale to hurricane force winds. It was difficult to measure snow because high winds would constantly blow it horizontally.

Late spring to early fall was a constant pea soup fog. And the sun was a rarity. On a few clear winter nights, we were treated to the Aurora Borealis. If your interested in reading on, below you will find more information on this tiny little island called SHEMYA. Historical temperatures as well as climate data can be found Climatic Data Center.

The following excerpt is a historical account from the army air corp during world war 2. The Alaskan Air Force was activated on Elmendorf Field 15 January 1942 to manage the buildup of the Army Air Forces in Alaska. It was redesignated the Eleventh Air Force on 5 February 1942.

Following the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor in the eastern Aleutian Islands and the occupation of Attu and Kiska in the western Aleutians in early June 1942, the Eleventh Air Force launched an air offensive against the Japanese on the two islands.

Missions were flown initially from Cape Field on Umnak Island in the eastern Aleutians and later from fields built on Adak and Amchitka. Headquarters Eleventh Air Force was moved to Davis Field, Adak in early 1943. Attu was retaken in May 1943, and the Japanese withdrew their garrison from Kiska in late July.

The Aleutian Campaign ended with the reoccupation of Kiska on 15 August 1943. Primarily an air war, it was the only World War II campaign fought on North American soil. The Eleventh Air Force flew 297 missions and dropped 3,662.00 tons of bombs. One hundred and fourteen men were killed in action, another forty-two were reported missing in action and forty-six died as a result of accidents.

Thirty-five aircraft were lost to combat and another 150 to operational accidents. It was the highest American combat-to-operational loss ratio of the war. Weather was the prime culprit, especially the Winter Climate.

The Eleventh Air Force accounted for approximately 60 Japanese aircraft, one destroyer, one submarine and seven transport ships destroyed by air operations.

Following the occupation of Kiska, the Eleventh Air Force declined from peak strength of 16,526 in August 1943 to 6,849 by the end of the war. For the remainder of the war, it flew bombing and reconnaissance missions against Japanese military installations in the northern Kurile Islands from Attu and Shemya Islands. The first land based bombing mission of the World War II against the Japanese home islands was launched from Attu on 10 July 1943.

The Eleventh Air Force was redesignated the Alaskan Air Command on 18 December 1945, and its headquarters was moved from Adak to Elmendorf AFB on 1 October 1946 to better manage Alaska’s emerging air defense system.

Alaska’s air defenses were greatly expanded during 1945-1955 period. An extensive aircraft control and warning (AC&W) system was constructed along Alaska’s coast and interior. The Alaskan segment of the DEW Line was built, and later the DEW Line was extended to the eastern Aleutian Islands.

By 1957, AAC had reached the height of its strength with over 200 fighter interceptors assigned to six squadrons. Early warning and fighter direction were provided by 18 aircraft control and warning and 12 DEW (defense early warning)Line sites tied together by the White Alice Communications System. Its assigned strength was 20,687. The forces were organized into two air divisions providing “Top Cover for America.”

The late 1950s and the 1960s saw a major reduction in AAC’s forces as Air Force air defense doctrine began changing, and emphasis shifted to a defense against a mixed threat of missile and bomber attacks. The number of fighter interceptor squadrons shrunk to one, the air divisions were inactivated, and the aircraft control and warning sites reduced to 13. The assigned strength dropped to 9,987 by 1969. The Aleutian DEW Line segment was dismantled. Emphasis shifted towards supporting other commands.

The manpower intensive, 1950s era aircraft control and warning system radars were replaced with minimum attended AN/FPS-117 minimally attended, long range radars. The system achieved its operational capability in October 1985. The outdated, semi-automated Alaskan NORAD Control Center was replaced with the fully automated Regional Operations Control Center.

Further improvements were made to the force structure with the arrival of F-15As in 1982, upgraded to “C” models during 1987-86. On 1 July 1986, the 962nd Airborne Warning and Control System Squadron was activated at Elmendorf AFB to operate two E-3 Sentry aircraft on rotational duty to Alaska. (The aircraft were later assigned to the squadron.) A second F-15C squadron was added the next year. The modern radar system, the F-15s and the E-3 resulted in a greater capability to protect the air sovereignty of North America. The number of Soviet aircraft intercepts increased dramatically from an average of ten a year during the first half of the 1980s to a record of 31 in 1987, after which the numbers began to decline dramatically following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Four Russian aircraft were intercepted in 1993.

One of the most singular events affecting AAC was the disestablishment of the Alaskan Command on 1 July 1975. The Commander, AAC assumed the additional responsibility of Commander, Joint Task Force-Alaska, a provisional joint command that could be activated in the event of an emergency, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in March 1989.

The Alaskan Command was reestablished on 7 July 1989, as a subordinate unified command under the U.S. Pacific Command in recognition of Alaska’s strategic importance to the defense of the Pacific.

With the activation of the Alaskan Command, the next logical step was to place its air component (AAC) under the Pacific Air Forces. On 9 August 1990, the Alaskan Air Command was redesignated the Eleventh Air Force. Finally, in keeping with Air Force Chief of Staff guidance to retain the most illustrious units, the 343rd Wing, a veteran of the Aleutian Campaign, was inactivated in August 1993. The 354th Fighter Wing was activated in its place.

The mission of the Eleventh Air Force shifted during the early 1990s from defending Alaska against the Soviet Union bomber threat to committing its forces to worldwide deployment and providing training opportunities for others.

Arizona residents may have to contend with the occasional household pest. However, whether you live in one of the major urban centers, such as Phoenix or Scottsdale, or in the suburbs and rural parts of the Grand Canyon state, the uninvited guest can turn into a serious concern when your home falls prey to a pack rat problem.

If your home is being overrun by a pack rat problem in Arizona, read on to find out how to get rid of rats and eliminate the problem for good.

Pack Rat Arizona — Rodent Characteristics

Pack rats make their homes in Arizona out of preference for the desert climate. You can tell you have a pack rat problem on your hands if the rodent in question has a bushy tail, a white underbelly and brown or grey colored fur.

If you find tiny objects in strange places throughout your home, this could very well indicate a pack rat problem. The Arizona pack rat tends to scavenge, collecting small shiny objects for nesting grounds, and will typically exchange things for a great new find.

Get Rid of Pack Rats — Rat Trapping

Some homeowners prefer to try their hands at pack rat elimination before calling a rodent exterminator. Depending on the magnitude of your pack rat problem, you might think it feasible to get rid of rats on your own.

Among the most effective methods for pack rat elimination is trapping. There are numerous traps available on the market, including glue traps, snap traps and no kill traps.

When handling pack rat elimination on your own, you may discover that no kill traps are ineffective in eradicating a serious pack rat problem. Additionally, while glue traps are effective, many consider them inhumane.

Snap traps are a preferred way to get rid of rats. However, if you choose this method, purchase the right size traps. You’ll also need to keep the traps out of reach from your children and pets, so they don’t unknowingly step into them.

Depending on the situation, pack rat elimination on your own can be bothersome an unsuccessful. If your attempts have proven futile, call in a professional for removal and eliminate your pack rat problem for good.

Pack Rat Arizona — Prevention for Lasting Pack Rat Elimination

Following successful pack rat elimination from your home, you’ll need to adopt some preventative measures to get rid of rats once and for all. The pack rat in Arizona can squeeze through small spaces. Be sure to seal the entryways to your home.

Additionally, tightly seal food and waste in rat proof containers. Keep your yard free of debris, as twigs, compost, wood piles and refuse are a nesting haven for the Arizona pack rat. In addition to the aforementioned steps, regular gardening and lawn mowing will prevent a future pack rat problem.

The gardening headlines this week have been plastered with the threat of two new diseases that could potentially devastate Europes indigenous tree population.

In southern France, along the famous Canal du Midi, a plan has been in motion since last winter that will see the felling and destruction of 42,000 plane trees in the region. This is due to the arrival of Ceratocystis platani, a disease that, since the 1970s, has been blitzing across Europe, originating in Italy. It is believed the blight, endemic to North America, was brought across the ocean by U.S. soldiers in World War Two. While the Midi, perhaps due to its recently endowed world heritage title, is certainly the most noticeable among the losses, the disease has also become prevalent in Switzerland, Germany and Greece, where it now threatens a vast percentage of the original Plane population.
The Canal, a world renowned tourist attraction, was originally designed as an economic conduit that allowed the merchants of old to bypass the treacherous Atlantic Ocean en route to the Mediterranean Sea. However, in a somewhat ironic twist, the original species of Mississippi Plane that have successfully adapted to this affliction are being imported in great numbers in order to replace one of the Canals main attractions. Unfortunately, while Toulouse can cater to their favoured humid environment, it is unclear whether this species will be viable to supplement the depletion that chillier areas of the continent have suffered.
The threat does not stop in Toulouse however – given the virility of the affliction, tree pathologist Steve Woodward (University of Aberdeen) agrees that it poses a grave threat to the urban based Planes of cities like Paris and London. It is the Plane that so commonly and attractively lines our city streets.
“We are talking about a massive disaster here if it continues to spread,” he says.
The disease is a fungal infection that, once exposed to the roots of the organism, will completely overrun it within 3-5 years and due to the damage this causes to the plants integrity, it is imperative that it be removed, lest it should fall and endanger passers-by in doing so. The disease is characterized by cankerous sores appearing on the inner bark of the tree, as well as an accelerated decline in both the quality and density of the plants foliage. No wound to the outer bark is too great or small to escape it and contact equals instant infection.

In addition to this threat from abroad, a new menace has been identified in rural Devon as a potential watershed moment for the diminishment of our domestic Yews and Lawson Cypresses in the form of Phytophtora lateralis. Identifiable by the patchy colouring of its trunk, a tree will also often exhibit slightly lighter foliage in places followed by out of season autumn colours. The tree will succumb soon after, as this foliage deterioration signals that the tree has become totally infected. While certain soil drenches can be utilized in the earlier stages of the disease, these will likely prove ineffective once it has advanced past the root structure; aside from which, use of these drenches on a mass scale would likely cause further environmental concerns and prove something of a pyrrhic victory.

Due to this increasing encroachment of pests and diseases, a body has been established to specifically target incoming detriments to our native plant life. This group, known as the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan, has been allocated seven million pounds with which, over the next three years, they will attempt to exert a tighter control on the intrusion of foreign fungi and pathogens that threaten the endemic population.
“If we don’t act now, we could end up with a similar situation to the 1970s when more than 30 million trees in the UK died [as a result of] Dutch elm disease.”
-Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.
The key responsibilities of the plan will include the monitoring of exotic plants allowed to cross British borders, as well as increasing the knowledge and awareness of currently existing domestic threats.

The development of organic gardening has evidently been positively influencing the cultivation of plants and its propagation. It is important to respect the balance of nature and in Australia, following the principles that embrace sustainable gardening, farmers are implementing gardening methods that can grow plants and other farm produce free from the use of fertilizers and pesticides which harm natural environment.

The basic requirement for organic gardening to succeed is the use of compost soil. Composting is the procedure by which a healthy compost soil used in organic gardening is achieved. Making your own garden compost is very easy contrary to what most people perceive. You need not look far looking for composters. Start with your own household and garden waste. In this way you also help preserve the environment in Australia. You can use old garbage bins or old wooden crates to pile up you composters. Basically, start with composters that have a combination of nitrogen rich organic materials like fruits and vegetables peeling, leaves and fresh grass clippings. Mix these with carbon rich materials like woody twigs and paper materials. The secret of organic gardening is that harmful insects do not attack healthy plants grown out of compost organic soil. Pests are kept under control. The period for composters to turn into rich compost soil may vary from three weeks to three months depending on the kind of composting ingredients that were used.

One of the most useful gardening tools available in Australia is a rotating composter. It is intended to speed up the composting process that takes only about three to four weeks duration. As in most garden tools invented, a rotating composter is designed to make life easy in organic gardening. Composters are piled in a compost bin which a rotating barrel that is periodically turned, say once or twice a week. Rotating of compost bin is purposely intended to aerate the composter materials and break them down into smaller pieces. This way, composters are quickly degraded thereby speeding up the process of composting. A rotating compost bin is also a labor saving device. You spend less time and effort in turning up the composters while getting rid of the backbreaking task of shoveling the compost pile repeatedly for hours.

Hanging baskets are inexpensive gardening tools that are helpful in organic gardening. Hanging baskets keep the plants aerated because air is coming from all directions allowing the plants to breathe. When working with hanging baskets, compost soil is kept moist without becoming too soaked in water, requires less space in the gardening area while promoting healthy bacteria to keep healthy growing plants.

The efforts of sustainable gardening advocates are now paying-off. The fruits their labor has evidently spread since organic food has swiftly gained international recognition and in Australia, the thrust for organic food production has turned into an industry on its own. Likewise, awareness as to the importance of recycling of organic household garbage into usable components has been gaining recognition worldwide. Organic gardening is a major step towards achieving an eco-friendly livable earth for the future generation to dwell in.

Outside furniture items, can also be often known as patio furniture or back garden furnishings. Furniture for use outside is created specifically for this location. It is normally produced from weather tolerant materials.

Yard furniture, also known as garden furnishing, or outdoor patio furnishing is quite commonly comprised of a group. Often this consists of a table, chairs (normally in sets of four or six), and quite often a parasol or back garden umbrella. Long patio chairs, seats & benches also are usual.

Garden parasols or umbrellas are specialized forms of umbrellas. They are designed for utilization for shading from the sun. They typically employ a weighted base or a mounting built-in to the paving surface area. They are generally easily transportable in design as a way to be mounted strategically for outdoors tables & seating. However, some are positioned by means of a centre hole in the table.

In the evening or in winter back garden or balcony heaters are utilized to sit outside in comfort. These may be fitted permanently on terrace roofs and eaves, or may be portable & self supported. Operation is often by way of natural gas, propane or electrical energy. Smaller models could possibly occasioanlly utilize bottled butane. Gas systems may use existent plumbing with outlets at permanent spots or might be attached to quick hook up plugins.

Portable open fire bowls and backyard modular open fire pits are common & widely available. These are generally manufactured in a lot of different materials and utilized typically to extend the time period of using outdoor areas.

Outdoor and outdoor patio sets are mostly crafted from solid wood, wickerwork, aluminium, wrought iron or plastic material. Timber outdoors & patio furnishings is affected by exposure outdoors to the elements & needs to have routine treatmant and upkeep.

A common timber for outdoor furniture is teak. Teak holds silica naturally. That makes it resistant to most of the impacts from water e.g. warping, swelling, rotting, as well as to fungal affects. Additionally it is resistant against chemical substances, acids, alkalis & flame. Once teak weathers its original appearance is lost, however this is changed to a glowing silver appearance. Lots of people like this matured look of teak. As a consequence of teak’s resistance to infestation & rotting it may be employed without maintenance, but if your decision is actually to preserve your teak furniture’s authentic full colour than quite simply oiling the teak every couple of months should certainly preserve this physical appearance.

On the other hand aluminium backyard and deck furnishing is sturdy & quite rugged. It will corrode if its protective external finish is in any way jeopardized. Plastic veranda & gardening furnishings is water resistant naturally and may be remain out-of-doors all year around nonetheless it definitely will age over a long amount of time.

Formerly rattan outside and deck furniture was created from the stems of palms found in the tropical areas. Palm stems securely woven into interlocking sections were employed to produce the desired design e.g. seats. Nowadays, artificial plastic resin is used to make most contemporary wicker furniture. This substanially increases the lifetime of the furnishings and also decreases manufacturing costs. Recycled plastic material is generally utilized to create resin furniture. Truly being extremely durable, resin furniture consistently offers a warranty period of twenty years or even more. Mouldings are made to look like bamboo and also real timber.

Accessories like planter display boxes, floral stand units, birdbaths and pergolas all create functions and liveability to your out of doors spaces.