James D. McCurdy

Spring has arrived in Auburn! I saw my legs today for the first time in over two months. No more leg- or arm- warmers, no more tights; it’s on.

I’ve spent the last four weeks trying to get some research started – wrong time of year to do that. And I’ve trained harder and longer this winter than in winter’s past.

I guess my life’s a mix and match between grad-school and training. My boss says “everyone’s got dragons to slay,” but none of us grad students quite know what that means. I think it means something about taking care of business so that we can have extracurricular activities.

So I’m slayin’ some dragons. This week we’re applying spring preemergence trials. Preemergence herbicides prevent germinated seedlings from becoming full sized plants – usually weeds in lawns. One can quite literally smell dinitroanaline herbicides all around town. It’s a wonder there’s not an activist student union against herbicide application on campus. There are huge movements throughout the nation (and globe) against such intense management practices. A couple of interesting reads (and websites) are Turf Wars, the Daily Green, Less Lawn, and LawnReform.org

Slayin' Some Dragons

It’s complicated, but my project lies along the same line.  It revolves around the idea that not all weeds are bad, particularly leguminous weeds such as the clovers (Trifolium spp). When it comes to purposefully including legumes in lawns, there’s a lot of good ideas floating around but very little data, especially in warm-season turf…

So we’re looking to change that by quantifying carbon and nitrogen sequestration within these systems and comparing them with mono-stands of turf.

At least that’s the plan.

For now, I’m “in clover,” which basically means good pasture.

Jay

Swine Flu has hit Hong Kong.  Says Monsters and Critics.com, 240 guests and 100 hotel staff have been quarantined for a week.  They were initially told only 24 hours.  What’s scary is that Hong Kong, because of it’s preparedness from SARS, can do this.  They could do more than just lock up the Wan Chai Metropark Hotel, they could close down the airports to all incoming flights.  They could lock up the borders.  The place could get crazy.

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Most of you will get a kick out of these pictures.   The people of Asia have an incredible ability to GET ‘ER DONE!

The first is a pump rigged to an old truck motor.  It is lifting water from a lower canal to a retention pond.  To the right is an old rotary mower converted to pull three reel mowers with a complex, cut you to pieces, belt and pulley system.  The lady operating it is dressed like a bandit.  Notice her bare feet are only inches away from being severed.  She is mowing Paspalum for sod production.  Below and to the left, a “jeep”.  To the right, a grill on wheels.  These were everywhere in Thailand.  I am told that they cook and display field rats on Saturdays, and that they are tasty if prepared with hot spices.   

It is somewhat difficult to spend frivolously in Bangkok.  Things are pretty cheap.  I bought a sweet new t-shirt, a few post cards, some Buddha heads, and a sweet lighter that, from the non-lighting end, projects the photo of a nude woman.  Mom, it’s for my smoking memorabilia collection. 

Believe it or not, I spent most of my time doing work.  I met up with some turfgrass professionals and visited several golf courses and a research facility.  I learned a lot and met some fascinating people.

Oh, I ate some delicious Thai food too.

Additionally, I’m glad to have cable so that I can watch intellectually stimulating movies like “Talladega Nights:  Ballad Of Ricky Bobby” while lounging around in my sophisticated new t-shirt.

Yours truly,

Jay

p.s. In case you don’t know how to wear a seat belt, I’ve included a photo from the back seat of today’s taxi ride.  Buckle up for safety!  Click it or ticket!

Ahhh!  I’ve taken the afternoon quite easy.  A quick trip to the “Wellcome” mart (not miss-spelled) yielded some chicken breasts and fresh veggies.  It’s so hard to find quality chicken in Shueng Shui.  Don’t even ask about steak – nothing but fat and grizzle.  I’ve just finished my meal and sat to write a few words about the past week. 

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What a weekend!  I worked Saturday morning before taking a short nap then going for a long run through the hills of Shueng Shui.  The hills are quite nice, full of trails, and, like the rest of Hong Kong, people.  There are grave sites and alters throughout the hills which are visited regularly by family and friends.  The graves are usually concrete or stone, some elaborately painted or carved.  The past week was a grave cleaning holiday.  The Chinese have two or three a year, which makes good sense when you consider the growth rate of plants here.   

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On Sunday, I’m moving to Hong Kong to work at the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club, a 36 hole, private golf facility. 

A bit more about where I’ll be living:  Hong Kong is located just south of the Tropic of Cancer on similar latitudes as Havana.  The country is a peninsula that protrudes from southeastern China into the South China Sea.  Kowloon and the New Territories (where I will be living) make up the peninsula, while south of the mainland is Hong Kong Island. 

I will be the club’s first Research Superintendent.  My assignment:  to identify preferable grasses and cultural practices for use at the club. Managing the club’s 10+ acres of turf nursery is also among my duties. For this task, I may be quite useful.  Something you many not know about me:  I grew up on a sod farm (McCurdy Farms, Dyer, TN), and I recently earned my Masters of Plant Science degree (specifically, turfgrass weed ecophysiology). 

I learned a ton while completing my masters at the University of Tennessee, and even more on the family farm.  But, it’s time to try something new and adventurous. 

My goals are very simple; enjoy living abroad and experience new and exciting things.  Although, I will miss my friends and especially my family, I will be in touch and easily reached by phone.  Yes, there are phones and the internet in China, and no, I’m not a communist, nor do I have plans to become one.  

Other:  Last weekend I qualified for the International Triathlon Union Amateur World Championship, to be held in Australia next September.  Getting faster and stronger will also be important.  The biggest obstacle I face is working too much (always the case).  I expect early mornings and long days, but think that I can “adapt and overcome” almost any obstacle.  Hell, I haven’t swum (I think this is the correct verb) in a pool but once since mid-May.  Instead, I’ve been doing laps in our pond.

To all of you, keep in touch, and COME SEE ME!