How my zucchetta is changing

I am in my third generation of seeds for zucchetta, or tromboncino. I've been letting some of the fruits remain on the vine and grow large rather than eating them all when they are young and tender. I store the winter zucchetta in my basement and eat them over the entire winter and this year, well into the spring. I typically have ten or so plants that climb along a narrow strip of soil that runs along my back fence. This third generation of seeds produced a deeper orange flesh and a better taste. It is closer in flavor to a butternut or winter squash than a yellow squash or zucchini. I've also been selecting for size and taking the last of the individuals to select for storage. As of May of 2023, I still have several large winter squash like the one in the photo below. The long seed-free neck is easily cut into medallions for roasting.

Extracurricular reading from 2022? 2023?

 I may have missed listing of few of the books I've read over the past year and half or more. There's barely enough time to read, so adding them to my blog is not a priority. This was my third reading of Moby Dick. The novel is not what you think it is. Nor is Uncle Tom's Cabin the book you think it is.

Racialization and invasivenss in the Bradford pear

 My grad student RL Martens just finished a thesis on the Bradford pear. Here is the abstract below, along with a few images. RL has accepted an internship with the US Forest Service.