CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:35). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-12-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of November 15, 2021.  This revised episode from October 2013 is the first in a series this year of winter-related episodes. MUSIC – ~ 21 sec – Lyrics: “Summer’s over, winter’s coming.  Summer’s gone, the days were long; now the moonlight froze the dawn.  Summer’s over, winter’s coming.” That’s part of “Winter is Coming,” from the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Va.-based band, The Steel Wheels.  It sets the stage for exploring a characteristic feathered feature of the transition from fall to winter.  To start, we drop in on a chattering crowd of eager flyers, who then hear their long-distance flights being announced but no planes are taking off.  If this sounds like a huge airport headache instead of a water event, well, just have a listen for about 35 seconds. SOUNDS and VOICES - ~36 sec – Voice call-outs: “Sora.  Snowy Egret.  Green Heron.  Osprey.  Least Tern.  Piping Plover.  Broad-winged Hawk.” You’ve been listening to the names and sounds of seven kinds of birds that are known to spend summer in Virginia and then typically migrate out of the Commonwealth for winter.  Fall’s arrival means the departure from the Commonwealth of many species of birds—including the first six you just heard—who may nest in spring and summer around Virginia’s aquatic areas.  Fall also brings seasonal migrations of land-based birds—including the seventh species you heard, the forest-dwelling Broad-winged Hawk—that travel over watery areas of Virginia, particularly the Chesapeake Bay and the Delmarva Peninsula.  In fact, the concentration of hawks and other migrants along Virginia’s Eastern Shore makes it an important and popular location for monitoring bird migration, and the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory maintains a migrant-counting platform in Kiptopeke State Park in Northampton County.  Among various programs at the Observatory, Kiptopeke Hawkwatch has been conducted at that location since 1977.  In fall 2021, over 17,000 migrating hawks and other raptors had been recorded as of late October. Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use the other bird sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs, and to several Virginia Tech colleagues for calling out the bird names.  Thanks also to The Steel Wheels for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “Winter is Coming.” MUSIC – ~23 sec – Lyrics: “Summer’s gone, we’re movin’ on, can’t regret that frozen dawn.  Summer’s over, winter’s coming.  Summer’s over, winter’s coming.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Wa

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:33). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-19-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of November 22, 2021.  This revised episode from January 2014 is part of a series this year of winter-related episodes. SOUND – ~5 sec That’s the landing sound of a large, distinctive duck that can be found in winter on Virginia’s coastal waters.  Have a listen for about 10 seconds to some more of this species’ sounds, and see if you know this bird.  And here’s a hint: the bird’s name, and the male’s beautiful color, may remind you of a painting. SOUND – ~12 secIf you guessed a Canvasback, you’re right!  Canvasbacks breed on water bodies in the prairies of Canada and the northern United States, but they winter in large sections of the U.S. and Mexico, with one concentration in the Chesapeake Bay area.  According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, at one time almost half of North America’s Canvasbacks wintered around the Chesapeake, but that number has decreased to about 20 percent because of reductions in Bay submerged aquatic vegetation, or Bay grasses, a valuable winter food for this species.  Canvasbacks are diving ducks, meaning they typically go completely underwater to obtain food and avoid predators.  In winter, Canvasbacks feed largely on plant roots and buds, while in summer they’ll add to their plant diet a variety of aquatic insects and other animals.  Predators on adult and young Canvasbacks include mink, coyotes, foxes, owls and other birds, some reptiles and fish, and human hunters, while Canvasback eggs are eaten by various mammals and birds. The Canvasback is considered one of the most distinctive North American ducks.  The following quote from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Birds of the World” Web site describes how the bird stands out.  Quote: “This exclusively North American species is considered the ‘aristocrat of ducks.’  The male's striking appearance—rich chestnut-red head and neck, black chest, white back, and long, sloping, blackish bill—along with its large size distinguish it in the field.”  Unquote. Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use the Canvasback sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.  We close with about 50 seconds of music appropriate for the Canvasback’s Chesapeake Bay connection.  Here’s “Chesapeake Bay Ballad,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at the Yale School of Music. MUSIC - ~51 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 197, 1-20-14, and the sounds segment of Episode 50, 1-24-11. Emily Whitesell helped write this original script for this episode during a Virgin

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:53). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-29-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for Halloween 2021.  Besides focusing on autumn’s festival of fun and fright, this episode is part of a series this fall about water connections to the human body and human biology. SOUND – ~9 sec That eerie sound of a tree creaking in October wind sets a seasonal stage for a Halloween challenge: exploring how Halloween, water, and human biology all connect.  Sound like quite a trick?  Well, have a listen to some Halloween music for about 50 seconds, and then we’ll treat you to some examples. MUSIC - ~50 sec – instrumental You’ve been listening to “A Little Fright Music,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at the Yale School of Music.  And here are six matches of Halloween creatures or images with water in the human body. 1.  Skeleton images rattle around everywhere for Halloween, and in living skeletons water is a significant component of bones and cartilage.  2.  Pretend blood covers many-a Halloween costume, and over half of the volume of blood is plasma, which in turn is over 90 percent water, and water is also a major component of blood cells. 3.  A muscular costume is part of pretending to be a super-strong character like Wonder Woman or Superman; and water plays a significant role in muscle structure and function; in turn, muscle is an important water-storage area for the body. 4.  The monster in movie versions of “Frankenstein” was brought to life by electricity, and the cells of our nervous system transmit messages though electrochemical impulses, using sodium and potassium ions in a water-based solution. 5.  If fiery or icy creatures need some temperature regulation, water’s the body fluid that does it. And 6.  Flashing and watching from many creatures on Halloween night are eyes, either scary, suspenseful, or super-powered; and eyes have chambers containing aqueous humor and vitreous humour, two fluids that consist mostly of water and that maintain the shape of the eyes. This Halloween, imagine being a creature that’s about 60 percent composed of an amazing substance with unique powers to dissolve other substances, absorb and release heat, and withstand being compressed.  What would you be?  Why, the water-based human being that you are! Thanks to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music for Virginia Water Radio, and we close with another listen to the last few seconds of “A Little Fright Music.” MUSIC - ~13 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The wind and creaking tree sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on October 5, 2014.  “A Little Fright Music” is copyright 2020 by Torrin Hall

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:26). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-5-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of November 8, 2021. MUSIC – ~12 sec – instrumental. That’s part of “Racing the Sun,” by The Faux Paws, on that group’s 2021 self-titled album, from Great Bear Records.  It opens a revised episode from November 2013, where we explore a sun-driven process that’s fundamental to life on earth: photosynthesis, the process where green plants and algae make food, using the energy in sunlight to store chemical energy in the form of glucose.  Photosynthesis is also… VOICES IN SKIT - ~1 min./57 sec. REPORTER: We break into this show to bring you exclusive audio from the Virginia Tech campus, where a shadowy team of scientists are tinkering with the process underlying all life on earth.  They haven’t yet revealed their possibly nefarious plans, so let’s listen in... SCIENTIST 1: With this terrarium, we have a model system to test our carbon dioxide-manipulation scheme, and soon we’ll be ready to control earth’s fundamental food-producing process... SCIENTISTS 1 and 2: Photosynthesis! SCIENTIST 2: Are all the components of the system ready?  Green plants with chlorophyll? SCIENTIST 1: Check! SCIENTIST 2: Soil with proper nutrients? SCIENTIST 1.  Check! SCIENTIST 2. Light? SCIENTIST 1.  Check! SCIENTIST 2.  Water? SCIENTIST 1.  Check! SCIENTIST 2.  Air with CO2? SCIENTIST 1.  CO2? SCIENTIST 2.  That’s carbon dioxide! SCIENTIST 1.  Oh...right...I mean, check! SCIENTIST 2.  Let the photosynthesis start!  Engage monitoring device! SCIENTIST 1.  CO2 taken in from the air...water and nutrients being absorbed through roots...light falling on leaves.  All systems go!  Light energy is driving CO2 and water to combine and form glucose, the chemical-energy form, while releasing oxygen. SCIENTIST 2.  Apply the CO2 inhibitor! SCIENTIST 1.  Lid applied!  CO2 source blocked...system CO2 levels dropping rapidly...plants responding as expected, using up available CO2. SCIENTIST 2.  Reverse manipulation!  Apply the CO2 increaser! SCIENTIST 1. Lid removed!  CO2 added...plants responding.  Wait, they’re responding too fast!  They’re growing beyond the walls!  One has me...aieeeeeeee! SCIENTIST 2.  Now it’s got me, too!  Noooooooo..... REPORTER: Well, this might be a good time for us to return to our regular show.  Back to you.... END VOICES IN SKIT Unlike this skit, with its far-fetched human-eating plants, there’s nothing make-believe about Earth life’s reliance on photosynthesis using sunlight, chlorophyll, nutrients, water, and carbon dioxide to make food.  Moreover, photosynthesis is a fundamental aspect of understanding and responding to climate change.  Photosynthesis millions of years ago created the hydrocarbon compounds that constitute today’s fossil fuels, and photosynthesis now—absorbing and storing some of the carbon dioxide released in fossil fuel burning—has an important role in reducing Earth’s carbon dioxide levels, warming, and other climate-change impacts.  For example, the capacity for photosynthesizing trees to take up atmospheric carbon dioxide was one aspec

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:50). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-22-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 25, 2021.  This episode is part of a series this fall about water connections to the human body and human biology.  We start this week with three mystery sounds, all related to a very numerous group of disease-causing, or pathogenic, microbes that have enormous impacts on human health.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if know this microbial group.  And here’s a hint: big hits on social media are said to spread like this group. SOUNDS – ~19 sec If you guessed viruses, you’re right!  You heard a person coughing due to a viral disease; handwashing, an important method of reducing viral transmission; and a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, an effective disinfectant against many kinds of viruses.  With attention focused this fall both on the COVID-19 coronavirus and the annual influenza virus season, we explore in this episode some basic information about viruses and some viral connections to water.  Here are 10 key points about viruses. 1.  Viruses are one of four groups of microbes responsible for human disease, along with bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which are single-celled animals.  As a group, viruses are the smallest of these microbes, although some are larger than some bacteria. 2.  Viruses aren’t made up of cells, but instead exist as particles composed primarily of molecules of protein and nucleic acids, that is, DNA or RNA.  They require a cellular host for reproduction, called replication. 3.  Viruses are more abundant than all of the cellular-based living things on earth. 4.  All living things are infected by viruses. 5.  Viruses don’t always cause disease in infected hosts, but many kinds do cause significant diseases in humans, other animals, and plants. 6.  Viral disease can result from viruses taking over or inhibiting their host’s cellular biochemical processes, or by cell destruction as new virus particles exit cells after replication. 7.  Depending on their type, viruses can be spread through air, in water, from surfaces, by animal vectors, or through exchange of blood or other body substances. 8.  Water-related spread of viruses can occur through water contaminated with human waste, and through animal vectors connected to water, particularly mosquitoes. 9.  Significant human diseases from water-borne viruses include intestinal disease, particularly diarrhea; hepatitis, or liver inflammation; inflammations of the brain, spinal cord, or heart; and possibly cancer.  Viral diseases spread by mosquitoes include Yellow Fever, Dengue, West Nile, and others. And last, but not least, handwashing with clean water and soap is important for reducing the spread of viruses through objects and surfaces—collectively called fomites—with which humans come into contact. Thanks to Freesound.org user n__audioman for making the coughing sound available for public use.  Here’s hoping we all hear less of that sound and more of the handwashing and other preventative measures that keep viruses—water-borne and otherwise—somewhat at bay. SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:00). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-15-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 18, 2021. SOUND – ~8 sec This week, those abrupt stops to the sounds of the Roanoke River, Gray Tree Frogs, and a household water faucet set the stage for an episode marking the observance of “Imagine a Day without Water,” to be held this year on October 21.  We start with some music designed to help you do such imagining.  Have a listen for about 40 seconds. MUSIC  - ~42 sec – instrumental You’ve been listening to “Flow Stopper,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at the Yale School of Music.  Besides flowing rivers, calling frogs, and household faucets, almost any aspect of life could be affected by a lack of water, including the biological structures and functions that make life possible.  Increasing the awareness of water uses and needs is a goal of the “Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign.  According to the event’s Web site, the effort is, quote, “a national education campaign that brings together diverse stakeholders to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment,” unquote.  The event is part of the “Value of Water Campaign,” focused on water infrastructure needs.  These campaigns are coordinated by the US Water Alliance, a non-profit organization made up of people from water utilities, government, business, other non-profits, communities, and research establishments. Worldwide, billions of people don’t have to imagine lacking good water.  According to the United Nations, as of 2019 over 2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water, and over 4 billion people lacked access to safely managed sanitation. In the United States, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ water infrastructure “Report Card” for 2021 estimated over $1 trillion needed through 2029 for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, with $434 billion of that not yet funded. And in Virginia, the Department of Environmental Quality’s 2020 “Water Resources Report” identified several water challenges, including maintaining groundwater availability over the next 50 years; coordinating water planning among localities; gauging the impact of unpermitted water withdrawals; understanding stream water quality and ecology; and investing in water-resources personnel, science, and education. Water is fundamental for energy, commerce, industry, agriculture, aquatic and terrestrial life, and human biology.  Imagining a day without water—and learning about where water’s lacking—can help us envision and work toward well-watered future days. Thanks to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music for Virginia Water Radio, and we close with another listen to the last 10 seconds of “Flow Stopper.” MUSIC  - 10 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show. 

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:02). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-8-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 25, 2021.  This revised episode from November 2017 is part of a series this fall of episodes on water connections to the human body and human biology. We start with a public health mystery sound.  Have a listen for about 35 seconds, and see if you can guess what seasonal, precautionary procedure is taking place.  And here’s a hint: thinking feverishlycould influence your answer. SOUNDS and VOICES - ~36 sec “Any problems with any vaccines before?” “No.” “Feeling OK today?  No fever or anything like that?” “No.” “And no allergies to foods or medications that you’re aware of?” “No.”  … “So, you know, a little bit of arm soreness; that’s probably the most of it.  Redness, irritation.   Might be kind of tired for a day or so, or even a low-grade fever or a headache is possible and normal.  If that were to happen, whatever you take for a headache is fine.  Any questions about anything?” “No.” “All right.” … “All right, leave that bandage on for about 10 minutes or so, and take it off anytime you remember after that.  And here’s your copy for your records.  Thanks.” “Thank you.” “Have a good day.” If you guessed, a flu shot, you’re right!  You heard an influenza vaccination being given in October 2017 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  Flu season arrives every year with colder weather, bringing the potential to cause fever, body aches, and other symptoms, some quite serious or even fatal.  The flu affects millions of people in the United States each year, and health agencies like U.S. Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health encourage vaccination for everyone older than six months, with some exceptions. But what does the flu have to do with water?  Consider these three connections. First, drinking plenty of fluids is a commonly prescribed treatment for flu sufferers in order to help prevent dehydration resulting from increased body temperature and other responses to the viral infection.  Infants, children, and the elderly are particularly at risk for dehydration. Second, the flu virus is transmitted between humans by respiratory droplets, and researchers have found that transmission is affected by air temperature and humidity. Specifically, transmission occurs more easily in cold, dry air, such as is typically found during fall and winter in temperate areas like Virginia. Third, waterfowl and shorebirds are among the various kinds of birds that harbor avian flu viruses, and water contaminated with aquatic birds’ waste can potentially harbor avian flu for some time.  Understanding the factors related to the occurrence and transmission of avian viruses—including the role of contaminated water—is important in monitoring avian flu and its potential to spread to other birds, mammals, or humans. Flu season is upon us, and the CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine by the end of October.  So if you hear this… VOICE - ~3 sec – “Are you here for a flu shot?” …now you’ll have not only a health connection for the flu, but some hydrological ones, too. Thanks to staff

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:08). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-1-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 4, 2021.  This week, we pause our series of episodes on water connections to the human body, to revisit an episode from fall 2017 that explores one of the hallmarks of the autumn season. MUSIC – ~ 11 sec – instrumental. Following the astronomical start of fall on September 22, this episode features a fiddle tune named for a water-related weather event that will mark a meteorological fall turning point when it occurs across the Commonwealth in October or November.  Have a listen to the music for about 25 more seconds. MUSIC - ~26 sec – instrumental. You’ve been listening to part of “Cold Frosty Morn’,” performed here by the western Virginia band New Standard.  One of the consequences of fall’s arrival is frost in the mornings and, eventually, a significant enough freeze to end of the growing season, when temperatures fall to about 28 degrees Fahrenheit or below.  That temperature typically occurs for the first time each fall in mid-to-late October in western Virginia, early-to-mid November east of the Blue Ridge, and mid-to-late November in some Virginia coastal areas.  Those predicted periods are based on historical records through 2010; the typical frost and freeze dates may be shifting as Virginia experiences climate change. Generally, frost forms when water vapor in the air contacts plants, windows, cars, or other solid surfaces that are at or below water’s freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  Some specific kinds of frost include radiationfrost, occurring when surface objects are cooled by radiating their heat; advection frost, occurring when surfaces are cooled by winds; and rime, a dense type of frost that forms when super-cooled liquid water in fog or clouds contacts solid surfaces, such as trees, radio towers, or ships on winter seas. Frost may seem far away on Virginia’s often mild, early October days.   But to paraphrase a comment about truth from the poem “Birches,” by RobertFrost, frost-producing weather will soon break in with all of its matter-of-fact. Thanks to New Standard for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 10 more seconds of “Cold Frosty Morn’.” MUSIC - ~12 sec – instrumental. SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode repeats and replaces Episode 387, 9-25-17. The performance of “Cold Frosty Morn’” heard here is copyright by New Standard, from the 2016 album “Bluegrass,” used with permission. More information about New Standard is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 501, 12-2-19.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:09). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 9-24-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of September 27, 2021.  This episode is part of a series this fall on water connections to the human body and human biology.  This week, we start with some mystery sounds.  Have a listen for about 25 seconds, and see if you know the body system you can hear at work in all of these sounds.  And here’s a hint: it’ll be a show of strength if you guess this. SOUNDS  - ~23 sec If you guessed the muscular system, you’re right!  Walking, dribbling a basketball, lifting weights, and jumping rope all involve some of the over 600 skeletal muscles in the human body.  Skeletal muscles, also called striated or voluntary muscles, are one of three muscle types in the body.  The other two are smooth, or involuntary muscles, found in internal organs; and cardiac muscle in the heart.  Whatever their location or function, muscles have several important connections to water, including the following six. First, water is a major component of muscles, making up over 70 percent of muscle mass. Second, cell volume, that is, the space within cells, is affected by the amount of water that cells contain, or the cells’ hydration state.  This is believed to be related to muscle strength and contraction capacity by affecting the shape and function of muscle proteins. Third, water is the medium containing all the dissolved biochemicals that the body needs to function, including those involved in muscular contraction and in nourishing muscle cells. Fourth, water is involved in reactions that release energy from the molecule ATP, and water is associated with the important energy-storage molecule glycogen. Fifth, water helps regulate body temperature, including the heat generated by muscular activity. And sixth, water helps lubricate moveable joints, the structures upon which skeletal muscles act to move parts of the body. Overall, water plays a significant role in muscle strength and function, and muscle, in turn, is an important area of water storage for the body. We close with some music whose title speaks of one of the most common uses of our muscles.  Here’s the closing 25 seconds of “Walk This Way For Awhile,” by the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Va.-based band, The Steel Wheels. MUSIC - ~25 sec – Lyrics: “…you walk this way for awhile; will you walk this way for awhile?  I think you will, I know you still, I hope you will.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on September 23, 2021. “Walk This Way for Awhile,” by The Steel Wheels, is from the albu

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:40). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 9-15-21. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of September 20, 2021.  This revised episode from October 2015 is part of a series this fall of episodes on water connections to the human body and human biology. MUSIC – 16 sec – Instrumental That’s part of “Halloween,” by John McCutcheon on his 1998 album “Autumnsongs.”  In this first week of autumn, with Halloween merchandise already in stores and on some people’s minds, that organ music sets the stage for exploring a vital human organ system that’s also one of Halloween’s most familiar spectres.  Have a listen for about 15 second to some mystery sounds, and see if you can guess that organ system.  And here’s a hint: we couldn’t move at all, much less rattle around, without this remarkable framework. SOUNDS  - 13 sec If you guessed the skeleton or skeletal system, you’re right!  The rattling you heard was from a plastic Halloween skeleton, accompanied by some creepy laughter from a talking skull decoration.  Since ancient times, human skeletons have been used in art, literature, and culture as symbols of danger, death, and dryness. In fact, the word “skeleton” comes from Latin and Greek words meaning “dried up.”  But there’s nothing dead nor dry about a functioning human skeleton.  Our 206 bones contain active cells and tissues that continually take in and release calcium and phosphorus while producing new bone, blood, and fat cells. Bone is about 25 to 30 percent water by weight, with the rest consisting of minerals plus connective protein fibers called collagen.  Water is the main component of cartilage, the relatively flexible tissue in our nose and ears and between bones, including in the disks between the vertebrae in our spine.  In those spinal disks, cartilage fibers enclose a watery core, and this water’s resistance to being compressed helps vertebrae move while not being pushed together. Ligaments and tendons join bone and cartilage in the complex, multi-purpose skeletal system.  Aided by water, the skeleton supports the body; protects internal organs; produces cells; and provides levers, pivot points, and cushions to the forces acting on and within the body.  All that, and it’s also a classic Halloween image! Thanks to John McCutcheon and Appalseed Productions for permission to use this week’s music, and we get the jump on the season of scary skeletons with about 25 more seconds of “Halloween.” MUSIC – 28 sec – Lyrics: “For just one night, I’m allowed to fantasize.  Halloween, here we go.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 287, 10-26-15. “Hallowe