Psychotria Elata is one of the plants that will impress you with its rather unique visuals right from the start. Commonly known as the Hooker’s Lips Plant actually seems to be pretty similar to some very large lips. It’s basically a small tree found in Costa Rica and Columbia that has some very “alluring parts”.
It’s not easy to find this plant, that’s for sure. It constantly grows all the time. They are particularly fond of growing in damp soils, which makes them even harder to reach when compared to regular plants.
The downside is that this plant has now come close to extinction, mainly because its homeland was affected by constant deforestation. This is rather sad, considering that it is so unique.
There is a confusion though. People believe that the lips of this plant are the actual flower. No, this plant’s flower is separate from the “lips”. In fact, the flowers come in between the lips. The overall lips are just modified leaves. They are actually named bracts.
Interior growers turn to plants from around the world to add exotic touches to the home. Hot lips plant fits the bill but requires a tropical environment. For this reason, it is mostly a collector’s plant for much of the United States. Growing hot lips plants requires a heated greenhouse or solarium, high humidity, and shelter from harsh solar rays.
You haven’t been to Hershey until you’ve taken the free Hershey’s Chocolate Tour. The tour − an indoor ride in a Hershey’s Kiss-shaped car − allows visitors to understand how Hershey’s chocolate is made and enjoy a free chocolate bar at the end. Better still is the marketplace at Hershey’s Chocolate World, where you can purchase Hershey’s candy (including treats you don’t typically find at your local food store); candy-themed souvenirs; and signature smoothies, milkshakes and pastries. You can also make a personalized treat at the Create Your Own Candy Bar station, solve a sweet mystery in the 4D Chocolate Movie and enjoy wine and chocolate or beer and chocolate pairings seasonally.
Hersheypark
Hersheypark features 15 roller coasters (and counting) − including Laff Trakk, the first indoor, spinning glow coaster in the U.S. The amusement park also features an outdoor water park and kiddie rides, plus rides and attractions the whole family can enjoy together. When it’s time for a break, order one of the park’s famous King Sized Shakes, available at Simply Chocolate. The one-of-a-kind amusement park is especially magical at Christmas, when the park hosts Hershey Sweet Lights, a 2-mile, illuminated drive-through tour, and Christmas Candylane, where guests can sip hot cocoa and meet Santa and his reindeer.
The Hotel Hershey
The Hotel Hershey is an especially popular destination for romantic escapes and girls getaways. Part of the Historic Hotels of America, the regal resort offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, golf, tennis, fitness facilities, a kids club, five restaurants and a spa. Guests can choose to stay in beautifully appointed guest rooms, suites or cottages, plus the hotel offers perks like complimentary admission to Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story’s Museum Experience. Reviewers say the staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful, and that the food is great.
Hersheypark Stadium
When planning your summertime visit to Hershey, be sure to check the schedule at Hersheypark Stadium where big-name concerts are typically hosted from June through September. The outdoor venue offers food and beverage concessions and − the ultimate splurge − VIP Sky Suites. Hersheypark Stadium has hosted everyone from Dead & Company to the Jonas Brothers. Reviewers say the bathrooms are tiny, but clean and widely available.
ZooAmerica
One of the first attractions to open in Hershey, ZooAmerica was established in 1910. More than a century later, the zoo has expanded to house a couple hundred animals across a variety of species and support several wildlife and environmental conservation efforts. For an extra-special experience, book a behind-the-scenes photography or after-hours tour of the zoo. ZooAmerica is located within Hersheypark and admission to the zoo is included in your park pass.
Hershey Gardens
Stop and smell the roses at Hershey Gardens. That’s exactly what Milton Hershey intended for visitors when he requested to “create a nice garden of roses.” Aside from fragrant flowers featured in seasonal and themed displays, Hershey Gardens offers a whimsical children’s garden with interactive play structures and a butterfly atrium where you can get up close with butterflies − so close they might land right on your head or hands. Guided walks and gardening classes are also available. Reviewers say the gardens are not only beautiful, but also relaxing.
The Falconry Experience
Did you know you could interact with falcons in Hershey? Offered at The Hotel Hershey and available to both guests and the general public, The Falconry Experience features free-flight and simulated hunt demonstrations, and the chance to have birds of prey land right on your hand. Group and family sessions are available, and kids ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Reviewers say this is one of the most unique experiences they’ve ever had.
Water Works at Hershey Lodge
Hersheypark isn’t the only place with a water park in the area. Hershey Lodge has an indoor water park called Water Works, with a zero-entry pool, a spray zone, a water-dumping bucket and more. Especially fun for young kids, the water park is exclusive and complimentary to guests of the hotel. Before you book your stay, check out the hotel’s packages, which combine overnight accommodations and Hersheypark tickets in one rate.
The very first U.S. one-cent coin debuted in 1787, before the U.S. Mint was formed.
This coin was called a Fugio cent, and it served as the first official circulation coin of the United States.
Ben Franklin designed the coin.
The only year the Fugio cent appeared in circulation was in 1787.
In 1793, the U.S. Mint introduced the large cent.
These early pennies were huge… practically the size of a half dollar!
Large cents were in circulation until 1857, and there were several designs throughout the years.
In 1856, the U.S. Mint introduced the small cent.
The small cent coin was the first U.S. penny made in a size that is similar to the pennies of today.
The Flying Eagle design was the first to appear on a small cent.
In the United States, the one-cent coin is not officially called a penny.
Even though most of us refer to the U.S. one-cent coin as a “penny,” the coin is technically called a “cent” in the United States.
Yep, the U.S. Mint officially named the coin a “cent.” And the U.S. Treasury officially called it a “one cent piece.”
It was during the Colonial period (when people used a mixture of coins from other countries) that a coin known as the British penny became popular. It was in 1857 that Congress asked the U.S. Mint to make the one-cent coin smaller.
The penny is not the lowest face value coin ever produced in the U.S.
From 1793 to 1857, the U.S. produced half cents. These coins are quite scarce today!
Other coins with denominations the U.S. used to make that we haven’t used in many years include:
the 2-cent piece
the 3-cent piece
the half-dime
Abe Lincoln was the first real person to have their face appear on a U.S. coin.
His face appeared for the very first time when the penny was redesigned in 1909.
The 1909 Lincoln penny also marks the first time that a U.S. president appeared on a U.S. coin.
Lincoln’s face is the only one on a U.S. coin that looks to the right.
All other portraits of people on U.S. coins face to the left.
Some U.S. pennies stick to a magnet, while others do not.
The 1943 steel penny does stick to a magnet. (More than 1 billion of these coins were made.)
The few 1943 copper penny error coins that were made don’t stick to a magnet. (Approximately 40 were made and only 27 are known to exist.)
Some 1944 pennies were accidentally made from steel, and these do stick to a magnet. (Only 30 or so exist today.)
The most valuable U.S. penny is a 1943 cent that’s worth $1.7 million.
Of all the modern-era pennies (those made since the introduction of small cents in 1856), the 1943-D copper Lincoln penny is the one with the highest value. It was accidentally made on a copper planchet that was intended for 1942 pennies — instead of being made on the steel blanks used for 1943 pennies. Only one of them exists!
Copper pennies from 1944 to 1946 were made of shell casings.
The public didn’t much like the 1943 steel pennies. They were often mistaken for dimes, they rusted pretty quickly, and they just didn’t look like the copper pennies everyone knew.
In 1944 the U.S. Mint began striking pennies from copper blanks made from reclaimed ammunition shell casings. They continued doing so through 1946. They look virtually identical to regular copper pennies.
The odds of finding a wheat penny today are about 1:200.
You would need to search through approximately 200 pennies in your pocket change and/or in coin rolls from the bank to find at least one Lincoln wheat cent.
In the case of these mid-1960s pennies, you can’t tell a Philadelphia penny from a Denver penny from a San Francisco penny. If you come across 1965, 1966, or 1967 pennies with no mint mark, that’s totally normal.
The 1974 silver penny is actually made of aluminum.
More than 1.58 million of the 1974 aluminum pennies were struck — merely as a test. At the time, the U.S. Mint was experimenting with different materials to reduce the cost of making pennies.
There were no 1974 aluminum Lincoln cents released into circulation, as the 1974 aluminum penny was immediately recalled for melting.
The majority of them were destroyed — including hundreds that were given to members of Congress and other officials.
However, not all of the coins were returned. There is a small number of unaccounted 1974 aluminum pennies that are still out there today!
It is illegal to own a 1974 aluminum penny.
1974 aluminum Lincoln cents are considered government property. They are, therefore, illegal to own.
Some 1992 pennies have the wrong design.
The U.S. Mint was in the process of reducing the spacing between the letters “A” and “M” in “AMERICA” for circulating 1993 pennies. But somehow a few 1992 and 1992-D Close AM pennies were struck and released by accident.
These rare pennies show virtually no gap between the bases of the letters “A” and “M.” These extremely rare 1992 pennies are worth thousands of dollars.
Most Lincoln Memorial pennies are pretty common (especially in circulated condition), and they are easily found in pocket change these days.
National One Cent Day occurs every year on April 1st.
Approximately $62 million worth of pennies are lost in circulation each year.
That’s a lot of pennies removed from circulation!
How are they “lost?”
They’re either dropped on the ground (while paying for items at outdoor events or drive-thru windows), tossed (into fountains, trash, or the ground), lost (in sofa cushions, car seats, etc), or saved (in coin collections, piggy banks, and coin jars).
It is illegal to melt U.S. pennies.
It is currently illegal in the United States to melt pennies. Anyone who melts pennies to profit from the metal could serve up to 5 years in prison and pay as much as $10,000 in fines.
By the way, it’s also illegal to export U.S. coins for the purpose of melting them.
However, if legislation should pass to end production of the one-cent coin, it would likely become legal to melt pennies in the United States after that.
Travelers may legally carry up to $5 in pennies out of the United States.
You shouldn’t clean your pennies, but if you must… here’s how.
If you really want to clean your dirty pennies, the best way is to use this 2-step method:
First, smear ketchup on the penny. Then, take a toothbrush and lightly scrub the penny — working the ketchup into all of the fine areas, and rinse the penny under warm water. Most likely, your penny will look dull and have a pinkish color at this point.
Second, combine baking soda and a little bit of water — to form a paste. Rub this mixture all over the penny with your fingers. Doing so should bring the shine back to it! (You could also dunk your penny in bowl containing 1 part baking soda and 4 parts vinegar — instead of making the baking soda paste.)
This 2-step cleaning method can strip away dirt and grime from coins — and it works especially well on pennies.
However, it completely strips away the coin’s original patina, making it a worthless coin in the eye of collectors!
It costs 2.06 cents to make each U.S. penny.
So, for every penny the U.S. Mint makes… we, the taxpayers, effectively lose one cent!
Amethyst’s use in rudimentary jewelry can be traced back as far as the Neolithic period (approximately 4,000 BC) and samples of it set into gold rings have been uncovered in burial sites from around 2,400 BC.
Amethyst is the name given to purple Quartz and some believe that its name derives from the Greek word ‘Amethustos’, ‘a’ meaning ‘not’ and ‘methustos’ meaning ‘to intoxicate’. In ancient times, wealthy lords who wanted to stay sober were said to have had drinking glasses or goblets made from Amethyst. While pouring wine for their guests they could serve themselves water, as the dark purple hue of the gem would disguise the color of the drink so it looked like wine, thus allowing the lord appear to be partaking in a tipple! Following the same theme, it was thought in ancient times if you wished to save a drunkard from delirium you could mix crushed Amethyst into a person’s drink.
One legend from Greek mythology tells the tale of Dionysus, the god of intoxication, and a young beautiful maiden, named Amethystos, who refused his advances. Dionysus let loose fierce tigers while Amethystos was on her way to pray to the goddess Diana. Before they reached her, Diana turned her into a statue of pure crystalline Quartz to protect her from the advancing tigers. Humbled by Amethystos’ resolution, and horrified at what he had almost done to her, he wept tears of wine. Legend says his tears turned the colorless Quartz purple, thus creating Amethyst.
Amethyst is mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and was also one of the twelve gemstones adorning the breastplate of the high priest Aaron (Exodus 39). With its association with piety and celibacy, Amethyst has been set into rings and worn by Cardinals, Bishops and Priests of the Catholic Church since the Middle Ages. Over the years, along with its use by the Church, the gem has also been cherished by royalty and several pieces can be found in the British Crown Jewels. Amethyst was also known as a personal favorite of Catherine the Great.
A bracelet worn by Queen Charlotte of England in the early 1700s was valued at £200 at that time. However, shortly after this a new discovery of Amethyst deposits was made in Brazil, which dramatically reduced the value of the Queen’s bracelet. This provides a good example of how the value of genuine gemstones (just like the stock market) can go up and down based on supply and demand. When mines are eventually exhausted prices tend to increase; as new deposits are found, gemstone prices generally decrease.
Amethyst is steeped in a rich and romantic history owing to its association with St Valentine. The patron saint of romantic love wore an Amethyst ring carved with the image of Cupid and this lead to Amethyst becoming a birthstone for the month of February. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that Amethyst quickens the intelligence and helped to dissipate evil thoughts.
AMETHYST GEMSTONE INFORMATION
Amethyst is the birthstone of February, and is the official gemstone for Wednesday. It is also the official gemstone for the 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries. The gem features a trigonal crystal system. Amethyst occurs in many shades, from a light, slightly lavender pinkish to a deep purple similar to that of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Amethyst can also be slightly pleochroic, which means that when light hits the gem, shades of different colors such as reds and blues can be seen from different angles. The color comes from iron impurities within the stone, without which it would be colorless. The amount of iron within each stone determines how deep the color is.
As a gemstone, it was once as expensive as Emerald, but in the 19th century Brazil came to dominate the gemstone landscape with their huge scale mining operations that have long since diminished. Amethyst still ranks as the most expensive and desired variety of Quartz due to its unique natural deep purple body color and exceptional clarity. Fine grade Amethyst is found in Brazil, Zambia and most recently an exquisite and completely distinctive variety was discovered in Morocco.
Amethyst still ranks as the most expensive and desired variety of Quartz due to its unique natural deep purple body color and exceptional clarity.
In Brazil this stone forms in hollow, crystal lined geodes and in other locations it forms over millions of years embedded in its host rock. The most desired color for the body color of Amethyst is a deep ‘Siberian’ purple reminiscent of the now depleted original source. Finest examples of Amethyst form in two distinct color groups; a deep purple with undertones of a cool blue or a reddish purple, sometimes referred to as ‘raspberry’.
As there is no single dominant organization or ruling body relating to gemstones, there are often different approaches to how a gem is graded or named. Many organizations within the jewelry industry for instance refer to Green Quartz as Green Amethyst, while others refer to Green Quartz as Prasiolite, Amegreen or Vermarine. This is a really hot topic in the gem world, with some believing that the name Amethyst can only be applied to purple Quartz, others saying if a Quartz’s green color is derived from heat treated Amethyst then it should be named Green Amethyst and others saying it should be known as Green Quartz or Prasiolite. Prasiolite has been known to appear naturally in a small mine in Silesia, Poland, and claims of natural Green Amethyst discoveries have also been made in Namibia, the US state of Nevada, Zambia and Tanzania.
Different tones of Amethyst have different prefixes. ‘Siberian Amethyst’ refers to darker Amethyst regardless of whether they are from Siberia or not (though traditionally they were before the mines were exhausted), normally having a tone of 75-80%. Amethyst with a more pinkish tone (20-30% tone) is named ‘Rose de France Amethyst’. Amethyst is a hard and durable gemstone measuring 7 on the Mohs scale. In its rough state, the gem often forms in long prismatic crystals, making it ideal for cutting. Because its color can often appear banded, it is usually cut into round brilliant shapes which helps the gem display a more uniformed color when viewed through the table or crown facets.
One of the largest Amethyst mines in the world is in Maissau in Austria and is unusual in that it is open to the public. If you want to travel further, then the Amethyst mines in Brazil are considered to be the best in the world and as long as you don’t mind roughing it a little, you’re sure to have a great adventure visiting the local artisan miners.
This being February, I thought we’d bake a Red Velvet Cake.
Cake:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round pans.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and shortening together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine red food coloring and cocoa to make a paste; add to creamed mixture.
Mix buttermilk, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together in a small bowl. To the creamed mixture, add flour, alternating with buttermilk mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Mix vinegar and baking soda together; gently fold into cake batter and pour into prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
Pretty unimpressive, isn’t it? Would you believe me if I told you there is a whole military installation built under there? Maybe a different photo would help…
This is a story I found when I went searching for interesting places to see in PA…only you aren’t allowed in…and shhhhh…it’s supposed to be a secret…LOL
When Raven Rock Mountain Complex was being built in southern Pennsylvania during the late 1940s, locals jokingly called it “Harry’s Hole” for President Harry Truman. Residents would hold picnics while watching the excavations and blastings. Many worked on its construction.
It was never completely a secret. But it stayed close to one for a while, mainly because no one said anything, said Garrett Graff, a journalist and author of the new book “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die.”
“This was relatively well known to the locals who worked there or had family who worked there,” Graff told PhillyVoice in an interview. “They just kept it quiet.”
The lid on Raven Rock has slowly been peeled. Located just north of the Maryland border, three hours west of Philadelphia and a short distance from Washington, D.C., it’s clearly labeled on Google Maps and been documented in books and articles.
It also isn’t a relic. Raven Rock is fully operational, and should the United States break out into nuclear war, it’s where defense operations would likely be centered.
“Raven Rock is the place where nuclear war in the United States would begin,” Graff said.
The Raven Rock Mountain Complex was carved into the ground during a period of panic.
As the threat of a Soviet nuclear attack loomed, “ordinary families were being encouraged to dig fallout shelters in their backyards,” investigative journalist Eric Schlosser wrote in his 2013 book “Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety.”
At the same time, the military and government were digging holes of their own. A bomb shelter had been built below the East Wing of the White House for President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, a bunker that was expanded during Truman’s administration.
Planning for a Soviet attack, however, “made it seem necessary to move America’s commander-in-chief someplace even deeper underground,” according to Schlosser.
The result was a bunker inside Raven Rock Mountain, and it was massive. Per “Command and Control”:
“Known as Site R, it sat about a half a mile inside Raven Rock and another half a mile below the mountain’s peak. It had power stations, underground water reservoirs, a small chapel, clusters of three-story buildings set within vast caverns, and enough beds to accommodate two thousand high-ranking officials from the Pentagon, the State Department, and the National Security Council.”
Graff said you can add to that list police and fire departments, a cafeteria, and “everything else you would find in a normal small city.”
The complex was finished in 1953 and has operated 24 hours a day, every day since 1961.
Some of the bunker’s facilities are located on or around the mountain, such as the fire department sitting on the peak. Most of the complex, however, is underground. Once the blast doors seal, Raven Rock’s dwellers can live there for weeks at a time.
‘Portals’ A and B are visible at the Raven Rock Mountain Complex near Waynesboro in southern Pennsylvania in this image from GoogleEarth. Once the blast doors are sealed, dwellers can live there for weeks at a time.
After the Cold War, many bunkers built in anticipation of nuclear apocalypse became obsolete, such as the fallout shelter underneath a West Virginia resort that’s now a museum.
Others, like Raven Rock, were kept operational — but barely. That changed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“It was more in mothball status,” Graff said. “It wasn’t quite as dramatic as someone walking into the mountain and turning on the lights, but operational-wise, that’s what happened on 9/11.”
The government kicked Raven Rock into gear. The facilities underwent a large expansion, Graff said. About 100 people work there under normal circumstances, but it can now hold about 5,000 in an emergency.
“Raven Rock today is a much more capable and larger facility than it was during the height of the Cold War,” Graff said.
In the days following the 9/11 attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney famously used Raven Rock as one of several secret hideaways while his office tried to shield his whereabouts.
“We know it’s there, we know why it’s there, and that’s as much as we know” — Richard Starliper, mayor of nearby Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.
Graff clarified there’s no evidence Cheney spent the day of the attacks there, but he definitely went afterward. Some defense officials, like Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, were taken directly to the mountain complex.
Raven Rock is one of two very similar facilities meant to house officials in case of an attack, with the other being the Mount Weather complex in Virginia. Mount Weather is run by FEMA, and would house most of the civilian government in an emergency.
The Pentagon runs Raven Rock, and it’s where national security would operate in the event of catastrophe or war, like if a President were to truly release “fire and fury” on North Korea — or vice versa.
“If at this exact moment the president decides he wants to launch nuclear war, or North Korea does, and for whatever reason he’s not able to reach the Pentagon, he would call Raven Rock,” Graff said.
Considering the heavy responsibility the complex would carry in the wake of tragedy, it’s not surprising the government has tried keeping a tight lip on Raven Rock. But there have been blips.
While working on their 2008 book “A Nuclear Family Vacation,” defense reporters Nathan Hodge and Sharon Weinberger were seemingly accidentally given information regarding a conference at Raven Rock about underground military facilities.
The reporters simply asked a point of contact for the conference about the event after coming across a notice for it on a Pentagon agency’s website. They were handed informational packets distributed to attendees that highlighted the level of secrecy surrounding Raven Rock, which was referred to as RRMC.
“Guidance” for those attending the conference included the following rules: “Avoid conversations about RRMC with unauthorized personnel,” “Do not confirm or deny information about RRMC to reporters or radio stations,” and “Do not post RRMC information on internet web pages.”
It continues: “Remember: The more the public knows about this facility, the more our adversaries do, and the more vulnerable we become.”
A few days after the reporters obtained the information, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency took down the notice about the conference. Hodge and Weinberger presumed someone at the Pentagon got in trouble.
Only in the past quarter century since the Cold War has information about Raven Rock become more public, “a testament to the limited communications technologies of the era” when it was constructed, according to Graff.
Raven Rock’s relationship with the surrounding community has changed too, particularly since the closure of the Fort Ritchie Army base across the border in Maryland. Some residents of nearby Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, who formerly worked at Fort Ritchie would be stationed at Raven Rock, according to the town’s mayor, Richard Starliper.
“These days you have no idea who works there or what they do,” Starliper said.
The complex is both a mystery and not at all, a sentiment summed up rather appropriately by the Waynesboro mayor.
“We know it’s there,” he said, “we know why it’s there, and that’s as much as we know.”
***There is an unprovable rumor that is interesting***
“I don`t know if it’s true or not,” a Waynesboro resident says, “But there`s supposed to be an underground tunnel from Virginia where they could drive up if they wanted to.”
The resident is referring to the popular rumor that there is an elaborate underground network of tunnels between Washington D.C., nearby Camp David, and Raven Rock so the President or Vice President could escape harm if disaster strikes.
That rumor, according to one D.C. Insider, is categorically false.
Today I offer 2 simple, easy to create Valentine crafts: a fleece pillow and a Valentine Gnome. Let’s get started!
No Sew Heart Pillow
Have a look at this easy way to make such a pillow from felt fabric or polar fleece (the cloth must be threadless). You need polar fleece in two different colors, scissors, and stuffing to stuff the pillow with, when it is ready.
Put the fabrics one over the other. Cut a big heart. After that draw a smaller heart inside the bigger one. Be sure to leave at least an inch to an inch and a half between the two borders. This is very important, because when you cut the strips (as shown at the image) they must be long enough so that you can tie them.
Start to tie every two strips, which one over another.
Tie all the strips in this way.
Do not forget to stuff the heart before you close the heart.
At the end, you can reduce the length of the strips to make your heart bushy. This heart pillow comes from the krokotak.com website.
Gnomes
Old yarn socks
Wooden beads
Faux beard
Rice
Polyester fiberfill
Jute string
Microfiber cleaning cloth, white
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Directions
Cut the socks at the heel. Use the lower half for the body and the upper half for the hat.
Fill the body with half a cup of rice for the weight, then add fiberfill to complete the body. Tie with string to seal the body.
Tie the end for the hat, then turn it over and tie again to make the pompom at the top.
Cut a strip of white microfiber cloth, then glue it to the bonnet. Fold the microfiber upward to keep the unfinished seams out of sight.
Glue the hat to the top of the body. Glue on a faux beard and a wooden bead for the nose.
They are found from Europe to Australia. The center of diversity of the family is Africa, although a number of species also occur in Asia. Single species occur in each of Europe, (the European bee-eater), Australia (the rainbow bee-eater) and Madagascar (the olive bee-eater, also found on mainland Africa).
They inhabit a variety of habitats depending on what regional environments including forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and agricultural areas.
The average lifespan is 5 to 6 years in the wild.
Bee-eaters range in length from 6 to 14 inches.
They are characterized by richly colored plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers.
Brilliant plumage is characteristic; green predominates, but many species are partially colored with red, yellow, blue, or purple.
Male and female plumages are usually similar.
Bee-eater’s bill is moderately long, slightly down curved, and sharply pointed.
Bee-eaters have one of the most complex social systems of any bird species. Many species (but not all) are monogamous, cooperative breeders living in large colonies of over 100 birds, but can reach 200 birds if conditions are favorable.
Each bird lives in an extended family with members of four overlapping generations. They appear to recognize parents, siblings, offspring, friends, and nesting neighbors, likely from voice recognition. This cooperative behavior vastly improves survival of chicks. Females leave their natal group to join her mate’s family.
Many bee-eater names reflect their flashy feathers if not the lack of imagination of the namers: red-throated, blue-headed, black-headed, red-bearded, purple-bearded, blue-cheeked, and cinnamon-chested, white-fronted, rosy, and little green bee-eaters.
They form colonies, nesting in burrows tunneled into vertical sandy banks, often at the side of a river or in flat ground. As they mostly live in colonies, large numbers of nest holes may be seen together. The eggs are white, with typically five to the clutch.
All bee-eaters are earth-hole nesters, digging their tunnels with an oval chamber at the end for eggs. They lay a single clutch annually.
As their name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by flights from an open perch. The stinger is removed by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect, thereby extracting most of the venom.
One white egg is laid each day until the typical clutch of about five eggs is complete. Incubation starts soon after the first egg is laid, with both parents sharing this duty in the day, but only the female at night. The eggs hatch in about 20 days, and the newly hatched young are blind, pink and naked. For most species, the eggs do not all hatch at the same time, so if food is in short supply only the older chicks survive. The chicks are in the nest for about 30 days.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assesses species vulnerability in terms of total population and the rate of any population decline. None of the bee-eaters meet the IUCN vulnerability criteria, and all are therefore evaluated as “Least-concern species”.
Bee-eaters were mentioned by ancient writers such as Aristotle and Virgil, who both advised beekeepers to kill the birds.
The Ancient Egyptians believed that bee-eaters had medical properties, prescribing the application of bee-eater fat to deter biting flies, and treating the eyes with the smoke from charred bee-eater legs to cure an unspecified female complaint.
In Hinduism, the shape of the bird in flight was thought to resemble a bow, with the long bill as an arrow. This led to a Sanskrit name meaning “Vishnu’s bow” and an association with archer gods.
Bee-eaters may be killed by raptors; their nests are raided by rodents and snakes, and they can carry various parasites.
This was posted at Wolf’s the other day and I loved it so much I brought it here! Thanks Barb Meier for bringing it in the first place!! (I added the pictures…)
Laughter is still the best Medicine! I used to be able to do cartwheels. Now I tip over putting on my underwear. Hate it when I see an old person and then realize we went to high school together.
I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes… so she hugged me. My wife says I only have 2 faults. I don’t listen and something else…. At my funeral, take the bouquet off my coffin and throw it into the crowd to see who is next. I thought growing old would take longer. I came, I saw, I forgot what I was doing. Retraced my steps, got lost on the way back, now I have no idea what’s going on. The officer said, “You drinking?” I said, “You buying?” We just laughed and laughed…. I need bail money.
Day 12 without chocolate. Lost hearing in my left eye. Scientists say the universe is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. They forgot to mention morons.
The adult version of “head, shoulders, knees and toes” is “wallet, glasses, keys and phone.” A dog accepts you as the boss… a cat wants to see your resume. Oops…. did I roll my eyes out loud? Life is too short to waste time matching socks.
Wi-fi went down for five minutes, so I had to talk to my family. They seem like nice people. If you see me talking to myself, just move along. I’m self-employed; we’re having a staff meeting. I won’t be impressed with technology until I can download food. Some people call me crazy. I prefer ‘happy with a twist’. My doctor asked if anyone in my family suffers from mental illness. I said, “No, we all seem to enjoy it.”
I really don’t mind getting old, but my body is having a major fit. Camping: where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person. Project Manager. Because Miracle Worker isn’t an official job title. I told my wife I wanted to be cremated. She made me an appointment for Tuesday. The world’s best antidepressant has 4 legs, a wagging tail and comes with unconditional love.
Love is how excited your dog gets when you come home. I’ve reached the age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me. If you’re happy and you know it, it’s your meds. Hope this finds you in Good Health and Good Spirits.
Weaknesses: Runs from emotional expression, temperamental, uncompromising, aloof
Aquarius likes: Fun with friends, risky business, fighting for causes, intellectual conversations.
Aquarius dislikes: Limitations, broken promises, being lonely, dull or boring situations.
You are the innovators of the Zodiac. The best way to understand your sign is to think about the progression through the earth signs of our celestial heavens. Taurus plants the seed, Virgo harvests the seed and Capricorn represents the pinnacle of civilization. What comes after this? The unknown. The yet-to-be discovered. The future.
Aquarius sees the world as it should be, could be or will be. Definitely tuned into the beat of a different drummer, you do things in your own way. There are, however, some Aquarians who act a lot more like Capricorns. Go back and read that section if you don’t identify with the particular personality aspects discussed here.
Freedom is extremely important to you. You are destined to bring the world new ways of doing and looking at things and must have the space to be able to manifest it. Your sense of style is unique and sometimes flamboyant. You can relate to almost all others in a detached way and you are dedicated to bringing humanity a step closer to fair and just. Injustice pushes your buttons like nothing else.
You have many friends and you are conversant in an abundance of topics. You follow your intuition with a sense of purpose and you listen to it even when it seems odd. Somehow you know that it truly provides the best guidance.
You want everyone to be happy. If there is a way that you can make it happen, you will do it. Like a mama duck, you sometimes have people following behind you and seeking your inspiration. You are very good at leading groups and can often be found teaching unusual topics. Friends know that they can look to you for upcoming trends.
Aquarius Friends and Family
Friends – No matter their ability to communicate, Aquarius representatives need time to build closeness with a friend and they will unconsciously do a lot only to avoid being emotional and vulnerable around others. They are willing to self-sacrifice but only if absolutely necessary, and by the time they jump in to help, a person in trouble will probably realize that they never needed help to begin with. They need creative friends with integrity and a strong intellect.
Family – Theses individuals have certain expectations from their family. Even though it might not be their place to search for answers their parents should seek, they will do so anyway, and more often than not impose their will on family members from the best possible intention – to make them get along. The sense of duty they have with some relatives won’t keep them around for very long, for this, as all emotional blackmail, hardly ever touches the soul of an Aquarius.
Aquarius Career and Money
This is a sign that brings enthusiasm, excitement, and innovations to their workplace and has a remarkable ability of exploitation of their imagination for business purposes. Their high intellect combined with their willingness to share their talents, inspires many people in their lives. They are a visionary who likes to engage in humane activities, and needs to work in a place that supports better circumstances for endangered groups of people.
Finances of this zodiac sign can be spent on various risks but also held on to, and all they need to have in order to create a saving zone out of their life, is to give them something to look forward to. They are well adapted to their feel for style and are not afraid to show it, which is why their colors shining in the outer world make all the difference for their emotional state. They feel extremely good in professions such as piloting, paragliding and photography, but also make excellent programmers, ingenious mathematicians and scientists, and need to show their personality with not strict guidelines for the way to do so.
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Sew Colorful 