Know-It-All Tuesday: Father’s Day Trivia

True or false? The first modern Father’s Day was rooted in tragedy.

Which state was the first to celebrate Father’s Day?

Sonora Dodd got the idea to start a Father’s Day holiday and wanted it to coincide with her father’s birthday—June 5^th—but that didn’t happen. What Sunday of the month do we celebrate Father’s Day?

Originally what flower was traditionally given to fathers on Father’s Day?

What holiday sought to supersede Mother’s and Father’s Days?

In what year was Father’s Day officially recognized (by the federal government)?

Father’s Day in Europe (for Catholics) has its roots tied to which saint?

In 1949, in France, a company called Flaminaire created new interest in Father’s Day with their product. What was it?

Americans spend approximately how many billions of dollars on barbeque accessories, coffee mugs and screwdriver sets for Father’s Day?

Is the figure in question 8 more or less than they spend on Mother’s Day?

Father’s Day is a big day for the greeting card companies—putting it among the top 4 popular reasons for buying or sending a card. What percentage of Father’s Day cards are humorous?

ANSWERS:

TRUE

The first modern Father’s Day was rooted in tragedy.

On July 5, 1908—the same year that Mother’s Day is credited as beginning—a small church in West Virginia held the first public event meant to specifically honor the fathers of their community. The day was held in remembrance of the 362 men who were killed the previous December in a mining explosion at the Fairmont Coal Company. Though this specific day did not transform into an annual tradition in the town, it did set a precedent of reserving a day for dads everywhere.

Washington

Washington was the first state to celebrate Father’s Day.

In 1909, Spokane resident Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her local church when she had the idea to try and establish a similar day to honor the hard-working fathers of the community. Dodd was the daughter of a widower and Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart, who raised six children on his own after his wife died during childbirth.

She contacted local church groups, government officials, YMCAs, businesses, and other official entities, hoping to gather the community to recognize fathers around the state of Washington. The campaign Dodd embarked upon would eventually culminate in the first statewide Father’s Day celebration in 1910.

Father’s Day takes place on the third Sunday in June.

While Father’s Day always takes place on the third Sunday of June now, that date was actually a compromise after the original turned out to be unrealistic. Dodd’s goal was for the holiday to be observed on June 5 to land on her father’s birthday, but when the mayor of Spokane and local churches asked for more time to prepare for all the festivities involved, it was moved to the third Sunday in June, where it remains today. Officially, the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910.

Roses

Roses were originally a big part of the Father’s Day celebration.

The first Father’s Day included a church service where daughters would hand red roses to their fathers during the mass. The roses were also pinned onto the clothing of children to further honor their fathers—red roses for a still-living father and a white rose for the deceased. Dodd also brought roses and gifts to any father in the community who was unable to make it to the service. This gave birth to the now-nearly-forgotten tradition of roses as the customary flower of Father’s Day.

Parent’s Day

In the 1920s and ’30s, there was a movement to get rid of Mother’s Day and the burgeoning Father’s Day celebrations and instead join the two holidays as a unified Parents’ Day. Robert Spere (also known as Robert Spero), a philanthropist and children’s radio entertainer, saw the holidays as a “division of respect and affection” for parents, especially during a time when Father’s Day hadn’t officially been recognized nationwide.

“We should all have love for dad and mother every day, but Parents’ Day on the second Sunday in May is a reminder that both parents should be loved and respected together,” Spere told The New York Times in 1931. The movement died out in the ’40s, but if it had gone through, we’d all be celebrating Parents’ Day every year with the slogan, “A kiss for mother, a hug for dad.”

1972

It took until 1966 for President Lyndon Johnson to make a nationwide proclamation endorsing Father’s Day across the country. In his proclamation, Johnson wrote that on June 19, 1966, “I invite State and local governments to cooperate in the observance of that day; and I urge all our people to give public and private expression to the love and gratitude which they bear for their fathers.”

Nowhere in Johnson’s proclamation did it say anything about what would happen on Father’s Day the next year, though, and the corresponding Joint Resolution specified “the third Sunday in June of 1966.” It wasn’t until President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 92-278 that Father’s Day was permanently recognized by the federal government.

Saint Joseph.

For Catholics in Europe, the idea of Father’s Day stretches back to feasts established in the Middle Ages to honor Saint Joseph on March 19. The celebration was prevalent in countries like Spain, France, and Italy, and as it focused on Joseph—the foster father of Jesus—it eventually turned into a day to honor the institution of fatherhood in general. Though many European countries have adopted a more secular observance of Father’s Day, some still uphold the tradition of linking it to Saint Joseph’s Day.

Lighters

The traditional feasts and celebrations around Saint Joseph began to fade in 20th-century Europe, especially in the years after World War II, so to reignite consumer interest in spending money on dear ol’ dad, a French lighter company called Flaminaire created a new Father’s Day in 1949 to help sell their products. With the help of an expansive ad campaign, the company drummed up brand awareness in the guise of a holiday, and Father’s Day (called Fête des Pères) has been observed in France ever since.

Americans are expected to spend more than $20 billion on Father’s Day gifts.

All those barbecue accessories, coffee mugs, and screwdriver sets add up: Americans are expected to spend about $20 billion on gifts in 2022 for Father’s Day, with clothing and “special outing” gear making up the bulk of the gifts.

Less.

Though Father’s Day is big business in the commercial marketplace, it still exists in the shadow of mom. In 2022, the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that Americans spent $31.7 billion on Mother’s Day gifts like flowers, apparel, dinner, and spa days—a $3.6 billion increase from 2021’s spending.

25%

Father’s Day means big business for the greeting card industry. The holiday is the fourth most popular day for exchanging cards, with approximately 72 million flying off shelves annually. Hallmark—which has been producing Father’s Day cards since the early 1920s—boasts more than 800 different designs for dad, with humor cards accounting for 25 percent of the cards sold. The NRF estimates that cards account for 58 percent of all Father’s Day gifts—whether the person honors dad only with a card or includes it with a larger gift.

SOURCE: MENTAL FLOSS

E.T. Phone Home

Tomorrow, June 11, (1982) is the anniversary of the release of E.T. in the United States. I went searching for some interesting fun facts about the movie and below is what I found on the GeekTyrant.com website.

From GeekTyrant:

Steven Spielberg shot most of the film from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliot and E.T. With the exception of Elliot’s mom, no adults’ faces are shown until the last half of the film.

Most of the full-body puppetry was performed by a 2′ 10 tall stuntman, but the scenes in the kitchen were done using a 10-year old boy who was born without legs but was an expert on walking on his hands.

The filmmakers had requested that M&M’s be used to lure E.T., instead of Reese’s Pieces. The Mars company had denied their request and so Reese’s Pieces were used instead. As a direct result, Reese’s Pieces sales skyrocketed. Because of this, more and more companies began requesting that their products be used in movies. Thus, product placement was born.

ET’s face was modeled after poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog.

The end of the film was one of the most significant musical experiences for composer John Williams. After several attempts were made to match the score to the film, Steven Spielberg took the film off the screen and encouraged Williams to conduct the orchestra the way he would at a concert. He did, and Spielberg slightly re-edited the film to match the music, which is unusual since normally the music would be edited to match the film. The result was Williams winning the 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Score.

According to the film’s novelization, E.T. is over ten million years old. Steven Spielberg also stated in an interview that E.T. was a plant-like creature, and neither male or female.

E.T.’s voice was provided by Pat Welsh, an elderly woman who lived in Marin County, California. Welsh smoked two packets of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator Ben Burtt liked. She spent nine-and-a-half hours recording her part, and was paid $380 by Burtt for her services. Burtt also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create E.T.’s “voice”. These included Spielberg; Debra Winger; Burtt’s sleeping wife, who had a cold; a burp from his USC film professor; as well as raccoons, sea otters and horses.

Steven Spielberg’s original concept was for a much darker movie in which a family was terrorized in their house by aliens. When Spielberg decided to go with a more benevolent alien, the family-in-jeopardy concept was recycled as Poltergeist (1982).

Steven Spielberg worked simultaneously on both this film and Poltergeist (1982) in 1982 (which was directed by Tobe Hooper but produced by Spielberg), and both were made to complement each other. “E.T.” represented suburban dreams, and “Poltergeist” represented suburban nightmares.

Corey Feldman was originally scheduled for a role in E.T., but over the course of a script re-write, his part was eliminated. Steven Spielberg felt bad about the decision and promised Feldman a part in his next planned production which turned out to be Gremlins (1984).

ET’s communicator actually worked, and was constructed by Henry Feinberg, an expert in science and technology interpretation for the public.

Harrison Ford was initially intended to have a cameo role in the film as Elliot’s school headmaster, but the scene was cut.

Steven Spielberg shot the film in chronological order to invoke a real response from the actors (mainly the children) when E.T. departed at the end. All emotional responses from that last scene are real.

Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison came up with the concept of a sequel called “Nocturnal Fears”, where Elliott and his friends are kidnapped by aliens and E.T. would help them out. E.T.’s name would be Zreck, and his species was at war with the other aliens.

At the auditions, Henry Thomas thought about the day his dog died to express sadness. Director Steven Spielberg cried, and hired him on the spot.

SOURCE: GeekTryant

Hawaii State Mammal: Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. The population overall had been declining for six decades and current numbers, though increasing, are only about one-third of historic population levels. Importantly, however, the current upward trend is in part due to NOAA Fisheries recovery efforts.

Hawaiian monk seals are found in the Hawaiian archipelago which includes both the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and rarely at Johnston Atoll which lies nearly 1,000 miles southwest of Hawaii. These monk seals are endemic to these islands, occurring nowhere else in the world. Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and State of Hawaii law.

Rocky, the Famous Hawaiian Monk Seal

Rocky became famous in 2017 when she had a pup on a busy beach in Waikiki on the island of Oahu. She returned to Kauai on July 14, 2018, and two days later, she was observed with a new pup.

Population Status

The population is estimated to be around 1,600 seals—nearly 1,200 seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 400 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands.

A prolonged decline of the Hawaiian monk seal population in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands occurred after the late 1950s, lasting until very recently. While individual subpopulations increased or decreased during that time, the total number of seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands declined. Although this decline means that a full recovery of the species is a long way off, there are relatively recent, encouraging developments, including:

Visible recolonization and significant growth of the main Hawaiian Islands monk seal subpopulation from low numbers to approximately 400 over the past 2 decades or more

Overall species population growth of 2 percent each year between 2013 to 2022—2021, marked the first time their population exceeded 1,570 in more than 2 decades

Promising advances in juvenile seal survival enhancement research, such as evaluating how translocation affects survival and continued efforts to improve medical treatments

The decline that occurred in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands was attributed to a number of factors at various regions and time periods. However, low juvenile survival, likely related to limited food availability, was the primary driver of the decline during the past 25 years.

Appearance

Newborn monk seal pups are born black, while weaned pups and older seals are dark gray to brown on their back and light gray to yellowish brown on their belly.

Monk seals undergo a “catastrophic molt” about once per year, where they shed the top layer of their skin and fur (similar to elephant seals). Seals that spend a long time at sea foraging can grow algae on their fur. Those that look green haven’t molted recently and may be getting ready to shed into a new silvery coat.

Most Hawaiian monk seals have unique natural markings, such as scars or natural bleach marks (white spots), on their fur which help identify them. Personnel authorized by NOAA Fisheries often apply identification tags to their rear flippers. Tagging and tracking used in combination with identification of unique markings enable long-term monitoring of individuals.

Male and female monk seals are similar in size. The only way to confirm whether a seal is female or male is by looking at its belly.

Behavior and Diet

Hawaiian monk seals are “generalist” feeders, which means they eat a wide variety of foods depending on what’s available. They eat many types of common fishes, squids, octopuses, eels, and crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, and lobsters). Diet studies indicate that they forage at or near the seafloor and prefer prey that hide in the sand or under rocks. They do not target most of the locally popular gamefish species such as ulua (giant trevally), pāpio (baby ulua), and ‘ō‘io (bonefish).

Hawaiian monk seals can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and dive more than 1,800 feet; however, they usually dive an average of 6 minutes to depths of less than 200 feet to forage at the seafloor.

Hawaiian monk seals are mostly solitary and don’t live in colonies like sea lions or other seals. But they do sometimes lie near each other—usually not close enough to make physical contact—in small groups. They usually sleep on beaches, sometimes for days at a time. They also occasionally sleep in small underwater caves.

Monk seals do not migrate seasonally, but some seals have traveled hundreds of miles in the open ocean. Individual seals often frequent the same beaches over and over, but they do not defend territories.

Where They Live

Hawaiian monk seals are found throughout the entire Hawaiian archipelago, a distance of 1,500 miles from Kure Atoll (Hōlanikū) in the northwest to Hawaii Island in the southeast. The majority of Hawaiian monk seals (about 1,200 individuals) live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and a much smaller number (about 400) live in the main Hawaiian Islands. There have also been rare sightings of Hawaiian monk seals, as well as a single birth, at Johnston Atoll, the closest atoll southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Monk seals live in warm, subtropical waters and spend two-thirds of their time at sea. They use the waters surrounding atolls and islands and areas farther offshore on reefs and submerged banks; they also use deepwater coral beds as foraging habitat. When on land, monk seals haul-out to rest, molt, give birth and nurse on sand, coral rubble, and volcanic rock shorelines. They generally prefer sandy, protected beaches surrounded by shallow waters for pupping

Lifespan & Reproduction

Monk seals can live to over 30 years of age, but few live that long. Monk seals mate in the water. The youngest documented female to give birth was 4 years old, but typically females begin reproducing at age 5 to 6 in the main Hawaiian Islands and age 7 to 10 in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

SOURCE: FISHERIES.NOOA.GOV

Hells Canyon, Idaho

Welcome to the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area managed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Hugging the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, this national showcase holds 652,488 acres of beauty and adventure, where you can let your senses run as wild as the landscape. The deepest river gorge in North America. Scenic vistas that rival any on the continent. World-class whitewater boating. Spectacular mountain peaks. Vast reaches of remote wilderness for hiking or horseback riding. Diverse and abundant wildlife. Artifacts from prehistoric tribes and rustic remains of early miners and settlers…Hells Canyon National Recreation Area truly offers something for everyone, and much to remember. We know you will enjoy Hells Canyon National Recreation Area as a very special place, whether you choose to explore by road, trail, or boat.

Deepest Gorge in North America

Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge, encompasses a vast and remote region with dramatic changes in elevation, terrain, climate and vegetation. Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim, and 8,000 feet below snowcapped He Devil Peak of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains. There are no roads across Hells Canyon’s 10-mile wide expanse, and only three roads that lead to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington boundary.

Where is Hells Canyon?

There is no recognized geographic place called Hells Canyon. According to R.G. Bailey’s book, Hells Canyon, the canyon starts 90 miles south of Lewiston, Idaho and Extends 40 miles further south to appoint near Oxbow, Oregon. This is, of course, debatable.

How did it get its name?

According to Carrey, Conley, and Barton, in their book Snake River of Hells Canyon, most of the early explorers referred to the gorge as Box Canyon or Snake River Canyon. The first reference to Hells Canyon appears in an 1895 edition of McCurdy’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. In discussing the voyage of the steamboat, Norma, the author writes; “she then bound off, swinging into midstream, and like a racehorse, shot into Hells Canyon…” The name was used by the Mazama hiking club in their 1931 bulletin. Bailey’s book, Hells Canyon, was published in 1943. Senator Neuberger of Oregon used it in several publications in the 1930s.

How deep is the canyon?

He Devil Mountain is 9,393 feet above sea level. The canyon plunges 7,913 feet, and 1 ½ miles from its summit to the mouth of Granite Creek, 6 miles away, at 1,480 feet.

How long have people lived in Hells Canyon?

The earliest firm date comes from a rock shelter at Bernard Creek, 7,100 years ago. A Clovis point found near the south end of the canyon indicates the possibility of human occupation 15,000 years ago. These people left ample evidence of their passing including some magnificent rock art at places like Buffalo Eddy. Figures carved into the rock are called petroglyphs, and pictures painted on the rock are called pictographs. They are not a form of written language; their meanings are lost in time.

The Wild and Scenic Snake River

How long is the Snake River?

The Snake River originates in Yellowstone National Park at 9,500 feet and winds through southern Idaho before turning north to form the boundary between Idaho and Oregon. It finally joins the Columbia River near Pasco, Washington at 340 feet in elevation 1036 miles from its source. According to Bill Gulick, in his book Snake River Country, the Snake drains 109,000 square miles and contributes 36 million acre feet of water to the Columbia River, ranking 6th in volume among the nation’s rivers.

How did the river get its name?

Indians living along the river in southern Idaho used a hand sign to identify themselves that resembled the movement of a snake. Although, it didn’t mean ”snake’, that name was given to this group of people, now known as the Shoshone. The river flowing through the Snake Indian’s land was given the tribal name.

SOURCE: Forest Service US.GOV.COM

What Shall We Bake Today?

Hubby likes pineapple upside down cake, so I thought I’d look for a version for Filly…our resident peach lover! And I found one…Peach Upside Down Cake!

Ingredients

For the Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch slices, (or 1 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, left frozen)

1 cup fresh raspberries

For the Cake:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup honey

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

For the topping, melt the butter over medium-low in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and ginger and stir until smooth and the butter is incorporated with the sugar, about 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will be very thick, like melted caramel.

Remove from heat. If the butter separates from the sugar as it cools, simply stir it back together (a little separation is OK). Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, then spread it in a thin, even layer, stretching all the way to the edges of the pan. I found it worked best to use the back of a spoon, then once the caramel was cool enough, gently press it with my fingers.

Arrange the peaches and raspberries in a single layer on top of the caramel.

To make the cake, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.

Add in the honey, egg, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla and stir until completely combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.

With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually mix in the first 2/3 cup of flour, then the milk, then the remaining 2/3 cup of flour, incorporating completely between additions and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Once the last of the flour is added, mix very briefly, just until smooth. Do not overbeat. The batter will be very thick.

Transfer the batter to the top of the fruit in the pan, spreading it to the pan’s edges. The cake will seem thin but will rise as it bakes.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the cake will spring back lightly when touched. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Run a sharp knife along the cake’s edge to loosen it from the pan, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let the pan rest upside down on the plate for 1 minute, then gently lift the pan away. Let cool on the plate for 10 additional minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

The black-backed dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca), also known as the three-toed kingfisher, is a pocket-sized bird in the family Alcedinidae. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher and together the species complex was known by the English name “oriental dwarf kingfisher”.

This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant that is endemic to parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia. It resides in lowland forests, typically near streams or ponds, where it feeds upon insects, spiders, worms, crabs, fish, frogs, and lizards. It is easily distinguishable from other birds in its range due to its red bill, yellow-orange underparts, lilac-rufous upperparts, and blue-black back.

The black-backed dwarf kingfisher is one of the smallest known kingfisher species. It is only slightly larger than a medium-sized hummingbird and measures 4.9–5.5 inches in length (including bill and tail). Females typically weigh 14-16g and males 14-21.5g, making the males slightly larger. The two sexes are otherwise alike and sexual dimorphism is not present. Both males and females have a black spot on the forehead; blue and white patches on the side of the neck; a lilac-rufous crown, rump, and tail; a dark blue back and wings; a white chin and throat; pale yellow-orange underparts; a dark brown iris; and red legs, feet, and bill. Juveniles are duller and have less lilac coloring; a white chin, throat and belly; yellow-orange bill with pale tip; and blue scapulars and wing-coverts. This species of kingfisher has three toes, explaining why it is sometimes called the three-toed kingfisher, however, there are other kingfishers which also have three toes. The toe-count in these kingfisher species does not appear to be adaptive. The vocalization is a high pitched, shrill “tsriet-tsriet” or soft “tjie-tjie-tjie” in flight.

The black-backed dwarf kingfisher is a forest and wetland-dwelling species that is endemic to parts of the Indian subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia. The breeding range includes eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, Myanmar, the extreme south of China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. There is a disjunct population in the Western Ghats of western India and in Sri Lanka. During winter some birds migrate south to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.

It is most commonly found in deciduous and evergreen primary and secondary forests, but also in alluvial forests, mangroves, overgrown rubber gardens, or in dense aggregations of palms, bamboos, or shrubs. They tend to keep near forest streams and ponds, but their nests are often well away from water. They keep low to the ground and are known to perch and fly within 1-2m of the forest floor. Their preferred habitat is densely shaded forest lowlands near small streams or ponds. The lowlands they are present in typically do not exceed 1000-1300m in elevation.

Their diet consists primarily of insects, including mantises, grasshoppers, flies, water beetles, winged ants, mayflies; but also includes spiders; worms ; and small crabs, fish, frogs and lizards.

Black-backed dwarf kingfishers forage solitarily and perch in low vegetation or on rocks before flying out to capture prey from the ground or from among foliage. They can take spiders from their webs and catch insects in flight. They can also dive into water for prey at or just below the surface, without submerging themselves. Larger prey are typically brought back to a perch, where the bird will strike it repeatedly with its beak before swallowing.

Breeding

Egg laying occurs from July to September in southwest India, February to July in Sri Lanka, April to May in northeast India, March to July in peninsular Malaysia, March in Sumatra, and from December to May in Java. Nests are built in stream banks, road cuttings, terrestrial termitariums, or in soil near roots of a fallen tree, often well away from water. Together, the male and female excavate a horizontal tunnel that is 5.9–39.4 inches long, 1.5–1.8 inches in diameter, and ends in an unlined egg chamber. One pair dug 9.8 inches of their burrow, in sand, in about 40 minutes. The unlined chamber is 3.9–5.9 inches wide and 2.0–2.8 inches high. Both the tunnel and egg chamber are inclined upwards, which is thought to minimize water entry into the chamber and to help the flow of waste material out of the nest. The generation time is approximately 4.2 years. A typical clutch size is 3-7 eggs, averaging to around 5 eggs per clutch. The eggs are laid in the morning with a one day interval in between. Incubation begins after the final egg is laid and the incubation period lasts 17–18 days. Both the male and female incubate the eggs, however, the female has a larger role in the incubation period because she is responsible for incubating the eggs at night. The fledging period is 18–20 days and chicks typically fledge out in the morning.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Hawaii State Flower: Yellow Hawaiian Hibiscus

The Hawaii State Flower is a beautiful ornamental known as yellow Hawaiian hibiscus. It is distinguished by its large and full bright yellow flowers with a reddish center, and leaves that resemble a maple leaf.

Visitors to Hawaii will enjoy numerous colorful species of hibiscus growing prominently across the Big Island. There are seven varieties of the plant known as Hawaiian hibiscus, referring to the flowering plants considered native to Hawaii. There are other varieties that are similar in appearance to the Hawaiian hibiscus that are often used as ornamentals in homes and gardens, but most of these have been introduced from Asia and other parts of the Pacific.

The hibiscus flower, in all its varieties and colors, had been designated as the official flower of the Territory of Hawaii since way back in the early 1920’s. The particular species of yellow Hawaiian hibiscus, called ma`ohauhele or hibiscus brackenridgei, was specified as the newly official State Flower in 1988.

Ma’ohauhele (mah-oh-how-hay-lay) is the Hawaiian term for yellow Hibiscus. It literally means “green traveling introduced hibiscus”, perhaps due to the way the flowers turn green as they dry out. Blossoms are typically 5-6 inches across with a long yellow stamen and reddish center. The blossoms form as single flowers, but are sometimes seen in clusters at the end of the branch. There are sharp spines around the base of the plant.

Domestic hibiscus plants in gardens and around homes generally grow as shrubs anywhere from 3-12 feet tall. In their natural habitat they will sometimes grow into trees as high as 30 feet! They grow best in areas with an abundance of sunlight and need very little water.

Blooms are most prominent in spring and early summer, but flowers can be seen throughout the year. Due to the warm Pacific climate and rich volcanic soil, many tropical flowers grow in abundance in Hawaii. Visitors will enjoy a multitude of colorful flowers of Hawaii on display throughout the year.

The yellow Hawaiian hibiscus is found only in Hawaii. While it grows on all the main Hawaiian Islands, it is extremely rare. Because there are so few remaining in the wild, it is considered an endangered species.

Look for the beautiful yellow Hawaiian hibiscus growing in gardens and along roadsides across the The Big Island, particularly on the west side of the island where there is plenty of sunshine

SOURCE: EXPLORETHEBIGISLAND.COM

125 Interesting Facts About Everything Part 2

Fact: McDonald’s once made bubblegum-flavored broccoli

This crazy McDonald’s fact will have your taste buds crawling. Unsurprisingly, the attempt to get kids to eat healthier didn’t go over well with the child testers, who were “confused by the taste.”

Fact: Some fungi create zombies, then control their minds

The tropical fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants’ central nervous systems. Once it has been in an insect’s body for nine days, it has complete control over the host’s movements. According to National Geographic, it forces the ant to climb trees, then convulse and fall into the cool, moist soil below, where fungi thrive. Once there, the fungus waits until exactly solar noon to force the ant to bite a leaf and wait for death.

Fact: The first oranges weren’t orange

The original oranges from Southeast Asia were a tangerine-pomelo hybrid, and they were actually green. In fact, oranges in warmer regions, such as Vietnam and Thailand, still stay green through maturity.

Fact: There’s only one letter that doesn’t appear in any U.S. state name

Can you guess the answer to this random fun fact? You’ll find a Z (Arizona), a J (New Jersey), and even two X’s (New Mexico and Texas)—but not a single Q.

Fact: A cow-bison hybrid is called a beefalo

You can even buy its meat in at least 21 states.

Fact: Johnny Appleseed’s fruits weren’t for eating

Yes, there was a real John Chapman who planted thousands of apple trees on U.S. soil. But the apples on those trees were much more bitter than the ones you’d find in the supermarket today. “Johnny Appleseed” didn’t expect his fruits to be eaten whole but rather made into hard apple cider.

Fact: Scotland has 421 words for snow

Yes, 421! Some examples: sneesl (to start raining or snowing); feefle (to swirl); and flinkdrinkin (a light snow).

Fact: Samsung tests phone durability with a butt-shaped robot

People stash their phones in their back pockets all the time, which is why Samsung created a robot shaped like a butt to “sit” on their phones to make sure they can take the pressure. Believe it or not, the robot even wears jeans.

Fact: The Windy City nickname has nothing to do with Chicago’s weather

If you live in Chicago, you might already know this random fact, but we’re betting most other people don’t. Chicago’s nickname was coined by 19th-century journalists who were referring to the fact that its residents were “windbags” and “full of hot air.”

Fact: Peanuts aren’t technically nuts

They’re legumes. According to Merriam-Webster, a nut is only a nut if it’s “a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel.” That means walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios aren’t nuts either. They’re seeds.

Fact: Armadillo shells are bulletproof

In fact, one Texas man was hospitalized when a bullet he shot at an armadillo ricocheted off the animal and hit him in the jaw. That’s a totally true animal tidbit. These animal “facts,” however, are wrong.

Fact: Firefighters use wetting agents to make water wetter

The chemicals reduce the surface tension of plain water so it’s easier to spread and better soaks into objects, which is why it’s known as “wet water.”

Fact: The longest English word is 189,819 letters long

We won’t spell it out here, but the full name for the protein nicknamed titin would take three and a half hours to say out loud. While this is, by far, the longest word in English, the longest word in the Oxford English Dictionary has 45 letters, and the longest made-up word has just 28.

Fact: “Running amok” is a medically recognized mental condition

Considered a culturally bound syndrome, a person “running amok” in Malaysia starts with a period of brooding and then commits a sudden, frenzied mass attack.

Fact: Some octopus species lay 56,000 eggs at a time

On average, a giant Pacific octopus will lay 56,000 eggs at the end of a pregnancy, over the course of about a month, NPR reports. At first, these new babies float through the surrounding water unattached to one another or their mother. But then the mother gathers each egg—which is about the size of a grain of rice—and weaves them into braids, allowing her to keep an eye on everyone at the same time.

Fact: Cats have fewer toes on their back paws

Like most four-legged mammals, cats have five toes on the front, but their back paws only have four toes. Scientists think the four-toed back paws might help them run faster.

Fact: Kleenex tissues were originally intended for gas masks

When there was a cotton shortage during World War I, Kimberly-Clark developed a thin, flat cotton substitute that the army tried to use as a filter in gas masks. The war ended before scientists perfected the material, so the company redeveloped it to be smoother and softer, then marketed Kleenex as facial tissue instead.

Fact: Blue whales eat half a million calories in one mouthful

Just try to wrap your brain around the second part of this animal fact: Those 457,000 calories are more than 240 times the energy the whale uses to scoop those krill into its mouth.

Fact: That tiny pocket in jeans was designed to store pocket watches

The original jeans had only four pockets: that tiny pocket, plus two more on the front and just one in the back.

Fact: Turkeys can blush

When turkeys are scared or excited—like when the males see a female they’re interested in—the pale skin on their head and neck turns bright red, blue, or white. The flap of skin over their beaks, called a snood, also reddens.

Fact: Most Disney characters wear gloves to keep animation simple

Walt Disney might have been the first to put gloves on his characters, as seen in 1929’s The Opry House, starring Mickey Mouse. In addition to being easier to animate, there’s another reason for the gloves: “We didn’t want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human,” Disney told his biographer in 1957.

Fact: The man with the world’s deepest voice can make sounds humans can’t hear

The man, Tim Storms, can’t even hear the note, which is eight octaves below the lowest G on a piano—but elephants can.

Fact: The current American flag was designed by a high school student

It started as a school project for Bob Heft’s junior-year history class in 1958, and it only earned a B-minus. His design had 50 stars, even though Alaska and Hawaii weren’t states yet; Heft figured the two would earn statehood soon and showed the government his design. After President Dwight D. Eisenhower called to say the design was approved, Heft’s teacher changed his grade to an A.

Fact: Cows don’t have upper front teeth

They do have molars on top, in the back of their mouths, but where you’d expect upper incisors, cows, sheep, and goats have a thick layer of tissue called a dental pad. They use that with their bottom teeth to pull out grass.

Fact: Thanks to 3D printing, NASA can basically email tools to astronauts

Getting new equipment to the Space Station used to take months or years, but the new technology means the tools are ready within hours.

SOURCE: Reader’s Digest: Elizabeth Yuko

Goldadors

Our daughter and her family recently got a puppy to replace the hole in the family left by the death of their beloved dog Jamison. Jamison was a rescue dog—a Boxador—a large lovable sweetheart of a dog. Their new puppy is also a rescue but a breed I hadn’t heard of before—a Goldador—a Golden Retriever and Labrador mix. I wanted to find out more about this breed and searched PETGUIDE.COM.

From PETGUIDE:

It’s always difficult to decide which breed of dog to bring home. There are too many amazing pooches out there to choose from and every single one of them has amazing qualities. In particular, many people find themselves torn between the equally beloved Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever. If you find yourself facing this impossible choice, you should know that there is another option. Why not have the best of both worlds and get yourself a Goldador?!

Also known as Golden Labradors, the Goldador is a hybrid of two of the most popular dogs in North America. A wonderful family pet, an amazing service dog (they’re even used as bomb sniffing dogs) and a superb hunting companion, sometimes we wonder if there’s anything the Goldador can’t do well. Known for its trainability and willingness to please, this designer breed is a breeze to train, as he just wants to make you happy. Having a Goldador in your home guarantees constant smiles.

The Golden Retriever and Lab mix is a large, athletic dog that will do best living in a house with a big backyard. However, with enough exercise, they can adapt to apartments as well. These dogs can be happy just about anywhere. Their versatility and easy-going attitude are just some of the many things people love them for!

Ideal for a wide range of families and lifestyles, this hard-working dog would be a joy to any household. Whether they are playing, working, or relaxing, your Goldador’s favorite place will be by your side. Their affectionate behavior and loyalty to owners is truly something special: the Goldador is the living embodiment of the phrase ‘man’s best friend’. While their many impressive qualities make these mixed breed dogs a popular choice for pet owners, they might not be the best match for everyone. There’s only one way to be certain that this is right dog for you. Keep your eyes glued to this page and read on to learn everything that there is to know about the Goldador and find out if you’ll be bringing this adorable doggo home anytime soon.

Also known as Golden Labradors, the Goldador is a hybrid of two of the most popular dogs in North America.

First introduced as a designer dog over a decade ago, the Goldador was bred for the purpose of creating a sensitive and tolerant working dog. To say that breeding was a success would be an understatement. This dog is now used as guide and assistance dogs, search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs, and police and bomb-sniffing dogs. They can be trained to do just about anything! However, beyond the breed’s many day jobs, the Goldador has proved itself to be a loyal and loving companion as well. These pups are valuable to both families and hunters alike. while it’s not as popular has other hybrid breeds, there’s no doubt that once the word gets out on the Goldador, more people will appreciate its fine qualities. It’s only a matter of time before this extraordinary hybrid matches the popularity of his famous parents.

SOURCE: PETGUIDE.COM

How to Soften Hardened Brown Sugar

Nothing is more frustrating than getting out the ingredients to bake something and find out one of your brown sugar has turned into a rock. The Pioneer Woman has these tips forsoftening that rock into a useable ingredient again.

From The Pioneer Woman website:

Every home cook has been there: You’re getting ready to bake, you reach into your pantry to get your ingredients and you realize your brown sugar is hard as a rock. Don’t worry! Once you know how to soften brown sugar, you can get back to business—and back to making treats like Ree Drummond’s brown sugar oatmeal cookies or her favorite turkey brine for Thanksgiving. Don’t just toss your brown sugar and use granulated instead—brown sugar has a unique molasses flavor and adds tons of moisture to baked goods.

So what went wrong? The main reason your brown sugar is super hard is because it dried out. After you open a package of brown sugar, you instantly release some of the natural moisture in the sugar. The exposure to open air dries and hardens both the sugar crystals and the molasses in the sugar, making the sugar crystals stick together. The end result: brown sugar that feels more like stone than damp sand! But the good news is your brown sugar is still totally usable. The even better news is that reviving your solid brown sugar is simple—just restore the moisture. Read on to learn how to soften brown sugar in a few different ways. And to keep your brown sugar from hardening in the first place, store it in a tightly-sealed food storage container that isn’t prone to rust (don’t just fold down the top of the bag and hope for the best). You can also add a brown sugar saver to your container, like a brown sugar bear, which can help maintain moisture in brown sugar for up to six months.

How to Soften Brown Sugar in the Microwave:

This is the fastest and easiest way to soften hardened brown sugar. Just place your block of brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Wet a paper towel and squeeze until just slightly damp. Lay the paper towel over the brown sugar and microwave it in 20-second intervals, loosening the sugar with a fork between each interval, until the sugar has returned to its normal texture.

How to Soften Brown Sugar Without a Microwave:

This method will take a little longer, but it’ll do the trick! Place your hardened brown sugar in a secure plastic container or bag. Then, lay a slice of sandwich bread on top of the brown sugar and cover the container with the lid or seal it if using a bag. Let sit for at least 12 hours (or overnight). This method works like magic—the moisture from the bread is transferred to the brown sugar, helping it get back to its normally soft texture. You can also use the same method with apple slices. All you have to do is lay an apple slice or two on top of the brown sugar and apply the same technique as with the slice of sandwich bread.

How to Soften Brown Sugar in the Oven:

To soften brown sugar in the oven, place the hardened pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the brown sugar in the oven and warm at 250 degrees. Check on the brown sugar every couple minutes or so and break it up with a fork until soft. Allow the brown sugar to cool slightly before trying to use it in a recipe. Remember, you don’t want to cook or melt the brown sugar, you just want to soften it—so don’t try to speed up the process by raising the temperature of the oven.

How Do You Keep Brown Sugar From Hardening?

Store brown sugar the right way to keep it from hardening after you’ve opened the package. Chances are, your brown sugar came in either a plastic bag or a box with plastic packaging inside. In either case, once you’ve opened the sugar, you should transfer it to an airtight container to keep it moist, or stick the whole thing in a large resealable plastic bag. This way, your brown sugar will maintain as much moisture as possible and be “scoopable” and ready for baking. That way, you won’t have to resort to using a brown sugar substitute.

SOURCE: THE PIONEER WOMAN