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Monday, August 21, 2023

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Interesting About Watermelon ~ Lynda Castro ~ National Senior Citizens Day

  


Good 59º smokey morning. 
 
 
Yesterday we stayed smokey and topped at 99º.
 
 
Picture of the Day..... what a mailbox! 😁
 

 
 
Interesting about watermelon..........
 


 

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties.

 

Watermelon is grown in favorable climates from tropical to temperate regions worldwide for its large edible fruit, which is a berry with a hard rind and no internal divisions, and is botanically called a pepo. The sweet, juicy flesh is usually deep red to pink, with many black seeds, although seedless varieties exist. The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled, and the rind is edible after cooking. It may also be consumed as a juice or an ingredient in mixed beverages.

 

Kordofan melons from Sudan are the closest relatives and may be progenitors of modern, cultivated watermelons. Wild watermelon seeds were found in Uan Muhuggiag, a prehistoric site in Libya that dates to approximately 3500 BC. Watermelons were domesticated in north-east Africa, and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BC, although they were not the sweet modern variety. Sweet dessert watermelons spread across the Mediterranean world during Roman times.

 

Considerable breeding effort has developed disease-resistant varieties. Many cultivars are available that produce mature fruit within 100 days of planting. In 2017, China produced about two-thirds of the world's total of watermelons.

 

The large fruit is a kind of modified berry called a pepo with a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp). Wild plants have fruits up to 8 in. in diameter, while cultivated varieties may exceed 24 in. The rind of the fruit is mid- to dark green and usually mottled or striped, and the flesh, containing numerous pips spread throughout the inside, can be red or pink (most commonly), orange, yellow, green or white.

 

History

Watermelons were originally cultivated for their high water content and were stored to be eaten during dry seasons, not only as a food source, but as a method of storing water. Watermelon seeds were found in the Dead Sea region at the ancient settlements of Bab edh-Dhra and Tel Arad.

 

Many 5000-year-old wild watermelon seeds (C. lanatus) were discovered at Uan Muhuggiag, a prehistoric archaeological site located in southwestern Libya. This archaeobotanical discovery may support the possibility that the plant was more widely distributed in the past.

 

In the 7th century, watermelons were being cultivated in India, and by the 10th century had reached China. The Moors introduced the fruit into the Iberian Peninsula, and there is evidence of it being cultivated in Córdoba in 961 and also in Seville in 1158. It spread northwards through southern Europe, perhaps limited in its advance by summer temperatures being insufficient for good yields. The fruit had begun appearing in European herbals by 1600, and was widely planted in Europe in the 17th century as a minor garden crop.

 

Early watermelons were not sweet, but bitter, with yellowish-white flesh. They were also difficult to open. Through breeding, watermelons later tasted better and were easier to open.

 

European colonists and enslaved people from Africa introduced the watermelon to the New WorldSpanish settlers were growing it in Florida in 1576. It was being grown in Massachusetts by 1629, and by 1650 was being cultivated in PeruBrazil and Panama. Around the same time, Native Americans were cultivating the crop in the Mississippi valley and Florida. Watermelons were rapidly accepted in Hawaii and other Pacific islands when they were introduced there by explorers such as Captain James Cook. In the Civil War era United States, watermelons were commonly grown by free black people and became one symbol for the abolition of slavery. After the Civil War, black people were maligned for their association with watermelon. The sentiment evolved into a racist stereotype where black people shared a supposed voracious appetite for watermelon, a fruit long associated with laziness and uncleanliness.

 

Seedless watermelons were initially developed in 1939 by Japanese scientists who were able to create seedless triploid hybrids which remained rare initially because they did not have sufficient disease resistance. Seedless watermelons became more popular in the 21st century, rising to nearly 85% of total watermelon sales in the United States in 2014.

 

Watermelon fruit is 91% water, contains 6% sugars, and is low in fat (table).

 

In a 100-gram (3+12-ounce) serving, watermelon fruit supplies 125 kilojoules (30 kilocalories) of food energy and low amounts of essential nutrients (see table). Only vitamin C is present in appreciable content at 10% of the Daily Value (table). Watermelon pulp contains carotenoids, including lycopene.

The amino acid citrulline is produced in watermelon rind.

 

Culinary

Watermelon is a sweet, commonly consumed fruit of summer, usually as fresh slices, diced in mixed fruit salads, or as juice. Watermelon juice can be blended with other fruit juices or made into wine.

 

The seeds have a nutty flavor and can be dried and roasted, or ground into flour. Watermelon rinds may be eaten, but their unappealing flavor may be overcome by pickling, sometimes eaten as a vegetablestir-fried or stewed.

 

Citrullis lanatus, variety caffer, grows wild in the Kalahari Desert, where it is known as tsamma. The fruits are used by the San people and wild animals for both water and nourishment, allowing survival on a diet of tsamma for six weeks.

 

Production

In 2020, global production of watermelons was 101.6 million tonnes, with China (mainland) accounting for 60% of the total (60.1 million tonnes). Secondary producers included TurkeyIndiaIranAlgeria and Brazil – all having annual production of 2-3 million tonnes in 2020.

 

Cultivation

Watermelons are plants grown from tropical to temperate climates, needing temperatures higher than about 77 °F to thrive. On a garden scale, seeds are usually sown in pots under cover and transplanted into the ground. Ideal conditions are a well-drained sandy loam with a pH between 5.7 and 7.2.

 

Major pests of the watermelon include aphidsfruit flies, and root-knot nematodes. In conditions of high humidity, the plants are prone to plant diseases such as powdery mildew and mosaic virus. Some varieties often grown in Japan and other parts of the Far East are susceptible to fusarium wiltGrafting such varieties onto disease-resistant rootstocks offers protection.

 

 
Special birthday today, great friend... Lynda Castro (LASD ret) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDA!!
 
 xo
  ^Lynda with hubby Rick (LASD ret)
 
 
 
Historically this date............
1911 – The Mona Lisa is stolen by a Louvre employee
 

1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. Hawaii's admission is currently commemorated by Hawaii Admission Day
 

1979 – Soviet dancer Alexander Godunov defects to the United States.
 


 
 

And births this date include....

1936 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player (d. 1999)

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                       Ali with Wilt
 

1938 – Kenny Rogers, American singer and actor. (d.2020) ..
5 wives!

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All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Monday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo

On August 21st, National Senior Citizens Day recognizes the achievements of the more mature representatives of our nation. The day provides an opportunity to show our appreciation for their dedication, accomplishments, and services they give throughout their lives.
According to the 2017 census, 47 million seniors live in the United States. By 2060, that number will nearly double. Their wealth of knowledge, skill, and experience offer so much to the next generation. As technologies advance, these are the people who’ve experienced each step of change. Not only have they contributed to it, but they understand first hand the benefits and the drawbacks. They know life without the advancements that exist today.
Our senior citizens are pioneers of science, medicine, psychology, civil rights and so much more. Their valuable contributions to our communities create better places to live. They deserve the respect and dignity their achievements earn them. The day encourages supporting senior citizens to live their lives to the fullest and as independently as possible.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Spend time with the senior citizens you know. Let them know they are appreciated and loved. It may also be a good day to volunteer at a retirement home. Share your smile with those who may not otherwise get a visitor today.
If you are a senior citizen, check for special discounts and promotions that may be offered at stores and restaurants in your area.
 

NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY HISTORY

On August 19, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5847 declaring August 21st as National Senior Citizens Day.

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