10-17 ~ All Natural Pest Control ~ Bald-Faced Hornets ~ Gophers ~ Picture of the Day ~ Rise 'n Shine Omelet Cups ~ National Pasta Day

Good 35º clear ice on the barn roof morning. 

10-17 radio code for 'pick up papers'

'1017' was also Brian's  USMC Boot Camp Pendleton Platoon number.

Yesterday morning AJ, from All Natural Pest Control was here at 7:15 to kill some bald-faced hornets that were seen on the front porch when Tim was here to inspect. No nest was found, as they are quite large...

He also baited the holes in the grass where a gopher is living. 

A Bald Faced Hornet is a wasp. It is cool because of it's coloring but it's totally aggressive and will come at you full speed and turn their butt toward you and sting the heck out of you!

Contrary to their name, these "hornets" are in fact wasps. They are distinctive with their white markings and are highly territorial of their nests.

This bald-faced hornet's habitat is in forests and urban areas with vegetation. They normally nest in trees, bushes, rock overhangs, and under the eves in residences.

Pocket gophers, commonly referred to as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. There are about 35 species, all endemic to North and Central America. They are commonly known for their extensive tunneling activities.

The name "pocket gopher" on its own may be used to refer to any of a number of genera within the family. These are the "true" gophers, but several ground squirrels in the distantly related family Sciuridae are often called gophers, as well. The origin of the word "gopher" is uncertain. French gaufre, meaning waffle, has been suggested, on account of the gopher tunnels resembling the honeycomb-like pattern of holes in a waffle. Another suggestion is that the word is of Muskogean origin.

All pocket gophers create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting food back to their burrows. Gophers can collect large hoards. Unlike ground squirrels, gophers do not live in large communities and seldom find themselves above ground. Tunnel entrances can be identified by small piles of loose soil covering the opening. Burrows are in many areas where the soil is softer and easily tunneled.

Gophers often visit vegetable gardens, lawns, or farms, as gophers like moist soil (see Soil biomantle). This has led to their frequent treatment as pests.

Gophers eat plant roots, shrubs, and other vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, radishes, and any other vegetables with juice. Some species are considered agricultural pests. The resulting destruction of plant life then leaves the area a stretch of denuded soil. At the same time, the soil disturbance created by turning it over can lead to the early establishment of Ecological succession in Communities of r-selected and other Ruderal plant species. The stashing and subsequent decomposition of plant material in the gophers' larder can produce deep fertilization of the soil.

Pocket gophers are solitary outside of the breeding season, aggressively maintaining territories that vary in size depending on the resources available. Males and females may share some burrows and nesting chambers if their territories border each other, but in general, each pocket gopher inhabits its own individual tunnel system. Although they attempt to flee when threatened, they may attack other animals, including cats and humans, and can inflict serious bites with their long, sharp teeth.

Depending on the species and local conditions, pocket gophers may have a specific annual breeding season, or may breed repeatedly through the year. Each litter typically consists of two to five young, although this may be much higher in some species. The young are born blind and helpless, and are weaned around 40 days old.

Picture of the Day.....

When hail meets a sunroof!

Mr. Food's Rise 'n Shine Omelet Cups...

No skillet required.

 

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 6 muffin cups with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well then spoon into prepared muffin cups.
    
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are set. Serve immediately.

These are good. Serve them with your favorite fruit and even use chopped cooked bacon instead of ham.

Historically this date...

1814 – London Beer Flood occurs in London, killing nine.

OMG!

1931 – Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion.

1941 – German troops execute the male population of the villages Kerdyllia in Serres,Greece.

Too many sick sick leaders in this world who feel it is/was their right to "adjust" populations. Don't get me started. I am so glad Saddam is off the face of the earth and waiting tables in Hell!

1966 – A fire at a building in New York, New York kills 12 firefighters, the New York City Fire Department's deadliest day until the September 11, 2001 attacks.

1989 – 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area and causes 57 deaths directly (and 6 indirectly).

While traveling to my sister Marion's, in Lake Tahoe, my son Brian and I are listening to the World Series ... the earthquake struck, unbeknownst to us, and the radio went off. We thought it was because of a bad reception area. Arrived at my sis's and she was jumping up and down on the deck shouting, "The Bay Bridge has fallen down, the Bay Bridge has fallen down!" Gosh, we both wondered what in the world ... had she been smokin' her socks????? Lordy. So, after that, we sat spellbound in front of the TV for hours watching all the mess in San Francisco unfold. My nephew Andy at Candlestick Park on the upper deck said the whole deck was swinging back and forth. Fortunately it didn't fall. Wow.

And births this date include...

1915 – Arthur Miller, American playwright (d. 2005)

1918 – Rita Hayworth, American actress (d. 1987)

1975>

1920 – Montgomery Clift, American actor (d. 1966)

1921 – Tom Poston, American actor and comedian (d. 2007)

1926 – Beverly Garland, American actress (d. 2008)

1938 – Evel Knievel, American motorcycle daredevil (d. 2007)

1946 – Bob Seagren, American athlete

1948 – Margot Kidder, Canadian actress (d.2018)

  

1948 – George Wendt, American actor

1958 – Alan Jackson, American singer and songwriter

Later same old same old .... chair, cat on my lap, wine, and TV. 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Hump Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Today is National Pasta Day. Choose your favorite pasta shape, there's over 600 of them, add your favorite sauce, and chow down! For many of us, the first sauce that comes to mind is red tomato spaghetti sauce. There's plenty other sauces and toppings to choose from, including Alfredo sauce, clam sauce, and cheese sauce, to name a few. To celebrate this special day, it doesn't matter what sauce you use. All that is important, is that you use pasta noodles. ... sorry, no spaghetti squash today.

When we think of pasta, Italy and Italian cuisine comes to mind. Pasta has a long, long history, and it did not originate in Italy. Pasta noodles are made from dough consisting of water, flour, and sometimes other spices and ingredients. Ancient cultures were making and cooking pasta noodles long before they were introduced to Italy and other parts of Europe. Marco Polo has been erroneously credited with bringing spaghetti and pastas to Europe. Historical records show Europeans cooking pasta well before Marco Polo began his travels. Historical records  also show that Arab cultures were selling dried spaghetti-like noodles in open markets in the early 1200's. The Chinese were the first to make pasta, cooking pasta noodles as far back as 5,000 B.C.

While ancient cultures were making and eating spaghetti and other pastas well before it came to Europe, it's the Italians who popularized it in cuisines of Europe and America. It was introduced into the United States through the travels of Thomas Jefferson, who brought it back from Naples, Italy in 1789. Italian immigrants also brought it over with them to the U.S., where its popularity quickly spread.

Pasta is the Italian word for dough.