Turkey Vultures ~ Picture of the Day ~ Dirty Cities ~ BLT Pasta Salad ~ National Egg Day

Good 49º clear sunny morning. Yesterday we topped at 92º. 

Yesterday morning there were a number of turkey vultures in the upper pasture.... 

The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), also known in some North American regions as the turkey buzzard (or just buzzard), and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John crow or carrion crow, is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts

 

The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation.^[6] It has very few natural predators. In the United States, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

 

If you want to read more....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture

Picture of the Day ... shared by Ike Saben (LASD ret)... how to tell it's winter....

Interesting about dirty cities..........

The 50 cities where the most people are moving away from can primarily be found in the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast, particularly in states like Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and New York. Among the cities where people are leaving in droves are places such as Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, New York, and Los Angeles. 

Ah, New York City, that big, dirty apple.

Manhattan wins by a landslide for pests, litter, and population density. Stroll down any street and you’re certain to encounter mountains of trash bags emitting a sickly sweet rotten smell that’s unique to New York. And while legend holds that the island has an equal number of rats and people, recent studies seriously question this deduction. Though no one’s arguing there are a whole lot of rats living underground.

But there’s a spot of good news for New Yorkers: NYC has half as much air pollution as some other large cities on the list, proving it’s a little safer to breathe the stinky air. If you dare.

If you left your heart in San Francisco, you may have left some other litter as well. That’s why it’s the ninth most filthy city in America.

There are beautiful, picturesque areas of San Fran and then there’s the rest of the city, which has a decently high homeless population. People living on the street don’t necessarily have access to public bathroom facilities. They are often forced to take care of business out in the open, which doesn’t help the filth factor.

A few years ago, the sheer amount of human waste on the escalator of the BART station was enough to shut it down until a HAZMAT team could come take care of the problem. You can imagine the smell of that — and the worst part is, it’s not uncommon.

 From the Slow Roasted Italian....

BLT PASTA SALAD

BLT Pasta Salad is bursting with flavor and so easy and quick to throw together. This simple but so delicious twist on your favorite sandwich is always a hit at potlucks and parties!

PREP TIME: 15 MINSCOOK TIME: 10 MINSTOTAL TIME: 25 MINS

Pasta Salad

• 16 oz package pasta
• 12 oz sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Rinse with cool water and drain, then add to a large bowl. Set aside and let cool for 10-20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing. In a mixing bowl add mayo, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined.
3. Add crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, and half of the lettuce to the cooked pasta. Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Stir in remaining lettuce.
4. Serve garnished with chopped chives.

Historically this date..........

1888 – The poem "Casey at the Bat", by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, is published in the San Francisco Examiner.

1889 – The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed, running 14 miles (23 km) between a generator at Willamette Fallsand downtown Portland, Oregon.

1940 – World War II: The Luftwaffe bombs Paris.

1943 – In Los Angeles, California, white U.S. Navy sailors and Marines clash with Latinoyouths in the Zoot Suit Riots.

1965 – The launch of Gemini 4, the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew. Ed White, a crew member, performs the first Americanspacewalk.

1968 – Valerie Solanas, the author of SCUM Manifesto, attempts to assassinate Andy Warhol by shooting him three times.

2013 – The trial of United States Army private Chelsea Manning for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks begins in Fort Meade, Maryland.

And births this date include....

1808 – Jefferson Davis, American colonel and politician, President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1889)

1925 – Tony Curtis, American actor and singer (d. 2010)

1967 – Anderson Cooper, American journalist and author

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Back to School/Work Monday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

June 3 is an excellent day to practice egg puns and recognize National Egg Day.

One of the most perfect foods, eggs are packed with protein, amino acids and have no carbohydrates or sugar.

As far as versatility goes, sorry Bubba, but there may be more ways to cook an egg than shrimp. From the humble, hard boiled egg to the elegant souffle, eggs Benedict and Florentine.

Even within the good old breakfast standbys like fried eggs, we have options. Over easy. Well done. Sunnyside up. Basted. And a side of bacon with that!

Then, of course, it’s portable. Slap it between some toast and off you go.

**I like to cook a couple eggs in the microwave. I put olive oil in the bottom of the bowl, add two eggs, pierce the yolks with a sharp knife, sprinkle on a little garlic salt, top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Put the saucer on top and cook on high 1 minute 5 seconds.

I usually cook some instant oatmeal. I add banana slices and it makes it yummy sweet. Sometimes I ad in some shredded chicken and a little mozzarella cheese. I put the cooked eggs on top.....