Less Smoke ~ Temporary Blue Sky ~ Canyonville Fire ~ Weather Predictions ~ Picture of the Day ~ Steve Irwin's Death ~ Stuffed Zucchini ~ Schwans Order ~ National Avocado Day

 

Good 48º not as smokey, I can see my mountain, morning!

 

 

We actually could see some blue sky yesterday morning....

 

 

We got breezy and by noon the heavy smoke had moved back in. Goodbye mountain!

 

 

As of yesterday morning the fire in Canyonville has grown to 12,336 acres and the estimated cost is now at $5.1 million dollars! It's 15% contained. The firefighters are working hard and they have "made progress in several key areas by establishing control lines". 1358 personnel are working to extinguish the fire.

 

 

 

Obviously the weather predictions have changed since Monday ...

 

 

 

Picture of the Day... Shared by Wilsonite Del (Easton) Graves...  LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting about Steve Irwin's death...

 

 

The television personality and conservationist, who became world-famous for his daring stunts with dangerous animals, died aged 44 in 2006 while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland.

Pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary film titled Ocean's Deadliest. Irwin's death is believed to be the only fatality from a stingray captured on video. All copies of the footage were destroyed at the behest of Irwin's family.

Justin Lyons was the cameraman at the time and shot video of the death.

In his first public comments, Mr Lyons told Australia's Channel Ten he and Irwin had left their main boat in an inflatable to find something to film when they came across a "massive" eight-foot wide stingray in chest-high water.

The final shot was to be the stingray swimming away from Irwin. Instead, it struck out, apparently believing Irwin's shadow was a tiger shark, one of its predators.

"I panned with the camera as the stingray swam away and I didn't know it had caused any damage. It was only when I panned the camera back that I saw Steve standing in a huge pool of blood that I realized something had gone wrong."

He said reports that a barb had stuck in Irwin's chest and he pulled it out were wrong.

"It's a jagged barb and it went through his chest like a hot knife through butter," he said.

"He had a two-inch-wide injury over his heart with blood and fluid coming out of it and we had to get him back to the boat as fast as we can," Mr Lyons added.

"I was saying to him things like 'think of your kids Steve, hang on, hang on, hang on', and he calmly looked up at me and said 'I'm dying' and that was the last thing he said."

Stingrays have several sharp and venomous barbs on their tails that they use to defend themselves when they feel threatened, though experts at the time stressed that stingrays were not usually vicious and rarely attacked and killed humans.

Irwin has had a wildlife reserve, a road, a turtle, a snail and an anti-whaling ship named after him since his death.

 

 

From Mr. Food....

Can't figure out how to get the gang to eat their veggies? Let 'em get a taste of this Stuffed Zucchini recipe and you'll never have a problem again! Our stuffed zucchini are loaded with cheesy and flavorful goodness!

• 3 medium-sized zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 º. With a spoon, scoop meat out of zucchini halves; set aside shells and chop zucchini meat finely.
    
2. In a medium-sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute chopped zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Stir in bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
    
3. Stuff zucchini shells evenly with vegetable mixture and place in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
    
4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
    
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until zucchini are tender and cheese is golden.

 

 

Historically this date.......

1498 – On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.

 

1790 – The first U.S. patent is issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.

 

1941 – Holocaust: under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired final solution of the Jewish question."

 

 

1964 – Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes.

 

 

2007 – Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.

 

2012 – Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.

 

 

And births this date include....

1929 – Don Murray, American actor

 

1932 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (d. 1979)

 

1939 – France Nuyen, French actress

 

1965 – J. K. Rowling, British writer

 

 

 

My Schwans order arrived yesterday...

Cod Filets

 

Marinated Salmon Filets

 

Diced Potatoes O'Brien

 

 

Blueberries

 

 

Normandy Blend Vegetables

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Ripe for the picking, add this delicious super fruit to your menu to join in National Avocado Day on July 31!

Guacamole is grand, but don’t settle for just the chips and dip on this food holiday.  Clear the table for everything from the appetizer and main dish all the way to dessert.  On National Avocado Day, this tree grown fruit has them all covered!

Avocados have become more than a staple food in the American diet; they have proven to be a key ingredient in recipes for both inside the body and on the body! According to the Hass Avocado Board, as of 2015, avocado consumption in the United States doubled since 2005 and quadrupled since 2000. In fact, a whopping 4.25 billion avocados were sold in the U.S. in 2015. That’s four point two five billion of this amazingly beautiful food.

Super Food

There are many reasons to celebrate National Avocado Day. Targeting insulin resistance with heart-healthy fats and fighting Alzheimer’s with its Omega 3 fatty acids, the avocado also prevents and repairs damage due to its source of Vitamins C, E and K.

One of the secret weapons in an avocado is the high oleic acid content. This moisturizing fatty acid helps keep skin soft and hydrated but also supports regeneration of damaged skin cells reducing redness and irritation. Eat more of this superfruit or cook with avocado oil if you have this type of skin issue.

Beauty

Ancient Aztecs used the avocado to beautify their skin topically with masks, and in the early 20th century the cosmetic industry discovered the benefits of its oil in creams, lotions, facial cleansers and other products that required a smooth application. The practice continues today.

Avocados have found their way into every meal of the day and even into dessert.  The creamy texture replaces calorie-laden oils with healthful fats so we can indulge without the guilt.  What better way to celebrate National Avocado Day than to indulge a little?

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy an avocado and try a new recipe.

Avocado Cupcakes from Will Cook for Smiles
Avocado Brownies from Jody Duits on Buzzfeed

*** Growing up we had an avocado tree in the backyard. It was HUGE! Daddy had grafted about 4 different varieties of avocados onto the tree. Basically it had Hass and Fuerte. I don't remember the others, but we had avocados year round! And.... you didn't lay under the tree because those little beauties would sometimes fall off the tree!