Computer ~ Star Wars Day ~ State Bird of New York ~ Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry ~ Mike Hannan ~ Tucker Pendleton ~ National Star Wars Day

 

Good 42º morning. 

 

Yesterday, after my computer took a downfall, I got it back. Still some strange problems with it and I'm trying to figure it all out. Hopefully I can publish today's blog. 

 

 Happy Star Wars Day!

 

 

Interesting about the State Bird of New York....

 

 

 

• The Eastern bluebird can see an insect 100 feet away!
• In the fall, roosting flocks of up to 50 birds huddle together at night to stay warm.
• Bluebirds are one of the first birds to return north in the spring.
• The Eastern Bluebird was named New York's state bird in 1970.

What to Watch for

Size

Bluebirds are about 7 inches long.

Appearance

The male is bright blue with white undersides and a rust-colored breast. The female is grayish blue, but otherwise similar to the male.

Where to Watch

Bluebirds nest in cavities in standing dead trees and in nesting boxes.
Nesting boxes are set on posts five to six feet off the ground and come in pairs (one for the bluebirds, the other for the competition). Bluebirds eat insects, seeds, and berries, so look for them in fields, meadows, and orchards.

When to Watch

Bluebirds may be present year-round. Most migrate to southern states in the fall, but they will winter in New York State if they can find enough food.

 

 

• The Eastern Bluebird is a member of the thrush family, as is the robin. 
•  
• Adult females are a duller blueish-gray color on the head, dull brown on their back and blue on the tail and wings. They are a light reddish-brown on the chin and breast. Their belly is white.
• The Eastern Bluebird is found throughout the Eastern U.S. and Southern Canada.
• Eastern Bluebirds in the north will remain as far north during the winter as they can as long as they can find food, water and shelter. The harder the winter, or the more scarce food, water and shelter are, the further south they will migrate until winter breaks.
• Eastern Bluebirds generally return north to the State of New York in early to mid-March.

• Bluebirds nest in open fields or orchards. They do not generally nest in cities or suburbs.
•  

Average Activity Periods

 

Many of these periods are subject to delay or extension due to inclement weather and availability of food.

 

• Courtship – 3 to 5 days
• Nest building – 4 to 5 days
• Egg Laying – starts 1 or 2 days after nest is completed. One egg is laid each day until the clutch is completed. Average clutch size is 4 to 6 eggs. Eggs are clear blue or occasionally white.
• Incubation – starts when last egg is laid, lasts on average around 14 days
• Brooding – starts when eggs hatch, lasts for the first few days to keep them warm until they have developed feathers and can regulate their own body temperature. Stop nest checks after 12 days to prevent premature fledging. Fledging usually occurs around 18 days old.

From Kraft

 

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

 

Get amazing flavor with this Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry. Ready in just 25 minutes, this Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry is a great weeknight go-to.

 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

 

   

1 Tbsp. oil

 

   

3 cups cut-up mixed fresh vegetables (green and red bell peppers, baby carrots, mushrooms, snow peas)

 

   

1 clove garlic, minced

 

   

1/4 cup KRAFT Classic CATALINA Dressing

 

   

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

 

   

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

 

   

2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice

 

 

 

Cook and stir chicken in hot oil in large skillet on high heat 3 min.

2

Add vegetables and garlic; cook and stir 5 to 6 min. or until chicken is lightly browned.

3

Stir in all remaining ingredients except rice; cook 2 min. or until chicken is done and vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

4

Serve chicken mixture over rice.

 

Tip 1

Variation

Substitute frozen mixed stir-fry vegetables for the fresh vegetables and/or lite soy sauce for the hoisin sa uce.

   

                Tip 2

Substitute

Substitute small broccoli florets, or drained canned baby corn, for some of the vegetables.

   

Tip 3

Make it Easy

Purchase cut-up vegetables from the salad bar at your local market - you can buy just the types and amounts of vegetables that you need.

   

Tip 4

Nutrition Bonus

This delicious low-fat, low-sodium alternative to takeout can help you and your family eat right. Not only do the carrots provide an excellent source of vitamin A, but the combination of vegetables also contains vitamin C.

 

Special birthday today... Mike Hannan. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE !!!  Let's celebrate SOON !!

 

Mike has always been a big help here with all the yard work I have. Over a year ago in February of 2019 Mike was shot by that suspect the police were in pursuit of from Roseburg. 5 shots to his abdomen and amazing he survived. He's doing great now!  Mike is also retired from Jackson County FD and was Chief here in Rogue River. Here is RR Fire Station...

Your birthday Mike, is special in so many ways, Star Wars Day, and your birth date 5-4-54!! Also, it's International Firefighters Day!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Firefighters%27_Day

 

 

Historically this date....

1932 – In Atlanta, Georgia, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion.

1946 – In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz federal prison. Five people are killed in the riot.

1946 – In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz federal prison. Five people are killed in the riot.

1988 – The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of space shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.

1998 – A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.

And births this date include..

1929 – Audrey Hepburn, Anglo-Dutch actress (d. 1993)

1937 – Dick Dale, American guitarist (d.2019)

..... and the Del-Tones. We'd go to Balboa to see him!

1954 – Pia Zadora, American actress

1959 – Randy Travis, American musician

 

My grandson Tucker Pendleton won first place in a culinary arts competition at his Grants Pass High School..... and is the state champion!!!!

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Tuesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

May the Fourth be with you each year on National Star Wars Day. Or is it, “May the force be with you?” It all depends on whether you like using puns or not.

Thousands of Star Wars enthusiasts celebrate this day each year with parties and celebrations around the nation.

Star Wars fans didn’t first introduce the often quoted phrase on May 4th. It was 1979, and Britain elected the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. On May 4th, the day she took office, the Conservative Party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, which read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”

Star Wars creator, George Lucas, was asked during a 2005 interview on a German news TV channel to say the famous sentence “May the Force Be with You.”   Upon doing so, the interpreter interpreted the sentence into German as Am4 Mai sind wir bei Ihnen (On May 4 we are with you). TV Total captured this and aired it on May 18, 2005.

 

NATIONAL STAR WARS DAY HISTORY

National Star Wars Day was first organized in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011. Produced by Sean Ward and Alice Quinn, festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest, and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen.  May 4th was chosen because of the play on words.