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Thursday, July 1, 2021

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Alabama's State Bird ~ Bacon-Barbecue Joe ~ Pat Sandifur ~ Deer ~ National Postal Worker Day

 




Good 57º scattered clouds morning. 
 
Yesterday we topped at 104º.
 
 
Picture of the Day... giant bunny cloud
 

 
 
Interesting about the "Yellowhammer".....
 

In 1927, the yellowhammer was designated the Alabama state bird. Since then it has maintained its place in state lore.

From college battle cries to news accounts to breweries – and every imaginable thing in between – the yellowhammer has evolved into a symbol of Southernness across the state.

 

According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama has been known as the Yellowhammer State since long before adopting the flicker as its state bird: it dates back to the Civil War, to be exact.

But what most people know as the yellowhammer, birding professionals and enthusiasts know as the Northern Flicker. Seems pretty strange for an Alabama state bird, but every bird has an official name.

“Every bird in North America has a name voted on by a committee,” said Dr. Geoffrey Hill, a member of the Alabama Ornithological Society and an Auburn University professor of biology with a specialty in ornithology.

“There are two populations of flickers, one in the west with red coloring and then one in the east with yellow coloring,” Hill said. “It used to be considered its own species – the yellow-shafted flicker – but the Northern Flicker term includes both the yellow and red populations.”




As for where its name came from, Hill has an idea.

“Most of the birds that are conspicuous, people see them and give them names,” Hill said. A member of the woodpecker family – though smaller than the recognized red-headed woodpecker – the yellowhammer is a small, speckle-breasted bird with yellow tail feathers on his underside.

Its presence in the state is not nearly as much as the its name would suggest.

“The interesting thing about flickers is that they’re common in the winter but not common in the breeding season, the summer,” said Hill. “They’re not rare, but not a common bird with the exception of the winter.”

During the winter they can be found in yards and suburbs, close to the ground to consume ants – one of the few birds that can. When they depart the yard after an ant-foraging mission, bird-watchers can get a glimpse of their prized color.

“When they fly up they have a white patch on their bottom,” Hill said. “As they fly away you can see the white spot and the yellow is the underside of the wings.”

While professional and amateur birders alike definitely respect the technical names of birds, the charm of the state bird’s history is undeniable.

“We have a state bird watching group and the name of our newsletter is The Yellowhammer,” Hill said. “It’s kind of an Alabama thing, something we have.”

That group, the Alabama Ornithological Society, is 300 members strong and made up of birdwatchers from professional ornithologists to people who just enjoy watching a bird feeder. Their goal is the same: to enjoy the vibrant bird population the state offers up. Even the less common ones, like the yellowhammer.

“It’s kind of an odd bird to have as the state bird of Alabama,” Hill said.

 
 
 
From Mr. Food


 

One bite is all it will take to realize we've got the best Sloppy Joe recipe around. We got rid of the same old Joe taste and instead used a savory barbecue sauce, mixing in crumbled bacon, for an extra bold flavor. Because our Bacon-Barbecue Joe's are a make-ahead meal, you can easily serve them up in place of the same ol' burgers at your next backyard summer bash!

 

  • 5 slices bacon
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 hamburger buns, toasted

 

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp; remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, then crumble.
  2. In the same skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion 6 to 8 minutes or until no pink remains, breaking up clumps as it cooks; drain off any excess fat. Add crumbled bacon, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper and cook 5 minutes, or until heated through.
  3. Spoon over toasted buns and serve.

 

 
 
 
My former neighbor here in Oregon and friend who moved to Arizona is Pat Sandifur, aka Pat the Pet Sitter, and she is celebrating her birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PJ!! xo

 
^a few years ago we were celebrating her special day.
 

Historically this date.....
1863 – American Civil War: the Battle of Gettysburg begins.


1908 – SOS is adopted as the international distress signal.


1963 – ZIP Codes are introduced for United States mail.
After having lived in Los Angeles, 32, Ca for all my life, now it was Los Angeles 90032. For those of you who remember, this was strange!


1979 – Sony introduces the Walkman.


1981 – The Wonderland Murders occurred in the early morning hours, allegedly masterminded by businessman and drug dealer Eddie Nash.
.... that was interesting!


2007 – Smoking in England is banned in all public indoor spaces.
... I wish it was banned here in all public outdoor spaces too!

 

And births this date include....
1906 – Estée Lauder, American entrepreneur (d. 2004)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJT_FC_lFjNGkL_AtDY4fFy-H2nl3LDWUM-Us97yAVFmVTxx8LHn2ZN6EIwUbh8BsC9ajxVht0hZDojPbiiDQhT7OMMq0FBxmk4dsi1w-jtnmE3otWfdbTKQRK0F501EXpWP8LFUt53Tg/s1600/esteeMA29028283-0012.jpg


1916 – Olivia de Havilland, British-born actress (d.2020)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLYhd-hIPsex9GWcWjvIponTOhcX1Ab9ZjUZTXNatKK1VUApvwaSjKsx0vAEjcM6uRMAw8KF9mxH925lRx12aTETeqvvOY69DOb8Z_I3R_bOwUmkButbcmq6dKPEXwVhbTubcQceXoP4/s1600/oliviaMA29028283-0013.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68W2A54YqExysEkO-mRTGZwRqhYsLe-BjRQieQYbId7mVGLjMEeJ2KhBwm3I2pmIvsC46PDl3-nMyN049oQFBXWvZMSLRiR9fviRPoXGQZfb9a3FYyuURfU-JJal5wYAPMJRPFLRmUTw/s1600/olivia2MA29028283-0014.jpg


1931 – Leslie Caron, French actress
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE9usQz6gXSAphtdX3CGWhoIwqss21rpniSpdyq8ZLdIUd_gw_uvGKt5LJknbHTMYXcCifjnXt2DtXQ0-8ROGLGpeEl5LCXJ45po-ehk-wVUKRRUWxRPj0LuMWUgWAPnAr4kyw3Hqkm4/s1600/Caron%20editMA29028283-0015.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhg4PwgHUMg5MWdG7kNUL3jimdLgWPttpN6bww1oMBzA6gSCXO3i4Jh5uvEFKk2psSybQ9J_DrBF_h3XIZX1iIRvR4FD46lyNBRs-4n6DiaA2jd0nYZaGldT61di0jtnjpNaLhYkoKlE/s1600/leslie2MA29028283-0016.jpg


1952 – Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjilnkPZRMeGe3D4nz-m2GN18zRF3aTmOdFXeV2hXQ5u1_dYygOxCgpjggN42stGDLAjdeBvchA_wRZt8LjQUj7Ce2NQdS4IISgL7HyALm-cgUCkwd0sdCq0pSB1ltQV5J3veMXJ68lg/s1600/danMA29028283-0017.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpTF9zbpPrdbJLXrxMI9tb4uOmJLgYNPHsTxmh1jNg2eDnmnQzJsoMiMF_a8mwnMTapEifmvbbIC5Ofokx7YwQhXUM7lIar04h8o5ZEUxe5rXAshsuOSRMspYNLiDCj206PFt5eOMajQ/s1600/dan2MA29028283-0018.jpg
 
 
1961 – Diana, Princess of Wales, first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales and mother of the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry (d. 1997)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jlXv55qcpNmRAJUAIUL1pTFn3NZLHalXSeofjZIdZxIQkx1dtuSperaghcSMQz2hMbSOqaoXQ_KkWx5tjj0ep43xt2z8k72z4oayA1xn8QuCOG1idPBHPZt-AMmCIFucD9InvyEh7V4/s1600/dianaMA29028283-0019.jpg
 

Late yesterday I was going to water the front lawn when this doe showed up and was eating the grass. I took her picture through the kitchen window....


 
 
All I know. Nuff said. Have a great 1st day of July. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Postal Worker Day on July 1st recognizes postal workers all across the nation and encourages us to show our appreciation. Thank the numerous men and women who work consistently and diligently to deliver all of our mail. These employees suffer some of the harshest working conditions, yet continue to persevere six days a week.
Across the United States, postal workers walk an average of 4 to 8 miles carrying a full load of letters and packages, delivering them promptly to each of our doorsteps. Approximately 490,000 postal workers across the United States head out each day to our residences and businesses. Regardless of the weather, postal workers deliver all week long. Even when temperatures fluctuate from extreme heat and cold, the mail arrives. In the rain, sleet and blizzards, too, the mail gets delivered. 
Besides severe weather, dealing with unusual packages is also part of the job. In 1913, the postal service started delivering packages up to a maximum of 11 pounds. The most surprising package to arrive for delivery was a small child. Barely under the weight limit, James Beagle was mailed. For a cost of 15 cents, a postal worker delivered young Beagle to his grandmother just a few miles away. This practice continued for just over a year. By then, the postmaster general put regulations in place prohibiting it.

HOW TO OBSERVE

While celebrating the day, take time to thank your local postal worker. Encourage others to get the word out and to focus on making every postal worker’s day just a little bit better.
 

NATIONAL POSTAL WORKER DAY HISTORY

A Seattle-area postal carriers established National Postal Worker Day in 1997 to honor fellow employees.
 
 
 

1 comment:

Lydia said...

I wonder if my post man would accept a gift certificate to In and Out? I would like to do something for a person who serves the public despite how easy it is to complain about the occasional error.

Love the photo of the deer, but I wonder if it is like with squirrels. They are really cute- other than in my garden.

I wasn't a huge fan of Princess Diana in her lifetime, she hit me as a whiny, spoiled clothes horse. But in retrospective, she changed the culture for the good. Godspeed to her children.

Olivia de Haviland had style. The man who is leaning over her in the picture, whatever his faults, I miss his steadiness and humility. On the whole, we have not used the ensuing years to improve. But I am hopeful that the desire for introspection will sweep the land. We will keep the good and toss the rest.

Take care. I don't always comment- but I do LOVE to read your blog. Tonight, while eating a sloppy Joe, I will thank God for your acquaintance and inspiration.