Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ German Shepherds ~ Graham Cracker Cake ~ Brother's Day

  

Good 45º lightly scattered clouds morning. 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day...odd town name of Hazard Kentucky...so is the police name!!

 

 

 

Interesting about German Shepherds.........

 

The German Shepherd Dog, also known as the Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.

 

It was originally bred as a herding dog, for herding sheep. It has since been used in many other types of work, including disability assistance, search-and-rescue, police work and warfare. It is commonly kept as a companion dog, and according to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale had the second-highest number of annual registrations in 2013.

 

During the 1890s, attempts were being made to standardise dog breeds. Dogs were being bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding sheep and protecting their flocks from predators. In Germany this was practised within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs. It was recognized that the breed had the necessary skills for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength and keen senses of smell. The results were dogs that were able to do such things, but that differed significantly, both in appearance and ability, from one locality to another.

 

To combat these differences, the Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the intention of creating standardized development plans for native dog breeds in Germany. The society disbanded after only three years due to ongoing internal conflicts regarding the traits in dogs that the society should promote; some members believed dogs should be bred solely for working purposes, while others believed dogs should be bred also for appearance. While unsuccessful in their goal, the Phylax Society had inspired people to pursue standardizing dog breeds independently.

 

When the German Shepherd was introduced to the United States it was initially a popular dog. But as the dogs' popularity grew, it became associated as a dangerous breed owned by gangsters and bootleggers. The reputation of the German shepherds as a dangerous breed had grown to such an extent that it was briefly banned to import them in Australia in 1929. Potential legislation was even considered to require that all German shepherds in South Australia be sterilized.

 

German Shepherds have a double coat which is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants: medium and long. The gene for long hair is recessive, and therefore the long-haired variety is rarer. Treatment of the long-haired variation differs across standards; it is accepted but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the German and UK Kennel Clubs while it can compete with standard-coated dogs, but is considered a fault, in the American Kennel Club. The FCI accepted the long-haired type in 2010, listing it as the variety b, while the short-haired type is listed as the variety a.

 

Most commonly, German Shepherds are either tan/black or red/black. Most color varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an overall "blanket". Rarer color variations include sable, pure-black, pure-white, liver, silver, blue, and panda varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however, the blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification from showing in conformation at All Breed and Specialty Shows.

 

^{German Shepherds are moderately active dogs and are described in breed standards as self assured. The breed is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. They are curious, which makes them excellent guard dogs and suitable for search missions. They can become overprotective of their family and territory, especially if not socialised correctly. They are not inclined to become immediate friends with strangers. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and obedient, as well as protective of their owners.}

 

^{If you want to read a whole lot more about this breed of dog, go here:}

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Shepherd}

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

When you think of graham crackers, you might think of crushing them up to make a pie crust, or maybe sandwiching chocolate bars and toasted marshmallows between a couple of 'em for s'mores. Well, now we've taken it a step further by making a super moist, Graham Cracker Cake that's packed with flavor! Trust us, this is a recipe you'll want to get your hands on.

 

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened, divided
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (13.5-ounce) package graham cracker crumbs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat 1-1/2 sticks butter and the granulated sugar 3 to 4 minutes or until creamy. Add graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed. Stir in coconut and pecans until well mixed, then spread batter into baking dish.
3. Melt remaining half stick butter in microwave. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, and pineapple until well mixed; pour evenly over batter.
4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut and serve.

 

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1830 – Mary Had a Little Lamb by Sarah Josepha Hale is published.

 

1846 – Mexican-American War: General Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey.

 

1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.

 

1940 – Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight.

 

1962 – Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.

 

1994 – Four men convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993 are each sentenced to 240 years in prison.

 

 

 

And births this date include...

1686 – Gabriel Fahrenheit, German inventor and thermometer maker (d. 1736)

........and you always wondered why it was called "fahrenheit" ! BTW, there is a guy named Anders Celsius!

 

 

1879 – H. B. Reese, American inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founder of H. B. Reese Candy Co. (d. 1956)

God Bless him for inventing one of my most favorite things!!!!

 

1938 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-born actor and comedian

 

 

 

1941 – Bob Dylan, American singer and songwriter

 

 

1943 – Gary Burghoff, American actor

 

 

1945 – Priscilla Presley, American actress

Interesting read. Odd too!

 

 

 

1967 – Eric Close, American actor

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Tuesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Observed every year on May 24th, Brother’s Day honors the brothers in our lives. Whether we have one or many, our brothers hold a special place in our hearts. Even if for those who don’t have brothers, someone in their life is usually like a brother to them. Brothers from other mothers are found in a best friend, a brother-in-law, or a cousin. They are the men in our lives we count on even when we don’t talk very often. We share memories, challenges that frequently began with the phrase, “Watch this!” soon followed by a few stitches.

While minding their own business, they are also prepared to step in when necessary. That’s what brothers do.

Of course, they’ve been known to put toads on your head or gum in your hair.  They may have been too cool for you once, too.  Brothers come in many shapes and sizes and so do their relationships. Whatever yours is, take the time to celebrate your brother on Brother’s Day.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy time with brothers and reminisce.  Find time for new brother siblings to spend some fun, enjoyable time together.

BROTHER’S DAY HISTORY

C. Daniel Rhodes of Alabama founded Brother’s Day.

 

7 Sets of Famous Brothers – According to Biblical history, the first siblings on earth were a pair of brothers. You may have heard the story of Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel. You might have also heard that it didn’t end well for the first brothers in human history. According to the book of Genesis, Cain murdered Abel, and then lied to God about it. Thankfully, most brothers avoid taking sibling rivalry to this level. Many brothers get along quite well, like these seven sets of famous brothers.

1. The Wright Brothers

Wilbur Wright was born near Millville, Indiana, in 1867. Four years later, his brother, Orville, was born in Dayton, Ohio. Famously known as the Wright brothers, the two invented the first motor-operated airplane. Not only were they the first to find success in motorized flight, but they also built and flew the first one. The flight took place on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

2. The Brothers Grimm

Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, born in 1863, and Wilhelm Carl Grimm, born in 1859, are better known as the Brothers Grimm. The German academics collected and published folklore during the 19th century. They didn’t actually write fairy tales, however. Instead, they are credited for preserving and putting to paper the many oral stories that were passed down from generation to generation. Some of these fairy tales include Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretal, and Little Red Riding Hood.

3. The Marx Brothers

Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo were the stage names of the five brothers who made up the famous comedy act known as the Marx Brothers. The brothers were born in New York City to Jewish immigrants from Germany and France. From 1905 to 1949, the Marx Brothers found success in a theatrical genre called vaudeville. They performed on Broadway and in motion pictures.

4. Peyton and Eli Manning

The Manning brothers are among the greatest sets of siblings in sports history. Their dad was NFL quarterback, Archie Manning. Peyton Manning was born in 1976 and won two Super Bowls. He played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. Eli Manning was born in 1981 and spent his entire career with the New York Giants. Like his brother, Eli also won two Super Bowls.

5. Liam and Chris Hemsworth

The Hemsworth brothers are both actors from Australia. Chris Hemsworth was born in 1983. He has appeared in many movies but is best known for his role as Thor in the Avengers movies. Chris is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. His younger brother, Liam, was born in 1990. Among other films, Liam starred in The Last Song, where he met famous singer and actress, Miley Cyrus. Their marriage ended after just one year.

6. Prince William and Prince Harry

Prince William and Prince Harry are the sons of Charlies, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born on June 21, 1982, and is second in the line of succession to the British throne. Prince William is married to Catherine (Kate) Middleton. They have three children. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a little more complicated than his elder brother. Harry was born on September 15, 1984. In 2018, he married American actress Meghan Markle. They have one child. In 2020, the couple announced they were leaving the Royal family. Harry and Meghan currently reside in Canada.

7. The Jonas Brothers

If you’re a pop music fan, you have likely heard of Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. They formally formed their group, the Jonas Brothers, in 2005. At the time, Kevin was 17, Joe was 15, and Nick was 12 years old. Since their formation, the trio of brothers have toured the world, sold millions of albums, won multiple music awards, and have appeared in film and television.