Weather/Smoke ~ Picture of the Day ~ Mailing Babies? ~ Baked Pub-Style Shrimp ~ Loren Otto ~ Patty McNaughton ~ Karen Beartschiger ~ National Wildlife Day

  

Good 50º morning. 

 

Yesterday we actually had some blue sky....

and then the smoke moved in........

And then it got windy and the smoke left...... we topped at 93º

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about babies mailed through the US Postal Service....

 

Once-upon-a-time, it was legal to mail a baby in the United States. It happened more than once and by all accounts, the mailed tots arrived no worse for wear. Yes, "baby mail" was a real thing.

 

On January 1, 1913, the then Cabinet-level U.S. Post Office Department — now the U.S. Postal Service — first started delivering packages. Americans instantly fell in love with the new service and were soon mailing each other all sorts of items, like parasols, pitchforks and, yes, babies.

 

As documented in the article, “Very Special Deliveries,” by curator of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Nancy Pope, several children, including one “14-pound baby” were stamped, mailed and dutifully delivered by the U.S. Post Office between 1914 and 1915.

The practice, noted Pope, became affectionately known by letter carriers of the day as "baby mail."

 

According to Pope, with postal regulations, being few and far between in 1913, they failed to specify exactly “what” could and could not be mailed via the still very new parcel post service. So in mid-January 1913, an unnamed baby boy in Batavia, Ohio was delivered by a Rural Free Delivery carrier to its grandmother about a mile away. “The boy’s parents paid 15-cents for the stamps and even insured their son for $50,” wrote Pope.

 

Despite a “no humans” declaration by the Postmaster General, at least five more children were officially mailed and delivered between 1914 and 1915.

 

If the very idea of mailing babies sounds sort of reckless to you, don’t worry. Long before the then-Post Office Department had created its “special handling” guidelines for packages, children delivered via “baby-mail” got it anyway. According to Pope, the children were “mailed” by traveling with trusted postal workers, often designated by the child’s parents. And fortunately, there are no heartbreaking cases of babies being lost in transit or stamped “Return to Sender” on record.

 

The longest trip taken by a “mailed” child took place in 1915 when a six-year-old girl traveled from her mother’s home in Pensacola, Florida, to her father’s home in Christiansburg, Virginia. According to Pope, the nearly 50-pound little girl made the 721-mile trip on a mail train for just 15 cents in parcel post stamps.

 

According to the Smithsonian, its “baby mail” episode pointed out Postal Service’s importance at a time when traveling long distances was becoming more important but remained difficult and largely unaffordable for many Americans.

Perhaps even more importantly, noted Ms. Pope, the practice indicated how the Postal Service in general, and especially its letter carriers had become “a touchstone with family and friends far away from each other, a bearer of important news and goods. In some ways, Americans trusted their postmen with their lives.” Certainly, mailing your baby took a lot of​ plain old trust.

 

The Post Office Department officially put a stop to “baby mail” in 1915, after postal regulations barring the mailing of human beings enacted the year before were finally enforced.

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Our light and satisfying batter-dipped Baked Pub-Style Shrimp is perfect to satisfy your cravings for fried foods without tipping the scale. We can stick to our diets and still enjoy full flavor.

 

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, with tails left on, deveined and rinsed (see Note)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup light beer

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour beer into flour mixture and whisk until combined.
    
3. Holding the shrimp by the tail, dip them into the batter, completely coating each shrimp. Place shrimp about 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. (Use additional baking sheets, if needed.) Batter will puddle around each shrimp.
    
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until coating is golden and bread-like. 

 

 

Three special birthdays today.........

Loren Otto, Marine Corps League, is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOREN!

 

 

Also today is the birthday of Patty (Hickey) McNaughton. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTY!!!

 

 

And also my pal Karen Baertschiger aka Sugar Bear is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGAR BEAR!

 

 

 

Historically this date.......

1781 – Los Angeles, California, is founded as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora La Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porziuncola) by 44 Spanish settlers.

1888 – George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film.

1957 – The Ford Motor Company introduces the Edsel.

1972 – Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games.

1998 – Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University.

 

And births this date include...
 1913 – Mickey Cohen, American gangster (d. 1976) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1928 – Dick York, American actor (d. 1992)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1931 – Mitzi Gaynor, American actress

 

 

 1981 – Beyoncé, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actress

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Wildlife Day on September 4th encourages improved awareness of the species around us and in the broader world.

This National Day aims to focus on endangered species, preservation, and conservation efforts around the world. Zoos, aviaries and marine sanctuaries provide a variety of ways to get involved.

No matter where you live, opportunities abound to learn and participate in the day. Wildlife doesn’t just exist in the forest or outside the city limits. Look closely. The creatures and animals sharing our world live under our feet and in the sky above us. Our rivers, lakes and oceans are teeming with wildlife of all sizes. It’s essential to understand how we impact the habitats that animals need to survive. Their homes supply their food and shelter.

Since wildlife relies on a stable habitat, understanding conservation and preservation is important. Developing strategies helps to maintain existing habitats and repair or replace those that have been destroyed. These strategies are especially important when a decline in a species is detected. For example, last month, International Whale Shark Day brings attention to the plight of the world’s largest fish. Despite efforts, the gentle giant continues to decline in numbers.

Around the world, facilities and organizations will present seminars and educational programs. Additionally, podcasts and documentaries alert us to the changing conditions for various species around the world.  Some may be as close as your own back yard. From the sky to the depths of the ocean, wildlife surrounds us.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Participate in a presentation or volunteer to fund-raise for rehabilitation services. Learn about the needs of endangered species and how conservation efforts work. While learning, implement your own techniques, as suggested by preservationists. Go on a wildlife walk and learn about the inhabitants near you. Visit the National Wildlife Federation to learn more.

 

NATIONAL WILDLIFE DAY HISTORY

Colleen Paige, the Pet Lifestyle Expert, and author founded National Wildlife Day in 2005 in memory of wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin.  The day serves to bring global awareness and education concerning the number of endangered animals and the need for conservation and preservation.