Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Wood Frogs ~ Classic Scalloped Chicken ~ Jim and Mel Plumbridge ~ National Pumpkin Day

  

Good 42º morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we started super foggy

Our forecast, starting yesterday.....

Then the fog left..........

 We topped at 56º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about wood frogs.........

 

 

 

Wood frogs range from 2.0 to 2.8 inches in length. Females are larger than males. Adult wood frogs are usually brown, tan, or rust-colored, and usually have a dark eye mask. Individual frogs are capable of varying their color; Conant (1958) depicts one individual when light brown and dark brown at different times. The underparts of wood frogs are pale with a yellow or green cast; in northern populations, belly may be faintly mottled. Body colour may change seasonally; exposure to sunlight causes darkening.

 

^{The contiguous wood frog range is from northern Georgia and northeastern Canada in the east to Alaska and southern British Columbia in the west. It is the most widely distributed frog in Alaska. It is also found in the Medicine Bow National Forest.}

 

 

^{Wood frogs are forest-dwelling organisms that breed primarily in ephemeral, freshwater wetlands: woodland vernal pools. Long-distance migration plays an important role in their life history. Individual wood frogs range widely (hundreds of metres) among their breeding pools and neighboring freshwater swamps, cool-moist ravines, and/or upland habitats. Genetic neighborhoods of individual pool breeding populations extend more than a kilometre away from the breeding site. Thus, conservation of this species requires a landscape (multiple habitats at appropriate spatial scales) perspective. They also can be camouflaged with their surroundings.}

 

Wood frogs eat a variety of small, forest-floor invertebrates. Omnivorous, the tadpoles feed on plant detritus and algae, and also attack and eat eggs and larvae of amphibians, including those of wood frogs.

 

The feeding pattern of the wood frog is basically similar to that of other ranids. It is triggered by prey movement and consists of a bodily lunge that terminates with the mouth opening and an extension of the tongue onto the prey. The ranid tongue is attached to the floor of the mouth near the tip of the jaw, and when the mouth is closed, the tongue lies flat, extended posteriorly from its point of attachment.

 

In the feeding strike, the tongue is swung forward as though on a hinge, so some portion of the normally dorsal and posterior tongue surface makes contact with the prey. At this point in the feeding strike, the wood frog differs markedly from more aquatic Lithobates species, such as the green frog, leopard frog, and bullfrog. The wood frog makes contact with the prey with just the tip of its tongue, much like a toad. A more extensive amount of tongue surface is applied in the feeding strikes of these other frog species, with the result that usually the prey is engulfed by the fleshy tongue and considerable tongue surface contacts the surrounding substrate.

 

Similar to other northern frogs that enter dormancy close to the surface in soil and/or leaf litter, wood frogs can tolerate the freezing of their blood and other tissues. Urea is accumulated in tissues in preparation for overwintering, and liver glycogen is converted in large quantities to glucose in response to internal ice formation. Both urea and glucose act as cryoprotectants to limit the amount of ice that forms and to reduce osmotic shrinkage of cells. Frogs found in southern Canada and the American midwest can tolerate freezing temperature of -3 to -6 °C. The wood frogs have adopted various physiological adaptations that allow them to tolerate the freezing of 65-70% of total body water. When matter freezes ice crystals form in the cells and break up the structure so when the matter is thawed out the cells are damaged, frozen frogs also need to endure the interruption of oxygen delivery to their tissues as well as strong dehydration and shrinkage of their cells when water is drawn out of cells to freeze. But the Wood frog has adapted traits that avoid their cells being damaged when being frozen, and when being thawed out, they have glucose in their cells that prevent the ice crystals from forming, the wood frog has evolved various adaptations that allow it to effectively combat prolonged ischemia/anoxia and extreme cellular dehydration. One crucial mechanism utilized by the wood frog is the accumulation of high amounts of glucose that act as a cryoprotectant 

 

Frogs can survive many freeze/thaw events during winter if no more than about 65% of the total body water freezes. Wood frogs have a series of seven amino acid substitutions in the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase 1 (SERCA 1) enzyme ATP binding site that allows this pump to function at lower temperatures relative to less cold-tolerant species (e.g. Lithobates clamitans).

 

Studies on northern subpopulations found that Alaskan wood frogs had a larger liver glycogen reserve compared to those in more temperate zones of its range. These conspecifics also showed higher enzymatic activity of the glycogen phosphorylase which facilitates the freezing.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

We've got good news! You can stop worrying about what you're having for dinner tonight, because this Classic Scalloped Chicken is the best thing on the menu. There's no need to get jittery because this easy casserole recipe is ready in no time, and totally willing to be a part of your weeknight dinner plans. Get ready for something hot and delicious everyone will love!

 

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (12-ounce) jar chicken gravy
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
• 1 1/2 cups instant rice

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter; sauté chicken 6 to 8 minutes or until no longer pink.
3. Remove from heat and add broth, gravy, mushrooms, peas, pimientos, and rice; mix well. Pour into baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, uncover, and stir well. Bake, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, or until rice is tender. Serve immediately.

 

 

Special anniversary today... my nephew Jim Plumbridge and his bride Mel are celebrating 31 years of a great marriage! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

 

 

Historically this date........

1936 – The first electric generator at Hoover Dam goes into full operation.

1940 – The P-51 Mustang makes its maiden flight.

1984 – "Baby Fae" receives a heart transplant from a baboon.

2003 – The Cedar Fire, the second-largest fire in California history, kills 15 people, consumes 250,000 acres (1,000 km²), and destroys 2,200 homes around San Diego.

And births this date include....

1914 – Jackie Coogan, American actor (d. 1984)

 

Married to Betty Grable at one time.

 

 

 

 

1916 – François Mitterrand, President of France (d. 1996)

 

    

1916 – Boyd Wagner, First USAAF fighter ace of World War II (d. 1942)

1919 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (d. 1980)

    

1942 – Bob Hoskins, British actor (d.2014)

 

1947 – Jaclyn Smith, American actress

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Pumpkin Day recognizes a favored autumn decoration and food on October 26th. Pumpkin is used in a variety of recipes, competitions, and festivals.

By October 26th, we’re in a frenzy of pumpkin obsession. We cannot wait for the big November holiday for pumpkin pie.  No siree, we need pumpkin everything! Bars, cookies, coffee, cheesecake, pasta, and oatmeal.  Pumpkin Chunkin’, pumpkin patches, festivals, bake-offs, and television specials. Let’s not forget jack-o-lantern carving, too! This fruit grabs American’s attention.

As it should be. This squash is native to North America. The oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dates back to somewhere between 7000 and 5500 BC to seeds found in Mexico.

The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which means “large melon” in Greek.

Within recent years, white pumpkins have become more popular in the United States. The United States produces 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins, with Illinois producing more than any other state.

A 2,145-pound pumping from Streator, Illinois holds the current North American record. Grown by Gene McMullen in 2015, the great pumpkin weighed in a few hundred pounds lighter than the current world record pumpkin from 2014.  At 2,323-pounds, the giant pumpkin from Switzerland retains the world record prize.

Canned pumpkin may be recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing certain digestive ailments.

Raw pumpkin can be fed to poultry as a supplement to their regular feed during the winter months to help maintain egg production.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Share your pumpkin patch pictures. Carve a jack-o-lantern. Roast some pumpkin seeds. While you’re at it, bake up something tasty! As always, invite someone to Celebrate Every Day® with you, too.

On National Pumpkin Day enjoy the following pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Lasagna

Savory Pumpkin Raviolo

Pumpkin Pudding