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Sunday, November 20, 2022

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Elf Owls ~ Mediterranean Tortellini Soup ~ Dave Perry ~ National Child's Day

  


Good 23º frozen red sky morning.....



 
Yesterday we started at 23º. No clouds just sunshine. We topped at 65º.


 
Picture of the Day
 

 
Interesting about elf owls.........
 

 
 
The elf owl is a small grayish-brown bird about the size of a sparrow found in the Southwestern United States, central Mexico, and the Baja California peninsula. It has pale yellow eyes highlighted by thin white "eyebrows" and a gray bill with a horn-colored tip. The elf owl frequently inhabits woodpecker holes in saguaro cacti; it also nests in natural tree cavities. It is nocturnal and feeds primarily on insects.
 


The elf owl was formally described in 1861 by the American naturalist James Graham Cooper from a specimen collected near Fort Mohave in Arizona. He coined the binomial name Athene whitneyi, choosing the specific epithet to honour the geologist Josiah Whitney.[7] The owl is now the only species placed in the genus Micrathene that was introduced in 1866 specifically for the elf owl by American ornithologist Elliott Coues. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mikros meaning "small" and the genus name Athene that had been introduced by Friedrich Boie in 1822.
 
The elf owl is the world's lightest owl, although the long-whiskered owlet and the Tamaulipas pygmy owl are of a similarly diminutive length. It is also the world's smallest owl. The mean body weight of this species is 1.4 oz. These tiny owls are 4.9 to 5.7 inches long and have a wingspan of about 10.5 inches. Their primary projection (flight feather) extends nearly past their tail. They have fairly long legs and often appear bow-legged.
 
The elf owl is known to migrate in large groups, with patterns of migration varying depending on flock and habitat location. Some broods of elf owl migrate to the southwest United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) in the spring and summer for breeding. In the winter, it is found in central and southern Mexico. Migrant elf owls return north in mid-April to early May. Resident populations occur in a couple of places in south central Mexico and along the Baja peninsula.
 

Populations of elf owls have continued to decline in recent years due to a continued loss of native habitats, particularly those in the desert areas of California. Human activities, like increasing water diversion and home construction, have decimated these desert and riparian areas, as well as increasingly abundant invasive species (such as the salt cedar). The destruction of habitat leaves many elf owls unable to nest, hunt, and reproduce in areas like California, Arizona, and elsewhere.

 

To date, elf owls are not considered a globally threatened species, yet they are listed as "endangered" in California due to a population of fewer than 150,000 individual owls in the United States. California has implemented a captive breeding program in an attempt to increase this number, while numerous environmental and government agencies work to preserve their riparian and desert homes. Some sources report that the elf owl has already been nearly eliminated in California.

 
 
 
Get out your soup spoons, 'cause everyone is going to want a taste of this flavorful Mediterranean Tortellini Soup! This cheesy, veggie-filled soup is made with the convenience of some of our favorite frozen ingredients, which means it cooks up in no time and is weeknight-perfect.
 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
  • 2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (19-ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1 (9-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 (14-ounce) package frozen Italian blend vegetables
  • freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
 
  1. In a soup pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot, but not smoking. 
     
  2. Saute onions until tender, then add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through.
     
  3. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add tortellini, spinach and vegetables and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tortellini are tender. Garnish each bowl with Parmesan cheese, serve immediately.
 
 
Special birthday today... he was one of Jerry's good friends and is my pal, Dave Perry is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

 
Historically this date.........
1820 – An 80-ton sperm whale attacks the Essex (a whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts) 2,000 miles from the western coast of South America (Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick is in part inspired by this story).


(Click on the word "Essex" and read a fascinating story of the ship sinking and the survival of a few crew)


 
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1974 – The United States Department of Justice files its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. This suit later leads to the breakup of AT&T and its Bell System.
... the sad end of Ma Bell and excellent customer service and polite telephone operators!!!


1992 – In Englanda fire breaks out in Windsor Castle, badly damaging the castle and causing over £50 million worth of damage.


1993 – Savings and loan crisis: The United States Senate Ethics Committee issues a stern censure of California senator Alan Cranston for his "dealings" with savings-and-loan executive Charles Keating.


 
And births this date include...
1925 – Robert F. Kennedy, American politician (d. 1968)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO92ZAunYMmCODCKZwk0ekY8OkB0MIDQ544kq_rk4ua3ZlAxxBAbNrBADiuaKs2_-_HaNz5hRHYBVcrBZ_6026VkvjIyDX7ysA4uBBlmlR0UH3DohA0jCqYlYdoEWW5trGwSc_zbSCPvtT/s1600/kennedyMA28892623-0087.jpg



1939 – Dick Smothers, American comedian
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjvA4NZ8PPIT-V9T5HUvGiD2A1dGz4BrlX5VmqT1GJvdX2d5E6SzMzMFGX9DCWh_RlsTGdJBYYD0ftRxRWl6VxNcZfY_rYfhWxwO8cNMNjwnS5w6FHUauo-wia4erCcppQuMIjNqwAzcl/s1600/dickMA28892623-0088.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpxkxWkJ_m9O2sAbWzNN94jJy1xAK8WnIaFUhB2niTc16xsGzQRToVHeB3ZrfkvFYAu51stDJpqL6S7P7nCY_5urFKwA9qzCGrccrsXwABs55YNRWExQhjZYETNgv7kcyHGvxachI80rP/s1600/dick2MA28892623-0089.jpg

 
 
1945 – Rick Monday, American baseball player
 
                 HERO!
 
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1956 – Bo Derek, American actress
 
(Interesting read)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimso43ZtGFmqSqCG3eRvjD3t1Vc9beTLuco7V-NU4aY8TGHokhlgfw1D3AEMYv-Q7h5kuut9w-iKfoVthBxkLsh7CgjIYRTTCuEA4M_bmUWj0MMx09l7skL3Kr8JPSgC-lmtcq9WkxYz3/s1600/boMA28892623-0091.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-huGR8g0mPyTUPRqQ4GeDumvVtfXkgnwxBj0GRYAAkhPubetDhyphenhyphen82WRU3hr1Ay6Q0yx-MaygpGwlGs_NZhisCbtdKnfTczbkAkvWIbWB95_7WfG56YoEeUiyq2UDQLR_PaCl2Q_jATOJ/s1600/bo-derek-and-john-corbett-thumbMA28892623-0092.jpg
 
 
 
 
All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Sunday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo

November 20th each year recognizes National Child’s Day and all the potential represented by our children’s ambitions, dreams, and goals. Through educational goals, STEAM projects, and academic missions, educators and families join forces to provide excellence at all levels of education.

Education begins at home, and by providing parents with resources vital to growing minds, we encourage curiosity and brain development. From the day they are born their education begins. Language and social skills are essential building blocks to any child’s early education.

Schools and educators are investing in science, math, and arts programs. As technology becomes a more integral part of our lives, innovation drives education as well as nearly every career in the world. No matter where our children’s interests lie, technology will advance the way we learn, heal, communicate, travel, change, and protect the world. Our children will be the innovators of the future. All we need to do is give them the education and the tools to dream and learn to their fullest potential. National Child’s Day inspires communities, educators, and parents to do just that.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Get involved with your child’s school. Discover your child’s passion. Support extra-curricular activities. Encourage community endeavors that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math because these areas of focus support the way we live every day, and they are lacking in education today.

  • Science – Every day, we use science in nearly every facet of life. From medicine to the development of new products to solutions to socioeconomic issues, science is a necessary tool in the educational toolbox.
  • Technology – It’s growing every day. We communicate with people around the world who speak another language. Hundreds of years of compiled science allow us to continue developing new technologies to explore space. New innovations will enable us to cure a disease before babies are even born.
  • Engineering – Without engineering, many innovations never happen. Whether we look deep to the ocean floor or miles above the earth, engineers visualize and then create the components that work together. It’s a fusion of science, technology, and design.
  • Art – By human nature, we need the arts. Those who have a creative outlet perform better at work. While we’re more likely to be more productive, the arts allow us the opportunity to connect to the human condition. It’s also an ability to understand design and quality. When a product has an aesthetic design, it holds its value longer. Quality products are also a piece of art.
  • Math – When it comes to each of the above areas, every one of them relies on math. We wouldn’t have gone to the moon without it. If we want our children to move us with music or with the next greatest automobile, they will need outstanding math skills, too.

NATIONAL CHILD’S DAY HISTORY

In 1995, Lee Rechter set out to create National Child’s Day. The retired school counselor wanted a day that honored children. In 2001, she succeeded in her mission, and President George W. Bush signed a one-time proclamation for the nation to observe the day on June 3rd. The declaration proposed supporting children in their endeavors from the very beginning. And while it was initiated as a single-day observance, it aimed to nurture and uphold the belief that all children deserve to have the same opportunities.

However, Rechter pursued a continuing resolution for the observance. She succeeded, and for the next seven years on a Sunday in early June, the President proclaimed National Child’s Day.

Then, in 2009, when President Barak Obama took office, the observance was changed to November. Each year since National Child’s Day has been observed on November 20th at a time when children are in the midst of their education and surrounded by families.

Children FAQ

Q. When will children born in 2021 graduate from high school?
A. Children born in 2021 will graduate from high school in 2039.

Q. How much does a four-year degree cost?
A. As of 2021, the cost of tuition and fees at a four-year college runs between $42,000 for public education and $150,000 for private. Keep in mind, these numbers do not include room and board.

 
 

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