Sky/Weather ~ Fires ~ Picture of the Day ~ Snowy Owls ~ Glazed Lemon Zucchini Cookies ~ Bob & Marie Vincent ~ Cop Conversations ~ National Watermelon Day

   

Good 58º clear sunny morning. 

 

 

Yesterday when I sent out my blog email the link was screwed up for some reason. Sometimes these computer "things" are just weird. Anyway, hope there are no problems with it today.

 

 

Our weather and sky and the fires.... sky was clear and blue here

 

and we warmed to 97º. 

 

It was also clear and sunny in Grants Pass ......

 

UPDATE (Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 ... Firefighters say they expect to fully surround southern Oregon’s Milepost 97 Fire (Canyonville) within a few days — though the fight against the blaze is far from over.

Smoky air from the Canyonville-area conflagration poses a health risk for people in Grants Pass and beyond the California border to Yreka.

“Smoke is going to, unfortunately, keep settling in south of the fire in the same areas as it has been,” air quality specialist Wendy Wagner said Wednesday night in a Facebook Live presentation. 

Crews may institute rolling blockades along Interstate 5 on Thursday, Aug. 1, to aid their efforts to control areas burning near the freeway.

The fire was 35% contained as of Thursday at 10:42 p.m., with nearly 1,500  people and 17 helicopters deployed. It has burned more than 13,000 acres.

 

Late yesterday afternoon I got several calls from concerned friends about a fire on East Evans Creek Rd, where I live. I couldn't see any smoke here and called the fire department. Apparently there was a 300 acre fire (contained now) but not close to me, about 20+ miles from here. Whew! 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day ....

 

 

 

Interesting about Snowy Owls....

 

The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to Arctic regions in North America and Eurasia. Males are almost all white

, while females have more flecks of black plumage. 

Juvenile snowy owls have black feathers until they turn white. The snowy owl is a ground nester that primarily hunts rodents and waterfowl, and opportunistically eats carrion. Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the snowy owl is active during the day, especially in the summer time.

 

This yellow-eyed, black-beaked white bird is easily recognizable. It is 20–28 inches long, with a 49–59 inch wingspan. Also, these owls can weigh anywhere from 3.5 to 6.6 lb. The average lifespan in the wild is ten years. It is one of the largest species of owl and, in North America, is on average the heaviest owl species. The adult male is virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark spots; the young are heavily barred, and dark spotting may even predominate. Its thick plumage, heavily feathered taloned feet, and coloration render the snowy owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle.

Snowy Owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee or prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gahw. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak.

This species of owl nests on the ground, building a scrape on top of a mound or boulder. A site with good visibility is chosen, such as the top of a mound with ready access to hunting areas and a lack of snow. Gravel bars and abandoned eagle nests may be used. The female scrapes a small hollow before laying the eggs. Breeding occurs in May to June, and depending on the amount of prey available, clutch sizes range from 3 to 11 eggs, which are laid singly, approximately every other day over the course of several days. Hatching takes place approximately five weeks after laying, and the pure white young are cared for by both parents. Although the young hatch asynchronously, with the largest in the brood sometimes 10 to 15 times as heavy as the smallest, there is little sibling conflict and no evidence of siblicide. Both the male and the female defend the nest and their young from predators, sometimes by distraction displays. Males may mate with two females that may nest about a kilometre apart (1/2 mile). Some individuals stay on the breeding grounds while others migrate.

Snowy owls defend nests against Arctic foxes, corvids ( Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In common English, they are known as the crow family, or, more technically, corvids.)
as well as dogs, gray wolves, and avian predators. Males defend the nest by standing guard nearby while the female incubates the eggs and broods the young. Both sexes attack approaching predators, dive-bombing them and engaging in distraction displays to draw the predator away from a nest.

 

 

 

Something different to do with your garden of zucchini.... from Mr. Food...

 

This savory-sweet melding of flavors creates the most original-tasting cookie you've had all year. Glazed Lemon Zucchini Cookies are the perfect summer treat.

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup grated zucchini, unpeeled
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.
    
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
    
3. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt just until dry ingredients are mixed in. Stir in zucchini and nuts.
    
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are golden around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

***It's easy to top these with a homemade glaze. Simply combine 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice then drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.

 

 

Special Anniversary today... former Temple City neighbors Bob and Marie Vincent are celebrating #56! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!!

 

 

 

Historically this date...

1934 – Adolf Hitler becomes the supreme leader of Germany by joining the offices of President and Chancellor into Führer.

1936 – Jesse Owens wins the 100 meter dash, defeating Ralph Metcalfe, at the Berlin Olympics.

1958 – The nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels beneath the Arctic ice cap.

2004 – The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed since the September 11 attacks.

 

And births this date include....

1926 – Tony Bennett, American singer

 

1951 – Jay North, American actor

 

 1977 – Tom Brady, American football player

                                        YEAH Tommy!!!

 

 

I went to the bank, post office, gas station, and market yesterday. While in line at the market I got in a conversation with the guy, Bob,  in front of me. We talked about not being in a hurry, retired the excuse. Then he said he'd been retired 24 years and I said I was 21 years. I asked him what he did and he said he had been a cop up north in Oregon. I laughed and said I had been with LASD. We had a nice conversation. Then I went to the gas station and the new guy, Justin,  and I started talking. Turned out his father was a cop here in Josephine County! Small world.

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Saturday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

National Watermelon Day on August 3rd recognizes the refreshing summertime treat enjoyed at picnics and fairs! Watermelon is 92% water, which is why it is so satisfying in the summer heat.

This vine-like flowering plant originated from southern Africa. While the word watermelon refers to both the fruit and the plant to botanists, the plant is a pepo.  The pepo is a berry which has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp). Interestingly, pepos develop from an inferior ovary and are characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae.

While the watermelon fruit is loosely considered a type of melon, it’s not in the genus Cucumis. The smooth exterior usually has a dark green rind with stripes or yellow spots. The juicy, sweet interior flesh of the fruit ranges from deep red to pink. However, sometimes comes in orange, yellow, or white. 

Since the melon holds plentiful water, desert dwellers likely first cultivated the melon. Another reason this is suspected is that wild melons were bitter and tasteless. Additional evidence of the watermelon’s value is supplied in the seeds and art found in tombs of Pharaohs. Over time, cultivation and breeding brought out the better qualities of sweet and tender fruit we enjoy today. 

With proper growing conditions, watermelons grow to enormous sizes. Around the world, competitions award prizes each year for the largest one. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the heaviest watermelon weighed 262 pounds. To learn more refreshing watermelon facts, check out www.watermelon.org.

 

 

Blue Sky ~ Picture of the Day ~ The Shoebill ~ Spicy Hot Baked Zucchini Fries ~ Bruiser ~ Spencer Norman ~ Marie Vincent ~ International Beer Day

 

Good 52º clear blue sky morning. Yay! 

 

 

Yesterday started off clear and blue sky....... with just a hint of haze up on my mountain... it stayed clear and sunny all day. We topped at 97º.

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day....

 

 

 

Interesting about Shoebill birds..........

 

The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) also known as whalehead, is a very large stork-like bird. It derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped bill. 

It has a somewhat stork-like overall form and has previously been classified with the storks in the order Ciconiiformes based on this morphology. However, genetic evidence places it with the Pelecaniformes. The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia.

The Shoebill is distributed in freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa, from southern Sudan through parts of eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania and northern Zambia. The species is most numerous in the West Nile sub-region and adjacent areas of the south Sudan; it is also significant in wetlands of Uganda and western Tanzania.

The Shoebill is noted for its slow movements and tendency to stay still for long periods, resulting in descriptions of the species as "statue-like". They are quite sensitive to human disturbance and may abandon their nests if flushed by humans. However, while foraging, if dense vegetation stands between it and humans, this wader can be fairly tame. The Shoebill is attracted to poorly oxygenated waters where fish frequently surface to breathe. Exceptionally for a bird this large, the Shoebill often stands and perches on floating vegetation, making them appear somewhat like a giant jacana.

 

 

For those of you with a garden filled with zucchini... here's another yummy recipe... from Mr. Food...

Your gang will love these spicy hot baked zucchini fries. We bet they won't even care that they're eating healthy vegetables!

 

• 3 medium-sized zucchini (about 1 pound total)
• 1 1/2 cups crushed nacho-flavored chips
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
    
2. Cut each zucchini in half crosswise then cut each half lengthwise into french-fry-like strips.
    
3. Place the chips, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne in a shallow dish; mix well. In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs. Coat each zucchini strip in the egg mixture and coat completely with the chip mixture; place on prepared baking sheet.
    
4. Spray fries with cooking spray and bake 15 minutes, or until crispy. Serve immediately.

**

Serve Fiery Zucchini Fries with your favorite dipping sauce. And... if you don't like the "hot" cayenne part, just use  the garlic powder.

 

 

 

Three special birthdays today..... the first one... today I celebrate Bruiser's birthday. For almost 5 years I saw him in my pasture from being very small. On bad weather days I'd see him go in the dog door at the barn into a stall that a former dog of ours lived in. Bruiser is (my best guess) 12 years old.

 

 

Also today is Spencer Norman's birthday. Spencer is the hubby of my pal Erika. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPENCER!!!

 

 

And friend and former Temple City neighbor Marie Vincent is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE!

 

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1776 – The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place.

1923 – As vice president, Calvin Coolidge becomes the 30th President of the United States after the death of Warren G. Harding

1934 – Gleichschaltung: Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany.

1964 – Vietnam War: Gulf of Tonkin incident – North Vietnamese gunboats allegedly fire on the U.S. destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy.

1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

 ..........and my Brian joins the Marines!

 

And births this date include...

1924 – Carroll O'Connor, American actor (d. 2001)

 

1932 – Peter O'Toole, Irish actor (d. 2013)

 

1945 – Joanna Cassidy, American actress

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy TGIF. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

The first Friday in August brings a toast to ales, lagers, and pilsners that put the international in International Beer Day. 

Perhaps there’s a porter or a Belgian in your glass. Whether yours is fermented or not, dark or pale, hoppy, bitter, smooth, raise your mug. Lift it high among friends around the world, thanking those who work brewing delicious beer in your local area. Why? Because International Beer Day brings the world together, celebrating the beers of all cultures on one remarkable day.

Did you know, this is a day for beer lovers everywhere. In backyards, taverns, pubs, and breweries all over, people celebrate beer’s greatness while showing gratitude to their bartender and waitstaff. 

 

HOW TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY

“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip… but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.” – Czech Proverb

Better yet, don’t miss it. Enjoy a glass with friends. Try a new beer. If you don’t know what to try, here are some suggestions.

• Attend a tasting – Yes, like wine tastings, there are beer tastings, too.
• Get a flight – Many pubs and breweries offer a flight with of few ounces of 4-5 beers to taste.
• Take a quiz – There are several flavor profile quizzes online to help you choose your next beer. You can also take a quiz to find out just how much you know about beer, too like this one at Fun Trivia.
• Ask the bartender – They can guide you based on your flavor preferences. Then be sure to thank and tip them, especially if they provided sound advice.
• Tour a brewery – Brewery tours offer samples. Not only will you find a beer you like, but most breweries have a rich history. Even younger breweries include fascinating stories about their founders or their recipes.

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY

Our research shows the origin of International Beer Day dates back to 2008. Because August is hot in many parts of the world, the first Friday of August was chosen. Visit the IBD site for more information.

August 1st ~ Throw Back Thursday ~ Interesting Avocado Dish ~ Local Wild Fires ~ Picture of the Day ~ Apples ~ Easy Peach Cake ~ National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

Good 54º first day of August morning. Pretty much clear sky right now. Nice!

 

The sky was pretty clear with blue sky all of the day yesterday. We topped at 97º. 

 

 

In the morning yesterday we were the same temperature inside and outside.....

 

 

 

Happy Throw Back Thursday... Ha ha ha... 1986 at the Pistol Range on Catalina Island.... Jerry got caught!

 

 

 

Today is also the day 21 years ago we moved from Temple City to here in Rogue River. Such a treat to get out of So. Cal.

 

 

Since yesterday was National Avocado Day I thought I'd post this picture of a fried stuffed avocado.

 

 

This shared by George Bachmeier (LASD ret) who is on a motorcycle trip and down in Texas and he had this to eat. Looks so interesting and he said it was really good!

Here is a link to a fried stuffed avocado, with shrimp. The one George had looked like it had chicken. This is a Mexican dish....

https://mexicanappetizersandmore.com/fried-avocado-stuffed-with-shrimp/

 

 

 

 

 

The Canyonville Fire is now 25% contained... and overnight it grew by just less than 300 acres, the smallest growth so far, but we have

another one by Williams, the Panther Gulch Fire and it grew from 25 to 50 acres overnight. There is also the Tucker Fire in Modoc County which is close to Highway 395 and just south of the Oregon/California border, which has burned over 14,270 acres and is 10% contained. 

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day.... shared by my friend Georgia Sue...

 

 

 

Interesting about apples.........

 

The apple tree (Malus pumila, commonly and erroneously called Malus domestica) is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet, pomaceous fruit, the apple. It is cultivated worldwide as a fruit tree, and is the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today.

Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists.

Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek and European Christian traditions. Apple trees are large if grown from seed. Generally apple cultivars are propagated by grafting onto rootstocks, which control the size of the resulting tree. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw and cider production. Trees and fruit are prone to a number of fungal, bacterial and pest problems, which can be controlled by a number of organic and non-organic means. In 2010, the fruit's genome was sequenced as part of research on disease control and selective breeding in apple production.

The center of diversity of the genus Malus is in eastern present-day Turkey. The apple tree may have been the earliest tree that humans cultivated, and growers have improved its fruits through selection over thousands of years. Alexander the Great is credited with finding dwarfed apples in Kazakhstan in 328 BCE. Winter apples, picked in late autumn and stored just above freezing, have been an important food in Asia and Europe for millennia.

 

In Norse mythology, the goddess Iðunn is portrayed in the Prose Edda (written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson) as providing apples to the gods that give them eternal youthfulness. English scholar H. R. Ellis Davidson links apples to religious practices in Germanic paganism, from which Norse paganism developed. She points out that buckets of apples were found in the Oseberg ship burial site in Norway, that fruit and nuts (Iðunn having been described as being transformed into a nut in Skáldskaparmál) have been found in the early graves of the Germanic peoples in England and elsewhere on the continent of Europe, which may have had a symbolic meaning, and that nuts are still a recognized symbol of fertility in southwest England.

 

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all (foreign) fruit, other than berries, including nuts, as late as the 17th century. For instance, in Greek mythology, the Greek hero Heracles, as a part of his Twelve Labours, was required to travel to the Garden of the Hesperides and pick the golden apples off the Tree of Lifegrowing at its center.

The Greek goddess of discord, Eris, became disgruntled after she was excluded from the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. In retaliation, she tossed a golden apple inscribed Καλλίστη (Kalliste, sometimes transliterated Kallisti, "For the most beautiful one"), into the wedding party. Three goddesses claimed the apple: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris of Troy was appointed to select the recipient. After being bribed by both Hera and Athena, Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. He awarded the apple to Aphrodite, thus indirectly causing the Trojan War.

The apple was thus considered, in ancient Greece, sacred to Aphrodite. To throw an apple at someone was to symbolically declare one's love; and similarly, to catch it was to symbolically show one's acceptance of that love.

 

 

 

I posted this a year ago today.... it's awesomely good and sooooo easy!! Peach Cake from Mr. Food...........

 

• 1 (15.25-ounce) package butter-flavored yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 (21-ounce) container peach pie filling
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 13- inch baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. Or use a bundt pan. (I would)
    
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
    
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm, or when cool, cover until ready to serve

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1876 – Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. state.

 

1957 – The United States and Canada form the North American Air Defense Command(NORAD).

 

1966 – Charles Whitman kills 16 people at the University of Texas at Austin before being killed by the police.

1993 – The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 comes to a peak.

2007 – The I-35W Mississippi River bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses during the evening rush hour.

 

And births this date include..

1779 – Francis Scott Key, American lawyer, author, and songwriter of the U.S. National anthem (d. 1843)

 

1933 – Dom DeLuise, American actor and comedian (d. 2009)

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy TBT. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day is observed annually on August 1.  Themed with other raspberry holidays in this same time period.  Raspberries are most plentiful this time of year.

Raspberries are edible. Because they are fruit of the plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family.  The name ‘Raspberry’ also applies to the plants themselves. Check out these other facts about these delicious berries…

• Raspberries are woody stemmed perennials.
• The berries are widely grown in all temperate regions of the World.
• Raspberries are a very important commercial fruit crop.
• At one time, raspberries were a midsummer crop, however with new technology, cultivars and transportation,
  they can now be obtained year-round.
• Did you know, an  individual raspberry weighs 0.11 – 0.18 oz.
• An individual raspberry is made up of about 100 drupelets.
• One raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries a year.
• A raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from the receptacle.
• Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber.
• Raspberries contain vitamin B1, vitamin B3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron.

HOW TO OBSERVE

To celebrate National Raspberry Cream Pie Day, be sure to enjoy these Raspberry Cream Pie recipes.

• Fresh Red Raspberry Cream Pie
• Raspberry Vanilla Cream Pie
• Raspberry Cream Pie