Useless Facts and Trivia: Volume 6

Here is the next installment of Useless Facts and trivia( from an article called "Absolutely Useless Trivia",) along with some of MY THOUGHTS: (my thoughts are in bold italics):
Enjoy!!

1. The original Winnie the Pooh was a real live bear found outside of Winnipeg, Canada, hence the name Winnie.(How do they know it was actually HIM? I mean, look how many Elvis impersonators there are!)

2. Francis Bacon died in his attempt to find a better way to serve food. He caught a case of pneumonia while attempting to stuff a chicken with snow. Ironically, the chicken survived the ordeal. (Ok, this one is hard to believe. I live where there is plenty of snow, and no one ever died from playing with it!)

3. Dachshunds were originally bred in 1600 to hunt dachs, which is German for badgers. (Historically speaking, 1600 was a slow year.)(I'm glad they weren't hunting bunnies or we'd have Bunnyshunds).

4. Houdini's real name was Ehrich Weiss. (Somehow, this doesn't have the same mystery to it, does it?)

5. The first zoo in America was in Philadelphia. (City of brotherly animals).

6. Laser is actually an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emissions of Radiation."
(Glad it wasn't Light Magnification added ozone or it would be LMAO).

7.The world's first passenger train made its debut in England in 1825.(Wonder what the cattle thought when it whizzed by their pastures?)

8. If you hate our "QWERTY" keyboard layout, blame Christopher Sholes. He changed it from the original in 1873 to lessen the chances of the keys jamming.(Sorry, still getting typos from my fingers pressing on the keys! Can we do a "do over"?)

9. Napoleon III suffered from ailurophobia, which is a fear of cats.(That must have come in handy at the Battle of Waterloo! The British were hiding behind the lines MEOWING really loud!).

10. Escalator is one of many words that were originally trademarks but have become ordinary words found in dictionaries. Some other words which were originally trademarks and have now passed into common use are aspirin, autoharp, band-aids, breathalyzer, cellophane, Coke (in some areas, at least), corn flakes, cube steak, ditto, dry ice, dumpster, formica, Frisbee, granola, gunk, jeep, kerosene, Kleenex, mace, nylon, ping-pong (also an onomatopoeia), popsicle, Q-tip, rollerblade, rolodex, Scotch tape, sheetrock, spandex, styrofoam, tabloid, thermos, trampoline, yo-yo, xerox, and zipper.(I bet there are even more now that we have technology..like IPOD being a common name, etc.)

I Just Feel Like Humming.................

I am so excited!



We hung up our hummingbird feeder a few days ago, and we have had non-stop humming going on at it ever since. Some males, some females.



Here are some pictures I was lucky enough to capture. They sure are cute!

First this little guy was not shy at the feeder!:

When I learn how to manually set my shutter speed at the photography class I am going to take next week, hopefully I will be able to "freeze frame" him in mid-flight instead of getting these blurry winged shots!:

This one just loves to hang out on our satellite dish extra antenna and look out at the lake!:

He was so thirsty, he didn't even see me taking his photo!:

Isn't she a cutie?:

A head shot. Slightly blurry, probably my shakey hands, as I wasn't using a tripod for any of these photos:










Another hummingbird at attention. I think he saw me and wasn't sure what to do about it!

After I take my photography class, I hope to bring you more hummingbird pictures!

I sure love these birds.

Dumb Laws: Arizona

This is part of a series I am doing on dumb state laws.

MY THOUGHTS are bolded and in italics.

Next up:

The wonderful state of Arizona!

1. Hunting camels is prohibited. (Oh, Boy...this should not be a problem. Have you seen any camels there?)

2. Any misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask is considered a felony. (Criminals: Take note. If you are going to rob a bank, make sure you bring your blue masks. Do NOT, (I repeat: do NOT) bring your red masks!)

3. There is a possible 25 years in prison for cutting down a cactus. (Wonder if you can't wear a red mask when cutting down a cactus, either?)

4. Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs. (Silly, didn't you know that donkeys only like to sleep in showers? Oh, and by the way, they like to spoon too)

5. A class 2 misdemeanor occurs if one places a mark upon a flag which is “likely to provoke physical retaliation”. (Like what? A peace sign?)

6. It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine. (Perfectly O.K. to manufacture real cocaine then?)

7. When being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person possesses. (Let me get this straight. So, say a criminal or burglar brings in a gun and you only have a knife. You can't protect yourself then? Who on earth thought this gem up?)

8. It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water. (It is ok to refuse to give him/her a beer though. It is Arizona, we don't want anyone to get dehydrated!)

9. You may not have more than two dildos in a house. (Oh Lord! No comment!) (Other than: so how many batteries can you have?)(And who is going to enforce THIS one? Can you see it: Dildo security police? Going house to house to check the number you may/may not have?) (Wonder what the fine is per extra dildo? Are you fined per inch?) (Quick, somebody stop me please!)

10. In Globe, Arizona: Cards may not be played in the street with a Native American. (You can rent the back room of the barber shop or play in church, however?)

11. In Hayden: If you bother the cottontails or bullfrogs, you will be fined. (Don't be playing with frogs and bunnies, you hear?) (How do they define "bothering" them?)

12. In Maricopa County: No more than six girls may live in any house. (Can somebody say The Best Little Whorehouse in Arizona?) (What about men? Can more than 6 men live in any house?)

13. In Mesa: It is illegal to smoke cigarettes within 15 feet of a public place unless you have a Class 12 liqueur license. (Everybody knows that smoking is bad for an alcholic's health).

14. In Mohave County and in Nogales: A decree declares that anyone caught stealing soap must wash himself with it until it is all used up. (Let's hope they don't have dry skin. They could be all raw and red when they were done. )



15. In Prescott: No one is permitted to ride their horse up the stairs of the county courthouse. (Maybe they can ride their Harley's then?)

16. In Tempe: One must be 18 years old to buy spray paint. (Because everyone knows that NO ONE in Arizona over 18 does graffiti).

17. In Tombstone: It is illegal for men and women over the age of 18 to have less than one missing tooth visible when smiling. (Thank God...this is the first law that makes sense. We don't need any more toothless people running around! Do you hear that Alabama?)

18. In Tucson: Women may not wear pants. (Woo Hoo! Must be a little breezy!) (Not to mention "scenic" !)

More Spring Flowers (I Can't Help Myself!)...

I apologize up front to any of my readers who are groaning that I have posted photos of more flowers.
But, I LOVE THEM, and well, it's my blog, right?
Secretly, I hope I can convert you into liking flower pictures, so I will persist. :-D

Strolling thru my gardens, I had to capture some more. So here goes!:

A double tulip. Look close, there is BLUE inside this one!:

When we were out at our cabin, we found these little wild blue violets:

Remember HIM? You bloggers named him "Mr. Tight Buns". He is now standing guard in our yard over my forget-me-nots:

I was excited to see that my Lemon Lily was already shooting up a flower! It should grow and bloom within the next 2 weeks!:

More "Spring Beauty" wildflowers!:

One of my favorite tulips, because it has a deep purple color outside and this surprise blue center!:

When we were at the cabin, a SEA of green leaves were in color on the forest floor. I loved these!:






Phlox and tulips. The epitomy of SPRING!:

More tulips!:

There. I feel so much better. YOU do too, c'mon....admit it!!!!!!

A SKIN-NY Opportunity!

* New York artist Ariana Page Russell has a dermatological
disorder that makes her skin puff up immediately at the slightest
scratch (which renders her, she says, the "human Etch A Sketch").
She now scratches herself in deliberate patterns, to create artistic
designs, which she photographs and offers for sale. Russell says
she must work quickly, for her skin usually returns to normal after
about an hour. [Daily Telegraph (London), 4-13-09]

MY TOP TEN THOUGHTS?:

1. Does anyone else find this: creepy?

2. Do you wonder what designs she does? Like what? The Mona Lisa?

3. yeah, sure.....it is the scratch patterns that she photographs and sells. Forget that she may be naked when she does it?

4. What do you mean: "her skin USUALLY returns to normal after about an hour"??? So like if she carves out something obscene, it might NOT disappear? (That would be hard to explain in church!)

5. How much does she charge for these gross photographs?

6. Has she heard of the word: infection?

7. She needs to get a life. Or at least a meaningful hobby.

8. Can you imagine what she says to her "significant other"?
Her: "I'm going out to do some scratching and photos, hon. See you later."
S.O.: "Not again!".
Her: "I promise...I won't be gone long..they should disappear in about an hour, so I will be gone...oh...I don't know...3 or 4 hours, at most."
S.O.: Please don't etch in the picture of the guy mooning someone again, hey? I had to look at traces of that one for over a week. Let's just say, it didn't do much for our sex life..."
Her: Oh, don't be so touchy.
S.O. Not a problem. I mean those welts are a little icky. There definitely will be no touching.
Her: Where is the zoom lens?
S.O.: You want a close up of THAT?
Her: Silly, my customers like to see the welts on my skin up close and personal.
S.O.: I don't think I want to hear this.....
Her: Hey, I make over $1,000 a photo!
S.O. : Hey, lift up your shirt, I have a mural idea!!

9. What would Michelangelo say about this?

10. OUCH!!!! (Can somebody say MASOCHIST?)

Nests everywhere!

While walking the yard yesterday and checking out my gardens, I saw evidence of a bird building a nest in one of our birdhouses that hasn't been occupied before. Despite watching it for some time, I saw no activity. So, I will have to watch over the next few days to see what is having babies in there!

Then, I heard loud knocking and knew that we either had a Pileated Woodpecker or a Flicker near by. Imagine my surprise to look up to a tree and see a Flicker with its head peeking out of a hole in the tree! Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch her inside the tree hole, but did catch her beside the tree after:

And then, just a few feet from that tree, in a house rafter on a house that we are renovating (across the street from where we live), I saw this Mama Robin on her nest. She "froze" (probably hoping I didn't see her). I quickly took this shot, so I didn't traumatize her. I will be listening and watching for baby Robin noises soon. I checked this morning and she was still patiently sitting on the nest:

I am glad that there are birds so close to our house that I can keep my eye on the nests. It is very entertaining!

Sold !!!

We have owned a small cabin on a river named the Chocolay River in Marquette County for over 10 years. It is quite rustic, with an outdoor toilet and only a small pump for water inside.
It did have electricity, a small refrigerator and stove and a wood fireplace by the time we got it somewhat fixed up. We used to go there on weekends when I was still working and do some fishing and just plain relaxing. It was very beautiful and quiet there. My husband saw a silver fox and we would frequently see deer and mallard ducks on the river too. The fishing was good too.

Since we built our log home, which is over an hour away from this river property, we hadn't spent much time there. It got to be a burden in the summer to have to go and cut grass there and worry about someone breaking into the cabin.

So, last fall, we listed the property for sale with a realtor friend of mine. I didn't think it would sell quickly because when the snow came (early up here) it would take someone snowshoeing in to see the property. Also, since the cabin is not insulated well enough for people to use it in the winter, it wouldn't sell well at that time of year.

As soon as the snow melted, I decided to list it also on Craig's List.

Wow.

We had 6 or 7 people really interested and I began to receive a bunch of e-mails of inquiry about the property.

Within one week of listing it on Craig's List, someone from downstate Michigan drove up to look at it this Saturday, and offered us the full asking price, in cash! So, we got ahold of our realtor and we did the purchase agreement yesterday morning.
If all goes well, we will close within the next 7-14 days and it will be a done deal.
Hopefully, this is a good sign that the economy is starting to improve.

We will miss our little rustic cabin on the river, and are so pleased that the family that purchased it appreciates its charm and beauty. They seemed absolutely thrilled to get the property.

Here are some photos of the cabin:


First, this is the walk over bridge to get into the property:

This is a shot of the river, taken off of the bridge:

This is right in front of the cabin. You could practically cast your fishing pole into the river from the front door:

This is looking up river from the cabin's front door:

A shot of the living area of the rustic cabin. On cooler days, we would light up the red fireplace in the corner and snuggle up on the couch and watch the fire:

The little kitchen area of the cabin:

We sold it with all the contents, as seen in the photo. We didn't want to haul any of the furniture and kitchen supplies, etc. out.

We were a little sad to see it go, as we had a lot of memories of having fun in it, but we were so pleased that the family buying it loves it and were thrilled to get it. We will have more time to spend out on our boat (on our lake) because we won't have the caretaking of this little cabin to worry about any longer.

The Gardens!:

Sadly, my perennial garden class ended this last Tuesday. Seems like only yesterday, I was telling all of you that I was starting the class.
It was a very good class, and I learned a lot. The instructor has traveled the world and seen many gardens in Europe and now owns 7 (soon to be 14) acres of gardens called "The Carp River Gardens" (the river runs through the property). It is amazing. Even though it is early spring, there are already a ton of flowers blooming there. It is the 3rd largest botanical garden in the U.S. and the biggest one in Michigan and Wisconsin. If you ever get up to the U.P. in the summer, make it part of your travel plans. He only charges $5.00 per car load to tour his gardens, and if he is there he will offer you any advice you may ask. They also sell a limited amount of the perrenial plants there too. There have been many weddings held there because of its natural surroundings in the pines.

Today, I am providing some pictures taken both out of my garden and the Carp River Gardens for you:

One of the C.R. Gardens wonderful daffodils:

A shot of my tulips in my gardens:

This is a Marsh Marigold (wildflower) I took yesterday in the woods:

A close-up of one of my garden tulips:

This is a close-up of one of the C.R. Garden's Primroses:

Another one of my garden's tulips. I loved the center of this one, it looked like an Orchid to me:






This is a shot of our lake taken this Thursday. No MORE ICE!!
See the green sprouts on the tree? Finally!!!:







The wind was really strong, crashing on the nearby rocks:

This is one of the C.R. Garden's pretty daffodils in bloom:

Our lake again, see the wind bending the trees? But it is SO NICE not to see any more ice and instead see sparkling water and hear the waves!:

This is our house and the front yard (that does not face the lake). When it is hot, we spend a lot of time on this porch. On the end where I took this picture, we have a porch swing which my butt occupies with glee!:

Another shot of my garden tulips, who are facing the sun (like me!) in the yard:

My white and purple creeping Phlox. Did you know they are very fragrant?:

This are C.R. Gardens' wonderful Tulips and Primula Denticulata (a type of Primrose that looks like little purple drumsticks):

One of my garden's red tulips:

And, last (but not least) is a close-up of a dandelion. Yep, you read right. If you take the time to REALLY look at them (up close and personal) they are very pretty:

Hope you enjoyed the gardens and the tour...I really like spring flowers and blooms for their bright, sunny colors and it is such a wonderful thing to see after the drab, long, cold winter.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!!!!