Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190620023309

National Themes For June 20: National Kouign Amann Day, American Eagle Day, International Nystagmus Day, National Hike with a Geek Day, National Vanilla Milkshake Day, National Ice Cream Soda Day, and National Dump the Pump Day.

🍰National Kouign Amann Day! Kouign amann is a round crusty cake, made with a yeast-raised dough containing layers of butter and sugar folded in, similar in fashion to puff pastry or croissants but with fewer layers. The resulting cake is slowly baked until the butter puffs up the dough creating the layered aspect of it and the sugar caramelizes. The name comes from the Breton words for cake “kouign” and butter “amann.” Kouign amann is a popular and traditional pastry in Brittany, where it originated in 1860 when flour was scarce, but butter was abundant.

🦅National American Eagle Day is set aside to honor our national symbol, raise awareness for protecting the Bald Eagle, assist in the recovery of their natural environments and take part in educational outreach. The Bald Eagle is both the national bird and the national animal of the United States of America and appears on its Seal. In the latter 20th century, the Bald Eagle was on the brink of extinction in the continental United States. Eventually, populations recovered and on July 12, 1995, the species was removed from the U.S. Federal Government’s List of Endangered Species and transferred to the List of Threatened Species. On June 2007, it was withdrawn from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States. The Bald Eagle’s range includes most of Canada, Alaska, all of the contiguous United States and northern Mexico. They can be found near large bodies of open water where there is an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. Opportunistic feeders, Bald Eagles survive mainly on fish, swooping down and snatching them from the water. Their nests are the largest nests of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species. The largest recorded eagle’s nest was found in St. Petersburg, Florida. It measured 9.5 feet in diameter and 20 feet deep. It weighed in at nearly 3 tons. The name “Bald Eagle” derives from an older meaning of “white headed” as the bird is actually not bald. The adult eagle is mainly brown with a white head and tail. Facts about Bald Eagles: ✨Young bald eagles aren’t “bald.” When they’re young, they have brown heads, and go through several plumage patterns during the first four or five years of their lives. ✨The bird’s regal cry, often heard in film and television, is actually more an invention of Hollywood. Their real voices are a lot less intimidating. ✨Bald eagles don’t always catch their own meals either. They’ve been known to steal food and eat garbage as well. ✨They mate with the same life partner until the day they die. They both help feed their young, too, and even take turns incubating the eggs! ✨They can live pretty long lives together. Recently, an eagle passed away at the record-breaking age of 38 in Henrietta, New York. ✨At 3 feet deep and 4.5 feet wide on average, bald eagles hold the record for the largest bird’s nest. Male and female life partners build it together, helping them forge a life-long bond. They keep it for years, adding a foot or two of new material each new season. ✨Unlike most species, female bald eagles are bigger than males, weighing about 25 percent more. ✨Bald eagles can be identified by their wingspan. If their wings are almost flat, it may be a bald eagle. Otherwise, it may be a vulture or hawk. ✨At one point, bald eagles had nearly gone extinct, but after Congress passed a bill in 1940 aimed at protecting them, their numbers are back up again. ✨True to their reputation, bald eagles can only be found in North America. ✨Bald eagles are also known for their dazzling aerial stunts. They often grab each other’s feet and spin around while diving down to the earth. ✨Everybody knows that bald eagles have incredible eyesight. But did you know that even when they close their eyes, they can still see, thanks to a layer of skin known as a nictitating membrane. ✨Like other birds, bald eagles fly south for the winter and return when the weather gets warmer. Some bald eagles, however, stay where they are all year round. ✨Bald eagles can swim.

🎗International Nystagmus Awareness Day brings attention to a condition that can cause severe vision problems among other concerns. Depending on the type of nystagmus, treatments and symptoms vary. Approximately 1 in 1000 babies are born with nystagmus, but adults are affected by it, too. Nystagmus presents as drifting or wobbly eyes. Congenital nystagmus is primarily diagnosed in infancy or childhood. However, acquired nystagmus can be caused by illness or side effects of prescribed or misused medications. Congenital nystagmus is more prevalent. Treatments include contact lenses, glasses, medication, and even surgical interventions. As with many conditions, early intervention is important. Depending on the type of nystagmus and the cause, a physician will determine the best approach to treatment.

🏃‍♀️🏃National Hike with a Geek Day summons the techies, geeks, IT gurus and gamers to push away the keyboard and strike out across the inviting landscapes of nature. The day isn’t limited to the tech-savvy who speak in code. Nor is it just for emoticon loving, web surfing fact finders. If you have ever texted your significant other from another room or checked to see if Alexa has a skill to restart the dryer, you probably fit the criteria for National Hike with a Geek Day. Both as a way to unplug from technology and to re-engage with the people around them, National Hike with a Geek Day calls to all those who can pronounce osmium correctly the first time, the number crunchers and every area of scientific study to refresh and stretch their horizons. June 20 is also the summer solstice. It’s the perfect time to grab your nearest, dearest geek and plunge into the neighboring wilderness for some adventure.

🍦🥛National Vanilla Milkshake Day is happily enjoyed by many people. The first time the term “milkshake” was used in print was in 1885. This milkshake was a concoction of cream, eggs, and whiskey which was often served with other alcoholic tonics such as lemonades and soda waters. By 1900, a milkshake was often referred to as “wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry or vanilla syrups.” A few years later in the early 1900s, people began asking for this new treat with a scoop of ice cream. It was then by the 1930s that milkshakes were a popular drink in malt shops everywhere.

🍦National Ice Cream Soda Day! There are many claims to the invention of this treat. One such claim was made by a Mr. Robert McCay Green. According to Green, he created the beverage in 1874 in Philadelphia when he ran out of ice for his shaved ice treats. Substituting ice cream, he had a hit on his hands. Green even put in his will that his gravestone read “Here lies the originator of the ice cream soda.” Philip Mohr of Elizabeth, New Jersey would mix soda water with ice cream to make the drink colder. This practice took place as earlier as 1862 beating out Mr. Green’s claim. Advertisements in an 1862 Newport Daily News for Sheld’s Celebrated Ice Cream Soda encourages customers to “Try It, Try It.” By the looks of it, it was something new at the time. Whenever the ice cream soda was invented, it was certainly a winning combination. For generations, we have been enjoying these creamy carbonated desserts at pharmacies and soda fountains across the country.

⛽️National Dump the Pump encourages people to ride public transportation instead of driving and save money. When gas prices are high and the economy is tight, riding public transportation is a good alternative and an economical way to save money. Many Americans use local public transportation to commute to and from work, school, for shopping and errands, and even to make family visits. This can save you money on fuel along with wear and tear on your car. It can also possibly reduce your commute time and help reduce road congestion.

Kouign Amann sounds good. It was absolutely amazing watching a American Eagle swoop down snag a fish and then have to swim while still hanging on to his dinner(the fish) and drag it on shore but still unable to take flight with it because it was to heavy. My milkshake will have to be chocolate please. I can't seem to shake this craving for them.

Teddy Bear Cholla: This distinctive cholla has a vertical trunk 3 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m) tall with densely-packed horizontal side branches on the upper foot (30 cm) or so.

Saguaro may have as many as 25 arms growing on one plant. They are slow growing but routinely live to 150 or 200 years old.

Grand Canyon Skywalk: https://youtu.be/bbjEFNGgP-Q

Warm hugs!💕🐶🐶⛈

P.S. I'm starting a new thread tomorrow. This one is taking way to long to come up.