Brainy Snacks

 I learned something new about cats tonight. I love cats almost as much as I love dogs! I have hear stories about cats staring at seemingly nothing and that it is creepy for some people. There is actually a reason they do that!  I learned that cats actually have super hearing abilities !  Cats detect frequencies up to around 64 kHz—far beyond human hearing—so when they are staring at seemingly nothing, they are actually listening! Their hearing is so keen that they can even hear insects crawling inside walls ! I'm not sure which is creepier; the cat staring at nothing or the idea that there may be insects in the walls!  To learn more click the YouTube video or the image below!  

 I decided to continue learning new things about the animal kingdom. I asked the internet to tell me something few people know about camels. I learned that the camel's hump, despite what many thing, is not for storing water. It stores fat!! It can store up to eighty pounds of fat!  The camel is able to convert the fat to water or energy when food and water are scarce. If the fat reserve is gone, the hump can actually fall to one side! The camel purposely stores fat in its hump to stay cool! They have a built-in cooling system, like the pelicans I learned about yesterday! This was pure coincidence! They can also let their body temperature swing up and down during the day to reduce sweating and conserve water. To learn more about camels, watch the YouTube video or click the link below!  

 Someone shared some great photos of pelicans in one of my groups today. They are my favorite sighting at the beach! I decided to learn more about them. I did not know that they do NOT store fish in their pouch!  When it comes to fish, the pouch is for scooping and swallowing, not storing fish. The throat pouch serves another purpose for pelicans. When they begin to heat up, they rapidly flap the skin of the throat pouch to cool themselves. I learned that these flaps are sometimes 200 per minute! The flapping of the pouch helps to dry up moisture and release heat! They have their own personal air conditioners! To learn more about pelicans, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I learned something new about a couple of lakes in Cameroon today! Lake Nyos and Lake Mynoun are in Cameroon, They sit atop volcanic ground. I learned that the carbon dioxide dissolves into the lake water. Normally, lakes will release carbon dioxide gradually, but these two lakes don't! It was compared to a shaken soft drink bottle. The reason they are called exploding lakes is that in 1986, this carbon dioxide spontaneously "exploded" out of the water. The problem with that was that CO2 is heavier than oxygen. The massive CO2 cloud wiped out oxygen and suffocated 1700 people! It also killed thousands of animals. Following that incident, there were giant pipes installed in the lakes to release CO2 so that does not happen again. To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I'm taking a different route with my daily education today. Today is National Whiskey Day. I decided to ask the internet for the rarest whiskey in the world!  It turns out to be The Macallan 1926.  I learned that there were only forty bottles made. It was distilled in 1926 and remained in cherry casks for 60 years. The other unique feature is that some of the labels on the bottles were painted by renowned artists. The highest price paid for one bottle of The Macallan 1926 was 1.9 million dollars at a Sotheby's auction! To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I learned something new about the weather today! I decided to ask the internet about a weird weather fact because I am thinking about many people I know experiencing storms tonight. I learned that it can actually rain fish! This is real! When there is a waterspout or a strong updraft of wind, the smaller fish and frogs get sucked up into the clouds and fall back down with the rain! This has actually been documented! To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I decided to ask the internet for a creepy fact for the day. I can definitely say I learned something new and creepy. There is a sleep disorder called Exploding Head Syndrome. I have had dreams where I was falling and always wake up. I have never heard of this one until today. It seems that when someone has this disorder, their brain creates an illusion of a huge blast, like a door slamming or an explosion. This usually happens either when someone is just falling asleep or waking up. Oh!  I did learn that this is harmless! People who have this have said that it is like being woken up with horror movie sounds! I can not imagine! Have you ever heard of anything like this? To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image to learn more.    

 I decided to learn about the pets in the United Kingdom today. The most popular pet in the United Kingdom is dogs!  Thirty-six percent of UK homes have dogs as part of their families. Twenty-six percent of UK homes have cats. I learned that there are approximately 13.5 million dogs and 12.5 million cats. We have always had dogs in my family. There is a cat allergy. I have plenty of family and friends who have cats, but no dogs. Do you have either or none?  to learn more about family pets, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I continued my exploration of the United Kingdom. There is a Scottish archipelago where sheep have the right of way! It is actually a local regulation that has been in place I learned that the sheep are Soay sheep. They are one of the oldest and most primitive breeds of sheep in all of Europe! They are completely free and not managed at all. They are a true wild, domestic species. If they fall asleep in road, you cannot move them!  You have to wait until they finish napping to drive through! They have the true run of the road! To learn more about the Soay sheep, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I continued my exploration of the lore of the United Kingdom. I learned about the Black Shuck. Shuck comes from an Old English word  succa , which means fiend or devil. The Black Shuck is a large, black hound with glowing red eyes. It is said to roam Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire Fens, and Suffolk. At times it appears silently and at others it appears during storms or heavy winds. Some stories describe it as protective and others see it as harbinger of death! Some really old stories have it leaving claw marks or scorched claw marks behind. There are other stories of seeing it on a beach with no paw prints left behind! They are in the same category of British Hellhounds, but are not the same. To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!  

 I wanted to continue learning about the United Kingdom this evening. I know that they drink quite a bit of tea in the UK. I did not know that they consume thirty-six BILLION cups per year!  That is a lot of tea!  This works out to approximately 532 cups per person per year!  Tea was introduced in the UK in the 1600s. It was initially a luxury for the upper class. The aristocracy adoption of tea gave it prestige and as it became more affordable, it spread to all classes of society. It eventually became a social ritual. Afternoon tea is a daily part of life in the UK. To learn more about tea consumption in the UK, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!!     

 I continued to learn about the United Kingdom today! I learned that there is a village called Hartlepool elects a monkey mascot as its mayor! In 2002, there was a man actually inside a monkey costume, who won the actual mayoral race! This practice goes back to the Napoleonic wars. I learned that there was a shipwrecked monkey that locals mistook for a French spy!  This story has passed down for generations and became a part of the local history. This is what initially inspired the mascot. When the man in a monkey suit ran for mayor, locals embraced the story and he won by a landslide! To learn more about this quirky practice, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I decided to learn more about the Spring Equinox that occurred today. The spring and autumn equinoxes is when there are twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night. They are equal. I knew about this part. I wanted to learn more about some little known facts about this day of the year. In Mexico, the pyramid at Chichen Itza (El Castillo) was engineered by the Mayas so that during the spring and autumn equinoxes, sunlight creates an illusion of a giant serpent slithering down the steps! There is a carved image of a giant serpent head at the bottom of the steps. The Mayas had a reverence for a feathered serpent deity called Kukulkan. The engineers who designed the pyramid wanted to pay homage. The really neat part of this is that it only lasts for 45-90 minutes in late afternoon!  This is a huge tourist attraction during the spring and autumn equinoxes. To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I decided to explore the only country that Ireland shares a land border with. The United Kingdom is the only country to share a land border with Ireland.  In fact, Northern Ireland is still a part of the UK! It is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland is the other portion of the island. There is an obscure law, that is still on the books, called the "Suspicious Salmon" Law. I learned that it is officially called The Salmon Act 1896. It is against the law to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances. I thought this was hilarious! I understood more when I learned that it was created to prevent black market salmon trading and illegal fishing. The wording is what makes it funny! It is actually a genuine law that is still on the books!  So, if you visit the UK, do not handle your salmon in a suspicious manner!  To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!     

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I decided to explore how St. Patrick's Day became the holiday it is today. I knew that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He is known for spreading Christianity across Ireland. The seventeenth is the day of his death. Over the years, he became a cultural and religious symbol of Ireland. Over centuries, it was a solemn day in Ireland. There were no parades or green beer. It wasn't until the 1700s that Irish immigrants used the day to celebrate their culture and identity in America! The parades, wearing green, and music eventually evolved into a global celebration. Ireland adopted the festive celebration in the twentieth century! I learned that what originated as a solemn day in Ireland, evolved into a green celebration in what became the United States of America!  Pretty cool!  To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the link below!    

 I decided to learn more about the people of Ireland. I have a connection to Ireland through my ancestry and I was interested in which traits may have been passed down through that branch of my family tree! The "cultural superpower" of the Irish is their "gift of the gab". The Irish use storytelling as a way of life. The people of Ireland have preserved their history orally!  They have told stories and passed them down through generations. There were times in their history where written expression was forbidden altogether. There is also a very large sense of community among the Irish. To learn more about the people of Ireland, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 Tonight I learned about the Connemara Pony. It is the only horse breed that is native to Ireland! It originated in Connemara in County Galway. I have always loved horses and ponies! When I asked about animals unique to Ireland, the Connemara Pony fascinated me! They are known to be sure-footed and strong. This makes them nimble on rocky terrain and the bog-lands found in Ireland.  They are believed to be descendants of the Norse ponies brought by Vikings. They are also admired for their friendly personalities and are very reliable for all ages. They are on the large end of the scale for ponies. To learn more about these wonderful ponies, watch the YouTube video or click the link below!      

 I am still traveling Ireland! I learned today that Ireland only has one cable car system. It is called the Dursey Island Cable Car. It is one of few in the world that travels over the open ocean!! It actually travels over the Atlantic Ocean from West Cork to Dursey Island. Initially, it was shared by sheep and people. It is the only way to get to the island, other than by boat. Dursey Island only has between three and six permanent residents, depending on the source. It is very remote, but tourists enjoy seeing the views, walking trails and ruins found on the island. To learn more about Dursey Island and its cable car, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I am still exploring Ireland. I learned that there is a rock in a remote part of Donegal, Ireland. It was referred to as the Clogh an Áirne in folklore. When you press your ear to it, you will hear an eerie almost moan. I imagine it would be similar to hearing the ocean when you put your ear to a conch shell. Some have said it sounds like a whistle. From what I have learned, it is not a loud sound, but faint. It was described as a sound that you "shouldn't" be hearing. There are a couple of explanations. The scientific explanation is that it's wind passing through fissures in the rock that you hear. The folklore explanation is that it is a warrior's spirit trapped in the rock after a battle. I like that explanation best!  What do you think? To learn more watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I decided to explore the foods of Ireland today. I learned about the batter burger!  I know that, here in the United States, it is said that "we will deep fry anything". I know about deep fried oreos, ice cream, hohos, Reese's peanut butter cups, and anything else you can dip in a coating and deep fry. I have not hear of the Irish batter burger!  It is a seasoned hamburger patty, dipped in chip-shop batter (the same used on fish and sausages), then deep fried. They serve it in a bun with "chips" (fries) or wrapped in butcher paper with vinegar, salt, and a curry sauce. The "chipper" is the cook who fries the food and they determine the method of serving the batter burgers. I'm not sure how I feel about this food. What do you think?  To learn more about food exclusive to Ireland, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I have always kind of understood that Ireland is a "wet" country. I did not realize that the days tend to be more of a misty drizzle, rather than a rain as I would think of it. This climate is between rain and fog. Rather than complaining about a constant drizzle as many farmers elsewhere would do, Irish farmers built their agricultural industry around it! These days are called "soft days". This misty drizzle is the reason the grass is always so green. It is because of these green pastures that Ireland is so successful in the dairy and beef market, especially for its relatively small size as a country. To learn more about "soft days" watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 I am still traveling Ireland!  I learned today about the corncrake (not corncake)! It is a secretive, elusive bird in Ireland. The corncrake is a bird that may not be seen, but is definitely heard. It makes a loud noise that sounds like you are dragging a comb over another comb. The sound is relentless and goes on all night long. The sound was described as a "crex, crex" sound. This is where the scientific name for the corncrake originated. They make a huge migration every year from Ireland to sub-Saharan Africa and back. They make this journey mostly at night and mostly on foot!  They move through the vegetation when they can. The are able to fly and are generally strong fliers, they just prefer to travel on foot! To learn more about this fascinating bird, watch the YouTube video or click the image below.    

I learned something very unique about Ireland today! They are the only country in the world with a musical instrument as their national symbol!  The harp is the national symbol of Ireland. This has been a fact since the thirteenth century. There is something else related to one of my previous blogs that I learned as well! The harp was trademarked by Guinness before the country of Ireland designated it as their national symbol. The Irish government had to flip the harp for the national symbol the other way to avoid issues with Guinness. To learn more about harps in Ireland watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 The legends in Ireland continue!  In 2002, there was a double-Decker bus route in Dublin that drivers refused to do after dark. There was public debate and newspaper articles about this issue with the drivers' refusal. Their refusal to drive after dark was due to weird happenings on the bus after dark in a specific stretch of the route. The lights on the bus would flicker and it would lose power for no reason. There were some witnesses that said that they saw a figure that "wasn't there". Because this was a government-owned, state-run bus company, the public transit authority had to sit down with workers and address the "ghost" issue as a workplace issue! The union got involved in this issue on behalf of the workers. They actually studied the history of the area to determine if something had happened in the past that would have left a spirit behind! The solution was to eventually adjust the bus route! To learn more about the weird and quirky goings-on in Ir...

 I am continuing my journey through Ireland today. I have always heard that it is the best place for an authentic Guinness at a pub. Guinness is a two-part pour from the tab. It is a dry, Irish stout. The base is a very dark ruby, almost black, color topped with a thick tan head in the mug. I have read that pouring a true Guinness is an art. The actual pour is part of the experience of Guinness. Arthur Guinness is the founder of the brewery. I learned that it was founded at St. James Gate in Dublin, Ireland in the year 1759. He did not purchase the property for the brewery. He signed a 9,000 year lease! Here is the really interesting part!  The brand actually created the Guinness World Records book in 1955 to settle arguments in the pubs!! I never knew both originated from the same Guinness! I found it fascinating that the beer brought the book! To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 Today I continued my journey to learn more about Ireland. I have heard about Fairy Trees and thought they were nothing more than a part of a story book. It turns out the superstition is REAL!!!  Fairy Trees are typically a single Hawthorne tree. They can be seen standing alone in a farmer's field and even road builders will not cut them down to make room for a road! These trees are thought to be meeting places for the fairies. The Irish call them Aos Si. The trees are believe to mark the paths fairies follow when traveling, meeting places for fairies, and entrances to the "Otherworld". It is believed that if the trees are cut down, there will be bad luck for those who destroyed them. There are places where the road goes out around a lone tree! To learn more about Fairy Trees, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!      

In March of each year, I try to learn more about my Irish heritage. Tonight, I searched for strange natural phenomena of Ireland. I learned that Ireland has a lake that disappears and reappears! It is called Lougharema or "The Vanishing Lake". There are times when it looks like a normal lake and others when the water is drained and leaves a grassy field behind. The locals have seen it change overnight! This is caused by a porous limestone lake bed with drainage channels underground. When there is a heavy rain, the lake reappears! The oddest part of this lake is that scientists have not been able to make predictions as to when it will fill or when it will drain! To learn more, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!    

 Today I learned that kangaroos are not able to hop backwards! Their huge feet and long tail, along with the heavy tendons in their legs, make it impossible for them to jump backwards. It is the way they are made! Their jumping system only works forward. I knew the kangaroo and emu are both on the Australian coat of arms, but I did not know it is because they can only both move forward!  Emus cannot easily move backward either. They symbolize the country moving forward and this is why they are on the coat of arms. I guess I learned TWO new things today!  Watch the YouTube video or click the image below to learn more!     

 I decided to learn something new about cats today!  I wanted to give them equal time with the dogs I learned about awhile ago. I learned that cats can not taste sweetness! Cats are actually missing the key taste receptor gene that would allow them to actually taste sweet flavors!  My internet search told me that "when a cat tries to lick frosting, they’re basically thinking, “Mmm… dairy grease,” not “Yum, sugar.”!!  I feel bad for our feline friends! Did anyone else know about this and fail to fill me in? To learn more watch the YouTube video below or click the image.        

 I did not know that March first is National Pig Day in the United States of America! Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave, who are sisters, created this day in 1972 to celebrate pigs. They felt that pigs are intelligent, loving animals. I did know they are very intelligent.  I am not sure I agree with the internet that they are smarter than dogs! I'm a dog mom!  I did learn that pigs have been able to play video games with joysticks! That is pretty nifty!  To learn more about pigs, watch the YouTube video or click the image below!