1 July

 

1 July 2023

Flagstaff Almanac

Week 26 Day 181 Ave. Sky Cover 10%\ Visibility  14mi. Flagstaff Today  83° \ 42° 
Wind  4mph \ Gusts  8mph  Nearest active fire: 21miles Nearest Lightning:  378mi
Air Quality: Moderate   Moisture Days this month: 0 days
Risk of fire: Extreme July Averages: Temps 82° \ 51° Moisture 8 Days
Sunshine 

Today’s Quote

Monthly Observations

Air-Conditioning Appreciation Days (7/3 to 7/15)
Link
Alopecia Month for Women
Bereaved Parents Awareness Month
Bikini Month  Link

Bioterrorism/Disaster Education & Awareness Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month  Link
Dog Days (7/3 to 8/11)   Link
Dry Eye Awareness Month
Eye Injury Prevention Month Link 

Weekly Observations

6/25-7/1  
Carpenter Ant Awareness Week
Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week Link 
Windjammer Days 
Windjammer Days Link
6/26-7/2  
National Tire Safety Week  Link
6/27-7/4
National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness
6/28-7/4
Fireworks Safety Week
Eid-Al-Adha, Feast of Sacrifice
6/30-7/6
Nat’l Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance
6/30-7/2 
Roswell UFO Days Link 
6/30-7/4 
National Tom Sawyer Days Link  (aka Fence Painting Days)

1-4
Tom Sawyer Days
 
1-7
National Independent Living Week
National Unassisted Homebirth Week
1-24
Tour de France 

Daily Observations

American Zoo Day Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Day
Canada Day
Devotion to Duty Day Estee Lauder Day
Drug Enforcement Administration Day
Early Bird Day Hop A Park Day
International Day of Cooperatives

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day Link 
International Chicken Wing Day

International Tartan Day Link 
National Corn Hole Day Link  

National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day
National Gingersnap Day
National Postal Workers Day /U.S. Postage National Independent Beer Run Day  
Link 
National Play Outside Day Link 
Medicare's Birthday
National GSA Employee Day
National Postal Workers Day 
 Link
Resolution Renewal Day
Second Half of the New Year Day

Slurpee Days or 7-11's Birthday-11 Link 
U.S. Postage Stamp Day
Zip Code Day

Today’s Thoughts

Ready for a new month. Looking forward to monsoons. Flag and most of AZ is in a heat wave…our mountain town will be in the 80’s for the next week, South in Phoenix, 110°-120°.

The US Government has a sad history of keeping track of the taxpayer’s money. In my day the story was about a $300 toilet seat bought by the government. Nowadays it is fraudsters applying for grants. It seems that the government figured out that about 17% of the government COVID grants were given to fraudsters. Shameful.

I really like my new evaporative cooler. Just figured out that the ‘swing’ feature has the air coming out by rotating the inside fan about 140° sending a nice cool breeze right to left, then back right throughout the room. Much better than a straight on blast of cool air.

Enjoy

 

Idioms explained…

Kick the Bucket

We already know that when someone or something kicks the bucket, they’re dead, but what poor soul died for this to become an idiom, and what’s the story behind it? The following is from wiktionary.org:

An archaic use of a bucket was a beam from which a pig is hung by its feet prior to being slaughtered, and to kick the bucket originally signified the pig’s death throes.

Random Trivia…

Sliced bread was first manufactured by machine and sold in the 1920s by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri. It was the greatest thing since…unsliced bread? (chllicothenews.com)

The Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who lived in the 1700s, reportedly invented the sandwich so he wouldn’t have to leave his gambling table to eat. (pbs.org)

The first college football game was played on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers and Princeton (then known as the College of New Jersey) in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Rutgers won. (ncaa.com)

Historic Events

  • 1847 – The first US postage stamps were issued (Ben Franklin 5 cents & George Washington 10 cents)
  • 1848 – The first publication of a photograph in a newspaper, in L’illustraion Journel Universel
  • 1862 – The Internal Revenue Service was established
  • 1874 – The Philadelphia ‘America’s Oldest’ Zoo opened
  • 1899 Birthday (fictional) Indiana Jones, Movies
  • 1941 – NBC became broadcasting from the Empire State Building, NYC
  • 1941 - The first TV commercial aired :  Bulova Watches paid for the 10-second spot, shown before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies at Ebbets Field.
  • 1916  – WWI: The Battle of Somme began, lasting until November 13
  • 1963 – The US Zip (Zone Improvement Plan) Codes were inaugurated.

·         1968 – Medicare went to effect (USA)

Birthdays with some quotes

@104 – Olivia de Havilland, British-American actress (d. 2020)
“It’s hard to keep on being civil when they ask you such annoying questions.” Olivia de Havilland
89 – Jamie Farr, American actor
87 – Wally Amos, American entrepreneur, founder of Famous Amos
“You can make your life whatever you want it to be”– Wally Amos
@85 – Estée Lauder, American businesswoman, co-founded the Estée Lauder Companies (d,2004)
“Give credit where credit is due: simply said, if you want loyalty and best effort, you must be thoughtful.”– Estée Lauder
@85 – David Prowse, English actor (d. 2020)
82 – Twyla Tharp, American dancer, choreographer
78 – Debbie Harry, American singer-songwriter, actress
@74 – Karen Black, American actress (d. 2013; cancer)
73 – David Duke, American white supremacist
72 – Fred Schneider, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player (B-52s)
72 – Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, screenwriter
“We’re on a mission from God.– Elwood J. Blues (Dan Akroyd), in The Blues Brothers
@71 – George Sand, French novelist (d.1876)
“One is happy as a result of one’s own efforts, once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness — simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and, above all, a clear conscience.”– George Sand
63 – Evelyn “Champagne” King, American soul/disco singer
56 – Pamela Anderson, Canadian-American model, actress
“Eventually you just have to realize that you’re living for an audience of one. I’m not here for anyone else’s approval.”– Pamela Anderson
41 – Hilarie Burton, American actress
@36 – Diana, Princess of Wales (d. 1997; car crash)
“Family is the most important thing in the world.”– Diana, Princess of Wales
28 – Savvy Shields, Miss America 2017
22 – Chosen Jacobs, American actor

…The End for today…

 

30 June

30 June 2023

Flagstaff Almanac

Week 26 Day 181 Ave. Sky Cover 5%\ Visibility  54mi. Flagstaff Today  82° \ 42° 
Wind  5mph \ Gusts  10mph  Nearest active fire: 25miles Nearest Lightning:  234mi
Air Quality: Moderate   Moisture Days this month: 5 days
Risk of fire: Very Low Moderate High Extreme June Averages: Flagstaff: 80° \ 43° June Average: 1 Day of moisture
Sunshine  Red Flag Warning

Today’s Quote

 

Weekly Observations

25-30
International Lace Week Link  
25-7/1  
25-7/1  
Carpenter Ant Awareness Week
Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week Link 
Windjammer Days 
Windjammer Days Link
26-7/2  
National Tire Safety Week  Link
27-7/4
National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness

28-7/4
Fireworks Safety Week
Eid-Al-Adha, Feast of Sacrifice
30-7/6
Nat’l Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance
30-7/2 
Roswell UFO Days Link 
30-7/4 
National Tom Sawyer Days Link  (aka Fence Painting Days)

Daily Observations

Asteroid Day
California Avocado Day  Link
Drive Your Corvette to Work Day Link  
Ice Cream Soda Day
International Day of Parliamentarism
Leap Second Time Adjustment Day

National Meteor Watch Day
National Outfit Of The Day Day Link 
NOW (National Organization For Women) Day
Mai Tai Day
Meteor Watch Day
Social Media Day 

Today’s Thoughts

 Been busy this week. I hope the monsoon gets here soon.

Today I had lunch with Mary and Mike. Good food, good conversation. Faith and Andy were going to come but Faith called and said she was staying home with her foot problem.

I went in for my phlebotomy. They only got a little blood, so I’m going back Monday to do that. Still had to spend over an hour to get that result.

Paying for my travel insurance, Canadian Trip, and Vehicle registration today. New vehicle registration for the next year was $450.

There is a 2000-acre wildfire with only 30% containment near Scottsdale, AZ is still threatening hundreds of multi-million dollar home.  Mary’s son and family are only about a mile away from that fire.

Enjoy

Idioms explained…

Penny For Your Thoughts

At one time, pennies actually used to be worth something, so when you saw someone being pensive and wanted to know what they were thinking, offering them “a penny for your thoughts” was actually a good deal! Ironically though, now pennies are worthless, even nonexistent in some countries, so to say a penny for your thoughts is practically an insult.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

According to idioms online, this idiom comes from an old proverb, most likely Spanish or Italian, and was first found in print during the 17th century. It alludes to gathering all the eggs from your hens into one basket so that if you should drop the basket, you lose all your eggs.

Random Trivia…

The tallest man ever recorded was American giant Robert Wadlow (1918–1940), who stood 8 feet 11 inches. Wadlow's size was the result of an abnormally enlarged pituitary gland. (guinnessworldrecords.com)

The tallest living man is 39-year-old Sultan Kosen, from Turkey, who is 8 feet, 2.8 inches, who set the record in 2009. His growth is also due to a pituitary issue. (guinnessworldrecords.com)

The oldest person ever to have lived (whose age could be authenticated), a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment, was 122 years old when she died in 1997. (guinnessworldrecord.com)

Historic Events

  • 1864 – President Abraham Lincoln granted Yosemite Valley to California for “public use, resort and recreation”.
  • 1908 – The Tunguska Event happened near Lake Baikal, Russia.
  • 1934 – The Night of the Long Knives, Adolf Hitler’s violent purge of his political rivals in Germany, took place.
  • 1936 – Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was published.

Birthdays with some quotes

@92 – Lena Horne, American singer (died in 2010)
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”– Lena Horne
66 – David Alan Grier, American comedic actor
64 – Vincent D’Onofrio, American character actor
“It’s like why people read scary books or go see scary movies. Because it creates a distance. They’re scared, but they’re not going to get hurt.”– Vincent D’Onofrio @62 – Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician, author (died in 1997: cancer)
57 – Mike Tyson, American boxer
“Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it.”– Mike Tyson 40 – Lizzy Caplan, American actress
38 – Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer

 

  

28 June

 

28 June 2023

Flagstaff Almanac

Week 26 Day 179 Ave. Sky Cover 5%\ Visibility  32mi. Flagstaff Today  80° \ 42° 
Wind  6mph \ Gusts  17mph  Nearest active fire: 25miles Nearest Lightning:  374mi
Air Quality: Moderate   Moisture Days this month: 5 days
Risk of fire: Very Low Moderate High Extreme June Averages: Flagstaff: 80° \ 43° June Average: 1 Day of moisture
Sunshine  Red Flag Warning

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

25-30
International Lace Week Link  
25-7/1  
25-7/1  
Carpenter Ant Awareness Week
Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week Link 
Windjammer Days 
Windjammer Days Link

26-7/2  
National Tire Safety Week  Link
27-7/4
National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness
28-7/4
Fireworks Safety Week

Daily Observations

Ceviche Day
International Body Piercing Day
INTERNATIONAL CAP LOCKS DAY  Link 
International Lightning Safety Day
International Parrot Head Day  
International Lightning Safety Day
International Parrot Head Day  Link 

National Logistics Day Link
National Parchment Cooking Day Link   
Tapioca Day

Tau Day  
Tapioca Day
Tau Day  Link

 

Today’s Thoughts

Most of Coconino Nat’l Forest is now under Stage 1 Fire restrictions. That means no campfires, no open fires…and big fines are available for those who don’t want to observe the restrictions.

If you watch TV, you see many St. Jude’s Hospital ads for donations. Watching 60 minutes on Sunday I learned that St. Jude’s stepped up when critically ill children with cancer were rescued and taken to hospitals in nearby countries. The first ladies of many countries joined St. Jude’s in finding resources to find transportation to various countries that would provide medical care for the children at no cost to the families. Very impressive.

Tomorrow afternoon will be very busy, so possibly no posting. I see blood doctor at 1 and finally get my teeth cleaned at 3. The hygienist broke her wrist about 6 weeks ago and changed my appointment.

Also, thanks to my readers for the good wishes about my medical issues.   

Enjoy


Idioms explained…

Under the Weather

Under the Weather has its roots in maritime language. When a sailor became ill or seasick, often because of violent weather conditions, that sailor was sent below decks to the most stable part of the ship, which was under the weather rail. The phrase under the weather rail was shortened to the idiom under the weather.

Random Trivia…

One of President John Tyler’s grandsons is still alive today—and he was born in 1790. How is this possible? President Tyler, the 10th US president, was 63 when his son Lyon Tyler was born in 1853; Lyon’s son was born when he was 75. President Tyler’s living grandson, Harrison Tyler is 94. Lyon's other son Lyon Jr. passed away in 2020 at the age of 95. The Tyler family still maintains the President’s home, Sherwood Forest Plantation in Virginia. (sherwoodforest.org)

Historic Events

  • 1838 – The Coronation of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
  • 1855 – Sigma Chi fraternity is founded in North America.
  • 1894 – Labor Day became an official US holiday.

Birthdays with some quotes

97 – Mel Brooks, Director
@87 – John Wesley, English cleric, theologian (d. 1791)
“Condemn no man for not thinking as you think. Let everyone enjoy the full and free liberty of thinking for himself. Let every man use his own judgment since every man must give an account of himself to God. Abhor every approach, in any kind or degree, to the spirit of persecution, if you cannot reason nor persuade a man into the truth, never attempt to force a man into it. If love will not compel him to come, leave him to God, the judge of all.”– John Wesley
85 – John Byner, American comedic actor
@78 – Aribert Heim, Austrian SS physician and Nazi (d. 1992; cancer)
@77 – Richard Rodgers, American playwright, composer (d. 1979; cancer)
75 – Kathy Bates, American actress
“I want to be defined by my own essence.”– Kathy Bates
@73 – Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita, Japanese-American character actor (d. 2005; kidney failure)
“I don’t know of any other creature on earth other than man that will sit in a corner and cry because of some painful experience in the past.”– Pat Morita
63 – John Elway, NFL Quarterback (BRONCOS)
@62 – Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish painter and diplomat (d. 1640; gout)
“Every child has the spirit of creation. The rubbish of life often exterminates the spirit through plague and a soul’s own wretchedness.”– Peter Paul Rubens
57 – John Cusack, American actor
52 – Elon Musk, South African-born American businessman
“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”– Elon Musk
@42 – Gilda Radner, American comedic actress (d. 1989; cancer)
37 – Kellie Pickler, American singer-songwriter
34 – Markiplier, American internet personality

 

 

27 June

 

27 June 2023

Flagstaff Almanac

Week 26 Day 178 Ave. Sky Cover 5%\ Visibility 25mi. Flagstaff Today 82° \ 46° 
Wind  7mph \ Gusts  19mph  Nearest active fire: 25miles Nearest Lightning:  407mi
Air Quality: Moderate   Moisture Days this month: 5 days
Risk of fire: Extreme June Averages: Flagstaff: 80° \ 43° June Average: 1 Day of moisture
Sunshine  Red Flag Warning High wind advisory

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

25-30
International Lace Week Link  
25-7/1  
25-7/1  
Carpenter Ant Awareness Week
Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week Link 
Windjammer Days 
Windjammer Days Link

26-7/2  
National Tire Safety Week  Link
27-7/4
National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness

Daily Observations

Celebrate Joy Day Link
Decide To Be Married Day
"Happy Birthday To You" Day
Helen Keller Day
Industrial Workers of The World Day
Micro-, Small-, Medium-Sized Enterprises Day

National HIV Testing Day Link
National Columnists Day  
National Onion Day Link
National Sunglasses Day  Link
Orange Blossom Day
PTSD Awareness Day Link

Today’s Thoughts

Summer has arrived. Going to break 80° today. Finally time for short pants.

When I retired to Flag well over a decade ago, I bought a portable evaporative cooler. In all those years it has worked good and only one replacement pump. Now it is way past its prime and the wheels seldom worked. This morning I bought a new model. Prices have certainly gone up, but the new one hold more water, has more speeds, and best of all, has a remote control. Happy cool camper here.

About 2 months ago, I had a problem only a urologist could correct. He discovered that my PSA had risen significantly from last year. Soon after my retirement I did radiation treatments for prostate cancer. All had been going well with yearly checkups. The urologist set up testing, which I completed last week. I have been a little concerned. The timeframe for seeing a urologist here is less than desirable here in our little mountain community. I can’t see him until mid-July for the results. Happily, his office called this morning to let me know the tests showed no cancer. What a relief. I’ll get more at the next appointment as to what is going on. Good news for sure.

The annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia has begun. Covid had severely reduced the crowd size. This year they are expecting a record crowd of over 2 million. Attending this celebration at least once in a lifetime is one of the tenants of the Muslim religion.

Enjoy

Idioms explained…New!

Raining Cats and Dogs

This is from the Library of Congress – Odin, the Norse god of storms, was often pictured with dogs and wolves, which were symbols of wind. Witches, who supposedly rode their brooms during storms, were often pictured with black cats, which became signs of heavy rain for sailors. Therefore, “raining cats and dogs” may refer to a storm with wind (dogs) and heavy rain (cats). It basically just means it’s raining heavily.

Random Trivia…

There actually aren’t “57 varieties” of Heinz ketchup, and never were. Company founder H.J. Heinz thought his product should have a number, and he liked 57. Hint: Hit the glass bottle on the “57,” not the bottom, to get the ketchup to flow. (heinz.com)

Historic Events

  • 2007 – Tony Blair resigned as British Prime Minister, a position he had held since 1997. His Chancellor, Gordon Brown succeeded him.

Birthdays with some quotes

@91 – Kate Carew, American illustrator and journalist (d. 1961)
@89 – Ross Perot, American businessman, politician (d. 2019)
“The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.”– Ross Perot
@87 – Helen Keller, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1968)
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”– Helen Keller
@83 – John McIntire, American character actor (d. 1991)
74 – Vera Wang, American fashion designer
57 – J.J. Abrams, American director, producer, screenwriter
“Mystery is more important than knowledge.”– J.J. Abrams
52 – Jo Frost, English nanny, television personality, author
49 – Christian Kane, American actor
“I get up every day and work, regardless of if I have a job or not.”– Christian Kane
48 – Tobey Maguire, American actor
“I think the greatest way to learn is to learn by someone’s example.”– Tobey Maguire
37 – Sam Claflin, British actor
36 – Ed Westwick, English actor
34 – Matthew Lewis, English actor

 

 

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.