Archive for July 2014
Sometimes, I feel like I need to just shut up and report what’s going on.
Loved the news at the breakfast table … Berkeley decided that poor people need their medicine, so they are requiring all of the medical marijuana dispensaries in the city to give free marijuana to the poor.
Poor, in this case, is a single person with an income under $32,000 … so now we know that it’s expensive to live in Berkeley. The dispensaries are required to give 2% of their gross sales – in average quality weed – to these poor people.
Separately, there is a movement to split California into different states. Splitting Northern California from Southern California seems like a hella of a good idea to me.
Just sayin’.
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San Francisco CBS: Berkeley City Council Votes….
Huffington Post: Berkeley California….
JeffersonState.com
The 149-mile Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River flows through the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Montana. The land and the rugged, surrounding uplands (commonly call the Missouri Breaks) are defined in part by their history. The entire region was the homeland and lifeblood of American Indians. The river served as the pathway for Lewis and Clark, then the waterway for steamboats and a drawing card for fur trappers and traders. Later, the river and the Missouri Breaks were sanctuaries for desperados trying to stay a step ahead of the law. The land was also a source of hope and inspiration for several generations of homesteaders. Today the public lands in the monument make a significant contribution to the local lifestyle and the regional economy.
Within the monument you can float the river, fish, hike, hunt, drive for pleasure, find a little solitude, enjoy a sense of exploration or simply marvel at the variety of resources around you. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/9/14.
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Missouri Breaks
Oh, to feel the mist from Baring Falls! A short moderate jaunt from the Going-to-the-Sun-Road on the eastern side of Glacier National Park. Posted by the US Department of the Interior on Tumblr, 7/8/14.
Where Is It: The Park is 140 miles east of LA, or 215 miles southwest of Las Vegas.
The Birth: The area was designated a National Monument in 1936, and then became a National Park in 1994.
Size: 790,636 acres
# Visitors: 1,383,340 in 2013. Attendance peaked in March/April, and was at its lowest in September.
Plants: From the Park’s website:
With nearly 750 species of vascular plants, Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity. No wonder that when the area was first proposed for preservation in the early 1930s, the name suggested was Desert Plants National Park.
Joshua National Park provides habitat protection for 44 plant species determined to be rare. Most of these rare plants are threatened beyond our boundaries by mining, off-road vehicle use, industrial scale solar development, and increasing urbanization throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Animals: From the Park’s website:
Despite the impression that the desert is lifeless, many animals make their homes in deserts. Birds, lizards, and ground squirrels are most likely to be seen because they are largely active during the day. However, it is at night that desert animals come out to roam. Mostly nocturnal animals include: snakes, bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, coyotes, and black-tailed jack rabbits. Dusk and dawn are good times for viewing many kinds of animals, both those just going to bed and those just getting up.
Choices: From National Geographic.com:
The west and north park entrances are at the towns of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. From Los Angeles, take I-10 east to Calif. 62 (Twentynine Palms Hwy.) to Twentynine Palms (about 140 miles total). The south entrance is located at Cottonwood Spring, approximately 25 miles east of Indio off I-10. Call +1 760 367 5500 for recorded directions. Airports: Palm Springs, Los Angeles.
Fees: $15 for a vehicle 7-day pass.
Staying There: There are 9 campgrounds in the Park. Individual sites are $10-$15/night. Some require reservations; campsites do fill up in peak season.
Contact Info:
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597
Visitor Information 760-367-5500
Photo by Sarah Chah. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/19/14.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
A roadrunner with his meal, in the shade of a cactus. From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s Facebook page.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
Posted on Flickr by the National Park Service.
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National Park Service: Joshua Tree National Park
The Fire In The Sky
The Milky Way And The Joshua Tree
CindyKnoke.com: Joshua Tree National Park
Nature’s fireworks outshine anything man can make. Photo taken over Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/6/14.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1-1/4 cups mashed banana (2-3 large bananas)
- 1/4 cup milk (any kind)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans and/or walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk in vegetable oil, mashed banana, milk and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until batter just comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean and and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Turn muffins out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
For the marinade
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp orange zest (3 oranges)
- 1 tsp Siracha, or more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp red pepper
- white pepper
Instructions
To make the marinade, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Siracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl.
In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
Head remaining marinade in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir in 2 Tbsp cornstarch combined with 2 Tbsp water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 1-2 minutes. Keep warm.
Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs, then dredge in remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing to coat.
Heat vegetable oil in a large sauce pan. Working in batches, add chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
Serve chicken immediately, tossed or drizzled with the marinade, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.
Serves 6. 545 calories/serving.
The cover of Boys Life, July 1936.
Tomorrow, July 4th, is the 54th birthday of the 50-star American flag.
This flag design, with 13 stripes and a star for each state in the Union, was adopted in 1818.
If you’re doing prep for a Bar-B-Q or other suitable holiday celebration, take a few minutes to brush up on your flag trivia.
And, please, treat the flag with proper respect! It is a symbol of what America stands for, and deserves to be treated as such.
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US Flag: The First
US Flag: The Second
US Flag: The Third
US Flag: Common Display Mistakes
US Flag: The Snake Flags
Our Flag, from the US Government Printing Office
Flag Depot’s Excellent Timeline of The 27 US Flags
Robert G Heft, Designer of our 50 Star Flag
Gold Stripes on WWII Casket Flags?
Sunset at Grand Canyon National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/30/14.
