Dragon's Head

In 1906, the Santa Fe Railway – a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe – purchased a 9,000-acre plot in southern California. Their plan was to use the land to grow their own railroad ties. Their tree of choice was Eucalyptus globulus, for a few reasons. Eucalyptus can grow up to 480 feet; even taller than the redwoods. It grows extremely fast, up to 125 feet in as little as three years. And, though eucalyptus can’t handle chilly temperatures, it’s extremely drought tolerant, only needing regular watering the first year or two. So, the railway planted 3.5 million eucalyptus trees over the next eight years. Then they learned those tall, beautiful, aromatic trees made terrible railroad ties. The young wood was far too soft. They ditched the plan and created a Spanish Colonial Revival village instead. Most of the 3.5 million trees are still there. The failed railroad ties have become a fragrant urban forest.

Chinese Hat

 

Does everyone have a story about that awesome sandwich they had on vacation and can’t stop thinking about? Mine’s a holiday turkey sandwich. We were at Disneyland in early autumn with most of the grandkids and their parents. We’d grabbed a light meal at Earl of Sandwich at the east end of Downtown Disney, and ate under the trees near the esplanade. The dish in question was essentially a handheld Thanksgiving dinner: lots of sliced turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, and whole cranberry sauce on a toasted ciabatta bun. There may have been a bit of gravy and mayo in there. There couldn’t have been much of either, because this sandwich didn’t require a knife and fork. I could always head to the nearest Earl of Sandwich and pick up another. In Las Vegas. If I’m going that far, why not push on to Anaheim? Or I could just hit the grocery store for turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and bread.

One Dozen X Blocks

 

“Jesus thinks and acts out of pure love; He yearns to bless and lift others; He delights to do the will of God. With faith in Christ, we can pray the Holy Spirit will effect a mighty change in us to instill these same divine motivations in our heart. We can become the people God needs us to be. Adopting the character of Christ is not only a question of our personal preparation but a primary element of preparing the world for the Lord’s return and His glorious millennial reign. We tend to underestimate the influence of Christlike individuals in the world, but working one by one has always been Jesus’ approach to changing society and establishing His kingdom. The aggregation of individual choices over time forms and changes societies for good or ill. No one of us alone can change the world, but each of us can have an influence in the world.” – President D. Todd Christofferson

Four Pineapples

 

Not everything you know is wrong, but lots of it is:

If you’ve been told humans only use 10% of their brains, relax. Our brains are usually lots more active, even while we sleep.

Goldfish don’t have a three-second memory. They can remember tasks, cues and locations for days and weeks; even up to a year.

Vitamin A deficiency can diminish eyesight, and carrots contain vitamin A. That’s not the same as saying, “Eating carrots improves your sight.”

Blood in your veins may look bluish through your skin, but it isn’t really blue. Even deoxygenated blood is red as it returns to your lungs – a darker red, but still red.

Porcupines only shoot quills in cartoons. But the quills are barbed and detach easily. And a frightened porcupine will swing its tail.

Peeing on a jellyfish sting won’t make it hurt less. Instead, rinse the sting with ammonia or seawater. Better yet, seek medical help.

Half a Dozen Bird Houses

 

I have a confession: I despise Shel Silverstein’s book, The Giving Tree. I know parents have been reading this to their children since I was five. I know generations of kids have grown up loving it. Not me. The book is about a tree who loves a boy. She gives him apples to munch, branches to swing on, and shade to rest in. The book says the boy loves the tree, but he seems to only love what she can give him. Eventually, the boy chops down the tree for lumber, and she is nothing but a sad, lonely stump. It seems to me if the boy REALLY loved the tree, he would have nurtured and protected her. His children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren could have enjoyed the tree for many years. This isn’t a cozy bedtime story. It’s a warning about dysfunctional, toxic relationships. And it should be called “The Taking Boy.”

Forty-Nine Butterflies

 

The first Tyrannosaurus Rex (the name means tyrant lizard king) skeleton was discovered in 1902 in Montana (There were T. Rex teeth and bone fragments unearthed long before this, but they were misidentified.) From time to time, smaller skeletons that LOOKED like T. Rex would pop up, and they were usually classified as juvenile T. Rex specimens. Eventually, though, paleontologists studying the growth rings in the ancient bones realized the smaller dinosaurs were fully developed at half the length and a tenth the body mass of the T. Rex. It had bigger forearms, a narrower mouth and a LOT more teeth. They’re calling this “new” dinosaur (the phrase always makes me giggle) Nanotyrannus Lancensis. The prefix nano- means “one billionth.” It’s a catchy moniker, but not very helpful, if the purpose is to show these weren’t just little T. Rexes. This may be further proof that scientists shouldn't always be trusted with naming things.   

Three Pineapples

 

Jesse Delos Jewkes was born in Orangeville, Utah in 1895. He used the money from his first job – delivering milk – to buy a violin. When he served a South African mission in 1915, the violin came with him. World War I travel restrictions sent him back to Salt Lake, where he worked as a music salesman and then as a deputy in the State Auditor’s office. He sang with the Tabernacle Choir as a basso profundo soloist. Delos’ distinctive deep voice led to roles in opera, theatre, vaudeville, radio, records, movies and television. He was the voice of God in The Ten Commandments (1956). He was in four episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, where he loaned his voice to a lip-synching Barney Fife during a choir performance. Delos played a member of the old home guard in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. He’s the fellow with round glasses and a helmet strap across his chin.