Today is National Sea Serpent Day, and while these magical, mystical, and mythological creatures may not ring true for you, Flambé now believes otherwise. Read why a Mama Kat’s lessons should be heeded at all costs, and how a litter of 8 kittens would’ve been better off if they’d had a wise Mama like Flambé. Learn how a Sea Serpent finds his lunch in murky water, and what they like to binge eat. But most of all, be sure to celebrate this auspicious day …… perhaps by visiting an aquarium to see what a “real” Sea Serpent looks like, and to learn about their life cycle, color(s), size and the habitats where they live.
National Sea Serpent Day is a day dedicated to the legendary creature known as the sea serpent. It is a time to celebrate and learn about these mythical sea creatures, which are often described as large, snake-like creatures that live in the depths of the Oceans.
Poor Flambé has been searing her paw pads while conducting daily curiosity quests. To cool the burn, she’s been wading into a sizable neighborhood pond, becoming engulfed in a cloud of steam as all four paws are instantly chilled. “Aaaahhhhhhh! Now that’s relief!”
However, one day Kat decided to indulge in a full body pond plunge, completely drenching her lush fur coat. Because the pond was unfathomably deep, and since she was soaked to the tip of her tail, Flambé decided to practice a bit of free diving. Gulping a huge breath of air then turning tail, down …. down ….. down she plunged into the murky cold water. After zipping up to the surface to fill her lungs, Kat exclaimed, “Cool! I’ll return every hot afternoon to chill out!”
But during her second deep … deep … deep dive, Flambé saw she was not alone. Emerging out of the dim depths of the pond was a gynormously scary creature with a huge head, foot-long eyes, sharp teeth, and long wavy arms! Could it be her nemesis?
As a wee kitten, mama Kat warned her about swimming or diving in deep water. Mama Kat warned Flambé about the presence of the always ravenous, underwater creatures known as Hydra, Kraken, or Sea Serpent. Mama said these monstrous Sea Serpents had such a keen sense of smell, they could instantly sniff a potential meal of “fat furry feline” frolicking frivolously in their watery realm. In the blink of a foot-long eye, an unsuspecting Kat might be greedily gobbled and gulped!
Now back to dire matters at “paw” ….. Daring to take a closer look at the menacing Kraken, Flambé gazed in horror at one of its five crops; it was plum full with a litter of eight kittens! Mama Kat was right.
Sea Serpents may have an excellent sense of smell, but Flambé’s hearing was superb. Before the Hydra could sniff out Kat, simultaneously those eight kaptured kitties let out a yowl loud enough to raise an undersea garden! “They’re alive!” Flambé to the rescue!!!
What is Flambé’s plan to rescue all eight kitties? How does she avoid being sniffed out by the Sea Serpent? Will hiding in plain sight right next to that row of razor sharp teeth, fool the Kraken? What can Kat use to quickly pry open the Hydra’s crop cage, rapidly expelling the kitties? Are Sea Serpents ticklish, and if so, where? If you were in Flambe’s predicament, what would you do?
Please share your ideas quickly …. just in case Kat’s efforts are foiled and all is lost!
Line work before color.
Until the next chapter of Flambé’s exciting Misadventures!
While you’re having fun (or going crazy) chasing Flambé’s maze of zippers, here’s some very cool facts about the world’s largest Zipper manufacturer ….. YKK.
The initials YKK stand for Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki (Kabushibibaisha), a Japanese business that owns the most popular zipper brand in the world. Because of its cutting-edge technology and reliable materials, YKK continues to dominate the fastener market worldwide.
Today, YKK produces more than 50% of zips worldwide. Zips may be easy to make; they may have not seen much innovation in the last fifty years, and they may be simple but (so far) no other zipper company can compete against the YKK monopoly.
YKK, founded in 1934, manufactures and produces about 10 billion zippers a year. The YKK Group consists of two main operations – 1) the fastening business, and 2) the architectural products business. The fastening business, includes zippers made for the apparel industry, comprises about 40% of its global business. The architectural products business, includes products for windows, doors, curtain walls, and even bridges and ocean clean-up products for the oil and gas industry, comprises the other 60%.
The largest zipper factory in the world! The YKK factory in Macon, Georgia has earned that label. This mega factory boasts 14 modern plants and over 900 employees, producing 7 million zippers a day. These zips, which come in more than 427 standard colors, total over 1,500 styles including a luxury style called Excella, where all of the parts are highly polished!
What’s so special about YKK Zippers? They are amazing in their ability to self-lubricate the more you use them. Have you ever had a zipper that becomes sticky and gritty over time? If you check the brand on the pull, it will always be some lesser make of zipper. “Sticky and gritty” are nasty characteristics experienced with a YKK. As a matter of fact, the YKK brand zips up and down more smoothly the more you use them!
After learning a bit about YKK (my curiosity at last satisfied), I immediately ran around to all of our closets checking for the brand …….. hey, they’re all YKK! Now it’s your turn …… Check your zipper pull tabs! Are they YKK? I’ll anxiously await your full report!
On and on and up and down! Because I put so much detail and time into my Steampunked Zentangle tangle, I was going to make Flambé’s post to commemorate National Zipper Day short and sweet. But because there’s so much information about Zippers, my fascination grew exponentially, much like my Zipper maze!
Line work before color.
Hope you enjoy this abbreviated overview about Zippers! If you’re heading outdoors to ponder this fascinating technology, don’t forget to Zip Up!
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! Born in Springfield, MA in 1904, if this brilliant author, poet, and illustrator of more than 66 memorable children’s books was alive today, he would be 120 years old! That’s a lot of candles …….. and imagine the variety of fanciful characters he would still be gifting all of us “kids!”
Dr. Seuss Day is an annual celebration held on March 2nd to honor the birthday of Dr. Seuss, a famous children’s author. The day is marked by reading Dr. Seuss books and participating in educational activities.
March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991
Seriously, is there anyone out there who’s never heard of Dr. Seuss? Born Theodore Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss began his career as a cartoonist early in life. With an imagination beyond compare, he began writing children’s books in the 1930’s, publishing his first, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, (one of my first Seuss books) in 1937. Then war interrupted his career, and for a number of years he turned political cartoonist (note to self: haven’t seen those ….. must find!), returning to writing children’s books after the war.
I always have, and always will love the works of Dr. Seuss. Apparently Flambé is a fan too. And even though it’s not her birthday, I wanted to delight Kat with my best attempt at Seussian-style storytelling poetry, inspired by her favorite book (and food), One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Line work before color.
Like myself and Flambé, do you have an insatiable appetite for all things Dr. Seuss? If so, share your favorite character(s) or book(s)!
Since January 22nd, which happened to be National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day, Flambé has been asking non stop questions about almost everything, impatiently expecting instant answers. Meeee-owwww! Have I released the FrankenKat? Like a child who’s just discovered speech, and must know answers to all the Who’s, What’s, When’s, Where’s and the Why-Why-Why’s in her world, Flambé is tireless. Maybe there’s a National Teach Your Cat to “Google“ Day? While that may take some of the pressure off of me, wouldn’t that be like plugging in FrankenKat, supercharging then enabling an entire new race of Feliscatus to evolve and take over Earth? Interesting scenario, but highly unlikely. A species without thumbs could never rise to such power! (Or could they?)
Ok, I’m way off track. Back to my chatty Kat.
A few days ago, Flambé asked a hilarious (to me) question and before busting out in an uncontrollable belly laughing episode, I asked her to repeat the inquiry. Maybe my ears had tricked me? So Kat asked very seriously again, “What’s a Tater Tot?” !!!!
Suppressing my laughter (still), I was relieved to know not a thing was wrong with my hearing. Without answering her question, I said, “As it just so happens, you’ve stumbled upon a remarkable coincidence. Today happens to be National Tater Tot Day; let’s search for answers together!”
And this is what we learned:
Yummmmmm! Tots and Ketsup! Royalty-free image from Dreamtime
National Tater Tot Day is a food holiday celebrating the popular snack made from grated and fried potatoes. It is observed annually on February 2nd and is a day to indulge in Tater Tots in all of their crispy, golden, and delicious glory.
The True Story Behind the Tater Tot
The year was 1953. The location was Ontario, Oregon. The owners of Ore-Ida, F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg, we’re cooking up something new. Inspired by mountains of leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes, instead of always disposing of this “waste,” they began experimenting with these still edible bits of spuds. Finding tasty seasonings and using flour as a binder, the slivers were sliced into even smaller bits and all ingredients were combined into a mash. The mash was then pushed (extruded) through holes creating a shredded potato mixture that was deep fried. Tater Tots were born ……..
…….. But they were born without an official name. So what to do?
The Griggs decided to hold a naming contest. Out of all the entries received, the winner was Clara Lay Orton, who came up with the now famous name “Tater Tots.” Loosely translated as “baby potatoes,” Tater Tots were sold for the first time under their new name in 1956. Since then many other manufacturers have tried to copy the Ore-Ida recipe, calling their tots names like tater treats, tasti-taters, potato rounds, potato toes, potato nuggets, potato crunchies, spud puppies, and taytoe tubes. Ore-Ida calls these imposters “imi-taters!”
Not only edible, but wildly popular around the world!
Tater Tots were an instant success (and a profitable money maker for the Griggs) around the world, becoming all the rage in the United States. Statistics show that in the U.S. alone, Americans consume 70 million pounds of tots in a year which is equivalent to 3.1 billion individual cylinders. This also translates to gobbling up 192,000 pounds a day of those mashed up little potato slivers once destined for the rubbish heap. Potatoes are one of the most consumed foods in the States, so it’s no wonder Tater Tots were such a huge success. Deeply ingrained in the American identity, Tots “rank as one of the most commonly consumed meals in almost every household in the U.S.” This irresistible invention may actually be considered a delicacy loved and consumed by millions of people.
A Stylish Tater Tot Tower served at fine restaurants around the world! Royalty-free image from Dreamtime
Skeptical at best …….
Flambé continued asking countless questions, but mostly questioned the use of the questionable “delicacy” label. So to satisfy her curiosity (and hopefully her appetite) it was time to conduct our own taste test. Tumbling out a few dozen frozen tubes onto a baking sheet, I popped them in a hot oven to cook. After waiting the recommended 18-21 minutes, they emerged quite crispy on the outside; soft and steamy on the inside.
A little nibble of a naked Tot told us both that a condiment of some type might enhance the flavor. The choices are many ….. from ketchup to cider vinegar, honey mustard to barbecue sauce, ranch to blue cheese dressing, and even hummus, spinach/artichoke or jalapeño dip. Maybe merely more iodized, pink or kosher salt from a shaker or perhaps a touch of soy? Flambé had to try her favorite, Thai fish sauce on one of her Tots; canned salmon oil on another. But, alas, it was clear our condiment(s) of choice covered up the shredded potato taste of our Tater Tots. And Kat finally came to realize there’s a reason potatoes aren’t a staple or even a minor ingredient found in feline fare…… she was purrr-fectly happy to flick away the Tots and devour the fish sauce-coated salmon fillets, declaring, “Now this is a true delicacy!” And with both her appetite and curiosity well satisfied, Flambé headed to bed for a well deserved katnap.
So while Flambé is snoozing, run on down to your local grocer, buy a bag, and cook up a generous batch of Ore-Ida’s finest in celebration of lNational Tater Tot Day. Let me know how they turned out. And while indulging your inner child, consider these questions:
–Are you a Tater Tot greenhorn, tenderfoot (newbie), dabbler, devotee,connoisseur? -Do you prefer your Tater Tots piping hot, right out of the oven, or with a condiment? -How many condiments have you tried and what are your favorites? -Based on your experience, what’s the strangest Tot topping you’ve ever had? -Have you ever been to a dinner party where the appetizers include Tater Tots with little toothpicks and a dip buffet, or perhaps Totchos sprinkled with cheese over a bed of spicy jalapeños? -Have you ever been to a dinner party, maybe even the same one just mentioned, where the main course is a Tot Casserole, Tot-Ka-Bobs, Chicken Tot Pie, or a Tot-Tofu Stirfry? Have you ever been caught up in Tater Tot Mania or have had your fill & are readyto surrender?
Skewered Tater Tots and Veggies! “Tot-Ka-Bobs”, the healthy alternative! Royalty-free image from Dreamtime
Final Thoughts (Finally!)
If you just can’t bring yourself to acknowledge today as National Tater Tot Day, preferring your spuds in other more healthful ways, feel free to celebrate National Groundhog Day (did he see his shadow where you live?) or World Play Your Ukulele Day …… both fall on February 2nd! Hmmmmmmmm ….. Maybe I’ll compose a little ballad in honor of the Tot, and spend today strumming it on my uke!
Footnote: After examining my Zentangle tribute to the Tater Tot, Flambé tried to sneak in another question, “Do koalas crave or even like Tater Tots?” But I reminded her that today we’ve barely had enough time to answer her first question, let alone two. And until National Teach Your Cat to “Google“ Day becomes a thing, she will just have to remain curious! Tot-Tot Until Next Time!
Final Footnote: Kat said the blueberry smothered Tater Tots with a side of whipped swirls, at center stage in my Zentangle tribute might just sway her to give Tots another try. I’m thinking that might appease her sweet tooth!
Who knew? Apparently Flambé knew! And once she informed me of her January pick of celebratory “Days,” I knew …,,, and then wondered why this came as a surprise! After all, cats are insatiably curious, and Flambé is no exception. It’s just that we don’t always speak the same language …… her “mee yow” can be hard to understand, and my reply, “whah aht” must sound like Greek to Kat.
“National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day is a day dedicated to playfully imagining that your cat is asking you questions and answering them in a fun and creative way. It’s a lighthearted celebration that encourages pet owners to engage with their cats.”
So when we woke this morning, someone must’ve gifted us a fully-functional universal interspecies translator because Flambé was speaking my language, and I hers! Instead of her usual “mee-yow-yow-yow,” what I clearly heard was “feed me now, but not that dry kibble, a gravy soaked chow with juicy morsels to nibble.”
While uttering and sputtering my flabbergasted reply, Kat hopped matter-of-factly into my arms. Looking me right in my left eye she said, “I have always spoken clear and precise English, as did my mother and her mother before her. It’s you who have stubbornly refused to listen. But it’s about time you reciprocate. Let’s celebrate NationalAnswer Your Cat’s Question Day with this burning question ……. “
“Why are there so many rabbits in my yard?”
Of all the questions I could’ve imagined Kat asking on this wondrously unbelievable January 22, this one didn’t even rank in the top 100! But wishing to make amends for my years of misunderstanding, I not only acknowledged the exponential growth of bouncing and burrowing bunnies, but plunged through the literature in search of an answer. Here’s what I shared with Flambé:
“There’s nothing more exciting to a rabbit than a yard full of intentionally or carelessly cast away debris and other things. Rabbits don’t see your trash as junk. Instead they view your yard rubbish as building materials for constructing their underground burrows and nests.”
“Unless you change your rubbish disposal habits, you’ll continue to grow your collection of fuzzy yard rabbits!” I emphatically explained to Flambé. “And much much more sooner, way way before later, underground crowding will force hiring a relocator to relocate the billions and billions of bunnies, and you haven’t got anywhere near enough money!”
Kat sighed with dismay, “I’ll lose all of my friends. But I agree that it’s time for my bad habits to end.” If it’s fine for a few fuzzy rabbits to stay, I’ll take away all unused rubbish today, ok?” And she purrrrred and purrrrred.
How could I look into those big emerald green eyes and deny Kat a few furry friends? So I said. “Of course it’s ok, especially on such a fun celebratory day.”
And we spent the remainder of the day gabbing about this and that;
we had a wonderful time!
What’s your favorite cat, real or imaginary? Do you speak “cat?” Does your cat speak to you? How did you celebrate National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day?
Keep on reading to learn more about the November 27th Full Beaver Moon, concluding a “Full” year of named Moons. It’s been a fun trip around the Sun learning about the different names of each Full Moon and interesting facts describing our only natural satellite that lights up the night sky with her smiling face. Flambé has looked forward to the rising of every Full Moon, happy to share her cautious to exciting encounters with the cast of characters that name each month’s Moon. Follow the link below to read Kat’s conversation with a sleepy beaver who is about to fulfill her naming obligation for another year.
Keep on reading to learn more about the October 28th Full Hunter’s Moon, some interesting facts about a top oceanic predator, and a near Misadventure triggered by Flambé. Luckily, Kat still has 6 of her 9 lives, and lives to take on the world tomorrow!
Keep on reading to learn more about the September 29th Full Harvest Moon, Flambé’s interesting and delicious suggestion for an alternate Full Moon name, and New Mexico’s green chile harvest. It’s a spicy hot treat!
Keep on reading to learn more about the August 30th Super Full Blue Moon, blue whales, bluefin tuna, bluebirds, Flambé’s labyrinth challenge and ear worms!
Have you ever seen a living dinosaur? If you’ve seen a sturgeon, then count yourself among the lucky few. If not, a visit an aquarium where these 10 foot + fish are on display, will amaze. There are more than 2 dozen species of sturgeon worldwide, but in celebration of the August 1st Full Moon, look close as it rises and imagine an image (or 2) of the North American species of sturgeon swimming gracefully across the Moon’s smiling face. Keep on reading to learn more about the August Full Sturgeon Moon and Flambé’s encounter with not one, but two of these incredible fish!
a curious nature 