Fun Facts About the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

In 1980, the endangered Right Whale was designated the official marine mammal of Massachusetts. 

"By the late 1800's there were so few right whales left that hunting them was not profitable, and today it is critically endangered with only about 350 left. Some scientists believe they will not escape extinction. Although hunting the northern right whale has been illegal for almost 100 years, their numbers are not increasing. Because they swim and rest very close to the surface, many are killed by colliding with ships. Fishing nets are also a serious hazard. Some scientists also believe that the pollution in the ocean is affecting the growth of the krill and plankton on which they feed. Add to all this the fact that a female right whales give birth every three to five years to a single calf." 

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week

1. A snowy afternoon, a nice long nap with two kitties to keep my feet warm

2. Got several blogposts scheduled ahead of time

3. Heard from my friend living near San Jose, CA  where there have been winds and flooding rains. They are wet, but not flooded. What a relief. We had a long chat.

4. The freezer crockpot dump lasagna meal was very good.

5. We weren't able to attend the annual family gathering so the Niece stopped by to drop off the annual family calendar. 

How was your week?

USPS Postage Rate Increase

 

In case you didn't see Finnbadger's comment on the 2023 Love Stamp post,  here it is: 

FinnBadgerJanuary 9, 2023 at 5:31 PM

The next price increase is January 22nd (first class 1oz letter will be 63c), so buy these on the 19th through 21st to pay 60c per stamp.

Thanks for the head's up, Finn. 

Whatcha Doin?

 

For a couple of hours, Himself and I chopped, measured, , browned, and mixed as we put together ingredients to make 8 crockpot meals to freeze ahead of time. Hopefully, there won't be any food prep (other than thawing and dumping the bag contents into the crockpot) for a week or so.

Whatcha doin?

T Stands for Checking Supply List

 

I signed up to take Jacqueline Sullivan's Book of Marks online class January 26 and February 2. Shortly after registering, I received the materials list.

While I sip a cup of tea, Vincent is helping me check what supplies I'll need for the class.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

The 2023 Love Stamp

Look what's available in time for Valentine's Day! A Love stamp with an adorable kitten or puppy. The 60 cent Forever stamp will be issued on January 19, 2023 and is now available for pre-order on the USPS website. 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Pictures from the yard that didn't make it to the blog because I skipped a week or two.

The crescent moon visible while I was taking out the trash in the morning.

Heavy rains filled the swale with rushing water

Puddle at the end of the driveway. I liked the reflection of the trees from across the street

Morning clouds

On the Winter solstice the seasonal tree lost all its leave. Christmas Eve.  10 oF , but the wind chill made it feel like 4 oF. Brrrr.  I hope Santa wore his long moodandies.

Ice on the driveway

A spectacular sunset

 

The greenhouse wasn't buttoned up as tight as it should have been. Heavy winds blew things around. Life with the Kennedys is always askew.

Snow. Deep sigh. Forlorn look

Frozen sadness and despair as far as the eye can see

Minimalist ghost faces or a bunny passed by

A day later and the snow is mostly melted from the front yard. Too bad this doesn't happen after every snowfall.

Still more melting needed in the backyard.

How does your garden grow?