For many Canadians, the familiar soft flute melody stirs memories of early years in front of the TV, watching and listening to brief facts about truly Canadian wildlife. It was another Hinterland Who’s Who episode. And they’re back! And this time TV isn’t the only way to experience the feeling. It’s online, too!

Beginning in the early 60’s, the beaver, the loon, the caribou, just to name a few, became animals we knew - animals that we learned were part of being ‘Canadian’. The 60-second spots were designed to get young Canadians interested in wildlife – particularly those whose habitat was threatened by development. The new spots will begin with the monarch butterfly, the leatherback seaturtle, the polar bear, and the Common Loon.

Their new web site says “This is where you’ll find fascinating and reliable information and resources on Canadian wildlife.” And they are right! Plus, this ‘cyber-age’ version allows us to not only read about and see pictures of Canadian animals, but also watch a video clip.

Rediscover the feeling. Check out www.hww.ca for yourself.

Are you concerned about a snoopy coworker or nosey family member knowing your every move on the web? Here is an easy way is to clear your Internet History folder and delete the Temporary Internet Files:

Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools, then Internet Options. A pop-up box will appear:

·        To delete all your Temporary Internet files, click on the Delete Files button. It will ask you to confirm your action and will permanently delete your files when you click OK.

·        To delete all folders and sub-folders under History, simply click the Clear History button and confirm the action by hitting OK. You now have a clean History folder.

While you have this box open, you may also want to reduce the number of days that your computer stores the web sites you’ve visited. By increasing or decreasing the number in the box next to the text ‘Days to keep pages in history’, your browser will automatically purge the oldest websites when it reaches the end of the time limit you’ve specified. Changing it to ‘0’ will delete the history as soon as you close Internet Explorer.

• One in every two thousand babies is born with a tooth showing.
• Kids have 20 teeth. Adults have 32.
• Each person’s set of teeth is unique – much like fingerprints.
• Right-handed people tend to chew their food on the right side of their mouths. Left-handed people tend to use the teeth on the left side of their mouth.
• A nobleman once purchased a tooth of Isaac Newton’s and had it set in a ring.
• Walt Disney had wooden teeth.
• George Washington did not have teeth made out of wood. They were made from hippopotamus teeth, ivory, lead, human teeth, and cow and sheep's teeth.
• A gap between your front teeth is a called a ‘diastema’.
• Clenching and grinding the teeth is called ‘bruxism’.
• Brother Giovanni Battista Osengio conserved every tooth he extracted between 1868 and 1904 – a total of 2,000,744 teeth!

For the experienced stargazer, these tiny particles of space debris falling through our atmosphere could be the highlight of the summer. If you’ve never seen a meteor shower right before your eyes, make plans to plan to celebrate the Perseid Meteor Showers.

The most well known of any meteor shower, The Perseids occur mid-August each year. The warm summer temps help make the late night (best viewing time is after midnight) enjoyable for all – especially children. If they can keep their eyes open, kids will see wonders that will stay with them a lifetime. And since The Perseids offer consistent strength and an average rate of one per minute, they won’t need to wait long to see one!

Because a meteor shower covers a fairly broad region of sky, it is best viewed with the naked eye; binoculars and telescopes restrict the field of vision. Simply find a spot well away from the glare of city lights. The show will begin low on the Northeast horizon, moving overhead as the night goes on.

Cool Sites

 

Kites, Kites, and more Kites!

Jenna, age 12, says, “This site has everything we needed to learn about kites. We got some cool designs, flying tips, and even some stories about kites. We’re going to fly the one we made tomorrow if there’s enough wind.”

 

Pet of the Day

Peter, age 7, says, “My Mom and I visit this site almost every day – to see what pet there is there. It changes every day. They nearly all are good ones. The dogs are my favourite.”

 

Eyeball-O-Rama

Katrine, age 8, says, “You gotta try this. It is so cool. I tried while lying in bed trying to fall asleep, and I saw some cool stuff.”

 

Listen to the Jungle

Jessie, age 10, says, “You can hear the cool sounds some animals make. I like the penguins. They sound so cute.”

Almost any vegetable will have amazing flavour when grilled on your BBQ.  But grilled corn, with its tender yet crunchy texture, sweet taste and wonderful aroma, is a summertime favourite for many families. And it’s so simple:

 

1. Place corn in cold water and soak for 10-20 minutes.

2. Peel back (but don't remove) the husks from the ear of corn.

3. Remove and discard the silk.

4. Bring the husk back over the cob. Tie the ends with string and cover ends with foil to prevent burning.

5. Grill the corn on medium, turning frequently, until husks are dry and brown – about 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Serve hot off the grill, with butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s a simple project that can change the entire look of the front of your house. Paint the front door! It’s a small enough project. You only need one brush and a litre of paint - a perfect way to spend a summer evening. Give it a light sanding to prepare the surface, lay down a drop sheet, and get to it. And if the colour doesn’t turn out to be quite right, paint it again!

A tip - even though you can’t see the top and bottom of a door, be sure to paint them well. Unpainted surfaces can absorb moisture and cause warping – a particular concern for wooden doors.

“Sincerity: if you can fake it, you've got it made.” ~ Daniel Schorr

 

“Where does virgin wool come from? The sheep that runs the fastest.” ~ Harry F. Banks

 

“Tact is the art of making guests feel at home when that's really where you wish they were.” ~ George E. Bergman

 

“Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your children.” ~ Samuel Levenson