Author: Lisa Mungovan

Last month, a 10-foot tall monolith, mysteriously showed up in the Utah desert. The 3-sided metal beam soon disappeared, but similar monoliths have popped up around the world, including Romania, Texas, and California. A fifth monolith materialized, outside a bar in Florida. Video cameras experienced interference, so the appearance is still a mystery.

It’s not uncommon to see cougars in Oregon, but last week someone spotted a cheetah. Multnomah County officers located the animal in Forest Park. They approached the cheetah carefully, surprised that it wasn’t running away. They soon realized it wasn’t moving, because it was a plush toy! The stuffed animal looked right at home.

Everyone knows Santa’s sleigh, is pulled by reindeer. But did you know, that they’re all girls? Male reindeer shed their antlers in early December, so any reindeer that still have antlers on Christmas Eve, must be female. Of course, since they’re magical flying reindeer, I suppose it’s possible Santa’s crew doesn’t follow the rules.

Healthcare workers were among the first people, to receive the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, and Moderna’s vaccine has also been approved. The vaccine will soon be available to millions of the most at-risk individuals. It’ll be many months before everyone can receive it, so keep washing hands, wearing masks, social distancing, and being patient.

Warm up your vocal chords, because today is Go Caroling Day! Gather your friends and family on Zoom, and sing all your holiday favorites, or sing to your neighbors from the sidewalk. It’s also Games Day. Instead of playing video games, ask your parents what their favorite game is, and play it with them!

Tyrell Cooper, decided to do something kind for animals, for an Eagle Scout community project. The high school senior built Feline Abodes, and gave them to LifeLine Animal Project in Georgia. The insulated shelters, will be distributed in feral cat colonies, to protect them from cold winter weather. The cats say, “Thanks meowey much!”

Scientists found some old seeds and fruit in Siberia, buried in a squirrel’s hibernation burrow. The specimens were from the Pleistocene epoch, and had been frozen in the permafrost, for 32,000 years. Scientists weren’t able to revive the seeds, but they did grow a plant from the fruit, which successfully provided new seeds to plant.

Sometimes the ocean gets whipped into a frenzy, and waves carry sea foam to shore. Recently, Australia’s beaches were covered in foam that was so thick, a dog got lost in it! The dog was rescued, and people were advised to stay out of the frothy foam, which also held poisonous sea snakes.

You know what’s great, when you’re running late? Oatmeal muffins! It’s Oatmeal Muffin Day, so bake your breakfast into a tasty and convenient package. Add fruit, like bananas, raisins, or blueberries, if you want to make it even tastier. You could also add cinnamon, nuts, chocolate chips, or maybe even salsa!

Today is Hard Candy Day! Most hard candy is made by boiling sugar syrup, adding flavorings, then pouring it into molds to cool and harden. The first lemon and peppermint candies were prescribed for stomach ailments. It’s also Look For An Evergreen Day. Evergreen plants like pine trees, holly, and bamboo, stay green all year!