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Entries for various contests and challenges, as well as buffoonery and poppycock. |
| This is a place for me to write entries for contests and challenges, as well as general items of nonsensical contents. Although most of these items are short and condensed, they may one day become something more. |
Written for "Invalid Item"  , prompt: Alascattalo Day.Today is Nov. 21, Alascattalo Day; yes this entry is written on time! But, what is an Alascattalo you may ask, I know I did. But after a brief search I found the answer. The Alascattalo is the Alaskan mascot, a cross between a moose and a walrus. There is a funny annual celebration and I can only imagine the fun Alaskans enjoy during the celebration. But, is there such a cross of animals? Is there a horny walrus on the icy rocks, or perhaps a chubby moose with tusks is wondering the Yukon. We may never know; Sasquatch knows! In reading about the Alascattalo, I was reminded of another strange animal, the Jackalope. I did a short search and did not find any Jackalope Day, but feel there should be one in celebration of this bizarre creature as well. For those who believe, the Jackalope is said to be an antlered species of rabbit, sometimes rumored to be extinct. One of the rarest animals in the world, it is a cross between a now extinct pygmy-deer and a species of killer-rabbit. However, occasional sightings of this rare creature continue to occur, with small pockets of Jackalope populations persisting in the American West. The antlered species of rabbit are brownish in color, weight between three and five pounds, and move with lightning speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. They are said to be vicious when attacked and use their antlers to fight, thus they are sometimes called the “warrior rabbit.” The Jackalope was first encountered by John Colter, one of the first white men to enter what would one day be the State of Wyoming. They also inhabit other western states, including western South Dakota. There are rumors but after having lived in the Rapid City area and spending time in the Black Hills and surrounding areas, I discovered there's more to it than just rumors. I have seen Jackalopes on a couple of occasions (or, perhaps they were just jackrabbits sitting in front of some brush). It was while consuming large amounts of beer in the hot sun that I seen these oddities of nature. I assume they were waiting for me to drop a bottle so they could move in and enjoy a cold brew themselves. I would have hiked over to investigate further, making sure it was in fact a Jackalope I was looking at and not a jackrabbit sitting in front of some brush, but with them moving at lightning speed and being vicious, I felt it better to keep my distance. They are fast, though. I watched the pair watching me, but when I blinked, they were gone. One day I hope to travel to Alaska. I have always longed to visit but now I also want to find a quiet spot out in the countryside to drink some beer and watch for the elusive Alascattalo. I am also always on the lookout for another creature that resides right here in northern Minnesota, a cross between a black bear and a whitetail deer. The offspring are called, according to their colors, either light or dark Beers. A proud member of "WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group" "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Written for "Invalid Item" for November 14, make-up entry. In deciding what would be a good beverage to serve with Thanksgiving Dinner I stumbled upon something I did not know. I learned from a history teacher that the Puritans liked beer and had barrels of beer on the ships they sailed to settle in the New World. But, I didn't know that our first settlers drank beer for breakfast, including the children, or how important beer was to the early colonials. Most of us know a bit about the Boston Tea Party, but after understanding more about the colonist's love of beer, it only makes sense they would dump tea in the harbor, but would not waste a precious drop of their favorite brewed beverage. Most of this can be found relatively easily if one searches the history of beer in the United States. But what I found most interesting is that the Pilgrims may never had stopped at Plymouth Rock if it wasn't for beer. Originally they had planned on choosing a settlement that would provide rich farmland and a temperate climate, but instead settled on rocky land subject to brutal winters. Why? Because they were almost out of beer! This is taken from a passenger from the Mayflower, "We could not now take time for further search... our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..." There's more but I think this is enough to show how much beer influenced history. https://absolutebeer.com/beer101/a-brief-history-of-beer-in-colonial-america/ A proud member of "WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group" "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
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