Wake Me Up When It’s Over!!! As winter descends, Canadian snowbirds head south for sun and warmth, while many of our native critters simply hibernate. From bears to bats, many of the country’s wildlife species hunker down in caves, trees, abandoned mines, below ground and under ice-covered rivers and ponds. Moreover, not all states of hibernation are alike. In fact, there are three different types. True hibernation is characterized by low body temperature, slow breathing, low heart rate and low metabolic rate. During this state, animals will not wake up if there is a loud noise or if they are moved or touched. Brumation is the hibernation-like state that cold-blooded animals (reptiles and amphibians) enter. Animals in brumation typically wake up to drink water. Torpor, or light hibernation, lasts for only short periods of time − allowing animals to wake up during warmer winter days. Canada’s wildlife engaged in some level of winter hibernation include groundhogs, bats, bees, snakes, frogs, chipmunks, skunks and bears. However, some of our native animals do not hibernate at all. These include beavers, Arctic foxes, moose, wolves, chickadees and the Canada lynx. A “Berry” Merry Holiday A Yuletide turkey dinner is missing something if it does not include an accompanying bowl of cranberry sauce. Moreover, on many holiday tables, it’s a must. So, here are a few things that you may not know about the cranberry. ▶▶ It’s one of the few fruits native to North America. ▶▶ Cranberries are approximately 90% water. ▶▶ Only about 5% are sold fresh, while the rest are turned into cranberry juice and sauce. ▶▶ Cranberries have many health benefits, such as preventing urinary tract infections and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. ▶▶ One cup of cranberries contains about 50 calories. ▶▶ They are typically in season from October to December. ▶▶ Cranberries can be used as fabric dyes. ▶▶ Cranberry gets its name from Dutch and German settlers, who called it “crane” berry since the bush it grows on resembles the head of a crane. ▶▶ It takes 200 cranberries to make one can of cranberry sauce. ▶▶ Early Canadian sailors on long voyages knew that eating cranberries would protect them from scurvy. ▶▶ Contrary to popular belief, they do not grow in water. They grow on low-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes. Answers to Outside the Box Puzzles from page 58 1. The United States of America 2. Cold hands, warm heart 3. Snowmobile 4. Cross-border shopping 5. Chequing account 6. Frostbite Fast Facts CSA Membership – 2019 Early Renewal Winners 5-Year Membership C and D Shamata, Scarborough, ON D and DThompson, Teeswater, ON E Gray, Ottawa, ON L and R Hogaboam, Nanaimo, BC H and S Adams, Calgary. AB $250 Petro Canada Gift Card W and Y Rivait, Windsor, ON S and F Harris, Manniville, AB B and B McAdams, Saanichton, BC R and B J Hedley, Calgary, AB R and L McJannet, Kanata, ON Group Services SLP Draw Winners RING Video Doorbell Duncan MacDonald, Orillia, ON Lana & Bob Anderson, Belleville, ON June Tutak, Norwood, ON Gordon Waller, Sebright, ON RuthMcKenzie-Liddie, Stouffville, ON Good to Know Beef up your arsenal of “trivia” knowledge with the following random facts. ▶▶ It’s impossible to hum while holding your nose. ▶▶ Octopuses have three hearts. ▶▶ Michelangelo wrote a poem about how much he hated painting the Sistine Chapel. ▶▶ In the Philippines, McDonalds serves spaghetti. ▶▶ Dunce caps used to be signs of intelligence. ▶▶ Lobsters taste with their feet. ▶▶ The Eiffel Tower was originally intended for Barcelona, Spain. ▶▶ “Albert Einstein” is an anagram for “ten elite brains.” ▶▶ A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time: 1/100th of a second. ▶▶ Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes. ▶▶ Lightning strikes the Earth 100 times every second. ▶▶ All polar bears are left-handed. Note: I bet you tried to hum while holding your nose! Cheers to Champagne There’s more to this popular luxury drink than its bubbles. ▶▶ Champagne is named after a region in France. ▶▶ Dom Perignon was the original creator of champagne. ▶▶ Marilyn Monroe took a bath in it, using up 350 bottles. ▶▶ In a 750ml bottle, there are 49 million bubbles. ▶▶ The pressure in a champagne bottle is around 90 pounds psi. ▶▶ Champagne grapes are the most expensive in the world. ▶▶ A popped champagne cork can reach up to 64 km/hour. ▶▶ In 19th-century England, high society men believed that the best way to shine their shoes was with champagne. ▶▶ Approximately 28,000 bottles are served at Wimbledon each year. ▶▶ Champagne has three times more gas than beer. 66 | www.snowbirds.org
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