Welcome and Happy Saturday, my friends! Big plans for the weekend? Not me. Chris is drumming this morning at the Walk for Prostate Cancer, and the rest of the weekend will likely be spent just trying not to roast, as our air-conditioning is still, after a new heat pump, new thermostat, and new condensing unit, not working! And, of course Mother Nature picked this time to send temps to record highs in the 90s for a ten-day streak.
Today’s two stories are both eco-friendly … they pertain in one way or another to conservation … but they’re fun, too!
I am not a fan of McDonald’s … at least not the food. Many years ago, when Miss Goose was little, we made it a once-a-week destination, but fortunately her palate matured, and she has moved on to other favourite restaurants. But, today I must give two thumbs up to McDonalds for their environmental conscience!
Most of us are aware of the bee crisis. It is estimated that in the U.S., 44% of the bee colonies died out in 2016 alone, and since bees pollinate some 80% of the food we eat, this has serious implications for life on this planet. McDonald’s in Sweden has begun trying to save the bees in the most charming ways!
It started out with planting bee-friendly flowers around the restaurants, and hosting beehives on their roofs. But then, a few months ago, McDonald’s commissioned a professional carpenter to make the ‘smallest ever McDonald’s,” which is, in fact, a fully functioning beehive featuring a McDonald’s sign, drive-through, an outside seating area and even little advertisements on the windows!
Take a look …
But it doesn’t end there! Now, they are at it again by creating small ‘bee hotels’ on the back of their billboards. 30% of wild bees in Sweden are threatened, mainly because they do not have enough resting areas, so the company teamed up with outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux to turn the backs of its billboards into tiny “hotels.”
Granted, these are all small things, likely only to save a few thousand bees, but hey! It’s a start, right?
This week celebrated the 5th year of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, and as you might guess from the name, some of these animal pictures are quite funny! If you’re looking for your daily dose of cuteness, you’ve come to the right place!
Family Disagreement
Holly Jolly Snowy
Oh My!
Laid Back
Deer? What Deer?
Excuse me
Squirrel Wishes
Hi
Warning: Territory Marking. Follow At Your Own Risk
Monday Morning Blues
Hello
Laughing Zebra
Spaceman
Dancing … Yeah
Who Would Like A Peanut?
Indecent Proposal
To Be Or Not To Be?
Sea Otter Tickle Fight
Snarling Snappin In The Slow Lane
Hip Hop
Tom Sullum and Paul Joynson-Hicks are the founders of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, and in addition to having fun with it all, they have a serious purpose as well …
“Remember, we are all about conservation. We want you to take up our banner of wildlife conservation, bang the drum, beat the cymbal and make some noise, we need to spread the word – wildlife, as we know it, is in danger, all over the world and we need to do something to help save it. You can start by going and having a look at what the Born Free Foundation are doing at www.bornfree.org.uk”
And finally, it wouldn’t be Saturday Surprise without a funny animal video, now would it?
Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!
Gwammie got stuck in a wabbit hole dis week, and she tol’ me since I keep disappearin’, it’s my turn to write Saturday Surprise ‘cause she ain’t here to write it. I tol’ her not to eat so much an’ she wouldn’t get stuck … but does she listen?
Dat’s all I got today. I hope you liked it, but if you dinna, will you tell Gwammie that you did so I don’ get in twouble?
Filosofa's Word 