I don’t know what I was thinking yesterday. I had a dentist appointment (that came with a long lecture about gingivitis because I have been a big ole slacker when it comes to flossing). After the scraping, I took my sore gums to my car to drive home. I passed Big Willow Park and I thought, “I’ve got my layers on, I’ll go look for a saw-whet owl, they’re fairly reliable at this park.” About ten minutes in I suddenly realized as my fingers were painfully numb despite my Gortex gloves that this was a completely insane idea and hightailed it back to the car.
Local weatherman, Johathon Yuhas was on CNN today demonstrating the “Bammer” aka the banana hammer. Was this mere camera trickery or can you actually do this? Let’s find out!
Well, after the steam sprayer demonstration that was on the blog this morning, friends sent suggestions of other things to do and several suggested the banana hammer. So, I had to go to the ranger station today and the coffee kiosk sells bananas. The barista gave me a brown one free (for the sake of science). I put it outside and then forgot about it. I was supposed to work until 8pm but word came down for the Head Cheese Ranger that we were closing early due to cold temperatures (he’s from Ohio). As I was leaving a little after 5pm, I saw the banana still outside and grabbed–it was rock solid.
By the time I came home, it has softened a little, so Sometimes Birding Bill (thank you Steve Moore for that new nickname) and I set it out on our window ledge. Twenty minutes later it was good to go.
Boohoo. I want to view the banana hammer video but it’s friends only.
Sorry Janet. It should be public now.
hilarious.
LOL!
Pfft!
Hahaha! That’s a sign that it’s too cold.
Yikes…toooooooo cold.
Loved your video.
See you soon in much warmer florida.
Yes, you can
)
lol
OK, now I want to know what happens if you put a hammer outside…. Can you then eat it?
We live in MA but it is cold here as well. My son is home sick and bored so we are putting a banana outside now for hammering with later-he’s quite intrigued!
That’s lovely. I must point out the flask. What’s in the flask? Some secret forumla to give you super birding powers, no doubt!
We tried the spray bottle last night here in the mountains of western MD. It was 17 below last night.
You should try frozen bubbles. Seriously. Small bottle of soap bubbles and watch them.
I tried the frozen bubbles, but it’s not nearly as dramatic as the spray bottle or banana.
I don’t have the camera equipment (or crew) to get the artisic effect of a bubble freezing and sinking.
wildwose –
That is my favorite of my many flasks. That one is from Swarovski and stores only 16 to 18 year old scotch (anything younger is statutory).
I was having a little party last night–got sent home from work early (with pay) and I also had finalized some details for a trip. I got invited on a press tour to Guatemala in February. I’ve been invited to Central America to cover in my blog how cool the birding is in Guatemala. So, what else does a sturdy girl from Minnesota do? Get hammered and hammer a banana!
Do you need a license to carry a lethal weapon like that?
Oh, what you Minnesotans will do for entertainment during the winter! I loved the video.
Any time someone mentions gingivitis all I can think of is the Family Guy episode To Love and Die in Dixie.
blow bubbles and then catch them in your (bare) hand*; they will crumple like saran wrap!
keep your hand in your pocket until you go to catch them so as to not frostbite your fingers.
Its official. You are a geek. Gonna have to change the “About Me” profile on your blog home. Its just false representation. Not that we don’t appreciate you as is.
That’s funny. I told my Daughter, Meggan about it and she says, “That’s messed up.”
Heh, true but cool.
holy crap
was the first phrase outta my mouth!
i love the southwest and west coast!
Thursday night I was watching my local Fox News and a gal was outside with different things to show how cold it was. One was the banana, another was a frozen egg that she threw at the table and it broke into a thousand pieces. She also had a white t-shirt that had soaked in a bucket of water. She laid it out on a tree branch, and in just a couple minutes it was very stiff and very dry.
I’m SO glad it’s starting to warm up finally!
Did a winter birding trip yesterday with the Ohio Ornithological Society (trip leader, the infamous Jim McCormac) and it was -12 when we started. Didn’t have a spray bottle or a banana, but when we broke for lunch, my hard-boiled eggs and water bottle had frozen solid.
Later, it warmed up to a balmy 18 degrees above. With the major winds at The Wilds, it was still
ass-cold!
~Kathi, freezing in Ohio
Thank you so much for the banana and water spray videos; I needed a reminder of why I moved south from Michigan.
Have fun in Guatemala!