Blog Dog Dan: FIAMMA'S FUN FACTS FRIDAY With Special Guest HAIRY TROTTER

Since Hamilton "hogged" the whole blog on Wednesday, I decided to share my post with Hairy, my horsey honcho! Aw, shucks, I don't mind one tiny bit! H.T. does not hold a grudge, but he did have a special request for me to list some of the favorite foods eaten on the Fourth of July. I don't ask a lot of questions around here, so here we go.

Last year, 78 million Americans had a barbecue on July 4th. July is National Hot Dog Month. But, exactly how many hot dogs do we consume?

It is estimated that over 7 billion hot dogs will be eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
During the July 4th weekend, (the biggest hot dog holiday of the year), 155 million hot dogs will be eaten.
Every year, Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs each.

Talk about not being bitter....my tea is definitely green and smooth. Here’s a picture of me enjoying a picnic lunch with my dandelion tea today. Just look at me smiling! Now I’ll ask Hairy to “hoof” it on over here to do his post.

TROTTIN’ ABOUT TOWN WITH HAIRY TROTTER
(Delayed from Wednesday!)

Thank you, Fi, I really appreciate the space since I got “stalled” out last week! Since we're talking about the Revolution, I really wanted to tell you about Paul Revere and his famous midnight ride! Have you heard the expression, “The Red Fish are coming, the Red Fish are coming”?

Oh, wait a minute, that’s Red Fish in his special cylinder that Chris Deal made for him. Chris is a glass artist/student at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Tennessee. We’ll have to visit with Chris later and show you some more of his work.

What I meant was, have you heard the expression, “The British are coming, the British are coming”? This relates to Paul Revere and his famous “Midnight Ride” of April 18, 1775. Revere, an express rider, was instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that British troops were marching to arrest them. On the way, Revere alarmed the countryside, stopping at each house, and arrived in Lexington about midnight. After delivering his message, Revere was joined by a second rider, William Dawes, and then a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott. Soon after, all three men were arrested by a British patrol. Prescott escaped, then Dawes, but Revere was held for some time and then released. He returned to Lexington just in time to witness part of the battle on the Lexington Green.

Most historians would argue that he likely did not shout the message "The British are coming" and instead delivered the information in secret. This was because there were British loyalists all throughout the countryside and he would have been in grave danger. In Charleston, he made sure that the Sons of Liberty committee had seen his signal that he had arranged the weekend before his ride: Two lanterns had been hung briefly in the bell tower of Christ Church in Boston, meaning the troops would row "by sea" across the Charles River to Cambridge, rather than marching "by land" out Boston Neck. You can see all the riders' routes and other landmarks on the map below.

Paul Revere was a very influential and wealthy man for his time because of his craftsmanship as a silversmith, engraver, watchmaker, and soldier. Forty years after his death, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a well known poet, wrote about his famous ride.

I think I'll ride away into the sunset now, but before I do, I want to remind you not to miss the Children's Parade in Flower Mound on July 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., LISD School Admin. Bldg. at 1800 Timber Creek Road. Since you'll be hot and want to cool off afterwards, go see a good movie, like Cars 2 or Mr. Popper's Penguins. Later that evening, go to Bakersfield Park at 1201 Duncan Lane, from 5-10:30 p.m., and enjoy arts & crafts, an auto show, the Kids Zone, and a concert by Grand Funk Railroad from 8-9 p.m. The fireworks began at 9:30! Thanks again, Fi!
Let's take a ride together and watch the trailer for Cars 2 and Mr. Popper's Penguins!