Watermelon for the 4th of July

As I write this, we are heading into the 4th of July weekend. Because it’s 2020 and everything is different this year, for many of us the celebrations will be diminished. Here in the Tucson metro area, the only thing skyrocketing is Covid19 cases; fireworks displays have been canceled due to extreme fire danger (and, of course, the virus). But, there is one thing that almost everyone can enjoy this 4th of July and it is as appropriate as any American apple pie: I’m talking watermelon. If you can’t go to the beach, have some watermelon and imagine you’re there. If you aren’t attending a party, make some gorgeous cocktails and sit in the kids’ wading pool. Read a watermelon-themed book while wearing a watermelon hat. You get the idea – just enjoy the summer deliciousness that is watermelon.

If you are unsure of your commitment to watermelon, here is a fun video extolling its virtues that features the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher. If you are interested in random facts and deeper information about watermelons, this site has plenty to keep you entertained and informed – and it shows square watermelons.

Many of you may be enjoying, or anticipating the enjoyment to come, of eating your own watermelon. Savoring the fruits of a carefully tended garden is beyond satisfying. If you are still in the how-to-grow-them phase, here is a concise yet thorough guide to growing watermelons. There’s a man in Alabama who clearly does not need growing help, he’s expecting around 15,000 watermelons this year! For more on what that’s all about, go here.


For the rest of us who are not watermelon-growing wizards and are harvesting from the supermarket, here are a few quick tests to help pick the perfect one.

Let’s get to the eating and drinking part: If your feast-preparing ritual begins with a frosty alcoholic beverage (yes, please), you have almost endless choices with watermelon-centric drinks. How about a watermelon jalapeño Bloody Mary, watermelon sangria, watermelon margarita, beer-lemonade-watermelon shandy, watermelon Piña Colada, watermelon mimosa or watermelon Jell-O shot? The recipes for some of these are here, while the rest (and so much more!) can be found easily online.

Now that you have established your watermelon drink (or at least the first one to try), it’s time to get to eating. You can have watermelon wrapped in bacon or prosciutto, watermelon-feta guacamole, grilled chicken-watermelon tacos, watermelon jerky, watermelon bbq sauce for your chicken or ribs, watermelon pudding or watermelon sorbet. The Barbecued Seafood & Watermelon Salad sounds especially wonderful to me. The choices are extensive; Good Housekeeping alone has 50 tempting recipes for watermelon here.

Barbecued Seafood & Watermelon Salad

While researching recipes for this blog, all the watermelon recipes sounded irresistible, but I found myself most entranced by the grilled watermelon recipes. I have never tried grilling watermelon, but since the grill apparently changes the flavor in delightful ways, it will definitely be on the menu this weekend. Southern Living has a good basic recipe here while Grilled Avocado and Watermelon Salad with Lime and Feta Cheese, Grilled Watermelon Pizza, Charred Vandouvan Octopus with Grilled Watermelon and Salsa Verde, Grilled Watermelon Burgers and Grilled Watermelon Sundaes cover all the courses in new and interesting ways. I am looking forward to trying at least one of these grilled treats, although I’m pretty sure my family will think the idea is weird.

While you are eating and drinking watermelon, you could continue the theme (and keep various members of your group entertained) by indulging in some watermelon-centric arts and crafts. This page has links to other blogs and artsy sites with lots of fun-sounding activities. You could extend (probably overextend) the watermelon theme by wearing watermelon-inspired clothing or making watermelon tie-dye to wear at your next watermelon fest.


If you have a teenager in the family, you know that very little of what I have written will interest them. But, you can (perhaps) rope them into the watermelon world by having them use their phones to create “watermelon clothes” pictures. This is where a person takes a picture while holding slices of watermelon to make it look like the person in the picture is wearing clothes made out of watermelon. More on that here. Granted, this was a social media thing 3 years ago, but it may still keep a teenager engaged for a bit.

If your idea of a good day is to kick back with a good book, (yes, we do still exist), you can still watermelon it up by choosing a book with watermelon in the title. Here is a list of 34 books with "watermelon" in the title. As trite as it sounds, there really is something for everybody on it. From a dreamy love-child favorite of the late ’60s to non-fiction and international stories, these books reflect how watermelons play a beloved part in myriad cultures. Just don’t forget your watermelon cocktail when you settle down to read.

Some of my happiest childhood memories are of my grandmother’s porch. I remember joyously eating watermelon there with my siblings and cousins. It was the only time spitting was permitted and we would compete to see who could spit their seeds farthest. With very little effort, such homey pleasures can still be had in 2020.

If you didn't read this in time to make your 4th a watermelon one, no worries - National Watermelon Day is August 3rd.

Have a happy and safe Happy 4th of July.

Submitted by Pam

Ordinary Ornaments? Bah Humbug!

While I was floating around the internet looking for inspiration for this blog, I landed in a realm that left me with anything but the Christmas spirit. I’m talking about the world of weird Christmas ornaments – in many cases, weird and disturbing. Most people dig out their sentimental family ornaments, jolly Santas and glittering decorations and beautify their house for the season. But I somehow can’t believe that the people who buy these ornaments also have a blow-up snowman in their yard. My over-arching thought process when looking at some of these  goes like this: “Why? Who Would Want This? What’s The Point?”

There's something about those tiny hands...

First of all, I feel it necessary to point out that I am an open-minded and liberal thinking person who enjoys changing things up, but some of what I’ve seen just baffles me. For instance, there is an overabundance of “decorative” moose poop ornaments. I mean, there's a lot of them! They pop up everywhere. If this is a “thing”, I wish someone would explain it to me. Likewise, the great many gender-specific body part ornaments. The creativity of some of these is quite mind-bending (others are just plain crude). But since when does genitals -on-a-tree mean “Christmas”?

We can probably thank the Goth community, as well as the ever-growing popularity of Halloween and the Day of the Dead, for the increased availability of some of the more horror-centric ornaments out there. But items like skulls are much more mainstream than edgy these days, and by the time Christmas comes, macabre decorations can seem more like stale leftovers from Halloween than festive Christmas fare. Nevertheless, there are still some out there that can make you go, "What....?". The eyeball thingy to the left is one.

Another question I have about all this is: why are fetuses considered suitable as decorations? Here is a whole page full of fetus ornaments (including one of fetal stem cells). The more I looked at it, the worse I felt about it, so be cautious clicking on that link. For an even more extreme fetus ornament, check out this one – it’s carrying an assault weapon. I’m positive I don’t want to know the people behind all that; the whole thing is offensive on many levels.

On a lighter note: How about a brain with the spinal column attached? It even comes in a two-pack, because one is just not enough. Seriously, would even a neurosurgeon want this?

Garlic lovers can decide for themselves if they need some angry-faced garlic ornaments. The maker calls them cute and charming, I call them creepy and weird.

Are you a fan of ruthless dictators? The Rocket Man is sure to brighten up any celebration.


If you have a scientist on your list, surprise her/him with some handmade bacteria. No, not the kind you spread with your hands, the kind that is crocheted by hand. Although they don’t seem very yuletide-ish, I have to admire the work put into these.

For those families that are Buddhist but still want to decorate for Christmas, the obvious choice is Santa Monk.

Unless you own a cleaning company, a vacuum cleaner ornament makes no sense at all to me.

And, finally, something that is sure to bring Christmas cheer to any family gathering - a Filthy Animal ornament. I highly recommend it as a gift for that relative with strong political opinions.

If you want to see some more off-beat ornaments, check out this article. It is eye-opening and hilarious.

Happy Holidays to you all!
                                           
                                                    Submitted by Pam

ARBICO Thanksgiving 2019

Jess - Marketing

Greg - Sales

Christina - Shipping

This past Friday, ARBICO celebrated its annual Thanksgiving Potluck only a few minutes away from our offices at beautiful Catalina State Park (we go there every year and never tire of it).  The grandeur of the setting was only matched by the quality of  the food and camaraderie. Here are some of our team proudly showing their food contribution and others just happily enjoying the day.

Taylor - Sales 

Caitlin - Office 

Big Mike - Insectary

Did you know that there used to be a tradition of dressing in costumes for Thanksgiving? I know I didn't. A hundred years ago this really was a thing. It seems
like a somewhat creepier version of trick or treat.
This article explains this lost event and has some great pictures. 

Anissa - Marketing


HAPPY TURKEY DAY FROM ARBICO!

Submitted by Pam

The Insectary Crew

It’s Time To Get Your Zuc On!

Today is August 8th, which means it’s National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbors Porch Day! Just one of the many wacky holidays out there, this one was created as a way to help abundantly successful gardeners get rid of their excess zucchini. This particular day was created by Thomas Roy (and his wife, Ruth) and is just one of the over 90 holidays he has invented and copyrighted in the course of 26 years. Find out how here how that all came to pass.

Wacky as this zucchini-centric day may be, the need to dispose of excess produce is real. Zucchini is notoriously prolific and when you consider that you can make a dozen or more loaves of bread from a single giant zucchini, it is easy to see how quickly an abundance can become too much. After making all the traditional recipes and moving on to pickling some, making a chocolate cake, wrapping it around fish for grilling and using it in nachos in place of tortilla chips, you may be out of ideas. Here are a few additional recipes anyway. Donating some to your local food bank (find one near you here) or a church is always a good plan. I am going to assume that, while moving through all the ways to cook it, you have pressed some onto your family and friends. You should be aware that this avenue can have unforeseen consequences. One summer a friend of mine had a bonanza of a tomato harvest. After days and weeks of cooking and eating them, she began handing bagfuls to everyone she came across. It got to be so much that some people began good-naturedly avoiding her, poor thing. Once you’ve exhausted all the options you can think of for using up your zucs, your neighbor’s porch might start looking pretty good.


What I’ve found most interesting while reading up on NSSZOYNP Day is how people have taken the zucchini drop idea and made it their own. From Italy to the American West, bloggers, news entities and everyday people have been discussing and relaying experiences with squash subterfuge in all types of neighborhoods and dwellings. And no porch is necessary; zucchinis have been left in hallways, on desks, windowsills, welcome mats, railings and stoops. Many, if not most, of these zucchini are purchased for the express purpose of giving them away. In this way, the act of giving a zucchini has morphed from a need to find a home for extra squash into a way to get to know your neighbors and co-workers. So a personal need to get rid of something has become a way to spread kindness and build community. And that is just plain wonderful! The Zucchini Challenge, for instance, encourages creativity and a “pay it forward” mindset in a fun and easy-to-do manner. Some people embrace all the fun of the sneakiness and their neighbors’ puzzlement in their humorous adventures slinking around with vegetables. Others prefer a sweeter approach with a more thought-out presentation. There are even some cute tags to add to a zuc gift. It’s all about the positivity stream, no matter how it's approached.

So, if you have some zucchini lying around, leave it for a neighbor.You could even just leave it on a park bench or bus stop. Today, tomorrow or the next day would be fine. The idea is to share and be kind, however one does it, and those sentiments are needed every day. To keep the energy rolling, I think we should consider a day in the fall that could be Plop A Pumpkin On A Porch Day.

Submitted by Pam

Woo Hoo! It's the 4th of July!

Let's face it, when it comes to 4th of July celebrations, they are much more about fun, food and fireworks than about celebrating our independence from England. And that's okay. I think the Founding Fathers would be pleased to know that we have developed our own traditions and that England is no longer a part of our national consciousness. However, some of the traditions we have created would no doubt be bewildering to those men. Quirkiness and excess are inherent in many traditions that modern America has fully embraced and both of these are on full display for the 4th.

Celebrating Australia Day in Sydney, Australia

When we think 4th of July excess, fireworks quickly come to mind. While we have magnificent displays across the country, we probably can't claim the worldwide excess crown. In fact, we don't even make the top ten list for explosive records, according to Guinness World Records. Check out their list here and see some spectacular clips from all parts of the world.

It is in the area of food excess that the US shines (for better or worse) and the food put on tables on the 4th easily rivals the celebration of overeating that is Thanksgiving. Only instead of stuffing ourselves with turkey, it's all about barbecue food. Consumers are expected to spend $6.7 billion dollars on their food this year. It is estimated that Americans will eat 155 million hot dogs and 375 million hamburgers for the 4th of July. When you add on the rivers of beer (about 68.3 million cases), calling it excess seems an understatement.

Americans showcase their quirkiness this time of year with some unusual 4th of July celebrations. No simply flag-waving parade for these folks!

Not all coasters are designed for speed.

Bisbee Coaster Races: In the small town of Bisbee here in Southern Arizona, they have Coaster Races (AKA Soap Box Derby) every year. This small, old town is super hilly and full of artists and other characters - the perfect place for young racers to show their stuff.

Boom Box Parade, Willimantic, CT: Created out of necessity (they had no marching band, so they had a local radio station play marching music for them), this unique event encourages the offbeat. The only requirements are that participants wear some red, white and blue and that everyone carry a boom box or radio. 

Lobster Races, Bar Harbor, ME: This annual event (a fundraiser for the local YMCA that is just what it sounds like) is undoubtedly slower paced than many other racing events that mark Independence Day. But I can't help thinking that the food is a lot better than your average barbecue.

Midnight Parade, Gatlinburg, TN: The good folks of Gatlinburg came up with the idea to have their 4th of July parade at midnight (perhaps so they can claim that they are the first parade every year) and I think it is pure genius. It allows for all the sparkle of a Christmas parade and avoids the heat of a July day. I wish we could start this here in Tucson, where our holiday is always blisteringly hot.

No matter what you decide to do with your 4th of July holiday, I recommend a little excess and a dash of quirk - it's good for the soul.



Submitted by Pam