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.