Summer is almost here and I know that many of you cannot wait for it. Oh yes, the swimming weather is right around the corner. In a way, I will be happy to say goodbye to the cold AND the cold I have now! Let me give you 7 fun facts on summer …
As annoying as they may be, these are insects that have been around for thirty million years. They have chemical sensors on them that are able to tell when a mammal is one hundred feet away from them. They also have heat sensors, which allow them to detect when the warm-blooded ones are around. Along with this, they have sensors that allow them to detect movement. The first activity of an adult would be to mate. The females lay their eggs and live anywhere from days to months afterward. As for the male mosquito, he dies days after mating.
The first bathing suits for women came out during the 1800’s. During this time, it was improper if your skin was anything but creamy white. These suits were long sleeved bathing dresses with bloomers under them. The only swimming a woman did was wade in the water and jump waves. Wow, the world sure has changed.
When it was Midsummer, the Ancient Pagans would celebrate it with bonfires. By doing this, they believed their crops would grow just as high as they were able to jump.
Each year, they say that fifteen pounds of watermelon is eaten per person in the United States. Of course, this only counts towards those who eat it – not every person in the United States likes watermelon. I know I do, it’s my favorite.
During the year 1988, in New York, the temperatures stayed above 90 degrees F for a total of thirty two days. During this time, the murder rate went up by seventy five percent. Wow. I live in Florida and it gets pretty hot here and I guess when it’s hot, people get cranky.
Have you ever wondered where Gatorade came from? It was named from the University of Florida Gators. This is where the drink was first developed. I don’t live too far from that college – pretty neat summertime fact.
Did you know that the cricket’s chirp frequency fluctuates along with the temperature they are in? So, this means that you could tell the temperature in Fahrenheit if you were to sit there and count the number of times a cricket chirps in a total of fifteen seconds. Whatever number you reach, add thirty seven to it and you have an approximate temperature outside.
Those are 7 fun facts on summer that I enjoyed sharing with you. There are so many facts out there pertaining to the summertime that I just didn’t know which ones would be more interesting to my readers. So, do you have any facts you would like to share with me?
Top Photo Credit: *glow