The Little Bird© a Twice-Weekly Newsletter for Curious Seniors Nancy A

The Little Bird© A Twice-Weekly Newsletter For Curious Seniors Nancy A. Franks, Editor

Topic: X. . . Y. . . Z

“Where’d you hear that?” “The Little Bird© told me!”

Xerus Yale Graduates Zorse

zanimals.com)

Source: a

(Photo Source: a

(Photo

(Photo Source: a

A xerus doesn’t spend time hiding Eli Whitney, Samuel F. B. Morse, What is the result when a male his food like the squirrels you see in Benjamin Spock, Paul Newman, zebra is bred with a female horse? your backyard. Instead, this and Meryl Streep all graduated A zorse, of course! This horse-like African ground squirrel hunts daily from Yale, the third oldest animal has bold zebra-like stripes for nuts, seeds, roots and maybe university in the United States. on its hind and legs. It was even a small animals. His bushy tail Both President George H. W. Bush, originally bred in Africa to produce is often used as an umbrella, President George W. Bush, and a trekking animal that is resistant protecting him from the intense sun Vice-President Dick Cheney were to diseases spread by the Tse Tse fly on the African savanna. also Yale grads. and other deadly African flies. St. Francis Xavier Yoranian Zipper

.com)

zanimals.com)

ucanzippers

Source: catholicoutlook.com)

(Photo Source: (Photo

(Photo

(Photo Source: a

Francis Xavier was born into a Meet the charismatic Yoranian, a The modern zipper was designed by noble family in 1506 in present- cross between a Pomeranian and a Gideon Sundback, a Swedish day Spain. Considered one of the Yorkshire Terroir! The breed was American electrical engineer. He greatest Catholic missionaries developed in Yorkshire, England improved upon Elias Howe’s 1851 since St. Paul, he spread the word of during the 19th century. Standing “Automatic, Continuous Clothing God in Africa, India, Southeast 6-10 inches and weighing just 3-7 Closure” and Whitcomb Judson’s Asia, and Japan. Francis Xavier pounds, this perky pup is often 1893 “Clasp Locker”. Sundback died in China in 1552. He was called a “Yorkie Pom”. Although received a pattern for his beatified in 1619 and canonized devoted to its owners, the Yoranian “Separable Fastener” in 1917. The three years later. The saint’s right is uneasy with strangers. It will bark B.F. Goodrich Company used the arm, which is said to have baptized and become aggressive with “Separable Fastener” on a pair of 100,000 people, is kept in a silver intruders. If left alone for long rubber boots that they produced. case at the Church Of The Gesú in periods of time, a Yoranian will They referred to the device as a Rome, Italy become nasty. “zipper” and the name stuck. Xylophone Yen Zurich

.com)

amazon

thecrazytraveler

businessinsider.com)

(Photo Source: (Photo

(Photo Source:

When you think of a xylophone, do The Japanese Yen is the third most Can you name the capital of you picture the brightly colored traded currency in the world, behind Switzerland? No, it’s not Zurich. Fisher Price children’s toy shown the U.S Dollar (#1) and the Euro (#2). Although that’s the country’s above? Think again! The name The Yen was first circulated in 1871. largest city and the financial center xylophone comes from the Greek The very light coins come in values of 1, of Switzerland, the country’s capital word “xylon” which means wood 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 yen. The 1 yen is Bern. German, French, Italian, coin weighs just 1 gram. In comparison, and the word “phone” which means the U.S. penny weighs 2.5 grams. Both and Romanish are the four official sound. The xylophones is a cousin of the 5 yen and 50 yen coins have holes languages of Switzerland so you’ll the glockenspiel and the marimba. in the center. There are banknotes see Zurich spelled a few different Unlike a glockenspiel, a with a value of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, ways as you travel around the city. xylophone’s tone plates are always and 10,000 yen. The Japanese Yen is The Italian spelling is Zurigo and made of wood - never metal. The one of the most difficult currencies to the Romanish spelling is Turitg. It’s mallet for a marimba is covered in counterfeit. In addition to the typical easy to quench your thirst in Zurich. yarn, but a xylophone’s mallet has a security measures, the Yen bank notes The city is home to 1,200 drinking hard tip to guarantee a bright are printed in luminescent ink that fountains. St. Peter’s Church boasts striking sound. glows under ultraviolet light. the largest clock face in Europe. Xi’an, China Yanni Zeus

com)

.com)

youtube.

zanimals.com)

greekboston

(Photo Source: (Photo

(Photo Source:

(Photo Source: a

Welcome to the birthplace of Chinese Are you a fan of Yiannis Zeus, the mighty king of the Greek civilization! Xi’an, China is one of the Chryssomallis, the Greek-American Gods, lived on Mount Olympus. He country’s most popular tourist composer, keyboardist, and pianist? was the God Of Sky & Thunder, destinations. It was the capital city People know this talented artist by his causing rain and powerful storms. during thirteen imperial dynasties. nickname – Yanni. At age 18, he left Zeus threw the lightning bolts that Check out the thousands of life-size his home in Kalamata, Greece to study his winged horse Pegasus carried terracotta warriors, horses, and psychology at the University Of chariots that are arranged in battle Michigan. Music drew him to Los for him. The lightning bolts were formation. The statues were Angeles where he worked on the later returned by his trained eagle. constructed 246-206 BC. Take time soundtracks for major movies. In 1980, Zeus feared that his first wife, Metis, to walk or bike along the ancient, Yanni released his first album, might give birth to a son who was well-preserved walls that once Optimystique. He was nominated for more powerful than him so he protected Xi’an. Feeling hungry? a Grammy in 1992 for his album, Dare swallowed her and married his Feast on dumplings, noodles, lamb, and To Dream. Yanni has performed at the sister, Hera. Zeus could transform kabobs. Traditional paper cuttings Acropolis in Athens, Greece, the Taj himself into other animals or and peasant painting make the perfect Mahal in India, and the Forbidden people. To punish people, Zeus souvenirs for friends and family back City Palace Complex in Beijing, would turn them into animals. home. China. X-ray Tetra Yonkers, New York Zucchini

com)

.com)

aquadiction.

livehudsonpark

(Photo Source: (Photo

(Photo Source:

Perhaps you’ve seen an X-ray Tetra Yonkers is located along the in an aquarium. Its translucent skin Hudson River in Westchester allows you to see its backbone. To County, just two miles north of spot an X-ray Tetra in the wild, Manhattan. It is the 4th most (Photo Source: a-zanimals.com) This variety of summer squash was you’d have to travel to the coastal populous city in the state of New brought to the United States by waters of the Amazon River in York, falling behind New York Italian immigrants in the 1920s and Brazil, Venezuela, Guiana, or City (#1), Buffalo (#2), and first cultivated in California. The Guyana. This yellow, black and Rochester (#3). Many useful Golden State still ranks #1 in white striped fish, measuring inventions got their start in squash production. Zucchini can be approximately 1½ - 2 inches, lives Yonkers, including Elisha Otis’s grilled, baked, and fried. It’s used to for 3-4 years. It has excellent safety elevator in 1854, Charles create zucchini fritters, zucchini hearing. An increase in pollution Harvey’s elevated train line in lasagna, zucchini bread, and and a decrease in water quality 1867, and Edwin Armstrong’s FM zucchini pancakes. Zzucchini is low threatens the X-ray Tetra. radio in 1912. in calorie and contains more Xerochrysum Bracteatum Yak potassium than a banana.

zanimals.com) - XXX The Little Bird bgpa.wa.gov.au)

Sources: www.india.com/travel/articles/feast-of-st-

(Photo Source: a (Photo Source: francis-xavier-goa-6-facts-you-must-know-about-the- saint, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier, a-z- animals.com/animals/xerus/#single-animal,

www.businessinsider.com/30-most-famous-yale-2010, Have you spotted Xerochrysum Searching for a yak? Look up! Yaks ihearthorses.com/all-about-the-zorse-and-other-zebra- hybrids, a-z-animals.com/animals/zorse, Bracteatum growing wild along live at the highest altitude of any globaldogbreeds.com/Yoranian, wagwalking.com/breed/yoranian, roadsides and in fields across mammal. Don’t worry! They are www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/who-invented-the-zipper, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Sundback, Massachusetts and Connecticut? well-prepared for life in their cold ehomerecordingstudio.com/best-xylophones, This flowering plant, native to habitat. You might consider their www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298557- d321017-Reviews- Australia, is commonly known as dense undercoat as long The_Museum_of_Qin_Terra_cotta_Warriors_and_Horses- Xi_an_Shaanxi, www.chinahighlights.com/xian/xian-facts, the Golden Everlasting. It also was underwear. It is covered with dark www.globalexchange.es/en/currencies-of-the-world/yen, globalheartbeattravel.com/facts-about-zurich, given the name Strawflower brown or black outer hair that www.abudhabitalking.com/10-things-you-need-to-know- about-yanni-before-his-performance-in-abu-dhabi, because its bracts are soft and dry – almost reaches the ground. Yaks www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/zeus, a-z- animals.com/animals/x-ray-tetra, very similar to straw. This annual or can survive temperatures of -40 gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/xerochrysum/bract eatum, onekindplanet.org/animal/x-ray-tetra, perennial shrub can grow up to 3- degrees Fahrenheit. In extreme atozflowers.com/flower/xerochrysum/#:~:text=Interesting feet tall. Xerochrysum Bracteatum cold, the adult females will huddle %20facts%20about%20Xerochrysum, kids.kiddle.co/Xerochrysum_bracteatum, are popular cut flowers that can be together keeping their calves warm onekindplanet.org/animal/yak, www.yonkersny.gov/live/about-yonkers/rich-history, added to fresh arrangements. They and protected. Their firm, dense mobile-cuisine.com/did-you-know/zucchini-fun-facts, foodchannel.com/2009/top-10-zucchini-fun-facts also maintain their size, shape, and horns can break through crusty color when dried. snow to reach plants to feed on.