Fast Facts Royal Treatment Bits and bobs about the British royalty ▶ Queen Elizabeth II had her shoes broken in by others before wearing them. ▶ In order to prevent forgeries, family members are not allowed to sign autographs. ▶ Princess Diana’s wedding dress contained more than 10,000 pearls. ▶ The King does not require a passport for international travel. ▶ The Royal family cannot support a particular British political party. ▶ Queen Elizabeth II purposely wore bright colours so that crowds could see her. ▶ Before taking the throne, King Charles III was nicknamed the pampered prince. ▶ Princess Anne was the first royal family member to compete in the Olympic Games. ▶ The monarch is the only person in the U.K. who can drive without a licence. ▶ Prince Harry’s real name is Henry. ▶ The royal family’s last name is Mountbatten-Windsor. ▶ Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis in her lifetime. “I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” L.M. Montgomery Random ▶ Female lions do 90 per cent of the hunting for their prides. ▶ The letter “J” was the last to be added to the English alphabet. ▶ Women tend to blink more often than men. ▶ A group of owls is called a parliament. ▶ The sun is about 400 times larger than the moon. ▶ More than 60 per cent of the world’s lakes are located in Canada. ▶ Allodoxaphobia is the fear of other people’s opinions. ▶ The specks on strawberries are single seeds called achenes. ▶ Lemons float in water, whereas limes sink. ▶ People once ate arsenic to improve their skin. ▶ Sudan has more pyramids than any other country in the world. ▶ All mammals get goosebumps. ▶ Finland has more saunas than cars. ▶ The human brain burns about 400 to 500 calories per day. ▶ Approximately 10 per cent of people are left-handed. Star Struck Canadian actresses nominated for Academy Awards ▶ Mary Pickford 1929 (Coquette) ▶ Norma Shearer 1930 (The Divorcee) ▶ Marie Dressler 1931 (Min and Bill) ▶ Deanna Durbin 1938 (Three Smart Girls) ▶ Genevieve Bujold 1969 (Anne of a Thousand Days) ▶ Meg Tilly 1985 (Agnes of God) ▶ Kate Nelligan 1991 (The Prince of Tides) ▶ Anna Paquin 1993 (The Piano) ▶ Jennifer Tilly 1995 (Bullets Over Broadway) ▶ Ellen Page 2008 (Juno) “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” Jenny Han Sunflower Facts ▶ Most yellow sunflowers grow to be 12 to 16 feet tall. ▶ The species also includes a dwarf variety. ▶ In addition to yellow, there are also red and purple varieties. ▶ There are nearly 70 different species. ▶ Guinness World Records lists the tallest-ever sunflower at 30 feet. ▶ Native North Americans originally cultivated them as a food source. ▶ Young sunflowers track the sun. ▶ Mature ones face east. ▶ Sunflowers are part of the daisy family. ▶ Thousands of tiny flowers create the sunflower head. ▶ The plants are resilient and hardy. ▶ In many cultures, they are a symbol of posterity. ▶ They are great for pollinators. ▶ Sunflower petals can be used to make a natural yellow or orange dye. ▶ They are used in bird and livestock feed. ▶ They can be processed into flour. ▶ Sunflower seeds are used in the cosmetic industry. Answers to Outside the Box puzzles from page 50 1. A million thanks 2. Rite of passage 3. Light bulb 4. Mother-in-law 5. Incorrect 6. Done to a crisp 54 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx