This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

At noon and at midnight, the long and short hands of a clock are together.  Between noon and midnight, how many times does the long hand pass the short hand?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

The black bear is the smallest of all North American bears.  However, they are probably the most well known.

Here are some interesting facts about the black bear:

• Habitat:  woodlands and foothills along eastern and western U.S. and Canada.
• Diet:  vegetations, berries, fish, small mammals, honey, grubs.
• Weight:  200-600 pounds.
• Top speed:  35 mph.
• Average lifespan:  25 years.

From the forests of New Mexico comes a real story about a very famous black bear.

During the spring of 1950, an intense forest fire burned hundreds of acres in the Capitan Mountains.  Exhausted firefighters found a young bear cub, who had taken refuge in a tree.  He was badly burned, but alive.  Moved by his bravery, the firefighters named him Smokey (later to become Smokey Bear).  

Later, Smokey Bear was transferred to the National Zoo in Washington, DC, where he  remained a living symbol for wildfire prevention.  Upon his death in 1976, his remains were transported back to New Mexico for burial.

Left:  A vet cares of Smokey Bear’s wounds from the fire.  Right:  Smokey Bear appears with his namesake poster about preventing forest fires.  (courtesy of Pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Only 11 times.

The long hand passes the short hand at 12:00 noon, and between the times of 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. (a total of 11 times).  Note that the long hand does not pass the short hand between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. (it just meets the short hand at 12 a.m.).