End-of-Summer Harvest of Charming Realities

August is the month of abundance. Farm stands are heaped with tender sweet corn and peaches so gloriously fragrant you can smell them from down the block.

The month of two full moons this year. Summer’s grand finale. This is when we cram in one more day at the beach or weekend camping trip before getting back to business. It’s also (we’ve just learned) national Happiness Happens Month when everybody is encouraged to focus on the positive aspects of life, however simple.

To that end, we bring you this end-of-August harvest of fun, happy facts to top off your summer celebrations. Enjoy reading them from your beach chair or hammock!

When you were born, you were, briefly, among the 4.5 youngest people on the planet.

nastuffa/Envato Elements

Gene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon, wrote his daughter Tracy’s initials, "TDC," in the dust on the moon’s surface before boarding the lunar module to head home.

Harrison Schmitt

If you fake laugh long enough, you'll actually start to laugh for real.

Godisable Jacob/Pexels

Gentoo penguins propose by giving their prospective mate a pebble.

Daily Record/PA

A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.

Pexels

Baby puffins are called "pufflings."

BBC Earth

The official "Space Jam" movie website hasn't changed since it launched in 1996.

Spacejam.com

Cows have best friends.

fotyma/Envato Elements

Blind people smile even though they’ve never seen anyone else smile.

AnnaStills/Envato Elements

Rats laugh when tickled.

Imgur.com

People who volunteer live longer.

Meals on Wheels Sarasota, FL

Iktsuarpok is an Inuit word for that attentiveness you have when you're waiting for someone to arrive.

Chalabala/Envato Elements

Voice actors who portrayed Mickey and Minnie Mouse got married in real life in 1981.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse voice actors Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor. Photo by Frank Anzalone

Looking at pictures of cute animals can make you more productive.

ddem/Pexels

Babies laugh long before they learn how to speak.

Arunachal Art /Unsplash

Night rainbows are real. They’re called moonbows.

WherezJeff/Flickr

A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope.

Jean Beaufort/Publicdomainpictures.net

When playing with female puppies, male puppies will often let them win, even if they have a physical advantage.

Hilary Halliwell/Pexels

The Beatles used "love" 613 times in their songs.

Beatles 4 Roger/Flickr

Switzerland banned guinea pigs from living alone because they're so sociable.

sglazkova/Envato Elements

Crows drop nuts on the street and wait for passing cars to crack them open.

arbyreed/Flickr

Window washers at many children's hospitals delight kids by dressing up like superheroes.

UCLAHealth.org

Otters hold hands when sleeping so they don’t drift away from each other.

Joe Mindluge/Flickr

Laughing for about 10 minutes can burn between 10 and 40 calories.

Okkult Motion Pictures

Header photo: biletskiy/Envato Elements

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