PICK OF THE WEEK: Typically a birth at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory merits a public announcement by the staff, but they've been having trouble keeping up this summer because they're averaging about 400 of them a week. As part of the Blooming Butterflies exhibit, the zoo is being sent more than 6,000 cocoons throughout the summer. When the butterflies emerge from their chrysalises, they're released in the exhibit — an indoor garden where visitors can stroll while the butterflies flit around them. The free exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Labor Day. (comozooconservatory.org)
Cheat sheet: The Olympics are forever adding sports (among this year's: kitesurfing) and dropping others (karate). Here are some sports that didn't last long.
• Croquet was played in the Olympics once, in 1930. The fact that just a couple of countries sent players didn't help, but the real deal-breaker was that only one spectator who wasn't related to a contestant showed up for the matches.
• The Plunge for Distance — a contest to see how deep a swimmer could go — was held only in 1904. The gold medal winner reached an impressive depth of 62½ feet, but the accomplishment was lost on the fans because all they saw was his initial dive into the water.
• "Motorboating" was a demonstration sport in 1900 and an official sport only in 1908. Another bust with spectators, the boats' average speed of 19 miles per hour left them out of sight for long periods as they navigated the 40-mile course.
Day by day: Can't eat all the zucchini in your garden? Monday is national Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day. Which makes us wonder: Why don't we ever have more chocolate than we can eat?
LIFE HACK: To protect your fingers while hammering, use a clothespin to hold the nail.
recommended reading: Study up on back-to-school fashion in Thursday's Variety. â–¡
JEFF STRICKLER • jeff.strickler@startribune.com
