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Day 133 – The California Manatee Bear Spoon

This spoon is a souvenir of the great state of California, featuring the state animal, the, uh…manatee bear? It appears to have a single large flipper in the back for navigating large bodies of water, and one single leg in the front for walking on land. 

Do not confuse this animal with the California Grizzly, which appears on the California State flag. The Bear Flag first flew in 1846 (during the Bear Flag Revolt, naturally) as a symbol of the short-lived California republic. The star above the bear’s head is taken from the California Lone Star Flag of 1836.


Fun fact: the California State flag is one of only four state flags which doesn’t contain the color blue. (Alabama, New Mexico, and Maryland are the other three.)

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Day 86 – The Seward’s Day Spoon

Happy Seward’s Day, Alaska! 

This legal state holiday, observed on the last Monday in March each year, takes its name from William H. Seward, who, as Secretary of State, negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia 150 years ago on March 30, 1867*. 

To celebrate Alaska’s sesquicentennial, here’s a spoon with a little enamel Alaska flag at the very top, courtesy of my mother-in-law, Margie, who still lives there.

*Seward’s Day should not be confused with Alaska Day, which marks the formal transfer of control of Alaska from Russia to the United States.