Here's some fun facts regarding grilling, courtesy of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association:

When we barbecue 

The most popular holidays for barbecuing are, in order, July 4th (71 percent), Memorial Day (57 percent), and Labor Day (55 percent).

What we barbecue

The most popular foods for cooking on the grill are, in order: burgers (85 percent), steak (80 percent), hot dogs (79 percent) and chicken (73 percent).
The side dishes most commonly prepared on the grill are, in order, corn (41 percent), potatoes (41 percent), and other vegetables (32 percent).
The most popular flavors of barbecue sauce are hickory, followed by mesquite, honey, and then spicy-hot.

How we barbecue

There are about as many styles of barbecuing as there are opinions - everyone's got their own! Generally speaking, though, there are barbecue styles that dominate in different regions of the country. In the Carolinas, they can't agree whether sauce should be vinegar, mustard or tomato based, but they can agree on the meat the sauce goes on - pork. In the Deep South, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Louisiana, you'll find that Cajun cuisine has had a strong influence. Regardless of whether you're barbecuing beef brisket, pork ribs, rabbit, or trout, chances are your taste buds will get a kick from a spicy marinade, sauce, or rub. In other parts of the South, pork also rules. In sunny California, lighter fare such as salmon is king of the grill. The Midwest is a barbecue hotbed - if you can't find a meat and sauce combination you like in Kansas City, you can't find it anywhere.

Our Utensils

The most popular barbecue utensils are long-handled tongs (77 percent), followed by forks (64 percent), long handled spatulas (59 percent), and then grill cleaning brushes (63 percent).

Our Fuels

Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania patented a design for charcoal briquettes in 1897. After World War I, the Zwoyer Fuel Company built charcoal briquette manufacturing plants in the United States with plants in Buffalo, NY and Fall River, MA.

There are stories circulating that Henry Ford invented the very first briquette in 1920 with the help of Thomas Edison. However, the 1897 patent obviously predates this and Ford and Edison both knew Zwoyer.

Natural lump charcoal costs a bit more than charcoal briquettes, but it burns hotter, which means you use less – and partially burned natural lump charcoal can be reused. Briquettes work better for long cooking periods and they produce more consistent heat.

It’s easy to check how much propane is remaining in your tank. When using a gas grill, be sure to regularly check how much propane remains in your tank.   There are several accessories on the market that can easily monitor your propane level without lifting the propane tank. Better yet, keep a full, spare propane tank handy so you never run out of fuel.

Barbecue History

There is no definitive history about how the word “barbecue” originated – or why it’s sometimes used as a noun, verb, or adjective. Some say the Spaniards get the credit for the word, derived from their “barbacoa” which is an American-Indian word for the framework of green wood on which foods were placed for cooking over hot coals. Others think the French were responsible, offering the explanation that when the Caribbean pirates arrived on our Southern shores, they cooked animals on a spit-like devise that ran from “whiskers to tail” or “de barbe a` queue.”

Competition barbecuing is one of the hottest hobbies in the country with hundreds of cook-offs held throughout all 50 states. The biggest and most famous are Memphis in May and The American Royal in Kansas City. Both cities stake their claim to being the barbecue capital of the U.S.

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The Goodall City Library in Ogallala is again hosting a summer reading program.  Here's the details:

Youth Summer Reading Program Run dates:
Preschool through next year’s Kindergartners  - Tuesdays 10am to 11am Starts June 5th
First Graders and up – Wednesdays 10am to 11am Starts June 6th
New Programs running each week till Finale which will be Tuesday, July 17th.
2012 Theme = Dream Big

Adult Summer Reading Program Run dates:
Wednesdays June 6th through June 27th 1pm to 2pm
Open to all adults – no pre-registration, features speakers and presentations on various topics
2012 Theme = Between the Covers

Segment 1 - Chef Lalanne: 
Segment 2 - Goodall City Library Summer Reading Program: 

(Image courtesy of Stock.xchng)