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♪ yeah! >> thank you very much! it is fun day monday, may 28th. hoda's excited! >> well, because we have the party band with us on memorial day. this is incredible. it is a group from quantico -- that's where you guys are from? >> where exactly? >> quantico, virginia. yeah. >> what do they call you? sweet lips. zachary. why do you call you guys the party band? >> obviously, we just like to have fun and party. we entertain -- >> for a living. >> for a living. this is what we get to do. >> you guys are really in show

business, basically. >> it's a pretty easy job. >> well, happy memorial day. >> thank you for your service to our country. >> happy memorial day, guys. thanks, hon. >> i guess we just say bye-bye to the party band because we have some other guys coming up. thank you all very, very much. >> see you, sweet lips. >> careful. >> darn cute but unfortunately very young. almost illegal. >> a lot of people think of memorial day and they see it as the first three-day weekend, it's the beginning, the unofficial start of summer, you're going to get your first little suntan on maybe. >> depending on where you live and all that stuff. but we really should pause to remember where all of this started. and that was with the civil war. it was a response to the 620,000 soldiers who died during the civil war. just a -- well. it became official on may 5th, 1868 when general logan, who was a commander of the grand army of the republic, which was an organization of union veterans, issued ordered to set aside may 30th for the very strict purpose of decorating the graves of the comrades who had died in defense of their country.

>> it was originally called decoration day and it was about decorating the graves. then the name got changed to memorial day in 1967. and customarily what happens on memorial day is you fly the flag at half staff until noon and then you raise it all the way up to the top in the sunset. >> i have never known that. i've been doing it wrong all these years. i didn't mean to. so we'll definitely do that right today! >> well, you know what else it means. because when it's memorial day it's also -- >> fleet week! which is thousands of sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen and women from the u.s. navy and the u.s. coast guard ships will be in manhattan for the entire week of fleet week. >> until the show "sex and the city" i was completely unfamiliar with fleet week. >> you didn't happen to notice that there were thousands and thousands of uniformed people in the streets, hoda? >> well, "sex and the city's" been around for a little bit. and when you saw the show, i was like oh, what is this thing these new york girls are all after? and then i got it. i understood. >> it took "sex and the city"? >> it did.

>> that's sad on so many, many, many levels. >> no, she taught me a lot. so anyway, it's been fleet week since 1984, and it really is a lot of fun. it's fun to see one, just all the men and women in the military just sort of dressed and walk around. it's just a great kind of festive time in the city. >> it is. and the basis of it all is the somber realization of how many people have given a sacrifice for our nation. i never understood why my grandma had been so bitter and so broken until i saw "saving private ryan." she lost her husband and a son and another son wounded during that war and -- you know, it brought it home to me, as it brings it home to so many of us watching today. god bless all the families and then god bless everyone who's made that ultimate sacrifice for us. >> we also have another fine group of young men -- >> yes, but they seem a little lost in time. >> these are four shipmates, dressed in historically accurate

attire based on the members of the revenue cutter service which was -- predates our modern-day coast guard. >> look how they're dressed. >> i know. this is what they would have worn in 1812. they're also carrying obviously different versions of the u.s. flag and coast guard ensign from 1812. but you know what? you know how i think things through, hoda? >> ceo. what are you thinking right now? >> those pants are just not convenient for warfare. i mean, they didn't have tidy whites then. you don't wear white out in the battlefield, do you? >> people will spot you. it's not great. but you know. >> all right. >> they're very serious. they can't hear us. >> and if you happen to see them around as you're walking through new york, just say hello to our guys. and we should talk a little bit about a survey. because a lot of people are traveling this weekend and they're making their summer plans as well. >> 68% of people plan to take a summer vacation this year and most people are driving because, again, vacations are expensive. they tell you that the best thing to do is to book like a

hotel and an airfare together because you save -- >> a package. >> you save a bunch of money. some people are going the other way and just doing staycations where they hang around at home and pretend they're in hawaii. >> your back yard. >> so we have some worst vacation memories. >> these are good. okay. this may have happened to you. you were all excited about your vacation and you get there and everything goes wrong. so this is someone's vacation bad memory. they arrived at the hotel they had booked to find out it was up for auction. >> what are you going to do? >> not great. >> one person was on a vacation in the florida keys during a hurricane. and if you know that area, there is one road out and it's very, very crowded. not fun at all. >> this is terrible. coming home to find out that this person had been replaced at work. >> it happens. at least they got a nice vacation. >> heyish that's terrible. >> one person was smart enough to drive through death valley in august with no air conditioning in the car. >> how about the person who got left at the grand canyon? >> macaulay culkin?

and then there was the guy who took the trip with the five and four kids in the car for five weeks and 10,000 miles. that's just wrong. >> and the couple that stayed in the hotel and it was a bed infested with bedbugs. that grosses me out. i'm paranoid about that kind of stuff now. >> yeah. >> and then one woman's son was skunked by a skunk -- sprayed by a skunk. so that was fun. you know how long it takes to get that smell out of something? >> i hate that -- when you're driving on a long road trip and you smell -- >> imagine a skunk actually doing it to your dog or your son. i know. >> nasty. that is some -- >> but there are places to take your dogs and your children who've been skunked. >> what do you do with your pets on vacation? >> a lot of people feel more guilty about leaving their pets than they do leaving their children on a vacation. >> we never had pets. we weren't allowed when we were kids. we weren't allowed. because my dad said we already had three animals, me, my

brother and sister. >> he had a point. >> but we never had any dogs. did you guys take your dog with you when you went on vacation? >> we had a dog named zorro. he was all black like zorro. we didn't go on vacation really then. we went to rehobeth up for the summer times and he went with. >> if you're wondering where people are headed this summer, we have -- >> this surprised me. >> these are the top cities where people are going. most people are heading not for the beach but for cities for vixes. according to tripadvisor.com. >> top three -- chicago. lovely town but -- all right. number two is -- >> las vegas, nevada. >> thanks to "the hangover." number one, we're going to be very busy saying hello to tourists this summer because it's new york city. >> the other destinations are of course the ocean, the national parks, and the lakes. >> okay. anything else? this is neat. >> what? >> we have this demonstration here. >> we have to do our favorite things.

>> this is one of my favorite. favorite things. you go ahead. i'll do it. this is a seaside tote beach bag by mudpie.com. $19.50. look what's in it. it's so cute. it's got, first of all, an adorable little -- >> cute! >> it's got -- well, you've got to buy these things separately. but they're adorable. it's got these adorable little magnets that you can put on your drinks. then it's got this little cosmetic case. and these adorable little jelly striped -- >> oh, those are cute! >> 18 bucks. the wine glass was $22.50. the wine identifiers are like $8.50. i think just adorable, right? >> i love it. very cute. so mine is i love wearing -- there's a certain bracelet i enjoy wearing a lot, and it felt kind of summery because it's a little ropy and it's kind of fun. it's a bracelet by jennifer miller. it's 125 bucks. but you know what i love?

you can wear it with anything, like a white t-shirt and jeans, a dress, it is ropey, it's right on their website. jennifermiller.com. >> it's so gorgeous. >> sara, what do you have? >> i kind of stayed in the same family as you. i'm doing jewelry as well. this is a ring by lia sophia. it's about $58 on liasophia.com. i find all of their jewelry looks like it should be more but it is somewhat affordable so i just love their stuff. >> we have a really great group with us. it's the coast guard silent drill team. and they've come here from alexandria, virginia. they're actually in our studio with us. and they are an honor guard and they are going to do a demonstration for us. it's a short demonstration. it usually takes 15 minutes. and it's just so you know performed completely silently. and they're going to show us a little bit of this.

>> at ease. >> wow! oh, i'm sorry.

now you're going to kind of show us a few of your maneuvers, your moves? >> yes, ma'am. >> tell us your name. >> i'm petty officer hammersmith. drill master of the ceremonial silent drill team. >> okay. >> you're the big silent type. >> yes, you are. >> yes, ma'am. >> all right. will you show us a few moves? >> absolutely. >> oh, with that? okay. >> all righty, then. >> get a little hands on. >> we have a beautiful lady here. >> the first one here, we'll just go from -- it will be from standing here at ease. >> i like that. that's good. >> and then attention. just like that. so go from here and then attention. and that's with the rifle. and then -- >> is that it? >> that's it. then we'll do one more, it will just be a real simple -- >> piece of cake. >> standing at attention. hand salute. ready, two. really basic. >> you definitely gave us take

it easy ones. how long did it take guys to learn that entire routine? >> it usually takes -- it's a self-paced learning process. the individuals learn it at their own pace. >> who was the slowest? raise your hand. you know who -- oefsh's pointing. >> it takes a big man to be honest like that. good for you. >> you guys, thank you so much for coming to see us. >> thank you, silent ones over there, too. we really appreciate it. thanks, guys. >> all right. happy memorial day to everybody. up next, one of our favorite guys, eduardo verastegui is with us today. us e's got a new movie comingoe ouab.l he'souoing to tell us all about it. attention - americans living with limited mobility. what do you do when you can no longer get around like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair.

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[ female announcer ] from special occasions to unplanned thursdays, it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™. how much coffee are you fellows going to need today? three...four cups? [dumbfounded] well, we... doesn't last long does it? listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. so you can get a lot done without refills. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so don't just stand there holding your lattes, boys. make your move. we'll take the 5-hour energy. smart move. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy. singer, model, actor and all-around sweetheart eduardo verastegui. >> he is starring in a new movie called "for greater glory" based

on a true story about the war in mexico. let's take a look. >> i say we support the rebellion. >> they'll need food, medicine. >> and ammunition. >> we can support them. with communication. but we will not fight. >> so good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> your movie's very moving. i was not aware of this. it was basically in 1926 a it was basically in 1926 a war i didn't even know about. tell bus it. >> i didn't know either. >> and you're mexican! >> a few years ago somebody asked me in los angeles, so, why don't do you a movie about the gustero war? what are you talking about? you're from mexico. it was embarrassing for me because then i find out eventually that many of my friends didn't know either because the government took that

information out of public schools and i went to public school. >> in all the history books. >> yes. therefore, nobody knows. so this is the untold story now told on the big screen for the first time. >> great cast, too, by the way, huh? >> it was a crackdown on religious freedom. they basically took the catholic church away from the catholic people and said you can't be catholic anymore basically. >> this film is an action epic film about the men and women who were not afraid to defend something bigger than themselves, something -- you know, their faith. and when the president of mexico at that time, he started religious persecution against the catholic church where 90,000 people died in this horrible war. >> and nuns and priests were slaughtered. >> if you were catholic, it was bad. they were killing you -- they would kill you. >> it is a really fascinating subject but your career's certainly been on a crazy ride. back in the day, honey, you were in a little band called -- what was that band called? >> oh, my gosh. >> let's walk down memory lane a second, shall we? >> let's just take a peek at you back in the day. >> that was a long time ago.

oh, my gosh. what is this? >> what is this? >> is that you? little boy band action happening there. >> wow. this is many, many years ago. before you were born. >> what year? do you remember? >> that was -- wow. that was -- i was 19 years old. i'm 38 right now. so do the math. >> unbelievable. >> that's actually, how i started my career, singing in this boy band for almost ten years. >> then you went on to dot telenovela. you became a big star. and then you became a model. >> with j. lo? for her video. >> let's see some of this. >> what is this? >> i'm sorry. >> aye, aye, aye. >> that was flamenco, huh? >> you really -- wow. >> when they called me they told me you know jennifer lopez wants you in her video, do you know how to dance flamenco? i said yes, of course. they taught me in acting school to say yes to everything.

so i say yes. >> it looked like you knew what you were doing though. >> we're so happy for your career path. >> i just want to say something on my hair. do you have any complaints about this hair? it was kathie. >> i had to get my hands in it downstairs. >> she did it. she said i want messy. and then she said don't touch it. any complaints you go with her. it was not my idea. >> it does look a little insane. >> this is my little baby brother. >> do you like it? >> i love it. this is a very moving film, and it's very, very personal to eduardo, too, because he makes a huge stand for his fade. >> today memorial day to honor american heroes. well, this is about the mexican heroes who gave their very lives for religious freedom. >> this movie, "greater glory," opens this friday in theaters nationwide. congratulations, eduardo. >> up next, we announce our "fan of the week." we're going to fix his hair now. it is monday and this means >> it could be you. ♪

so every year my family throws this great reunion in austin. but this year, i can only afford one trip and i've always wanted to learn how to surf. austin's great -- just not for surfing. so i checked out hotwire. and by booking with them, i saved enough to swing both trips. see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day so they can guarantee their low prices. that's how i got a 4-star hotel on the beach in san diego for half price. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com ball. ball. [ crack of bat ] [ male announcer ] hanging out with cal has its benefits... so does taking one a day men's. go to stayinthegame.com to enter for a chance to meet me and watch the 2013 mlb all star game.

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it is monday and that means it is time to reveal our "fan of the week." >> who is the lucky person this week, sara? >> this week our lucky fan is kelly rains from morrisville, pennsylvania. >> you're kidding me. it's kelly? >> who watches us every day on nbc 10 philadelphia. while kelly loves the whole "today" show cast you two are her favorites because of the genuine happiness you bring to her day. even her rescue dog marley watches. >> aw, marley. >> "bobbie's buzz" has inspired kelly to think of herself as a beautiful strong woman. >> good. >> she had a knee injury last year. was really down about it but watching joy's fit club motivated her to get back into running. she recently completed a half marathon. good for you. it felt like you two were cheering her along the whole way. and she wants to thank you for bringing her stories that inspire her to be the best person she can be. >> aw. >> so congratulations, kelly. you and a friend are heading south to port st. lucie, florida where you'll enjoy a four-night stay at club med sandpiper bay.

the trip includes all dining including snacks and non-motorized watersports at the resort. two massages and round trip airfare for two, hotel and airfare were provided by club med. >> i wonder if she'll bring marley! >> you could paddleboard with him. >> thank you so much. still ahead -- are we there yet? how to keep your kids busy while you're traveling home today. plus the latest inductee into the joy fit club who is now, get this, less than half her size. and all-american animals including a few you might find in your own back yard. >> all of that after your local news.

♪ every day is a winding road we are back on this monday with "today's" travel and gadgets to keep your kids busy. >> if you're one of the 34 million americans traveling around today, you might be worried about how your kids are going to handle those long periods of waiting time. >> "travel & leisure" magazine's

digital projects editor sara spagnuolo is here with lots of help to make everybody's trip enjoyable. >> we've never done a segment with you standing up. we didn't know you were so tall. >> we have a lot of great finds to keep your kids busy this holiday weekend. >> what is happening here with little jean? >> so this is the melissa & doug trunkie. what i love about this is it's a carry-on. it holds up to 75 pounds of your kids' stuff. you can store it in the airplane. you can have them ride it. they can cover it with stickers. you can see jean loves it. so much fun. great way to pack up your kids. >> how much for that one? >> this starts at $34.95. >> good job, jean. >> good girl. thank you. >> this is for older kids. this is the travel kiddie kid's travel journal. it's $10. what i love about this is that kids can keep a record of what they're doing on their vacation. then they can look back so it's like a personal souvenir. >> here's another thing for older kids, which is the head-to-head brain races.

you give it to siblings in the back seat. they rip it apart. it comes with pencils. they can do mazes. it keeps them busy. makes them concentrate on the road. >> these look like fun. >> these are the colorforms. they're celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. they were fun then. they're fun now. 350 vinyl stick-ons. you put them here on the vinyl. do you want to try it, elizabeth? so you go like this, and you can create all sorts of shapes. >> wow. >> they come with fun pockets with dora and some fun new characters. kids loved them then. they love them now as i said. this set is $40 but here they're even less expensive. >> good job, elizabeth. you are great. >> the budding artist ella is showing us here -- so is jean. >> jean is like i'm still on tv. okay? >> this kid's travel easel. they can channel their inner monet. they can paint what they see on vacation. in the back seat. take it to grandma's. it comes with all those markers

and the chalk and the erasers. it also doubles as a desk and as a table. which leads me to my next item here which you know, it's always important to bring food when you travel. you can fill this up. this is the contigo kid's trekker cup. it's a step up from a sippy cup but you can make sure the kids don't spill in the car or on an airplane. and these are great. the lean green lunch cubes. you pack up some snacks that your kids love. stay organized in the car or on an airplane. especially now that airlines aren't offering food. a great tip is to make sure your kids have some snacks they love so they're full and happy when you travel. then last, but not least, these are the kids gear volume limit headphones, actually approved for kids 2 and up. they're affordable. just $30. you can limit the amount they listen so it doesn't hurt their ears. >> they're not going to hurt their little developing ears. >> exactly. it's compatible with apple

products, your ipad, iphone. you can make sure they're watching movies. again you can concentrate on what you need to get through the airport. 1.2% increase in travel this memorial day weekend. so you can concentrate on what you need to do and make sure the kids are happy. >> thank you, sara. >> kids got bored in the past. there's no excuse for kids to get bored today. there's so much more for them to do. thank you, sara. up next, wait until you see her now. the latest inductee into the "joy fit club," who lost, get this, 183 pounds. >> god bless her. [ lane ] youis gone.rinkle cream but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatog

i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! another cup of coffee?fast. how long is this one going to last? forty-five minutes? an hour? well... listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. take one in the afternoon, and you'll feel alert and energized 'til the cows come home. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so what's it going to be, partner? 5-hour energy. wise choice. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy.

time for "look at me now the joy fit club" and the induction of its newest member. >> marissa martin, a 46-year-old mom and nanny from alexandria, virginia who lost a whopping 183 pounds. >> wow. >> but before we meet her, let's take a look at her incredible story. >> hi. my name is marissa.

i grew up in a loving household with nine siblings. my family was always getting together for celebrations and there was always lots of food. i would enjoy two or three servings of everything at these parties. most of it being high calorie. being a full-time nanny, i always found time to eat on the job. i ate with the kids at every meal. everything from macaroni and cheese to chicken nuggets. the kids would eat fruit, but i just wasn't interested in uncooked produce. i wanted to be more active as a nanny, but it was a struggle to run around with the kids since i was so large. i even found that i couldn't fit into a regular size seat at the movie theater. when i reached 347 pounds, i decided to make a change. i wanted to lose weight for myself, my daughter jada and for the kids i nannied. i went from being inactive to exercising every day. a year and a half ago i would have never eaten raw spinach. i mean, who likes raw spinach? but now it is a favorite

ingredient in my salad. 188 pounds lighter, i've never felt more alive. i am a better nanny and mother. all i can say is i love the new me. >> can't wait to meet the new her. but before we ask marisa to come out we're here with "today's" nutrition editor and leader of "the joy fit club," our girl, joy bauer. >> you're going to love this woman. i know i say this every single week. what's cool about her and she's very atypical is that she doesn't have any of that emotional head connection that a lot of women that we bring on this show had. she grew up in this home that loved to eat the wrong food. when she went to the doctor and he said, hey, you've got to lose some weight, she had no idea what to do because she had no education in the health arena. so people around her community joined forces and jumped in and helped her. >> what was she doing wrong? >> her friend carol showed her how to prep lighter foods. in the past she was using three tablespoons of mayonnaise in her

tuna. 500 calories. now thanks to carol she only uses one teaspoon, about 100 calories. her daughter jada and her boyfriend kenny make sure that she always has her favorite healthy foods in the apartment or in her fridge and pantry. and her boss, kathy, got her a membership to a gym as a holiday gift and then renewed it the next year when she saw that she was doing such an incredible job. >> that is just amazing. wow. >> i think it's time. let's bring her out. >> let's show her before picture real quick. here's marissa. come out, marissa, let's see the new you. >> oh, my god! oh, i'm sorry, fancy. >> where is marissa? >> bring her out! >> wow. >> you look great! >> how are you? i'm so glad that you're here. how long did it take to you lose all that weight? >> 16 months. >> man.

and i know a lot of people, it's memorial day, people have probably eaten terribly all weekend and they don't want to get started but how did you just jump-start yourself and say it's time? >> well, i went to the doctor and i had a lot of deaths due to diabetes in my family. and the doctor said you're going to be at risk. >> scared you a little. >> exactly. >> but what happens when you go to all those family events now? is everybody else sort of taking the cue and eating a little healthier? >> no. but i tend to take my own food. >> your own food. good for you. >> well, hats off to your friend carol who's back here who was so instrumental in helping you. >> yeah, carol. >> carol, thanks. >> thank you very much, marissa. happy for you. up next, some would say there is no better way to celebrate memorial day than with all-american wild animals. but i just wouldn't be one of them. anyway, that's right after this. ♪ born inhe u sa♪

hi. i'm meteorologist kim cunningham with a look at the next seven days. and we're looking at of course our tropical system, what's left of it anyway, making its way tonight up into southern georgia. and eventually impacting folks in north carolina with some very heavy rain right along the coast. the other big story this week is a cold front moving east that will bring in maybe some strong storms to the northeast for tuesday. the travel headaches are expecting in this area. the heat wave just about done for some of us across the upper midwest. as that keld front comes through, notice the temperatures in chicago. 84 degrees on tuesday. 95. that was a record. two days in a row we had records. the cold air making its way toward you. but ahead of the cold front temperatures in the 80s. washington and new york city. here it is on wednesday along the coast, still some tropical moisture left over as well. and then our next front begins to move in from the west. that'll bring some more showers

and thunderstorms to the northern plains. now, temperatures there looking in the 50s and 60s. so really not conducive to severe storms. chicago now 63 degrees. that's a huge change for you guys. all right. 95 in dallas. houston at 94. there's the heat across the south. we're not going to feel the effects of that front coming through. all right. by thursday, this is going to start to pick up some moisture. now we're starting to see the potential of severe storms by mid-week. so watch out for this. dallas, kansas city, chicago, 58 degrees. we just keep getting cooler. now, this heads to the east coast by friday. it's just in time for your weekend. expecting temperatures much cooler even in atlanta with the 70s. saturday in the northeast dealing with some of those showers. the plains staying dry, though, at 79 degrees. 86 into denver. northwest we'll see a little bit of rain. all right. make sure you tune in to "wake up with al" weekdays at 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. they'll also be giving you your stghcaouthhrt ekou te .we going to need today?

three...four cups? [dumbfounded] well, we... doesn't last long does it? listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. so you can get a lot done without refills. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so don't just stand there holding your lattes, boys. make your move. we'll take the 5-hour energy. smart move. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy. [ female announcer ] from special occasions to unplanned thursdays, it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™. ♪ ♪ only you ♪ ♪ only you ♪ ♪ is all i see of you

time for "today's call of the wild" with all-american animals for memorial day. national wildlife federation naturalist david mizajuski is back with some wild animals that call our nation their home. >> you may even find a few of these fun creatures in your own backyard. >> hopefully not. >> oh, come on. look at how cute this is. this is a beaver. an american beaver. this is one of the sort of threatened declining species success stories. these guys were once almost hunted to extinction in america. we destroyed their habitat. but now because of good conservation these guys are found in all 50 states except hawaii. >> that's bigger than i would have imagined a beaver to be. >> you can gently -- yeah. feel how soft that fur is. she's about 40 pounds. beavers can get to be as much as 100 pounds, so they can get much, much bigger. check out the tail. >> oh, my gosh. >> they use that tail to swim.

yeah. they're aquatic. this is the largest rodent in north america. >> it's a rodent? >> yeah. >> you're a full-figured girl. >> speaking of animals that could show up in your back yard, sometimes beavers do get into cities and towns and they build their dams and they cause flooding. >> it's not their fault. they're doing what they do naturally. >> if we plan smartly we can work around it. >> thank you, dave mizajuski. >> these guys are just babies. i know you guys are going to be brave. and let's see. you guys want to hold them? this is a baby wolf. yeah, go ahead. these guys are 5 weeks old. now, you just want to be careful because their nails are a little bit sharp. >> and stinky, too. >> these guys are another animal found all across the northern hemisphere. in north america they were once found throughout all of the lower 48 states. we wiped them out, too. and unlike the beaver these guys are struggling to come back. in alaska they're still doing well but in most parts of the lower 48 these guys are still in trouble. national wildlife federation worked to get these guys re-introduced into the

yellowstone ecosystem back in the '90s and they're thriving there but in lots of other places they're still in big trouble. >> how big can they be? >> they can be as little as 60 pounds or if you get up into the northern populations they can be over 100. and these guys are pack animals. they're going to live together for their whole life. and in the wild they hunt together cooperatively. that's how they get along. >> that's so sweet. >> mine looks completely uncomfortable. i wonder why. that's very strange. >> another example of -- >> is that an owl? >> no. it's a hawk. a red-tailed hawk. another example of sort of backyard wildlife. this is the kind of hawk that is flying around new york city. you could see these guys. you see the rusty-colored tail over here. >> it is actually beautiful. >> that's where they get that name, red tailed hawk. it's one of the largest hawk species. check out those talons. >> that's you why wear the gloves. >> yeah. that's what they use to kill their prey. these guys are important predators of rodents and things

like that. you want them around in the ecosystem. they're totally beautiful. and again, they can live in surprisingly urban areas. >> how big of a prey do they -- these guys come flying around my house. my little bambino weighs six pounds. >> that's probably a little bit too big for a hawk like this. although they do sometimes go after rabbits and things like that. if you have a small dog, you never want it leave it unattended because wildlife sometimes will take advantage of that. >> yeah. >> okay. >> we have one more thing. >> yeah, can we bring this guy in? >> oh. what is going on with that? >> this is one of my favorite animals. >> that's a disney movie. >> believe it or not, this is a possum. a virginia opossum. this is just a baby. just a few -- couple weeks old. and unfortunately, her mom was hit by a car. and this happened a lot. and so the message there is obviously you want to be careful about wildlife, you know, crossing the roads. it can have a big impact. luckily this little guy was saved and one of usually 13 or 14 babies. and this is the only one that was found to survive.

the key -- people think they get into your trash can and they will if you leave your trash can open or if you feed your pets outside. don't do that and you'll never have a problem with opossum or raccoon in your backyard. >> his nose is running. >> he needs his mommy to give him a kleenex. >> we do have one more animal that is on the decline as well. this is a wood turtle. >> oh, my gosh. it's swimming. >> this is a northeastern -- it's sort of a semi-aquatic species. these guys are also declining in north america. and they really need our help. they need to us protect woodland and wetland habitats. these guys are found in the northeast and in the great lake states. but check out the beautiful orange color. some animals can survive in urban areas like the red-tail hawks. other animals can't like this wood turtle. that's why we're restoring wild habitat in urban and suburban areas. >> if you see one of them around your neighborhood, should you just call local animal authorities? >> you should let it be wild. let it go on its way. animals in the wild don't need us to rescue them. and a lot of people think that.

>> dave, thank you, honey. >> thanks for coming in. >> happy memorial day. up next we get all fired up for the perfect memorial day recipes. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc.

time for "today's kitchen what's cookin'?" we're celebrating memorial day with a lesson in prepping the

perfect grilled chicken. >> joshua gaines is the chef at sayson restaurant in san francisco. he's here with a lesson for hoda. >> and you. >> just says hoda. >> for both of us! hi, hon. how you doing? >> you're making unique chicken. tell us what is unique about your dish. >> we have a raw chicken here. we're doing kind of an old drying method. >> drying out chicken. good. >> yeah. aging it in a sense. >> don't you want a moist chicken, though? >> well, on the inside. we want to get rid of the excess moisture on the outside of the skin. >> if you touch this, there is really not much moisture. >> how do you dry it out? >> hang it up to dry? >> if you just hang it up, on a rack in your fridge, then you wind up in two days, three days with a dry bird. >> okay. >> and essentially -- >> so you've got to plan ahead for this meal. >> sure. you can do it overnight if you want. >> so then what do you do? slap it on the grill?

>> put on a little grapeseed oil. >> still putting my head around the chicken just sitting there dangling. >> let's just brush a little -- >> sure, now you put moisture back. i see. you're going to brown this baby, aren't you? >> we are. we're going to grill it. >> why don't you go ahead and put that on the grill. >> season a little salt. >> i know you've got a two-minute segment, i just want to just help you out here. >> you're the end of our show, if you know what i mean. >> you could easily come around my kitchen, i think. no problem. >> really? do you know who you're talking to? >> you have no idea. >> have you seen this show? now you put a little on the grill. >> grill the grill. or oil the grill. and oil the chicken both. >> can we slap the chicken on, please, josh? >> we got a minute left. >> okay. so we got a traditional potato puree but we want to grill the potatoes. little labor day grilling -- memorial day. >> memorial day. >> what day is this? >> memorial day. >> just grill them, throw them in the pot. >> all right. >> then puree them? >> yeah.

so we have 50% grilled, 50% raw. and then we have leeks and scallions. and we have about equal parts water and chicken broth. >> after you puree it, this is what comes out? >> yeah. so as soon as it cooks tender, puree it, and -- >> all right. >> there you go. you wind up with potato puree. >> you know it's going to be our favorite part of the entire thing. come on, josh. come on back. >> so how long do you -- you leave it on the whole time? you don't take it off and rinse it? you leave it on that grill in. >> you're going to do it there until it's crispy and golden, throw it in the oven. >> oh, okay. >> should we try it? >> sure. let's get this baby going. >> we want to thank you so much, honey, for coming to see us. happy memorial day, everybody. >> yeah, what's left of it. and tomorrow, why aren't you married? don't you get tired of people saying that?