Family or Sibling Songs #MusicMovesMe

Once again, we've reached Monday, and it's time for Music Moves Me.  

Who are the members of Music Moves Me ?  We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  Just remember our simple rule:  you must include at least one You Tube or Vimeo video or your post may be subject to removal or labeling "NO MUSIC". You are welcome to write about music. too but there must be at least one music video.

So let's get started.

Each month, we have a guest co-host.  The guest co-host for August is Stacy from Stacy Uncorked, Her theme for today is "Family or Sibling songs."

Before I begin to present my selections, I want to pay tribute to singer Trini Lopez, who passed away last week from COVID-19 at the age of 83.  Two songs immediately leapt to my mind.

If I Had a Hammer, co-written by Pete Seeger, was a hit for Lopez, reaching #3 in 1963.

Lemon Tree was a cover of a Will Holt song.  Besides Trini Lopez, this song has been covered by many artists.

I remember both of these songs from my child.  Trini Lopez, RIP.

And now, to our theme.

I don't want to pick any of the "obvious" songs but there are some really good ones out there.  Because I am an only child, and someone who lost her mother not long before I turned 13, I am also going to include a couple of tributes to parents.  My father raised me after my mother died suddenly, and had to put up with my teenaged years on his own.

I am going to start with a song I've had on my blog, but it isso good, it is going to be repeated. 

First, from Mike and the Mechanics, 1989's "The Living Years", about a son's conflicted relationship with his late father, and what he regrets now that he, himself is a father.

Elton John's 1973 hit Daniel is sung by Daniel's younger brother. There seem to be differing interpretations of the song - I would just sit back and watch the reaction at the end of the performance.

Night Ranger and 1983's "Sister Christian".  I saw them in concert several years ago, and this was one of the last songs of their set.  It was worth the wait.  This song is about the songwriter's younger sister Christy, and his feelings that she is growing up too fast.

Finally, as a (maybe strange) change of pace is a song that maybe is more about vampires than a rejected boy's longing for family.  From The Lost Boys soundtrack, performed by co-author Gerald McMahon, is 1987's Cry Little Sister.  I happen to love this song.

And that's a family wrap!

Join me again next Monday for another episode of Music Moves Me - same time, same place.

Memories of Back to School

The Back to School sales are in full swing.

The Sunday newspaper is full of ads for crayons, markers, marble notebooks, plus other necessities such as see through lunchbags, face masks and hand sanitizers.  

How can these types of ads bring back memories of growing up, when so much has changed?  But they do.  As I grow older, it seems I just want to slip back into memories sometimes, instead of moving forward.

Were things simpler in the early 1960's?

 

I remember how a rite of passage was the increasing size of my crayon box.  In elementary school, very September, I would be given a box of Crayola crayons for the school year. As I made my way through early elementary school, I worked my way up from a dozen crayon box, to 24, to 48, and finally, the coveted 64 crayon box, complete with crayon sharpener.  The smell of crayons sticks with me.  These still exist, although some of the colors have changed.

There was the back to school briefcase (we didn't use backpacks in those days), smelling heavily of leather.  I started out with marble notebooks and graduated to looseleaf (they call them "binders" where I live now) books and spiral notebooks. 

Mucilage.

Cigar boxes that served as pencil boxes.

Textbooks needed to be covered.  My parents would take brown paper from the laundry who did my Dad's shirts (a luxury my Mom used) and make book covers.  My Dad was really good at it; I never got the hang of it. I also remember book covers from the local milk delivery service with logos of New York colleges - Cornell and Colgate stick in my mind.

The day we were herded into a large room and waited to get our polio shots.

Not all the memories were pleasant.  I can remember physical discipline was used in my first grade class.  And  the fate of those who needed special education was not necessarily a good one, as I found out when I married a man whose younger brother is autistic and learned about his elementary school days. 

But some of my memories were very nice indeed.

I'm sure you have memories, too. I'd love to have you share them in the comments.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2020

I refuse to believe it is the middle of August.   Where has the summer gone?  It's time for another Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, and I hope you, my readers, are all well.

 In my Zone 5b garden in upstate New York, summer is on the downhill slide.  The days are getting noticeably shorter.  Fall is around the corner - winter squash has started to hit the farmers markets. Our garden is pumping out zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes.

And flowers are peaking.  Some bloomed inbetween July 15 and August 15, such as my astilbes. 

 

But my daylilies hung on - two of them are blooming today and have enough buds for tomorrow and maybe the next day.  Their names are lost in the mists of my terrible record keeping.

 Here's the other.

Once again I have so many flowers, I've resorted to collages for many of them.   First up, my zinnias.  I somehow missed my Tequila Lime, but here are the others.

 These include peppermint stick (first and last in the first column), White Wedding (2nd row top) and Zahara Yellow (bottom right).  

Orange.  Clockwise from upper left, Alaska nasturtium, orange cosmos, a French marigold, and blackberry lily.

White. Nicotiana and white alyssum.

Pink/Purple. Clockwise from middle, pinks, mystery (more in a minute), Guacamole hosta (which sometimes looks white to me and sometimes purple-ish) and the same flower as the right side.  Just different lighting. Sometimes, flower color depends on lighting.  This is a flower that blooms in light to moderate shade and I can't remember what it is.

 

Yellow-ish.  Bottom, My last two (literally) pansy blooms.  It's been a long run but they have succumbed to summer heat.  On top is a perennial variegated Mexican sunflower (I think) except the variegated leaves aren't right now, and Superbells Lemon Slice.

So much for the collages for now.  My tall phlox has escaped the mildew that normally plagues it by now.

 

The leaves of this tall hisbiscus have a hint of purple in them.  This plant has exploded in blooms this year.  Unfortunately, the Japanese beetles love to munch on the leaves, so it's a battle.  One of my husband's cousins insists hisbiscus won't grow where I live.  Well, they do.

I will leave you with several more collages.

At my community garden, sunflowers (I don't have room for them at home.)

From upper left: petunias, another petunia, another petunia, orange geranium and a petunia, a pink strawberry (everbearer - its fruit is small, tart but delicious), purple aster.

Come join me again September 15, when the bloggers of Carol of May Dreams Garden's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day meet again online to share their flowers with you all.  By then, my fall flowers will be in full swing.

In the meantime - please visit other GBBD'ers to see what they are presenting this month!

Stay safe, and see you soon!

The Golden Sunset #SkywatchFriday

I was relaxing at the end of the day.  No way I was going to watch the sky tonight.  Just wanted to lie there on the couch.  No way I was going out there.  Nope.  It was time to chill.

I looked out my back window and saw the sky lighting up, several minutes after sunset.  My adrenaline started to flow.  I donned sandals and went out there to get a better view.  Spouse followed me.

This is what I saw.

So we started to walk west. 

We shifted our vantage point.

Geese flew right over us.  My first picture didn't "take" but I got this parting shot.

 This is when I really knew it was going to be good.  After this, it rapidly faded.

 

A final salute from a contrail, so rare nowadays, as the sun bid us goodnight.

Worth getting off the couch for!

Joining Yogi and the other skywatching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.

Catalpa Beans #ThursdayTreeLove

 On this second Thursday of the month, I was stuck.  I would have been happy to blog about rosehips, zinnias or blueberries, but none of these are trees.

And on this second Thursday, the topic is supposed to be trees.

No problem!  On the way home from an exercise walk, I spied this tree.  A catalpa!  This is a native tree (Catalpa speciosa) with beautiful, showy, fragrant blossoms in the late spring/early summer.

 This is what they look like in bloom, but bloom time (late June) is long past.

 

This is what the tree looked like on Tuesday.  See the long "beans"?  Those are the seed pods of the tree.  Sadly, they are not edible.

These trees are messy when the flowers fall.  The beans will stay on the tree a long time, though and give the tree one of its common names, the cigar tree.

Joining up with Parul at Happiness and Food each second and fourth Thursday for #ThursdayTreeLove.

Nonelusive Butterfly #WordlessWednesday

When it comes to wildlife photography, I do not do well.  The main reason is because creatures do not stand still and wait for me to poise them, unlike, say, flowers.  Flowers look at me and I look back at them and all is good, except when the wind blows.

But this butterfly was so intent on his (or her?) Queen Anne's Lace flower, it just waited for me to get close enough to take some pictures with my old iPhone.

As you can tell, I'm a beginner with butterflies.  This year, working from home since March, I've taken walks several times a week on a floodwall which has been full of wildflowers.  I'm seeing lots of different butterflies - definitely sulphurs and monarchs.   Is this an Eastern Swallowtail?  I couldn't get a non blurry picture of it because these are enlarged.

Still closer.  At this point the markings sure look like pictures of black swallowtails I saw online, but where are the blue dots?

As close as I can get.  My uneducated guest is that this is a black swallowtail female getting ready to lay eggs.  My reading indicates black swallowtails like to lay their eggs on plants of the carrot family.

I really need to get a butterfly guide, but in the meantime, is there anyone who can tell me more about these pictures?

Joining Sandee for her #WordlessWednesday.

Voting In 2020

I was going to blog (yet again) about blueberries today, but I changed my mind. Voting is suddenly (these past few weeks) in the news, big time.

At one time not that long ago, we despaired at low voter turnout.  People just weren't that interested in voting, it seems.  But then things changed. 

Now, we may well have record turnouts, except that we are in the midst of a pandemic, and wondering how we can vote and not get sick.  This has led to a cascade of events that could not have been foreseen even six months ago.  The post office has suddenly become a center of focus, along with the right to vote by mail.  There's something a little different I want to focus on today, though.

I think most of us are aware that, when our country was created, more than half its residents did not have the right to vote.  Even today, there are still efforts to disenfranchise people.

Every person who can possibly exercise their right (their duty, really) to vote this November needs to be able to do this.

This original post (with edits) is from November of 2018, with some edits, but it retains its truth today.

Why must we vote in November?   All our votes are important, but, my please consider this:

Consider this ballot box.

Consider the small crowd that gathered in the village of Lisle, New York on June 1, 2018 (some of them descendants of a certain woman).

Consider what happened in the building to the right on January 5, 1918.  The building is vacant now, but history happened here 100 years ago.

Perhaps this newspaper will make you wonder.

This may help you guess.

It's hard to believe, but 102 years ago, women in New York State still did not have the right to vote.  In fact, the first woman to vote in New York State voted on January 5, 1918, in the building you see above.

Her vote was placed into the above unassuming box.  You know, Januaries tend to be harsh around here, with lots of snow and cold.  Someone at the ceremony to dedicate this sign told me it was 20 below zero F the day Florence B. Chauncey voted.

Mrs. Chauncey was the wife of a local minister, and the election was to determine if Lisle would be "dry" or not (i.e. no alcohol sales permitted).

She fought for the right to vote, yet never told her children she was the first women to vote in New York State.  But she always asked them, once they were adults "did you vote?"  Because she knew how precious that right was - the right she had to fight for.  Along with many other women, some of whom ended up in prison for the "crime" of voting.

I thank certain dedicated women (and men) of the early 20th century, who fought for my right to vote.  It wasn't just to vote for banning (or not banning) liquor.  It was voting for President.  For Congress.  For local and national leaders.  I never take that right for granted.

The 1918 1920 Presidential election that came after the above election - keep this in mid - came right after another pandemic, one which ended up killing millions of people worldwide.

People of color also had to win their right to vote, and win it, again and again.
Now, we are at another crisis point in our nation's history.  I fully expect the coronavirus to still be with us on November 3.  We have a great number of problems to overcome just to be able to have good, safe and secure ways to vote on November 3.

Now, and in November, the future of our country depends on you.  And me.  All of us.  Men and women, of all skin colors and ethnic origins, although I'm talking mainly about women today.  In most cases, if you aren't a white male, those who went before us had to fight for that right. Please, don't turn your back on that right or make choices that aren't thoughtfully considered.

To quote the late Brent Taylor, who died fighting for his country in Afghanistan:

"As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election .... I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote. And that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we all remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than divides us."

Remember: even one vote can determine the course of history.  Might it be your vote?  And with that, the crux of the matter:

Let's make sure this election can happen, and that it will reflect the will of the people. Keep yourself informed on the election, but equally, stay informed regarding your ultimate right to vote.

More Songs and Memory #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and we all know what time it is - time for MUSIC!

 

Who are the members of Music Moves Me?  We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday.
So let's get started.  There's a linky below if you want to join up. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  Just remember our simple rule:  you must include at least one You Tube or Vimeo video or your post may be subject to removal or labeling "NO MUSIC". You are welcome to write about music. too but we need that video!

Each month, we have a guest co-host and for August it's Stacy from Stacy Uncorked, 

 
Her theme for today is "You Pick" 

For myself I am continuing my theme "Songs that remind me of something in my life". It's been interesting thinking back on music I associate with certain events in my life.  One thing I learned is that I don't seem to associate music with events as much now as I did when I was younger.

I wonder why that is.

My first selection is from a time of great sadness for me.  When I was 12, my Mom died suddenly. That, along with becoming a teenager, messed up my sleep.  I would stay up long after my Dad (I was an only child and ended up being raised by my Dad) had fallen asleep.  Many nights, I would write poetry when I couldn't sleep (especially haiku) or listen to music on my transistor radio.

I've Got You, Babe by Sonny and Cher (1966) was one of the songs I remember the most about those late night insomnia sessions.

Younger Girl by the Lovin' Spoonful is another song from that era (1965).

1976's Year of the Cat - Al Stewart brings back memories of spouse and I driving to Iowa to visit my late Aunt in 1977.  It was almost an eight hour drive and we would visit over a three day weekend.  My 60-something self marvels at that.

Although the song came out in 1976, my memories of hearing it are more into early 1977.

 

Speaking of 1976, my spouse was in the Air Force and we were stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. We arrived in June and it was such a hot summer.  This song is seared into my memory.

 

Blue Oyster Cult and "(Don't Fear the Reaper)" brings me right back to a large car with no air conditioning.  The car did have an 8 track player, though we melted our share of 8 track tapes in that too-hot car.

 

In November of 1975 my spouse and I were both unemployed and we decided to drive from our apartment in Tampa, Florida to our former homes in downstate New York to visit family.  As we crossed one of the bridges in New York City, this song came on - Miracles by Jefferson Starship.  This song has become one of the songs people used to get through our lockdown - how it passed the censors of 1975 I have no idea but, in fact, the song had to be cut almost in half to be able to be played as a single.  This is the full album version.

I really did try to come up with a more recent song for us to groove to and one finally came to me.  This song reminds me of the years of water aerobics and then water Zumba I took.  

 

Remember the good old days of "the before"?  This is the song I can't believe I've never had on my blog and I want this to be the song that plays when ol' Ms. Corona finally leaves us be.

My memory of when we could just be ourselves without fear - 2011's LMFAO and "Party Rock Album".  We'll be dancing in the streets for sure when Ms. Corona shuffles off.  (If only it was that simple.)

 

 Now to shuffle off until next Monday, same time, same place.  Enjoy your week, be sure to social distance and wear your mask when appropriate, and STAY SAFE.

Bee Happy Live Long and Dance

The bees are buzzing.  Fortunately, neither spouse or I are allergic to bee stings (as far as we know!) so it is fun to watch bees in action.

This one flew from zinnia to zinnia, doing its bee thing.

We rejoice in our fresh fruits and vegetables (and in fresh flowers for the table) even as we thank these tireless little workers.

Small Eggplants

My husband has been gardening for most of his life.  So have I, but I generally do the less strenuous work.  If you considered gardening for this special year, or if you actually tried it out:  did you know that gardening is good for you?

Consider this article on longevity and those who garden.

And then there's the cooking, and I will have a nice recipe for you later this month featuring either eggplant or tomato.  Maybe both!

Today also would have been singer Whitney Houston's 57th birthday.  She tragically passed away in 2012 at the age of 48.   For your Sunday dancing pleasure, I bring you her hit "I Wanna Dance with Somebody".  I'll have more music for you tomorrow when I participate in the Music Moves Me blogging group.

Happy Sunday to my readers.  I hope you are all staying safe.

You, Too Can Give A Daylily a Name

I'd love to have a day lily named after me.  It's nice to dream, especially in these times.

I've been writing almost every year about the Cutler Botanic Gardens in Binghamton, New York.  Maintained mainly by volunteers, it was recently recognized as an American Daylily Society Display Garden.

It has also been an AAS Display Garden for many years.

 I've been visiting their rose and their daylily gardens for years.  This time, I went towards the end of the season.

One thing that has always fascinated me is how daylilies get their name.  It's actually complicated, but a nursery in Vermont gives you the chance to name one of their daylilies for a price. 

Or, I could hybridize daylilies and hope for the best.  This is something actually an amateur can do, although it can get expensive. (Incidentally, I've met the man who wrote the articles on how to hybridize that I am linking to. Small world; turns out he worked at one time in Corporate America not that far from where I live.)

Come with me now and explore the day lilies (and their name, in one instance) at Cutler that are blooming towards the end of the daylily season.

Like history?  How about Mary Todd. (Actually I don't know if this was named after Mary Todd Lincoln.

Not all day lilies are named after people.

Huckleberry Candy

 Highland Lord 

Peggy Jeffcoat . 
I did find the story of who this one was named after. 

I am not quite ready, with my small daylily garden, to start hybridizing.

But I could pay my money and have someone do the work.  But one more thing.  Besides paying that naming fee, you also have to buy at least one plant of your namesake.

One day, will there be a daylily called Ramblin' with AM?

Isaias Clouds #SkywatchFriday

My part of upstate New York lucked out from the former Hurricane Isaias.  Unlike many parts of the Northeast, which were subjected to wind, tornadoes and heavy rains, our heavy rains were limited.  Fortunately, it's been drier than normal.

On August 3, as the storm approached (by then, no longer a hurricane), the clouds told us something was up.

This peaceful scene didn't tell the story of what was to come.

The next day, after the rain stopped.  Fortunately for us, the weather system moved quickly.

Finally, one of the puddle reflection photos I have so much fun taking.

Other parts of New York State are still without power, so we really lucked out.

Join Yogi and the other sky watching bloggers who gather each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

An Anniversary and a Death

Today is the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima, Japan, by the United States.

August 6, 1945 was a Monday morning.  At the time, Hiroshima had a population of about 300,000.    Here is one eyewitness account.  It is not easy reading.  Those who survived suffered unimaginable mental anguish for the rest of their lives (as did many of those who fought in World War II and all other wars.)

Survivors, most of whom are in their 80's and 90's, are still dying from effects of the bomb.

Years ago, I was able to see the Enola Gay, the airplane from which the bomb had dropped.  It's in a Smithsonian museum in Virginia (one well worth the visit).  Very, very sobering.  There is a memorial each year in Hiroshima, which has been rebuilt, but due to COVID-19, it had to be scaled way back.

It is also worthy to note that a number of the killed and survivors were Korean, forced by the Japanese to work in Hiroshima.

It's estimated that 2/3 of the population of Hiroshima died as a result of the bombing.

Soon, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of V-J Day (the ending of World War II), with hopes that eventually our human race will find a way to permanent peace. 

More eyewitness accounts of the bombing.

And yesterday....

The world of journalism mourns another great:  Pete Hamill, dead at the age of 85.

Anyone who grew up in New York City during the 50's and 60's recognizes the name immediately.

He was the voice of New York, a journalist and novelist who spent part of his life at various New York City area papers - the New York Post, New York Newsday, and the New York Daily News.

One of my childhood memories is of my Dad, leaving for work five days a week.  Before climbing the steps of our elevated subway train station, he would stop at a "sweet shop" and get his New York Daily News.  He would read it on the subway ride from our apartment in the Bronx to his job in lower Manhattan, a commute which, many times, took more than an hour. 

On the way home, he would read the New York Post, which was an afternoon paper.

Then, he'd get home and give me the newspapers.  Back then, you got much of your news from the newspaper, and newspapers provided a lot of my early reading material.  Hamill became a reporter (he didn't want to be called a "journalist") for the Post in 1960 but eventually branched out into magazine article writing, and, later, became a novelist.

Pete worked for New York newspapers (including Newsday, a Long Island paper), New York magazines, and is said to have inspired Robert F. Kennedy to run for President.  Hamill was present when Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.  It is also said that Hamill's memoir inspired Frank McCourt to finish his best selling memoir, Angela's Ashes.

He witnessed the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11.

RIP, Pete Hamill.  You will be missed.

Tomato Butterfly #WordlessWednesday

One of the varieties of tomatoes spouse is growing in his community garden plot is called Big Rainbow.

It's a beefsteak variety, meaning it's large and meaty, with lots of liquid.

Yum.

This particular one got wrapped around a stem during its babyhood, and grew up into this.  To me, it looks like a butterfly.  We didn't plan what the stem looks like.  Unfortunately, getting this tomato extricated from the plant left a bruise on the left side so we'll have to use it right away.

I think this one is destined for a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich, one of my summer favs.

Joining Sandee of Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Blueberry Skies with One More Recipe

It's blueberry time again!  We went picking one last time (perhaps) for this year. 

The skies were blueberry blue.

The blueberries were blue, too. 

This time, the fields were a lot more crowded, despite us getting there not long after the U-Pick farm opened, so we had to wear our masks some of the time.  I quickly found out why - these were some of the best blueberries we've ever picked.

So, it's time for a recipe, quick and easy.  I've made this several times (no photos for you today).  It's adapted from a public Weight Watchers recipe.  I've seen a number of variations on the theme of this dessert online so there's little here that's a secret, and I will share with you how I make it.

My version was born from not having all the ingredients in the Weight Watchers recipe, and I like it so much that I haven't tried to make it the Weight Watchers way.

What I do is this:  I take an 8 inch square baking pan and line it with foil.  Put aside.

Make crumbs out of 6 squares graham crackers. 

Next, combine 1 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp lime juice, and about 1/2 tsp amount of lemon crystals (you can also use fresh lemon zest)..  Add 1 cup fresh blueberries and half of the graham cracker crumbs. Stir it all together.

Scoop into the prepared pan and level it out.  Top with remainder of graham cracker crumbs.

Freeze about an hour.  Cut into six even slices.  Serve frozen or let soften slightly.

A serving is one slice. 

Enjoy!

I've thought about some variations.  We have some Trader Joe's Key Lime cookies we might just substitute for the graham crackers next time.  Or, I could see this with Nilla Wafers, a childhood favorite of mine, instead of the crackers.

I wish you could come to my house and share....

What do you think?

Islands #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and it's time for Music Moves Me!

Who are the members of Music Moves Me ?  We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  Just remember our simple rule:  you must include at least one You Tube or Vimeo video or your post may be subject to removal or labeling "NO MUSIC". You are welcome to write about music. too but we need that video!

So let's get started.

Each month, we have a guest co-host and guess who the guest co-host is this month?

Let's welcome Stacy from Stacy Uncorked, our guest co-host for August!  Her theme for today is "Songs About Islands or an Island theme."

Oh, islands.  There are really all kinds of islands.  In fact, I was born on an island - New York State's Long Island, which is the 10th largest island in the United States.  Yes, it's not the kind of island we think of, but it's an island!  And for that reason, I am going to start this off with:

Long Island's Billy Joel and his song about Billy the Kid, who was probably born on the island of Manhattan in New York City.  Two islands for the price of one!

A good, almost deserted, distant one (not too hot and lots of shade) sure would hit the spot.

Why don't we start the "kind of island many of us are thinking of" set with 1956's Harry Belafonte and Jamaica Farewell.  I have to note that the use of "gay" in this song mean, back when this song was written, "happy".

When I think of islands and the tropics, I immediately think of Jimmy Buffet.  Sure enough he has recorded a song called "Island".

This song reminded me (for some reason) of the Beach Boys and their many, many, hits. Which one should I pick?  How about "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" because...it would be nice.

But the one I was really after was "Kokomo".

I wasn't familiar with this Pink Floyd song, San Tropez, but I sure enjoyed it.

I tried hard not using Elton John's "Island Girl" and Dolly Parton/Kenny Roger's "Islands in the Stream", but I am losing the battle.  Here's one of them.  Guess which one.

And that's a musical wrap.  Happy rest of the summer to you, dear readers.

Thank You For Flying SpaceX

Today, a United States space capsule touched down in the Gulf of Mexico, completing a journey that started some two months ago.

The last time a United States capsule touched down in water was 45 years ago (July 24, 1975, to be exact).  Many of my readers weren't even alive then.

For a time, we used space shuttles flown by Americans, but the program had two disasters - two too many, and at least one partially caused by cost cutting.

Then, for many years, our former enemy, Russia, had to take us back and forth.

Now, our space exploration can finally continue, in a joint partnership between NASA and private industry.  When the astronauts touched down into the Gulf, a ground person said "Thank you for flying SpaceX."

It reminded me of the old "Thank you for flying Lufthansa" joke about a plane that had to ditch in the ocean, and which I won't repeat here.

But you do have to admire pilots for their absolute cool.  If you have a few minutes, check out this video.

Back to SpaceX, what makes this even sweeter is that one of the two astronauts in the capsule, Doug Hurley, grew up in my local area.

What is a bit sobering is that the recovery crew all had to quarantine for two weeks and were tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to participate in the recovery.  It is good and right that we continue space exploration during this time, but these astronauts, as fate would have it, had to parachute into a corona virus hotspot.

I hope this program does not get sidetracked while we on Earth try to figure the pandemic out.

The Missing Festival

I took a walk in the park today with my husband.  Ordinary, right?

This is what I should have seen.  Crowds. 

Hot air balloons.

Food trucks.

Celebrations of spiedies, the food of our area of upstate New York.

This is what I saw instead.

This is on a path that would have been blocked off this weekend, normally.

Walkers, joggers, bicyclists were enjoying the park.   People sat at picnic tables (our state allows gatherings of up to 50 people with proper precautions.)

How many of us miss the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally?  Many of us, perhaps. But people all over the world have already lost and missed so much, it's a small thing.

It was a sunny, warm day.  It would have been so nice.

The organizers still hope to hold the festival in October.  Normally, attendance for the three days would be around 60,000 to 100,000.  This year, they will need to hold it to 5,000.(I'm not sure if that's a day or for the total).  It definitely won't be the same.

It's strange, perhaps, but I don't care.

I'm content just to be here.