Songs of Wartime #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday- time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday.  Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me. 

<!-- end LinkyTools script —> Our honorary co-host for November is Stacy of Stacy Uncorked.  Today, we have a "freebie" week but next week Stacy will be back with another weekly theme.

Yesterday was the centennial of the end of World War I.  Throughout the world yesterday was Armistice Day - in the United States it's now called Veterans Day. In honor of my late father and father in law, my husband, a couple of Aunts(one was a WAC and one a WAVE), various cousins on both sides of our family and others, I offer these songs reflecting war and the home front.

From our Civil War (1863) as performed by Mitch Miller's chorus:  When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again . 

World War I - Keep The Home Fires Burning 

World War II. This was a tough one for me, as I was born only seven years after the end of the war and my childhood was full of watching World War II movies on TV, and knowing adults who were both veterans and adult casualties (Holocaust survivors).  Do I pick a song sung by soldiers?  A song about the folks at home?  "As Time Goes By" from perhaps the best movie ever made, Casablanca?  A satirical song by Spike Jones and his City Slickers? Something by the Andrew Sisters? 

I'm choosing two.  First, Vera Lynn's The White Cliffs of Dover from 1942.

The other, the hit song "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, by a man who became, himself, a war casualty on December 15, 1944, over the English Channel.  The plane has never been recovered and the crash remains a mystery to this day.

I didn't find much for the Korean War, so I turned to the TV show M*A*S*H and its opening theme, Suicide is Painless.

I will end with Vietnam, the war I came of age during.  Both the boys growing up next door to me in my early childhood fought in Vietnam (both survived)  and someone I worked with for about ten years.  When I think of that war, I think of the years of anti-war protests.  But what I did was reach for a list of songs veterans of the war remembered the most - and from that, I chose "Fortunate Son" by Credence Clearwater Revival.

I see we have time for one more.
Here is a Billy Joel song I featured on my blog several months ago - Goodnight Saigon.  This is a tribute version and the video has disturbing images (some iconic) of that war. I love the lyrics of this song and how they seem to circle back on themselves - but not quite.  Listening to this song still takes my breath away.

Join the #MusicMovesMe bloggers next Monday for songs of Thankfulness.

The War that Didn't End Anything

Monocacy battlefield, near Frederick, Maryland, 2012

Today is November 11, 2018.  One hundred years ago today, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, World War I ended.  It had been a war full of trenches, and chemical warfare.  It changed history in ways we wouldn't realize until years later.  It was supposed to be the war that ended all wars.  Today, Europe pauses and commemorates the anniversary of what they call Armistice Day.

My fellow blogger Roy wrote a fascinating blog post on its personal meaning to him.

And I wrote this post last year.

My father was a World War II veteran.  My spouse is a peacetime veteran.  I know, unfortunately, mothers of other veterans (Iraq/Afghanistan) whose sons have suffered due to their wartime service.  Our country still has a long way to go in helping these men and women.


Years ago, I visited the Peace Tower in Ottawa, Canada.  There is inscribed a poem called "In Flanders Fields".  I am not much of a poetry lover but this one of several poems that I have loved for years.

Here it is:  written in May, 1915 by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D. the day after his friend died in battle.  If you've ever wondered what Flanders Fields looked like right after the war, here's a photo.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Reenactment of 1862 battle of Antietam, Maryland September 2012

I've walked on many battlefields in the United States - a handful of Revolutionary War battlefields (in New York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina) and Civil War battlefields (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas).  I have never been off the North American continent.  One day, I hope to travel abroad and pay my respects to those who died in the War that was supposed to end all wars.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me due to my post yesterday.  It's my cousin (and his wife) who are truly suffering and, today, I want to reach out and thank my cousin for his service in the United States Navy on a submarine.  If any of you have ever been on a submarine, you know that it is a very different type of service, requiring a different kind of bravery.

I thank him, and all others who fought for our freedom. 

If only World War I had truly been the war that ended all wars, but it wasn't.  There was a young foot soldier who had fought for the Germans.  His name was Adolf Hitler.....

From Afar

Today was a blustery day.  Leaves fell, bitter winds blew, and we got a little snow and graupel (a soft hail).

Leaves and graupel on my lawn

Life has spoken, and this is not the post I intended to write.

Today is the 53rd anniversary of my mother's death.  It is the 80th anniversary of the end of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, the night that changed the course of thousands of lives forever.

Today is the day a high school/college friend's California family fled their homes as fires neared.

It is the day I ponder the news I received last night, the news that a cousin's wife has been handed a death sentence by cancer.  That same cousin lost his older brother last year from Parkinson's disease. The call came from another cousin, one who has been the wife's very good friend for years.


My cousin's wife has inoperable brain cancer, manifested in a tumor that has already left her paralyzed on one side.  The doctors say maybe she has a a month.  Maybe she has up to 18 months.  And now, with the clock ticking quickly, decisions must be made.  Should she try to undergo chemo, knowing that it can not cure?

I was asked not to contact the family yet - they are so overwhelmed they don't want to speak to anyone. (They live about three hours from me).  I respect that.

I thought about a simple card just to express that I knew and that I was sorry. I don't like a lot of the "serious illness" type cards out there.  They don't feel right to me.

And, in fact, thinking back 53 years to the aftermath of my mother's death, it makes me think of the things people said to the 12 year old me that helped, and those things that were hurtful, stupid, or worse.  The young teen me made a vow never to hurt people in that way. 

So then I went online to see if I could find a card, and I found a lot of "warrior" type cards.   I thought, does this mean that if my cousin's wife dies, she wasn't enough of a warrior?  


I found a book at the library called "There is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love."  It reminds me that sometimes simple is best.

My cousin is a photographer, and a man who loves puns and Monty Python.  So right now, although he does not read my blog, I will send him some virtual flowers.  Our last mums, mixed in with maple leaves.  And then, I will go from there.

Dear cousin, I am sorry.

True Colors #SkywatchFriday

Our fall foliage season in upstate New York is rapidly drawing to a close.

Sunday, in golden hour light, a large cloud tried to eclipse the light show.  It didn't succeed.

Nearby, a rainbow (bottom right center) appeared.

Earlier that day, I saw this view from a parking lot of the senior facility where my mother in law lives.

On Election Day, I did some neighborhood walking on the West Side of Binghamton, New York before I voted.

On November 7, the morning golden hour highlighted this tree in downtown Binghamton, New York. 

November 7, noontime, an office building was framed between two banks of trees and some clouds.

A final (sunny day) golden hour morning shot - a burning bush with Bradford pears behind, this near Johnson City, New York.  Red or blue? Take your pick. (In the United States, a political party identifies with each of these colors.) Nature doesn't care how you voted.

Join Yogi and the sky watching bloggers of #SkywatchFriday, who bring you the best of the sky and nature each Friday.

Urban Forest #ThursdayTreeLove

I admit it, I've been depressed lately.

My mother in law's health continues to decline (she's considered terminally ill).  There's a possible serious health diagnosis that may be forthcoming for the spouse of someone I know (his surgery was today).  Other people I know from online and their ills convince me that a black cloud is hanging over me and everyone I have contact with.

But it's not true.

No black cloud here, in this little patch of urban forest.

Where I live in upstate New York, the parade of fall color is almost over.  By Friday night we will have our hard freeze and next week we may have our first snowstorm.  The winds of November will take care of any remaining leaves.

But oh, oh, oh the beauty before winter closes in.

Taken November 7 - Magnolia

And, because you are my faithful readers, I have a little bonus for you, taken in downtown Binghamton, New York - a magnolia turning color.

Want more fall color ? You'll just have to come back tomorrow for when I watch the sky.

Join Parul of the blog Happiness and Food and other bloggers who love trees every second and fourth Thursday for #ThursdayTreeLove and love one (or more!) trees today.

And I Voted - #WordlessWednesday

Yesterday was Election Day in the United States, and everyone seemed to be high-fiving themselves on social media.

Yes, I voted.  But why should I brag?  Rather, I should have been ashamed if I hadn't.

Nature gave us a bonus right before I traveled to the poll.  It had rained most of the day, but the sun finally came out, and lit up this tree - half gold and half green.  A sign of a brighter future ahead?

Join Esha and other bloggers for #WordlessWednesday.

Women and the Vote Part 2 - January 5 1918

The robocalls are silent.  The political ads are stilled.  The polls in New York State open soon (6am).

Today is the day many in the United States have been waiting for.  We await the results while holding our breaths.

I want to address this post today particularly to the women of this country.  

Why must women vote today?

Perhaps because of this ballot box.

Or because of the small crowd that gathered in the village of Lisle, New York on June 1, 1918 (some of them descendants of a certain woman).

Maybe because of 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.

And this may help you guess.

It's hard to believe, but 101 years ago today, 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.

And 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.  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.

Yes.  If you are a woman, thank certain dedicated women (and men) of the early 20th century, who fought for your right to vote.  And not just to ban alcohol sales or not.  For President.  For Congress.  For local and national leaders.

Today, you can exercise this without a care  Or not.  But I hope you will.  Or have already.  Because many women, and men, in this world, risk their very lives in order to vote.

Today, the future of our country depends on you.  And me.  All of us.

To quote the late Brent Taylor:

"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 yours?

Duets - #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday- time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday.  Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me.

<!-- end LinkyTools script —> Our honorary co-host for November is Stacy of Stacy Uncorked.  Her theme for today is "Unconventional Duets" for example, Country-Pop Crossover duets, or duets by artists from different genres you wouldn't expect to collaborate together.

So....I may end up deviating a bit but here are my selections.

Would anyone have dreamed that the collaborations between Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett would be such a success?  The musical chemistry between them is unmistakable, as Lady Gaga crosses genres into the standards catagory with "The Lady is a Tramp".

Speaking of Lady Gaga, how about this duet with Sting "King of Pain"?

One of my favorite duets - Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector (of the Ronettes) in "Take Me Home Tonight" from 1986.  This song contains elements of the Ronettes "Be My Baby" from 1963. 

It's Only Love - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner.  Whether this fits the category I'm not sure, but I love it.

And finally - thanks to a fellow blogger, John Holton, a small tribute to the late Tony Joe White - a duet with him and the Foo Fighters on Dave Letterman's show - Polk Salad Annie.

And that's a wrap for today!

Back to The Standard Future?

Today, in almost all of the United States, clocks were turned back an hour.  We have an extra hour today to complain about the twice a year exercise of turning clocks ahead an hour in the spring, and an hour back in the fall.

Speaking of fall - a tree for you - picture taken Binghamton, New York October 30

When I visited Florida (from my native New York City) for the first time in July of 1966, I was amazed to discover that Florida, in the same time zone as New York City, was an hour behind New York City time.

Why?  Because Florida was on year round standard time.  They didn't jump ahead an hour at the beginning of spring.  They had the same time year round.  What a concept!

Now, residents of all but a handful of states (Hawaii and Arizona) find themselves, today, an hour behind themselves,   Groggily, they will march into the week ahead bemoaning Standard time.  Why do we need it?  Why do we do it?  Is it because of the farmers, as so many think?

Not necessarily.

Because of - as a website claims- a department store chain in Boston, in 1918?

For whatever reason, here we are again.

So, what is Standard time?  Why is my time zone called Eastern Standard Time during the winter and Eastern Daylight Time during the summer?

On March 19, 1918 (so we are a little past the 100th birthday of this thing), the United States adopted the Standard Time Act, enacting time zones and daylight time.

In 1919, daylight time was repealed.

But then it returned.  It has returned, again and again, to the western world.  The timeline is fascinating.

Now, Florida, the same state that didn't have daylight time in July of 1966, is wanting to have daylight savings time year round.  In July of this year, they tried to do just that with the Sunshine Protection Act.

Not so fast, Florida.  It seems no state has the authority to authorize year round daylight time.

Since Western Florida is in a different time zone than Eastern Florida, things could get really confusing when Florida interacts with the rest of the eastern United States.  (Just ask Indiana, which had a summer mish-mash of Eastern Daylight, Eastern Standard, Central Daylight and Central Standard times, depending on your county, until 2006.  I can tell you from experience it made driving through Indiana during the summer somewhat interesting.)

Last year, Massachusetts wanted to go on year round daylight savings time (or even make up their own time zone).  That went nowhere, too.

Sadly, in the past week, we've had a number of events involving cars striking children waiting for the school bus or trying to board the bus.  In the most horrific accident, three siblings were killed in rural Indiana crossing the road to get on their bus.

Five children, in fact, killed in a three day stretch.  Some say it's because of us trying to stretch daylight time (which used to end on the last Sunday in October until 2005) a few more days.

So, for how much longer will we go through this?   Maybe until Standard Time celebrates its 200th birthday?

What do you think of springing ahead/falling back?

Autism Votes

I originally posted this on November 8, 2011, which was election day.  I repost it with some edits and updates.

My autistic brother in law, who will turn 60 shortly, has made up his mind he will not vote in November.  Two years ago it was a different story.  He voted in the New York presidential primary in April.  He made his mind up from watching the TV news shows he watched.

Not only that, he voted for President, and voted the opposite of how his mother (who he relied on so emotionally and physically at the time) intended to vote.  It led to some interesting comments from my mother in law, who wasn't seeming to like the fact that he wasn't just following along with whatever she said.

In a way, it is amazing that he never voted until 2004.  And now, he won't even tell us what changed his mind.  We don't press him, as he has a right to his private thoughts.  I wonder, though, if the intensity of this election cycle has overwhelmed him, in addition to the fact that his mother is terminally ill.

I repeat this post in honor of my brother in law.  And please, if you are in the United States, vote on November 6.  Please.  This may be one of the most important elections in our country's history.

From November of 2011 - Autism Votes

A Facebook post by a Facebook friend of mine, a woman who has an adult son on the autistic spectrum, inspired this post.

The day I first posted this was election day in the United States, where I live.

Her son voted for the first time that day. Although she is his legal guardian, her son retains his right to vote.  She told her Facebook friends that her son has looked forward to exercising his vote for years.  This was a big day for him.

It's also a big day for our country for another reason.

Her son is on the leading edge of a wave of soon to be adults with autism.  Some say 1 in 100 live births in this country result in an individual with autism.  Not too long ago it was 1 in 166. Then it was 1 in 150.  (Update, in 2018 it appears it may be as high as 1 in 59, according to the Center for Disease Control).  Let's step back a moment and see what that means.

Those babies are going to grow up.  In fact, the "leading edge" of the autism epidemic I just mentioned are now legal adults in many states, including New York (age of 18).  Just wait until all those adults with autism, who have been given the tools and supports to vote, start to exercise that right. 

Growing up, my brother in law was never encouraged to vote nor were people like him ever expected to vote.  This just didn't happen.  The belief was that they weren't "normal".  So their voices, and opinions, were unheard.

In 2004, a person who worked with him in a support role decided that my brother in law should exercise his right to vote.  He watches a news station that carries a lot of political discussions and has formed very definite political opinions.  Why shouldn't he vote?  She worked with him, he did vote, and he was very proud of voting for the presidential candidate of his choice.

For the first time, his voice was heard.

It is not easy for a person with autism to vote, as described here, but it can be done with proper education and proper support.  This issue isn't restricted to the United States, either.

It will be interesting to hear what these new adults with autism have to say in the voting booth.


I hope that many of them, unlike my brother in law, don't decide to sit this one out.

Fall Glow - #SkywatchFriday

On Tuesday, at sunrise, the sky was moody.

Near sunrise, the clouds had gathered overnight.

We have many cloudy days at this time of year, where I live in upstate New York. But, as the sun rose, the color started to appear.

Then, the clouds disappeared.  We had a rare sunny day.

Near the Broome County Courthouse, the trees glowed.

Trees in various parts of their colorful display.

But, the next day, the clouds were back.

Join Yogi and the other bloggers watching the sky each Friday at #SkywatchFriday.

Color The Trees

Instead of a huge burst of color and bare November trees, our display of color dribbles and dribbles through October into November.  We still have a lot of green trees, but the color show (eagerly awaited, especially, by my readers in India) is now in progress.

These pictures were taken between October 29 and October 30, some in downtown Binghamton, New York and others on the West side of Binghamton.

How's that for red?  And I can assure you this was not retouched.

On a windy day, this tree stood guard near this building.

A downtown closeup.

I enjoy pointing my camera up and getting the looking up view.  This tree is near the Broome County Courthouse.  You can see spots of a rare sunny day blue inbetween yellow.

Green and yellow all in one, and you can see the more usual clouds of late October.

Could nature divide the street any better - fall color, stay left; green color, stay right?

I have lived in upstate New York for over 30 years now.  Years ago, most all of our leaves were gone by the first week of November.  Today, with climate change, it's a different world for us in the Northeast United States.

Do you get fall color where you live?

Halloween Horror

Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate.

Believe it or not, these decorations are from at the skilled nursing facility my mother in law lives in, in the Triple Cities of upstate New York.

This is the first time in many years that I have had regular visits to a skilled nursing facility.

It does make you wonder to see a skilled nursing facility decorate like that, given that it is a place where some (not all) residents never leave.  It does make one think about our mortality.  How better to cope with our fears than to face them, some would say.

So, I wasn't surprised to find out that a different facility in our area does this one better.

That nursing home has an actual haunted house.  
The haunted house has been in operation for some 12 years.  It started out as an event for the residents and now is open to the entire community, free of charge.  Our local high school even helps with the decorations.  It's only open for two days, but still has become a favorite destination.

Green magnolia tree, Broome County Courthouse courtyard 10-30-18

Of course, nature can give us its own scares, too, such as - well, how about green trees on October 30?  That never would have happened years ago.

But I do have some fall foliage for you tomorrow - here's a little taste, complete with another green tree.

Why is it scary?  Think of it if snows, and all those leaves are still on the trees.

We'll hope for a mild fall.

Day 31 and the final day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

The Blog Post I Wanted to Write

Election Day is next Tuesday.  Today, I ask you to consider this:

Pipe bombs. A hate crime in a Kroger [a large United States supermarket chain] parking lot - a white supremacist (allegedly) killed two black men at random after he couldn't get into a black church.  Another hate crime in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - this time, the toll was 11 innocent people, including a 97 year old woman, a number of people in their 80's, a doctor who ran towards the shooting trying to help, and a mentally disabled member of the congregation.  All they wanted to do was pray, but a man filled with hate took their lives instead. 

As I asked yesterday, must we rinse and repeat?  Friends, we have the power to stop the cycle.

There is only one way we can react to this, because we have this freedom, and this responsibility, in our United States.

WE MUST VOTE NEXT TUESDAY, each and every one of us who possibly can.

Please, take a minute and examine the people running in your local races, including mayors and governors. Don't vote blindly. Do they campaign on glorification of violence?  Do they promote division in your community?  Do they use fear as a weapon to get them to vote for them? If so, I implore you not to vote for them.

It's hard.  I'm shy and I know it's hard for me to speak out.  But fear can not stop us, not this time, or we will live in fear for the rest of our lives.

Of course, we must also live our lives.

So, let's switch topics for a minute

Halloween (for those who take part) is tomorrow. Now come The Holidays, the cluster of Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas and other holidays inbetween.

Let's take a deep breath and enjoy our season for a minute, because we must take a break from the events of the past few days.  Deep breath.

Earlier in October, I took these pictures of decorated pumpkins at Frog Pond Farms near Bainbridge, New York.

Some for fun, some scary.

And mums.  There are always the mums.

At another farm stand, Russell Farms in Vestal, a display also from earlier in the month.

By tomorrow, they will all be a memory, until they reopen in April or May.

Now, consider this.  Do we want to have this same opportunity next year, to enjoy the bounty of the year, but this time without fear?  Do we want to face down the fear that is taking so many of us over?  Will we let those who think it's now open season on hate take us over?  Because they will take over if we let them.  History is littered with countries where they took over.

Don't let our country be added to that list.  Don't let the founders of our country down.  We've had times of crisis before in our country.  We can get through these troubles.

The power is in your voting hand.  Let's use it next Tuesday. 

Day 30 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Time Has Come Today #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday.  Time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We blog about music each Monday.  Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me. 

<!-- end LinkyTools script —> Thank you, Michelle at Angel's Bark, for co-hosting his month.  Next month's co-host choosing themes two Mondays in November will be Stacy of Stacy Uncorked. 

Two days after a tragic shooting, my heart still breaks, but music can be a great healer.

It's time for Halloween (and if you want a great playlist, Stunning Keisha has one for you.) But today, I am moved to blog about time.

Time Has Come Today -Chambers Brothers, has a long version that runs some 11 minutes.  I almost picked this for my Unusual Instruments post of last Monday, but decided to keep it.  I absolutely love this.

Times Like These - Foo Fighters, from 2002.

How about a cover of a Laura Nyro song And When I Die by Blood, Sweat and Tears?  It isn't directly about time, but isn't thinking of our mortality a reason to use our time on Earth as best we can? (Dedicated to the 11 dead in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting of October 26, 2018).

Time by Pink Floyd, off the iconic Dark Side of the Moon album.

A fun one I had to include because it was by the Zombies.  "Time of the Season". 

One more - Too Much Time by Styx.  It's a problem too many of us don't have.

Join me again soon for another edition of #MusicMovesMe.

Day 29 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Where Have You Gone, Mr. Rogers?

I am heartbroken. 
Three months ago, a rabbi wrote a post on his congregation's blog about gun violence and our failure as a nation to address it...well, read it for yourself.

His wife and daughter are both teachers.   The rabbi prays for their safety daily.  And then the violence came...to him.  His congregation.  

What do we know about the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue shooting as of right now?  11 dead.  The shooter in custody, with 29 counts against him.  All in what used to be Mr. Roger's neighborhood. Do you remember Mr. Rogers?  If you are younger than your mid-20's, you probably don't.

Yesterday, it wasn't a beautiful day in that neighborhood.

The shooting happened during Saturday morning services - and, worse yet, during a bris, which has been reported as a "baby naming ceremony" but it is a lot more than that.

The suspect is said to have yelled "All Jews must die!" as he fired his weapons.

Why are we not surprised, with all the hate that people are now feeling free to express in our country?

Monstrous words make monsters. 

As much as I hesitate to link to an archive of social media posts the alleged shooter made on various social media, I feel it must be publicized.  We must know the enemy of all decent people.

Our country, as we are continuously reminded, is in a crisis situation perhaps not seen since the end of the United States Civil War (1865).  I am one of those who maintain that this war never really ended.  We still fight it today, but without official armies.

We've had the Battle of Charlottesville.  Now we have the Battle of Squirrel Hill.

Will we repeat the cycle that Rabbi Jeffrey Myers wrote about three months ago?  To quote him:

"I recall seeing a post not long ago that rather accurately describes the life cycle of news, and I paraphrase to the best of my recollection: Tragic event – Thoughts and Prayers – Call to Action by our Elected Leaders – Hang Wringing – Next News Event."

I sadly note this is far from the first shooting in a house of worship in our country and Canada.
A Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
A white supremist in a historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Just to name a couple...

So, we've had the most recent tragic event.  The thoughts and prayers are going out.

Are we going to rinse and repeat?

Or do we deserve better?  Will we finally break the paralysis that even Las Vegas and Parkland couldn't?  It's a wonderful thing that people are reacting the way they are but there has to be more.  Each one of us has to begin with ourselves, and then, we must turn our nation around from the iceberg we are approaching at full speed.

Perhaps we need Mr. Rogers more than we will ever know.

Day 28 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Sustainable Saturday - Woolly Bear

Woolly bear, woolly bear, what is your weather prediction today?

Vestal Rail Trail, Vestal, New York, mid October 2018

Will we have a severe winter?  Or will it be mild?

In folklore, there is a belief that woolly bear caterpillars can predict the weather.

So, what is a woolly bear caterpillar and how do they predict the weather?  

You are looking at one of nature's marvels.  This is the larva of a moth that will hibernate later in fall, and sleep through the winter.  In fact, it can survive temperatures of up to -90 F (-67 C).

According to the Farmers Almanac:
"Woolly bear caterpillars turn into the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia Isabella). You can recognize these moths by their yellowy-orange coloration, black legs, and small black spots on wings and thorax. The Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia Isabella) emerges in the spring."

Yes, come spring, the larva will wake up when the temperatures approach 50 degrees.  

See the orange band?  The narrower it is, the harsher the coming winter is supposed to be.

Folklore since our colonial days (prior to around 1776) has held that the woolly bears can predict the weather.  In 1948, according to the Farmer's Almanac, a scientific study was held at Bear Mountain, New York (in the southeastern part of New York State not that far from New York City) which seems to bear this out.  No puns intended, of course.

I seem to think that the orange band of the ones I see are the same size each year, regardless of what the winter turns out to be.

So, what our winter be like?  All I can say is, I wish we had some fall first!

Do you think woolly bears can predict the coming winter?

Day 27 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Scarecrow Skies #SkywatchFriday #blogboost

This is the last Friday of October, and Halloween skies beckon.  So hard to believe that November begins next Thursday.

I've featured this scarecrow contest a couple of times this week on my blog, and I wanted to treat you to some Halloween type scarecrow skies today.

Scarecrows along the pond in Otsiningo Park, in Binghamton, New York.  This is the third year for the Scarecrow Contest.  Many of the scarecrows are erected by non profit groups.

A reflection, nearby, of a tree in a puddle surrounded by autumn leaves.

Another view.  Note the green - this was taken a week or so ago and not much has changed.  I just liked how this picture came out.

A little too close up? (I had this picture on my blog a week or so ago, but I couldn't resist rerunning it.)

No crows today!  If only it could scare away the Canada geese, though.

Join Yogi and other bloggers who watch the sky at #SkywatchFriday.

Day 26 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Red at Last - #ThursdayTreeLove #blogboost

It's the fourth Thursday of the month.

Many of those who participate in Thursday Tree Love, where people post pictures of trees every second and fourth Thursday of the month, live in climes where trees do not turn color in the fall the way they do in the Northeastern United States.  They wait for our color to enjoy from afar.

I'm sorry to report we have poor color this year, at least up to now.  But here and there, the color is trying to assert itself.  Saturday, I took this picture on a rainy day, at the edge of downtown Binghamton, New York.

Elsewhere in Binghamton, I found this tree on Monday.

Perhaps the lesson of this year is "never take anything for granted".  Not even fall color.

Join Parul and other tree loving bloggers for #ThursdayTreeLove.  Today is her 50th Thursday Tree Love post - why don't you stop on by and comment with some well wishes?  And, as a bonus (as Parul says) you get to see trees that don't grow where you live.  Our world is such a beautiful place.

Day 25 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost