The Catalpa and the Climate #ThursdayTreeLove

Everything in Nature seems to be so sped up this year.  I know the winter was mild, but still...

I've done an annual (or nearly annual) post on one of our prettiest native blooming trees, the catalpa.  I happened to look at a post from 2019 on that year's bloom.  The post is dated June 27, 2019.

In 2017, my post was dated June 22.  In 2013, also June 22.

In 2020 (that year we want to forget) the pictures were taken on June 21.

This isn't the only plant that is blooming ahead of time in my Southern Tier of New York garden.  I already have one day lily blooming (not the ones you see in commercial landscaping, which are blooming, too) and some others have buds.  

Last year I lived in USDA zone 5b.  This year it's been upgraded to zone 6a. (The higher the zone number the higher your average winter temperatures are - that's an oversimplification but it will do for my purposes here).   How can people deny something is happening?

But back to the early blooming catalpas.

Fast forward to this year, 2024. First, a few facts about these native trees.

This is a native tree (Catalpa speciosa) with beautiful, showy, fragrant blossoms in the late spring/early summer. They can grow upwards of 40 to 60 feet (18.28 meters) tall and make a good shade tree.  Their beautiful white flowers  make a mess for the homeowner who has to clean them up.  If you have to cut one down, they make (I understand) good lumber.

After they bloom, they grow long "beans", which can be upwards of 20 inches (50 cm) long.  In winter,these beans are shed. Time for another cleanup.  

You'll be cleaning for a long time, too, as these trees can live as long as 150 years.

Today is June 13.  The trees have been blooming since about June 6.  They look to be at peak right now.  

This first photo was taken near Otsiningo Park in Binghamton, New York on June 7.

Here's another from June 7.

In my neighborhood, I can get closer.  Let's look at photos taken June 11.

Let's get even closer.

Finally, I hope this shows the size these trees can get to.

I am llinking with Thursday Tree Love, brought to us by Parul and her blog Happiness and Food.

Love flowers?  Join me again Saturday for more flowers at Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Time to Feed the Young #WordlessWednesday

Many of our local birds are raising families right now.  Even after the young leave the nest, certain species of birds continue to feed their young for a few days (or longer).  Sometimes it's the father.  Sometimes it's both parents.

I apologize for the blurryness-a downside of my iPhone 13 mini and its zoom.  

The downy woodpeckers (left side feeder) have been introducing their young to our feeders.  I've seen this hungry pair for a couple of days now.  The juvenile is on the left - they usually look a bit ragged.

Here, Dad has flown away.  The youngster is waiting for him to return on the left feeder.  On a nearby fence, a male Northern cardinal (the red bird on the right) perched.

A few minutes later, I saw, for the first time this year, a juvenile Northern cardinal.  I couldn't take that picture; it happened too quickly.  The juveniles, both male and female, look like female Northern cardinals (which are mainly brown with some red and a red beak) except for the ragged feathers and a black beak.  "Our" cardinals had three broods last year.  

Later, the male (left) and female (right) showed up without the youngster.  Again, sorry for the blurriness.

I look forward to seeing more bird families.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for #WordlessWednesday.

Forever in First Grade

Tomorrow, Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut is holding its high school graduation.

Before I go any further in my blog post, I must warn my readers that some of the following may be disturbing.

If you're still with me....here's a highway sign.  It's a simple highway sign.

Let's take a short drive into Connecticut.

The name "Newtown" may sound familiar to you. If it does, this is probably why:

On December 14, 2012, a 20 year gunman killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  20 of them were first graders, and six of them were adult staff. (The gunman also killed his mother, bringing the final toll to 27.)

Those 20 first graders would have been graduating from high school next week.

Time flies, doesn't it.  Since then, there have been so many school and other mass shootings in our United States that some of them don't even make it past the local news.  

This essay written by a student who was the same age as the Sandy Hook students on that day is food for a lot of thought. 

It is said that the high school class of 2024 in Newtown has a special closeness, forged by that nightmare day and the many days after.

As for the staff:   One of those staff members, Mary Sherloch, grew up in the area where I live.  She was the school psychologist.

Perhaps that closeness growing out of grief would not have been a surprise to her.

But, we must never forget that the graduation tomorrow will be a few students short.  They were never given a chance to grow.   They will not walk across that stage with their peers, except, perhaps, in memory.

What will have become of them? We'll never know.

That is something to truly grieve for.

Musical Questions #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and time for music.

It's time for Music Moves Me!

The bloggers of Music Moves Me blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be labeled "No Music".)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, we can blog on any music theme we want. This week is Freedom of Musical Choice and I am choosing Musical Questions.

This was inspired by me hearing this song on a trip:  The Smiths and "How Soon is Now?" from 1984.  Fun fact, it was initially released as a "B" side. 

This led me to ask other questions:

Based on a true incident in 1986,  "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" from 1994 by R.E.M. 

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" from the Beach Boys.

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour?  (On the Bedpost Over Night) was asked by Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group in 1959.  But, this song is actually a cover of a 1913 skit that included a song "Will Chewing Gum Hold Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" which was then adapted int a 1924 song "Does Your Spearmint Lose Its Flavor" recorded by Jones and Hare aka The Happiness Boys.

And here it is, 100 years old this year.

Next up is the musical question "What Kind of Fool am I", an Anthony Newley song covered by many artists, including Sammy Davis, Jr.

Finally, speaking of covers, here is Leonid and Friends covering the Chicago hit Questions 67 & 68. The quiz show Jeopardy might reject that title because it isn't in the form of a question, but I love the song.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Heirloom Roses #ShadowshotSunday

Roses at Cutler Botanic Gardens, Binghamton, New York, May 31.

Rose York and Lancaster, which dates from before 1551.  I love how not all the roses are the same color; this is a characteristic of this variety.  And oh, the fragrance.

Rosa Belle poitevine, from 1894.  Another fragrant rose which is also supposed to be a rebloomer.

Last but not least for today, an Apothocary rose (Rosa gallica).  This variety is some 900 years old and is tolerant of shade.  And if your nose still has room for fragrance - mmmmm.

Joining Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures for #ShadowshotSunday.

The Miracle Pansy

 Every spring, I can't wait to plant something.  Usually, it's pansies or violas from a nearby nursery planted in a hanging basket. (Until this past spring, I've created my own hanging baskets with a couple of exceptions).

Then, the weather warms up and when it gets too hot, the pansies give up.  I'll try to limp the pansy basket along but at some point, I give up.

The basket goes into our garage.  The next spring, it's used for something else.

But this past spring, one of the baskets had a plant growing in it.  Despite being in our garage, nature was telling me to see what happened.

I did so.  At first I was wondering if I was seeing a weed.  But then little flower buds appeared and the plant itself looked familiar. So we planted a couple of other plants (see the pink and purple flowers) and waited to see what happened.

This is what it looks like now.  The yellow/black pansies or violas are so happy that I gave them a chance. I'm calling it my miracle pansy.

I know that, sooner or later, this pansy will give out.  But hopefully, the purple million bells and pink scaevola will last all summer.  After frost, the basket will go into the garage.

And then what?

It just might happen again.  It's worth trying.

June 1 Skies #SkywatchFriday

The sky is always changing.

Mid morning June 1. The sky is full of clouds.

What kind of day will we have, I wonder?

It turned out to be quite a pleasant day. We went to a car show.

1964 GMC Truck and a different shade of blue from the sky, but still fun to look at.

Finally, a 1950 Cadillac.  It's hard to see but there is a reflection on the side of the car of the sky and hills.  These cars are so polished up that it's fun to see reflections in them.

Joining Yogi and other skywatching bloggers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

The 80th Anniversary of The Longest Day

On June 6, 1944, over 160,000 Allied troops landed on a 50 mile stretch of French beaches at Normandy to begin one of the greatest invasions of all time.

What were those people fighting for?  It was nothing less than the very survival of the Western World, as far as I'm concerned.  We owe our freedoms today to those brave soldiers who didn't know, minute by minute, if they would ever see home again.

Many of the remains of the combat dead remained in France, where one of my cousin's spouses (of part French ancestry) made a point of visiting cemeteries to honor them.  These are memorials to American dead but there are other graves and memorials for British, Canadian, Australian, French, Greek, citizens of New Zealand, Norwegian, Polish and others who gave their lives that day.  We must never forget this was a group effort of many countries with the help of European Resistance fighters. 

This may be the last major anniversary of D-Day where its veterans can attend.

These cemeteries will be holding commemorations for this 80th anniversary and various American veterans of several wars will be attending.  There was also a mass parachute jump Sunday kicking off a week of ceremonies.

One of the veterans planning to attend is 102 years old.   Another is 107.  I watched the video (not the one below - I watched the arrival video on ABC news' website) of them arriving in France.  Some were in wheelchairs.  They received a hero's welcome.  It gave me chills.

You may have seen John Wayne war movies or the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan.  This blogger blogs more about it.

If I live long enough, I will see the last member of the Greatest Generation pass from our Earth.

That saddens me.  I grew up among some of those veterans, both men and women. 

An American statistic:  Only about 119,500 Americans of the 16 million who served in World War II are still alive.  Maybe, as another statistic is "under 500,000". I've actually seen three different statistics in the past week.  There are no official statistics for this number.

Memories of World War II were still recent when I was young.  I played with plastic toy soldiers of World War II.  I watched reruns of Hollywood movies on the local New York City TV Channels - everything from Guadalcanal Diary to Twelve O'clock High to Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.

In my youth, I sat in a movie theater with my parents and watched the movie "The Longest Day" which I could have renamed "The Longest Movie" but it must have been the longest day for those storming those beaches.

May the veterans of that day spend their remaining days in peace.  

Yea or Nay? #WordlessWednesday

I used to play a game with my Facebook friends every now and then when I saw an intriguing limited edition flavor of Oreo cookies.  I'd ask them "Yea or Nay?" meaning would they buy that flavor or not?

Today, on a whim, I am deciding to ask my readers to play the game, too.

Oreo cookies and I have a history.  There are certain flavors that were limited edition that I miss.  Strawberry milkshake, for example.   They were sold here in the United States for a brief time, and I was able to find a package in Atlantic Canada in 2008.

So here are Oreos I found yesterday in the supermarket.  For you:  yea or nay?

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Received - One Hummingbird

I was literally writing a post that started "Please, hummingbirds.  Please stop your boycott of my yard.  

We don't know what we did wrong.  We miss you.  Please forgive us if we did something wrong.  We miss you.

We lovingly prepared our yard for you.  

Cupheas in their customary pot are blooming strongly.  The fuschias await you.  We have other delights.  Where are you, though?  You should have been here by now. We are worried."

The hummers normally show up the first week in May.  We had our feeder out around May 3.  A woman in our area had seen them already on Mother's Day.  Nada for us.  

So I started to blog this post outside on my laptop as a last resort.

No kidding, as I was typing these words, I heard a sound - a familiar sound.  A sound of wings.

A female ruby-throated hummingbird was visiting my cupheas. (Sorry for the blurriness in these photos).

Hummingbird, don't fly away fly away, I mentally begged as I wrestled my iPhone out of my pocket.  I didn't want to scare it off.

I didn't scare it, surprisingly.

This is our fourth year feeding the birds.  I admire hummingbirds, these tiny jewels of the sky, so.  They bring so much joy to me, not that I don't like the Northern Cardinals, house finches, hairy and downy woodpeckers, and others that visit our feeders. (Even - ahem - the common grackles and European starlings. Well, maybe not so much, but they have their place in our ecology.)

I was starting to lose faith.

But now, received - one hummingbird.

Thank you.

Please come back again soon.

Wedding Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music.

It's time for Music Moves Me!

The bloggers of Music Moves Me blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be labeled "No Music".)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, we can blog on any music theme we want.  This week, our theme is "Wedding Songs". 

June, after all, is the month for weddings. Weddings, one hopes, leads to lifelong love.  Weddings also mean dancing.  Dancing means...music.

Let's start with some classics.  First up is one of Elvis Presley's greatest hits from 1961.  This song came from the movie soundtrack for Blue Hawaii with a melody based on a French love song:   Can't Help Falling In Love. This song has, since 1961, been covered by many artists.

Etta James and "At Last". I decided on this live version from Etta James' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I want to get a little less traditional now.  It's my understanding that one of the most popular songs played at modern weddings here in the United States is Taylor Swift's Shake it Off (Taylor's Version).  I am not a Swiftie but I love this song so why not?  It's a little hard to believe this song is from 1989.  Time flies!

Another modern wedding song is also a favorite of mine.  Here is Walk the Moon and Shut Up and Dance.  

Next, Whitney Houston and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Finally, a little bonus, slightly off topic, but dedicated to those who are waiting for a proposal that just doesn't seem to be coming.  Here's The 5th Dimension covering Wedding Bell Blues, a song written by Laura Nyro in 1966. 

Bill, marry that patient woman already!  She's been waiting since 1969!

And that's a wrap.

But before I go, one of our regular Music Moves Me bloggers, DrillerAA at Driller's Place, lives in a part of Arkansas that was hit hard by tornadoes and straight line winds on May 26.  Please keep him, his family and friends, and the first responders working hard, in your thoughts and prayers.

Join us again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Labyrinth #ShadowshotSunday

A labyrinth in a local botanical garden is the topic of today's Shadowshot Sunday, brought to us by Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures.

The labyrinth.

Instructions.

A nearby rose plant.

Neighbors

Time marches on.  People come and go.  Neighborhoods change.

A next door neighbor bought their house in 1989.  A couple of weeks ago, it went on the market.  It's already had one open house.

 

I wonder how quickly it will sell and, of course, who the buyer will be.  I'm aware there is already at least one interested person.

 

Then, there is (or was) the neighbor who owned the house on the other side of our house when we moved in.

 

When my son and his girlfriend came over and visited us a few days ago, his memories turned to that other next door neighbor.

My son has fond memories of the  neighbor on the other side.  They were our neighbors for some 25 years before they passed away. They had six children, five of whom were grown at the time we moved in. They had already lived in their house for years.

I cherish a necklace my then young son made, with a lot of help from that neighbor, for me one Mother's Day.  It's made from rolled up church bulletins and plastic beads, but as far as I'm concerned, it's made from swarovski crystals. And yes, I wore it this past Mother's Day.

 

A couple of months ago, my spouse talked with the youngest son of that late neighbor on the other side. "C" was in high school when we moved into our house.  "C" is middle aged now and doesn't live locally. He has two grown children.   My son, when he was in his teens, loved spending time with "C".

 

Time flies.

 

So, about "C"'s father.  He was the best of neighbors. Remembering a man who was so generous, so giving, and also so kind to my son, I also thought of his late wife, who suffered from dementia, and who was as good a person as they come.  Her death was fall related. 

 

But then, dementia came calling for "C"'s father, too.

Dementia took someone who was once a wonderful person and changed his personality even as it robbed him of his memories.  What a sad thing it was seeing it happen.  He passed away in a nursing home at the age of 92.

"C" inherited the house.  Not living locally, he rented the house out for several years.  The last renter's occupancy (we were told by "C") did not end well.  

What a nightmare "C" went through at the end of that tenancy.  But now, another family member has moved in, at least for now. Let's hope...

Meanwhile, we can hope that the other neighbor's house is sold into good hands.

Neighborhoods depend on the goodness of the people who live there.

And yes, I'm holding my breath.

Late May Storm Clouds #SkywatchFriday

We, here in the Southern Tier of New York State, were spared the terrible storms that many in the United States were subjected to this past week, but we did have a few moments where the sky wasn't looking too good.

I worked in the office this past Tuesday.  Several of us who work remotely came in to start a certain project, and as we gathered for lunch in a room with windows (our normal work area does not have windows) we noticed the sky was looking pretty dark.

Sure enough, soon, it was soon raining.  Hard.

 

Later that afternoon, the sun came out for a bit but by the time we were ready to go home, the sky was darkening once again.

I took these pictures as my spouse drove.

A few minutes after I took these pictures, the wind and rain came.

I hope that you, dear reader, was not affected by the storms.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

Crystal Bridges and a Weather Disaster

 I am on the email list of a museum in Benton County, Arkansas called Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  It isn't just any museum, though.  I know this because my spouse and I had the pleasure of visiting it in 2013.  Most of the post below was written several years later.

But the storms that hit much of the interior of the United States in the past several days weren't kind to the area, though, as I found out from a museum email blast. Some seven tornados hit Northwest Arkansas and nearby parts of Oklahoma on May 26. As of right now, the extensive outdoor trails are closed.  The schools of two nearby cities had to end their school years early.  That damage appears to have been from straight line winds.  Crystal Bridges had to cancel a number of their programs.

But the museum also feels it has a mission to bring comfort to the people of the area.  To quote:

"Crystal Bridges aims to offer a respite to those who seek comfort, safety, and community bonding," Emma Claybrook with Crystal Bridges said. 

Admission to the previously priced exhibit Exquisite Creatures will be free until June 3. They also plan to offer free artmaking activities for people of all ages. 

"Expanded, free, drop-in artmaking activities for people of all ages will be available, a hopeful resource for families impacted by early school year closures in Bentonville and Rogers," Claybrook said. "

Arkansas, the land of art?  Yes. 

Walmart, which is headquartered in Bentonville, has done much with this museum of art.

There isn't just folk art.  But fine art, the museum quality art of people such as Arthur Dove, Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, and others.  Best of all, general admission is free. (Some exhibitions are not free, but they will be free temporarily in the wake of the storms.)

In the Northwest Arkansas city of Bentonville, where the giant chain Walmart got its start, the family of the late Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton opened a world class art museum called Crystal Bridges in 2011.  It is sponsored by the Walton family - so, when you shop at Walmart, think of this place as your reward.

It is worth seeing.  You can get right up close, and sketch if you want.  It is a dream for those who love to study art.  I am not any kind of art expert, but I enjoyed the little bit of the exhibit I saw.

When we visited back in late August of 2013, we were just slightly overwhelmed.  Yes, a blogger who grew up in New York City, overwhelmed by an art museum.

Can you imagine retiring in this area, as many have, and having something like this in your backyard?

The museum is nestled into a ravine cut by Crystal Spring (hence, the name) with the spring in the middle.

 It really fools you - you think the building is on multiple levels, but (we were assured by a docent) it is only due to the topography.

A Friday concert being set up, near the spring.

This is one of the many outdoor sculptures (it was in the 90's F, and we just didn't have the stamina after a full day of sightseeing to explore the extensive grounds.)  But tomorrow, we hope to explore some of the trails. (We have never returned, and now they have been extensively damaged).

This is one of the art works I enjoyed.  It is called "Winter Scene in Brooklyn" by Francis Guy.  Photography (without flash) is permitted and I hope it is OK to post this.  This scene is from the early 1800's and I loved the scene.

There are even two George Washington paintings by Gilbert Stuart, the man who created the portrait that is on the American one dollar bill.

Arkansas - land of surprises.  The rural Benton County I remembered from the 1980's has grown tremendously.  It was amazing in 2013.

I'm sure it is just as amazing now.

I wish Benton County, Arkansas a speedy recovery as they recover from the May 26 storms.

Avanti #WordlessWednesday

At a car show earlier this month, I saw a car make I had never heard of.

Avanti.

Here are two views of the car. 

 It was the headlights that grabbed my attention.

 

I was so taken I never looked at the registration sticker to see the year information.  After I got home, I looked Avanti up online and found that it is the descendant of a Studebaker model.  Even after Studebaker ceased to exist (1963 in the United States and 1966 in Canada), others continued to produce various iterations.

I don't think this is an original Studebaker Avanti but I don't know what it is.  Hopefully one of my car loving readers can help.  To me, it's a beautiful car.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

The Flowers of Late May

I want to celebrate this month before it speeds past me.   So let's take a minute to stop and soak in the beauty of the flowers in my front and back yards.

I hope I can have these flowers for years to come.  I consider myself so fortunate that I have a yard.  I grew up in an apartment building in the Bronx (New York City) and this was a lifelong dream, just to have flowers of my own.  Every spring is like a little miracle all over again.

My bearded iris.  

Most of mine are this variety. Picture taken May 24.  These have a grape kool aid like scent. 

I have two bearded iris I got years ago at a plant sale and I keep forgetting I have them until they bloom. Both of these were taken May 26.

White.

On the other hand, this chive flower at our community garden plot probably smells a lot like onion.  The bee doesn't mind.

I have two rhododendrons.  These are close to forty years old now.

Light pink.

Purple

What else?  I'll end with this from my back yard hanging baskets - fuchsia.

All my yard needs now is a hummingbird - a story for another day.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Memories #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, it's Memorial Day in the United States, and it's time for music.

The bloggers of Music Moves Me blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be labeled "No Music".)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, we can blog on any music theme we want.  This is one of those weeks.

On at least one Memorial Day in the past, I paid tribute to musicians who died recently.  Sadly, I have several to pay tribute to today.  This isn't even a complete list - May was a sad month of inductions into  Rock and Roll Heaven. 

Doug Ingle, lead singer and organist for Iron Butterfly, died May 24 at the age of 78.  He also wrote most of their songs.  He was the writer and organist on perhaps their most famous song, In-A Gadda-Da-Vida.  Ingle was the last surviving member of the original group.

Here is the full version, all 17 minutes of this classic from 1968.  I hope you have the time to listen to all of it. True, the video isn't the best quality.  But, the various solos are so haunting and - well, I just love this song.

John Barbata died on May 8 at the age of 79.  He played for a number of groups either as members or a session musician, including The Turtles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and both Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.  Here is Barbata with the Turtles and their 1967 hit, Happy Together, hidden in the back.

Charlie Colin, founding member and bassist of Train, died May 22 at the age of 58, reportedly after slipping in the shower.  Here is their hit song Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) from 2001.

Jazz saxophonist and session musician David Sanborn died from cancer on May 12 at the age of 78.  Among many, many songs he played sax on was David Bowie's classic Young Americans.

May they rest in peace.

Now, two songs recognizing Memorial Day.

Dire Straits and Brothers in Arms from 1985.  This song comes out of the Falkland Islands War of 1982, but its message is universal.

Last up in my Memorial Day tribute is a tribute called May We Never Forget Freedom Isn't Free. Note, to play this video you will have to click the link in the "this video is disabled" which tells you that you can play it on You Tube.  Sorry about that; I didn't realize that when I posted this video.  Thank you, Songbird, for the heads up.

I grew up in the Vietnam War years.  The two boys I grew up with in the apartment next door both fought in Vietnam (and came home), along with a former manager of mine years ago who served two tours, and one of my spouse's cousins, who was also exposed to Agent Orange.

May we reflect on the high cost of our freedoms today and every day, and honor those who never came home.

And that's a wrap.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Honoring Memorial Day 2024

In the United States, Memorial Day is tomorrow.  First, a memory.

In 2002, my spouse, son, and I were on our way from our home in New York State to the Black Hills of South Dakota.  We stopped off in Iowa City, where one of my aunts (now deceased) then lived.  It was the Memorial Day weekend.

Just after we crossed into the city limits, we passed a cemetery.  It was decorated in a sea of American flags.  I could not believe how many flags there were.  

It showed that the residents of Iowa City had not completely forgotten the meaning of Memorial Day, a special day for residents of the United States.

In 2010, I blogged about a GI love story for Memorial Day.  In other years, I've repeated posts about our Memorial Day in the United States.  This year, I'd like to blog once again about the origin of this holiday, which is tied up with our Civil War, 1861-1865.  

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.  It was first observed in 1868 with laying of flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate troops at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

"Sam the Bear" honors the village of Waterloo, New York - Empire State Carousel

 My home state, New York, was the first to adopt Decoration Day as a holiday.  The village of Waterloo considers itself the birthplace of Memorial Day, and has a museum devoted to the holiday.

After World War I, Decoration Day became a holiday (Memorial Day) to honor the dead of all wars.

I can remember, growing up, when Memorial Day was observed on May 30, no matter what day of the week it was.  In 1971, I believe, it was changed to the current "last Monday in May" so that it could become part of several three day weekends being created.  Many people think that celebrating Memorial Day more as a "first day of summer" blowout beach/BBQ/shopping day has been recent, but apparently even in the early 20th century the day was already starting to drift away from its original meeting.

Another ceremony connected with this holiday is the playing of Taps.  Taps originated during the Civil War, composed by a member of the Army of the Potomac to serve as a "lights out" signal. Research I've done indicates that it didn't take long for Taps to be adopted by both Federal and Confederate armies.  It is so well suited to military burials that, again, its true origin is somewhat buried.

 

At 3pm, all over the United States,  the 24 notes of Taps will be played as part of a commemoration called Taps Across America.  Each musician has his or her reason for playing.

My late father was a disabled non-combat veteran of World War II.  The war he served in, World War II, took the lives of millions of both civilians and military.  This is a list of the casualties by country.

There is now an official National World War II museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I hope to visit it one day.

No matter what war it is, the innocent die and soldiers go off to war, many never to return, or to return whole.

And that is the true meaning of Memorial Day - to honor our war dead and, yes, their loved ones.

Today, tomorrow, and perhaps on all days, let us take a moment to honor the veterans of all wars who gave their lives.  They are our reminders that the price of freedom is sometimes a very steep one for those who pay it on our behalf. 

Let us not dishonor them.

Shadows on a Late May Morning #ShadowshotSunday

 Taken this morning at our local rail trail, as we had a beautiful, sunny morning:

What a shame dame's rocket is an invasive wildflower. It would look so nice in a wildflower garden.  In fact, it was introduced in the 1600's for that very purpose.  But here's why you should never consider planting it (and note, some wildflower mixes include it!)

I wonder if the yellow flower you can barely see in the middle of the picture (I took this from a distance and don't dare blow it up further) is yellow flag iris.  If it is, it is another invasive, at least in New York State.  It's alongside a stream, so the environment would be right for yellow flag iris.

Shadows on the ground.

Taken this morning at our local year-round farmers market:

Shadow selfie on asparagus.

Carrots.

Two bicycle stands.

Joining Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures for her #ShadowshotSunday a day early.  We'd love you to come out of the shadows and join us.  All you need is one shadow picture, inside or outside.

Tomorrow is my Memorial Day post, also a day early.