Let Us Remember

Did you know that Memorial Day actually started as Decoration Day and was celebrated on May 30 every year starting in 1868? Two years before that, the southern states had established a Confederate Memorial Day.  Held on different days throughout the South, Confederate Memorial Day was created to honor the Confederate soldiers who had fallen. Decoration Day was so named because that was the day that people throughout our nation went to the graveyard of their fallen heroes and "decorated" their tombstones with flowers, wreathes and other memorabilia. The Civil War is still the conflict in which we have lost the most lives -- believed to be around 618,000.  The preferred holiday name was not popularly known as Memorial Day until after WWII and was not officially designated as Memorial Day until changed by Federal law in 1967.

In 1968, our government passed the Uniform Holidays Bill which moved four holidays to Mondays to establish long weekends: Memorial Day moved to the fourth Monday in May.  The VFW formally objected to moving the day and still believes that doing so has led to a nonchalant observance by the public to what was once a day steeped with deep meaning and solemn remembrance.  It has become more of an observance of the beginning of summer for many people.  And, though we appreciate our military, this day is not for the soldiers still serving their country or our brave veterans.  It is to remember the fallen. Hence, "Memorial" day.

Since 1987, Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii has introduced a bill to return Memorial Day to its original date.  Not only is he a veteran of WWII himself, but think of the many service members entombed at the Arizona Memorial.  It carries very special meaning for Hawaiians, I, too, wish we still observed it on May 30 as it was when I was a kid. Dad would take us to Arlington National Cemetery and we would place flowers on my grandfather's grave. Arlington would become the cemetery  where he (in 1977) and my mother (in 1996) were laid to rest after beautiful and very moving ceremonies.

And there isn't anything "happy" about it, so please do not say "Happy Memorial Day."  Visit your cemeteries and attend Memorial Day services and observances, participate in picnics, parades or whatever, but try to keep in mind what it is really all about.

It's that time again..

THAT time.  The time of the year when I start paying attention to weather reports.  Usually June 1 for the start of Hurricane Season.  But it is only May 27 and we already have the second named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Beryl, barreling (no pun intended ha ha) toward Jacksonville, FL.  Hopefully she will bring some badly needed rain to drought stricken areas of Florida. And I do mean "drought stricken."

Drought

There is a theory that drought stricken areas attract storms and studies support that theory.

In any case, it IS that time of the year and we have started into the "rainy" season for our area.  If we have to have the hot temps, I am glad we also have the rain to go with them.  The rain produces beautiful flowers and freshens our air.

I have no problem with summer in Florida.  But maybe that is because we have good air conditioning and a sea breeze most of the time.  Inland Florida?  That's a bit different.

Hoping Beryl brings us more rain.

Beryl's current position

I bought a battery operated handheld HDTV today.  Our old analog battery operated TV is no longer of any use, of course.  This one has chargers for house and car to recharge the battery, a 7" LED screen and an antenna to capture the local digital signals. I will like that a lot better than the weather radio. What is great about these things is we can monitor the storm even if we have to evacuate.  Works in the car. ;-)

Looking forward to watching storms from afar this year.

Our Babies in Retirement

Beau - one week after surgery

We do a lot of "babying" around here.  First and foremost there is Beau.

Guess what I had in my other hand when I snapped this shot?  See how pretty and white his clean teeth are?

It is impossible to resist those big brown eyes....so he got it...that cheese wrapped antibiotic he was eyeing.

And then the tomatoes Butch swore he was not going to fool with this year...he started with a couple of plants he picked up at Home Depot -- they are ripening and we are eating them now.  But those pictures above are the ones we are really waiting to try.  His first successful attempt at growing Heirloom Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  A gift from our friend, Nancy, in Jacksonville.  Look, Nancy!  They are beautiful!

This is the Cherokee Purple closest to the door from the lanai.  He has actually had to add a second tomato cage to keep it from breaking.  This plant is HUGE -- due to Butch's daily "babying" and the aptly named Miracle Gro tomato food and plant soil. We are hoping the weather does not get too hot for them.

I wish we had "smell-a-vision" capabilities here.  We continue to baby the Plumeria trees.  Remember the "sticks" I showed you a couple of weeks ago?  The ones Butch just stuck in a pot last December?  That's them.  It is very rare for a Plumeria to bloom the first year of planting, but here they are.

In all their glory --with many buds still getting ready to unfurl.  I couldn't believe my eyes.

And the big trees around the perimeter of the lanai.  It is just heaven when southwest breezes ruffle through these trees on the way to us as we sit outside under the paddle fan.

I hate to see them drop their blooms.  And when I see one like this, I pick it up and bring it inside to float in a crystal bowl.

I probably should have saved this one for a Monday Macro post, but I just couldn't leave it out.  I do believe I will end up using this one for a painting.  I just love it.

And one on another flower bract.

And another.  I am loving this Spring so much.

These are about 12 feet high -- still reaching for the sky.  I had to use my telephoto lens to  take it.

I found it impossible to choose which pics to post, so I'm afraid that I just have to subject you guys to ALL of them.  Ha.

Okay.  That's it for those babies.

And, I am still "babying" my Christmas poinsettia.  Remember how red it was when I posted pictures a couple of weeks ago?  Well, not so red anymore.  The green is coming back.

And still no dropped leaves.  I have no idea why this is doing so well. None whatsoever.

While I was busy with the camera for all of the above, the Beau Monster was busy, too.  I should have just put the camera on video.  Despite having many little lizards inside the lanai, Beau fixated on a little one outside the screen. The slight blur of his tail is an indication of the whirligig that feathery plume becomes when he sees his favorite playthings --or chases a squirrel.

He seems to be saying, "Hey, I could use some help here!"

"See it? Do you see it.  Help me out here!"

"Beau, he's just a baby --  too little for you to play with."

"Maybe if I stare at him long enough, he'll get bigger."

So there are the babies. And people wonder what they will do in retirement.  I'll tell you what.  They'll take time to love a pet with more attention than they were able to give them when they were working and raising a family.  They'll not only stop to smell the flowers -- they'll spend time raising them.  And they'll take time to appreciate every minute of every day that we are allotted in this earthly lifetime of ours.

Monday Macro

Salt Water Aquarium on Maui

I have forgotten (if I ever knew) what species this fish is, but according to my son-in-law, Rick, all really colorful fish are males. And he should know because he lives to fish. We humans are so different from the animal kingdom.  Our females are the colorful ones -- the guys?  Not so much.  And that population seems to care less and less about how they look, if my observation of them at the grocery store is any indication.

Do you know what this look means?

Beau's Back to normal and doing just fine.  The tumor was just a fatty tissue benign skin tumor.

In fact, we're having a bit of a problem keeping him from jumping around.  And barking at squirrels.  When he barks all four little feet leave the ground and the sound seems to come from deep in his belly.  The effort he puts into it appears to put stress on the incision in his tummy..  We're afraid he'll pop a stitch.

He's got three more days on Prevacox and then he has to finish up his antibiotic.  His stitches come out in about 10 days.

Oh, and the "LOOK?"  It's the expectant look after he has seen me wrap one of the aforementioned pills in CHEESE.  I call it his "Cheese, please!" look.  I tried to get him to smile so you could see his pretty white teeth.  The vet tech cleaned them while he was still under anesthesia.

I almost forgot.  Butch and I must have a similar expression on our faces whenever we walk out on the lanai and see this.

Looks like we'll have a fresh homegrown tomorrow.  We can hardly wait!