A Time to Remember

"As I was just leaving the hair salon, the receptionist wished me a happy Memorial Day. I kind of smiled and nodded, but cringed too. My husband died in a helicopter crash eight and a half months into a deployment.

"Every day for us is Memorial Day. I’ve always been puzzled by Memorial Day. It’s such an odd day to celebrate. We don’t have 9/11 sales. You don’t get a 3 day weekend for Pearl Harbor. The first one was definitely the hardest. The red, white, and blue balloons in the grocery store. The celebrations and parties, for something that is actually pretty somber. We didn’t get his body back, just boxes of his stuff.

"I have my own ritual now, where I’ll watch the video from his memorial service. I remember parts of it so well. I remember the woman in uniform who handed our 6-year-old son a folded flag. He asked me if he could unfold it, and I remember leaning down to quietly tell him he could not. And I remember seeing the woman who presented the flag crying. And then she had to give a flag to my 3-month-old. My friend was holding him. He never met his dad, and he’s got a fist in his mouth, and here she has to give him this folded triangle. And I just remember her crying.

"I can’t say it gets easier. It doesn’t. I think you just get better at handling it. I’m not sure true happiness is possible again. Every moment that should be celebrated, from the baby’s first steps to someday, the kids’ college graduations and weddings, is almost immediately overshadowed by how much I wish my husband were here to share that with us. But it does give you an unbelievable appreciation for life, and I’ve definitely learned not to sweat the small stuff. I don’t fault anyone for celebrating Memorial Day. I’ll enjoy the three-day weekend. It is the one day when everyone seems to jump on the bandwagon. But it would be so nice if people would reach out to us the rest of the year, too, and remember what the day is really about."

Family of Lt. Cmdr Landon L. Jones who died on 22 September 2013 as a result of an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter crash while operating in the Red Sea. A "go fund me" page has been set up at www.humansonthehomefront.com as a fundraiser for anyone who would like to donate to this family.


I take to heart her thoughts completely. I've always thought it strange to wish someone a Happy Memorial Day. When I was much younger, living in small-town USA. Sabina, Ohio to be exact. The Memorial Day I remember most was marching with my Brownie Scout Troop in a procession. I hesitate to call it a parade. We ended up at the cemetery. I remember it as a very solemn, reverent procession. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family and so many more just like them.

I am also reminded today of my cousin, Todd Beamer, and the other passengers that were with him on Flight 93 in 2001. They were not veterans and had not volunteered for duty. When the time came, however, they gave it their all to hopefully stop their plane from taking more lives. They lost their lives in the process but as a result, kept the plane from taking any more lives. Remembering those families as well!

No Favorites Today!

White Wood Aster

Back in the garden again this morning. That secretive Gray Cat Bird was back again. Alas, I did not have the camera out earlier this morning. I could hear the baby Red-Bellied Woodpeckers squawking for their breakfast but could not see them.

My titled post today, "No Favorites Today", refers to those pesky deer who have eaten almost every hosta and are now starting on the Blue Hydrangeas, White Wood Aster, Strawberry Hydrangea, and some of the Rudbeckia. 

Here is some of the evidence for your viewing pleasure! 

Or in my case, displeasure! 
 Luckily the Aster blooms in the fall and might stand a chance of a
comeback! They only took a few nibbles from the Oak Leaf
Hydrangea and left the blooms!

The French Hydrangea in the photo below was not as lucky! No blooms left on this one.

Blue French Hydrangea

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Lavender

So my husband was sent back to the store to buy some deer repellent! I used some last year that my mom had given me but have not been able to find the same product at a store close by. (Mom and her store are an hour away) So we are trying a different brand in hopes that the big blue Hosta, the ready to bloom lily buds, and the native azalea are not on the menu at the Deer Cafe tonight! This stuff is really stinky and after all, who wants to eat stinky food. Hopefully, Doris Doe and her brood feel the same way!! 

I, however, can not resist adding a few more favorite photos today and hopefully will be able to share some lovely lilies in a day or two. The bees were busy on the lavender this morning and I couldn't resist taking that photo. They will be all over the lavender for the rest of the summer! It's quite lovely! 

I am also enjoying the Oak Leaf Hydrangea Blooms! As mentioned in an earlier post, this is the first time for blooms and I have had this planted in the same spot for more than five years. I have one more that I have had for about the same number of years. It is doing very well, looks healthy, larger leaves but no blooms yet. You can be sure if it does I will write about it!

French Hydrangea

The blooms on the French Hydrangea are two of only a few left. The deer gobbled up some early buds but seem to have lost interest now that the remaining buds have bloomed. 

They have never bothered the Shasta Daisies but in the past, they have eaten every bud on the lilies that are planted with the daisies. I was in a hurry to spray repellent before they got to them this year! 

Lily Bud

Shasta Daisies

These Rudbeckia below have never been on their menu before this year. They only nibbled a few and have left the rest. I thought I had lost these from black spots on the leaves a few years ago. They completely died back and only a few came back each year after. The leaves continue to be covered in black spots but this year I have a mass of them again and they seem to be spreading. I'm sure the birds in the garden are helpful in that regard. They love the seeds!

Rudbeckia

Hummer Time!

May is nearly gone and summer almost in full swing. Seems like Memorial Day is the dividing line between spring and summer. Just as Labor Day marks the end of summer. 

Red bellied woodpecker

Baby Blue Birds

Baby Blue Birds

Today was a bird watching, photography kind of day. One of my favorite subjects to photograph happens to be wild life and specifically, BIRDS! From my deck, feeding from the feeders my husband and I put out. The feeders are around and in the garden beds so we are enjoying two of our favorite things at once.       
We have been watching the Red bellied woodpeckers and just saw the babies in the oak tree today. The parents were both flying back and forth from the suet feeder to a higher branch in the tree. Then we saw it! A smaller one, not by much, that they were feeding.       
Before the woodpeckers we were watching a family of Blue Birds. They have been coming around since March when the adults showed up with five babies in April. Now the babies come and go as they please. We have had four of the young ones at a time on the suet feeder and hook. They have learned how to bathe in the bird bath courtesy of a lesson from their mom! Just the other day one of them on the suet feeder opened its mouth to be fed when the mom showed up. He was feeding himself until then. Just like a mom to respond with , "I think you're old enough to feed your self"...she ignored him and flew away! 

So you might be wondering about the strange title for my post today. While we have been enjoying our fine feathered friends in the garden, the one thing my husband keeps asking is, "Are the hummingbirds back, have you seen any?" News Flash!! They're bacccckkkkk! There seems to be three different ones. Probably a male with a bright green down his back, a female with a darker green on her back, and one with a ruby throat. We don't see the ruby throated one as much but the other two cooperated with my photo session today! Take a look!

As well as these birds the other ones today are a Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, and earlier in the day a rarely seen Gray Cat Bird. No photo of the Cat Bird as they are described as being very secretive. Their call is raspy sounding rather like a mewing cat. The Chippewa Indians named it Bird That Cries With Grief due to its raspy call. 

Downy Woodpecker

Just a quick glimpse of the Oak Leaf Hydrangea that was just about to bloom last month. It is a little hidden behind a Mahonia next to the seed feeder. So far the deer have left it alone except for a nibbble or two. 


My Shasta Daisies are also in full bloom attracting a bee or two.






So while it is almost summer time, today in my garden was definitely Hummer Time!