On the Road to D.C.

And I don’t mean the comic books. (DC Comics) There’s nothing funny going on in Washington right now!

But my quick trip has begun. I was up at 6:30 am. I slept on the areo bed last night so that Joe, who is kitty sitting, could have my bed. As I unplugged the seal to let out the air Rocky took a flying leap onto the bed and sunk! Pretty funny. He was quite a confused kitty cat but he got over it. Other than it being cold it was very comfortable. Next time I’ll put a blanket under the sheet or maybe use flannel sheets.

Made it to Braintree by about 8:30 am. The Logan express is a bus to the airport and has a station in Braintree. Parking is $7.00/ day which is much cheaper than parking at the airport. Plus its nice to leave the driving to someone else when navigating Boston. The bus runs on the hour and true to its schedule we were on our way by 9:01. The web site says to allow 45 minutes to get from Braintree to Logan but as it was a Saturday with no traffic. I think we made better time than that.

To my surprise the airport was a ghost town. I was through security in less than 5 minutes and there was no one in the terminal! So after all that rushing around I was seated at table with a muffin by 9:30 am waiting for a flight that didn’t leave until 12 noon. Good thing I brought a book.

In spite of the empty terminal they announced that our flight was a full flight. That could be because we were on a teeny , tiny commuter plane. I upgraded my seat to be sure I got an aisle although it really didn’t matter. The plane was so small that there was no middle seat, just window and aisle on both sides. First class had one seat on each side of the aisle!

At least I got a look at the new paint jobs American Airlines has put on their planes. Pretty nifty!

 

Alien Abduction Day

I was thinking about the alien abduction phenomenon. You know the one. It all started back in 1961 with the abduction of Benny and Barbara Hill in my back yard of Lincoln, New Hampshire.

I saw the spot when I was on vacation there a few years ago. I never realized it was New Hampshire just a couple hours away from me until I saw the plaque marking the spot.

Anyway, now everyone who is abducted seems to be in bed and asleep, not out driving around like they were.  Abductees describe feeling a heavy weight on their chest and when they open their eyes they are staring into large oval shaped ones. Then they are whisked away to be probed and prodded.

Well I’ve solved the mystery or so I think.

I would ask if these abductees own a cat.

The other night I was in a deep sleep when suddenly I found it hard to breathe. As I struggle to wakefulness I found myself staring into a pair of huge glowing, oval eyes. For a moment I was stunned and almost in a panic. Then slowly my eyes focused and I was staring at Rocky, my cat.

He was curled up on my chest nose to nose with me. Thus the difficulty breathing and the weight on my chest. In the dark he looked just like those aliens everyone describes.

Yup, abducted by kitty cat. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Cherry Blossom Update

I’ve been following the NPS (National Park Service) predictions about the peak bloom especially closely since we had the Blizzard of 2017. Washington DC did not escape the snow and cold.

The warm January and February had encouraged the cherry trees to accelerate their blooms which is why the NPS initially thought peak bloom would be March 14-17. Then they pushed it back to March 19-22.

Did you know that Peak Bloom is only 1 day, not the whole prediction? There are also the Kwanzan Cherry Trees that bloom about a month after this first round. They appear unharmed from this cold snap and are predicted to bloom in April.

Right now it’s looking like the so called Peak Bloom may be rather subdued. One NPS employee was quoted as saying it would be the worst bloom in 100 years. Comments from Cherry Blossom insiders refer to a lot of brown from the cold damaged buds. “They are hanging limp, looking like they have been singed by fire.” So sad.

I’ll know soon enough if all these nay-sayers are telling the truth. Even if the Cherry Blossoms are a dud this year, I’ll get to see the monuments. Its been almost 50 years since I was in DC last. I think it was 1970 or 71 so that would be 46-47 years ago. I’m sure cherry blossoms or not that it will be a wonderful experience.

 

 

Trump’s Wall

Apologies to all. I do not write political posts. I do not feel that I have the knowledge to properly present political arguments. (Not that half the pundits or politicians do either) It’s just not a game I want to be involved in.

But I will say that Immigration seems to have been a “bone of contention” for a long time.

Still when I was searching for some illustrations for my previous posts I ran across this political cartoon allegedly from the 1800’s. (I say allegedly because I don’t think ball caps & back packs were popular in the 1800’s)

If it really is that old, (After all you can believe it if its on the internet, right?) then all I can say is some things never change. Just look at this one from our time.

Don’t forget the Irish and the Germans either.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

What happened to “Fresh Thinking?”

Well I’m off to visit Washington D.C. Seems appropriate that I divert from my no politics policy. Back soon!

 

Happy St Patrick’s Day

‘Tis great to be Irish (even if your not)because this is the one day of the year when everyone is a little bit Irish.

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian feast day observed since the 17th century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. He is also credited with chasing the snakes out of Ireland. A bit of a stretch because there is no evidence that there were ever any snakes in Ireland in the first place. Still, as any good Irishman will say, “It makes for a fine tale” especially after a Guinness or two.

Celebrations include public parades and festivals, green attire and ceilidhs. I didn’t know what that last word was so I had to look it up. According to Wikipedia a ceilidh (there should be an accent mark over the e) is a traditional Scottish or Irish gathering. It can mean, in its simplest form, a social visit but in today’s usage it usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.

If you live in Boston Saint Patrick’s Day is a BIG DEAL. People of Irish ancestry are the largest single ethnic group in Boston. The Irish boom came in the 19th century following the Great Irish Famine.  At first there was a real separation of the Puritan Bostonians and the newly immigrated Irish but with the increasing Irish population, political organization and strong group loyalty the Irish took political control of the city.

The Irish left their mark on the region in a number of ways: in still heavily Irish neighborhoods such as Charlestown and South Boston; in the name of the local basketball team, the Boston Celtics; in the iconic Irish-American political family, the Kennedys.

The annual dispute these days is whether OUTVETS, a gay veteran’s  group can march in the annual St Patrick Day Parade. I’m happy so say that the organizers of the parade finally gave in and said yes and have promised to change their by-laws so this annual dispute will not raise it’s ugly, prejudicial head again.

So raise a pint! Here’s another toast to the feisty Irish with their rich heritage. They bring color and life to a stodgy old city at least one day a year!

May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.