Veteran's Day

The remnants of Hurricane Ida are messing up the beaches along Delmarva. Beach erosion, coastal flooding, rip tides and wind are once again depleting the eastern beaches. But it's just such acts of nature that created the barrier islands and keeps out coastline changing. I can't argue with five different high tide marks in Pop-pop's kitchen - it's a fact of living on the coast, or on an island. I've already walked and done my necessary shopping today... Necessities (for me) equal cat food, kitty treats, kitty litter, doggie treats, bathroom tissue and Coca-Cola. Last night, after NCIS, I was hired to work for another family up in Githen's Acres (where I take care of Alexy's cats, Brandi, the Rs, Ooch, Gila, Twister, etc.) - I'll go meet with them next week and meet their critters, a 10-year-old dog and a 6-month-old kitten. They are leaving on their trip the night that Alexy returns, so I'll just move my over-night gear two houses to the east, and be where I need to be. The kits were quiet and cuddly yesterday, as my headache stayed with me most of the day; they are both now outside trying to terrorize the ravens (who are bigger than the cats). And I can just hear both kits say, "But, Mom! They fly! So we can chase them!" Of course, they very conveniently forget that the crows and ravens dive-bomb them and chase them inside the apartment frequently. - Quality Road, the young horse that imploded in the starting gate during the Breeders Cup Classic, is having a tough time. Besides cuts and scrapes, he broke a tooth, and has a huge bruise just above one of his eyes. Monday he refused to load onto the plane for the flight back to New York. He froze, crouched, and his handlers were afraid he'd flip over backwards (and really injury himself); so he is now going to be vanned from California to Churchill Downs in Louisville, and then on to Saratoga. The plans are to let him relax, have a vacation, and then re-inroduce him to the starting gate, gently.

Today is Veteran's Day, a day this nation set aside to honor those people who serve our country. Dad was a career Navy man; Uncle Claude was career Army; Aunt Hazel was career Army; and my brother-in-law David is a career Marine. David is in his 60s and is, ostensibly, retired from the Corps; but they need his expertise as a Quarter Master, and so he spends 6-month stints in Iraq as a US military contractor... Once a Marine, always a Marine. As an American citizen, I can say with pride that one of my ancestors has fought for this nation in every conflict that we have seen. Actually, if the old genealogists can be believed, my family has been fighters since the 800s... that's going back to the Vikings and Normans. A lot of blood has been shed over the years to make America a great country. Some of those military actions were unavoidable, some were not. In any event, my forbears answered the call to arms - from their chieftain to the President of the United States - over the years. Occasionally, a whole generation of young men were erased, and not allowed to pass on their lives, history, and genes. I know that I would have been a wash-out from any service - between my height, weight, and vision problems (I don't have any depth perception, just like Dad). However, I wish to honor the memories of all the Veterans in my family tree, and any and all Veterans throughout the world. And by "Veteran," I mean to designate anyone who wears a uniform, cammies, or who has served or is serving our country in a very unappreciated task. Go Merchant Marines! Go Marines! Go Air Force! Go Coast Guard! Go Army! And, most of all, GO NAVY! I salute you with all my heart.