Memorial Day

The Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial serves as the final resting place for 5,329 members of the United States military who died in World War II. The ninety and a half acre cemetery and memorial is in Neuville-en-Condroz, near the southeast edge of Neupré, Belgium. It is one of three American war cemeteries in Belgium, the other two being at Flanders Field and Henri-Chapelle.

If you click the photo to enlarge it, it becomes much easier to see the layout of the graves: a Greek cross.

Where'd my beer go?

The squirrel kits are really getting much better at navigating the top of the fence without stumbling. Even at speed, even under duress. They stumble less, and even when they do stumble, they regain their footing quickly.

But we've gotten so wrapped up in their training and in supplying moisture to the gardens that we haven't been out in quite a while. Thank goodness that others have kept us fed: morels, crappies, asparagus - we've been in paradise a couple of times this last week or two.

I'm calming down (sort of)

Picked this one up over at Grits for Breakfast. Keep in mind that Grits is focused more on criminal justice issues than anything else, and he's been giving the rest of us the links we need to understand the Eldorado raid better than anyone else. But this one talks to issues beyond his legal concern: it speaks to every parent of every child who has ever been medicated for behavior. It speaks to every teacher of every child medicated for behavior. It should speak to every politician that accepts medication before patience.

Busy season

I have a hard time digesting that I haven't posted in six weeks or better; it doesn't seem like more than a couple weeks, at best (or worst). I guess the time has come to admit that I suffer from epistolary laziness.

In defense of that laziness, though, I'll admit to letting squirrels distract me: the momma squirrel who intruded on my yard all last fall gave birth this spring to four kits, and I've spent much of the time that I might have devoted to blogging to instead training them to not fall off the fence when they run along it. Next step? Train them to leave the yard rapidly. Fence, overhanging trees, the route matters not. Just bail when I approach. I don't look forward to the amount of barking (and subsequent hoarseness) that will entail. But I teach, and their success rewards me (no extra bones in my bowl necessary).