In Remembrance

These photos were taken this Memorial Day at Hampton National Cemetery. The first burials took place here in 1862 and were those of Union Soldiers from nearby Fort Monroe, however there are also Confederates interred here as well, but in their own section. Although full now, it contains the remains of soldiers who served in conflicts from the Civil War to those of the late 20th century, including over 600 unknown soldiers. During World War II Italian and German POWs were buried here, as well as the crew from a German U-boat sunk off of nearby Cape Hatteras in 1942. I find it poignant that animosity was set aside among the dead, and all soldiers are honored.

In a sea of headstones, I turned around to get some closer shots and right behind me was this one, and I could not help noting the soldier's birth date.

On this weekend when Americans celebrated the start of summer by thickening the waters with boats, tending the grill, or heading to the beach - I hope there was also some time to remember.

Delayed Expectations and Pleasant Surprises

This past Saturday we finally got our first taste of overdue winter weather, however it was only a light appetizer and not a filling entree. The day was cold, miserable and rainy - not conducive to shopping or stringing lights through shrubbery, so we spent the day inside getting a little housework done and the Christmas tree decorated. During a break in the domesticity and the rain, I was able to spend a little time in the back yard. I was surprised to find that the Climbing Hydrangea foliage had taken on a pleasant yellow color, when in most years it simply falls off unnoticed. The leaf color is good match to the blooms of Winter Sun Mahonia.

Rain drop on Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Fatsia japonica blossom encircled by the Jasmine

The Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris)

Mahonia x 'Winter Sun'

When I woke the next morning and checked the thermometer, it said that we had finally kissed the 32 degree mark for the first time this season - about two to three weeks later than usual. There was little apparent sign in the garden of this brush with winter, but later when I got home from work I noticed that the exhausted Impatiens and the Coleus had definitively been hit. Monday morning frost had to be scraped from the windshield. I realize that many people out there have had far worse and though I am not happy about it, I expect that it should be time for winter.

Coming To A Living Room Near You

Yesterday at work we got in our Christmas tree truck. These are all Fraser Firs grown deep in the mountains of North Carolina. It took us about 2 hours to unload the truck (by hand) and the rest of the day to get them set up, and I'll be back at today and tomorrow. We re-cut each tree, drill a hole in the bottom, put them in water filled stands and spray them with Wilt-Pruf. Even though I had excellent young, and not so young help, my body is feeling every day of its age this morning.