Today is one of the most important Marian feasts celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, “the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, free from original sin by virtue of the foreseen merits of her son Jesus Christ”.

In 1858, Marian Apparitions came to a 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. In the 16th appearance of Mary to Bernadette, the Blessed Virgin Mary stated “I am the Immaculate Conception”. Lourdes has become one of the greatest pilgrimage sites of the world visited by millions of Catholics each year.

A replica of the Lourdes Grotto can be found on St. Anne’s Hill in Plain, Wisconsin and it is a peaceful spot to visit. And if you search in the crevices in the rock, you might even find my stash of pennies (and a nickel) as we would hide a penny on our visits up the hill to the chapel and shrine.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Picture of the Day for December 7, 2015

December 7, 2015

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A “date that will live in infamy” is how President Franklin D. Roosevelt described Japanese attacks on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor in a speech to the joint session of Congress on the day after the attack on December 7, 1941. Of the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the attack, almost half of those who died were aboard the USS Arizona. This February, the last surviving officer of the USS Arizona, died at the age of 100 and there are now only eight crewmen from the Arizona still living.

Since I haven’t been to Hawaii to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, I have no pictures of it but this old fishing boat might not seen damage from war, but has been worn down from years of hard work and the icy waters of Lake Superior.

Boat Battling Age

Picture of the Day for December 6, 2015

December 6, 2015

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Cloudy and foggy mornings have prevented seeing the some sunrises, but some days the weather clears by evening for some colors to paint the sky.

Winter Painted Sky

Picture of the Day for December 5, 2015

December 5, 2015

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The spring flowers are not the only thing which involves a four or five month waiting period to see again. The non-wintering birds will spread their return dates out over several months and some of the early arrivals may have to deal with some late snow showers before they build their nest and start raising their young. It is a rather tough for bluebirds to find insects to feed their young when the ground is covered with snow.

Bluebird Bringing Lunch

Picture of the Day for December 4, 2015

December 4, 2015

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The trees are bare and the ground has some fallen leaves which are mostly covered with snow, but today’s scene doesn’t have spring flowers blooming among the white covering. A few frozen and withered late fall flowers is all that you might spot under the snow since the snow season has just started and spring flowers appearance is months away.

Blooming in Snow

Picture of the Day for December 3, 2015

December 3, 2015

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Seasons have come and gone many times for this old shed and I wondered what prized possessions the building had sheltered over the years and if it was a favorite place for children to play in on a rainy day.

Weathered Shed

Picture of the Day for December 2, 2015

December 2, 2015

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While watching the snow flakes falling this morning, I decided I preferred to see water falling over a waterfall instead. A series of five smaller falls which cascade around island, make up the Lower Tahquamenon Falls, which is four miles downstream from the upper falls. You can take row boats to the island to see different views the falls as the river splits around island (which is to the right of this set of falls).

Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Picture of the Day for December 1, 2015

December 1, 2015

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The start of December means that winter is just really starting and there will be more snow and cold coming for many months yet. I don’t think this wagon will be big enough to haul winter farther north. And for the earlier generations, this mode of transportation wasn’t closed in or have a heater to kept a person warm, so I guess I can’t complain about winter but I still might anyway!

Heavy Wagon