Like many of the old wooden barn, many rural churches have been abandoned and might be used only a few times a year, if at all. So it is nice to see ones still surviving in the rural countryside, like the Wilson Lutheran Church in Western Wisconsin, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary today.
Celebrating Quasquicentennial
It is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which is when the Sun reaches the farthest point north of the equator and giving us the most hours of sunlight for the whole year. The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), because it appears the sun stops at the solstice.
And today the sun is actually out for a change instead of raining so I can see the longest day of sunlight, which for my area is fifteen hours and thirty-six minutes. But now that we reached the longest day, each day will be shorter and minutes will disappear like the dandelion seeds and before you know it, the ground won’t be covered with white dandelions but with white snow instead.
Disappearing Daylight
The flowers were late blooming this year with the extremely long winter and now that they are blooming, it is hard to enjoy them because of the rainy days but at least they are dry this morning. The birds and critters probably are enjoying a break from the rain too as much as I am.
Sea of Color
Today is Tippy’s birthday, a cat I raised on a bottle and was the star of my children’s book. She turns seven today but she is not a happy birthday girl since after my other house cat died, I figure she could use some company of other cats and put her in the small house with a fenced in run. Well she is not happy with the new accommodations at all and is now a snarly, hissing cat.
Click the play button to hear the ‘happy’ birthday girl.
Unhappy Birthday Girl
The wild roses are blooming but it is difficult to get a picture of them as the bugs are hungry and eat holes in them or the rain and wind beat them up from all the recent storms, but I did find one to take a picture of even though a bug landed on it after I took the picture.
Wild Rose Blooming
The abnormal spring rainfall has been washing out culverts and causing flooding since the storms have been dropping a lot of rain in a short time. Hopefully this barn is high enough up on the hill so the critters in the barn don’t have to wade through water.
Red Reflections
After a stormy weekend, I always wonder how the oriole nest manages to stay attached to the branches with extreme swaying and wonder how the poor eggs aren’t scrambled. But I suppose since the female spends a lot of time incubating the eggs and builds the nest, she doesn’t take shortcuts nor scrimp on the number of the fibers as it takes a week to build or longer if the weather is bad.
Female Baltimore Oriole in Her Nest
The rainy day might prevent some of the normal Father’s Day outdoor activities but hopefully there will be some dry moments to enjoy the day.
Sunday Sunset
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Any date can have many events or memories associated with it, since also on June 14 in 1775, the U.S. Army was founded and in 1900, Hawaii becomes a United States territory. And for those who like Bourbon, on June 14, 1789, whiskey distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig. It is named Bourbon because Rev Craig lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
Each date also has notable (and not so famous) births, deaths, and anniversaries. For June 14, Harriet Beecher Stowe, American author and activist was born in 1811 and Burl Ives, American actor and singer was born in 1909 and I have sung many of his songs over the years. In 1926, Mary Cassatt, American painter, died at the age of 82 and is remembered for Impressionist paintings of women and intimate bonds between mothers and children. Other deaths on June 14 are remembered, but the name might not be remembered fondly, like Benedict Arnold, who died in 1801 and his name is associated with a traitor.
And besides being Flag Day for the United States flag, another flag was first raised on June 14, 1846 in the birthplace of American California, since a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California where the Bear Flag Revolt took place and a Bear Flag was first raised, proclaiming independence from Mexican rule. Sonoma served as the capital of the short-lived California Republic until the United States Stars and Stripes flag was raised during the Mexican-American war.
So June 14, like any day, holds many memories; past, present and future ones for everyone. For me, June 14 is the anniversary of my grandfather’s death, the wedding anniversary of dear friends, and a wedding ceremony today for my cousin.
Flag Day
New birth is one sign of spring and early summer, from baby lambs, calves, piglets, kittens, birds and even foals, like this young one staying close to mommy’s side in the pasture.
Cute Foal
