Joe Meiner

I mentioned in my last post that when I was in Nez Perce, Id, I met a D Day Vet named Joe Meiner. He was participating in the age old "talk around the wood stove at the local store", except it was at the local hotel/restaurant and no wood stove was needed (thank God). This is what the old timers did back in the old days - made their way to the general store and sat around the wood stove talking about weather, crops, local families and their difficulties or successes, national and world events such as were known back then (news was often heard a day or so or more after it occurred). I don't know much about Joe's personal life except he knows all the locals and can tell you the history of any plot of property in the Nez Perce area and who has owned it. I don't know if his wife was still alive, but from the way he talked I didn't think so. Joe is 86 years old and this past summer he went with his grown great grandson to Washington, DC to visit the WWII memorial. The memorial featured black and white reels of war footage and Joe pointed out the truck he was driving in the D Day footage - yes, he was actually, momentarily, in the footage. As Joe told his great grandson about the war, about D Day and what it was like, others visiting the memorial would overhear and gather around to hear it all "first hand". He attracted crowds everywhere he went, and not on purpose. Joe speaks softly and deliberately, he is very modest and never embellishes anything. In fact, he probably undertells it and his voice is very matter of fact. He told us, in the Nez Perce Hotel dining/meeting room how he was a mechanic for the vehicles, mostly trucks and jeeps, and how he had to drive a truck onto the beach (I forgot to ask which one - I was too riveted by his story and I didn't want to be rude and interrupt) and get as far as he could directly under the guns of the Germans. He managed to do this, obviously, or we would not have been speaking to him. He was so far onto the beach, the Germans could not train their guns on him. As he drove, he saw men dying left and right of him, and when he got to his designated spot, he says he saw no bullet holes in his truck - he was amazed. He seemed so proud of his great grandson, and he was happy that a WWII memorial had finally been completed. He was quite pleased with his sudden fame while in Washington, DC and his face glowed as he spoke of how "one or two people would hear me talking to my great grandson, and before you know it, there might be a crowd of upwards of 25 or so people wantin' to hear about the War." Joe did mention that he had never been able to watch, "Saving Private Ryan", because it would be too intense for him, it would bring it all back - but he did say that others that he knew that had been in D Day and seen the movie, vouched for it's authenticity.

Before we left the Nez Perce restaurant, my husband, my brother in law and I thanked Joe for what he had done all those years ago, and I could feel the chills run up my spine. I felt as if I was talking to a real piece of History in Human Form, so to speak. I have so much respect for the "average American" of the first half of the 20th Century. These people - and Joe was the epitome of this - were full of integrity, honesty, unpretentious, unselfish, brave and matter of fact about it all - all the qualities that made America and Americans great. Joe only uses a cane, so he gets around pretty good. His granddaughter works at the local grocery - we stopped there to pick up some fresh coffee to go (there is NO place in the Northwest that is inhabited by more than 2 people that does not have EXCELLENT coffee, including offerings of mocha, lattes, and espressos. We stopped at one place in a small town that was a hardware/liquor/gift/feed and ANY kind of coffee such as Starbucks would offer). We said hello to his granddaughter and mentioned how we had met Joe and how wonderful he was. She grinned and nodded in pride.

As we were all leaving the restaurant/hotel to go our various ways, Joe had decided to move on also, so we stayed together a bit longer as we walked out together. I suddenly got the urge to have my picture taken with this WWII vet - to me, more exciting than having my picture taken with any dumb celebrity (celebrities are usually the last people I'd want to have my picture taken with). I tapped his arm and asked if he would mind if my husband took my picture with him and he smiled and said, "Sure". We posed with our arms around each other and smiled. I told him I was absolutely in awe of what he had done in the war and I was so proud to meet him. I told him I would never forget him and what he had done - and I won't. For some reason, amidst all the wonderful scenery and fabulous hotels and great food, this is the high point of my trip. Below are a couple of pictures of Joe - one in the hotel/restaurant where he was sitting and talking with us, and two of him and I.

After the picture was taken, Joe went off alone, leaning a bit on his cane, crossing the street in the little Northwest Camas Prairie town, toward where he lives. Watching that old man, alone, going carefully and slowly down the street, holding inside himself a lifetime of memories of America when it was a better place, and a war halfway across the world and planets away from tiny Nez Perce, Id., I got choked up. I felt I was watching as the America I knew was moving farther and farther away, and with the passing of the Greatest Generation, passes the time of America's greatness.

Idaho/Oregon Adventure

Below are some photos I took on my whirlwind tour from Boise up 95 to Riggins (where Mountain time becomes Pacific time and we're magically moved back one hour in a second), through the mountains to the Camas Prairie. From there to Orofino, where my husband and I stayed in the most beautiful hotel room I've ever been in (and I've been in some very fancy ones thanks to conferences he's gone on and taken me) - courtesy of his wonderful brother and sister in law. From Orofino west to Union and Baker City, Oregon. Finally, from Baker City back to Boise, where after much laundry and re-packing, we flew home. My head is still filled with the beautiful images from all those miles (about 1200 total, my brother in law said - yikes!!)

My brother in law and his wife have purchased property on the Camas prairie near Nez Perce, Idaho. The following is a picture of part of their land. There is grazing land and crop land - and there is a deep cut or ravine with a large cave at the bottom. This was Nez Perce Indian land until the 1950's, when the first white owner bought it - and now it is in our family. No one can get down to the bottom of the ravine - it is a very steep death fall in some places - and one must walk in at a slant from the flattest point down into it. There is water at the bottom, so no one can get too far. How frustrating!! There could be bear, cougar and coyote down there, although I would think some of the cattle would be killed if a cougar were in the ravine. You want a place out in the boonies? This is it. I've never been in a more remote, yet settled area. The people are the salt of the earth and would help their neighbor out in a heartbeat.

Below are a few pictures taken on the Camas Prairie property.

This was on the way through the mountains from Riggins to the Prairie.











































Below are the Blue Mountains outside of Union, Oregon.











An abandoned old home site outside Union, Oregon.
















A working farm outside Union, Oregon.

Don't know where this was, but there are tons of abandoned, dilapidated old cabins and barns, some from homesteading and some from mining.

Below is Payette Lake.







































































More scenery outside of Baker City, Oregon
















Below is a train somewhere on the way to Baker City, Oregon










We saw quite a few Red Tailed Hawks in their winter plumage. This one, below, was dining on top of a stack of hay.




















Train tracks outside of Union, Oregon.

I'm In Boise, Idaho!!

My husband's brother lives in Boise, Idaho and so here we are visiting them. After a 5 hour flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Las Vegas (where they have slots in the airport), and another 2 hour flight from Las Vegas to Boise, we are here! It's in the 30's at night - delicious sleeping weather. We had our bedroom window open all night last night and my sister in law put flannel sheets on the bed. The only word I can think of is......Delicious!! She could have her own bed and breakfast. Our room in their home included a basket of Boise related goodies arranged with bows and resting on the bed. In addition, on the bed were two sets of folded towels for our bathroom - it looked lovely. And last, but not least, two soft fleecy robes were hanging on hooks ready for us to use. Better than a hotel, I think, and certainly more welcoming.

I'm up extra early since my body thinks it's two hours later than it really is - so I'll be getting dressed soon and it's off to breakfast.

And the beginning of our Idaho adventure.

Adventures in Photography

I've been learning more about my camera - about photography in general. F stops and ISO's and apertures - the big 3. I put my camera on Manual today and experimented - and I have to say that I like the pictures better when I set the parameters myself than when the camera decides - on the auto settings.

First up, some flowers. Remember to click on the picture to "embiggen" it - they look much better that way!!

Above is a Chenille flower - I don't know the proper name for this plant

Technically, these are not flowers (the flowers are tiny light purple ones), but berries. This is one of my favorite plants because it's native to Florida, the birds like to eat the fruit, it's easy as pie to grow and it's berries are the most beautiful shade of purple. I wonder if they are poisonous - if not, can they be baked in a pie? Hmmmmm. I'll have to look that up.

Jatropha, another butterfly plant - not a larval plant, I don't think, but a food plant.

This is light colored lantana. I also have the bright orange and yellow version which I like better. This plant is definitely a butterfly food favorite.

This is the luscious purple flower of the Glory Bush - another butterfly bush, although I don't often see them on it. Who cares anyway - it's purple!!

Now for some polydamas caterpillars. I'd like to show you the butterfly, which is a swallowtail and is mostly dark brown/black with yellow edging on it's wings, but I was only able to photograph the caterpillars, and we have a LOT of them. They like Dutchman's pipe, a vine. I haven't seen any of the distinctive flowers on our Dutchman's Pipe vines, yet, but the Polydamas butterflies seem to recognize the plant without the help of it's flowers.

You can see a big fat one, probably not long before it spins it's cocoon and one a little smaller. Every time they get too big for their skin, they shed it and each size up is called an Instar. The First Instar is tiny tiny, and I think the Fifth Instar might be the last before cocooning, but I'm not sure.

"Hey!! Got any peanuts?" Mr. Squirrel seems to be saying as he peeks over the back fence at me below.

Once he realizes I'm not coming any closer, he gets comfortable and looks like he wants to gossip awhile.

Here are a few butterflies I WAS able to capture. First is a Gulf Fritillary on Lantana. You can just about see it's Proboscis stuck into the innards of the tiny flower.

Next is a Julia - I'm not sure if this is a Female or a Male.

As I have written in past posts, we have a feral honey bee hive in our backyard. Here are some photos that show both some capped areas of the comb (babies inside or honey locked away?) and some areas that clarly have shiny liquid honey in them. The capped area is small and is on the bottom of the picture toward the left. The honey is at the top of the picture in about the middle.

Quick Pictures from Morning Garden

Before I go off to work, here are a few critters I saw in my garden this morning.

The Nineteenth Century

I've been reading books written in the mid to late nineteenth century lately and enjoying them and the picture of American society of that time.

I discovered Edward Payson Roe. Here is how that occurred. I am a member of a Yahoo Group that reads and discusses books by Grace Livingston Hill. She was a Christian romance writer from the late nineteenth century up to the 1940's when she passed away. I believe she completed over 100 stories. Her writing carries the reader back to the language and thought of an older time. Much of the conversation in the books written in the 1920's and 1930's reflect the movie vernacular of the day. Little boys in her stories use the slang of that day in phrases that have not been heard for over half a century, but can be heard in old movies from that time period.

The stories themselves are the ultimate women's stories. The heroines often cook homey dinners (which are redolent of cookbooks from the early 20th century - no "foreign" cuisine, no Italian food, even), their clothes are described, their efforts at remaking and decorating old and abused homes. Some heroine's stories occur during fall and Christmas and bring in the beauty of nature and the holidays. In short, these books are like a comforting trip to an idealized yesterday and they are still quite popular among a particular group of people. Here is a web site that quotes some of the passages in Grace Livingston Hill's books that are particularly enjoyable. Since my own mother is of Polish descent and would have been looked down upon by the Protestant majority of that day, of which Grace Livingston Hill was a member, I guess I might be termed a traitor. However, I turned away from Catholicism many years ago when taking history classes in college. I discovered that those nations whose religion was predominantly Catholic had abysmal histories. Italy, France and Spain - although at one time all were great, they faded before Britain and America's Protestant greatness. I believe the culture behind the Catholic religion, which is a paternalistic one, is responsible for the sorry states of Latin American societies. Compare Haiti, of Catholic descent, and Jamaica, of British descent - very very different outcomes. But I'm getting off the track here.

This lady has created a complete Grace Livingston Hill web site which also mentions her aunt, who also published many works in the late nineteenth century under the pseudonym, "Pansy".

Here is how Edward Payson Roe came to my attention. One of the members of the Grace Livingston Hill Yahoo Group mentioned that she had discovered a book by him and had enjoyed it immensely. She even claimed that, in his time, he was more widely read and famous than Mark Twain!! I was hooked.

I looked him up and found his books online on Google Books and began reading "He Fell In Love With His Wife". I absolutely loved the story.

Then I found out that Edward Payson Roe lived almost all his life not 50 miles from where I grew up. He was born in Moodna, NY, no longer found by that name on a map today, but which translates roughly into New Windsor, NY in Orange County. I was born farther west in Middletown, NY in the same county. His family lived right near the Hudson River and there is a Moodna Creek that comes off the Hudson and runs through the county. His grandfather helped forge the chain that was thrown across the Hudson during the Revolutionary War to keep the British from advancing and taking the vital river.

As I read "He Fell In Love With His Wife" and researched the life of Edward Payson Roe, I kept in mind that he used everyday people and examples in his stories that were gleaned from his life in Orange County. I placed my memories of the same countryside over the word pictures he painted and the story had so much more meaning for me.

So far my favorite is " Opening A Chestnut Burr" about a man who is ill and comes back to his old home place to recuperate. His old home place is Edward Payson Roe's old home place and so it is the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson Highlands that are spoken of in such descriptive words and lovely images. The old home place is a large home with orchards and farms around it in rolling countryside, just as the area around Middletown, NY is. The story takes place in October, my favorite month of the year, especially in areas where the leaves change color. I have lovely memories of going to Soon's Orchard in Orange County to buy apples and pumpkins and to sample apple cider. The smell of the apples would permeate the place and October in NY is one time of the year in which many days are clear and the sky is that bright blue of autumn. This is the time of what we used to call "sweater weather", when jeans and sweaters are necessary, especially in the evening, to keep warm. Sometimes there is a smokey haze in the air from the burning of leaves, although that may be against the law now. When I was a child, the people along our street would rake their leaves into a big pile (which we, of course, jumped in repeatedly) and then would burn them beside the street. That smell, the smell of apples and apple pie, the sense of being cozy inside, the feel of brisk, cold, clear air on one's face, the scenes of rolling hills covered with orange, yellow and red trees......Mr. Roe describes all this many times over and he is talking about my own home territory.

In addition, Mr. Roe was a Christian. He was a chaplain in the Civil War and his writing about those days is fascinating as well as graphic, which was not a common writing style in that day. He does describe some hospital scenes and the suffering of the men, and he doesn't try to honey-coat it. Edward Payson Roe was, in later years, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Highland Falls, which may still exist, I don't know.

My sister, whom I visited a few weeks ago, lives not too far up the west Hudson right off 9W. If I had known of Mr. Roe then, all we would have had to do was to drive south for about half an hour and we would have been in his home area and I could have tried to find out if his old home or his pastorate were still there.

This weekend is a 3 day weekend and my husband has to work today, so I am home alone. The windows are open in my back computer room and I can gaze at the sky and the flowers in my back yard as I read and contemplate.

I can say with surety that I have finally discovered to my satisfaction that, even though there have always been scoundrels and evil people, the general society, the civilization of the late 19th century in America was one of acknowledged Christianity (even if it was, in many cases, a form it was THE accepted form) and good manners. People who did not believe in Christianity or practice it did not speak too loudly or publicly in everyday life because they would be frowned upon. Oh to be living in a time like that again. I am so tired of "multiculturalism" and the idea that all cultures have equal value. I do not believe it and since I am surrounded by that type of thinking in this day and age, I get weary sometimes.

Well - back to the 19th century. I do have to vacuum (thank God for 20th century inventions!!!) and straighten up and do laundry today (once again, thank God for electric appliances that do the work for you). But, thanks to the modern electric age, I can get all that done in about an hour sometime before my husband gets home. Meanwhile, I'm lazing around and pondering yesteryear.

Here is another fascinating web site about 19th century children. There is the complete contents of one "Diary of a Little Girl in Old New York" which I could not stop reading.

Back Yard Garden Movie

My husband made this video for his brother, but I thought I'd include it on my blog so everyone could see the progress we've made in the back yard:

Bees!!

For the past 4 or 5 months we've had a bees nest/hive in the back right corner of our back yard. It is in a bushy area that isn't frequented too much and our whole back yard is fenced in, which provides more privacy.

Right from the start we made sure these were not "killer" or Africanized bees. We can stand within a foot or two of the hive - really. The bees just go on doing bee things - very busy bee things. My husband has all he can do not to reach out quickly and grab some honeycomb - which would be dumb for a whole gamut of reasons. Of course, the bees would get angry and would attack, but he might grab a part of the comb (still covered with many bees - ouch) that has babies in it. This is not tasty - you want the part of the comb that has honey in it.

So he will not be giving into that urge to grab - I think he has enough survival instinct to protect him in this case.

So without further ado - here are the bees:






















This is a shot where I attempt to show the whole hive, except the bottom is missing - so the next shot will show the bottom where all the bees "hang" out....literally.

























Here is the bottom of the hive - literally covered with bees.

In the picture above, you can see the last of the gourd sticking out - and covered with bees. This entire hive is built around and hanging from a North Carolina gourd. We bought the gourd to house birds - but only bees have come twice now. This time the bees are covering the outside of the gourd with row upon row of honeycomb - the gourd is just the base. I have no idea if there are bees inside as well, since the opening is toward the back and I'm not going to squeeze myself back there - I am not THAT curious.

Last - above is a closer up (yes, I meant to say "closer up") of the honeycomb. Maybe it's honey? Maybe it's capsules getting ready for babies. Who knows. I just feel honored that they live in my yard.



















Oh - and guess who hangs out UNDER the nest to eat any dead bees that fall. Mr. Cane Toad, a.k.a. Bufo toad.

Rip My Heart Out

Of course you can tell this is going to be a post about something painful. At work today, I got a phone call from the Office Manager saying to come up immediately to her office - it was VERY important (this is not about anything happening to me or my job, just so you know before you read further).

When I got there, there was a box of 4 tiny kittens that had been found on the school grounds. I don't think the kittens were weaned yet - although they were close to it - about the size of guinea pigs. The office mgr was trying to get people to take them home, but I was wondering where the mother was.

Why couldn't they leave them where they were for 2 more weeks - let the mother take care of them. I'll bet she's looking for them now, and full of milk for them.

I know it's possible the mother abandoned them, but they were healthy and flea-free - they did not show any signs of having been abandoned.

So the usual well meaning circus began. People picking up the crying babies, who were bewildered and wondering where their mother is - and trying to feed them regular milk. The kittens were looking for a nipple - for what was familiar - and cool cow's milk isn't familiar, nor is a syringe.

I got myself out of there ASAP. I have 4 cats and 2 birds - and we have a settled eco-system. No cats resent the others so much that there is bad cat litter behavior (aka peeing outside the litter box), or resentment. All 4 pretty much get along all the time, and have learned a hierarchy amongst themselves. To bring a 5th, very dependent kitten in - possibly bearing diseases - it's just not a good idea. Besides, my husband and I want to be able to take care of what we already have. If they become ill, they need to see the vet and that costs money. We already probably have more than we can really afford.

So I didn't take a kitten. I did look online for no-kill shelters in our area and there are 2 of them, both full. At least the Humane Society would take care of them as long as they are healthy - and they are. The Humane Society does not claim to be no-kill, but they will not euthanize healthy animals that can be adopted. All 4 of these kittens fit under that header.

When I went up later, I thought perhaps the Office Mgr had taken them somewhere, but I found out that one of our employees had taken them to her nail place to see - I don't know - if anyone there might want one.

I don't trust most people's knowledge, even if their motives are good. These kittens will need special food until they are weaned - and I have a feeling most people who take a kitten will not give them the care they will need. If they keep getting passed around for the rest of the day, they will get sick from not eating or drinking.

This whole scenario does indeed rip my heart out. I could cry when I see something like this. And the people who mean well, cooing over how cute they are, but not realizing the care that they will need.

I have to let it go - not ask questions about what happened to them. Just not go there at all. Put it behind me. I just love innocent animals so much that it hurts me to see them helpless and at the mercy of people - any people.

I wish the Lord Jesus would come and fix this planet up already - get rid of the results of sin and death and suffering.

Romans 8:21-23 (emphasis and red color mine)

"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And not only then, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

Today's Prayer

Sometimes I need a little help with prayer and I have just the book for this -
The Valley of Vision". This book is a compilation of prayers by Puritan authors of the 1600's, 1700's and 1800's. The prayers are breathtakingly beautiful. Here is the one I read today:

In Prayer

O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.

In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.

In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.

In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.

In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.

In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.

In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.

In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.

Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.

I just wanted to share this on this September 4 morning.