First Day of Summer, Northern Hemisphere, 2024

  
The Woods in Summer

Pleasant it was, when woods were green,
And winds were soft and low,
To lie amidst some sylvan scene,
Where the long drooping boughs between
Shadows dark and sunlight sheen,
Alternate come and go;

Or where the denser grove receives
No sunlight from above,
But the dark foliage interweaves,
In one unbroken roof of leaves,
Underneath whose sloping eaves
The shadows hardly move.

- Longfellow


It is only in heaven that Christians shall find metaphorically 
the abiding beauty of spring, 
the recurring enjoyment of summer,
the constant fruition of autumn. 
There, the redeemed shall have no winter at all. Because  they shall have the ever shining Sun of Righteousness, 
and invariably the river of nourishing Living Water.

A Correspondence Reply

Les Braves, Vierville-sur-Mer,
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France (April 2024)

Dear S_:

It was good to hear from you returning from a visit to Lois, a Christian sister in Idaho. Perhaps you are now in Winthrop Harbor, IL., enjoying the lake and being with C_’s family. As God through the apostle John, we pray all goes well for you. I hope you are as strong in body, as I know also you are in spirit. (3 John 1:2)

Monday, 27 May, was the last Monday in May; it was Memorial Day in these United States. This yearly federal holiday was first inaugurated in 1868 to commemorate the dead of the Civil War; henceforth, all U.S. armed forces who died in global armed conflicts.

Today is 6 June. Here in the U.S. will honor the eightieth years of D-day for the liberation of Europe from the tyrannical Nazi Germany. On that day eighty years ago, this country loss many young men on the shores of Normandy, France. Perhaps there are still “a few of those collected here” in this country still remembered and honored the relinquishment of so many young American lives on 6 June 1944. (e.g.,The Bedford Boys Hometown Memorial )

Now, for some home front news. My neighbor put up in a new fence on the east side last week or so. It took 2.5 days; and it was a tall wooden fence which gave them and us more privacy. As for me, for the last few weeks I cleared about 35’x 4.5’ of Golden Poppies and weeds grew among the tree roses and gardenias on the south fence line. The area looked dried and messy after spring. In lieu, I am now planting more heat tolerant succulents with plenty of spaces in-between for removing resurgent weeds. These succlents were transplanted from established plants in the backyard. In addition, I trimmed some Spanish, French and Englih lavender shrubs. In addition, I repaired several drip line leaks. By the way, at this writing it is 100 °F (the max is forecast at 103). The planted succulents are doing nicely in the heat (so far). I still have several pots of the different succulent plants potted and readied for new locations. Finally, I had a handyman came and looked at the patio lattice-fence and the garage florescent tubes. Since these are non-urgent projects, he could prioritize the tasks. I think he will start the patio lattice this month.

So long for now.

L’

Eighty Years Ago: D-day, June 6, 1944

WARS

In the old wars drum of hoofs and the beat of shod feet.
In the new wars hum of motors and the tread of rubber
     tires.
In the wars to come silent wheels and whirr of rods not
     yet dreamed out in the heads of men.

In the old wars clutches of short swords and jabs into
     faces with spears.
In the new wars long range guns and smashed walls, guns
     running a spit of metal and men falling in tens and twenties.
In the wars to come new silent deaths, new silent hurlers
     not yet dreamed out in the heads of men.

In the old wars kings quarreling and thousands of men
     following.
In the new wars kings quarreling and millions of men
     following.
In the wars to come kings kicked under the dust and
     millions of men following great causes not yet
     dreamed out in the heads of men.

- Carl Sandburg, 1916