Know-It-All Tuesdays: Star-Spangled Banner Trivia

History 4 Minutes

I found this trivia article on HISTORY.COM.

1 True or False? Francis Scott wrote his verses intending them to be a song not a poem.

2 Was Key a prisoner on the English ship Tonnant when he wrote the ballad?

3 How many men were required to hoist the flag flying over Fort McHenry?

4 What was the original name of The Star-Spangled Banner?

5 In what year did the Star-Spangled Banner become our national anthem?

6 How many versus are in the Star-Spangled Banner?

7 Did Key support the war?

8 What was Key’s occupation?

9 Was Key a slave owner?

10 Was Key tone deaf?

Want to see how you did?

ANSWERS:

1 True

 “The Star Spangled-Banner” was not a poem set to a melody years later. Although Key was an amateur poet and not a songwriter, when he composed his verses, he intended them to accompany a popular song of the day. “We know he had the tune in mind because the rhyme and meter exactly fit it,” says Marc Leepson, author of the Key biography What So Proudly We Hailed. The first broadside of the verses, printed just days after the battle, noted that the words should be sung to the melody of “To Anacreon in Heaven.” Key was quite familiar with the tune, having used it to accompany an 1805 poem, which included a reference to a “star-spangled flag,” he had written to honor Barbary War naval heroes Stephen Decatur and Charles Stewart.  Although Key composed the patriotic lyrics amid a burst of anti-British euphoria, “To Anacreon in Heaven” was ironically an English song composed in 1775 that served as the theme song of the upper-crust Anacreontic Society of London and a popular pub staple.

2 No

In his capacity as a Washington, D.C., lawyer, Key had been dispatched by President James Madison on a mission to Baltimore to negotiate for the release of Dr. William Beanes, a prominent surgeon captured at the Battle of Bladensburg.  Accompanied by John Stuart Skinner, a fellow lawyer working for the State Department, Key set sail on an American sloop in Baltimore Harbor, and on September 7 the pair boarded the British ship Tonnant, where they dined and secured the prisoner’s release under one condition—they could not go ashore until after the British attacked Baltimore. Accompanied by British guards on September 10, Key returned to the American sloop from which he witnessed the bombardment behind the 50-ship British fleet.

3 11 men
In addition to a thunderstorm of bombs, a torrent of rain fell on Fort McHenry throughout the night of the Battle of Baltimore. The fort’s 30-by-42-foot garrison flag was so massive that it required 11 men to hoist when dry, and if waterlogged, the woolen banner could have weighed upwards of 500 pounds and snapped the flagpole. So as the rain poured down, a smaller storm flag that measured 17-by-25 feet flew in its place. “In the morning, they most likely took down the rain-soaked storm flag and hoisted the bigger one,” Leepson says, “and that’s the flag Key saw in the morning.”

4 When Key scrawled his lyrics on the back of a letter he pulled from his pocket on the morning of September 14, he did not give them any title. Within a week, Key’s verses were printed on broadsides and in Baltimore newspapers under the title “Defense of Fort M’Henry.” In November, a Baltimore music store printed the patriotic song with sheet music for the first time under the more lyrical title “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

5 During the Civil War, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was an anthem for Union troops, and the song increased in popularity in the ensuing decades, which led to President Woodrow Wilson signing an executive order in 1916 designating it as “the national anthem of the United States” for all military ceremonies. On March 3, 1931, after 40 previous attempts failed, a measure passed Congress and was signed into law that formally designated “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem of the United States.

6 4 verses

The version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” traditionally sung on patriotic occasions and at sporting events is only the song’s first verse. All four verses conclude with the same line: “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” (In 1861, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a fifth verse to support the Union cause in the Civil War and denounce “the traitor that dares to defile the flag of her stars.”)

7 No. Ironically, the man who created one of the lasting patriotic legacies of the War of 1812 adamantly opposed the conflict at its outset. Key referred to the war as “abominable” and “a lump of wickedness.” However, his opposition to the war softened after the British began to raid nearby Chesapeake Bay communities in 1813 and 1814, and he briefly served in a Georgetown wartime militia.

8 Lawyer. Although Key loathed politics, he was a prominent figure in Washington, D.C. “He was an important player in the early republic,” Leepson says. “He was a very successful and influential lawyer at the highest levels in Washington.” Key ran a thriving law practice, served as a trusted advisor in Andrew Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet” and was appointed a United States Attorney in 1833. He prosecuted hundreds of cases, including that of Richard Lawrence for the attempted assassination of Jackson, and argued over 100 cases before the United States Supreme Court.

9 Yes. While he advocated for some enslaved people seeking freedom, Key too owned slaves. He hailed from a large slave-owning family and often helped slave owners recapture their escaped slaves. Despite this, Key opposed slave trafficking and became one of the founders of the American Colonization Society, which shipped thousands of free Black people to Africa to establish a homeland there.

10 Most likely. Key was much more adept in his legal day job than he was as an amateur poet. Most of the odes he composed were never meant to be seen beyond family and friends, and none came remotely close to realizing the popular fame of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In addition to being a middling poet, Key also had a hard time carrying a tune. “Key’s family said he was not musical,” Leepson says, “which means he likely was tone deaf.”

SOURCE: HISTORY.COM

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

141 thoughts on “Know-It-All Tuesdays: Star-Spangled Banner Trivia”

  1. Good morning, Miss Pat! You have found fascinating facts about our National Anthem and its author that I never heard!

    Weather here has no heat index warning with the 94º temperature – a north wind will cool things off. Still hot but not dangerous. I’ll still get out and start the yard work early.

    How are y’all doing in the PA north woods? Got any special projects going?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Morning GA!
      it is COOOOOL here, sitting at 50*. It didn’t go above 64* yesterday. I was worried the hummers would start an early migration, but they’re here and sharing the feeders at the moment.
      we’re seeing the deer mamas and babies starting to group together and the buck aren’t coming into the yard during the day. we don’t know if the “dog” (lol) still naps in the woodshed because we don’t see him–he could be sneaking in and out and we just don’t see him like before.
      I need to do a deep cleaning of the house in the next couple of weeks, my daughter and her family are coming to visit and they need room to sleep…LOL

      Liked by 2 people

        1. I was planning on showing my granddaughter the Trump/Musk dance and asking her to teach it to me…LOL
          they’re actually going to helping stack firewood in the woodshed for us. hubby will drive the tractor and i will bring the water and make snacks. we plan on taking them out for dinner that night.

          Liked by 2 people

            1. sometimes my SIL will help hubby cut down trees for firewood, but we found a local man and his wife who are clearing a piece of land they bought and want to build on eventually. right now they’ve got oak and it needs to be seasoned which is exactly what we’re looking for. they have 2 dogs they bring with them–adorable!

              Liked by 2 people

    1. Morning, Pat! Same here! Barely reached 80 yesterday; 64 this morning and more light rain during the night – should pass thru here by mid-morning and clear up…..maybe. Who knows any more?!? I think Wheezer has decided this is the place to be if there is rain – again, sleeping on my chair, ate his canned food, then waited for me to fill the bowl with dry food, ate some of that, and back up onto the chair. Jake ignores him now, for the most part.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Yep, still skinny – he’s not scratching at his ears much so probably no more than all feral cats. One of these days, I’ll get another dose of wormer – it often takes multiple doses.

          Liked by 1 person

    2. SD says Trump isn’t using X for his personal account – but – the Trump Campaign leases his former account from X for ads and videos.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. good article on where those “price controls” SHOULD be…
    article
    Instead of targeting grocery stores, which operate on a thin 2% net profit margin, Comrade Kamala should go after the obvious price-gouging entities, and the ones that clearly contribute to the high inflation.

    The first target should be colleges and universities. They have used the government’s “generosity” on loans and grants to increase tuition and fees much faster than inflation for sixty years; on loans alone, there is a $1.74 trillion debt, which causes inflation. Kamala should tell rich universities like Harvard and Yale that they can only charge 10% higher tuition and fees than the average university throughout the country. That is pretty generous, and should be supported by professors and administrators who almost universally vote for Democrats, and who indoctrinate students into believing big government is great. Anything above the additional 10% markup is obviously pure greed and price-gouging.

    She should also force these universities to pay off student loans when the students can’t, or don’t want to. Somehow, Democrats seek to destroy for-profit universities if they break their promises, yet never go after not for profit or public universities. That doesn’t seem fair, does it? And Democrats always want to be fair.

    Next, Kamala should target media outlets for demanding more money for political ads during periods of high demand. Their costs don’t rise during those times, so why are they so greedy and obviously gouging when they charge so much more just because the demand is higher? That is obviously pure greed and gouging.

    The media and other Democrats should support these price controls since they decry big money in politics. They are also big supporters of diversity, equity, and inclusion and we would get a much more diverse set of politicians if incumbents with huge campaign chests didn’t have such a great advantage in getting reelected.

    Then, she should go after media outlets for charging more for ads on popular programs than programs that don’t have as high ratings. That increases prices for consumers and prices out small- and medium-sized companies who don’t have the money to buy the ads. This should be a popular solution for Democrats because they say their goal is to help the poor and middle classes and their current pricing system rewards the richest companies.

    Why do the talking heads on The View get paid so much for contributing so little? That looks like pure greed and gouging, and since Whoopi and Joy gave Kamala their full-throated support, then they should cheer price and wage controls on them, shouldn’t they?

    Another great idea would be to impose price controls on the Washington D.C. area. Many of the counties around D.C. are the richest in the country, even though they produce nothing but bureaucracy. Comrade Kamala should tell the residents that they are not allowed to sell their houses for anything higher than the median price of the same-sized house in the country. Why should people in D.C. get more for their house than a person in Mississippi that has worked their whole life producing things? There is clearly no reason houses and wages are higher priced in DC than in Mississippi other than greed and gouging is there?

    The sensible Soviet-style controls I am suggesting above would be a good start to achieving the major goals of Democrats to reduce wealth and income inequality. The D.C. voters overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, so I am sure they would be supportive. The lawyers, lobbyists, and media pundits should cheer.

    I think Kamala and other Democrats should campaign loudly on their policies to control profits and prices, to move towards socialism, to require girls and women to compete in sports and share their locker rooms with men, to force people to get rid of their reliable gas vehicles and appliances, to block poor and minority children from going to better schools, and to have abortion on demand just like China and North Korea. Those should be big winners with voters.

    Of course, the complicit media will do their best to hide the Democrats radical policies from the voters just like they hid the Biden family corruption, and while Kamala dictates how we all must live, its members continue to lie that Trump is the dictator.

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/08/instead_of_targeting_grocery_stores_comrade_kamala_should_go_after_the_obvious_price_gouging_entities.html

    Liked by 1 person

  11. “The Top Ten Most Embarrassing Moments at the DNC Tonight: I can’t believe these actually happened.”

    The Vigilant Fox, Aug 20, 2024

    EXCERPT: “The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off tonight, and it went even worse than you’d expect. What was supposed to be a moment of unity and inspiration quickly unraveled into a series of awkward, cringe-worthy moments.

    From Biden’s teleprompter struggles to a low-energy turnout and even CNN taking unexpected jabs at the Democrats, the night was a chaotic display of a party trying to keep it together. Here are the top ten moments that made the DNC’s first night one to remember—for all the wrong reasons.

    #10 – Jen Psaki inadvertently drops a joke on herself.

    To a HALF-EMPTY room: “Trump and Vance speak to a tiny, tiny portion of the public. And that’s a striking thing.”

    Look at the room, Jen! (Video)

    #9 – Republican exposes the truth about Biden’s exit on CNN.

    “Biden is known in his career as being one of the best eulogy givers at funerals. And now they’re making him come and give his own career eulogy.”

    “I mean, he was bullied out of this race after 52 years of service to the Democratic Party. And it wasn’t all about his age … He had to be dragged out by the fingernails. He’s not here in a happy moment, OK?”

    “I know this yarn that’s being spun in this hall that he was popular and selfless and handing on. No, no, no. It is the opposite, and everybody knows it! (Video)

    #8 – Joe Biden battles the teleprompter and loses.

    “Women are now without electrical… not allowed, excuse me, not without electoral (long pause) or political power.”

    (Biden gives up) – Video…..”

    https://vigilantfox.news/p/the-top-ten-most-embarrassing-moments

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I watched about 5 seconds of hitlery’s speech because smiley at wolf’s said she got more botox and new teeth.
      sure enough…looks like she got golf balls implanted in her cheeks and dazzling straight white teeth. what does she think she needs a younger look for i wonder?

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Is this movement of mostly military age males actually Øbama’s civilian army being disbursed?

    Read the reports of multiple gun stores being robbed in CO, NY, CN, CA and PA – is this taking place around the country where these male ‘immigrants’ are being stationed?

    https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2024/08/dozens-of-guns-stolen-from-central-ny-north-country-shops-feds-offer-5k-award-for-tips-leading-to-arrest.html

    https://6abc.com/montgomery-county-gun-store-robberies-bucks-burglaries-angel-mason-dante-purnell/12735278/

    https://www.denverpost.com/2023/07/13/smash-grab-burglars-gun-stores-denver-centennial-englewood/

    Evidently the government is paying for cars, tires, housing, food, spending money….

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Just The News: “Former President Donald Trump on Monday admitted that he would tap Tesla and X owner Elon Musk for a cabinet or advisory position if he returns to the White House next year. 

    Musk led a conversation with the Republican presidential nominee on his social media platform last week, which included discussions about creating a “government efficiency commission,” that would look at ways to reduce government spending.

    The former president on Monday did not indicate what cabinet or advisory position he would offer Musk, but the comment occurred during a Reuters interview where he discussed ending a tax credit on purchasing electric vehicles. 

    “Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing,” Trump told the outlet after a Pennsylvania rally. “I’m not making any final decisions on it, I’m a big fan of electric cars. But I’m a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.”

    Trump said that, if elected, he would rescind Biden administration rules that encourage automakers to produce more electric vehicles and hybrids in order to meet stricter emissions standards.

    Musk endorsed Trump for president immediately after the former president was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month. The bullet pierced Trump’s ear, but he was not otherwise injured.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Just The News: “Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday announced that Israel has accepted the final bridging proposal for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but the terrorist organization still needs to accept it.

    Negotiators, including the United States, have been working on a six-week ceasefire agreement that would pause the war temporarily, to allow for an exchange of prisoners on both sides and more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

    Blinken, who is currently in Jerusalem to help get the agreement over the finish line, urged Hamas to accept the proposal. “In a very constructive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it,” Blinken said during a press conference. “It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”

    Hamas claimed that it has accepted an old ceasefire deal from July 2, but claimed on Sunday that new conditions were tacked on by Israel that makes it impossible for them to accept the latest proposal, according to Axios. 

    Blinken rejected Hamas’s characterization of the agreement, and urged Hamas to accept the bridging proposal as fast as possible. He also warned both sides against escalating the conflict.

    “We’ve seen public statements before that don’t fully reflect where Hamas is,” Blinken said. “The critical next step is for Hamas to accept the bridging proposal that Prime Minister Netanyahu has now accepted, and then to engage with everyone else on making sure that we have clear understandings of how each party would actually implement the commitments that it’s undertaken in this agreement.”

    The secretary is currently on his ninth trip to the Middle East, and is expected to travel to Egypt on Tuesday.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Agree! The terrorists do not GAS about aid for the people – only themselves and they will sacrifice as many Gazan citizens as they need to in order to accomplish their goal of wiping out Israel. Add on the fact that the majority of those Gazan citizens don’t even care about their own children if it would further that goal! They celebrate when their children die in a suicide attack!

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Just The News: “A federal judge in California on Monday rejected the latest attempt by first son Hunter Biden’s legal team to dismiss several tax-related charges ahead of his trial in Los Angeles next month.

    Biden is expected to stand trial on Sept. 5 for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. He was already convicted on three federal gun charges in Delaware in June. 

    U.S. Judge Mark Scarsi rejected Biden’s argument that his case should be dismissed because it was brought by a special prosecutor. The argument cited a decision by the federal judge in former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case, who claimed special prosecutor Jack Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional. 

    Scarsi determined that lawyers for the first son failed to make a convincing argument on factual and procedural grounds. The judge also cited Biden’s previous attempts to get the charges dropped.

    “As he concedes in his notice of the motion, Mr. Biden plainly seeks reconsideration of issues already decided upon his February motion,” Scarsi wrote, per ABC News. “There is no valid basis for reconsideration of the court’s [prior] order denying Mr. Biden’s motion to dismiss the indictment.”

    Biden faces three felony charges and six misdemeanor charges related to the tax scheme, which carry a total of up to 17 years in prison if convicted.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. There has been no mention in the DNC convention program or speeches about policy – because – their policies and ideology are unpopular with the majority of American citizens, workers, taxpayers and legal voters.

    President Trump published the Agenda 47 list of policies and promises as soon as he announced his campaign! – https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47

    His Platform was published months ago! – https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform

    Liked by 2 people

    1. they think they’re being tricky–giving the President nothing to campaign against policy wise, but this past administration has made enough significant errors to campaign against. his 2 best questions:
      1) are you better off today than 4 yrs ago?
      2) the cackler is IN a position to fix the economy/illegal immigration problems now –why isn’t she?

      Liked by 2 people

  19. Well, lookee here!!! That POS Ben Sasse is in trouble again! Couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow! Grrrrrrr!!!

    “Sketchy Business – Ben Sasse Under Investigation for Financial Issues During University Tenure, DeSantis Calls for Inquiry”

    August 18, 2024 | Sundance | 265 Comments

    EXCERPT: “A few weeks ago, former Senator Benn Sasse quit his job as President at University of Florida.  The claimed reason given by Sasse was to care for his wife who has epilepsy, but the timing of things now looks very sketchy.

    I’m going to outline the details in real time because this is going to become more critical as Ron DeSantis positions his future ambitions for the White House, again in 2028.

    CTH noted a few years ago that Ron DeSantis was positioning for 2024 presidency.  One of the supportive datapoints was a $20 million donation by the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) to Ron DeSantis {LINK}.  At the time of the donation to DeSantis, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts was the RGA chairman.

    After the donation was made, Ron DeSantis then used the influence of his office to support Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse for the position of President of University of Florida {LINK}.  As noted by Politico: “Sasse’s sherpa through the university search process was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff James Uthmeier, who was put in contact with Sasse several months ago after he quietly expressed interest in becoming UF president.“ (link)…..

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2024/08/18/sketchy-business-ben-sasse-under-investigation-for-financial-issues-during-university-tenure-desantis-calls-for-inquiry/

    Liked by 1 person

  22. “Rumors Swirl That Kamala Harris Is Being Influenced By Russian Agent”

    Politics · Aug 19, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    U.S. — According to sources, Vice President Kamala Harris may be under the influence of a Russian agent.

    “Just look at her,” said Congressional Representative Thomas Massie. “I mean, come on.”

    Rumors of foreign influence on political candidates are nothing new in American politics, but experts say this is the first time it has been so obvious.

    “The slow and deliberate movement, fluctuating pace of speech, changing volume of her voice, irrational statements, inappropriate laughter — these are all hallmarks of Russian influence,” noted Brent Tolliver, a former D.A.R.E. officer turned political analyst.

    Political pundits remain divided on the issue. “Look at the way she walks and talks and does anything,” argued Fox News commentator Sean Hannity. “If I came to work looking like that I’d be out of a job.” Meanwhile, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow claimed Republicans need to live a little. “She’s just exuding joy,” she said on her program. “Maybe Donald Trump could do with a little Russian influence.”

    “I’m not a prude, I can get a little joyful around 5:00 like anybody,” said Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer. “But this is a bit much.”

    “Pfft!” slurred Anderson Cooper in a rebuke of Hemmer on his CNN program. “He’s just mad that Trump isn’t getting trashed with joy.”

    Harris’ team has denied the allegations. “Kamala Harris isn’t under the influence of Russia, or any Russian substance whatsoever,” said Harris spokesperson José Cuervo. “And I should know, I’m out getting trashed with her every night.”

    At publishing time, the Pentagon had also denied the influence of vodka on the sitting Vice President.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Anybody here remember Kickapoo Joy Juice from Lil Abner cartoons?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickapoo_Joy_Juice

      “Kickapoo Joy Juice” was a fictional beverage coined in the American comic strip Li’l Abner.   Al Capp, the cartoonist, described the beverage as “a liquor of such stupefying potency that the hardiest citizens of Dogpatch, after the first burning sip, rose into the air, stiff as frozen codfish” It was said to be an elixir of such power that the fumes alone have been known to melt the rivets off battleships.
      Capp asserted in 1965 that the cartoon “never has suggested that the drink is moonshine”, in response to claims that the Kickapoo Joy Juice of Li’l Abner was an illicitly distilled liquor.Brewed by Hairless Joe and Lonesome Polecat, two of the comic strip’s backwoods poachers, the ingredients of the brew are both mysterious and all-encompassing, (much like the contents of their cave, which has been known to harbor prehistoric monsters.) When a batch “needs more body”, the formidable pair simply goes out and clubs “a body” (often a moose), and tosses it in.   Over the years, the “recipe” has called for live grizzly bears, panthers, kerosene, horseshoes and anvils, among other ingredients.”

      Liked by 2 people

          1. I’m 71…I don’t think you’re that much older than me. Could be living in different regions, we generally enjoyed different cartoons.

            Like

  29. Julie Kelly 🇺🇸
    @julie_kelly2
    1h • 3 tweets • 1 min read •
    Read on X
    NEW: Records appear to confirm the Secret Service thwarted the internal investigation into the deleted text messages of several USSS officials from Jan 6 and also attempted to withhold documents from IG Joseph Cuffari.

    Top DHS officials then demanded that the IG report be fully redacted with the exception of the report’s title before being released to the public. DHS also wanted partial redactions in the report sent to Congress.

    Further–records also show that DHS wanted Biden’s WH general counsel involved in reviewing the final report. This appears to be highly unusual in the inspector general process, which is supposed to be independent from outside influence.

    The general counsel for DHS is longtime Biden crony Jonathan Meyer. He worked for Biden in the Senate then the Obama DOJ and DHS.
    Meyer has been advising Biden for decades.

    Why would he demand that WH general counsel review an IG report into Jan 6?

    Recall that records disclosed in the FLA classified documents case showed that Biden’s WH general counsel’s office met with NARA officials in 2021 to try to concoct some sort of documents case against Donald Trump.

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1825907268266688545.html?utm_campaign=topunroll

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I can’t remember which ones I’ve posted before so…..

    1949 Chevrolet COE By Genoe Garage

    1955 Chevy Napco Pickup By Legacy Classic Trucks

    1949 Ford F1 By Chuckles Garage

    1963 Datsun 1200 EV By Local Motors And Babbit Motor Werks

    1952 International Harvester L-110 By Korek Designs

    Liked by 1 person

  32. 1985 “Bullnose” F-150 With P71 Police Interceptor Engine By TMI Products

    1949 Power Wagon Restomod By Legacy Classic Trucks

    1938 Diamond T “Long Haul” By Weaver Customs

    1967 Chevy C10 By Tre 5 Customs

    1968 Chevy C10 Service Bed Truck By Craig Piggot

    Liked by 1 person

  35. we just picked more tomatoes and it’s freaking cold outside! it’s hanging at 50* but there’s no sun and the winds are gusting–feels more like October than August!

    we discovered the grape vines are being stripped of their leaves–that means deer have bent the fence (we checked–it’s in the back) so we decided to remove the fence next year and just them them ravish them. they’re more of a hassle as the years go on.

    sigh

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It can be done but it’s a lot of work & $ to create a large and secure enough surround to keep them out! It’s finally up to 73 here but cloudy, breezy and damp still.

      Liked by 1 person

          1. thanks!
            of all the methods…I like falconry the best…LOL
            we had small nets for the cherry trees one year–the birds got to them before we put the nets out! LOL lesson learned.
            this afternoon we watched the dog (first sighting in along time)STAND on his hind legs to grab green apples off the tree…LOL
            we can’t win.

            Liked by 1 person

  36. Liked by 1 person

    1. Just The News: “Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has stated that the campaign is exploring a potential withdrawal from the race in favor of endorsing former President Donald Trump.

      “There’s two options that we’re looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Waltz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump,” she said. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with with Donald Trump and explain to our base why we’re making this decision.” Shanahan made the remarks during an appearance on Impact Theory.

      Reports emerged this month that Kennedy had approached the Harris campaign about endorsing her in exchange for a cabinet position, which the Kennedy campaign denied. Kennedy previously met with Trump in the wake of an assassination attempt against him and video footage leaked of an exchange in which Trump appeared to signal openness to working with Kennedy in some capacity.”

      Liked by 1 person

  37. OH.MY.GOD!!! I just made a major, major mistake – I covered the doggie door and opened the patio door so Jake could have outdoor time. ButI neglected to check the chair on the west end of the patio, hidden behind the grill.

    After Jake went in and out a couple of times, I heard him growling so I figured he was at the screen door and Wheezer was outside. Then I heard scuffling to the west and walked around to see the two of them locked in battle!!! Screeching and yowling, fur flying with teeth and nails. One of them got me in my left hand – pretty sure it was Jake when I managed to reach down and pull them apart. He was on his back to my left – Wheezer let up slightly and Jake leaped up, snarling and spitting, and rushed back inside.

    I closed the patio door, then looked around for Jake – Wheezer perched outside the patio door and I went out and shooed him out. Jake is hiding under my bed and hisses when I get anywhere close. THAT kind of excitement I can do without! I rinsed the scratches with alcohol immediately and will treat them with neosporin. Only time will tell if Jake was injured…..Wheezer certainly wasn’t!!!

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I know – it wasn’t very smart but Jake has no front claws and has had no vaccinations in the 10 years I’ve had him – I’ve always been very careful to keep them apart and this was the first time (of course!) that I didn’t check that chair. I’ve always been in good enough health in the past to weather things like this and bounce back but I’m not in good shape at all these days so we’ll see. Hopefully, I can avoid a trip to the clinic.

        Liked by 2 people

          1. Oh, they’re both just fine. Wheezer is used to it, being feral, and Jake has so much fur and fat, he doesn’t appear to be injured at all. But they hadn’t been at it long before I intervened – literally seconds.

            Liked by 2 people

              1. The scratches are nothing – it is the spot on top of my hand where Jake’s tooth caught me that is causing the swelling and redness. I’ve been icing it for about half-an-hour or so and some of the swelling has already gone down. I’ll keep using the ice and keep a close eye on it. If it continues too long, or spreads, I’ll head for the VA in Norfolk.

                Liked by 2 people

              4. i’ve had blood poisoning 3 times in my life. almost killed me once. (a mosquito bite i scratched open and it got infected. there was a red line where my vein should be. the doctor turned my arm a different way and showed my parents that it had traveled up my left arm and was at the armpit close to the heart,

                Liked by 1 person

              6. no, I wasn’t diabetic since i was born. i developed gestational diabetes when i was pregnant. after i gave birth, it was gone. I developed it later when i became heavier. so it wasn’t a factor back then.

                Liked by 1 person

              8. I’ve never been one to run to the doctor willy-nilly. I’ll always try to take care of it myself first – so much of it is just basic common sense! And I learned working as a vet tech that many of the treatments could be translated to human use as well. I used to get sinus infections on a regular basis until I figured out on my own how to avoid them – never had another one. The stupid doctors never told me how – they just wanted to pump their poison meds! For years, I was on the pill and I found out from an article in a magazine that a side-effect was bladder infections. I kept getting them all the time, too. Once I had my tubes tied and went off the pill? Not one more bladder infection!

                Liked by 1 person

              9. You learned a lot from your various life experiences. Before I went to medical school in my 30s, I lived a varied life. “True love” eluded me. I was bored, with no goals and no solid relationships. I took the med school prerequisites in physics, chemistry, and biology, thinking I could go to engineering school in alternative energy engineering. Then I got into medical school and residency. It furthered my education in ways I didn’t expect. As you said, there was lots of pressure to become a prescription-writing machine. I hated the System but liked the patients and worked with a lot of Vietnam vets, later Iraqi vets with PTSD. In the VA system, there is an adversarial game going on between patients and their doctors to get controlled substances like benzodiazepines. The benzos are not only addictive, but there is a danger of life-threatening withdrawal, worse than with narcotics and maybe even the DTs of alcoholism.

                Liked by 2 people

              10. Wow! You’re a very accomplished lady! My brother served in VN on 3 tours – he was on a PT boat on the Saigon River. He always avoided talking about anything but general conversation.

                Liked by 2 people

              11. My accomishments are behind me now, but I have lived a long time and have seen a lot. That was the benefit if a learn-as-you-go writer’s life. The Vietnam vets were my generation, so I can imagine but didn’t have the experience of living under those circumstances. Civilians can never understand the horrors of war, except vicariously.

                Liked by 2 people

  39. “A worker at the Hanford Engineering Works plant had come up with the idea for workers to donate money for a warplane to be built, and the United States Army had advised that the money go to constructing the famed B-17 Flying Fortress. 

    Over a month, the payroll office collected a day’s pay for around 51,000 employees (imagine payday at that place!) to finance the aircraft.”

    Liked by 1 person

  40. “Green Bank, a small town in West Virginia, has become a nightmare for tech-savvy teenagers. With a population of only 143 people, the town has made wireless signals illegal. This means no cell phones, no WiFi, no Bluetooth, and no electronic transmitters of any kind. The restrictions are so strict that a store in the town had to remove their automatic doors due to the interference they caused.

    Green Bank is located in the National Radio Quiet Zone, a 13,000 square mile area designated by the FCC to protect two government radio telescopes from man-made interference. However, the rules in Green Bank are even stricter than in other parts of the zone. There is even someone who roams the streets to detect any forbidden wireless signals.

    The town is home to the Green Bank Telescope, the largest steerable radio telescope in the world. Scientists at the telescope use radio energy from light-years away to study the formation of stars and galaxies. A rogue radio signal could disrupt their research and impede potential discoveries that could provide answers to major questions about the universe.”

    Liked by 1 person

  42. OK – back to normal – door closed, Wheezer eating dry food outside; and Jake just came out – not slinking, per se, but walking low to the ground, examining his domain, searching to make sure there are no interlopers. Doesn’t seem to be injured at this point.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Reading a book now about the US Forest Service and the logging industry on National Forest land, “Cut and Run”. Grace Herndon, a rancher’s wife in Norwood, Colorado, became interested in this while associated with locals who were concerned about the destruction of old growth in the old West. The first federal contract for logging was in 1899, in Black Hills, South Dakota.

          Liked by 2 people

  46. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

Comments are closed.