Stopping to Smell the Roses...

I didn't feel like writing about war on Saturday, it was far too lovely a day. It was also Independence Day, a very quiet affair this year. Our town did continue the tradition of having a parade. It's over two centuries old, they weren't going to do it, then someone said, "Really? Abandon the tradition? What kind of Americans are we?"

We discovered what kind, the traditional kind, rather than shrug their shoulders and say "Oh well..." they came up with the idea of doing the parade using just vehicles. Sure we had the usual parade marshals, past and present, we actually had a Chosin Reservoir veteran (a topic I should write about some day), even a couple of bands. A fife and drum corps on the back of a truck, and a pipe band on a flatbed trailer.

It was small, but it was very American, no big crowds, just the townsfolk, but hey, the tradition continues. We're Americans damn it, we find a way. We improvise, we overcome, we adapt, Hell, sometimes we even plan things. (And yes, I stole that from a movie, I'll let you guess which one.)

Early in the week I put in two ten-hour days (Monday and Tuesday). Not because I'm gung ho or anything, but I woke up early, the sun was up, so I was too. Made some coffee and jumped right in, had things to do dontcha know?

Spent some time in the lab on Tuesday which was rather unproductive machine-wise but productive in a talk with my lead to see if I'm on the right track. He said I am, so I've got that going for me. 😁

My son and his two kids stopped by last Sunday, we had an excellent time, maintaining distance (so one grenade doesn't get all of us, er, I mean so we don't spread the -19) and wearing masks. Which to be honest the littlest of The Naviguessor's progeny wasn't all that thrilled with. Hey, she's seven going on eight, I'm 67 and I don't like it either!

But there it is, we do what we should, rather than what we have to, some governors apparently think they have the powers of a Persian satrap. They don't, but I'm all for a wee bit of common sense.

Bottom line for the week is that I wanted/needed/earned some time off. Thursday and Friday were off days because of the holiday, so I took Wednesday as PTO. Nothing like a long five-day weekend to boost morale!

Had a couple of dear friends from church swing by, we can take advantage of the big back yard to maintain separation. All masked up we had a nice hour chatting about this, that, and the other thing. We haven't seen them since March so it was nice to catch up.

So it's been a nice long and lazy week. Enjoying myself I am and trying hard to do as little as possible. For those who like that sort of thing, there is a four part series on Amazon Prime titled How to Command a Nuclear Submarine. It follows five prospective nuclear attack boat commanders through the Royal Navy's Perisher course. Four Brits and one Yank are followed as they go through this very challenging course. (Spoiler alert, not all of them make it to the end...)

The first part of the actual course is done on land, we get to watch the best (and most challenging) part of the course when the students actually go to sea and are put through their paces acting as commander of a Royal Navy nuclear attack boat. I highly recommend this if you have any interest in undersea warfare. (Which I do!)

There were backyard fireworks last night (and every bloody night for the past two weeks) which were really just a lot of whistling, shrieking, and banging. No real loud booms, but you can well imagine that the feline staff were not amused. They handle it well, but I daresay if left alone in a room with one of those pyro-types, the claws would come out.

Not roses, but lovely nevertheless...

I thought I had taken a picture of a hummingbird in this photo, damned if I could spot the little beastie. It was there before I snapped the shot, it was there after I snapped the shot. Where it was in the shot? I have no ideer...

These next flowers are portulaca, also know as moss roses. The pond, when it was much smaller, used to be surrounded by them, there are still some there, but the majority live here. One of my favorite flowers, if not the most favorite.

So there it is, the week of Independence Day. Quiet and relaxing, a good time to reflect.

God Bless America.