“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.”
I am so tired of describing the day as chilly and damp. I just filled the bird feeders, and I got cold, a chill to the bone cold. While filling one feeder, I dropped a bag of sunflower seeds off the deck and just left it there on the ground below. The spawns will have a feast.
I am in love with spring. Every year I wait patiently for warmer days. This month has been uncharacteristically cold with weather more like January than March, but I am hopeful anyway. The crocus in the front garden bloom every morning. Their colors are vibrant, eye catching. They are the perfect start to spring.
The clouds are getting lighter. Maybe the sun will appear. If it does, I’ll open the front door to the light. Maddie loves to sleep stretched out in the warmth of that light. She is an interesting cat. She sleeps here in the den. One favorite spot is a sweatshirt of mine I had put on the table. She took it over. The other spot is a newspaper on the couch. I had put it there after I’d read it. She curls up on the front page and sleeps soundly.
I remember the Cuban missile crisis. We watched it unfold on TV. We heard President Kennedy describe the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba and his decision to place a naval blockade around the island. The scariest part was when the President said the U.S. was prepared to use military force if necessary to neutralize this threat to national security. We all were so afraid this confrontation would lead to war, but two days later the Soviet ships did not breach the blockade.
We knew how dire the situation was because President Kennedy told us. He didn’t threaten without purpose. He never used bravado. He didn’t name call. He was believed because he was respected and he never bandied with the truth.
It is a scary time now.
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March 24, 2018 at 11:29 am
Rather boring weather here too but it has at least been warmish. We had a close encounter with a moose this morning so I can at least say it has been an exciting day 🙂 🙂
I’m not sure if it is the weather or if I still have a cold but I’m so tired all the time.I napped for an hour or more this morning and I still feel like napping 🙂 I won’t though because I’m pretty sure I own’t fall asleep at all tonight if I do 🙂
The Cuba crisis was before I was born but I’ve heard so many stories about it and how everyone just sort of stopped doing anything. They were all waiting to know if they all would die or if the Soviets would come to their senses and go back home again.
Have a great day!
Christer.
March 24, 2018 at 1:39 pm
Christer,
I’d think that an exciting morning too. I remember seeing moose in Colorado. It was a male and his harem.It was rutting season, and he was bugling. It was amazing.
I like naps, but I am careful not to affect my night’s sleep. Cold days are perfect for naps.
That was a scary time.I had lived my life afraid of atomic bombs. I learned duck and cover as if that could save me. The idea that Kennedy was willing to go as far as he needed was really frightening.
March 24, 2018 at 3:37 pm
I think it was Elks You watched. Our moose don’t have a harem and don’t bulge either and I don’t think the American moose is different. Elks however are rather big too and I wouldn’t want one of those running towards me either 🙂 🙂 🙂
March 24, 2018 at 3:44 pm
You’re right. It was elk. it was in Rocky Mountain National Park. My brother in law who has lived in Colorado all his life never saw the elks bugling.
March 24, 2018 at 12:16 pm
During the Cuban Missle Crisis there were cooler heads with much more intelegence than we have now. Of course we agreed to remove our missiles from Turkey and pledged that we would never attempt to invade Cuba. The current occupant of 1600 Pensylvania Avenue is truly a moron, at least according to former Secretary of State Tillerson. I think 45 can’t separate in his mind the fact that his actions are NOT designed to get ratings on a reality TV show. 😦
I was surprised that the woman who claims to have had a ten month affair is a brunet. 45 seems to go for blondes, She claimes that after they had unprotected sex the first time he offered her money. Can’t wait for Sunday when 60 minutes will interview Stormy Danials who claims she has pictures or something. 😉
Spring must be just around some corner because my friend in Boseman Montana said it was 60 degrees there. That’s about 16 C.
I’m sitting at the Phoenix airport awaiting my flight home. I get here very early because Phoenix is a huge tourist destination in the Spring because of baseball’s Cactus League spring training. Delive it or not the Diamondbacks practice in the Pheonix suburb of Glendale. They play in a movable domed stadium downtown called Chase Field. It’s nice to know that my bank that pays me essentially no interest on my money spent millions naming a baseball field.
When I came to the airport the skies were clear with a low temperature of 60 degrees.
March 24, 2018 at 1:48 pm
Bob,
We didn’t know what was going on behind back doors, but that’s what stopped the madness. It was after this crisis that the red phone was installed. Later we found out how close we had actually come.
45 thinks blustering will scare other countries and congress to get in line to give him what he wants. I’m glad he was really upset that he signed the budget which didn’t ‘give him what he wanted. Instead he said the dems deserted the dreamers. He says anything to divert blame from him.
It is in the low 40’s here.
I’d love to get down to spring training some year,
March 24, 2018 at 6:33 pm
I think the Red Sox train in Sarasota Florida. The teams that practice in Florida are called the Grapefruit League. Yesterday, we went for lunch in Tempe and drove by the ballpark that’s the spring training home of the LA Angles. The stands looked full as well as the parking lot.
Home now and we hit 89 degrees today.
March 24, 2018 at 6:57 pm
I know it is called the Grapefruit League as I have followed the Sox from pre-season on. I even watch some of the games.They train in Fort Myers at JetBlue Stadium. It is a new one and resembles Fenway as it has a green monster with seats on it and a hand operated score board.
March 24, 2018 at 7:25 pm
I think they used to practice in Sarasota when I was young in the Stone Age. 🙂 Everything changes except 90 ft, between the bases, Wrigley Field Fenway Park. 🙂
March 24, 2018 at 7:29 pm
They used to play in Winter Haven. I don’t remember if they had been in Sarasota.
March 24, 2018 at 9:53 pm
I think you are correct. Winter Haven, Sarasota, Plant City there all the same in Florida. 🙂
March 24, 2018 at 10:07 pm
Bob,
I am a fan so I remember.
March 24, 2018 at 5:20 pm
I have a guilty secret about the Cuban missile crisis but I guess I’m old enough now to confess. I was in college at the time and was pretty clueless about most things. (Still am.) I remember just not taking it that seriously at the time. My parents were pretty low key about it, and I was just going on with my normal daily activities, none of which was in any way important. I don’t remember the family sitting around the TV, but again, I wasn’t the most attentive of young guys. When I later began to hear more and more about how close we came, I felt like a guy who’d eaten a bug and thought it was a raisin. No harm, no foul.
March 24, 2018 at 6:51 pm
BG,
I was in the eighth grade and was glued to the TV. I knew what was happening and was scare. I thought war was coming, and we were all going to be blown up.
We felt relieved when the Soviet ships turned around, but we didn’t feel safe.
March 24, 2018 at 8:26 pm
Hi Kat,
I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis but I had just turned 13 and not inclined to take things seriously. I saw some of it on TV and then it was over. The Russians backed down. Yay. And then I went on to other things more interesting to 13 year olds. It just didn’t register as something dire.
The sun appeared here. Sort of. I have a sun wind chime that hangs in the young walnut tree beside the house. It often gets blown out of the tree. Sometime after the 3rd northeaster it disappeared and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I figured it was under the snow so I’ve been waiting for it to surface. There were just a couple of snow piles left where it could have been so today, while the dogs were out, I kicked away at one and finally uncovered Mr. Sun. He’s back in the tree.
The real sun was out right after dawn this morning. It looked promising but it soon hid behind the clouds. The temperature was reasonable, though, so the dogs and I have been out a few times. They got to go to the pet store where they got doggy Peeps for Easter. Yum. Maybe.
Enjoy the evening.
March 25, 2018 at 12:35 am
Hi Caryn,
I had become interested in politics when Kennedy was running against Nixon, and it took. I stayed interested which is why I watched all the TV about Cuba.
My deck still has crunchy snow but the backyard is pretty empty of snow. The streets have sides of snow, the plow piles. It hasn’t really been warm enough to melt it all.
I did a couple of errands in the late morning then stayed in the rest of the day.
I have good news. I adopted a rescue who is 10 months old.He is a pointer/setter. He came this afternoon. I will post pictures. Right now I am desperate. I let hi in the yard to pee and he won’t come in.I sat put there over an hour, got rained on and was freezing. I came in a while then went out again. It has been two hours. I tried treats, dry food and just not moving hoping he’d come. I’m going to try again. I’ll let you know.
March 25, 2018 at 11:12 am
Yay! Is he busy out there or just wary of the new situation? When you get him in you might want to take him outside on a leash for a few days until you know for sure that he will come in when you call. Puppy and pointer/setter is a busy combination.
March 25, 2018 at 11:56 am
It took nearly three hours. I was shaking from the cold. I came inside to get warm. He was happy to see me one time when I went back out but didn’t come close. Finally he ran up the deck stairs and I cornered him and looped the leash around his neck. I took him out on a leash this morning, but I do need to spend time teaching leash etiquette as he pulls so much. We slept on the couch last night as he wouldn’t get of it. I think it is a safe spot. It has been a long time since I’ve had a puppy.
March 26, 2018 at 2:08 am
A pointer/setter…Wonderful news, Kat.
Eagerly awaiting photos and updates.
March 26, 2018 at 9:18 am
Tracey,
He is beautiful but still skittish and nervous. I keep patting and talking to him, but I have only him 2 days so it will take time. I’ll take some pictures today and introduce Henry to all of you! I am so very excited.
March 24, 2018 at 9:03 pm
Grown up during the cold war in the 70’s/80’s and living in a region which was one of the main war targets we knew we could die any time, intentionally or accidentally. Today’s marches for lives reminded me of our peace movement marches in the 80’s.
Yes, scary times right now. Not only in your country.
March 25, 2018 at 12:37 am
Birgit,
I felt safer after the ships turned around to go back to Russia. Over time, I have felt safe and not so safe. It is really scary with the crazy man in the White House.
March 25, 2018 at 12:16 pm
My dad was in the Air Force and at that time he was stationed in Greenland. My mom and sisters and I lived in Spokane Wash. We were put on alert and the Air Force gave us c-rations. I remember them stacked in boxes in the hall. We were given maps to all the bomb shelters. Our neighbors “poor civilians ” as my mother called them didn’t know the extent of concern. After my fathers death I found out that the Air Force was installing missile defense and landing capabilities for our bombers for that part of the Atlantic. He was in air traffic control. Denise
March 25, 2018 at 1:34 pm
Hi Denise,
Your mother was so right. We never knew the extent of the threat. You were lucky and not so lucky. You were lucky to have some provisions and a warning but not so lucky as you had to live with the fear.
The government held so much from us but I do understand. We didn’t need a full on panic and maybe even hoarding.
Some things were best untold.