Boys to Men

    No one knows how many soldiers in the American Civil War were under the age of seventeen at enlistment. The majority of records do not list age or date of birth. From the information we do have it is safe to say that tens of thousands of soldiers were between the ages of 11 and 17.

    Many entered the service as musicians. Some of the drummers were so short that their regulation drums dragged the ground as they marched. Smaller drums had to be obtained for them to use. A large number of these young buglers, fifers and drummers became members of fighting units soon after being mustered in.

    William Horsfall was 14 years old when he ran away from his home in Kentucky to join the Confederate Army as a drummer. Just one year later he fought as a sharpshooter in Mississippi where he earned the Medal of Honor for dragging a wounded captain off the battlefield. It is interesting to note that he did so after being asked by a lieutenant who was probably older and stronger than William.

    As always, the photos on this blog are mine. The information is taken from the book "Babes in Arms. Boy Soldiers in the Civil War" by Anne Palagruto, published in 2010, pages 112-113.

Going, Going, Almost Gone!

    Kira and I went for a walk at one of our state parks today. We went early in the morning so we would have the place all to ourselves.
    Kira is quite an enthusiastic walker. She had a wonderful time and so did I. How funny it is that the federal government had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a study to learn what we all knew anyway. Walking with a dog is much more fun than walking alone.
    We reached an overlook surrounded by a beautiful stone wall. Many of the walls in our parks were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps and I always enjoy looking at them. From this particular overlook there is a 144 foot drop to the river below.
    As we entered the area Kira shot forward, threw her front feet up onto the top of the wall, and dug her back claws into the vertical surface as she prepared to launch herself into the great unknown. Only a quick shout from me accompanied by a firm tug on the leash brought her safely to earth. On my side of the wall.
    Next week I revisit the Civil War. I hope you will join me.
  

Rainbows and Blueberries

    "The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work." 

         author unknown

         

     My grandson came over Sunday. Spring has come to us early so I took him for a walk outside.
    Actually, I walked. He is always carried like the son of an Egyptian pharaoh.
    A breeze blew the baby's hair and he raised his eyebrows. A hawk cried overhead. I helped Jacob touch his fat little hands to the flowering trees while the crow cawed a warning to his flock that we were about.
    I had toured the same yard the day before. With a child in my arms  I noticed for the first time how pretty the blueberry bush is when in bloom. I resolved to get up early the next morning and take a photo in the soft just-after-dawn light.
    Thank you, Jake, for showing me this.

Jammers

    This weekend I went to the Roller Derby. It was like going to another world. I have struggled all week to find the words to describe the experience.
     The names the players choose for themselves are puns and word plays often based on pop culture. Tattoos were common and the helmets were well decorated. Some wore elaborate makeup. And there were costumes. My best guess is that in the photo below the girl on the left is a slab of bacon, but that could just be me.
    After throwing away the photos that were out of focus or just plain no good I still had 571 that were keepers. So I decided to make a link to a slide show so that you could see what it was like.
    I am totally psyched about this experience and I hope you enjoy my photos. Feel free to leave comments.

   

I'm babysitting lol

    Last night I had my first babysitting job since the 9th grade. I think it went pretty well. His name is Jacob. He cries sometimes but all babies do that. He pees a lot. He's pretty cool. The parents were nice. Jobs like this don't pay much but they let me eat anything I wanted and they have a nice TV. It was okay. I'll probably do it again if they ask me.

    Click to hear Jake talk.

    

Go Fly a Flag

    These guys have a tough job! On this January morning it was 45 degrees with winds of 5 mph, which doesn't sound like much of a breeze until you imagine yourself in a bucket suspended 80 feet above Mother Earth.

    I don't know if they were replacing the flag or untangling it. I do know that they were there several hours and that when I magnify the photo I can see that they have raised or removed a panel from the pole, exposing the "guts" of the pole. It also appears that they have a tether running from the bucket to the ground, possibly to prevent swaying and swinging.

    I had to try several highway exits to get a clear shot of these guys. I did not notice the "Don't Put Your Life on the Line...." sign until much later. I think it adds a little to the shot, don't you?

Sticky Notes

    Honey Bunny walked down to the barn today to turn out the horses. He carried his big stick with him. Because, as you know, snakes are a big threat this time of year.

    When he returned Kira barked at him loudly. I thought it was just because she didn't recognize him. I watched out the window as he approached closer and closer, carrying his big stick but not waving it around. Kira became more and more alarmed with each step he took.

    As he ducked under the fence behind the house he spoke to her and I saw her body language change. Her tail wagged and her ears went into a relaxed posture. But still she barked and backed toward the house.

    Finally she ran onto the porch, ducking behind he porch furniture to protect herself from Stick Man. I reached the porch door as she scratched at it frantically. When I opened it she practically fell into the house.

    I don't know anything about Kira's past and I don't want to read too much into today's behavior. But I couldn't hide the emotion in my voice tonight as I laid a hand on her side and promised her that nobody would EVER hit her with a stick.