Turtle Tuesday
Now that Spring seems to have arrived I have taken to walking outdoors early each morning. I head over to a local pond about one mile away. I walk around the pond listening to the sounds of the birds and ducks and whoever else is lurking within the brush.
I did a double take when looking at the limbs of some trees that now lay within the pond, thinking at first they were covered with rocks. I then realized they were covered with Painted Turtles, taking in the warmth of the sunshine. 
I laughed seeing how they rested upon one another
While some preferred a branch all to themselves
Today on my walk I spotted what I thought was a large rock, but sensed movement, so stopped for a moment. It was early morning and the light was low as this part of the pond is shaded with many trees. This is what I saw at first,
and then this is what I saw
I realized that pointy thing was a tail and the other end a head-and there were two of them
I will tell you that being alone at 7 o’clock in the morning in a densely tree covered area seeing what looked to me like some prehistoric creature sent chills right up my spine. It took me a minute to gather my thoughts and realize this must be a Snapping Turtle, not some creature from the Black Lagoon. Then he turned and began swimming towards me, at which point I took a picture and took off post haste!
That was enough adventure for one morning for me!
Weekly Photo Challenge-Intricate
Nature at its best- I find the intricacy of some flowers and leaves positively breathtaking
Weekly Photo Challenge
George Washington Slept Around
On Sundays my husband and I like to take short day trips to visit different places in our area. Our area is rich in the history of the events during the Revolutionary War.
After British forces were driven from Boston in March, 1776, General George Washington headed to New York City, where he arrived on April 13, 1776. The task for him and his army was to protect New York from British invasion. The city was of great strategic importance, and New York harbor offered control of the Hudson River. The British had a large and powerful navy, and their strategy was to use their ships to gain control of the Hudson River in order to split the thirteen colonies in two, as a way to win the war. Work began on a fort there in July 1776, which was originally called “Fort Constitution,” later renamed “Fort Lee,” in honor of General Charles Lee. Across the Hudson River, another fort called Fort Washington had already been constructed. The idea was that these two forts on opposite sides of the river could be used to stop British ships from sailing up the Hudson River. We visited what is now Fort Lee Historic Park, located atop a bluff of the Hudson Palisades. It overlooks the George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey and New York.
General George Washington marched to Morristown, New Jersey, in 1777, where he set up winter headquarters for himself and the men of the Continental Army. The hills surrounding the camp offered Washington a perfect vantage point from which to keep an eye on the British army, which was headquartered across the Hudson River in New York City.
Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, NJ and the bed he slept in while there
The Bed Washington Slept in
New Bridge Landing was the site of a pivotal bridge crossing the Hackensack River,where George Washington led his 2,000 troops from Fort Lee in retreat from British forces. This move preserved them from entrapment on the narrow peninsula between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers. New Bridge was a prosperous mill hamlet, centered upon a bridge strategically placed at the narrows of the Hackensack River. Washington headquartered here for 16 days in 1780.
The Steuben House
Bench Series
Jude at Travel Words says for the month of May she’s looking for benches at the beach
I’m going to take a bit of liberty with the bench at the beach….as this rock became our bench
CEE’S BLACK & WHITE PHOTO CHALLENGE: SIGNS
Appearances-Fearful Symmetry The Daily Prompt
Snow Leopard in the Central Park Zoo-looking right at me
Daily Prompt: Fearful Symmetry -Pick a letter, any letter. Now, write a story, poem, or post in which every line starts with that letter.
“Fearful Symmetry is a phrase from William Blake’s poem “The Tyger”
Tyger, tyger, burning bright / In the forests of the night, / What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
I read that The Tyger’s “fearful symmetry” stems from the tiger being both fear-inspiring and symmetrical. Its stripes create a sense of order, but its power and wildness suggest unpredictable violence. This creates a paradox in the tiger. Strikingly beautiful yet also terrifying in its capacity for violence. Sometimes compared to living in a world where people can at once contain both beauty and horror.
Are we all not like the tiger?
An animal whose deceptive coat of symmetry and order
Appears as one thing, but within lies
Another?
As man is too, our
Attitudes outward may belie what lies inside,
A smile for the world
Air kisses on a cheek
Appearing happy and content,
Acting one way and
Allowing others only to see what we choose to let them see
Assumptions made based on how we present ourselves
Awkwardly hiding the truth within
Allowing for that other side to seldom be shown
Aware though, of its existence
Oh What A Beautiful Day
I came home from work today and just could not stand the thought of not spending some time outdoors soaking in the beauty of the late afternoon. I quickly changed and put on my sneakers and headed out. Here are some of the sights I took in.
One Word Photo Challenge-Sun
It rises, and sets, and shines down upon us
La Bella Luna
Daily Prompt: The Full Moon. When the full moon happens, you turn into a person who’s the opposite of who you normally are. Describe this new you.
“It must be a full moon,” is a phrase heard whenever crazy things happen. Many studies over the years have tried to find a statistical connection between the full moon and human biology or behavior, but the majority of sound studies have found no connection. Seeing a beautiful full moon will fill me with awe and make me stop and pause to look at it. I can’t quite imagine having an “opposite side” as my nature is not so consistent without a full moon. I am prone to crankiness, can have my feelings hurt in a split second, can go from calm to angered in a New York minute. Upbeat, quiet, loud, reserved, pensive, bubbling over with enthusiasm.
Here is a wonderful scene from the movie Moonstruck that I always think of when seeing a full moon
Daily Prompt: Menagerie
Daily Prompt: Menagerie – Do you have animals in your life? If yes, what do they mean to you? If no, why have you opted not to?
My husband always wanted a dog- but was never allowed one as a child. We were married for 5 years when he started throwing around the idea of us getting one. We spent Sundays visiting local shelters, seeing if there was someone we’d like to bring home. I was still not completely sold on the idea, as I liked my freedom and wasn’t sure I wanted the extra work having a dog would entail. Then a friend called to say her friend had taken in a Cocker Spaniel that had been left tied to a fence in the snow but could not keep him, maybe we were interested. We went to take a look and the minute that dog put his paw on my husband’s knee I knew that was it. We called him Sammy. The Vet estimated he was about 4 years old.
Sammy shortly after we brought him home
We learned fast how smart and “sneaky” he could be. If you had a tissue in your pocket he was able to extricate it without you feeling it. He would somehow manage to wrestle it out with no movement-using his little teeth to grab it. We would only realize it when we’d see him under the bed or table holding his prize between his two front paws and ripping away at it. He loved to eat tissues and toilet paper. Nothing was safe unless put far out of reach. He was also our Houdini who managed to get through every lock I attached to our kitchen pantry- baby locks, magnets, moving propped furniture out of the way. We never knew what to expect upon arriving home from an evening out. He was a “cheerful” dog, always ready for a ride in the car, a walk, always wanting to be part of the action.
After having him for two years we thought it would be nice for him to have company and found our Max through the local Cocker Spaniel Rescue. Max was about 2 years old and a different personality from Sammy. He was not as smart as Sammy but made up for it with his mushy personality. He loved to slobber kisses on anyone willing to take them. He always carried around a stuffed animal and could lay there squeezing it to get it to squeak literally for hours. 
Sammy wasn’t really interested in having this new friend, but years later when he became senile Max always stayed next to him while he slept and Sammy sought out the companionship he had never tolerated years before.
Sammy not too happy about sharing his chair
Sammy & Max friends at last
They filled our lives with unconditional love, laughs and companionship. Sammy died 5 years ago at age 19 and Max 2 years later at 17. I still find it hard to talk about them sometimes, I get choked up at the thought of how they brought so much into our lives. I am not ready yet to bring another dog home, the last years of life for both Sammy and Max were very hard- Sammy had dementia, a cruel fate of living so long, and Max was not well the last year of his life. I do not think I have the strength to go through that again, and the loss and grief when the good bye comes. Our animals teach us unspoken lessons about ourselves, about them, about living in the moment and never holding a grudge. They become as much a part of the family as any other family member. Ever present with a listening ear, waiting with tongue hanging and a smile to greet you at the door when you open it. Always happy to join you on the bed to snuggle down. Always there.
Max letting Sammy know he is there for him
Sunday Stills, the next challenge: From This to That
Cherry Blossom Trees
Washington DC is famous for its Cherry Blossom Trees which people from all over travel to see when they are in bloom. Yesterday a friend told me about a park located in Newark, New Jersey that is noted for having the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the United States. The park contains 4,300 trees in more than fourteen different varieties compared to the 1700 in Washington DC. Seeing as Newark is a close drive from where we live, we packed a lunch, jumped in the car and set off to see these beautiful trees.
The trails in the park wind on endlessly and we walked for over an hour following the many paths. The weather here is still a bit chilly, but when the sun appeared from behind the clouds it shed a welcome warmth and kept us going.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion
Cee’s Black and White Challenge: Geometric Shapes
The view while standing under the Unisphere in Columbus Circle, New York City
Bench Series
For the month of April, Jude wants to see a bench with a view
This is the view if you care to take a seat on the Municipal Building grounds in our town
A SERENDIPITOUS PHOTO STORY PROMPT
Marilyn over at Serendipity, has started a twice a week writing prompt- linked to a photo. In her words:
“I would like to keep telling stories linked to pictures. Every picture has a story or ought to. “
So I am joining in and giving it a try.
I have been thinking about my friend Mark this week, as his birthday is tomorrow, April 24th. He died 2 years ago at the age of 56, so that will remain his age forever. This photo of us was taken in 1977, when I was 20.
It was taken in a wonderful club called The Bottom Line in New York City’s Greenwich Village. We frequented this club sometimes three nights a week, hearing a variety of musical talent. This photo has always brought that period of time in my life back into focus. It reminds me of the music I listened to then, the excitement of buying The Village Voice newspaper every week to see who would be performing at the club, and deciding on which shows to attend. It was general admission, so we’d stand on line outside early, hoping to get a seat at one of the long “family style” tables, sitting elbow to elbow with people we didn’t know. I am always slightly taken aback when I see this photo, when I see how young I was, our future still before us. It is almost as if I am looking into the eyes of someone else, not myself. It returns me to a time before real responsibility in life had set in, before this relationship turned sour, before I had really figured out who I was and where I was going. So many years have come between then and now, if not for the proof of this photo I might not believe those times ever really existed.
This selfie was taken in 2012. Me and Claudette
Claudette was one of Mark’s caregivers during the last two years of his life, as lung cancer slowly took that life away. I also helped care for him during that time. Claudette and I came to share a bond unlike any I have ever had. We helped each other through some very dark days with Mark. We laughed, we cried, we prayed. We saw each other every day and witnessed things I would not have believed had I not been there to see them, to go through them. She taught me a lot about caring for someone who is ill, someone who is dying. She showed me what a difference true kindness can make to a person, the part it plays in helping the person’s attitude. She showed me strength in the face of adversity. She showed me what it is to give love selflessly.
Two photos, 35 years separating them, one that stands out in reminding me of the easiness of life in youth, of the newness of first love, of a time when life held promise and so many open roads were waiting to be traveled. Another photo that represents for me the closing of a chapter, the ending of a life, and a new friendship forged as a result of that ending.
Wordless Wednesday
Spring is Springing!
We visited a local park yesterday and ended up walking four miles because the weather was just so perfect. Here are a few of the sights from the day
Spring Sprung
Bench Series
For the month of April, Jude wants to see a bench with a view
I spotted this bench, and found it a quiet place to sit and reflect on life
As here is the view when sitting on it
Weekly Photo Challenge: Early Bird
Early Bird-For this week’s photo challenge, get up early and explore the morning light.
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: NUMBERS
Thursday’s Special: Water
The ballad of Easy Rider popped into my head when I saw Paula’s challenge for water, so I put together a few of my water photos with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds singing the song in the background.
Lost In Translation
Yom Ha Shoa- Remembering Those Lost in the Holocaust
Today, April 18th is Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom Ha Shoa here in the United States and in Israel. Many Jewish communities hold commemorative ceremonies or events to remember Holocaust victims who died during World War II. The day serves as a memorial to the six million Jewish people who were slaughtered by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The Knesset (parliament) in Israel, established Yom Ha Shoah in 1953 as a day of remembrance, signed into law by the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, and the President of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.
My husband’s parents lived in Koln, Germany and were able to leave in March of 1938. My mother in law’s three siblings and parents came with them to the United States. My father in law’s parents stayed back, his mother was too sick to travel. They sent their seven other boys away, one went to Uruguay, one to Argentina, one to Israel, one ended up in Wisconsin, the other 3 in New York. The youngest, Saul, was only 14 at the time. None of those eight sons ever saw their parents again.
The youngest son, Saul, only 14 when he left Germany. This is his passport photo
The family believed my husband’s grandparents were sent to Siberia. We have telegrams from that time.
I started researching my husband’s genealogy in 1999, and Uncle Saul asked me to try to find out what happened to his parents. I contacted the American Red Cross who still searches for those lost, but they came up empty handed. I contacted the Synagogue in Koln hoping maybe they would have some information about family members that might lead somewhere. I received this letter in response
They did forward my fax on to the archives in Koln, and from them I received copies of the page in the “transport book” containing the names of Saul’s parents, my husband’s grandparents, Efraim and Mala.
It was jarring to see the names there on the page, the proof that they had existed, their birth dates matching the ones I had found written on papers in my mother in laws things. Under the names were words in German, which I needed to look up to find their meaning.
verschollen – lost without trace, missing
Deportationsziel nicht bekannt – deportation unknown
I was sorry to have to tell my Uncle I had reached a dead end. Saying good bye to your parents as a young boy of 14 had a lasting and life long impact on him. The loss is something that stays forever, shapes who the person will become as an adult. To say he “never got over it” is a understatement. He grew up not knowing the two brothers who fled to Argentina and Uruguay, not really knowing what happened to his parents. Fleeing at such a young age stole his youth, something he constantly seemed to be searching for all his life, a long life, he died 2 years ago at age 90. The Holocaust was far reaching in its ability to literally destroy the people Hitler sent to the concentration camps, and then again change the lives of those who survived the camps, and the lives of those who fled their homes and started new lives living with the loss.
We must never forget man’s inhumanity to man, we must remember, always and forever.
My father in law, 2nd from right, Saul second man from left, and 2 other brothers and their wives circa 1947. The young man is my husband’s brother
Uncle Saul with his 2 nephews- my husband & his brother
At 10:00 a.m on Yom HaShoa, an air raid siren sounds throughout Israel and Israelis observe one minute of solemn reflection. Many people stop what they are doing, including motorists who stop their cars in the middle of the highway, standing beside their vehicles in silence as the siren is sounded.
A Day In The Life 
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