Rainstorm last night - all those poor campers!

YES, it poured last night and there was house-shaking thunder in our area of Oregon. The weather got very hot, very fast yesterday - Saturday - and the air currents got wa-a-a-y disturbed.
Early that morning most of our family had gone to the cemetery to clean up and put flowers (lots of flowers) on our parents' and grandparents' graves, since that was when we could all be together. As we walked away and looked back at all the flowers, my sister-in-law remarked you could certainly tell there were well-loved people there.
We then went back to my brother's house for a picnic lunch and some time to visit before we all had to scatter.
The picture of the azalea, with clematis climbing all over it, was taken before the rainstorm. I tried to take photos of the rain coming down through the sunshine, but it's impossible. Are there photographers who have succeeded? I'd like to meet one. Maybe my brother could do it. Check out his Web site. He does fantastic work!
On the sidebar at left there is a photo of the storm as it moved to the northeast of us. I pity any of the Memorial Day campers who got rained on this weekend. Been there, done that. No fun.

The last photo is of me this morning in my towel garb in honor of Douglas Adams. I got to meet him once at a book signing.
One of those small thrills life hands out sometimes.
I hope your Sunday is going well and you're doing something creative - like updating your blog. Send me a comment here and let me know where I can check out your blog. I'd like to "meet" you - femminismo

Memorial Day Weekend - remembering.

AS A CHILD, Memorial Day was the day of the year when I would get a glimpse of what it was like to be grown up.
I rarely saw my parents sad, and I can count the number of times I saw my mother in tears on the fingers of one hand.
However, when we went to visit the cemetery on Memorial Day - without knowing it - I was peeking ahead in time to the days I would visit my own parents and wish I could talk with them again and thank them for all the good times they gave us when we were children. Even though we didn't have much, we had a roof over our head, food on the table, laughter and love.
When we visited my grandmother's grave, my mother would grow quiet and arrange her offering of flowers. We kids would run around the cemetery reading the funny names and, sometimes, we would pause at the graves with American flags next to their headstones. I'm sure if we'd done the math we would have noticed some of these "names" died fairly young during the years of World War II.
Today we will visit the cemetery where my parents and grandparents rest.
However, Memorial Day is also for remembering those killed in our nation's wars.
I hope you will take the opportunity on Monday at 3 p.m., your local time, as I will, to offer up one minute of time to remember, and thank, those who gave their lives for our country. If we do not actively choose to participate in ending all wars, we, too, have asked them for their contribution.
On a happier note, the picture above is of a dozen roses the Mister picked me in our back yard. He brought them to me cupped in both of his hands and now they are floating in this glass bowl. The smell is heavenly. - Have a safe weekend - femminismo
P.S. Don't forget Towel Day, in memory of Douglas Adams, tomorrow - all day long.