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America the Beautiful

This is a holiday weekend in the United States, and I guess the beginning of summer. Usually, Americans think of summer starting on the Memorial day weekend, though actual meteorological summer starts on June 21st. Memorial day is the day we honor the men and women who have died while fighting for America's freedom.


Boy saluting a row of American flags


We still have cold nights, fifty degrees or lower and we hope the temps reach the seventies. This early in summer and eighties feel hot. In August, eighty degrees will feel cool in Northern Illinois.


I'm trying to grow some grass in the bare spots of my lawn. Just a little patch maybe 6 feet by 2 feet. We'll see if it helps the yard look nicer. Probably not. The sounds of lawn mowers fill the air all summer. I wish there was some way to coordinate all the lawn mowing on one day of the week, ideally all of it within a four hour window. Then we could enjoy the sounds of birds singing and small mammals chirping. Oh well, a person can dream.


I've been fascinated by the robotic lawn mowers that I see advertised. I think it would be a hoot to get one, but I always wonder if someone would see it mowing my yard and then come along and swipe it. And I worry about little kids being interested in what it is and doing something stupid and getting injured. It doesn't matter, they are way outside of my lawn mowing budget.


Today, my wife and will find a craft show or art show occurring in the towns around us and go look at things that we have no intention of buying. I think the only sellers that make money from us at these craft shows are people selling food. That's where the real money is.


Enjoy the day, whether it's at a craft or art show, barbequing in your backyard with family or friends, enjoying a local parade where you honor a loved one, or curling up on the couch with a good book.


Happy Holiday!




Image of American Flag and Boy by Chris Hardy on Unsplash