The life of a republic lies certainly in the energy, virtue, and intelligence of its citizens.
It is our sacred duty to transmit unimpaired to our posterity the blessings of liberty which were bequeathed to us by the founders of the Republic.
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was the 17th President of the United States.
Virgin prairie
Endless grassy sea
Fertile, untouched
Living always free
Nature’s preserve
Blessed grassy sea
Native people
Worship what they see
Gift forever
Treasured grassy sea
Timeless, precious
Mother Earth agrees
Standing knee high
Faithful grassy sea
Glory days sing
Praises fill with glee
Man’s encroachment
Constant grassy sea
Days now numbered
Earth makes her plea
Plowing under
Cherished grassy sea
Another farm
Way of life now flees
Forever gone
Priceless grassy sea
Winds of time change
What should always be
Pockets remain
Endless grassy sea
Memories breathe
Yesterday foresees
This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one. You are invited to participate with the opening question.
Put these statements in the correct order.
(A) Thousands of children receive milk substitutes.
(B) Milk drivers and plant employees go out on strike.
(C) The milk workers’ union demands increased wages.
(D) Milk employees go back to work.
(E) Union members vote to ratify the new contract.
(answer found at the end of this post)
One of America’s most frequently spotted animals is the nocturnal bandit, commonly called a raccoon. Raccoons are native to a large geographical area, which stretches from Canada to Panama.
Here are a few quick facts about the raccoon:
As raccoons live throughout the United States, they are frequently found in woodlands, wetlands, forest, and towns. Raccoons are many times considered pests as they search for food in a community’s garbage.
The name raccoon comes from the Algonquian word “aroughcun” which means “he who scratches with his hands.” They are intelligent and curious; they also adapt well to most any living environment.
Raccoons possess hand-like claws, and they can usually open jars and doors with ease as well as grasping food. In using their hands, raccoons turn, inspect, and wash food before eating.
The mask-like markings on a raccoon’s face help to reduce glare from light and allow for better night vision. Their sharp claws and nibble paws allow them to expertly climb trees and other surfaces. A group of raccoons is called a nursery, and the babies are called kits.
C — B — A — E — D
Photo by Jamie McInall on Pexels.com
Sightseeing from Atlantic to Pacific coasts
Experiencing America, with much to boast
Lady Liberty’s gleaming torch welcomes all
Blazing autumn colors define Vermont’s fall
Appalachians conceal valleys, nestled with small towns
Nashville plays music for biggest “Country” hoedown
Florida’s Everglades house gators galore
Across America’s skies, bald eagles soar
Commanding Mississippi River slices through the land
Florida and California beaches offer up surf and sand
Interstate highways transport autos everywhere
Great Lakes provide a waterway, here to there
New Orleans offering its French Quarter to entertain
To the South, Rio Grande River creates a watery lane
America’s breadbasket reaps harvests from the Great Plains
Loaded grain, freight, and more journey on mile-long trains
Towering Rockies sing of marvelous beauty up high
Visiting out West, appreciating a Big Montana Sky
Seattle’s Pike’s Market, a distinctive place to treasure
California’s redwoods, their height is one to measure
Arid Southwest rains bloom flowers throughout the land
Grand Canyon’s brilliant scenery plays a winning hand
Finally reaching the Pacific coast at long last
The Golden Gate Bridge arrives much too fast
Photo by Ignacio Palés on Pexels.com
Originally published September, 2019.
This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one. You are invited to participate with the opening question.
What word contains 26 letters but only has three syllables?
(answer found at the end of this post)
Many of America’s animals have cousins who are found in other parts of the world. This is the case with the badger.
Here are some interesting facts about the American badger:
A badger’s appearance is characterized by stripped faces and thick bodies. The length of an adult is usually between 2 and 3 feet (.6 to .9 m). A group of them is called a clan or cete. The youngsters are named cubs or pups, while the adult males are called boars and females as sows.
Badgers are known for their fierce bite. Their lower jaw has the ability to clamp down securely and tightly. Designed for digging, their front paws feature long, sharp claws, which can dig quickly when searching for prey hiding underground.
A badger’s home consists of underground burrows (called setts or dens). The tunnels may run up to 10 feet below the ground’s surface, and some may exceed 30 feet in length. There is room for sleeping, storing food, and giving birth.
Badgers are nocturnal hunters, and they generally live as solitary creatures. They face a variety of predators, such as wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, and even eagles and hawks. Most will prey upon their small cubs in open areas, away from the much safer den. In addition, man has bred his own predator–the Dachshund. Used particularly in Europe, their name translates from the German language as “badger dog.”
The alphabet
Americanism is not a matter of skin or color.
Democracy is an imperfect concept slowly seeking perfection.
Daniel Inouye (1924-2012) served the people of the United States and the state of Hawaii as a Captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. This highly decorated veteran received the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1963 to 2012.
This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one. You are invited to participate with the opening question.
Find the next letter in the sequence.
A B D G K P ?
(answer found at the end of this post)
Sometimes called a timber wolf, the gray wolf’s numbers have declined significantly in the United States. They are still plentiful in many rural areas around the rest of the world.
Here are a few quick facts about the gray wolf:
In the United States, the historic range of the gray wolf once covered nearly two-thirds of the country. Today, wolves are primarily found in Alaska, northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, western Montana, northern Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and Yellowstone National Park.
Hunted extensively, America’s wolf population plummeted. In Yellowstone National Park, the last wolf was killed in 1926. Reintroduced in 1995, the numbers in Yellowstone have grown to approximately 100.
Following a kill, a wolf will eat 20-30 lbs. (10-13 kg) of meat. They are capable of surviving up to two weeks without eating. In some areas, they threaten livestock. In the Yellowstone ecosystem, elf make up nearly 90 percent of the wolves’ diet during the winter months.
Wolves are organized together in packs of 4-7 adults. They are highly intelligent and hunt as a group. Being excellent and diligent hunters, they may hunt all night. They can run long distances, and some hunt in territories up to 1,000 sq. miles (2,600 sq. kg).
V
Bruised and battered
Early morn brawl
Knockout punch felt
Still standing tall
Battleships crushed
Many lives lost
Never forget
Bearing each cost
Nation rallies
Unites as one
Called to duty
Work to be done
Together now
Fortitude speaks
Country won’t pause
Week follows week
Liberty shines
Courage rises
Grieving each loss
Flag arises
Thankful for peace
Remember all
Let’s never rest
Freedom’s stonewall
This poem references images from World War II, from Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the final surrender in 1945. America’s Memorial Day is approaching (final Monday in the month of May). May we always remember the sacrifices of our military personnel in every war fought in this nation’s history.
Challenges shall arise
Founding Fathers always knew
Banking on nation’s resilience
Diligence sees us through
Compromise offers path
Democracy’s open door
Common ground must be sown with faith
No longer keeping score
Nation’s tomorrow calls
Steering with imperfect hands
Leading always, “Of the People”
Across freedom’s great land
With each generation
Grateful nation never bends
Defending democracy’s quest
Freedom’s proud dividend
In his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln immortalized the continuing spirit and faith in the American experiment of democracy with these words, “. . . that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Those who stand for nothing fall for everything.
I would never expect a perfect work from an imperfect man.
Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was one of America’s Founding Fathers. He served in the Revolutionary War and was the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. He was an ardent supporter of the American Constitution.
Big Sky Buckeye 