Full Snow Moon

This full moon is Jan 2, but rises majestically 15 minutes before the sun sets on New Year’s night.


Leon J. Minvielle, Jr. age 100 passed from this life 12-21-17. He was a Warrior, entering WWII in ’41 right out of college as a First Lieutenant, serving 5 years in the 7th Armored Division with General Patton at the Battle of the Bulge and St. Vith. Leon loved to quote Patton as having said “with your blood and my guts we could win this damned war”. Sorry I did not know him better.

I did know my Dad Jim, he was in the 422 infantry and he was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944. It was the coldest winter in 50 years in Europe, Dad spent 5 months in Stalag 13 in central Germany until liberated by British General Montgomery. Dad froze nearly and was subjected to extreme hunger, came out 100# lighter. I’m so glad he made it! Glad I knew him.


Sorry, I think I misspelled Pontchartrain in the last post, as in the lake, ohhhhh, I’m so confused, this is a hard word y’all

 12-5-17 Poetic response from John in Mandeville and Margaret in da Berry to this Sunday past FMA. John described crossing town early to a job site when he found himself in an undeveloped area on a E-W road (read, they had not cut down all the trees) thus he was able to enjoy the setting moon through the interlaced canopy of survivor trees.

Margaret sent the following:

A rich poetic post. Borrowing some words from David Lee, I wrote this haiku:
Hawks moon moonglowing
nudged over topbranch rises
walking the nightwind. 

Artists are so much fun, especially those poets!

So David Lee, in looking for another of you poems to print, you are my favorite poet you know, I ran upon your little book of poem, Driving & Drinking. David that photo of you from 1979 is a hoot, I nearly didn't recognize you, personally, I barely remember 1979. I am enjoying the reread.

RD my contact at LDOT and a bud informed me that the Texas Rat Snake who starred in the last FMA's Wild Snake Adventure, did not die, but he, RD almost did after blindly reaching in that snake hole. Thankfully RD, the TRS and Mr. Al are all doing fine.

12-6-17  4.4" of rain fell last night making me quite glad I live in flat country so all that water spreads our and doesn't pile up.
12-8-17  Finally! this is the end of finals week! WoooooHooooo! And it snowed last night, yes SNOW -I woke up to white everywhere and by lunch time, green again, oh well. We do get quite worked up over any bit of snow down here on the Gulf Rim, we seldom see it. P is finally feeling better after several bouts with upper respiratory grunge, both of us are better.

Margaret has this third grade poet she is teaching, Lynzee. Lynzee is inspired by snow.

So cold
No sign of letting up
Only white
White as can be
Falling down
Lonely snow
A white Christmas
Knowing that
Even then
Snowflakes will stay.

And we
Rush to
Eat breakfast

And play in the snow
Music floating in our minds
And snowballs
Zip by
Ice castles
Nothing can stop the joy of a
Glorious snow day

--Lynzee, 3rd grade

12-9-17  Sunshine like there is no tomorrow! So soggy, so beautiful, so Louisiana winter.

Freedom

wildflowers
have always spoken to me.
They told me it is better to dance
one day in the sun
than to bow your head
a thousand mornings
in the rain.

Glenis Redmond, Backbone

12-10-17  Two fine days in a row, get out my way I feel like dancing! Gratitude...
12-11-17  Oh shoots, grade submission deadline at noon!
whew, I made it, WoooooHoooooo!  

Funny thing happened that i just must share with you my buds. At semester's end in my ENVS 360 class, Native and Other Interesting Plants, a course of study on IDing plants. It seems that one of the final grade requirements was to submit a specified number of properly identified, collected, preserved, mounted and labeled plant specimens. One of my students, who shall remain unnamed, submitted an excellent specimen labeled Virginia Creeper. It was, in fact, Poison Ivy. I immediately sent out an all call to all of my class tellling them what happened, not saying who this person was but I stated that my Doctor told me the rash and itching should be gone by Christmas. The "Perp" came to my office early the next day, red faced, begging forgiveness. The fun part was telling them that I did not develop contact dermatitis!
12-14-17  Today, I gave myself a treat. I traveled to Avery Island to visit with Garrie Landry at his new headquarters on AI. They house him in the Archives Building. I think that is where they put all the old guys. 
My visit was a brisk and grand tour (a back gate tour) of the horticultural history of this fabled place. I met many plants strange and unknown to me, plants from all over the world, many planted 100 years ago. Included was the Giant Timber Bamboo Grove, very spiritual. I will have to treat myself again soon, but not too soon since I wish not to be a pest.
12-15-17 Graduation day, I did two today. The first at 8am was my eldest grandchild's graduation from college! Victoria is a writer and an English major. Looks like graduate school may be in her future. We are so proud!
The second was my department graduation, The School of Geosciences, pretty cool too.
12-20-17  Barest fingernail moon lights the darkening blue sky as the brilliant sunset fades.

How about another short poem from Glenis Redond's poetry book, BACKBONE

Blood Type B+

Even the blood
running through
   my veins
 is whispering

   be positive.    

12-21-17  Happy Winter Solstice y'all, day's length is 10 hours and 15 minutes, is that cool or what? Now we race off towards Summer Solstice, days getting warmer and longer and nights getting warmer and shorter.

I started a new "non-diet" today, a new way of eating. P said wide eyed, "what are you doing starting a new diet 4 days before Christmas?" that is what we call a wife question in the world of marrieds, no good answer exists. progress reports as they are available.
12-25-17  Merry Christmas y'all! I do hope yours is as good as mine was, peace on Earth.
12-29-17  As I drove to Rosedale to gather in grandchildren for a sleepover I noted an number of dead River Otter road killed along the way. If I remember right it was Bird Man Bill who told me that this is breeding season when the male Otter leave the safety of the waterways to roam looking for a mate. In my youth I would have stopped and examined the bodies, perhaps even collecting a part or the entire animal for some obscure reason. Alas I am poorly equipped for such these days and much better supervised. I am inclined to pull the beauties off the road side to a more suitable resting place though.
Today is absolutely beautiful, by 4pm the cloud bank to the W and N become obvious, i just hope the stars come out about again about moon rise Monday night.    

Monday night P and I will be raising a glass of 3/$20 tart red to you our friends, be sure of that. 

peace love possum hugs
BT