Day is Done

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 (KJV)

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Andrea and I left early to beat the heat and ride at Little Manatee State Park today. Despite the temperature and the deer flies, it was a gorgeous day to be outside. We saw two deer and two snakes, one a yellow rat snake. A lot of wild flowers including our state flower, coreopsis or tickseed, bloomed and attracted more butterflies than I have ever seen in one place in the wild. Several varieties of swallowtails as well as Gulf Fritillairys danced together among the blooms of the Saw Palmettos. There were lots of birds including Cardinals, Jays and Downey Woodpeckers. We rode past a flock of at least three dozen black vultures huddled around the carcass of a wild pig. They flew away as we approached covering a tall pine tree like drapes of black crepe on a house in mourning. Considering today was Memorial Day, I thought it an appropriate reminder of the holiday’s meaning. Though there are many different stories on how Memorial Day began, the official proclamation was made on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and first observed on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery. After World War I, the entire United States began setting aside that date to honor those who gave their lives to keep our county free. In 1971, Memorial Day was changed to the last Monday of May in order to give Federal employees a three day weekend. Some say that is when the day began to lose its meaning and instead be used to celebrate the beginning of summer. As we rode in addition to enjoying the beautiful day, Andrea and I talked about a lot of different things. She described an upcoming meeting of a governmental agency where people will be encouraged to come and express their opinions and lobby for what they believe should be done. We talked about the upcoming hurricane season. While insurance companies have come close to forcing us out, no government has pushed us from our land either for our own good or to build a military base. We rode without fear that missiles might rain down from the sky or troops might steal our vehicle or horses. The freedom we enjoyed today was made possible by the blood shed by those who gave their lives to ensure that we would be free. Today at 3:00 PM was the National Moment of Remembrance where all Americans were asked to take a moment for silence or to listen to taps and give thanks for those brave American who stand between us and those who would seek to enslave us. When you think that the music signifies a fallen comrade, the words take on even more poignant meaning.


Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
‘Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
‘Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.

From the beginning of our country over two hundred years ago, there have always been men and women willing to take the stand for freedom. For that, I am extremely grateful. You might have been busy today at three, but it is never too late to say, “Thank you.”