We haven't been traveling as much since the Pandemic, but we are still here and traveling when we can!
Here we are on Oceanside Beach last November:
A Race For Survival: Mystery Illness Strikes Across Critically Endangered Sawfish
Folks in Florida: "If you encounter a healthy, sick, injured, or dead sawfish, report it to FWCās Sawfish Hotline at 844-472-9347 or email sawfish@myfwc.com"
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| Photo by Chris Lauer/Getty Images |
We discovered this article on the Reader's Digest site: Why You Should Never Touch Coins Left on a Gravestone - as admirers of cemeteries it's important to know the customs and traditions of such. With Memorial Day in the US coming up next month many folks might find themselves visiting a cemetery, including the gravesites of military service veterans. You might see coins left on the headstone. The coins have special meaning:
Penny: someone, random or otherwise, is grateful for the deceased's service.
Nickel: the visitor went to boot camp or another form of training with the deceased.
Dime: the visitor directly served with the deceased as a comrade at arms.
Quarter: the visitor was present when the deceased passed away in service and witnessed the ultimate sacrifice. Some will leave the state-specific quarters to represent the state the deceased was from.
You might also see (or give) Challenge Coins specific to the deceased.
The tradition dates back to the days of the Roman Empire - who inherited the practice from the Ancient Greeks - where a common practice was to provide a coin for Charon, the ferryman who transported souls across the River Styx. This practice spread across Europe and then to Canada and the USA, particularly during the Vietnam War.
At certain points during the year the cemetery caretakers collect the coins (usually not the Challenge Coins, though) and use the funds toward cemetery maintenance or burial costs for military service veterans who could not afford burial.
You don't have to wait for Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) to remember deceased military service veterans - keeping them in our thoughts all year 'round is entirely appropriate. Other military-focused events include:
Pay attention to signage at particular cemeteries - Arlington National Cemetery, for instance, has requested that coins not be left on the gravesites, as the coins fell/were blown into the grass and injured the groundskeepers during grass cutting. Also, placing a coin should be a respectful and quiet act between you and the deceased - it still happened even if you don't document it on social media š
Our main site, bobandray.net, is experiencing an outage. We hope it gets resolved soon! We will post an update here when we have more news.
Michigan teacher wows community with shark sculptures made of snow
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Jennifer Ramirez of Michigan with her snow sharks! |
We subscribe to a newsletter called 1440. Here's from their Humankindness section:
Today, we're sharing a story from reader Bob P. in Georgetown, Texas.
"While shopping at Dollar Tree recently I overheard another customer's conversation with a cashier. Every year he saves up his loose tip change as a server at Cotton Patch Cafe. As Christmas nears he collects it all in then goes to Dollar Tree and buys as many small stuffed toys as his savings will allow. This year he bought about $300 worth of stuffed toys. The restaurant he works at donates an empty refrigerated cooler to keep the toys in at the restaurant. As families come in and eat at his assigned tables he surprises the children with a 'cold' stuffed toy and tells them it came directly from the North Pole and Santa Claus. The joyful faces and excited reaction of the kids and even the parents are priceless."
We love this! https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/11/great-white-sharks-now-tourist-attraction-at-torrey-pines-beach-san-diego
Please do remember, as the article notes, "White sharks are protected and targeting them while fishing is illegal".
Here's a photo of a white shark and a stingray at Oceanside Beach in June of this year (2022)! š
Support the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy with an awesome holiday sweatshirt, long-sleeved shirt, or regular t-shirt! Go to https://www.bonfire.com/awsc-holiday-gear-2022/ and order yours! Ours is on the way and we are very excited!
Traveling continues to be a pain in the tail fin (TSA...what a joy...we miss the 90s...) but it's fun to hang out in cool airports like Denver's!
We're sad that Denver lost (bad officiating didn't help %-/) but it was a great fun to be there!
