My poppies are almost gone, but the few remaining blooms are still putting on a lovely and delicate show.
Out of curiosity, can anyone tell me why marigolds so often wither up and die about this time of the year?
Am I watering them too much?
It's a mystery which I'd like to solve cuz when marigolds are healthy and happy, they are beautiful.
I just have too many that give up the ship far too soon.
Maybe the same folks who know why marigolds wither up can tell me why petunias grow tall and skinny. Why can't they stay bushy and beautiful?
Enquiring minds want to know, just like one more time last night I saw ducks in a row on a fancy jeep's dashboard. Hardly having the funds to purchase a jeep, I wasn't familiar with the tradition that started about ten years ago, so I looked for the answer.
It's a neat tradition if you can afford a fancy jeep.
Which came first?
The ducks?
Or, the jeep?
From Jeepsland by Richard Harper
The tradition of placing rubber ducks on the dashboard of a Jeep, often referred to as the Jeep ducking trend, is a heartwarming gesture of camaraderie and recognition within the Jeep owner community.
The Heartwarming Tradition: Unpacking the Jeep Dashboard Ducks
Have you ever spotted a small, colorful
rubber duck perched on the dashboard of a Jeep and wondered why it’s
there? This charming practice, known as “Jeep ducking,” is a unique and
widely embraced tradition among Jeep enthusiasts.
It’s a simple yet
profound way for Jeep owners to connect, share a smile, and acknowledge a
shared passion for adventure and the iconic Jeep brand.
When you see
those little ducks, it’s a silent greeting, a nod of recognition from
one Jeep lover to another, signifying membership in a special club.
The Origin of Jeep Ducks: A Tale of Kindness
The origin of Jeep ducks
isn’t rooted in a single, definitive moment but rather evolved
organically, gaining traction through acts of kindness and a desire to
spread joy.
While the precise first instance is hard to pinpoint, the
most widely accepted narrative points to a Jeep owner named Allison
Parliament in Canada around 2017.
Allison, while driving her Jeep, noticed
another Jeep owner whose vehicle had broken down.
She felt a pang of
sympathy and, wanting to offer a small gesture of encouragement, left a
rubber duck on their windshield with a note saying, “Your Jeep looks
lonely. Here’s a duck to keep it company!”
This simple act resonated.
The recipient, touched by the kindness, shared their story online, and
the idea began to spread like wildfire.
Another popular story credits a Jeep owner
in Colorado named Lori of “All Things Jeep” who was inspired by a
friend who gifted her a duck.
She started ducking other Jeeps as a way
to spread happiness and build community. Regardless of the exact
genesis, the core of the meaning of Jeep ducks is about spreading positivity and fostering connection.
What is Jeep Ducking? More Than Just a Toy
Jeep ducking is the act
of leaving a small rubber duck on another Jeep owner’s vehicle when they
aren’t present.
The duck is typically accompanied by a small note,
often stating “You’ve been ducked!” or something similar, encouraging
the recipient to pay it forward.
The Essence of the Gesture:
Spreading Joy: It’s a simple way to brighten someone’s day.
Building Community: It creates a tangible connection between Jeep owners.
Recognition: It signals that you are part of the larger Jeep family.
Encouragement: It’s a little pick-me-up, especially for those who might be new to the Jeep lifestyle or have had a rough day.
In past summers when the horses went to the hay field for the day, they often raced all over the place with heads and tails in the air right after going through the gate.
This year they've seemed rather no nonsense in the mornings because the first bite of grass seems more important than putting on a show.
Nevertheless, I still get to see them strut their stuff.
In late afternoons while walking down the lane to bring them back up to the barnyard, I yell out, "Who wants in?"
Within seconds, I can hear the thundering hooves as they stop grazing and put on the speed to race to the gate.
I'm thinking it's their older age and that nowadays they're just as happy to come back to the barn as they are to go eat in the morning.
I learned the following from Bill, the forester, last night while snapping photos of Mountain Ash berries in a parking lot:
Mountain ash, also known as Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), is a
native Irish tree valued for its striking red berries, delicate flowers,
and cultural significance.
Later, I learned the following from an Internet article:
In Irish folklore, the Rowan has long been associated with protection and magic.
It was believed to safeguard homes, farms, and livestock from
misfortune.
Small crosses made from Rowan twigs were sometimes placed
above doors or in barns, and solitary trees in fields may be remnants of
these traditions www.cloudforests.ie.
The tree has also inspired poets and writers, celebrated for its vivid red berries and graceful form www.cloudforests.ie.
🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳
We had a young mountain ash in our front yard when we moved here 20 years ago, but a wind storm destroyed it.
We do have another in one of the flower beds, but I'm thinking we'd better plant another closer to the house.
Maybe when the poplars south of the house go, some mountain ash trees can replace them so we can enjoy another wonderful Irish tradition.
Nice to still have some roses ready to burst open with some beautiful blooms.
It will also be nice when the smoke goes away, but it does create a stunningly beautiful sun.
When he opened a cabinet door in the garage yesterday afternoon, a mouse ran across a shelf.
In another location, an hour or so earlier, I watched a mouse zip through the loose hay in the barn.
Five minutes after Bill's sighting, he was rounding up traps and grabbing a peanut butter jar.
We've had some pretty cold nights this past week, so we're guessing the mice have decided it's time to find their winter homes.
Bill and I decide every year with the first mouse sighting that we don't want our home to be their winter home, so the traps come out.
One had a dead mouse in it this morning, so this is a heads up that they're serious about settling in.
We do our best to nip 'em in the bud as quickly as possible.
In other news, I want to give a shout-out to the nice staff member at AT and T store yesterday.
For the past several weeks my charger cord has been falling out of my phone with ease and frequency. After dealing with it for far too long and knowing that when I travel, I want the phone working, I started asking questions about new phones.
In the conversation, I mentioned the cord problem.
"Let me see your phone," he said.
After I handed it over to him, he pulled out a little tool and directed it into the cord receptacle.
"Sometimes they get dirty and collect dust," he explained while tinkering away with the tool. When he turned the phone over, stuff started coming out of the receptacle and dropping to the counter.
Twas not enough residue to plant a garden, but it came close. I realized that all those times I have my phone while mowing lawn in dusty spots may not have been good for the phone.
After emptying the residue a couple of times, the clerk plugged the phone into a cord and then held it up with the cord.
Rather than having to buy a new phone, I walked out with a clean phone.
After some expensive days of late, I was beyond thrilled to know that it would be a while before I need to purchase a new phone.
Whenever people are happy to provide real service rather than looking for the next buck, the gesture stands out in customers' minds these days.
So, thanks to the helpful AT and T clerk who made my day and saved my pocketbook.
On another topic, my sister Laurie is in her second day of driving with brother Kevin to Brandon, Manitoba. She's pulling a horse trailer with their mare Siri inside.
Laurie and Siri will be competing in Western dressage Saturday at the 2026 Canadian National Arabian show.
So, we've wished her safe travels and good luck in the competition.
Also, here at the Lovestead, Steve, the farrier, gave the horses their pedicures yesterday.
Finally, Bill and I enjoyed a tasty dinner where most items came straight from the garden. And, the good news: there's lots more to come in the tomato, carrot, cucumber and potato departments.
Each year I get better acquainted with our resident crows and their habits.
Usually, they're taking up the same spots on the board fences, and I've often seen one come to the horse tank for a drink of water.
Last night, this one was hanging out on the shelter roof in the first pasture. It was a spot where I don't often seen the crows, so it was worth a photo or two.
Thursday Throwbacks: Images from the past featuring moments, places, people, events. Enjoy the photos and the music.
I'm wondering if the time will come when this form of writing will become obsolete.
Since cursive is seldom taught these days, we have already reached a point where greeting cards sent to youngsters have to be read aloud to the recipient by someone who knows cursive.
I can remember very clearly how much time in our school days was devoted to instilling the proper way to write cursive when we attended Lincoln School.
Nowadays, I don't do it very often because my fingers have become so accustomed to a keyboard.
Although I never excelled in penmanship, it involved a major portion of how we communicated.
It will be interesting to see if cursive ever gets revived so as not to avoid a communications gap.
The nun below played a significant role in the lives of many of us who attended "Sister School" at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in the 1950s.
Sister School lasted for two weeks each summer. Nuns from Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Coeur d'Alene would come up to Sandpoint and do their best to instill the Catholic foundation in us youngsters from Sandpoint and Clark Fork.
I think they did a good job for the times in spite of the fact that since those days and with changing times, some of us aren't the best of Catholics.
We kids at St. Joseph's loved Sr. Ricardus, and most of us have never forgotten her.
She stood out among the visiting IHM nuns with her dynamic, warm and caring personality.
Years later, after writing my first book Pocket Girdles, where the first story mentions Sr. Ricardus, I tracked her down and had a nice telephone conversation with her. She gave me her address and I sent her a copy of the book, which she appreciated very much.
When I ran across this photo in one of my blog posts last night, I decided to see if there was any information on line about her. Sure enough, there was, and you can read it below.
Two weeks each summer that she came to teach us St. Joseph's Catholic children left a lasting impression. So, it was nice to find out more about her life.
So, for my St. Joseph's Catholic Church contemporaries, this one's for you.
Sr. Ricardus M. Tuskey, IHM
Sister M. Ricardus Tuskey, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at Our Lady
of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.
She was born on June 13, 1928 in Susquehanna, PA; and given the name
Ann Marie. She was the daughter of the late Robert Joseph and Matilda
Rubus Tuskey. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1945 and
made her temporary profession of vows on May 8, 1948 and her final
profession of vows on August 2, 1951.
Sister Ricardus served as a teacher for nearly fifty years.
She
served at the following schools: St. John Elementary School in Scranton,
from 1948 to 1950; Holy Angels Elementary School in Hays, from 1950 to
1951; Academy of IHM in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, from 1951 to 1961; St.
Peter of Alcantara in Port Washington, NY, from 1961 to 1966; St.
Ambrose Elementary School in Bridgeport, CT, from 1966 to 1974; St.
Stephen Elementary School in New York, NY, from 1974 to 1982; and St.
John the Evangelist School in Binghamton, NY, from 1982 to 1987 and 1989
to 2002.
From 2002 until the time of her death, Sister Ricardus served as a
prayer minister at the Marian Convent and Our Lady of Peace Residence in
Scranton.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education, and a Master
of Science degree in reading education, both from Marywood College.
She is preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Bernard and Richard Gerard.
She is survived by a brother, Leonard J. of Richmond, VA; nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Wednesday, September 9, at 11:00 a.m. with Mass
of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 2300 Adams Avenue in
Scranton.
Interment will be at St. Catherine Cemetery, Moscow, Pa.
Friends may call at Our Lady of Peace Residence on Tuesday, September 8,
between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:30
p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired IHM Sisters
c/o the IHM Sisters Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue,
Scranton, PA 18509.
Sister Ricardus was from Susquehanna, PA, the only girl of four children in her family.
I met Sister when I helped her to move to our new residence. Little
did I realize then that we would become close friends.
She loved
reading, playing bingo, and writing to family and friends. When Sister
Ricardus’ eyesight began to fail she would dictate messages in cards for
special occasions and as replies.
Through correspondence, she rejoiced
in all the happy occasions that she was unable to attend.
She was very intelligent and had a wonderful memory, taking special
joy in keeping up on congregation news and sharing in the success
stories of her former students.
Sister Ricardus faithfully prayed for
everyone and their special intentions.
She appreciated the thoughtful things done for her—all the extra
care, because there was something special about her.
She never
complained about dialysis or the losses she experienced—vision, reading,
and walking. She was always looking at the things she could do. Her
inner spirit danced.
I know the most important life lesson that Sister Ricardus taught me
was not always in words, but in how she lived her life.
I saw her
struggle silently through health problems as she reached beyond them to
embrace everyone she knew. I will always be grateful that I had the
privilege of knowing and spending time with her.
Thank you Sister Ricardus for sharing your journey with us. Though you are missed you live on in our hearts.
by Johnice Grand, IHM
"Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. They live with greater peace than people do."
