A Giraffe Will Show Up Eventually

The giraffe

Many years ago, I would tell an old friend, complaining about setting in traffic, that if they just watched the trucks that would pass, eventually they would see a giraffe. We laughed and went on about the day.

Sure enough, one day, not so many years afterwards, a truck passed with two giraffe's being transported to, or from, a zoo's vet facilities. It had to happen! It just had to happen.  And so, from that point on, when there was doubt, I would remind myself to just keep looking for that giraffe to show up.

Yesterday, my younger brother, his wife and I, meet at lunch time before resuming our activities for Memorial Day. My brother would mention places were he had eaten and ask if I knew where that place was. "Sure, I've been there," I would reply. Long story short, it grew into a game. Both of us are practical jokers and pranksters anyway. Because we were bookend siblings, we never got much of a chance to pick on each other growing up. My middle brother got that from both sides. So it's just natural that my youngest brother and I should resume that part of our lives that we missed out on growing up.

My sister-in-law ask me if I had seen the baby giraffe at the zoo. Lord, that was an invitation to walk back down memory lane and recall names of cousins and tales of snake spottings and such all the while thinking in the back of my mind of the old giraffe story. After saying good bye and pulling into traffic, they were soon lost in sight as I made a turn onto a street that would eventually lead to White Rock for some Live News Feed shots of Memorial Day in Dallas. I had not traveled more than a mile from the restaurant when out of the corner of my eye, I spot---a giraffe--I kid you not!  I made a turn around at the next left lane turn and came back to where the giraffe was standing. Parking, then getting my camera bag out of the trunk, I got a couple of shots of the infamous---giraffe. As it turned out, it was not real, were in the real story, they were. Still, a giraffe is a giraffe is a giraffe, regardless if it is alive or a man-made material one.

Above, is the giraffe that I saw from the road. A couple more shots below are those that didn't make the live feed. It was a beautiful day of low humidity after a cold front passed and the winds were light and variable from the north at about 5MPH. A perfect, gentle and cooling breeze to be outside,

A young couple fishing

Times up on the rentals!

A Time To Remember

Veteran's Section in a local Cemetery

This time of year--especially, this time of year-- I think about my dad telling of his experiences during the war when I was growing up. My grandmother called Memorial Day, Decoration Day. It was the one time each year when families went to the cemetery, cut grass, pulled weeds, planted flowers and put decorations on the markers. Over the years, each Memorial Day I usually attend a memorial service at one of the large cemeteries. Sometimes I stay for the full service. Sometimes, I wander the cemetery reading marker epitaphs. Most of the markers carry the Private or PFC inscription.

Both my dad and his brother served in World War II. Dad was part of the liberation of Paris. I can still see the old crinkled cut images of him in Paris with his buddy. After leaving the cemetery my uncle always got on the old upright piano in my grandmother's living room and played, "Under The Double Eagle". He played it in the USO facilities where ever he could find one. People liked to hear it played in those days.

Dad has his place of honor at the National Cemetery in Little Rock. As I see all the volunteers placing the American flags one foot in front of the headstones, I know that dad would be proud.
The Greater Dallas Veteran's Council do an excellent job in remembering and paying tribute to American Heroes as does all the volunteers in all the National Cemeteries. It really hits you when you see 4x4x4 parts baskets and/or containers filled with those American flags.

More than 6,800 American flags representing lives lost in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

 

Thank You Veterans

Harley sits in a Military Jeep truck looking in the mirror

Dallas County Sheriff's Possi

Helicopter display from Viet Nam at the Memorial Day Dallas Exhibit

A father and son member of Keys Battery Unit

The 73rd Annual MEMORIAL DAY DALLAS Ceremony sponsored by the Greater Dallas Veterans Council started out on the cool and cloudy side of the weather but  did improve before the event concluded. Actually, it was a relief from the hot and humid conditions of past years.

The event is always interesting because of the guest,speakers and people attending. This year, a horse -drawn carriage complete with flag-draped casket was part of a parade from the Abbey to the Field of Honor. The Dallas Sheriff's Possi participated with their beautiful horses and leather saddles. A bag piper and a Revolutionary soldier in full dress uniform marched. The Keys Battery also participated with the very loud cannons that fired during the program. A release of red,white and blue balloons just before the beginning of the program  held a surprise as the winds changed and the balloons got caught in a tree, then were blown out and skyward in a rapid-moving low level jet. I never heard one balloon pop, however.

The display field was filled with helicopters from the Viet Nam era. There was a display of artifacts from Viet Nam,Korea,WWI,WWII and Desert Storm. One table was filled with re-enactment artifacts used during the Civil War. Here are a few of the unusuals.