Memorial Day

We had a beautiful Memorial Day, starting with a symphony concert on the lawn of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Above is one of the main buildings, with flags from many nations. The symphony set up to entertain...People assembled on steps, lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music, have a picnic, buy a hot dog or ice cream bar, and pay their respects to our Vets. It is always moving when they play the Armed Forces medley and the Vets stand up when they hear their branch's song. The audience applauds in admiration and appreciation for what they have done for our country.

At one time the NPGS was the Hotel Del Monte, complete with swimming pavilion, a lake, a golf course, tennis courts, even a race track!
The sign below states that "in it's prime, Hotel Del Monte was a 20,000 acre resort that offered athletic and scenic diversions for American presidents, world leaders, famous artists and writers, film stars and other notables." Entering the lobby...
The Lone Cypress, beloved symbol of Pebble Beach...

I love the columns, balconies and Spanish architecture.This interesting painting depicts some of the history of the Monterey Bay:

Walking up to the Ball Room...The Rose Garden is lovely...


Coming upon a peacock was a surprise.
After a few squawks, he showed off his feathers...

Although not as colorful, nature's design is as intricate in the back as the front. He was really showing off at this point -- walking in circles for all to admire from every angle!
After the concert we went to the cemetery where my late husband is buried. Peace washes over me here. There is something about the big trees, the ocean views, the historical grave sites, the uniqueness of the cemetery itself that makes me feel a bond to the earth and those who have passed on here.
The lane through the Veteran's side of the cemetery was lined with majestic flags.

This is our drive home along the Pacific Ocean.
As evening fell, the clouds quickly moved in. The picture above and the one below were taken within ten minutes of each other.

Memorial Day

I have always had a hard time understanding the concept of war. Those with the biggest armies, smartest maneuvers, best artillery, and the most left standing supposedly win.... Seems an archaic, almost bullying, way of settling things, and what about those who lose their lives? How many lives does it take to win a war? I guess the reality is that summits and meetings between leaders don't always work. Knowing that war is inevitable, I do bow my head and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country and its' ideals.

My Uncle Bill lost his life in WWII. He died before I was born, but my dad talks about his brother Bill, quieting his voice when his name is mentioned. My dad also served in WWII. It is hard to imagine him jumping out of an airplane as a paratrooper, or being stuck in the trenches of Guam. He came home with shrapnel in his body and a Purple Heart. He is writing his memoirs and after all these years, he is writing more stories about that period of his life than he ever shared verbally. We've been proud of Dad for serving his country, and time makes the WWII vets' service even more humbling.

My brother's number wasn't pulled during the draft to Vietnam in 1969/1970, but I remember one of his buddies was drafted. My brother asked me to bake him a farewell cake and he helped me put green food coloring into the frosting because he wanted it to be camouflage colored. It was all a big joke to his buddies who came over that night, listening to Led Zeppelin and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but it was a gallows laugh, and there was tension around the table. (His buddy made it back, safe and sound.)

It's sobering to think of the tremendous bravery these men and women face. I'll never understand war, but I have a heartfelt appreciation of what it must be like to lay your life on the line for your ideals. And when you think of that, you realize that Memorial Day is one of the most underrated holidays we have.