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Sunday Salutations and Memorial Day Buddy Poppies

Cartoon smiling dark fluffy dog among red poppies under a blue sky

Inspired by Memorial Day remembrances, we give you a pleasant weekend of roses and random local birds. (This week had some unique birds for our neighborhood.)

Buddy Poppies for Memorial Day

Today a World War II veteran gave me a Buddy Poppy (trademarked by VFW) and inspired this post.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars organization first handed out poppies in remembrance of their buddies that didn’t make it home. Other veterans groups followed suit in adopting the poppy for this purpose. It is a sad but potent reminder of what memorial day is about, remembering the fallen.

https://www.vfw.org/community/community-initiatives/buddy-poppy

Red Buddy Poppy with a tag reading Wear It Proudly

Roses and Remembrances

Our new roses are very vibrant this week, growing and some of the bright red reminds me of the little poppy that Tod picked up with morning. It also reminds me of military members I have known, from our nephew to our role-playing game friend. I am thankful for all the ones I have personally known, even those like my grandfather that have passed and were not taken from me via war or their duty. Still, it is nice to walk in the garden and our peace and serenity here and be grateful that I can have a valley of roses.

Our new roses are from Antique Rose Emporium. They came in wonderfully healthy and are growing very well in our Texas heat. (We recommend them but they only ship during a specific season.) https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/

Our newest Antique Rose Emporium, roses are below. They have been delightful to watch grow and bloom. They already look like bushes instead of sticks and are producing beautiful blooms from cream to brilliant reds.

Wings of Freedom – Our New Bird Friends

This week feels like summer and we have been seeing new and different birds. Oddly the smallest one was the loudest, but it isn’t that always the way?

This week we had a new little red-headed woodpecker was on the old power pole in the backyard. Tod has named him “Texas Pete” and already has a story in mind for our rather loud neighbor, possibly in future episodes of Chaos Critter Tails.

Texas Pete, a red-headed woodpecker, clinging to an old wooden power pole

Yet his knocking was not only new feathered friends we found this week. Tod got some photos of these odd birds on the median eating bugs or worms from the ground this morning. Does anyone know what they are? I know nothing about birds, but I am always happy to see bugs getting eaten up.

White wading birds with curved bills foraging on a grassy median

Chaos Critters Tip and Question of the Week

Chaos Tip of the Week

Today, my tip is a little different. Go and find the place you find the most peace, feel the most free, and shut your eyes and thank the world for the blessings that make such quiet moments possible. Thank both the mortals and the supernatural/mystical that have blessed you.

Chaos Question of the Week

What advice do you think your rose would whisper to you at midnight? Do you think it would praise the sun, long for the cool of rain, or provide mystic singing praises about freedom, bravery, or the mysteries of the universe?