This feels a little silly. All I really need to to do is insert a link to last Tuesday's post. But I have discovered that some of you are still not that savvy when it comes to links, in spite of my best efforts to salt and pepper my posts with appropriate links that connect you to audible and visual resources related to the subject matter of the day. That's my justification for repeating my special Valentine's Day offer.
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(It's been a while since I last quoted Shakespeare.) Today has almost slipped right past me. I've been über-busy at the Bandon Beach all day. That means today's post is being published so late that it's going to become a preview of tomorrow, February 9. Thomas Paine was born in England on February 9, 1737. Yet he had a profound influence on America's fight for independence from its mother country. Paine was a passionate activist, inventor, and author, whose pamphlets such as Common Sense and The Crisis inspired American revolutionaries. "We fight not to enslave," he wrote, "but to set a country free, and to make room upon the earth for honest men to live in." Consider reading more of Thomas Paine's writings tomorrow while you celebrate Read in the Bathtub Day. Just don't take your electronic devices into the tub with you. Later, call the your favorite pizzeria and place an order in honor of National Pizza Day. Set aside a nice tip for the hard-working delivery person. And save a little crust for me... * From Macbeth, by William Shakespeare (Act 5, Scene 5): Valentine's Day is almost here. If you're like me, you probably wait until the last minute to find something special for your sweetheart. This year, I'm here to help you save time and money, and come out looking good on Valentine's Day, too. In fact, what I have to offer is absolutely free! For a limited time, you can show your valentine how much you care with a one-of-a-kind gift... (See order form below) Offer ends Tuesday, February 14, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Void where prohibited. Some exclusions may apply. Offer may be extended by Geo on a whim. Consult your physician if you have previously experienced allergic reactions or severe side-effects when responding to free online offers or coming in contact with seagull feathers. * Ah, you've found the asterisk again. The title of today's post comes from the lyrics of "Heart," a popular song in the 1955 musical Damn Yankees, which was based on the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. P.S. On the birthday of our 40th president, consider his words: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." The accent is on the last syllable. ![]() It sounds a bit like the name of an Ayatollah. ![]() In the Old Country, Hogmanay is what they call the day before New Year's Day. In my case, the Old Country would be Scotland, the land of many of my ancestors. Who knows how they came up with that word—Hogmanay. They still don't know how to speak English, now, do they? Last summer, I had to fly over there to help out some of my brother and sister gulls. The Scots have turned into rabid anti-gull fanatics, attacking with drones and rooftop spikes. You'll be reading more here about that ugliness in the near future.
Ah, but wait.
Today is Hogmanay, and in the spirit of the spirits being consumed in mass quantity tonight, I'm calling a brief truce in this one-seagull war on all things Scottish. The Scots do deserve credit for coming up with the song that kept Guy Lombardo's orchestra busy every New Year's Eve. It was probably the high point in Scottish history, back in 1788, when Robert Burns pieced together some poetry that had made the rounds of Scottish pubs for at least a couple of centuries. He added a couple of verses of his own, paired them up with a traditional ballad, and gave us a way to say goodbye to the old year, with a toast to our dearest friends and loved ones—"Auld Lang Syne." Here's an instrumental version by American primitive guitarist John Fahey, so you can read the lyrics and have your own little karaoke fun singing along. It's an appropriately slow-tempo arrangement, so take your time. You can squeeze a toast or two in between the words. Happy New Year! Meet me here tomorrow!
I hope that is true for you. I hope all your troubles will stay the heck away. I like Christmas as much as any other gull. It just takes some time for me to really warm up to it. It goes without saying that I will eagerly anticipate Christmas morning, when I get to peck open the paper bags that goodhearted humans have left for me in the barrel by the restrooms. I know I'm going to find some goodies inside.
I don't know about you, but Christmas just sorta sneaked up on me. Usually, when something sneaks up on me, I take a peek over my mantle feathers to size up the threat, and I waddle in the other direction. If the stalker doesn't stop following me, I just take a couple of big hops and I'm airborne. That is, unless whoever is following me is offering something edible. Then it's a whole other story. The stalker suddenly becomes my new best friend. Back to Christmas. It's almost here, and I have neglected to spread any seasonal joy in this blog. So here's a tip: If you are able to visit us on the Oregon coast between now and New Year's Eve, be sure to take in the fabulous light display in the gardens at Shore Acres State Park, south of Coos Bay. This holiday tradition began on a small scale 30 years ago, and it grows bigger every year.
Unfortunately, I have never seen the Shore Acres Holiday Lights after dark, because I am not certified for night flying. But I have enjoyed the beautiful gardens before sundown, as well as the amazing Cape Arago coastline nearby, where it's also peak season for whale watching.
Check out the Shore Acres website for details. |
Meet the AuthorHi. I'm Geo the Seagull.
I'm the distinguished Park Host on South Jetty Beach at Bandon, Oregon, USA. I'm a firm believer in First Principles: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Your Lunch. Archives
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