Hello and welcome back to the patriotic world of the Dogpound. In a few days we will be celebrating our Independence Day, or as we know it, the Fourth of July. On this date the Second Continental Congress approved our Declaration of Iindependence. The colonies had been pretty much left alone to grow and develop as they saw fit, but England finally decided that they should start paying for the common defense and contribute revenue back to the homeland. Since the colonies were not represented in Parliament, they did not think this was fair, and the phrase,”No taxation without representation” came about. Despite efforts to persuade the King, .the British responded with troops, and things escalated into the Revolutionary War. And of course you know from history that the direction of our fledgling country was forever changed. Speaking of changing direction, I have mentioned a number of times that I have turtles in my little pond that come back every year, and I have had as many as eight show up for the family reunion. Of course, with any family reunion, there is a time to leave the party, and I will on occasion see one in my yard or in the neighboring field working its way back to the lake. Now, you can see the lake from my porch, but at their ground-level view, they are forced to stick their heads way up in the air and try to get a scent of the nearby water. So, this one fellow was in the field next to my house headed due west, straight for the lake. A bit later, I checked on him and he had made a sharp left-hand turn heading due south, crossing over the gravel road. Now, he can still get to the lake that way, but it is a lot longer route and over more difficult landscape. Again, a bit later, I find that he has made a complete U-turn and was now back in the same position he was about an hour ago, in the neighboring field. He seemed confused. He headed west a bit, and then he turned around and headed back toward my house, away from the lake. Finally, he disappeared into some brush around the nearby utility pole. I lost track of him after that but I am sure I could hear his GPS going: “recalculating,” “recalculating.” Poor guy. We have all been there.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
AGAIN!
A church in a rural area was having a meeting to discuss ways to raise funds to fix the leaking roof. One of the wealthiest and stingiest of the members rose and said he would give $500, then sat down. Suddenly a large chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling and hit him on the head. He jumped, looked around in a dazed fashion, and said, “Did I say $500? I meant $5,000.” Then from the back a voice said, “Hit him again Lord!”
That is all I have for today. As always, be good, do good, play safe, and remember why we celebrate the Fourth of July.
JR
