Wednesday

                           Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“Grace flows like a river through our lives reminding us that there is magic and power beyond what our eyes can see.”

                                              Anonymous

Here is one of the most treasured poems in history
It is "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost

                                  Whose woods these are I think I know,

His house is in the village

He will will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Here is an example of “messin' with Mother Nature” whether intended or by accident and the turmoil that results. I was told this tale and researched it. It is happening as incredible as it sounds.

As a result of the Spanish-America War, in 1898 Spain ceded the northwestern Pacific island of Guam to the United States. The Japanese successfully invaded Guam during WWII but were kicked out by the US Army and Marines 30 months later. After the rape of Guam by the Japanese the US began bringing life's necessities back to Guam via ship from a variety of ports. Somehow reptiles known as a Brown Tree snakes were inadvertently brought to Guam aboard these vessels. This reptile has no natural predator on Guam and as you might suspect they flourished. Their technique is to hang around in tree branches and prey on birds, birds eggs and small lizards. The result was several species of birds disappeared and spiders increased exponentially because they are the prime targets of certain small lizards. The obvious solution is the destruction of an estimated one million Brown Tree snakes. Because of the US military (USAF and USMC) on Guam generating a lot of traffic to and from Hawaii environmentalists are desperate to prevent these snake from finding their way there. There is almost daily aircraft drops of poisonous baits aimed at these critters. It was found that acetaminophen (Tylenol) was poisonous to only the snakes. There is a plan to anesthetize thousands of mice, insert a small amount of Tylenol into their little bodies, fit them with a small parachute and throw them out of airplanes hoping the parachute will catch on tree limbs making them bait for the snakes. I ain't kidding y'all. I don't know what the results are or will be.

               This Date in History  March 8

1862 After several months of rebuilding and refurbishing the Confederate Navy had completed its first ironclad vessel. It had originally been named the Merrimack but on this day it was christened the CSS Virginia. The CSA navy had a hell of a time finding enough iron to clad this ship sufficiently but the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond proved to be equal to the task. On this day the CSS Virginia sallied forth into the waters of Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was an odd looking ship. It was basically rectangular with sheets of iron plate sheathing the sides sloping inward at the top. It had cannon ports out the side. The first vessel the Virginia engaged was the USS Congress. The USS Congress and nearly every other US vessel nearby showered the Virginia with everything they had to no effect. Finally the Virginia got into position and unleashed a broadside into the wooden USS Congress and succeeded in detonating the powder magazine and the USS Congress went up in a volcano of splinters. Then the Virginia attacked the USS Minnesota. The Minnesota fired everything it had to no effect and then decided to run for it. Even though the Virginia was not the fastest ship afloat, it was able to cut off the Minnesota and run it aground. After this, the Captain of the Virginia decided that he had a pretty successful day and went to the house. Very soon thereafter a United States vessel named the USS Monitor showed up in Hampton Roads. It is an ironclad also except the design was totally different. The freeboard (distance above water line) was very shallow, maybe four feet or so. But mounted in the middle was a round turret that could be rotated with two Dahlgren cannon apparent. The Monitor and the Virginia did battle only once that ended in a draw. But this engagement was the death knell for wooden ships worldwide.

1669 On this date Mount Etna, a volcano in northeast Sicily erupted after several days of warnings like lava flows, ash blowing out the top, etc. But today was the real thing. Etna exploded and threw white hot ash and poisonous gasses into the atmosphere. The Sicilians that lived near the volcano refused to leave hoping to save their towns and villages. I don’t know what they thought they could do but over 25,000 people perished on the flanks of this volcano. This definitely was not the first nor would it be the last eruption of this famous, if not infamous, volcano.

Born today:

1799 US Senator Simon Cameron from Pennsylvania. He said “An honest politician is one that when he is bought, he will stay bought.” I don’t know any.

Died today:

1874 President Millard Fillmore. He said “An honorable defeat is better that a dishonorable victory.” Hey Millard, if George Patton ever heard the President of the United States say that he would move to Costa Rica. He said there is no honor to be had in a defeat and had nothing but distain for a person that lost and laughed.

1959 US baseball player and husband to Marilyn Monroe Joe DiMaggio. He said “People say I am graceful when batting. My father drove railroad spikes in Martinez, California for 10 cents and hour to support his family. That was grace.” Indeed it was, Joe, indeed it was.

2005 Welsh writer Alice Ellis. She said “There is no reciprocity, men love women, women love children and children love hamsters.”

         Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow