Veteran's Day

I'm not going to do a full blog post today. Instead, I'd like to offer my thanks to our soldiers, veterans, and their families for all they do and have done.

For a great post on some of our heroes, please visit Writing From the Peak for Jennifer Lovett Herbranson's post, What Writers Can Learn From Warriors.

I'm Back!

Hi! ~waves~

I had a great visit this past week, getting to see some family members I hadn't seen in over a decade. It was a short visit, but we got to show them some of the local sights, and we had time to chat and touch on memories.

Now it's time for me to get back to "work," because I missed you all!

Spring decided to finish early 'round these parts, and we skipped the lovely mild 70's, going directly into the upper 80's. The sounds of whiny kids and cranky parents are already floating on the breeze (joined by our own personal chorus, of course). The media is feeding off the quiet panic of those who weathered the Waldo Canyon Fire last year, reporting on all the weather emergencies we had in the month of June (several feet of hail that had to be removed with snow plows, tornadoes, flooding, and the fire), and warning us that this year could be equally crazy. Wouldn't want to have a reason to relax as we ease into summer, now would we?

Bunnies have taken up residence under our porch, itty-bitty babies hopping about and hiding under the sandbox. The magpies are out in full force, shrieking at the red-breasted robins as everyone vies for the desirable nesting real estate in the area. A random fox trots through the neighborhood, eyeballing porches for food left behind by sticky children. Rattlesnakes sun themselves on naked pink rocks. Deer munch on the sweet high-desert grasses, strip bark off trees, and meander across the street, daring motorists not to see them. A hummingbird whistles up to the feeder on the back porch, calmly sipping as its wings flutter into a blur.

The scents of barbecuing meat drift in through the windows, watermelon seeds and cherry pits fly through the air. It's Memorial Day, but how many consider what this really means, why we have this "holiday weekend," as I've seen it referred to. Have we forgotten why some of us get this little break?

I won't be barbecuing today, though I don't begrudge those who do (not in the least, so please don't think I'm making a statement on how anyone celebrates Memorial Day, because we all observe it in our own way, and I respect that). I've lost too many loved ones, either physically or emotionally, watch still as silent killers left over from military service take them down. Agent Orange, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gherig's Disease, which veterans are twice as likely to get as civilians), all of these and more stalk our veterans. Today, I fly the flag and think of those who have served, and who serve still. I think of the loved one who was recently diagnosed with ALS, because it is thought related to his time in service to this country, and not only is today Memorial Day, but this month is ALS Awareness Month.

Today, I honor others. Today, I grieve, what has been, and what will be.

I hope many get to spend the day with their families, celebrating however they choose, enjoying that time together. But I also hope a thought is spared for those who can't see their families today, because they fight for their country. Or because they fought for their country.

What are your plans for the day? Barbecuing? Seeing family? Water balloon fights (we did that yesterday)? A day at the pool? Hiking? Camping (if you're camping, you probably won't see this until later, eh)?

May you find your Muse.

Flag courtesy of OCAL, clker.com
Barbecue grill courtesy of OCAL, clker.com.
Heart courtesy of OCAL, clker.com.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Hero Tribute & Links

A quick note: I guest posted over at Leave it to Livia today about building your blogging network.  Stop by and say hi!

For this week's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I wanted to do a Veteran's Day salute to family members who have been in the military.  Plus, I love old pics.  I got a kick out of my grandma's pictures from when she was in the Air Force, but I'm doing this rather last minute, and I just didn't have that much time to scan all those photos.  Maybe next year I'll dedicate a day to just her.

My Grandpa Bill, my dad's dad, WWII, Air Force

My Grandma Joyce, my dad's mom, WWII, Air Force

My Grandpa Brown, my mom's dad, WWII, Navy

 

My Uncle Tommy, my mom's brother, Vietnam, Navy

My Uncle Michael, my mom's brother, Vietnam, Army

My dad!  Vietnam, Air Force

My brother-in-law, Greg, possibly Kuwait?  Army (sadly, this is the biggest photo I have, because I took it off MySpace while he was out there.  :(

I don't have a photo of my friend Joe, but he has served our country overseas for years now, doing several tours, and he deserves to be on here, as well.

Now for links!

I only have a few for you today, as I really haven't gotten much online time this week, which is how I find the information.  Sowwy! :(  But I do have a few good ones for you.

Taking Submissions:

White Cat Publications, LLC has introduced two new genre publications, both of which are now taking submissions.  Dark Intent is their mystery/suspense one, looking for short stories, flash fiction, columns, interviews and reviews.  Nightfall is their new dark fiction one, looking for short stories, flash fiction, columns, interviews and reviews.  Paying markets.

Awards:

Karen, of A Peek at Karen's World, is hosting her annual blog awards.  You can submit whoever you like, including yourself, for the various awards.

Other:

Yarny is a cloud program set up for you to write your novel in.  Saves as you write.  It looks interesting, though I'm not sure how I feel about cloud anything right now.

Tor has announced an hour long Twitter chat series, once per month.  This is your chance to speak with guest authors and go all fan boy/girl or ask meaningful questions.

Did you celebrate any military friends or family this week?  Ever heard of Yarny?  What do you think of Tor's Twitter chat?  

May you find your Muse.

V is for Valenzuela Gang & Veterans ([Mostly] Wordless Wednesday)

Before we start, I wanted to quickly announce that I'm guest posting over at the A-to-Z Challenge Blog today. Head over for a very brief post I hope will give you some encouragement to get through these last few days of the challenge.

Today is [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, and my word is Veterans.  These photos were taken in Washington D.C. and are a tribute to our veterans.

I know things have been pretty heavy the last couple posts (hey now, YOU try to find something fun and lighthearted about the Wild West for every letter of the alphabet - it's hard!), but I'd like to reassure you that the rest of the posts should be more along the same lines as the previous posts. More general interest and outlaws. Today's post is about the Valenzuela Gang. Okay, they weren't lighthearted, but at least we're back to outlaws.

alenzuela Gang. The Valenzuela Gang was made up of Inocente and Francisco Valenzuela, as well as whoever happened to ride with them. Nothing is known of their early lives, but they appeared along the Hassayampa River sometime in the 1880's, terrorizing those who lived there with robbery and murder. It has been theorized that they were secretly being led by a man named S.P. Stanton. He was a storekeeper who had attempted to be a Catholic priest years earlier, but was kicked out of Maynooth College for immoral behavior. It has never been proven that he had a connection to the Valenzuela Gang.

In the summer of 1886, the gang was thought to have murdered a man named Barney Martin, along with his entire family. They were traveling by stagecoach from Stanton, in Yavapai County, to Phoenix, due to issues with outlaws in the area (man, that's ironic). His arrival was looked forward to and awaited, his having been popular back in Stanton before he sold his shop. They had all their worldly possessions, along with the money from the property they'd sold. When they didn't arrive in Phoenix when expected, a search party was sent out looking for them. What they found was the family's charred wagon and belongings, as well as their burned remains.

 S.P. Stanton was charged with the murders of the Martin family, but nothing stuck. He was killed sometime after this in the same year, by a man whose sister he had previously insulted.

The rest of the gang managed to elude capture. In 1887, they shot the superintendent of the Vulture Mines, along with two guards. They were carrying a gold bullion bar worth $7000, which the gang tried to chop up with an axe, to no avail. Instead, they buried it and fled, splitting up in order to evade their pursuers, who included Sheriff Bud Gray and Jim Murphy, among others. They chased them across the desert until the outlaws were able to disappear into Mexico. The chase is remembered as one of the most spectacular in Wild West history, and is the reason this particular gang made it on the maps.

Francisco never returned to the U.S., living out his life in Mexico. Inocente (more irony) tried to sneak back to retrieve the bullion, but was captured by a posse and killed when he fought back. A third participant claimed he was forced to take part, and no charges were pressed against him.

<b>Glad we're past the really heavy stuff?  Still hanging in there with your challenge?</b>

May you find your Muse.

*Letter V courtesy of Mohamed Ibrahim, clker.com
**Seal of Arizona Territory (1863-1912), circa 1890.; Copyright 1916; By Unknown - Based upon an 1879 design used by Arizona Territory [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
***Gold bullion, By Szaaman (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons