Oak Hill Park on Friday is full of red winged black birds, the ones whose song is like that click clack sound you make to hurry up a horse, mixed with a trill. They alight on tall breezy weeds you think would topple under the weight. If just those birds and their sound and the wide-open space at Oak Hill weren’t enough to wipe away some blues, then… oh wow, here comes the sun! It’s not full-throated yet but…I’ll take it.

Rain notwithstanding, it’s been a good week for acupuncture, and that’s the usual story with acupuncture. A new client with years of a burning ulcer called to say he was feeling pretty darn good and looking forward to the next session. Treatments helped others to feel revitalized, be relieved of body aches, keep sinuses clear, and hold anxiety at bay. My practitioner friends no doubt have similar stories because acupuncture is so effective so much of the time.

I used to give my dad treatments--not that he wanted them, I must be honest! Here’s a picture of him, Bob Hyde, circa 1944. This was probably somewhere in Belgium or France, before or after the Battle of the Bulge, in which he fought. I’ve never owned a flag, but I hung one up for this weekend. After I got the bracket in place, when everything in the neighborhood quieted down, I sat and watched it for a bit. There’s something poignant about a flag moving in the breeze.

I hope you all have a meaningful memorial day.