On this 6th of July, 2010 I am thankful for the gift of having been born in the USA.\u00a0 I owe my emigrant grandparents and first generation USA parents more than they can ever know.\u00a0 My thanks to them.\u00a0 We in America have our problems, our disagreements,\u00a0 our uncertain futures and, increasingly it seems,\u00a0our haters, but this is still the best place in the world to live and enjoy the freedom, the\u00a0economic opportunities and the educational opportunities\u00a0that are not surpassed anywhere else in the world.\u00a0 Each generation of Americans has to make some sacrifices to preserve and earn\u00a0 freedom and opportunity for all of its members, and I am hopeful that the generations following this septuagenarian\u00a0appreciate what they have and will\u00a0make the necessary sacrifices for it.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n
The holiday week-end\u00a0was spent\u00a0with family, including a shower at our home for the next grandchild, during which a few of us male members took\u00a0my 5, 4 and 3 year old grandchildren to the Des Moines Zoo.\u00a0 The threat of rain resulted in a small crowd, but the rain held off.\u00a0\u00a0We all enjoyed seeing\u00a0 red pandas, birds, giraffes, gibbons, sea lions, seals, \u00a0lions, a serval, a snow leopard, lesser\u00a0kudus, \u00a0and other animals.\u00a0 \u00a0My favorite was the pair of red pandas.\u00a0 The grandchildren enjoyed the bird show, with Saurus Cranes, Andean Condor, Galahs, Emus, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and Peregrine Falcon\u00a0 performing wondrous feats in exchange for treats.<\/p>\n
I prefer to see birds in the wild, but the zoos of the world, at least the better ones, including Des Moines Blank Park Zoo, are performing a necessary service in displaying and often preserving our birds and other wildlife for the enjoyment of the majority of us who do not or cannot\u00a0venture forth in the great outdoors to see these threatened\u00a0natural wonders of the world.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_1_placeholder\n
The evening of the 4th we all gathered again at home for\u00a0a hamburger and brat cook-out, followed by the traditional homemade vanilla ice cream.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_2_placeholder\n
It was a wonderful day and we are sorry only that all of the family, including our overseas serviceman, were unable to participate.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_3_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On this 6th of July, 2010 I am thankful for the gift of having been born in the USA.\u00a0 I owe my emigrant grandparents and first generation USA parents more than they can ever know.\u00a0 My thanks to them.\u00a0 We … Continue reading