Memorial Day 2019

I know that for a lot of the country, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and there will be cookouts and parties at the lake or beach or park.  That said, it has been a weird week of weather.  While it was snowing in Arizona as recently as Thursday (H/T Virtual Mirage), the SE US is at the opposite end of the spectrum with a record heat wave for the inland portions of the area.  Here near the east coast in the middle of Florida, it has been slightly cooler than normal.  Our temperatures haven't gone over 90 more than once or twice this month, and the summer thunderstorm season hasn't cranked up yet.  Both of those seem to happen by the middle of May most years.  It has been dry with temps in the upper 80s for the last couple of weeks, since what was almost certainly the last cold front we get until next fall some time.

All that aside, allow me to join the chorus of folks saying that while you're enjoying your day, be it beach, barbecue, pool or whatever, take a moment to remember and thank those who have given their all in service to us.  Some don't get the chance to have that cookout, or be with their loved ones.

Yeah, I've run this picture lots of times, and it still gets to me.  The story:

In a final act of loyalty, Hawkeye, the dog of slain Navy SEAL U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson walked up to his fallen master’s casket during the funeral in Rockford, Iowa, and then laid mournfully down beside the body for the rest of the proceedings  [Note: Petty Officer Tumilson was one of the 30 killed in Afghanistan in the shoot ing down of Extortion 17 which the families blamed squarely on the Obama administration - SiG]

Far too large a portion of the deep state could use Hawkeye's loyalty.