I finally got to see a heron while visiting my in-laws who live near the Jersey Shore. Wouldn’t you know it, I only had my little phone camera with me. My daughter called the heron a “gray flamingo.”
In more mundane news, the parsley seeds I planted in August have germinated. No sign of the kale seeds germinating. I plan to plant whatever I get in my little front yard so I have greenery in the late fall and possibly through winter (not counting when there is snow on top, but the kale has survives through the snow).
Update: I went outside to check on my few germinated seedlings, and an animal had eaten them. Or maybe they died of “damping off” – too much wet. Sigh. I moved them to our front yard, where we’ve had fewer animal problems, and the sun hits the area.
Water is the first of my three macros for this week. This is a detail of the waters of the American Falls of Niagara Falls.
Detail of Highland Park Farmer’s Market flowers.
The tail end of the shofar, the ram’s horn, that is sounded every day in the Jewish month of Elul. One does not blow into this larger end of the shofar but into the other, smaller end. It is not easy to do, but if I purse my lips together in a certain way, I can get the right sound.
Elul: Shofar, ram's horn blown during Elul and on Rosh Hashana and at Yom Kippur's end
The Jewish month of Elul started last week, and it is a special month in the Jewish calendar.
Shofar in Elul
One does not have have to wait for Rosh Hashana to hear the shofar. Every morning (except on Shabbat) it is blown in the synagogue. If you are fortunate to attend a Jewish day school, you may hear it blown in school. In Elul shofar is an important reminder and symbol.
Repentance in Elul
Elul is known as a month of repentance (in Hebrew: tshuva – more explanation of tshuva would require a whole book). Introspection and reconciliation are themes of this period. For example, I like how the family of Ima 2 Seven is using this as a time to be kind (one would hope the trait will continue beyond Elul).
Mrs. S. reminds us: “Sephardim begin reciting Slichot (the penitential prayers) at the start of the month. Ashkenazim wait until closer to Rosh Hashanah.”
Food in Elul
Ah, finally, you say. Some are already prepping for the holidays ahead (see challot by G6). I’m trying to remember the simanim or symbolic foods to display on the Rosh Hashana table:
Rainbow Bridge by Niagara Falls with a corner of American Falls
Rainbow Bridge spans the Niagara River, connecting the American and the Canadian side. We crossed over the bridge a few times; the above shot was taken by the American Falls.
Rainbow on Rainbow Bridge
And we did see a rainbow on Rainbow Bridge while waiting for Canadian customs. There used to be a bridge here called Honeymoon Bridge, but it collapsed in January 1938, related to a problematic ice floe.
In the above shot you can see more of the Canadian side, including a large red sign that says “inn.” There was a large variety of inns and hotels on the Canadian side. The green structure in the front of the bridge is an observatory on the United States side.
Update: I added one more photo of the Rainbow Bridge; this one is taken from the Canadian side, and you can see the whole bridge in the distance. The building in the foreground (one can see the roofs) is the Canadian visitor center for the Horseshoe Falls.
Back to the ordinary, the mundane, the daily: here is a shot of my kitchen shelf for September, emphasizing bananas. For more first of the month shots, visit:
Plans for future posts: more Niagara Falls photos and a look at Elul, the current Jewish month.
