Tika & Memorial Day

Tika was not with me when I visited Arlington National Cemetery last month with my son and two grandsons but just as well; dogs are not allowed on the grounds. On this Memorial Day I thought to share this photo with you. The admonition seemed to work; the folks (and the teens!) were mostly quiet and respectful. It is our nation's military shrine after all.

Did you know that Arlington National Cemetery comprises 624 acres right across the Potomac River from downtown Washington DC? And that over 320,000 servicemen and women are sheltered there? Veterans from every war and conflict in our nation's history rest there.

Early burials at Arlington were of necessity. Most of the dead were either unknowns, or loved ones that families simply couldn't afford to send home for interment. Near the Arlington House is the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns, a mass grave housing the reinterred remains of 2,111 unknown Civil War dead.

The Tomb of the Unknowns (where on TV today I watched President Obama lay a wreath) was established in 1921 when a World War I soldier was laid to rest there. He was joined by comrades from World War II and Korea in 1958.

The gift shop offered over a dozen books on Arlington National Cemetery. I wish I could have hauled home and had time to read every single one. Tika would happily sit beside me in my chair as I read. 

Tika & Cemetery Dogs

While Tika stayed home with Handy Man, I was in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending a national genealogy conference. My roommate's ancestry is long there and so we visited Spring Grove Cemetery (opened in 1845) and she took pictures. I took this photo for Tika............ there was no identification near it:

Couple of days ago my cousin sent me a humorous photo collection showing animals and this one really jumped out at me....... and at Tika too:

Our beloved doggers are always the object of our affections, even when they are dearly departed. Or when they're napping on our seedlings!!!

Tika & Cincinnati Hot Dogs

Tika would most surely like to tuck into a Cincinnati Hot Dog! Cincinnati is famous for its Skyline Chili or Cincinnati Spaghetti or Cincinnati Chili (Google the recipe). To create this gastronomic wonder they start for a hot dog bun, then a grilled dog, then a dollop of the bean-less chili and then topped with a generous mound of grated mild cheddar. Onions are optional as are a chili with beans. Think you would agree with Tika that this looks yummy.

While I missed my Tika, I had a good week attening the National Genealogical Conferencce and learning more about researching in Ohio and other needful things (for my research). Made sure to sit in on the technology sessions too. My understanding of "the cloud" for genealogical uses is getting more comfortable in my mind.

Another really yummy thing about Cincinnati is Graeter's Ice Cream............. their famous Raspberry Chocolate Chunk is just the bestest. Understand in the olden days they would mash and strain the berries daily to make this treat.

If you have Cincinnati or Hamilton County ancestry, then know that they most likely knew about and enjoyed both these treats.

Tika would have enjoyed both Cincinnati treats....... but Handy Man has her on a diet of kibbles only. I should join her when I get home tomorrow.

Tika & Macadamias??

Are macadamia nuts one of your favorite treats?? Did you know:  The trees were brought to Hawaii in 1887….. from??? The Mauna Loa farm has 2500 acres with 250,000 trees. The trees grow and produce year round but only in Hawaii. Macadamia nuts cannot be picked; "when the sugar is just right they fall" and must be hand gathered or (when possible) vacuumed by a small truck. Mauna Loa processes 40 million pounds of raw nuts annually. This yields 8 million pounds of useable product and 4 million pounds of "really good nuts." The gathered nuts are dried for ten days…then sorted and then cracked. Macadamias "are the hardest nuts in the world to crack… it takes 300 pounds of pressure and we use steel rollers to do the job." Some 8000 pounds can be processed every hour. They are also separated by color category (same as the grade). Mauna Loa macadamias are all (large to tiny) packaged with some nitrogen gas inside "to protect the delicate oils." Finally, flavoring is added and they have many but chocolate coating is the favorite. They have a "state of the art computer coating machine" and they use one million pounds of chocolate annually.

Another big favorite is Macadamia Shortbread Cookies. And their new product is Macadamia Nut Oil for cooking……which is offered under Oils of Aloha. 

Macadamia nuts are one of Tika's favorite treats too...........but she never gets them!!