So much happening lately....

Well, I've managed to forget to post for several weeks now, in part due to just how busy we've been. Every weekend seems filled with things to do, domestic, religious or just entertainment...

On October 20th we traveled to Chattanooga with Lilly's friend Hinda to see Rock City. We've discovered this is the best time of year to visit as the cool fall air provides many bright blue sky days with little or no clouds. This year was no different.





The girls had a blast walking the path that twists and winds through the rocky top (pun intended) of the aptly named, Lookout Mountain. From their plaza at the top you can see 7 states on a good day. To the left is Tennessee. Left of center you can see eastern Kentucky and Virginia. Straight ahead is North Carolina. Right of center are South Carolina and Georgia, and finally, furthest to the right you can see Alabama. It ain't the Rockies or the Alps, but it's still beautiful!

Yesterday we went to Hinda's 9th birthday party. We attended Octubafest at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music. Several hours of all Tuba and Harmonium music. It was very interesting but being 8 & 9 year old girls and boys the kids only lasted a bit past intermission. I think a few of the parents had had enough as well. ;-) We adjourned to the "dragon" park across the street for cake and playground fun.

On a sad note, my younger brother Todd's best friend, Blake Cadkin died Friday after being diagnosed in May of this year with cancer and the wife of our rabbi emeritus at Sherith Israel also died after a prolonged illness. Lillian, Denise & I wish all the families and friends g-d's blessing.

Although I hadn't spoken to BJ in probably 7 years since Todd & Alexis' wedding, he was a frequent fixture in our childhood home and our families spent several holiday feasts together. He also invited my first band to play at a party in their basement before we had a chance to play anywhere else. Despite our need for further rehearsal, BJ was an enthusiastic audience! And that was at age 14 or 15. He was a kind, generous soul who will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Mrs. Posner, similarly, gave of herself in many ways, fostering the gifts of others by creating the Akiva School in Nashville with her husband over 50 years ago. Although the school is now different than how the Posners envisioned it, we owe both of them a huge debt for ensuring a Jewish day school education was available to Jews in Nashville for over four decades. Although I did not know her personally, I have only great respect for the woman I've learned about through the chorus of voices at Shul.

Our hearts go out to Rabbi Posner, Lew & Gayle and all their children and grandchildren.

Land Between The Lakes....

Yesterday was our second annual trip to Land Between The Lakes in Kentucky for Monarch butterfly tagging. We met Maria & Katlyn at the Nature Station for the trip.

Monarch butterflies breed several generations during their migration northward to all parts of the U.S. The last generation of the season flies all the way to a piece of land of about 10 acres on a Mexican mountain where they winter. For the past 20 years scientists and others have tagged Monarchs in an attempt to track the generations. We did this last year at LBL and there were more than one hundred butterflies in the relatively small stretch of field on a few hills beside the trace through the park where we were catching them.

This year, however, we (and more so, the butterflies) fell victim to the extreme temperatures and drought in the central U.S. The purple flowers we were told last year are their favorite food in LBL were virtually erased from these fields. Add to that a stiff wind that was almost constant and the fields were virtually absent butterflies. :-(

Lilly caught one and I caught two... that was half the number our entire group of 12 -15 people caught. Here's a picture of Lilly and one of our guides, Aviva, tagging Lilly's catch.


Hopefully next year will present more favorable circumstances for us to catch and tag more butterflies. It's great fun!

We accompanied Maria and Katlyn to the Elk & Bison Prairie on our way out of the park. Last year we made the same trip and heard the Elk bugling and saw a fight for dominance between a young male and the alpha male. It was really exciting. Although we didn't see any drama this year we had a great view of the herd just off the road from us. The Bison were further back, but visible. Later, we found these other males tramping around the far side of the prairie away from the main herd. This is the largest of the "outcast" males.