Out and About – Week of May 22nd

What is the difference between a hurricane, typhoon or a cyclone? There is no difference except for the fact that they are known by a different name depending on where you are in the world. Most of us are familiar with the name hurricane and we know what kind of damage can be done. A hurricane is known as a typhoon in Japan and a cyclone in Australia. Now you know.

Memorial Day will soon be here. This means there will be parades and ceremonies honoring those men and women of the Armed Forces who have passed this last year. There will be 21-Gun volleys and the playing of Taps. This is a very solemn moment, as it should be.

The 24-note melancholy bugle call known as “Taps” is thought to be a revision of a French bugle signal, called “tattoo”, that notified soldiers to cease an evening’s drinking and return to their garrisons. It was sounded an hour before the final bugle call to end the day by extinguishing fires and lights.

A revision that gave us present-day taps was made during America’s Civil War by Union General Daniel Butterfield, who was heading a brigade camped at Harrison Landing, Virginia, near Richmond. Up to that time, the U.S. Army’s infantry call to end the day was the French final call, “L”Extinction des feux”. General Butterfield decided the “lights out” music was too formal to signal the day’s end, so he asked the brigade bugler, Oliver W. Norton, to play the notes from “tattoo”. The notes were lengthened and shortened, but the original melody was kept. General Butterfield ordered Norton to play this new call at the end of each day, instead of the regulation call. The music was heard and appreciated by other brigades and they adopted the new call. The music was made the official Army bugle call after the war. By 1891, infantry regulations required taps to be played at military funeral ceremonies.

Taps is played by the military at burial and memorial services and to signal the “lights out” command at day’s end.

If taking the family to an amusement park is on your vacation list for this summer, here are some hints as to what you might want to bring with you:

Sunblock and hat. It’s important to plan for all types of weather, especially the sun. A floppy hat will protect your ears from rays better than the usual baseball cap.
Layers of clothing. It’s best to think through the change in temperatures. The days usually start out cool, warm up, and then cool down towards evening.
Swimsuit and towel. If you’re visiting a water park that is connected to a theme park, changing areas are usually provided. They may even provide towels. Check this out in advance.
Food and drink. Guests at some major parks can bring in their own food and nonalcoholic beverages in a small, soft-sided cooler. Glass containers are not welcome.
Credit or debit card. You shouldn’t need to bring a lot of cash. Many parks are “cashless”. You’ll want to set a budget ahead of time.
Humans aren’t the only ones that dream. I have no idea how this was discovered, but animals dream too. Studies have shown that animals like horses, oxen, goats, and sheep dream as well. Rats dream of getting food, while dogs bark to show they are dreaming. Cats sleep most of every day, so I’m sure they must dream some of the time.

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman