A to Z 2024: G is for Going to the Zoo

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

April 8th is National Zoo Lovers Day

I love zoos.  I'm not sure exactly when I fell in love with them .  It may have been all the times Dr. Lester Fisher visited the Ray Rayner show when I was a kid on a segment called Ark in the Park.  Dr. Fisher was the director of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.  It could have been on my trips to the Brookfield Zoo when I was a kid, I know I had one birthday party there.  It  may have even been when my grandparents would take my brother and sister and myself to the aforementioned Lincoln Park Zoo.  It may have been all of those things and more.  

Here is a link to one of our other blogs that shows a great video from a family trip (sans me) to the Brookfield Zoo.  

I really enjoying going to free zoo's.  Here is an article from February of this year talking about 12 such zoos (I've been at 3 through 6). 

# 6 The St. Louis was the most recent zoo I visited.  Here are some pictures form my trip in March

My favorite animal, the giraffe at the St. Louis Zoo

In my 2015 A to Z challenge

G was for giraffe poop

Raja The Elephant at the St. Louis Zoo

Raja has been at the zoo for 30+ years

He will be moving to Columbus Ohio in 2024 or 2025

An Amur Leopard at the St. Louis Zoo

I went to the zoo with my dear friend Dave Hendrick

We were both missionaries in Khabarovsk Russia in the early 1990's

Khabarovsk is situated  on the Amur River

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Speaking of animals: Today's song of the day is Gonna Buy Me A Dog by The Monkees

7 songs in my A to Z playlist looks like this

 

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Today is also the day for the total solar eclipse.  We will be watching it at school today.  The next one won't me in the U.S. until August 23rd 2044.  Instead of pushing 60 like I am now it will be exactly a month before my schedule 80th birthday.  My Dad turned 86 on March 23rd and he will be watching it with my Mom and brother.  So that's older than I will be next next time.

Will you be watching the eclipse today?  Do you enjoy zoos?  Answer either or both of these questions in the comment section.

 To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024: F is for Final Words

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

April 6th is Plan Your Epitaph Day

By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

 

The first Plan your Epitaph Day was in 1995.  

I decided to do something a little different today in describing the holiday.  Instead of using my own words I am going to use some of the text found on the Plan Your Epitaph Day webpage from Daysoftheyear.com It's not the entire text just some snippets

There comes a day in every person’s life when they have to face the inevitable, 

. This day, Plan Your Own Epitaph Day, is the perfect day to set aside some time to figure out what you’re going to have to say about yourself before you’re gone.

, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Ludolph van Ceulen had the first 35 digits of Pi inscribed on his tombstone, as he was the first to calculate this delicious sounding number out to that many decimals. 

 Some of the activities you can do to celebrate this day, is go to graveyards and look for inspiration in the stones of those who have already passed. 

 

this is one more way to collect Epitaphs that have already been written to help inspire you to write yours! 

 Another thing you can do to celebrate this pasttime is to have picnics in the graveyard with likeminded friends. 

Together you can sit and brainstorm on what you’d like your final words to the world to be. 

 

Plan your own Epitaph day is a day for reflection on our own mortality, and thinking forward to what kind of legacy we want to leave behind for those who come after us.

 So take some time to think about where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and what you’d like to say to those who come after,

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April is also  National Poetry Month.  I have decided to write a poem about today's holiday.  Mainly because I didn't create much of my own content today.

Today's poem will be a limerick

Today plan your own epitaph

Play it straight or go for the laugh

But don't wait 'til next June

Best to do it soon

You can't chart your last day on a graph.

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Here is another quick poem

Today's song of the day

is Fear by Lecrae

The Spotify pla list for my A to Z challenge is now a week old and 6 songs long.   

Well Week 1 is in the books.  Feel free to catch up on any of my posts you may have missed.  In your comments, you can let me know what words you might consider as an epitaph.  

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

E is For Engaged Couples Friday

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

The Fist Friday in April - Wedding Planning Black Friday

Since today's letter of the day is a vowel it's time once again to create a new holiday.  

Wedding Planners Black Friday is held annually on the first Friday of April.  It was created by Dave Roller for his 2024 A to Z challenge and was first celebrated on April 5th 2024.  The date was chosen for 3 reasons.  First because the first Friday in April takes place 4  to 10 days before April 11th, the day Dave married his friend Amy. Second, because April is already National Couples Month. Finally, because the first week of April is 2 -3 months before June weddings take place.

Wedding Planner's Black Friday is the perfect day for engaged couples  to call off work and spend some couple time before the big event.  It is also a great time for the wedding professionals (dee jays, florists, ministers, venues, travel agencies, photographers, etc.) to have seasonal specials ala Black Friday.

Wedding Planner's Black Friday  could also be a great day to hold either an engagement party or a wedding shower.  It is the first week of April, so there might be a shower anyway.

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April 5th is also National Deep Dish Pizza Day and the first Friday of April is National Walk to Work Day

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Today's song of the day is Emma by , Jonathan Edwards

Emma is a song from the 1971 self titled debut album by Jonathan Edwards.  This album featured the hit Sunshine.  Jonathan Edwards music is often recommended to me on Spotify. I originally listened to this song because my oldest daughters name is Emma.  The video below is from a concert almost 10 years ago.  Edwards, 84 released his most recent album in 2021 and was performing as recently as March 2023

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My Leap of Dave 2024  A to Z Blogging Playlist now looks (and sounds) like this

Engaged, Married, or whatever degree of single you find yourself.  I am glad you stopped by today.  Please leave a comment.  Perhaps you can answer this question: What is the best Wedding Present you have ever given or received?

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024: D is for Discover National Parks

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For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

Today's Holiday is Discover National Parks Fortnight

Today April 4th 2024 is the first day of Discover National Parks Fortnight.  The holiday runs from April 4th to April 17th and celebrates the national park system of the United Kingdom. Don't confuse this holiday with National park week in the U.S.  this year that's April 20th through April 28th which is actually a week and 2 days.  Discover National Parks Fortnight is 14 days which is the correct length for a fortnight.

I have never been to the United Kingdom but I am aware of a few of their National Parks.

The Peak District

A moorland scene Pic taken from the path to Lad's Leap, centre skyline is the Pennine Way to Black Hill with Bareholme Moss to the right.

By John Fielding, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Alport Dale. Looking southeast down the dale, Alport Castles is on the skyline with the Towers just centre right.By Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

The Lake District

The A591 road as it passes through the countryside between Ambleside and Grasmere in the Lake District, England.

, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

An image of Blackbeck Tarn, a small tarn (lake) atop Haystacks, a large hill in Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. This image was taken in April of 2021

There are many other National Parks in the U.K. that I am  not that familiar with.  

Cairngarms is the largest National Park in the U.K. and is located in Scotland and  apparently, it has moose.

, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Snowdonia is a National Park in Wales and if the picture below is any indication it is strikingly beautiful.

, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

  To find out more how to celebrate Discover National Park Fortnight click here.

 

Today's song of the day is Dance Stop by Daniel Amos.

 

 This unfortunately is the first of the songs of the day where I could not find concert footage of the song.  The A to Z  playlist is now up to 4 songs.

  

Whew! It feels like it took a fortnight to get this post out.  If you comment let me know if you've ever visited a U.K. National Park and what your experience was therein.  Also, if you could spend 14 days exploring any new place where would it be?  For me it, would be more Greek Islands, if my lovely wife was joining me  for the adventure.  

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024: C is for Cinematic Compositions

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

Today's Holiday: National Film Score Day

April 3rd is National Film Score Day.  It is held every year on this day to commemorate the release of the Jungle Book in 1942.  According to National Today that day was chosen because Miklos Rosza's score was  so transformative  that they chose the  date  of the "release of 'The Jungle Book' to mark the first time film scores acquired importance.

Here is the trailer for the Jungle Book which features some of the score.

The reasoning for the choice is date is a bit of an exaggeration.  Film scores had already acquired importance by 1942. I know this for a few reasons one is that by the mid 1930's The Academy of Motion Picture Sciences was already giving out Academy Awards for best Score.  In1939, for example Erich Wolfgang Korngold won the Academy Award for the score for The Adventures of Robin Hood.

I don't have a top 10 list of film score composers, but it sounds like a kind of  thing I should have.  That list would almost certainly include the composers of some of my favorite scores of all time like the aforementioned Korngold (Adventures of Robin Hood),  Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon), Vangelis (Chariots of Fire), and John Williams (Star Wars).  

In addition, The 2006 rom com The Holiday has a great scene in it where Jack Black who is playing a film score composer is in a Blockbuster and is explaining as only Jack Black can  how great film scores can be.  It also features a killer cameo by Dustin Hoffman and I have it all queued up for you, so enjoy.

To see a longer clip of the same scene click here.  (The longer scene includes some plot points and may be confusing to those  who have not  yet seen the film.)

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Today's song of the day is Coast to Coast by Noel Paul Stookey & Bodyworks.

 

That brings the number of songs in the Leap of Dave 2024 Blogging A to Z Playlist up to 3.

Note: If you look at theses posts any time after the day they drop, which is certainly fine and encouraged, the playlist will go up to the date you are looking at the post.

So that ends the film on the letter C. I think you know the score.  (I made the exact same kind of joke at this point in yesterdays post.  If you don't remember, o don't believe me  you can always click here. Before you go , feel free to leave a comment.  Do you like movie scores?  Do you have a favorite? 

Oh, speaking of comments, here is an unabashed plug.  Feel free to check out some of my other posts from before the challenge began.  I don't get a lot of traffic on the blog outside of the challenge, and while I mostly blog for my own amusement, and enlightenment.  I wouldn't mind amusing and enlightening a bigger audience.  So check out of my previous posts, here is the last one I did before the challenge began. If you do check them out maybe you can leave a comment there as well.  Thank you very much.  This way if you like what I'm cooking, you can continue to join me after the challenge.  

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!