Author Archive: MaryO
The Strathspey Steam Railway
We were in Aviemore, Scotland in August of 2015. I got some good pictures of the train from that bridge – and some photos of the engineer backing the train up. We were able to get tickets for a train leaving in about 15 minutes. For the way up to Broomhill, we sat …
World’s Highest Rail Track Reached Everest Gateway City
CNN — The world’s highest railway rolls even closer to Mount Everest this month when China inaugurates a stretch of track connecting the Tibetan cities of Lhasa and Shigatse. Traversing valleys, mountains and crossing the glacier-fed Brahmaputra River, the line takes in breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks and majestic plateaus as it wends from the …
Independence Day, 2019
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America …
Today is National Flag Day
On June 14th, 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School, placed a 10 inch, 38- star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance. He chose this date because Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the …
Memorial Day 2019
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after theAmerican Civil War to commemorate the Union andConfederate soldiers who died …
It’s National Read A Road Map Day Today, April 5
Annually, Read a Road Map Day is observed April 5. The earliest road map, Britania Atlas, was drawn by cartographer John Ogilby in 1675. Fast forward a few centuries, and my how things have changed! With satellites, GPS and voice commands do we really know how we get anywhere anymore? National Read a Road Map Day …
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in Canada and the United States as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Several other …
Armistice Day 2018
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their opponent, Germany. Previous armistices had eliminated Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the war. Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne from the place where it …
Thanks to Our Veterans
The observance of Veterans Day, Nov. 11, began a century ago. In the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Allied nations and Germany declared an armistice – a temporary cessation of hostilities – in World War I. Commemorated as Armistice Day the next year, Nov. 11 became a …
