Red Winged Black Bird

I may be helping to bring harmony
between people through my music.

~ Nat King Cole (American – Musician /March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965)

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Holidays and Celebrations:

• St. Patrick’s Day 
• Corned Beef and Cabbage Day

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Porte Musings:

St. Patrick’s Day and everyone is a little bit Irish today. So we’ll all celebrate Corned Beef and Cabbage Day with a bit of green beer and maybe a good Irish jig. My 3rd Great grandfather, Gilbert Porte, an orphan from Dublin, Ireland and shoemaker by trade, came to Canada only to be told he wasn’t the right class for the love of his life, Ann McCormmick. So they ran away to the USA and got married. Ann was dis-inherited by her family. When they returned to London, Ontario they had a wonderful family of 2 sons (Thomas and Gilbert) and one daughter (Alice) only for it to end during the cholera epidemic. Anne raised her wonderful children by herself and lived a full and long life.

Today is my anniversary of starting to work for Canada Post (1980), my first permanent job after University. Now that I’ve been retired for almost 9 years it really does seem like a lifetime ago. COVID-19 and a year of not seeing my previous co-workers has created even a greater separation. You always miss your co-workers even if you no longer miss the actual work and routines.

To most people the first robin sighting is a true sign of spring. To me it’s hearing the red-wing black birds as they return to the local mashes. (and the sewage lagoons LOL). The males with their wonder patches of red trill their songs trying to locate their mates. I love the announcements they are making of their arrival.