Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190621035327/@comment-29709319-20190929021124

We're in California for covered bridges.

⛲️Knights Ferry Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi and was built in 1863. This bridge was built high than the previous one that was destroyed by flooding. The bridge has elevated interior footwalks with only a wagon's width of space between. Three piers of local stone sharpened on the upstream side, support the planking. The bridge was used for car traffic until it was closed to prevent damage in 1981. The bridge crosses the Stanislaus River ENE of Oakdale, California. (GPS: N37 49.185 W120 39.834)

⛲️Bridgeport Covered Bridge is of a combination truss and arch construction, it is one of the oldest housed spans in the west and one of the longest single span, wooden covered bridges in the United States. This bridge crosses over the Yuba River in South Yuba State Park, Nevada County, WNW of Nevada City, California and was built in 1862. It was closed to vehicles in 1972. (GPS: 03-2007, N39 17.568 W121 11.696)

⛲️Honey Run Covered Bridge is located about halfway between Chico and Paradise, California and was originally built in 1886 by the American Bridge & Building Company of San Francisco. In 1965, a truck crashed into the bridge, making it impassable for cars. A new steel bridge was built upstream, and now this scenic spot is more frequented by photographers on foot than cars. (GPS: N39 43.706 W121 42.211).

National Themes For September 29: National Coffee Day, VFW Day, and National Gold Star Mother’s Day.

☕️National Coffee Day! According to an expert cupper (a professional coffee taster), there are four components of a perfect cup: aroma, body, acidity, and flavor. When determining the body of a coffee, the bean, the roast, and the brew are all factors. The bean affects the texture of the coffee, whether its silky, creamy, thick or thin on the tongue and throat. However, the darker the roast and how it is brewed will alter the feel of a coffee’s body, too. Grandpa’s motor oil blend versus the coffee shop around the corner’s silky smooth, well-practiced grind have entirely different bodies. The region a coffee is grown determines its acidity. The higher the elevation the coffee grows, the higher the quality and the acidity. These coffees are considered brighter, dryer, even sparkling by cuppers. There are many legendary accounts of how coffee first came to be, but the earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or the knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi monasteries around Mokha in Yemen. It was here coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed, much like they are prepared today. Yemeni traders brought coffee back to their homeland from Ethiopia and began to cultivate the seed. In 1670, coffee seeds were smuggled out of the Middle East by Baba Budan, as he strapped seven coffee seeds onto his chest. The first plants grown from these smuggled seeds were planted in Mysore. It was then that coffee spread to Italy, to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and the Americas. Brazil produces more coffee in the world than any other country followed by Colombia. More than 50 countries around the world grow coffee, providing a delicious variety for the indulgence of steamy cups of the black drink for connoisseurs to consume.

🇺🇸National VFW Day honors the men and women devoted to this valuable organization and those members who have served our nation. Members of the VFW today hold a long-standing history of volunteerism in their communities. Not only have they served their country, but they continue to serve their fellow veterans, families, and communities by sponsoring scholarships, career fairs, mental wellness campaigns, and so many more excellent services. VFW membership since its inception has been instrumental in the establishment of the Veterans Administration, the creation of the national cemetery system and passage of the GI Bill. Through the VFW, veterans honor veterans and serve their communities. On National VFW Day, take a moment to recognize all the VFW does in your community. The VFW was established on September 29, 1899, by a group of veterans from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. It has since grown to be the nation’s largest group of combat veterans. They continue “to honor the dead by helping the living.” The VFW promote patriotism, goodwill and youth scholarships. They also provide military assistance and community service programs, promote youth activities and volunteer many hours in their local communities.

🎖National Gold Star Mother’s Day is also known as National Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day. National Gold Star Mother’s Day was created to recognize and honor those that have lost their son or daughter while serving our country in the United States Armed Forces. A gold star symbolizes a family member who died in the line of duty while serving the United States Armed Forces. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day and proclaimed annually by each president. In 2011, President Barack Obama amended the day to “Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.” The American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was incorporated in 1929 and obtained a federal charter from the United States Congress. It began in the Washington DC area and soon expanded to include affiliated groups throughout the United States. The history of National Gold Star Mother’s Day and their families begins with a young country thrown in the midst of a great war. Army Captian Robert L. Queissner, whose two sons were serving on the front line during World War I, created what is now called the Service Flag. The flag was displayed with a blue star to represent a child serving in the military during times of war or hostilities. When a service member died, families stitched a gold star over the blue star. An ocean often divided families from their deceased sons, as was the case of the founder of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. organization, Grace Darling Seibold. While waiting for confirmation of her son’s death, she visited the VA hospital almost daily and made herself useful in the process. Afterward, she continued to visit the hospital and formed the organization that unites gold star mothers still today. Membership in any one organization is not required for gold star mothers to access benefits. Please visit military.com for more information.

Warm hugs!🐶💕🌤🌻