Patriotism

There has been a lot of media coverage lately about patriotism flared by SF 49ner NFL player Colin Kaepernick. For those of you with your heads in the sand, Mr. Kaepernick has decided to demonstrate his First Amendment Rights by refusing to stand for the playing of the National Anthem. That in itself isn't a problem. I'm all for folks taking a stand. What has people upset is when and how the man is doing it. The player has chosen to make his views known during games, while in uniform.

If he had spouted off on his own time, no one would have given him a second thought.

My crazy BFF

Coco is our third Chinese Shar-Pei. The first one, Pu, was a bear-coat. After he died we acquired Moshuh, a horse-coat. Coco is a brush-coat (bordering on a bear-coat).

Typical Moshuh look

new book available

The third book in the Greycliff Chronicles: For Queen and Country is now out. You can purchase it through any bookstore. It is also available for Kindle readers.

https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Country-Greycliff-Chronicles/dp/1532906811/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471053027&sr=1-4&keywords=for+queen+and+country

It's Olympic time

Who doesn't love the the excitement of the Summer Olympics? I'm an Olympics junkie. I just can't get enough of the spectacle. Of course, my favorite part of the Games are the equestrian events. I love the Three-Day Eventing, show jumping, and dressage. I also enjoy the Modern Pentathlon, rowing, sailing, archery, martial arts, swimming, shooting, water polo, and gymnastics.

Who is that man? Coats of arms and heraldry

According to Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, “Heraldry is that science of which the rules and the laws govern the use, display, meaning, and knowledge of the pictured signs and emblems appertaining to shield, helmet, or banner.”  Fox-Davies goes on to explain that Heraldry comprises everything within the duties of a herald while Armory is heraldry (the emblems and devises).

The herald was a messenger and proclaimer. Heralds might accompany monarchs on journeys, read official notices in town squares (remember most people couldn’t read), and act as announcers at events. As their status grew, they started wearing a uniform called a tabard. Heralds even went along to war as an observer and to record details, as documented by chronicler Guillaume le Marechal in 1173 at the Battle of Drincourt in Normandy. The heralds would record the coats f arms of those nobles fighting and later, at tournaments, they would announce the combatants (as seen in the movie “A Knight’s Tale”).