By NANCY JANE KERN
THE SONG “AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL” was a combination of a church hymn by organist Samuel A. Ward with later new lyrics from a poem by Katherine Lee Bates. It was published about 1910 and this most patriotic of American songs came to mind over the Fourth of July weekend. We could not have had more gorgeous days for celebrating the anniversary of our hard-fought separation from England back in the 1700s. This long holiday weekend was a time to reflect on and be thankful for all our freedoms and this wonderful land which gives us so much.
I looked up at the heavenly blue sky and watched the white puffy clouds float through. The small children of the family (and secretly we older kids at heart) enjoyed the old game of finding shapes in the clouds that look like horses, hands, and other familiar things. Our area fields of grain such as oats and wheat were showing nice waves from some strong breezes and held the promise to be amber soon. Near Hudson, I looked across to our stately purple mountains, the majestic Catskills. These mountains have provided cool summer retreats for generations and inspired so many. We thank them for the “Rip Van Winkle” story by Washington Irving and for our Hudson River painters and their use of the mountains in many of their paintings.
My mother was a voracious reader and often told us about Irving’s Rip Van Winkle when the scary thunder came. It was nice to think of the little men on the mountains rolling bowling balls to create all that noise. I still see these images in my mind, and today it looks like they will soon be bowling again. Columbia County is definitely a fruited plain of apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and wild cranberries… so much that we enjoy and too often take for granted. Now it is strawberry shortcake time with blueberries as a garnish to complete the red, white, and blue colors of our flag.
The brotherhood we share in our families, work, places of worship, and the patriotic feelings that bind us together keep this land a haven of freedom. A daily reminder of this is our world news. There are so many places that do not have a fraction of what we have here. We can eat, question, and choose our government, and as a woman, I can drive, marry whom I wish, choose my clothing, and go where I please. It is difficult to realize there are millions who can’t do these things.
As for seas to shining seas, we may not be located at the seashore in our county, but we have our beautiful shining Hudson River that brings us the tides, fish and wildlife from our Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the history of our area the Hudson River has been at the center of travel, settlement, commerce, food, water, ice, recreation, and inspiration. We are so lucky to live here.
We had a wonderful Fourth of July this year with our family and remembered and shared all that we have. Remember “America the Beautiful” throughout the year and your days will be happier, even when Rip’s little mountain men are creating havoc with their bowling balls.
