In the United States, today is Labor Day, a holiday to celebrate workers, traditionally in jobs that require a fair amount of physical labor. Nowadays, Labor Day weekend is mostly a holiday that signifies the end of summer and the beginning of fall, a time for one last barbecue fling when the weather is still warm enough to enjoy being on the patio or deck. For Mainers, it is a bittersweet weekend, a reminder that the long, cold dark of winter is just around the corner.
But back to Labor Day… My ancestors farmed and worked in factories. They labored, using their hands and bodies. My ancestors certainly weren’t rich, yet I think it’s fair to write that they added a richness to this state and this country.
So here’s to all honest laborers, past and present, who worked so hard, were not always paid fairly, and did not cheat anyone out of anything.
Notes From the Hinterland 
Very nicely said. 🙂 My grandparents worked in the mills of NH, and my mother worked in a factory in NY – hard, honest work that paid the bills and put food on the table. I raise my hat along with you. 🙂
Thanks, Judy!
Yes, it’s important to pause for a moment and remember what this holiday is actually about. Okay, and then we can enjoy a bit more time on the patio, too. 😉
Carina, you are right. And we can do both, remember the holiday AND enjoy time on the patio.
Nice job stacking the wood, Clif! 😉
He’s gotten pretty good at it, over the years.
It is good to stop and reflect on how we got to where we are today; to honor those who brought us to this point, and to celebrate the contributions each of us makes to our country and world.
Thanks, Beth.
There are some marvellous fires in that stack
Yes, indeed, Derrick. That’s how we heat our house in the winter. We go through six cords of woods. And in Maine, when someone is a little “off,” we describe that person as “a few logs short of a cord.” 😉
I like that
That’s a LOT of wood. I like your reflections on labor day.
Indeed it is. It keeps Clif busy 😉