REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED | | |
1. The Flock is celebrating Father's Day this week by paying tribute to some of nature's bird dads who help keep the nest intact and do their part in raising young hatchlings.
2. Next Saturday is the Summer Solstice. I cover the solstice each year and am including some of my favorite solstice posts from the Flock Archives this year.
3. Earlier this week, long-time Friend of the Flock Dino DeConcini sent me an update on his son Keith Murfee-DeConcini, a listee in the 2024 Marquis Who's Who, an advocate for disability rights, author, actor, and successful podcaster. I decided to include him in my Bragging Rights section this week.
4. Flock veteran and racing enthusiast Sandy Washburn' is getting back on the track. His vintage BMW race car is appearing in promotions for the GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends event at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
5. Next, I have the story of an elephant sanctuary in Thailand that rescued an elephant after it had labored for 40 years in chains in the Thai logging industry. Now unchained and free to roam Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary.
6. I have a Reader Submission this week from a long-time subscriber who has shared a photolog of his family's vacation to Barcelona, Spain.
| | Now, to this week's Flock. | | 1. Birds: The Best Bird Dads | | Put a little extra seed in the bird feeder this Sunday to help the bird dads in your neighborhood celebrate Father's Day. | | The Best Dad Birds and How They Help out Around the Nest | | |
Celebrate the hardest-working male birds out there! These great dad birds don't fly away when the chicks hatch.
Are Dad Birds Good Parents?
On Father’s Day, the dad birds in our backyard aren’t kicking back and enjoying the warm summer day. A male song sparrow, flecked with brown and white, lands on a tree branch to sing between trips to a hidden nest where his hungry offspring wait for the next mouthful. Meanwhile, a flash of red on the opposite side of the hedge means a male northern cardinal is delivering dinner to his own eager brood.
Dads of some species in the bird world provide more than just meals, though. They help build nests, incubate eggs and stick around even after the moms have left.
| | A Common Starling gathers nest-building materials. | | |
Do Dad Birds Feed the Chicks?
On Father’s Day, the dad birds in our backyard aren’t kicking back and enjoying the warm summer day. A male song sparrow, flecked with brown and white, lands on a tree branch to sing between trips to a hidden nest where his hungry offspring wait for the next mouthful. Meanwhile, a flash of red on the opposite side of the hedge means a male northern cardinal is delivering dinner to his own eager brood.
Dads of some species in the bird world provide more than just meals, though. They help build nests, incubate eggs and stick around even after the moms have left.
| | Adult bluebird feeding fledgling | |
2. Summer Solstice: June 21, 2025
| | Here is a simple explanation of the solstices and equinoxes from the June 16, 2023 issue of the Flock. | | What Is a Solstice and What Is an Equinox (and Why Should I Care)? | | Astronomically, our planet’s seasons change on four particular days each year, two solstices, one in June and one in December, and two equinoxes (one in March and one in September). The particular dates are targeted by scientists at the boundary between our seasons because of a series of factors based upon the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, the tilt in the Earth’s axis and how those factors play out for all of us living here on the third rock from the Sun. | | In the first Flock Summer Solstice issue, I included this post about the Inca Inti Raymi Solstice Festival in Peru. I was a firsthand witness to this spectacle, and the joy and cultural pride expressed by the indigenous participants was contagious and made a lasting impression on me. | | |
The Inti Raymi festival in Peru is a feast of the Sun God and Pachamama (Mother Earth), the main Gods of the Inca civilization. These Gods were considered to be the creators of all that exists. They rule over the destiny of mankind and the universe!
This Inca festival of Inti Raymi is the most luxurious, large, and colorful celebration to be performed in Cusco as it was originally dedicated to an Incan ruler, considered to be a demigod for his people. The Sun was to be worshiped and offered sacrifices to avoid that it would leave the Earth and its children during its long journey while it ensures its return providing heat and joy
| | Inti Raymi Cusco Peru - Inca Trail Machu | | The interesting question is when is Inti Raymi celebrated? It is because, it is held on the 24th of June at present time, while the authentic celebration took place on the 21st of June, a Southern Hemisphere winter solstice. It was moved on the 24th probably to prevent it would merge with other catholic feasts. | | Ancient Traditions To Help You Celebrate Summer Solstice | | From: Gaia, By: Gaia Staff, June 20, 2023 | | |
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, during which the axial tilt of the Earth puts the western hemisphere closest to the Sun. For time immemorial, it has been a day of celebration for many cultures across the world.
Ancient Festivities on the Summer Solstice
In ancient Greece, the summer solstice marked the start of a new year and the month-long countdown to the Olympics. The Greeks also observed the festival of Kronia, during which they worshipped Cronus, the god of agriculture. At this time slaves were given equal rights to their owners, who allowed them to participate in games and festivities, sometimes even reversing roles and serving them – it was undoubtedly a welcomed holiday.
In ancient Egypt, the summer solstice represented the coming of the brightest star, Sirius. Not long after, the Nile would begin to flood its banks, marking a season of abundance from the land. The Egyptians believed Sirius was responsible for the floods and considered it the start of a new year.
The ancient Romans celebrated the festival of Vestalia, in honor of the goddess of the hearth. Married women brought offerings to the temple of Vesta, hoping the goddess would bestow blessings upon their families. Vesta was the protector of married women and virginity, and was exclusively a goddess for women.
In addition to the offerings made in Vesta’s temple, women would bake a sacred cake, which followed a strict recipe. Water from a sacred spring would be used, and prevented from coming into contact with the Earth, as it was carried in blessed jugs.
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Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
Of course, we would be remiss not to mention Stonehenge when talking about the summer solstice and Paganism. While the famous, monolithic site is still a bit of a mystery, it’s clear that the solstices were an impetus in its construction. On the night of the summer solstice, the sunset will align with the heel stone of the monument, and continue to shine through the others.
Some historians believe the construction of Stonehenge, which lasted between 3,000 and 2,000 BCE, was a societal ceremony. They believe it brought people together and was a show of communal strength to foreigners. And during the summer solstice, people from all over the country came on pilgrimages to celebrate.
| | 3. Bragging Rights: Keith Murfee-DeConcini | | Keith Murfee-DeConcini was the first person I featured in the Educator's Corner section of the Flock, not because Keith is a faculty member of a prestigious prep school or university, but because Keith has dedicated his life's work to educating the public on and advocating for disability rights through his writing, website and over 100 episodes of his very successful podcast, Disability Empowerment Now. Keith's achievements have earned him a listing in the 2024 Marquis Who's Who and coverage in the national press. | |
Keith DeConcini
Author, founder and host of Disability Empowerment Now
| | "Disability rights has always been my passion, even when I wasn’t consciously aware of the term. Born into a disabled body due to premature birth, my mind was always fueled by an inner determination for curious exploration. As a child, I began to write before I could speak. As a student in my formative years, I was blissfully unaware (for the most part) of my educational needs being any different than those of my peers, despite having a speech impediment." | | Disability Empowerment Now 100th Episode | | 4. Racer Sandy Washburn: Keeping up with Sandy | | I first featured Flock veteran Sandy Washburn's racing hobby and his vintage BMW 3.0 CSL race car in the 4th issue of the Flock as he prepared to race at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Sandy and his son Bill bond over their shared love of motorsport and the cars they build and race on the track. Sandy's getting back on the track after a bit of a bump in the road. GRIDLIFE Motorsports and Music Festival has selected his 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL race car to promote their Circuit Legends event at Lime Rock Park this August. | |
GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends
Lime Rock Park, CT, August 15-17 2025
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GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends is an event that celebrates automotive tuning culture in the modern era. With drifting, racing and time attack on track, there’s plenty to watch, but even more to explore inside with a curated car concourse showcasing some of the cleanest builds and significant chassis.
The primary spectacle off track at Circuit Legends is the Concours, a hand-selected showcase highlighting premium custom, tuner, and showroom vehicles. Each year, the Concours is themed towards one of the vehicles that shaped motorsports or car culture.
| | Sandy's 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL race car | | Sandy & Bill pose with their race car. | | Gosser Beer BMW CSL Replica Watkins Glen SCDA July 2020 | |
5. Elephants: An Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand
| | The Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary does remarkable work rescuing and rehabilitating abused elephants from the logging and tourist industries in Thailand. What a wonderful story. | | Elephant chained for 41 years finally tastes freedom at Thai sanctuary | | |
Amid all the stressful and terrible events happening in the world, I was delighted to learn about the recent rescue of an elephant named Mare Noi. For 41 long years, the gorgeous elephant had been chained up and forced to pull hundreds of trees every day for the logging industry in Thailand.
Mare Noi, an elephant in her mid-40s, was rescued through a joint effort by Planting Peace and Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES), which sent a giant truck to pick her up. The video that recounts her story reveals the moment she arrives at the sanctuary, where she's excitedly greeted by many of the dogs who live on the 400 acres along with many other rescue animals. The sanctuary welcomed Mare Noi with a giant smorgasbord of fruits and veggies laid out in the cutest heart shape. After her feast, she wandered around the acreage and explored her new home, getting to know all of her new family members and shedding her anxiety with each passing hour. She even had a reunion with an old elephant friend who had been previously rescued from the logging industry — and, living up to the old adage about elephants never forgetting, the two precious pachyderms definitely remembered each other! I can only imagine how comforting it must have felt to Mare Noi to have an old friend in her new home.
| | Elephant Walks Free After 41 Years In Chains | | Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary | | |
BLES strives to rescue and protect the elephants of Thailand from abuse and ultimate extinction. We provide a safe home where we focus on individual survival and relearning social skills.
BLES allows elephants to live in a safe and natural environment that encourages them to rediscover their true identity as elephants. We empower our elephants and give them the freedom to make choices and to explore social interactions with their own kind.
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6. Reader Submission: Barcelona, Spain
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A long-time Flock subscriber and professor of Geological Sciences at National Taiwan University in Taipei has shared pictures from his family's vacation to Barcelona, Spain.
If you would like to submit photos, poems, stories, or your thoughts with the Flock, please use the "Share Stories & Photos " button below.
| | Here, the family poses in front of the Museum Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, renowned for its collection of Romanesque church paintings, Renaissance and Baroque artworks, and pieces by Modern regional artists. | | Casa Batlló, the first stop on a walking tour of landmarks designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. The Batlló family desired a home that would stand out from its neighbors, and they gave Gaudí free rein on the home's remodel in 1904. It is known locally as Casa dels ossos (House of Bones) due to its skeletal organic quality. The façade is filled with symbolism alluding to the story of Saint George, patron saint of Catalonia, slaying a dragon to rescue a princess, with the top turret serving as the hilt of his sword and the scale-like roof tiles representing the dragon's back. | | Casa Milà, also called La Pedrera, the second stop on the Gaudi walking tour is the last private residence designed by Antoni Gaudi featuring an undulating ndulating stone facade that was controversial at the time of its construction. The home is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. | | The Passion Facade on the west side of the Sagrada Família, Gaudí's unfinished cathedral and most famous design, and the final stop on the walking tour. | | A one-hour train ride from Barcelona takes you up to the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, in the Catalan pre-Coastal Range, featuring stunning views of the countryside and miles of hiking trails. | | A parting shot of the Plaza de España and Museum Nacional d'Art de Catalunya from Arenas de Barcelona. | | These Flock regulars are always here for you: | | Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories! | | I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story. | | Subscriptions & Idea Submissions
Reminder: Your submissions are always welcomed. | | |
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Your fan and friend,
Beth
| | | The information and materials contained or referenced in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before beginning a new health care regimen. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical advice or care based on anything contained in this newsletter. | | | | |
