I know. This is little late, but I’m afraid this just has to be addressed. I’ve learned some terrible things about Valentine’s Day and why we celebrate that day. Apparently it all began with one of the most ancient Roman pagan festivals called Luprecalia, devoted to fertility, that involved two goats and a dog. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

This information was made available to me as I did some research for the program I had to present at out Lions International club meeting last Monday. It was our annual Valentine Day supper, with wives. Instead of trying to find someone interesting to come in and do a nice presentation, on something of value, I decided that I was going to let everyone know how Valentine’s Day came to be a celebrated day.

This is what Diane and I looked like last Monday ..

I have on my dress up T-shirt. Diane looked much nicer than I did.

Now, back to the two goats and the dog. Actually, there is conflicting information avaliable indicating that it may have only been one goat. Regardless, the animals were sacrificed on February 14th because of their sexual prowess. There is really no explanation as to that aspect, so I guess you’re just going to have to make something up in your head that’s suitable for your current frame of mind. Personally, I find it interesting. Why, specifically, goats and dogs? Why not hamsters and rabbits? Or ducks and chickens? Or just a nice, tasty cow?

No, it was goats and dogs. Once sacrificed, the goat was the source of fleshy, leathery, strips of flesh which were used by naked young men, who ran through the streets, of whatever town they happened to be in, slapping women and crops in an attempt to make them more fertile. The story goes on to explain how the young women, maidens, intentionally got in the way of the naked young men with the hope one of them would bless them with a slap from the meaty whip they wielded. Apparently the intent of the festival was successful because the Romans survived meaning both the crops and maidens were at least fertile enough to ensure continuation of the human race and the crops necessary to feed them.

There are other versions, many of which are less sexually oriented, and one of which I was forced to share with the older crowd at our Valentine Dinner. It was probably for the best as it kept me out of trouble for the evening.

Since Monday I finished chopping down an ugly tree that has graced the view from our kitchen, like forever. It was a constant source of joy for about a zillion birds so it was with mixed emotions that I severed it’s ties with Mother Earth. It had to go because it’s diseased in a way that makes it ugly and a source of infection for other rooted life. So, I made it so. Jeff and his friend started it by taking down the largest high vertical elements. I have four more to go before it’s completely down, then it’s all about cleaning up and seeing about ripping out the stump, making it’s destruction utterly complete.

Today I replaced one of the tires on the trailer I pull behind my awesome mower because it was flat and I needed the trailer to start moving tree debris to the burn pile. I managed to move three loads before I didn’t something very painful to my back causing me to believe it was a good time to quit. And, the Walters family showed up for a visit. It was a good time to stop and enjoy our taller grand children.

Perhaps I stopped in time so that my back will magically heal during the night allowing me to finish moving the remaining 1.5 trailer loads of limbs parts to the burn pile. I’ll let you know how that goes.