26 March 25

The last Wednesday in March is always Manatee Appreciation Day, so I'm wearing my manatees tie. It's also Little Red Wagon Day, created in 2016 by Radio Flyer on its 100th anniversary. My photo shows my sons in 1990 in a Radio Flyer wagon from my own childhood, at my parents home in Bethlehem, PA -- but it was painted GREEN when the original RED surface got rusty.

29 March 23

It's Manatee Appreciation Day! Visit the Save the Manatee Club's Web site to watch webcams focused on these gentle giants of the sea. Also look closely at my tie for manatees! I wear my gold K tie bar mainly for Kleppingers, but today I'm honoring the birthday of Anne Mary Large Kester (1712-1756), one of my sixth-great-grandmothers (tracing on my mother's side). Her story is special because she actually appears several times in my genealogy, as the great-grandmother of two second cousins who married -- with further close family relationships to make your head spin. For the full story, please see my blog post from last year.

30 March 22

Every year the last Wednesday in March is  Manatee Appreciation Day! You can see webcams trained on waters frequented by these "gentle giants" through the Web site from Save the Manatees. My tie, from the Nature Conservancy, shows manatees cavorting peacefully.

31 March 21

 It's National Stripes Day! And it's Manatee Appreciation Day! So I'm wearing my tie featuring manatees, and they happen to be swimming together in stripes! I'm including a photo of a playful manatee who is very laid back at Ben and Amanda's house. It was Amanda who helped us begin appreciating manatees some years ago when she had a summertime internship at the Cincinnati Zoo, caring for "Slip" and "Joe."

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25 March 20

Wearing my manatees tie for Manatee Appreciation Day! Watch some webcam displays of manatees from Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, FL. Bring some peace into your strained/strange lives.

28 March 19

Happy Birthday to our daughter Amanda Wheeler! My tie honors Manatee Appreciation Day yesterday, but is also very special for Amanda (who gave me the tie!). About ten years ago Amanda worked at the Cincinnati Zoo, caring for the manatees "Slip" and "Little Joe." They were returned to the Manatee Springs area in Florida in 2010. As is all too common for these gentle giants, Slip was injured by a recreational boat in 2012 and spent a full year in rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Amanda has earned her master's degree in zoology and currently works as the children's and teen's librarian at the Lincoln County Public Library in Stanford, KY. (In my photo I'm wearing a name tag from my participation in a high school "career day" event where I was describing my work in information technology.)

28 March 18

Happy Birthday, Amanda Wheeler! It's also Manatee Appreciation Day, so I am wearing my "manatees" tie (from The Nature Conservancy). Our daughter "Amandatee" is a manatee-fan, having worked directly with Slip and Lil' Joe at the Cincinnati Zoo nine years ago.

29 March 17

The last Wednesday in March is always Manatee Appreciation Day! My tie featuring manatees was rescued around 2011 from a Goodwill store. You can see many images of manatees on this Google search results page. These animals have "most favored status" with Amanda Wheeler, whose birthday (yesterday) we've celebrated since Sunday.

29 March 16

To get ready for Manatee Appreciation Day tomorrow, I'm honoring them today with this tie. It's also very appropriate to connect with manatee-enthusiast Amanda Wheeler who is recovering from her birthday celebrations yesterday. Manatees are in the news these days as the government considers reclassifying their status as "threatened" rather than "endangered," due to recent population increases.

25 March 15

Today is Manatee Appreciation Day!

13 November 14

Having no tie appropriate for St. Augustine's 1939th birthday, I've decided to join in celebrating Manatee Awareness Month today! It is officially proclaimed annually in Florida.

26 March 14

Be sure to appreciate a manatee today, on Manatee Appreciation Day! (Always the last Wednesday in March.) You can see many photos of this wonderful creature on this Google search page. Today is also special to our family because Jamison Patrick David Haskins will be born today!

30 April 13

Today is National Animal Advocacy Day! In our family we are advocates for safer treatment of manatees and primates.

28 March 12

Happy Birthday, daughter Amanda Wheeler! She has been a specialist with the manatees at the Cincinnati Zoo and would love to return to that line of work. So I'm wearing my Nature Conservancy manatees tie in her honor today.

3 October 11

Yesterday was the International Day of Nonviolence, proclaimed by the United Nations to honor the birthday (in 1869) of Mohandas Gandhi. Manatees are exemplary nonviolent creatures; they have individual personalities and engage easily in playful activities.