Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

I will be writing about this in the July issue of News & Notes , but in the meantime, I encourage you to download the Merlin Bird ID app to your phone. It is a free app and identifies the birds that are singing near you and shows a picture of that bird as well. It's amazing! Just this morning, in a very few minutes outdoors, the app picked up sounds of American goldfinches, Carolina wrens, Carolina chickadees, indigo buntings, red-bellied woodpeckers, bluejays, tufted titmice, American crows, and fish crows. Many of those bird songs I already recognized, but until this morning I never knew the difference in sounds for American crows and fish crows! And I am constantly surprised by the many songs of Carolina wrens. The app also allows you to take a photo of a bird for identification. Because I have limited data, I'm not keeping a list of birds and songs on my phone, but if data use is not an issue you might want to add even more information on your birding adventures. And of...

My beagle, Mec, is named after my cousin America "Mec" Clemens, so I thought she would be the most logical spokesdog for today. Yes, perhaps America is an unusual name - but my Aunt Sue and her very British husband, the Rev. John Julyan Clemens chose that name for their seventh (of nine) children. Cousin Mec was born in 1884 and died in 1899.  Her gravestone says, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." We all know dogs are pure in heart! Doggie Mec is happy to be named America and even happier to be called Mec! She and all of us send you good wishes on this 4th of July! It's too hot to be outside - it's a perfect day to read a good book indoors!  

O Canada                                                                           Happy Canada Day - may we, too, always stand guard for our neighbor in the North!    

Sunny heat and high humidity are great for daylilies - not so much for people or other animals. Stay safe - drink lots of water and find a cool, shady spot!

 In case you've wondered, catnip or catmint is very easy to grow! In fact, it almost took over one area of our yard until Mariette the chicken discovered it. Apparently, chickens love catnip as much as cats do although I didn't notice any cat-like behavior. The bees definitely love the catnip flowers! And I suspect I might have to try it for tea . . . we'll see!

Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary proudly joins the celebration of Juneteenth! [Alas, in this very rainy day, the red of the flag appears more of a magenta color - but it really is red!] Read more about the real Juneteenth flag below. In 1997, more than two centuries after Betsy Ross is said to have sewn the first American flag, Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation, developed a new American flag. The activist, also known as Boston Ben, led a team of collaborators who created the design concept for the flag as a reflection of the Juneteenth slogan “a new freedom, a new people, a new star.” As Haith’s foundation puts it, the design represents “a star of Texas bursting with new freedom throughout the land” and rising over a new horizon.   The paragraph above and those below are taken from a Reader's Digest article by Sheena Foster, updated on May 11, 2026,  Here's What the Colors and Symbols of the Juneteenth flag mean : A quick glance at the June...

 This little bee reminded me of the "procession out" hymn at Christ Church Cathedral (Houston) last Sunday - hymn 541, words by Jane Laurie Borthwick, now in the public domain. The last verse says: Come, labor on. No time for rest, till glows the western sky, till the long shadows o'er our pathway lie, and a glad sound comes with the setting sun, "Servants, well done." [Those reading this who knew Canon West may remember that he once said this hymn made him tired . . . but I rather like it! Hoping, when the time comes, we will indeed hear those words!]