Two Baby Jaguars Born to Memphis Zoo

Two female jaguar cubs behaved perfectly as the Memphis Zoo veterinarian Dr. Felicia Knightly gave them an exam on Thursday October 10th, 2019. The parents are Philomena and Diego who were brought to the zoo with hope that they would breed. The 36-day-old sisters are eating well, shown by their perfectly little chubby bellies. They are about the size of full-grown housecats.

You can see the full story in the Daily Memphian.

https://dailymemphian.com/section/metro/article/8084/memphis-zoo-unveils-cat-countrys-newest-resid

Last Public Mass Held at Monastery of St. Clare

The Poor Clare Nuns held the last public mass on Sunday, Aug, 11 2019, at the Monastery of St Clare in Memphis. The nuns will be leaving the building that has housed their order since 1932 in the Frayser neighborhood. The monastery will be closed at the end of the year.

Memphis, Tenn. - Concealed behind tall brick walls and strong iron gates in a struggling Memphis neighborhood, nuns have been quietly praying for the city and its people since 1932. 

 Few people have been behind the walls of this monastery.  The silent and prayerful lives of the women, who have chosen to live here in community, remain a mystery and a curiosity to most outsiders.

 But they do have friends. The many friends of the Monastery of St. Clare, are a loyal group of followers who have supported them in every way you can imagine, only asking for prayer in return.

 In a neighborhood that is plagued by crime and residents fighting to climb out of poverty, these women have chosen a life that St. Clare called the “privilege of highest poverty.” The nuns rely on their friends for generosity, food, donations and even occasional help around the monastery.

 They have been called to a life of prayer and silence. To live in community and in radical poverty.

 The day they celebrated the Feast of St. Clare, on August, 11th, 2019, the sisters were applauded for all the fruits of their prayer during their last public mass for the Catholics of Memphis. The chapel was full; it was standing room only.

 “In these past 87 years, the community began to dwindle” explains Father Albert Haase during that mass. He shared their process of discernment with the worshipers in attendance. Gradually their community has gotten smaller and smaller; they prayed and asked “what does God want from us now?” Each of them came to realize, their mission here has been completed. “Their mission here is complete” he says “but their vocation goes on.”

 Choked up, finding it difficult to get out the words that she had planned to share, Sister Marguerite said, “We are leaving, but we will continue to pray for you and you will always be in our hearts.”

 She looked into the faces of the husbands, wives, children and elderly that she had spent a lifetime praying for, but she was unable to say more.

 After the service, a small child, Emma Bills, 7, held onto her. She had been baptized at the monastery. Her grandparents lived near the monastery, her mother grew up near the monastery and they all had built a relationship with the sisters.

 In May of 2018 the Vatican issued guidelines that all contemplative communities should have at least seven members. This, the last contemplative monastery in Tennessee,  has dwindled to four.

 So, they sought out ways to continue their vocations. They reached out to other Poor Clare communities around the country. Sister Anthony will be going to the Poor Clare’s in Cincinnati with Sister Alma. Sister Marguerite and Sister Claudia will be going to live with the Poor Clare’s at the Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

 Written by Karen Pulfer Focht ©

Freelance Photojournalist in Memphis

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/08/13/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/49116/1

http://catholicphilly.com/2019/08/news/national-news/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/

Tom Lee Statue in Tom Lee Park

The future of Tom Lee Park is up in the air as officials and city activists try and agree on the future direction the park should take with a redesign.

In the mean time, Memphians enjoy the amenities as it stands.

https://dailymemphian.com/article/5923/Whats-the-plan-for-Tom-Lee-Park

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/36915

https://memphismagazine.com/features/tom-lee-a-heros-tale/

Hollywood Beach Private Pullman Car

Keith White purchased and restored the Hollywood Beach Private Pullman rail car, which is one of only three that existed. He houses the train car in St. Louis and offers a few short affordable trips per year for rail fans to enjoy.

 The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967

 All Photos © Karen Pulfer Focht

Below is an original advertising picture of the Hollywood Beach put out by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

Nostalgia Rides the Rails-

Written by John L. Focht ©

FUNK'S GROVE, Ill.--As Amtrak's "Lincoln Service" train speeds along the Illinois prarie at 67 mph, it shows off a special car coupled to the rear---the Hollywood Beach, a restored private railcar, which is taking a group of 15 guests southbound to St. Louis.

It is a restored classic railcar originally used by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to carry passengers on their "Silver Meteor" New York-to-Florida trains in the 1950s and 1960s.  It's an  unusual combination of half lounge and half Pullman sleeping car, one of only three such cars, built in 1957. 

The car is a labor of love for its owner, Keith White, 68,  of Naperville. Ill.  White is a retired Illinois Central/Canadian National rail traffic controller who started his career in Memphis, Tenn., then went on to Chicago. 

"I really need to have this," White said the first time he saw the car.  "So, it took a little bit of foolishness," he laughs. 

It takes a lot of time and money to restore such a car, White says.  He bought the car in 2016 for an amount he doesn't specify.  He has spent about $500,000 to upgrade and renovate it.  And now there are storage fees, insurance costs, annual inspections, Amtrak's charges to pull the car. ($3.67 per mile).  

"It's definitely not for the faint of pocket book!" White says.

White has completely refurbished the Hollywood Beach, essentially bringing it back to its original look and feel.  The large solarium lounge, with its large windows all around and on top, gives riders a full panaoramic view as we cross the Mississippi River on the MacArthur Bridge.

The car has five complete private bedrooms, with individual bathrooms, for overnight guests. It sleeps 10.  The Pullman-style rooms provide a comfortable couch during the day and have beds that pull down from the wall for sleeping. Everything has been immaculately and expensively restored--- even the little "boxes" where first-class bedroom guests in the 50s could put their shoes before going to bed, to have them returned and shined by morning.

White has added a full kitchen and even a shower to the Hollywood Beach.

He runs trips on the car about four times a year, making arrangements to hook onto Amtrak on their routes.  The Hollywood Beach just completed roundtrips from Chicago to St. Louis and Chicago to Carbondale.  White and  several couples spent the night in the bedrooms while the car was parked at Chicago Union Station.

Guest fares pay the expenses and make White a little money, but the Hollywood Beach isn't about making money.  It's more about White sharing the experience. Likewise,  it's not all about getting to a destination--it's about enjoying the journey.

The affable White and his wife Maggie serve as the crew.  It has a homespun flavor. "It's like visiting Keith's cottage," said one of the guests, while sipping a beer.  Keith cooks bacon and eggs for breakfast and serves all the meals.  They put out bowls of Goldfish crackers and Tootsie Rolls.  He is a conductor, cook, waiter, maid and attendant all in one.

At the end of this trip, the car returns to St. Louis and is switched into its home,  the tracks next to St. Louis Union Station.

White, sweating, wearing an Illinois Central hardhat and yellow vest, says, "It's a lot of work. It's taxing. But I love it."

Written by John L. Focht ©

Owner of Railcom, Germantown, Tennessee

https://dailymemphian.com/article/index/5601/Rail-car-restoration-project-is-labor-of-love-for-former-Memphian

For more Information about future trips contact Keith White at

Keith’s Rail Way LLC

OneCNICcat@prodigy.net

www.privatecarhollywoodbeach.com

Memphis Zoo Welcomes Second New Baby Giraffe in Less Than One Week!

Memphis Zoo Welcomes Second New Baby Giraffe in Less Than One Week~ Wendy, a Memphis Zoo giraffe gave birth recently to a boy calf and his is name is Kiburi, which means precocious in Swahili. Within the same week, the zoo’s 12-year-old giraffe Angela Kate gave birth her baby giraffe on April 9, 2019. These births bring the Memphis Zoo’s reticulated giraffe herd to 11. Reticulated giraffes are considered endangered, with only 11,000 remaining in the wild and a population that is declining. Memphis Zoo, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is home to more than 4,500 animals representing more than 500 different species.

Here you can see as the newest baby was introduced to his daddy Nikalaus gets to meet his babies.

I also happened to catch Giraffe vocalizations from the baby. It was the first time I had heard that. You can hear it too in this video.

~~~~~~~~~~VIDEO BELOW~~

Below you will find shorter video of just the baby giraffe vocalizations.

UPDATE FROM THE ZOO APRIL 25th, 2019-

“We’ve had a lot of questions about our most recent baby giraffe Ali, born just days after our boy Kiburi joined the herd earlier this month. Ali’s had quite the journey over the last few weeks, but we are happy to say she is back at Memphis Zoo on stall rest.” ~The Memphis Zoo

https://www.memphiszoo.org/blog/posts/alis-journey

The 31st Folk Alliance International conference in Montreal, Canada.

Industry professionals got intimate concerts and opportunities to connect with artists at the 31st Folk Alliance International conference in Montreal, Canada. Artists showcased their music all around the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel.

Conference attendees and folk friends around the world were invited to join a live-streaming a performance of “Give Peace a Chance” from their own beds on February 16th at 9:30 am ET.

“In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged a bed-in at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montréal, Canada where they penned and recorded the iconic pacifist song “Give Peace a Chance.” 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of this historic moment in music history, and our conference is taking place in the same hotel!” Folk Alliance International~

This weekend 78-year-old singer -songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, who had a string of hits in the 60’s and 70’s was honored at the event. She is a peace activist and a very private person who seldom leaves her farm in Hawaii. She recently released a biography.

In what was a folkies paradise, thousands of folk music fans came together to hear music legends in the historic Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. While it was frigid outside, the warmth inside between old friends was palpable. I was sitting next to Tom Paxton as he whooped it up and gave a thumbs up to Livingston Taylor after he performed Somewhere Over The Rainbow. As soon as the set was over, Paxton approached the stage and the two embraced.  Both artists have been able to maintain longstanding careers in the folk industry. 

The reporter I was working with and I looked for every opportunity to slip into the space where Livingston Taylor was giving his delightful performances. His warm and inviting style was very engaging; his vocals soothing and his guitar playing joyful. But what made Livingston special to me was his performance charisma. Frequently interrupting himself, as to never let a teaching moment pass, he's filled wisdom and humor and eager to share both with his audience. This says a lot, when you think that more than 1,000 singers, songwriters and musicians from around the world were competing for the attention of industry professionals. 

There is just something about Livingston that speaks heart to heart.

~~Young artist connected to industry professionals and each other, while showcasing their own music.

Story by award winning reporter Mike Sangiacomo, Cleveland Plain Dealer. https://www.cleveland.com/arts/2019/02/folk-alliance-conference-unites-musicians-from-around-the-world.html

Next years event will be in New Orleans.

VIDEO OF LIVINGSTON TAYLOR SINGING SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW ABOVE WITH APPROVAL OF TOM PAXTON AT THE END.