Suddenly This Summer

A chip of late June or even July broke loose and landed on today. That almost never happens here in the North. But it was a summer-like day, partly cloudy and temps within spitting distance of 90° F. With the bonus of no mosquitos.

This is another array of remarkable photos at the Atlantic web site, these from Russia, where the anniversary of end of World War II in Europe has not been forgotten. Not much of a to-do about VE Day here so many years later, but then again Americans are noted for their ahistorical attitudes.

That might not be so bad. Long historical memories are also raw material for bitter, bloody feuds. But even we might commemorate our victory now if, say, Canada had invaded us 70 years ago, occupied all of New England and New York, the Great Lakes states and the Pacific Northwest, and was only dislodged at the cost of 25 million dead.

Whether we visibly remember or not, the war's legacy is still with us. This series of photos, also from the Atlantic, shows that all too well. We might not test them any more, but the bombs are still around.