ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.

RASPBERRY (raz'ber'e) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.

We hereby deliver:

• ROSES to the returning soldiers from the 224 Engineer Company of the Oregon Army National Guard. They are returning from the second deployment for this unit, which used to be known as Bravo Company, 52 Engineers. It was one of the first Oregon units to be sent to Iraq when the United States sent troops to Iraq in March 2003.

They are scheduled to be back in Oregon on Monday, with a formal welcome-home ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Linn County Fairgrounds/Expo Center in Albany.

A total of 29 mid-valley soldiers are coming home, including two from Corvallis, and one each from Philomath and Alsea. The Gazette-Times will offer much more detail on our news pages in coming days as the Guard finalizes arrangements, including how the our readers can help to welcome them home.

And speaking of other soldiers, both present and past:

• ROSES to the lion-hearted Allied soldiers who stormed the beaches at Normandy in France, 64 years ago today. History now simply calls it D-Day. Those who were jarred by the first horrific combat scene from the film "Saving Private Ryan," which accurately depicts the grim reality of that landing, have some notion of the human cost of that victory, which marked the beginning of the end for the Nazis' occupation of Europe in World War II.

Much has been written in praise of that battle on June 6, 1944. It is richly deserved. But the soldiers' accomplishment needs no embellishment: They helped save the world. And we haven't forgotten.

• RASPBERRIES to missing a big weather record through what we can - with apologies for the cliché - accurately describe as a perfect storm of misfortune. Sure, we know that phrase has become overused to describe how one calamity heaped upon another can really mess stuff up. But in this case, it's apt.

The fine folks who monitor the weather data at the Hyslop station said that a computer breakdown, a staffing change and a medical emergency all added up to nobody being on hand to report that we broke a 114-year-old rainfall record this week.

In the 24 hours that ended at 8 a.m. Tuesday, the weather station recorded .80 of an inch of rainfall at the Hyslop station. That broke the 1894 record for that date - which is just about as far as weather records go - of .60 of an inch.

We're not sure whether the rainfall itself deserves a raspberry, given how beautiful and long-lasting the spring flower show has been this year. But even we rain-loving Oregonians might welcome just a bit more sunshine and warmth.

• ROSES to Mark Lusher of North Albany. Or maybe seven, one for each of the world's tallest peaks that he's scaled, on each of the available continents. We've given him roses in honor of his second attempt to scale Mount Everest, but you know, we weren't all that sure he would.

He's 60, and of course society has low expectations of anyone doing physically challenging world class endeavors past 40 or so. But on May 24 - five days before the 55th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and guide Tenzing Norgay's first-ever arrival at the world's tallest peak - they stood on the 29,029-foot summit.

What's more, Lusher and climbing guide Horgess Sherpa along with their companions did it along the same difficult route as Hillary.

Although he died Jan. 11 at the age of 88, we're pretty sure the New Zealand native would have joined us in saying to Lusher, "Good on ya."

As for what Lusher says: No, he's not done. The veteran climber would like to also climb a few of those small - say, 25,000-foot - Himalayan peaks.

• ROSE-RASPBERRIES to the slow appearance of … well … roses and berries. Blame the cool, wet spring again.

That's the reason offered for the fewer-than-usual roses that will be blooming at 2 p.m.

And you can be sure that the Corvallis Rose Society won't be shy any entries for its annual show.

Rose fanciers can appreciate the scent and symmetry of the perfect blooms, which will on display at Rite-Aid at Ninth and Circle Boulevard from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

And don't let the news that Oregon's strawberry harvest has been delayed for a week or two by the cool, wet spring deter you from catching one of the best hometown festivals anywhere.

We're talking about 99th annual Lebanon Strawberry Festival, which runs today through Sunday.

The grand parade through Lebanon is at 11 a.m., and you can follow the signs east from town along Highway 20 to the free strawberry shortcake, which will be served at the Cheadle Lake Park festival grounds.

And if you hang around until dusk … fireworks!