Memorial Day 2020

This Memorial Day is different from others we’ve seen with the Covid-19 virus going around, states still on lock down, and politicians who can’t agree on anything except raises for themselves. Yet today we observe a holiday for those who gave all in defense of our freedom. Some of us observe a moment of silence at 3 pm today to remember those who are no longer with us. We can never forget that freedom isn’t free.

A few things

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Our prayers go out to all those affected by last nights torndao in
Tennessee.

Today is super Tuesday and we’ve been told that whoever wins tonight will have a solid lead on the others. If we miss the coverage now it can be seen tomorrow morning on the news shows then. Of course this happens on the night we like to watch a couple shows on TV and the local channels are covering the event.

No great loss there, just an inconvenient. If you live in one the
states involved in super Tuesday please go vote if you are so
inclined. We’ll wait and see who is ahead when the dust settles.

Went over to visit Dad today and he was in a rare talkative mood. He
joined the Navy in 1942 and said it was because he didn’t want to get
drafted. He also said he was in port in Okinawa, Japan, when the peace agreement was signed.

He mentioned how rough the Atlantic Ocean can get and how the ship
would bounce around when the going got tough. I mentioned the time
we sailed through a Typhoon and that wasn’t a smooth sail either. He
also claimed he crossed the Atlantic 3 times.

I didn’t catch it at the time, but wouldn’t you be back in Japan if
you crossed 3 times? Going to ask him next week. He also said the
chili I took over was great and I could bring more over any time.
Guess more chili is on the menu soon.

Enjoy what’s left of our Tuesday and we hope you’re getting decent
weather where you are. Now for some coffee and a pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Take a moment

78 years ago today we were attacked at Pearl Harbor and over 2,000
lost their lives. We must never forget.

Delayed post

First I’d like to say Happy Veteran’s Day to all fellow veterans out
there and hope it was a good one. All set to do an early post today
my body rebelled and I didn’t even get out of bed until 10 am. Then I
went out to sweep and shovel the snow to feed the feral cats and
make a path to the car in case we needed it.

After doing that and fixing a quick bite I laid back down and fell
asleep again. So here I am at this late time putting this together to
get it on the blog. We also missed the Veteran’s Day parade but have
seen some coverage online.

When this is done I’ll hopefully get some things done that didn’t
get earlier before turning the TV on to watch a rerun of Perry Mason.
On another note, tomorrow there will be a full moon if anyone is
interested and we’ll wait until later tomorrow to see if the clouds
go away long enough to see it here.

Some people locally are mad that the snow plows didn’t get out
sooner. They seem to forget it is a holiday for city workers and I’m
just guessing someone had to approve the extra money for holiday pay. Things can get slick on the roads, be careful out there and take it slower than you usually would.

Leaving early to allow for the longer drive time beats ending up in
the hospital or morgue. Enjoy the rest of our Monday, Veteran’s Day,
as we will.
Comments are always welcome.

Day six

The heat wave hasn’t gone away yet but we’ve been powering through
it. Even though it was 99 by 1 pm, we had already been to a surplus
store, a fruit stand, the Castle, the Amish Restaurant and were on
our way to the USS Batfish museum.

The first thing you see when you enter the grounds is this gun.
It’s hard to miss. As one drives closer to the museum you notice
Memorials. Pictures of a few of those are below.

We were given a nickel tour of the damage to the submarine in the
recent flood and the volunteer assured us the sub should be up and
running by July of next year. She was very informative.

On the grounds between the indoor museum and the sub itself are
rows of these plaques which commemorate all 52 U.S. submarines
that were lost in World War II. Each plaque is one sub and tells
date commissioned, date lost, and number of casualties.

Of course the USS Batfish is also on the grounds. The reason
repairs are needed become obvious as you look at this once
majestic lady. We hope they get her back to her former glory.

This reminds that freedom isn’t free and while all gave some,
some gave all. We did our part to help the cause and hope on a
future visit when the USS Batfish is restored.

On a happier note, later we went to the Oklahoma Festival of
Ballooning held in Muskogee and got to see the balloons and listen
to some music. We left before the fireworks to beat the crowd
leaving and because some of us don’t like loud noises.

Enjoy our Sunday as we’re going to a cookout.
Comments are always welcome.

Planes and kittens

Yesterday as I sat in front of our desktop computer I heard an older prop plane fly overhead. I got a little excited as a feeling came over me that this was not a regular Piper Cub or something similar. It sounded too loud and was booking right along like a military plane.

I also knew that most planes fly over to get from point A to point B and that by the time the camera was in hand and I was out the door, it would be gone. Then I heard again so with camera in hand I went outside and saw this-

Nice to know I wasn’t crazy and this plane kept circling the area and I got a few more pictures. It was a sight to see and sounded better than it looked.

After circling the area several times the plane wasn’t seen again. But I’ll bet the pilot had a blast.

And here are a few shots of some of the kittens who were around to pose for the camera. It was a warm day and most didn’t venture too far from the water bowl.

Some people claim they don’t like our country and I disagree. I love the fact that we can walk out our back door and see sights like those above.

Enjoy our Friday as the weekend is here ready or not. Now I need some coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Summer days

The feral kittens found a new hiding spot and it took a while to find it. They would venture out then scamper right back at the slightest noise. Turns out, their new hiding spot was next to where I’d planned to stand and get a few pictures of the Blue Angels as they flew over.

While waiting for the flyover other things caught the eye. Like the splash of bright colors in an otherwise bland hill and the winged creature sunning in the alley. Not sure if it’s a butterfly or a moth.

Was worried at first that this one was going to crash. While the jet looks quite low the tree is a really big old growth oak on a lot that is elevated above our viewing spot. These things can scoot though.

Here are a few pictures of the Blue Angels in formation above us. We only had a short peek at them or would have gotten more pictures. No thought was given to cruising out to closer viewing spot for more shots as it was just too stinking hot out.

Sunday was a picture perfect summer day until about 5 hours after the Air Show ended when the skies opened up and the rains came. With winds strong enough to blow semi trucks over on the interstate and knock out power to about 40,000 homes. We weren’t one of those homes.

Enjoy our Monday as it’s the first day of the rest of out lives. Now for more coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Seeing what happens

The Air Show starts today and the Navy Blue Angels are part of said show. I took the above shot from our driveway and a few things became abundantly clear. I forgot my Navy training about how fast they fly, and our driveway is surrounded by a lot of old growth trees.

This means that when I hear the jets coming the camera has to be ready as the jets are only visible for 2-3 seconds. In that time you have to frame your shot, focus the lens, and take the picture. I’ll try to get some better shots today. I also found out I didn’t forget a few choice cuss words.

And I forgot how loud military jets can be when they are really booking. But at least the old training helps me locate where they’ll come out of the treeline. Perhaps I should try an auto-focus lens yet somehow feel that’s cheating.

This little critter was a lot easier to photograph as he is nowhere near as fast as the jets. With all the noise of the jets passing over this guy just stayed on the wall for about a half hour alloying time to get a few shots.

And like other areas of the country, we have a heatwave going on and I think that’s why the Mama cat didn’t have the kittens out. Mama cat herself came around to get her ears scratched and food bowl filled but the kittens must have been hidden in a shady spot.

Enjoy our Saturday since it’s here and we can’t change it anyway. Now for more coffee before the Air Show starts in about an hour and a half.
Comments are always welcome.

Birds were out along with the sun this morning as I got ready to go over and visit Dad. After he had breakfast we made small talk until he began to talk about his time in the Navy. And I learned something.

He said his ship was in the harbor when General MacArthur, aboard the USS Missouri signed the surrender agreement with Japan on September 5th, 1945 just outside Tokyo.

He could see the ship from his but not see the actual signing. He talked of his time as a Gunners Mate and that he had crossed the ocean 3 times during his service. When the war ended he got assigned to a cargo ship and said they pushed all the cargo overboard, brought home-ward board soldiers aboard, and took them home.

And we talked of those we met while serving and those who didn’t come back. One of his brothers didn’t make it back and was buried over there. we laughed about boot camp and how some got sea sick when the ship left the port.

Actually I learned a lot. This was the first time he talked of his time during the war in such detail and I savored every word. I don’t know why he finally decided to open up yet am extremely grateful that he did. When I left we were both smiling.

Enjoy our Tuesday as hump day is only a dream away. Now for some coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

We must remember

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, an operation that involved 150,000 soldiers and 195,700 naval personnel, that began the liberation of German occupied France. Allied casualties were over 10,000 with 4,414 confirmed dead.

And while I was watching the morning news one of the talking heads stated that our kids today believe we fought with the Germans against the Russians! I certainly hope that isn’t true.

Later in the program they profiled a Native American who became a combat nurse and served during that time and treated casualties of the invasion. Yet when she returned home there were no parades or fanfare, only signs in businesses in her home town that said ‘Indians and Dogs Not Allowed!’

We must remember and pass our knowledge on to our children and grand children so they remember after we’re gone. Today we are 75 years separated from D-Day and we don’t have many left who can say they were there. Sadly, in my lifetime there will be none.

And if you’re having a bad day think about the 18 year old boys who jumped off the LSTs and stormed the beach 75 years ago today. We owe them our freedom and respect so the least we can do is remember them.

Comments are always welcome.