Thanks to friend and fellow blogger Chuck Stone (http://wheres-chuck.blogspot.com/) watch the parts of the International Space Station (ISS) come together as they are sent up from Earth. This is the ISS Assembly diagram, piece by piece.
As part time dirt dwellers, Sarah and I like to gaze up at the sky whenever the ISS passes overhead and is illuminated by the setting or rising sun...just after sunset or just after sunrise. We can check the sighting schedule by entering our zip code into the NASA web site (http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/JavaSSOP.html) and printing out all the sightings for the ISS and other objects in space visible from our Ohio home.
It's really more exciting and interesting than it may sound...give it a try!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Honor Flight
On July 25th, I was privileged to escort three World War II veterans on a visit to Washington, DC. Honor Flight is a volunteer-staffed organization whose mission is to safely provide an escorted visit for World War II veterans to visit the memorials in our Nation's Capitol. These veterans are the reason the United States continues to be a free country. The memorials were earned by the valor and blood of these men and women and it was a moving experience to be with them on their visit. 
Mlore to follow...........................
Read about Honor Flight at: http://www.honorflight.org/.
After breakfast at the airport, we left Columbus, OH and arrived at Baltimore-Washington airport in Maryland where we were met by soldiers and volunteers who assisted us from the arrival gate to our bus.
After breakfast at the airport, we left Columbus, OH and arrived at Baltimore-Washington airport in Maryland where we were met by soldiers and volunteers who assisted us from the arrival gate to our bus.
Our bus driver, Campbell "Soup" volunteers to drive the chartered bus each time Honor Flight veterans travel to Washington. Campbell does his best to make the trip from BWI to Washington, DC a pleasant experience for veterans and volunteers.
The first stop on each visit is always the World War II National Memorial on the Mall. It was the first time I had visited the Memorial and it's every bit as impressive as I'd heard. 
We were met by more volunteers who are always there when the Honor Flight veterans arrive. Senator Bob Dole is always there to meet the Honor Flight veterans. However, since he was recovering from surgery and unable to be there, Elizabeth Dole came in his place. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet her and she was gracious and warm to each of the veterans, spending most of the time we were at the memorial with the veterans. 
We were met by more volunteers who are always there when the Honor Flight veterans arrive. Senator Bob Dole is always there to meet the Honor Flight veterans. However, since he was recovering from surgery and unable to be there, Elizabeth Dole came in his place. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet her and she was gracious and warm to each of the veterans, spending most of the time we were at the memorial with the veterans. 
Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
Each year we make a pilgrimage to Mystic Seaport, Mystic CT. This year was no exception and we spent a great weekend (June 11-14) at the museum with friends we don't see often enough. The main event that attracts us is "sea music." What's "sea music" you rightly ask? If you Google it, here's where you go: http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=C9BE0FCF-D86E-382C-FA65352B6393646D. We don't think that link really gives a complete picture of the event, so here's another link where you can find photos of the performers and much more about the museum: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mysticseaportseamusicfestival2008/. We were going to include some of our own photos here, but there are so many on the last link and so much better than ours, we don't need to add any of our own.
Each day there are scheduled performances and after that day's scheduled events, there is a "Pub Sing" that sometimes goes on into the early hours of the following morning with "open microphones" (figuratively speaking since real sea shantymen (and women) don't need microphones!). The formal events end on Sunday evening and the survivors end up in Groton, CT at the Griswold Inn for a "Survivor's Night" of one last round of shantying before we all depart for the eight points of the compass.
Next year we'll be back for more!
Each day there are scheduled performances and after that day's scheduled events, there is a "Pub Sing" that sometimes goes on into the early hours of the following morning with "open microphones" (figuratively speaking since real sea shantymen (and women) don't need microphones!). The formal events end on Sunday evening and the survivors end up in Groton, CT at the Griswold Inn for a "Survivor's Night" of one last round of shantying before we all depart for the eight points of the compass.
Next year we'll be back for more!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Where Has the Year Gone?
Our last post was almost ten months ago and we don't blame you for losing interest! So let me try to arouse enough interest in you to read on and come back. I will be posting updates to our web log again as we get ready for another adventure. However, as I am writing this update in Ohio, the snow is falling, the sun has set, and the temperature is heading for the single digits. And once again, we are thinking of "hauling for better weather!"
Since March 2008, we've been pretty much full time "dirt dwellers" with the exception of a few, all-too-brief visits to maintain Windreka. The boatowners rule is...if you're not fixing at least two things a day, you're falling behind! By that standard, we are way behind. 
After all our preparatory work, the storm decided to pass us by. Since it was clear Hanna would remain offshore, we decided to remain on board. We did have a rainy, windy morning as the 
storm moved past us on its way toward the North Carolina-South Carolin state line where it came ashore. After the rain ended, we spent a pleasant weekend at anchor reviewing our preparations and learning from our mistakes. Of course, without refrigeration, our beer supply was getting warm; so we were forced to make it a priority to attend to that problem. With the storm offshore, the sunsets were spectacular and the shrimp fishermen didn't even pause in their work. From our secure anchorage, we watched several boats come and go followed by hundreds of birds...and the shrimp catch was obviously bountiful!
Since March 2008, we've been pretty much full time "dirt dwellers" with the exception of a few, all-too-brief visits to maintain Windreka. The boatowners rule is...if you're not fixing at least two things a day, you're falling behind! By that standard, we are way behind. The only nautical activity we've been involved in this past year was to prepare for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna which appeared to be aiming directly at Beaufort, SC. Since the marina implemented a new policy that required all boats to be moved 
prior to the arrival of a hurricane, Joe spent much of the week before the storm made landfall preparing Windreka and planning to move her. Friends, Frank and Adam had already scouted out some excellent "hurricane holes" nearby and Joe moved Windreka along with Wander (Frank's boat) and Journey (Adam's boat) to Edding Creek located on the right side of the overhead photo on the right. The Creek is a 30 minute ride (at 6 knots) from the marina located on the left side of the photo. We anchored the boats within 15 feet of the west side of the island in about 25' of water and we each put out three anchors...one to the north, west and south with between 100' and 250' of either chain or chain and nylon rode. At this anchorage, we were convinced we could ride any storm surge or tidal current that Hanna could throw at us.
Frank's boat (on the left) is a sturdy 43' Endeavour and Adam's boat (on the right) is a trim 34' Pacific Seacraft. Windreka is on the left below. We were lined up from north to south along the sandy banks of the island and could have deployed more lines to shore if we thought they were needed.
prior to the arrival of a hurricane, Joe spent much of the week before the storm made landfall preparing Windreka and planning to move her. Friends, Frank and Adam had already scouted out some excellent "hurricane holes" nearby and Joe moved Windreka along with Wander (Frank's boat) and Journey (Adam's boat) to Edding Creek located on the right side of the overhead photo on the right. The Creek is a 30 minute ride (at 6 knots) from the marina located on the left side of the photo. We anchored the boats within 15 feet of the west side of the island in about 25' of water and we each put out three anchors...one to the north, west and south with between 100' and 250' of either chain or chain and nylon rode. At this anchorage, we were convinced we could ride any storm surge or tidal current that Hanna could throw at us.
Frank's boat (on the left) is a sturdy 43' Endeavour and Adam's boat (on the right) is a trim 34' Pacific Seacraft. Windreka is on the left below. We were lined up from north to south along the sandy banks of the island and could have deployed more lines to shore if we thought they were needed.After all our preparatory work, the storm decided to pass us by. Since it was clear Hanna would remain offshore, we decided to remain on board. We did have a rainy, windy morning as the 
storm moved past us on its way toward the North Carolina-South Carolin state line where it came ashore. After the rain ended, we spent a pleasant weekend at anchor reviewing our preparations and learning from our mistakes. Of course, without refrigeration, our beer supply was getting warm; so we were forced to make it a priority to attend to that problem. With the storm offshore, the sunsets were spectacular and the shrimp fishermen didn't even pause in their work. From our secure anchorage, we watched several boats come and go followed by hundreds of birds...and the shrimp catch was obviously bountiful!
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