Further Down Our Road

Follow our continuing journeys by visiting our blog:  Travels with Snoopy

December 7th

It is always hard to get by December 7th without noting that this is the day my father passed away in 2004.  But it is also the day that I remember his story of surviving Pearl Harbor on the USS Raleigh on the same date sixty three years earlier.  We could usually get him to tell the survival tale after having a beer this time of the year and we were so enthralled with his story that I once recorded him telling the story so I would not forget the tale.

The light cruiser, USS Raleigh was moored in berth F-12 ahead of the USS Utah on the west side of Ford Island.  It seems Dad, a Chief Engineer on the cruiser, was coming off duty that morning from the engine room when he and another sailor opted to stop for the usual Sunday buffet breakfast before going down to the showers.  Sitting at the mess tables with breakfast in hand and sipping his first cup of coffee, he tells that "suddenly all hell broke loose" as a torpedo hit below creating an eight foot diameter hole in the side of the ship and lifting the ship's fantail out of the water with the force of the explosion at 7:55 a.m.  Their eggs flew up into the air as the mess tables collapsed and a sailor came running toward the mess hall with his face and uniform all covered in black soot.  "What SOB just blew up something in the engine room?" Dad yelled to him as he jumped to his feet.

Then a dive bomber struck the ship with a bomb which passed through the carpenter shop and oil tank driving through the hull of the USS Raleigh before detonating on the bottom of the harbor.    Moments later they all understood the ship was actually under attack and Dad realized a torpedo had just passed through the showers he might have been using but for his earlier decision to eat first.  Scrambling to the deck, he and others pitched in to keep the gun crews supplied with ammunition as Japanese bombers continued to strafe the ship.  The crew began throwing everything off the ship they could to to keep it afloat.  Meanwhile, the USS Utah capsized behind them and some sailors were sent by the captain of the Raleigh to cut the trapped men out of the USS Utah's hull.  As they brought down five enemy planes, Dad noted that at times the sailors had to scramble to get their heads under the gun turrets to protect themselves from the Japanese strafing.  Dad wondered at the time if he was going to "lose his family jewels..."  I for one am glad he did not since this all occurred ten years before I was born! 

Da Vinci Machines Exhibit

From the brochure and lecture given at the exhibit brought here from the Museum of Leonardo Da Vinci in Firenze, Italy, here are some interesting facts:

When Leonard da Vinci died in 1519, it is said he left behind 45,000 loose sheets of linen paper containing his detailed notes and drawings on his studies, observations, thoughts, designs and inventions!  About one third of those have survived, known as the "Codices of Leonardo da Vinci" and these are amongst some of the most valuable books in the world.

Working, interactive machines and inventions were brought to life as designed by Leonardo da Vinci for the exhibit by Niccolai Teknoart.  At the exhibit a visitor can examine, touch and handle everything from scaled models to life size models of military machines, flying machines, nautical and hydraulic machines, mechanics and masterpieces.

Leonardo was enthralled with birds and he dreamed of man being able to fly filling notebooks with sketches and studies focusing on the way wings move-their curve, strength and flexibility.  Studying how birds become and stay airborne and how their wings interact with air currents, Leonardo achieved an unprecedented knowledge of aerodynamics.

Leonardo was employed to invent many attack and defense systems by the rulers of his time which he did to earn money for his everyday expenses wisely collecting his fee before giving them the complete plans for a working model.  In 1487 for example he designed an eight man armored vehicle considered to be the first version of a tank which operated by each man turning a crank.

Many of the gears, cranks and pulley designs are the basics of car design today.  Da Vinci designed ways to safely lift items with less effort and to eliminating the danger of slippage, which enhanced work efforts of the time.  He also invented a screw which could lift water by turning a crank that prevented the water from flowing backward if you stopped turning the screw.

He was also noted for his painting skills working with fresco techniques using water color on wet plaster to paint the "Last Supper" for example or his painting of Mona Lisa.  Because the "Last Supper" is a fresco, it is slowly fading away and all efforts possible to preserve it are being performed.  The realism of his paintings was enhanced by his pioneering efforts in the study of anatomy using autopsy procedures prohibited at the time which he performed in spite of the Church's dictates.

Below are some additional photos we took at the exhibit:

This is a wooden bicycle design used by Da Vinci on stage in plays to move an actor from side to side of the stage.  It did not turn like today's bicycles.

Interior of the the eight man armored vehicle which only became operational after the king's agreed upon payment to Da Vinci who then revealed a hidden mechanism.

 

Jim calls this photo, "My Mona Lisa" - I am flattered!  One of my favorite paintings is the one below:

Jim (upper right) operates a lifting mechanism that prevents the weight from slipping back down while turning to lift or stopping during the lifting process using a screw-like mechanism at the top of the gear.

This instrument was designed to help regulate flight, showing if an aircraft is flying on an angle.  The pendulum is suspended inside a glass bell and during the flight the pendulum would shift if the flying machine tilted in its journey allowing the pilot to make necessary adjustments to bring the craft back to level.

In the center of the above photo, there is a "V" shaped item demonstrating the first double hulled sailing vessel designed by Da Vinci.  All and all, this was a great afternoon spent in a very attractive venue with immense opportunities to marvel at an unbelievable array of inventions and knowledge produced by one human being worth our profound admiration.  Don't miss this exhibit if you ever have an opportunity to avail yourself of it.

Thankfulness

Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28, 2013

Today I am thankful for so much:

My husband-confidant, best friend, soul mate

            and the strength that sustains me.

My family-each and every one of them,

            near and far and dear to me beyond measure.           

My friends-who constantly touch my heart

            and nurture my soul-always precious to me.

My departed family and friends-their spirits are with me

            constantly in memory and love.

My kitten-who entertains me with his antics and

            gives me laughter each and every day.

My health-feeling better than ever and grateful

            for having only the little aches and pains of old age.

My home-and the magic it provides traveling

            wide and far.

My job-for the fun and financial security

it brings to us.

My hobbies that provide me with an avenue for creativity

            and joy.

My age and the wisdom it has yielded along with

            the willingness to accept the things I cannot change.

My beautiful world that God shares with me daily

in so many ways from sunrises to sunsets,

flowers, beaches, mountains, trees, birds, and

more than I can list.

I wish you these blessings too and more

as we all make our way down this road of life.

Know that you are always in my heart, often on my mind

and I will love you forever; I will love you for always.

As long as I’m living, as long as I breathe,

YOU are special beyond measure to me.           

Surf's Up

There was a low in the Gulf that combined with a cold front coming across the country overnight to create awesome waves in the Gulf today after some heavy rain last night.  We could not resist driving over to the beach to see the waves, breathe the salt air and watch the birds along the shore.

The beach was virtually empty except for a couple of other brave souls who wanted to see the waves too.  One lone surf board sat on the beach without a surfer visible anywhere.  Maybe the board floated up on the beach with the waves.  Anything is possible I suppose.

The sound of the surf, the wind on my face, footprints in the sand and petite shells newly sprinkled along the edge of the high wave line combine to create an appealing playground for any age.  The wind blows our jackets and hair, the birds follow us like playmates, the soft white sand creeps between my toes and I feel like a child again.  I could sit here and draw it all in for hours it seems.  But we move on, safe in the knowledge that the beach will wait there for us in all of its infinite beauty until we return. 

Birthday Boy

Birthdays are always special and Jim's was no exception today.  We went to lunch with some of our new Shrine friends and later Jim and I shared pizza at a restaurant down the street for dinner.  It was a pizza buffet place which worked out to be an interesting concept with self-serve slices of pizza, a salad bar and beer on tap with the place touted as a sports bar as well.  We ended the day's celebration at home with a yummy chocolate cake, thankful for all the blessings we can readily count for the past year and looking forward to the upcoming year. 

Emerson Point Preserve

En route the trees grew over the road forming a green tunnel.

On Saturday we went exploring again driving across the Manatee River to the north of Bradenton into a town called Palmetto then continuing northwest to Snead Island and the Emerson Point Preserve.  The preserve is a 365 acre wildlife preserve at the mouth of the Manatee River's entry into lower Tampa Bay.  The land is a tropical hammock with shady trails and boardwalks leading through native plants to the river's edge.  There is a drive that takes us through the entire preserve along side of wide bike trails ending at the point overlooking lower Tampa Bay.

An osprey or eagle's nest.

Kayaking out into the Manatee River.

Fishing along the beach and wadding out into the water.

Mangrove trees at the edge of the river.

Mangroves are essential for preserving the shoreline and create a quiet marine area for young organisms like algae, barnacles, oysters, sponges, shrimps, mud lobsters, crabs and more to grow until they are big enough to compete and survive in the river or bay.     

Mangrove roots growing into the water.

Kayak or canoe launching site at the Preserve.

Personally, I would not want to canoe through the waterway above because of the potential exposure to native wildlife (primarily snakes that I am terrified of) but the wood boardwalks might be a possibility for getting further out into the preserve.  Alternatively, kayaking in the river or bay would suffice for me to get close to some of the wildlife.  Apparently dolphins are present in the bay as well I am told.

Drying wings of a Cormorant sitting on a bird house.

Interestingly, southwest Florida's largest Native American temple mound is located here with its surrounding midden complex, called the Portavant Temple Mound.  It was produced by the Safety Harbor culture between 900 AD and 1725 AD constructed of soil and middens.  The Safety Harbor people lived primarily in villages along the shoreline of Tampa Bay and the nearby Gulf of Mexico coastline.  Their villages or "chiefdoms" were about 15 miles in length along the shoreline and extended inland about 20 miles with each chiefdom having a temple mound and central plaza within it.  Fifteen of these have been identified in the Tampa Bay area.  Important individuals lived within the plaza with the chieftain living upon the temple mound itself.  Midden mounds and burial mounds were also created near the temple mound.

It was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday.  We got a bit of lunch at a riverside cafe overlooking the Manatee River southerly toward Bradenton.  The options for exploring this area seem endless at the present.