Thursday, April 3, 2014

A trip back in history


A Trip Back In History



Chase and Glen standing in front of a B-17



It has to be one of the most memorable trips ashore we have had in a very long time.

I heard on the cruiser's net that several vintage WWII planes would be coming to Marathon.  I decided to take the kids out of (home)school for the day and make it a cool field trip.  They were excited about it - though more excited I think about getting out of school that going to see a few old planes.  So we started the day at the tennis court while we waited for them to arrive.  As we were vollying back and forth, a loud rumble roared over head as a huge plane, dropped its gear over us and blackened out the sky for a brief moment.  My kids stared up as they went over, their mouths gaping open.  From that point on, they had absolutely no interest in tennis or anything else.  They wanted to get to the airport!

We rode our bikes there (about four miles against the wind) and they were so excited when we got there they stopped at the fence and stared.  I will say that the planes look especially huge when you are up close to them... even larger than when they roar overhead.  So we paid our dues and in we went...



Chase climbing up into the B-17


I have to say, this was one of the most spectacular plane-visits I have had the pleasure of seeing.  Most of these visits are nothing more than an outside examination of a cool plane (no touching).  THis place was just the opposite and you could not only touch the planes, but you could climb through almost every aspect of them.  They foundation that runs these planes has spent an enormous amount of money to restore them as close to their original condition as they could.









The B-17 really was a fabulous plane.  The planes were highly overbuilt and could sustain an incredible amount of damage before they were brought down.  However, they had less of a range and though they were smaller, actually carried less ammunition than the B-24.  A positive of the B-17 is that it could handle multiple roles and after the war, it was used for a multitude of things from fighting fires to deliver goods.  Because of this versatility, there are still many examples of B-17's today and many still fly.

Chase and Glen standing outside the B-24 





The B-24's are a completely different animal.  It was purposely built for one purpose:  to carry bombs.  It had a larger range and could carry more payload and larger bombs.  It was one of the most effective bombers during the war.  However, it was much more susceptible to damage and a water landing was especially dangerous because of how the bomb doors were made.  Given its narrow body and specific design, the B-24 had no real civil use after the war and most were scrapped.  The B-24 pictured here is the last, flying B-24 on the planet.  All the rest are either non-operational museum pieces or completely gone.

The P-51 Mustang... a gorgeous aircraft.


The P-51 Mustang (this fighter was the C if I recall correctly), is an incredible beauty to behold.  Fast and could fly at high altitudes.  For those that have never heard one of these (this is the second time in my life), they have a very distinctive sound and a kind of whistle as they go by.  Incredible planes.  I believe that many P-51's survive still today, though I think this is the only C version still flying.  This version was also a two seater (front and back) which was especially unusual.

These particular planes fly around the country and do open tours from coast to coast.  If you get an opportunity to see them, do it.  Fabulous step back in time.  My kids loved it and it was a great history lesson.  Especially when they held the machine guns, I asked them how they would feel with a swarm of german fighters shooting holes around them... when they either had to shot them down or be shot.  There was no where else to go.


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Name that class...


It's inevitable. Leave something in thd drink long enough and things will begin to grow on it. A little longer and LOTS of things will grow on it. How long this time... Er, hmm, how about 6 months??

So we were tired from school and the weather was beautiful. "How about we take a break from math and head to the beach?  A little PE?"  They were all for that until they saw what I hooked up to the tender:  their kayaks. 

So we took off for Sombrero and a side where you can beach small boats. We carried with us several putty knives, a 5g bucket filled with fresh water, a brush and muriatic acid. We knew it would be bad.... Has no clue it would be that bad!!!



So what initially was going to be a PE class suddenly turned into a full-fledged marina biology class. The growth was at least two inches thick and larger in some places. We found lots of sea pork, snall shrimp, and even lobster!  Yes, lobster!!  Look closely and you will see one in the pic below...



Just so you know, he was not quite big enough for the grill, so we begrudgingly let him go with a daring remnider that we would, "catch ya later!!"


Then the fun began. Poor Glen had his mouth open when he hit one of the porks and it splattered in.  He threw his putty knife down and began a convulsion of spitting. I did not laugh (out loud) but did get quite a snicker. 

So in the end we got them cleaned up and made our way back to the boat. We asked ourselves whether we should count it as PE or Biology class. What do you think???


Thursday, February 27, 2014

A stark reality of this life...

Exotic islands. Goregous water. Beautiful sunsets and the love of being a part of nature versus seeing it from abroad. These are all true and they are all part of the life we see and how we envision life aboard a boat. But there is another stark reality that I should share. It is rarely discussed or considered before we take off, but for most of us, it eventually tracks us down. What is it?  Losing touch with family amd friends. 

Do we still call?  Absolutely.  Do they follow us on Facebook or our blog?  Of course. But the reality is that you are likely hundreds to thousands of miles from those you love. Nothing can replace being with them and sooner or later, something happens.  The call comes in. It did for us a couple of nights ago. 

Christie's grandmother, who raised her until she was about 9 and took the place of her mother after her mom died (when Christie was 8), is becoming very ill. We were told to get to North Carolina as quickly as possible. 

Many thoughts go through your head. There is a level of regret and certainly a lot of questioning. "Did we do the right thing going boating?"  "Should we have stayed close instead?"  "Is it worth it?"  

There is no right or wrong answer here. It is one of the tradeoffs for doing this life. And while no one wants to talk about it and fewer truly realize its ramifications until their 'call comes in', it is something we all must balance as we set sail for the beautiful places that beckon us away. My only suggestion is to remember why you do this. Remember why you left. For me, as I put in another round of homeschooling, I balance it with my kids who wake up with me every day. I am showing them a life few can do, and fewer still will ever do. Others dream of it. We live it. Yet, it doesn't come without its stark realities and it does not make them any easier to swallow. 


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The beginning of a new day

Beautiful sunset. Life starts over today. I have been so blessed. I will not let this blog set idle anymore. 

My post to start it off...