Blue Angels March 26, 2014

Blue Angels

The Blue Angel team practiced in Pensacola, FL today.  The jets painted blue and gold sparkled as they flew straight upwards in the sunlight.  The media here was all over the story of the Blue Angels returning to the Pensacola.  Everyone was excited to see the return of the Blue Angels. 

They have not flown since last April due to sequestration imposed by the Obama administration. The usual crowd of 18,000 was surpassed by 26,000 at the Naval Air Station today.  People from around the country were wowed by the Blue Angels with their precision antics, the smoke and the fumes.  I even had a surge of pride and patriotism seeing my tax dollars at work.  The lady next to LeRoy was electrified by "her boys" as they went through their maneuvers.  She goes to every Blue Angel practice and show in Pensacola.

The name Blue Angels was picked by the original team of demonstration pilots when they were planning a show in New York in 1946.  It was named after the Blue Angel nightclub.  The mission of the navy flight demonstration squadron is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the US Navy and Marine Corp as well as recruiting purposes.  The pilots average 33 years of age and only serve on the team for two or three years.   We learned that the smoke by any jet is turned off if it is out of position.

After the Blue Angels demo, Fat Albert the C-130 cargo plane that carries all the Blue Angel equipment took a turn at impressing the audience.  It flew up at a 45 degree angle, made a head-on pass, a low altitude high-speed flat pass, minimum radius turn, and a short field landing.  Despite these being navy planes, I could tell that LeRoy was enjoying the air show.

Fat Albert

Battleship Memorial Park March 13, 2014

Picking Sea Shells at the Seashore

It was sunny although breezy at  the beach.  Had a quick lunch at The Hangout, a popular seashore bar and grill before taking a leisurely stroll on the white sugar sand beach of Gulf Shores.  Lots of college kids playing volley ball, trolling and wishing the temperature was warmer, although all looked to be having a great time.

Took a tour of Buena Vista Coastal RV Resort, described as an oasis with a majestic overlook of the Gulf of Mexico.  Lots of promises for a luxurious clubhouse, water park with lazy river, heated indoor pool, and a banquet facility along with 111 beautifully landscaped RV sites, including motorhomes, 5th wheels and Super Cs.

Went to Battleship Memorial Park Mobile, AL and saw the battleship Alabama and the submarine USS Drum,  Inside the battleship big band music was playing to put you in the mood of the 1940s.  Grandpa Gooch was on a destroyer escort ship and not as big as this battleship with up to 2,500 personnel on board. Usually there were 127 officers and 2,205 enlisted men.

We toured below the decks and the stern of the ship that included crew living spaces, crew galley, bakery, big, barber shop and laundry.  In the forward part of the ship we toured the post office, sick bay, engine room, radio room and the Warrant Officer's living space

The main and upper decks included living spaces, main guns, anti-aircraft guns, the ship's bridge, flag plot room and the fire control tower.  We learned the word scutlebut came from two words, one meaning gossip and the other meaning water fountain.  Another interesting tidbit is that on calmer days on the sea the Chaplain was essentially zip lined to smaller vessels that didn't have their own Chaplain.

The submarine tour was much quicker but the hatches were smaller.  Only 7 officers and 65 enlisted men on this underwater ship.  The men slept where they worked whether you were the Captain or worked in the torpedo room.

  

2014 Mardi Gras in Mobile

Purple, Green and Gold

Mardi Gras in Mobile, AL is the oldest annual Carnival celebration in the United States. It started in 1703, fifteen years before New Orleans was even founded.  The colors of Mardi Gras are purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power.



Bloody Marys at an Irish bar in the historic district were enjoyed at 10 in the morning.  That was followed up by a two-hour street party in front of Joe Cain's home in the historic Oakleigh Garden District.









On the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, Joe Cain Day is celebrated for having revived Mardi Gras in Mobile after the Civil War.






 
 
 
 
 
 







He and six other Confederate veterans paraded through the streets of Mobile in a decorated coal cart.







By 10:30 we were all pretty mellow as the drinks flowed, the music got louder and costumes and umbrellas kept arriving. 

 

An outdoor patio lunch followed on Royal Street at the Royal Scam restaurant.  Outside their doors we waited for the parade to begin.  Lots of hats, costumes, horns and people.  It reminded me of what times Square must look like on New Years Eve.

 Then it began...Chief Slacabamorinico's, referred to as Ol'Slac,float led the parade.  There were large multi-level floats designed to hold 15 to 16 adults and their throws.  The krewes threw everything...strings of beads Moon Pies doubloon coins, decorated plastic cups, candy, stuffed animals, small toys, footballs Frisbees and tube-straw whistles.

Mardi Gras in Mobile was fantastic --adults were worse than kids when scooping up the loot.  Some people even had rakes to recover goodies that had been tossed from the floats.  I must say its not always best to be in the front as the "fun" sails past your head and the beads are not tossed, they are whipped into the crowd from some floats, and not just individual strings but bundles of them. 

It was a great day for a parade
75 degrees and sunshine