Memories of the Arizona Memorial and the story of Mr Pot..

I have spent the evening watching the military channel and their tribute shows of the raid at Pearl Harbor...  This was six years before I was born, but since my father was in the Navy and stationed aboard a Cruiser based in Pearl, it has always had a special meaning for me...

Its been more than 20 years ago now when Loyce and I rode out across the harbor on one of the Navy's tender boats to go to the memorial...  The pictures now show newer vessels that are owned by the National Parks Service I think...  But back then a third class Boatswain's took you out to the memorial...

I remember standing silently looking down into the water at the rusting hull, with bubbles of oil seeping to the surface around the perimeter of the hull..  Ever so slowly...  There were people thru out the white memorial, but not much was spoken....  Maybe a whisper....  An older lady had a large bouquet of red flowers that she was offering into the water one after another while she and her kids were in prayer.........

We stayed for about thirty minutes, reflecting on the experience, but there really isn't much you can say or do out there...  But you are changed by your presence there...

The other night when I was doing those pork chops outside on the grill after dark, the light bulb outside by the grill began to flicker...  A compact fluorescent purchased in one of those value packs....  I ended up going after another bulb, which turned out to not light at all....

So as it was completely dark outside, I went back for the third bulb..  That was when I managed to hook my shoe toe in my wife's decorative planter shelf next to the door..  And knock the pottery planter from the second shelf to the concrete.....  There were three of them and I did catch two.........   Crash!!

That bring us to today and my scooter ride over to the big Mesa Market outdoor swap meet...  Long time readers will remember that a couple of years ago I purchased a ceramic frog from a fellow who has a big permanent shop there..

I blogged about the frog back then and we had some fun posing froggy in different settings as we traveled..  Trying to keep from breaking him...  Today he is in our hearth room next to the fireplace in KC...  Froggy's Story..

And since I needed to redeem myself for the crash, I went to see my friend and his Mexican imports...  He is from Nogales originally and travels way down into Mexico bringing Southwest items of art back to the Mesa Market...

And the second I said I had purchased a Big Frog, he remembered me from two years ago.......   Amazing...  He remembered me carrying the big fellow out into the parking lot after he went and got him from storage..

Anyway I now own a large planter pot with scenes from Sedona, I was told...  Well at least the mountains depicted were red...  And Loyce seemed pleased that her planter had been replaced...... Wheeww!

It was too dark to take a picture tonight, so I will have to get a shot later, once we determine what kind of a plant to put in it...

And yes I had to put the scooter up and go after mr pot with the car.... He cost too much to take a chance like that on the bike.....

Retired Rod