The Crops On The Farm

It is hard to believe that we have been away from the farm for almost two months now and so much has changed since we left.  When we left in early April it was just starting to get green and now everything is green, thanks to the pictures by Lisa, and the crops Lisa and George have planted are starting to grow.  Lisa and George had their first picking of cherries and now it looks like the fruits are starting to really grow.  Great job George and Lisa!  We can't wait to get a chance to eat some!

Sea Glass Hunting

Jenny loves sea glass and so when we go to the beach we look for sea glass.  Thursday we were at Barber's Point where we found some great sea glass and yesterday we found some at dog beach.  I did not expect to find any there but we did.  So today may be another sea glass hunting day.  Jenny wants to make some jewelry out of some of her sea glass.  We attempted it about a week ago but had little success but with the right tools I know she will make some beautiful pieces.  Check back and see what we find!

The USNS Mercy Hits The Arizona Memorial

So a couple of days after blogging about the USNS Mercy I have more to report.  As it was leaving  port Wednesday morning to head out to sea it, along with one of the tug boats guiding it, ran into the Arizona Memorial.  The Memorial and the ship itself had little to no damage done however the dock area had severe damage and so now the Arizona Memorial can only be looked at by boat at least for the next week or two.  The whole incident is under investigation but the eye witness details are that the ship and one tug ran into the Arizona Memorial.  I had reported that the Mercy is the second longest ship in the Navy and from the eye witness accounts they were trying to turn the ship around in the harbor.  I guess we will not know whose fault it is until the investigation is over.  I hope the Mercy's journey got better after a rough start.

It's Jenny's Day

Today is my daughter Jenny's birthday and I want to take this opportunity to wish Jenny a very Happy Bitrthday.  We love you so much and we are so proud to have you as a daughter and mother to our Rory. You have been a wonderful daughter and have made us proud of you since the day you were born.  Thanks for being such a great daughter, a wonderful wife and a great mom!  We love you Happy Happy Birthday!

And Now I Have Two

Lisa let me know the other day that the Crafty Cottage is the place to hang if you are a luna moth.  She text me the other day to let me know that I have to come up with another name because the first luna moth had a friend.  Since they only live for seven days I am glad that they got to spend the week end together.  I was joking about naming my pets and since it seems that the Crafty Cottage may continue to be home for some of this kind of moth I may as well name them.  The first one I am calling Lunar mostly because that is what I was calling the moth anyway.  The second I am naming Junior.  So Lunar and Junior be good and mind Miss Lisa until I return!

The USNS Mercy

While we were touring the USS Missouri we were on the 5th deck and we noticed the USNS Mercy Hospital ship was coming into port.  It was really a sight to see especially on Memorial Day.  The ship is huge and since it was coming into port the entire crew stands at attention on deck while sailing in port and docking.  The USNS Mercy is the lead ship in its class of hospital ships in the US Navy.  It was named for the virtue of compassion.  In accordance with the Geneva Convention the Mercy and the crew do not carry any offensive weapons but defensive weapons are available.  Firing on the Mercy would be considered a war crime. 
The Mercy was originally built as an oil tanker, the SS Worth, in 1976.  In 1984 the SS Worth was renamed and converted to a hospital ship and was commissioned in Nov 1986 at the USNS Mercy.  It is the second largest ship in the US Navy fleet by length surpassed only by the nuclear powered Nimitz.  The Mercy's primary mission is to provide rapid, flexible and mobile acute medical and surgical services and support to the Marine Corp, Army and Air Force troops deployed ashore and Naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat.  It also provides medical services for the US Government during disasters or humanitarian relief.  It is based out of the San Diego Naval Station and supports the Naval Hospital while at port. 
It was an added bonus to watch the Mercy come into port, especially while we were on the deck of the USS Missouri.  We enjoyed touring the USS Missouri and highly recommend it while on Oahu.

Memorial Day

Thank you to those who served and have lost their lives while serving to protect our country and allow us to live here free.  They made the ultimate sacrifice for us.  So please take a moment today to think about all those who gave the lives for us.