Happy leap day!

Aw, hail!

 Ice from the sky!  How does it stay up there before it falls?

Let's make some juice, people!

Close encounters with nature...

This is a large moth.  In other news, I chased a rat around the yard with a stick today.

A quick trip to LA for two more survivor interviews:

Mr. F, who learned to swim when his ship sank from underneath him.

Sara and Karen Kraft with Mr. U, another survivor and possibly the most positive person we've ever met.

This is Mr. U holding a piece of the kamikaze plane that struck and nearly sank his ship at Okinawa on March 31st, 1945.

Dr. M, M.D.

A USS Indianapolis Survivor and practicing doctor at UCSD until he turned 95--an incredible man.

Happy 75th!

Sara's Dad turns 75 today!

There's over a week of incredible experiences I really need to share here.  I drove 3,000 miles through sun, rain and snow with my wife, visited 8 states, interviewed 8 WWII heroes, met a legendary Medal of Honor winner, some plain-speaking Texans, and marveled at all that is good in our country - from Monument Valley, to the Rockies, to the little patch of green grass in my backyard.  We live a life in which God has richly blessed us.

Day 7:  Las Vegas, NV to San Marcos, CA

After enjoying sunrise from our humble little room, it was time to hit the road again.  We had one last interview to do in Hemet.  Mr. M, a tough survivor who has served in both the Navy and the Army, with action in both WWII and Korea.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes our February road trip... 3,000+ miles.

Day 6:  Farmington, NM to Las Vegas, NV

Things we learned today:
1.) Don't open a landscaping business in the Navajo Nation.
2.) A proper visit to this area would take a looooooong time.
3.) Las Vegas can't possibly be real.

My first oil well.  Hey, don't make fun!  Pump jacks are expensive...you've gotta start somewhere.

'Mericuh!  (aka America)

Insert pithy four-state-comment here.

In St. George, UT we visited with Mr. W, another USS Indianapolis Survivor.  This was a tough visit, and a reminder of just why we need to finish these interviews as fast as possible.

 

After collecting our thoughts and just a little more driving, we found ourselves here.

This is a $59 room at the Rio.  (Not really, but we got a miraculous upgrade.)  It came with a pretty nice view, too!

Day 5: Amarillo, TX to Farmington, NM

A long day of driving from the sun to the snow!

Link to Panorama View



We had a bright, early, and -7,451 degree windchill morning at Cadillac Ranch.  Turns out it's more paint than Cadillac.

Did I mention that it was exceptionally cold and windy?  Well, it was.

Before we knew it, we were back in New Mexico, where orange barrel madness is still alive and well.  Apparently, we forgot to take any pictures at all in Santa Fe.  I don't know why.  However, I will say that the REI in town must be doing booming business, because I have never seen the general populace of a single town dressed in so much Gore-tex, fleece, and hi-tech clothing from North Face, Arcteryx and the like in my entire life.  I even saw a guy in Starbucks wearing my exact same jacket, my hiking boots, and ... well, let's just say I fit in a little better than I expected.

Just North of Santa Fe, Winter finally caught up with us.  It seemed odd that we had driven almost 2,000 miles so far in February without seeing snow.  We certainly got our fair share today!  At one point, the snow was falling so thickly that I could see better with the headlights turned off.  After we made it through we thought it was pretty cool.  But while we were in unfamiliar territory, in the dark, in a storm, and not knowing how bad it would get, I will admit to being a little scared.  There, I said it.

Day 4: Wichita Falls, TX

We kinda thought Wichita Falls would be named after some real waterfalls.  We couldn't find any, just these!

 In the meantime, we got our "hot seat" ready, and got a few more interviews.

Indy Survivor Mr. M - the last thing he touched on the ship was a gun barrel that slid through his fingers as it sank.

Mr. B, a crew member on the USS Bassett.  He and his crew helped rescue more than 150 of the Indianapolis survivors.

Day 3:  Lubbock, TX to Wichita Falls, TX

Texas is a large place, populated with wonderful people who say, "Awesome possum."

Sara grew up in this house in Lubbock but decided at the ripe age of 4, to run away.  Life was apparently going to be better a block and a half away.

I'm guessing the prisoners must be pretty entertaining.

When there's 50 miles between towns, this is epitome of nervousness. Made it to the station with 1 mile to spare!

Less than 24 hours in Texas and Sara already has a new accent, and a new name!

Day 2:  Phoenix, AZ to Lubbock, TX

Along the way, we stopped to see a "thing" or two.  Can you believe this only costs a dollar to look at?!

 White Sands National Monument

Roswell

Texas!  (It's a lot further away in real life than it is on a map.)

Day 1

Day 1: We're officially on the road!  The suitcases are full, the car is packed, and the P2 cards are empty.  I have a week off from work, and we've got 3,000 miles to cover!  Let's go meet some survivors!

Our first stop in Arizona is to interview USS Indianapolis survivor Mr. C.

After a nice visit, we drove across town and interviewed Mr. H, another survivor.

Mr. H and his wife have been married for more than 70 years!

  

After a long day, we made it to the hotel, where our luggage tried to race us to the elevator!

Good night, Arizona!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Last minute shopping anyone?

Tent: $20
Buckets for extra flowers: $10
Folding card tables: $25
Being a florist on Valentine's Day: Priceless