Bits and Pieces

   Track season for BCS has begun.  My first chance to test my 70-200mm VR lens thoroughly came on the 26th. Here's a composite of six images I took at dusk.  The lens performed brilliantly as expected. 

   I had lunch with Tom Ray on the 23rd.  The last time I saw him was when I was the invited speaker at his son's Eagle Scout Court oh Honor.  That was seven years ago.  His son Nathaniel is in the Air Force.  Tom is recently retired from the Post Office.  I met him when I was a new Christian and he was on Campus Crusade for Christ staff at the UW in 1980-82.  We still count each other as good friends.  He is in great shape, is a staunch conservative, former pastor (for one year anyway), and is now an assistant wrestling coach at Federal Way High School.  We had burgers at Dick's by the Seattle Center.  I said he could pay next time. I always seem to miss him at Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome.  Maybe next year.

  On the 27th we left off after Psalm 69 and began our Saturday morning study in the book of Revelation, where we will be perhaps through next year.

  We learned this month that Katherine Kidwell was accepted to the University of Washington Master of Arts in Museology Program.  She and Adam will be moving to Seattle this summer!  Admission was quite a competition, and Laurie and Tom, who met at the UW, are proud of their new Husky.

My Quote from February

 

Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood, 24 October, 1748 - 7 March 1810.

 

Dudley Pope relates an aspect of Collingwood at the beginning of chapter three of his Life in Nelson's Navy: "Captain Cuthbert Collingwood, later to become an admiral and Nelson's second in command at Trafalgar, had his home at Morpeth, in Northumberland, and when he was there on half pay or on leave he loved to walk over the hills with his dog Bounce. He always started off with a handful of acorns in his pockets, and as he walked he would press an acorn into the soil whenever he saw a good place for an oak tree to grow. Some of the oaks he planted are probably still growing more than a century and a half later ready to be cut to build ships of the line at a time when nuclear submarines are patrolling the seas, because Collingwood's purpose was to make sure that the Navy would never want for oaks to build the fighting ships upon which the country's safety depended."

 

Although Nelson's name is inextricably linked with the Battle of Trafalgar, Collingwood's contribution was vital. Just before his column engaged the allied forces, Collingwood said to his officers, "Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter."

 

He actually fired the first shot at the battle. Nelson, looking on in his flagship Victory, said "See how that noble fellow Collingwood takes his ship into action." Collingwood’s comment on the deck of the his own flagship, the 100 gun Royal Sovereign, at that moment was, “What would Nelson give to be here?" The Royal Sovereign dueled with the 112 gun Spanish flagship Santa Ana until she struck. Then, as Nelson lay dying, Collingwood took control of the fleet.

 

His devotion to duty was such that after Trafalgar he continued to ensure Britain ruled the waves by staying on station. He died (of cancer) at sea, just days after receiving permission to finally return home, and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral, beside the tomb of Nelson.  In his 50 years in the navy, he had spent only three years at home in England.

 

From THE BOSUN'S CHRONICLE, 2/26/2010, and other sources.

 

Another Dream Come True

For many years I've wanted to grow tomatoes indoors in our living room.  It's a simple thing -- but still, it's an idea which has been too long in coming. 

With our granite slab bench now installed, and Spring having arrived, I planted two packages of seeds (Early Girl which we planted before Annie arrived, and Sweet 100's) -- and nearly every seed came up.

Now I really need to rototill the gardan.