Best E-mails of the Week 4/03/05

 

Now in Heaven

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi All:   Just to let you know,  Yesterday Joanne heard from her son Bob.  He is in Rome with a class trip.  They were in St Peter's Square in the afternoon with the rest of the crowd and then went to dinner.  While they were at dinner the Pope died.  Then they went back to the square.  It is really great for him to be there at a time in history which will never be forgotten.  He is a real history buff.  We all were glad to hear from him because Joanne had lost touch  with him because of telephone snafus.  Hope you are all well. 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildlife in Florida

Hi,

Our morning newspaper had a picture of 100s of sharks swimming just off shore three or four miles north of us.  They were Blacktip Sharks getting ready to migrate north.  They are not man-eaters but occasionally get confused and bite a swimmer's hand or foot thinking it is a splashing fish.  Lifeguards closed the beaches.

The alligator report detailed the capture of a seven and a half foot gator in Weston the farthest suburb due west of us.  Weston was built jutting in the Everglades less than ten years ago. It is not surprising that the alligators stop by now and then to visit the old homestead This gator got into trouble by grabbing a dog in a back yard.  Wildlife officials attribute this to people feeding gators which results in their losing their fear of humans.

Since the difference between a small dog and a small child is not perceptible to a gator, it is captured.  Unfortunately for the gator, it has been determined that even released in the middle of the Everglades, it will probably find its way back to the same location.  Therefore, it is taken to a processing plant where it is killed and turned into gator nuggets, wallets, and other products.

The lessons here.  If you are moving to Florida, carefully consider the downside of purchasing a home on the western edge of Weston. As a tourist, scan the water for fins and don't feed the gators!  Also, depending on the time of year, watch for hurricanes.  Other than that, enjoy the sunshine, palm trees, and warm weather.


Gary and Carol

 

 

The USS Reagan

Capability

    • Top speed exceeds 30 knots
    • Powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling
    • Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
    • Carries over 80 combat aircraft
    • Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size

    • Towers 20 stories above the waterline
    • 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
    • Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
    • 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across and weighing 66,200 pounds
    • 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
    • 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet

Dates

    • Dec 8, 1994 Contract awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding
    • Feb 12, 1998 Keel laid
    • Oct 1, 2000 Precommissioning Unit established
    • March 4, 2001 Christened by Mrs. Nancy Reagan
    • May 5, 2003 First underway
    • July 12, 2003 Commissioned
    • July 23, 2004 Arrived at homeport in San Diego, CA

Capacity

    • Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
    • Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
    • 18,150 meals served daily
    • Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2000 homes
    • Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring
    • 1,400 telephones, 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
    • Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
    • Costs the Navy approximately $2.5 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included

 

 

 

Hi all,
    Matt and I finally got decent pictures of the ring, and him for those of
you who have never seen him!  Enjoy, and share with whoever.
God bless you,
Tish

 

Here is Brad being pinned with the Bronze Star at a very relaxed awards ceremony.

 Of all the awards handed out in the battalion, the Bronze Star was the highest.

This one is Alexander visiting the Easter bunny.

 

 

  1. Bill owns a company that manufactures and installs car wash systems. (Magic Wand Car Wash Systems, just in case you want to buy one.)  Bill's company installed a car wash system in Frederick, Md.
    Now understand that these are complete systems,
    including the money changer and money taking machines.

    The problem started when the new owner complained to Bill that he was losing significant amounts of money from his coin machines each week.


    He went as far as to accuse Bill's employees of having a key to the boxes and ripping him off.
    Bill just couldn't believe that his people would do that, so they setup a camera to catch the thief in action. Well, they did catch him on film!



    That's a bird sitting on the change slot of the machine.



    The bir! d had to go down into the machine,  and back up inside to get to the money!



    That's three quarters he has in his beak! Another amazing thing is that it was not just one bird -- there were several working together.  Once they identified the thieves, they found over $4000 in quarters on the roof of the car wash and more under a nearby tree.




    And you thought you heard of everything by now!!!


    And to think the phrase "bird brain" is associated with being dumb.  Not these birds.

 

 

Pete   

 

 

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