Brass monkey weather ?

Ok so maybe we don't get as cold as the mainlanders, but hell that's part of the reason I live here. When I step outside and I can feel every bone I ever broke, and every piece of metal installed in me; then it is freakin' cold!
Nuff' about me. Here's a little chunk of Nautical trivia to teach the kiddies.
From back when men were made of steel and ships were made of wood.
On the old warships it was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon. How to prevent them from rolling about the deck
was the problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as
a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting on four, resting
on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls
could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.
There was only one problem; how to prevent the bottom layer from
sliding/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations, called, for
reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the
iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting
problem was to make them of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.
Now realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.
Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass
indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would
come right off the monkey.
Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a
brass monkey.
Have a great SuperBowl Sunday folks!
Peace

A life well lived

In my last post, I dedicated my rant to John. John Strahle was my father-in-law, and he left this world Tuesday. Why would I dedicate such a rant to him?
Besides being a husband, father and grandfather he dedicated a large portion of his life to protecting the resources so many take for granted. A Korean war veteran, former fish and game officer, he ended up as a career agent for the National Marine Fisheries Service. Not the folks most of us deal with. He was an active investigator. The kind most folks do not encounter. Protecting the migrating whales from do-gooding green peace activists. Busting the folks trying to smuggle illegal and unsafe ocean species into an unsuspecting American marketplace.
That was his professional life.
I knew him as "Jack". A man who loved the life up here. A man whose name I could mention in several areas of the country and hit an accord with another agent. You see in my previous life, the agency I worked with interacted with the NMFS on a regular basis. We would fly them around and count on their expertise to recognize a vessel that broke the fisheries laws of our nation. Almost every time we hauled an agent, I could mention my father-in -law and the agent on board would know him, or know of him.
That was our professional overlap. In my personal life, John ended up in a place I never imagined would happen. I know that he had his misgivings when his baby daughter told him of her plans to marry a young Coastie. He gave me fair measure and trusted his baby girls judgement. Now, as a father of three girls married, I understand how difficult that can be.
Sixteen years ago and three years into our marriage, my father passed on. Over time John became the closest thing I had to a father. Many miles separated us, but our visits together were priceless. The conversations on the phone often helped me over the inevitable bumps in the road life provides.
I met you when I was sure that I was a grown man. I learned that I still had a fair amount of growing to do. Now, I still realize that I am not fully grown. I learned from you, that each stage in our lives teaches us more, and therefore we are forever growing. Thank you for that.
Thank you for your daughter; that I married. She is a blessing in my life. Our children are a blessing threefold.
Rest well, my friend you have earned it. You never met my father, or my first son. I hope they are there to greet you on your new journey. I will see you again.
Good night John, Dave S., Robin,Dave B. Dwayne, Tom, Tim, Dad, & Cory.
Peace Ya'll

Ya gotta have faith.

I have been reading again. There is so much in the media about the latest scandals that I am, at times, overwhelmed.
I will choose the latest headline grabber, our own local Russian Orthodox church.
Ok, there are problems in the church. Big surprise! Almost every religious organization in the U.S. has come under scrutiny for these same accusations.
Get over it. If you are seeking self gratification because a religious leader and his following are under media scrutiny, then I would lump you in with all the millions that slow down for car wrecks and follow media accounts of athletic icons falling from grace.
Face it; people are people. It does not matter where they work. Regardless of their fame or prestigiousness, some folks will make mistakes. Perhaps mistakes is an understatement, given the nature of some situations. However, it is in our very nature to make mistakes. We also have a unique ability to forgive.
The media will always focus on the negative. So long as it grabs the average person by their self righteous antennae, it will continue to so so.
Truth; every religious organization has fallen under this spotlight at one time or another. It is the individuals that must be judged, not the group.
If you do not believe this, think about it.
Muslims, true followers, do not blow people up. Mormons, do not advocate the forced marriage of teenage girls. The Southern Baptists do not condone the actions of a few of their misguided libidinous leaders. Catholics, school teachers, and The Boy Scouts of America do not recruit pedophiles and lecherous members. The sad fact is that certain predators are drawn towards vocations that give them access to victims.
I am not saying this is the case for the Orthodox church, I am saying that bad things happen and we must be ready for the outfall.
The very desires that drew us into the various beliefs we have has one basic tenet.
Faith, and belief in God.
Draw on that now, whether your organization is under the current spotlight, or you are a watcher on the sideline, is irrelevant.
My prayers go out to all the faithful, regardless of their religious following. Let man judge the actions of a few. God will decide in the long run.
For many years my beloved bride wondered where I drew my strength and conviction. At times it has made those close to me feel that they let me down when they chose the easy solutions, rather than the difficult. I finally came to the realization that it was never my strength that carried me through. It was my faith. God's strength; not mine, gave me perseverance. When I shared that with them, a family wide epiphany ensued. You are allowed to make mistakes, we were not meant to be perfect, we only strive towards perfection. However; that must be countered with understanding and forgiveness.
So let the media run with it's latest blood on the road stories. Draw strength in what you believe and persevere. After all, regardless of the outcome, we all answer to the same power in the end.
Maybe this will be the death nail to my little blog, maybe not.
The truth will set you free................
Peace
Griff