2/17/16 The Great Green Fleet; Jack in Tokyo

The USS Chung-Hoon joins Carrier Strike Group 3, also known as the "Great Green Fleet", and Jack is off on a 7 month deployment. The group consists of the carrier USS John C. Stennis, along with the cruiser Mobile Bay, the destroyers Chung-Hoon,

Stockdale, and William P. Lawrence, and the fast combat support ship Rainier. Much to do in the press about this fleets reliance on an alternative fuel blend using beef fat and other energy saving strategies. Hey Jack, does the ship smell like McDonalds? One reports says the Navy has led the way in weining U.S. armed forces off a dependence on fossil fuels with this new biofuel formula costing less than traditional fossil fuel.

 

We finally find a photo of Jack on the Chung-Hoon's Facebook page.  Here he is in the orange vest between the CO and XO driving the ship up to the carrier during an "underway replenishment".  He gets his

ship close, then they shoot lines across, then transfer tons of fuel, food, equipment, mail, etc. across the lines. Driving the ship is one of Jack's favorite things to do!  

Tokyo From Jack's Hotel Room

Although Jack can email while underway,  his first port call is Tokyo where we get to see/talk to him via Facetime! He is working hard, loving his time on the sea and grateful to have a few days liberty in a beautiful hotel with a sleeping space bigger than a coffin and a change of menu.  For his last night in the hotel there were no more "foreigner" rooms which meant sleeping Japanese style on a floor mat, sitting on floor cushions, and using the facility which was just a hole in the floor.

He and some shipmates enjoyed the exercise touring for miles in and around Tokyo sampling the local fare.

Jack in Tokyo

2/15/16 Tucson For The Winter, Side Trips to Florida and Minneapolis

We settle into Tucson for the winter at Davis Montham Air Base Famcamp.  Quartzsite was a good intro to the West reminiscent of old western movies and exploring the mountains surrounding Tucson continues the feeling.  Morning weather is delightful for hiking and we learned early that trails are not always marked well so we got "off trail" which is REALLY BAD when you are a newbie in the desert surrounded by cacti of all persuasions. Bushwhacking through cacti in thin pants (thankfully we had on long pants) is pretty dumb as Deb found out when she ended up with a leg full of hair size cactus spines. Next day we took a wonderful guided walk in Sabino Canyon Park with Ranger Dan, a retired oil geologist and water engineer. Deb learned to bring "Nair" (remember stinky leg hair removal lotion from our teens?) along and slather it on when you get cactus spiked because it dissolves them!  Dan shared lots of rock puns including John's favorite for which he continually reminds Debra when she picks up a rock.  It's called "leaverite", aka "leave-er right where you found it". Ha Ha.  We came upon a couple of scat samples, Dan said you can tell fox scat from other small carnivore's as it is often on top of a rock or log and it tastes salty.  He picks up a piece and tastes it!! 

Bobcat In Tucson Spiritual Center Parking Lot

Come to find out, his assistant had gone ahead and set up a few sea salt chocolate covered almonds along side some real fox scat.  Looked very real!  He called it Fox-on-the-rocks. Found out where he buys them and are sending some to Zoe to try out on her biologist friends and to use in presentations :) Also learned that the tallest saguaro cactus in these parts are about 250 year old and die when they get too tall (about 50 feet) and fall over.  A 10 year saguaro is only 1.5 inches tall.  A 50 foot cactus can weigh 2 tons after it absorbs water from a rare rainfall. Only 11 inches a year here on average.

True Lies Club at Geri's

We are only in Tucson a few weeks before Debra sets off to the Florida Keys for her annual "True Lies Club" get together at Geri's, followed by a week with sister Sherrie in Key West.  Although the weather is a bit cooler than normal by Florida standards, much fun is had revisiting the Big Pine Flea Market, lunching at No Name Pub, and brunch on Little Palm Island with the TLC. At one of the hundreds of Tucson Gem Show venues, Deb found a handmade Afghanistan belly dancer jingly belt for Geri to wear when she teaches Zumba and she loved it!  

Sunning on Key West Beach

Had a blast riding bikes all over Key West with Sherrie, checking out President Truman's Key West White House, collecting beach treasures and sunset/bar hopping  Duval Street with thousands of other tourists. When the bartender at the Hard Rock left to check on our food, she left us in charge of the bar.  Free drinks for all!  Another time while hovering around a couple waiting for their seats, the gal says, "Oh, you want these seats? What is it worth to you?"  Sherrie whips out a stack of 2-for-1 drink cards the hotels hand out like candy; the gal does the same and the two of them begin swapping.  What a party town; it was great fun but glad we took hotel shuttle back to Ibis Bay Beach Resort before all the real crazies came out. 

Sistas

Deb was "noting" that the Florida temps were 10-15 degrees below their normal winter 80's.   Meanwhile John was in Minnesota visiting Aunt Joanne where he also was "noting" that among the snow and ice, the temperature there was -2 with windchill of 25 below zero.  OUCH!  He also visited with sister Barb and high school friends Melisa, Steve, Don and wife Carrie.  To ease Deb's conscious a bit she brought him back some big Key West Pink Shrimps.  Gonna take a lot more than that.....

Deb's View

John's View