Boating in Alabama

I/we cannot pass up steam locomotives and battleships. The USS Alabama (http://www.ussalabama.com/) is our third. The North Carolina and Massachusetts being the others. What can you say? OK, big.

The highlights/facts and since they are on a plaque they must be true.

I dare say that we history reenactors who have played with cannons would expect some compensation for providing our own powder in this situation.

This is the required artsy-fartsy photo.

Big guns may be important but what really floats your boat is food. The orientation film did show the baking of bread. The vertical "compartments" on the left below are the ovens.

Below is a model of the CSS Hunley the rebel submarine whose remains are in Charleston, SC.

Which leads us to a later version of a submersible warship the USS Drum.

As Denise comes below she has yet to see the passage that will have to be taken to complete the tour. This is facing aft in the forward torpedo room. She did very well and next time we will try running to battle stations.

Panorama views are a tad difficult inside a submarine so I thought I would settle for "movie" angles. If you are a fan of WWII submarine movies the "station" pictured below will look familiar.

Aft torpedo room.

The source of many a joke in submarine movies. My hunch is that it not funny,

AND some other toys they have scattered around the place.

The park is well worthwhile but I suggest a very early arrival and plan for a full day and a lot of walking.

Lazy Summer Days

It is 80 degrees. There are readers who say "lucky you," but frankly it don't feel right. Yet, what does? I am not going on a political rant, although I am surprised I have resisted this long. Rather just some observations as an excuse for a blog post. "It's about time," sez you. Well, the weather has been questionable for travel and the wifi at the park has been unreliable. There has also been a strange lack of planning shopping trips and such which has wasted time. We retired people say "So what."

So, coming back from a shopping trip our route took us by the institution pictured below. It is what it says it is and not a lawyer's office. The entrance that Denise is heading toward does give some hint of the prices on the treasures to take home from Gulf Shores, Alabama

One of the first things that has become apparent is the tax situation. Denise had a co-worker who retired at about the same that she did. The woman was native Alabamian and the family home was available so it was Sweet Home Alabama. She also noted that state-employee pensions, including out of state pensions, are not taxed in Alabama. Good deal? No. The sales tax here and it includes groceries is 10%. Simple arithmetic and figuring Ohio sales tax at 7% we would be worse off in that particular item after we spent 500 bucks. OK, a little political. A progressive income tax is more equitable than a regressive flat tax for the VAST majority of people. When it is the opposite, where is the government for the people?

Observation number 2 for today. If the contract is fulfilled, the RV park's wifi should be fed via fiber optic lines in the next ten days. The current system seems to be having its problems and the management, understandably, does not want to spend anything on it. Please note "IF." The contracting company has not been in contact with the park. Prep work has been done. Utility routes have been located and flags and spray paint adorn nearby by roads and grass. The concern is that the management has had other projects that local tradesmen and companies want but then forget. In Canton I can call a company or person and they will apologize if they cannot respond within two hours. The manager tells me this is pattern often repeated. As we look for places to relocate we read glowing words from local governments but you never really see the little things as they are left unsaid, "Make sure you have oil lamps as it will take a month to get an electrician."

On the other hand, the local people, one-on-one, are great. I have had nice conversations about boats, fishing, farming, history, etc. I expected a lot more rebel flags and such but there may be more in Ohio. Lots of churches but no one is knocking on the door. It is politically Republican here but fewer yards signs than I saw in Canton. I think Baldwin county is not representative of all of Alabama. This is a tourist area and growing in that regard. Do not give people a reason to not spend money.

artsy-fartsy photograph (required)