Tall Ships!

Long time, no post, I know.

To quote any one of a number of my neighbors: "You see, what had happened was..."

Anyway, last weekend was a long birthday week-end. I had friends collect me up to take me out to celebrate on Friday...and on Saturday...and Sunday...and each night lasted until around zero-dawn-thirty, so by Monday afternoon, I was pretty much glad that birthdays come around just once a year. and it was different groups of friends each time, so each of them only had to stay out and play too late ONE night, but I got all three. And it was also French Quarter Fest, so there was that.

It was fun times though, at least the parts I can recall.

I've also been having major problems with this computer at home, and it's probably ready for a replacement. And since I can't blog from work any more, it severely limits my online presence when I can't get onto the internet or open files without a fight.

But like I said...anyway...

This week-end was the beginning of Fleet Week, and we've got a few Tall Ships and an LHD here for the tourists to see, the USS Kearsarge.

Yesterday I went aboard Kearsarge. I'd have liked to get a better profile shot but she was pressed up against the wharf so close that I couldn't get the distance I needed to shoot her broadside. We all queued up to go aboard, and we got marched into her lower cargo deck to see some vehicles inside--trucks and Humvees--and then we went up to the flight deck to see some heckiflopters and an Osprey, which I was impressed by.

Sea Cobra. AH-1W

Osprey cockpit. All glass.

And heckiflopter controls, which transition to fixed-wing input when the engines pivot forward. Lotta computer help required.

The steamer Natchez passing by...and the Coast Guard made darn sure it didn't get too close to Kearsarge.

But Kearsarge can probably defend herself against excursion boats just fine.
RIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher Ship has 2.

Phalanx CIWS. Ship has three.

She also has some small arms, and those were out for display on the way out. A Marine was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to handle the M-240B machine gun when I expressed some interest in it, and then he turned his back on me to talk to someone else. Mistake. Big mistake. I immediately disengaged the barrel assembly and pulled it off. He heard the barrel assembly come out and whirled around. All I could do was grin and say: "Hey, I think this broke!"

Hell, I was leaving anyway.

Saw some of the tall ships too.

Then it was dinner and a walk home. Meant to go back out to play after a short nap, but the short nap turned into 12 hours of deep sleep. Guess the work/play regimen is catching up to me.