OSA Chit Chat Thread

[TerryMiller]

Been to both, the other on Dauphin Island.
I'm sure you remember when walking from the parking lot toward the fort, it looks like a huge mound of dirt. Once one goes through the entry, its huge!
First battlements were built by the Spaniards in the way back. (don't remember the date), but later improved on over several wars including WWII. Mobile is an important harbor with some great civil war naval battles being fought there. The phrase "damn the torpedo's, full speed ahead" was coined during a civil war battle. (torpedo's were at that time what we now use as underwater mines) When the Union breached the passage under heavy fire from the shore cannons and Southern Ships.
The entire fort is build of bricks built by hand. 22,000 black slaves were used to make the bricks and lay them during construction.
With the advent of explosive cannon shells, the brick fortifications were obsoleted quickly.
Another interesting aspect of the fort is that it was also built with defenses behind it, if it were overran and breached. There are mortar pits 200 yards behind to protect the retreating troops if that ever happened.
We took the ferry to Fort Gaines on the other side and rode it back after the tour and visiting the Alabama Aquarium.

I've posted these before, but I'll do it again to illustrate for you.





I was also reading up on the battle of Mobile Bay and learned that the phrase "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" may not be correct. At that time, references to the ship's speed was in the term of "X-number of bells, i.e., Four Bells, etc. Farragut was up somewhat in the rigging to better see what was transpiring and was relaying orders to someone below him to pass on to those controlling the ship.

 

[clintbailey]

Good morning from not so beautiful Snyder, TX

 

[dancer4life]

While on our 2005 Alaskan cruise and land tour, one of the ports of call was in Skagway, AK. We took the Yukon and White Pass Railroad up to the border with Canada and then back down to Skagway. Lots of interesting scenery on that tour, including seeing bars fixed to the wall of the embankment and then going down under the tracks for the train. IF those bars are for stabilizing the railroad tracks and right-of-way, I'm not sure I would want to take that ride again.



The "bars" I spoke of above.

Yaaasssssss!
My wife and I took the same train ride when we were up there in 2013. Was some amazing scenery.

 

[dancer4life]

Good afternoon folks. Sitting at the airport getting ready to board or flight to Atlanta.
Have a great day!

 

[retrieverman]

Just got chased off the tractor by lightning, and now Easton and I are sitting in the barn as it floods and hails. There’s also a tornado watch until 6pm.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Just got chased off the tractor by lightning, and now Easton and I are sitting in the barn as it floods and hails. There’s also a tornado watch until 6pm.

Hopefully not a metal barn

 

[retrieverman]

Hopefully not a metal barn

Wood frame under tin.

 

[clintbailey]

I feel I have used this look more this week than in a long time

 

[TerryMiller]

We were blessed to have the opportunity to move to Utah in late 2017 and work at an RV park on the southern border. Both of us fell in love with all the variations of the geological formations in southern Utah and northern Arizona. This was taken somewhere along either highway 89 or highway 89A. Highway 89 goes east from Kanab, UT towards Page, AZ and then south to Highway 89A and then on south towards Flagstaff. Highway 89A goes south out of Kanab and then turns east at Fredonia, AZ and then goes down off of the Kiabab Plateau and over towards the junction with Highway 89 south of Page.

Either route is one of natural beauty.

 

[retrieverman]

I’ve spent the last three mornings camping out in a barn and drinking instant coffee and hating it, and as I’m now savoring my third cup of Mr Coffee’s wonderful creation at home, I got to thinking back to my childhood. I spent ALOT of time with my maternal grandparents as a kid, and since my parents didn’t drink coffee, my only exposure to it was at their house. For whatever reason, all my grandparents drank was instant coffee, and I never liked it but would drink it because my grandfather did. It wasn’t until I got in high school and started ordering coffee at a local diner we hung out in after church on Sunday nights that I developed a taste for real coffee. Now, I can’t imagine my life without it.
It’s raining here in east TX right now, so it’s doubtful I’ll get much done this morning. Y’all have a good one!!!