Any Guesses?

I saw this structure at a kid's park. Can you guess what it is?

It calls out to everyone and these kids were quite attracted to it.

- Karen

Wednesday Hero

Force Protection Team


Members of the force protection team at Camp Eggars, Afghanistan, assess damage resulting from an explosion near the gate. A vehicle-born improvised explosive device exploded near the German Embassy and a U.S. base. Eliminating threats such as the VBIED is the focus of Army's 3rd Counter-IED Conference that was scheduled July 28-30.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Tourists

I saw these happy tourists proudly posing for photos with their country flag.
Can you guess which country they are from?

- Karen

Smoking Zone

Remember those days when you could smoke anywhere? The smoking area inside Munich's airport has dwindled down to this tiny enclosure. It almost feels like smokers are endangered species on display.

- Karen

Crab Fishing

What is everyone looking at? On this particular weekend in San Francisco, I spied this particular family crab fishing by lowering their hoop nets from the pier. It is definitely a sport that requires patience. Once the net is dropped in the water, it is a waiting and hoping game. By the way, crabbers must have a fishing license even for 1 day.

When the crabbers weren't looking, a seal like the one at the lower left hand corner of the picture did a little fishing on his or her own.

I am not sure if this creature is the same as the one above, but a handful of seals were making their rounds in the area hoping to get a meal.

- Karen

Fort Point Interior

Fort Point, aside from being a historical landmark, it is also an American Civil War museum.

Stacks of powder kegs for the cannons. I hope they are empty.

These were probably not the actual boxes from the 1860's, but in any case, they did not store bread as we know it but a cracker or biscuit called "hardtack". Made of flour, water, and salt, it was said to be hard as a rock and had to be dunked in liquid to soften. Nevertheless, it could last for years and was the staple food of Civil War soldiers.
Click here for a history and recipe of hardtack.
If you want a box of your own, click here.

With long corridors like the one above or below, a photographer can have some real fun here.



Have a nice weekend!

- Karen

Fort Point Exterior

In continuation of my post from Tuesday, this is how Fort Point looked like back in 1865.

And this is how it looks today. It does look slightly different with the Golden Gate Bridge over its top.

Looking at the fort's courtyard in the other direction. Some renovation is currently underway.

- Karen

Wednesday Hero

Pvt. William Long
23 years old from Conway, Arkansas
D Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry
June 1, 2009


"My brother taught me valuable lessons and made me the man I am today," said Pfc. Triston Long, brother of Pvt. William Long. "My commander said, 'Make your brother one of us.' I will miss my brother with all that I am, and I serve in honor of him."

Pvt. William Long had just completed basic training and was set to ship out on June 8 to his first duty station in Korea when he and Private Second Class Quinton Ezeagwula were shot outside a Little Rock, Arkansas Army-Navy Recruiting Center by Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad. They were in Little Rock to speak to with potential recruits about their experiences.

Pvt. Long's father, Daris Long, a former Marine, wrote a letter to give to him when he shipped out for South Korea. In that letter he wrote, "Your day only ends when you’ve done your duty. You and your brother … are both heroes for having the moral courage to stand up when your country needs you most. You are in my hopes and my thoughts and my prayers. You are my son, you are my hero. I love you. Semper fidelis."

Along with his father and brother, Pvt. William Long is survived by his mother, Janet, who had served in the Navy herself.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From RedState, Sipsey Street Irregulars & Army Times with help from Kathi

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.