Hints of Autumn

Jenna noticed last week that the trees were just beginning to take on their fall colors. Sure enough, each day presents just a bit more color as the green starts to fade away. Cooler weather comes right along with the change of colors. We've woken up several mornings with the temperature in the 40s.

RA CAMPOUT. The boys and I have gone to the RA campout at Coldstream Camp every year since Ben was old enough to go. This year's campout was a week ago last Friday (the 14th).

The campout was a quick trip for us as we rushed to get there in time for supper that night and then had to leave by mid-morning the next day. What was really nice is that the boys just had plenty of space to just run around and be boys.

FAMILY REUNION. We had to leave the campout a bit early so I could mow the year and clean up before the Hancock family reunion over in Orlinda.

Isn't it funny how you can live within five or ten miles of your relatives and hardly ever see them? Of course, just as with other branches of my family, many of these cousins live far away. Near or far, it was good to have some time to visit and catch up.,

BARBECUE. One thing you can count on when the Hancock family gets together is barbecue. It just so happened that the reunion coincided with the annual Cross Plains Heritage Commission barbecue fundraiser. Now I like barbecue, but I've had enough to last me a while.

LST 325. We've all seen newsreel footage of the D-Day invasion so it's easy to call to mind all those ships that landed soldiers and tanks into the hell waiting for them on the beaches of Normandy that day. We got to tour one of these ships last Saturday (the 22nd).

This ship, which served in the Greek Navy after it was decommissioned from the US Navy, was recently brought back to the US and restored. It is now a floating museum traveling to various cities where there are sea ports or along inland waterways. To that end, it was sort of odd to see an oceangoing vessel docked at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville. We had a good time touring the ship and it was interesting to see the quarters sailors, soldiers, and marines lived in while at sea. I think this was especially eye-opening for Vicki whose father served in the US Navy during World War II.

We ate at the Big River Grill afterwards.

You can learn more about LST 325 by visiting www.lstmemorial.org.

TWO LOST TEETH. What's even better is that they were lost on the same day from two different boys. Nate was so excited to have a gap visible in his smile for picture day at school.

Joe