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"Snippy's Oregon Vacation part 2"

Mount St. Helens

On Wednesday July 16th we headed out for a full day trip to Mount St. Helens. There are stops all along the way up the mountain to stop and see films and artifacts. We stopped at all of the ones on are way up.

The films I saw of the actual eruption were awesome. What a sight, I had no idea of the magnitude of the 'fallout' before seeing their films.

The unfortunate part of the trip was that the top of Helens, or what's left of it, was under cloud cover all day.

Part of the area destroyed by the eruption has been allowed to be reclaimed and new growth planted, yet some of the area closer to the top of the mountain is protected from anything other than natural regrowth.

SAM tells me that the growth has been phenominal just in the 9 years or so since he first saw the devastation.

Mount St. Helens in cloud cover

Spirit Lake

View from our picnic lunch stop.

At Cold Water Ridge we stopped and down in the valley below we could see numerous Elk herds. Story has it that they love the open area and their numbers have increased since the eruption.

Bridge along the way

Still burnt out timbers

Areas still not recovered

Snippy and SAM at the Johnston Ridge Observatory located only five and one half miles from the crater

Mt. St. Helens blowout area

Johnston Ridge Observatory

Lake to the left of Helens as viewed from our pictures

View of Mt. Hood as we crossed the Columbia River on our return from Mt. St. Helens

If you are interested in reading more on Mount St. Helens here is a link.

Mount St. Helens Eruption, May 18, 1980

Lava Dome

Recovery

Today's classic warship, USS Turner Joy (DD-951)

Forrest Sherman class destroyer
Displacement. 4,200 t.
Lenght. 418'6"
Beam. 45'
Draft. 22'6"
Speed. 33 k.
Complement. 360
Armament. 3 5", 2 3", 6 16.5" tt., 1 dct., 2 hedgehogs

Turner Joy (DD-951) was laid down on 30 September 1957 at Seattle, Wash., by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co.; launched on 5 May 1958; sponsored by Mrs. C. Turner Joy; and commissioned on 3 August 1959, Comdr. Ralph S. Wentworth, Jr. in command.

After commissioning she cruised down the Pacific coast to visit South America. In May of the next year the destroyer steamed across the Pacific to begin the first of a dozen deployments to Asian waters. Her return to the U.S. in November 1960 was followed by a year and a half of duty in the eastern Pacific, then another Seventh Fleet tour during the last half of 1962. Turner Joy's third Western Pacific cruise, between March and October 1964, was historic. While serving with the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga on 2 August she was sent to reinforce the destroyer Maddox after the latter was attacked by North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats. Two days later, on the night of 4 August, the two ships believed they were again under attack and took vigorous countermeasures. This Gulf of Tonkin Incident was an important preliminary to the United States' long and painful combat experience in Southeast Asia.

Turner Joy's next six Seventh Fleet deployments, in 1965-66, 1966-67, 1968, 1969-70, 1971 and 1972-73, included intense involvement in the Vietnam conflict. In addition to screening carriers in nearby waters and undertaking patrol duties, she actively used her guns to support Allied forces ashore. One such mission, in October 1965, ended in tragedy when a shell accidently detonated in one of her five-inch gun mounts, killing three of her crew. During another bombardment, off North Vietnam on 7 April 1967, Turner Joy was hit by return fire, but was not seriously damaged. Following the January 1973 agreement that temporarily ended the fighting, the destroyer took part in Operation "Endsweep", the clearance of U.S. mines from North Vietnamese waters.

During the next decade Turner Joy went to the Western Pacific three more times, in 1974, 1975-76 and 1980. The '75-76 deployment carried her to the Arabian Sea, an area that in future years would become an increasingly important destination for U.S. Navy ships. While there, she took part in an exercise with the British, Iranian and Pakistani navies. In November 1982, as the Navy was in the process of taking all the ships of her class out of service, USS Turner Joy was decommissioned. She spent over seven years in the Pacific Reserve Fleet before being stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in February 1990. However, in April 1991 she embarked on a new career as a museum and memorial ship. Ever since, Turner Joy has been on exhibit at the city of Bremerton, Washington, as an enduring representative of the Cold War Navy.

Big guns in action!

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on August 04:
1755 Nicolas-Jacque Conte inventor (modern pencil)
1792 Percy Bysshe Shelley England, romantic poet (Adonais)
1823 Oliver Perry Morton (Gov-Ind)
1832 Gaspar N£¤ez de Arce Spain, poet "Spanish Tennyson"
1839 Walter Pater London England, writer (Plato & Platoism)
1859 Knut Hamsun Norway, writer/Nazi (Hunger-Nobel 1920)
1870 Sir Harry Lauder Scotland, comedian/singer (Roman in the Gloamin)
1897 Joseph Calleia Malta, actor (Jungle Book, Gilda, Touch of Evil)
1901 Louis Armstrong New Orleans, Jazz musician & bandleader, "Hello Dolly" - oldest musician in Billboard history to have a Number One song
1900 Arturo Umberto Illia pres of Argentina (1963-66)
1900 Elizabeth Britain's Queen Mother
1909 Glenn Cunningham US middle distance runner in the 1930's
1910 William Howard Schuman NYC, composer (American Festival Overture)
1912 David Raksin Phila Penns, composer (Modern Times)
1913 Wesley Addy Omaha Neb, actor (Bostonian, Loving)
1915 Irving Fields NYC, pianist (Ilona Massey Show)
1920 Helen Thomas UPI journalist (starts press conferences)
1921 Maurice "Rocket" Richard Montreal Canadien (MVP-1947)
1928 Udham Singh India, field hockey player (Olympic-gold-1952, 56, 64)
1934 Dallas Green baseball manager (Phillies, Yankees)
1939 Frankie Ford Gretna La, rock vocalist (Sea Cruise)
1942 David Russell Lange PM (L) New Zealand (1984- )
1943 Michael J McCulley San Diego Calif, Cmdr USN/astronaut (STS-34)
1943 Rodney Stuart Pattison British yachtsman (Olympics)
1943 Tina Cole Hollywood, singer (King Cousins)/actress (Katie-My 3 Sons)
1944 Richard Belzer, comedian, actor
1945 Fred Hansen US, pole vaulter (Olympic-gold-1964)
1946 Maureen Cox Starkey 1st wife of Beatle Ringo Starr
1952 Bobby Buntrock Denver Colo, actor (Harold Baxter-Hazel)
1952 Kristoffer Tabori LA Calif, actor (Rappaccini's Daughter)
1955 Andrew M Allen Phila Pa, Captain USMC/astronaut (sk: STS-46)
1955 Charles D "Sam" Gemar Yankton SD, army/astronaut (STS 38, 48)
1955 Billy Bob Thornton Hot Springs, Ark. US. actor, 'Sling Blade','A Family Thing'
1958 Mary Decker Tabb Slaney NJ, olympic track star (Mile record 4:16.71)
1960 Robbin Crosby heavy metal rocker (Ratt-Round & Round)
1962 Roger Clemens Dayton Ohio, Boston Red Sox pitcher (Cy Young, MVP)
1965 Crystal Chappell Silver Spring Md, actress (Carly-Days of our Lives)

Deaths which occurred on August 04:
1060 Henry I, King of France (1027..60), dies at 52
1265 Simon de Montfort English baron, dies in battle
1526 Juan Sebasti…n Cano Spanish explorer, dies
1891 George Washington Williams dies at 41 in Blackpool England
1892 Andrew & Abby Borden, axed to death in Mass (by Lizzie Borden?)
1938 Pearl White, US actress/stunt woman (Perils of Pauline), dies
1973 Eddie Condon jazz guitarist (Eddie Condon's Floor Show), dies at 68
1981 Melvyn Douglas actor, dies at 80
1984 Edmon Ryan actor, dies at 79 of a heart attack
1984 Mary Miles Minter silent screen star, dies at 82 of heart failure
1984 Walter Burke actor, dies at 75 of emphysema

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BURNS JOHN R. MEMPHIS TN.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 05 FEB 93]
1967 BISZ RALPH C. MIAMI FL.
[POSS DEAD]
1971 WALDHAUS RICHARD PITTSBURG CA.
[02/73 RELEASED BY PRG]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
1181 Supernova seen in Cassiopia
1265 King Henry III puts down a revolt of English barons lead by Simon de Montfort.
1578 Battle of Alcazarquivir, Morrocans defeat Portugeese
1693 Dom Perignon invents champagne
1735 Jury acquits John Zenger (NY Weekly Journal) charged with seditious libel by royal governor of NY (victory for Freedom of press)
1753 George Washington becomes a master mason
1777 Retired British cavalry officer Philip Astley establishes 1st circus
1790 US Coast Guard founded as Revenue Cutter Service
1830 Plans for the city of Chicago laid out
1864 Land & naval action new Brazos Santiago, Texas
1881 122ø F (50ø C), Seville, Spain (European record)
1892 Sunday school teacher Lizzie Borden arrested in Fall River, Mass
1910 A's Jack Coombs & White Sox Ed Walsh pitch a 16 inn scoreless tie
1914 Germany declares war on Belgium; Britain declares war on Germany
1916 US agrees to buy Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million
1925 US marines leave Nicaragua after 13-year occupation
1927 Peace Bridge between US & Canada opened
1934 NY Giants Mel Ott sets record of 6 runs in game & beats Phillies 21-4
1944 Anne Frank, 15, (Diary of Anne Frank) is arrested by Nazis
1945 Golfer Byron Nelson records most tournament wins (18) in a season
1945 Red Sox Tom McBride is 3rd to get 6 RBIs in an inning (4th)
1948 5 day southern filibuster succeeds in maintaining poll tax
1949 The NBL & NBAA merge into the National Basketball Association
1953 Black families move into Trumbull Park housing project in Chicago
1953 Vic Raschi sets pitcher record by driving in 7 runs & wins 15-0
1956 1st motorcycle rode over 200 mph (Wilhelm Herz-210 mph/338 kph)
1958 Dumont TV Network crumbles
1960 Rocket propelled USAF research aircraft sets record at 2,150 MPH
1961 108ø F, Spokane, WA
1964 Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman & James Chaney found buried inside an earthen dam in Mississippi
1967 British pirate radio station Radio 355 goes off the air
1967 Shortwave group ANARC's 1st convention (Chicago)
1968 100,000 attend Newport Pop Festival, Costa Mesa, Calif
1969 Willie Stargell is 1st to hit a HR outside of Dodger Stadium
1970 Jim Morrison arrested for drunkenness
1971 US launches 1st satellite into lunar orbit from manned spacecraft
1974 Crawford-Butler Act allows Puerto Ricans to elect own governor
1977 Pres Carter establishes Dept of Energy
1981 Columbia mated with SRBs & external tank for STS-2 mission
1981 Oliver North is assigned to White House duty
1982 NY Met Joel Youngblood singles in Chicago day game, then singles for Expos in Philadelphia night game. (He was traded in between)
1984 Carl Lewis wins gold medal in 100-meter dash at LA Summer Olympics
1984 Cliff Johnson sets a record with his 19th pinch hit HR
1984 Prince's "Purple Rain," album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 24 weeks
1984 Republic of Upper Volta becomes Bourkina Fasso (National Day)
1985 Calif Angel Rod Carew gets his 3,000th hit
1985 Phil Rizzuto Day, Yanks retire #10
1985 White Sox Tom Seaver is 17th to win #300, beating Yankees
1987 FCC vote 4-0 to rescind fairness doctrine for broadcasters
1988 Congress votes $20,000 to each Japanese-American interned in WW II
1988 Hertz car rental will pay out $23 million in consumer fraud case
1989 Blue Jays Dave Steib's perfect game broken up in 9th with 2 outs by NY Yankee Roberto Kelly
1990 European community proposes a boycott of Iraq
1996 26th Olympic Summer games close in Atlanta, Georgia

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Norway : Peer Gynt Festival Days
Trinidad & Tobago : Discovery Day (1498)
US : Coast Guard Day (1790)
Virgin Islands : Nicole Robin Day
Arizona, Michigan : American Family Day - - - - - ( Sunday )
Italy : Joust of the Quintana (1st Sunday) - - - - - ( Sunday )
Bahamas, Barbados, Turks & Caicos Island : Emancipation Day (1838) - - - - - ( Monday )
British Commonwealth : Bank Holiday - - - - - ( Monday )
Canada : Civic Holiday (1st Monday) - - - - - ( Monday )
Colorado : Colorado Day (1876) - - - - - ( Monday )
Jamaica : Independence Day (1962) - - - - - ( Monday )
St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla : August Monday - - - - - ( Monday )
US : National Smile Week begins - - - - - ( Monday )
Grasmere England : Rush-Bearing Day - - - - - ( Saturday )

Religious Observances
Old RC : Feast of St Dominic, confessor
RC : Memorial of St John Mary Vianney, patron of priests

Religious History
1874 Methodist clergyman John H. Vincent (1832-1920) and Ohio manufacturer Lewis Miller established the Chautauqua Assembly in northwest New York state a summer retreat center combining recreational activities with the training of Sunday School teachers and other church workers.
1879 Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical "Aeterni patris," which urged the study of "true" philosophy, especially that of Thomas Aquinas. The injunction led to a great revival of both Thomist studies and scholastic philosophy.
1884 Birth of Sigmund O.P. Mowinckel, Norwegian Old Testament scholar. Associated from 1917-54 with Oslo University, his most influential work was done in the Psalms. In 1951 he published "The Psalms in Israel's Worship" (1963).
1892 English medical missionary Wilfred T. Grenfell, 26, first arrived in Labrador, Newfoundland. For 42 years he labored among the fisherfolk, helping build hospitals and orphanages as well as churches.
1959 Swedish Christian and U.N. Secretary General Dago Hammarskald observed in his journal (Markings): 'We encounter a world where each man is a cosmos, of whose riches we can only catch glimpses.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom"

You might be making your co-workers uncomfortable if...
you bring in all of your GI Joe action figures from your childhood days. At your desk, stage full scale battles complete with pyrotechnics. Demand paid time off to bury your dead.

Todays Murphys Law...(Love Laws)
Money can't buy love, but it sure gets you a great bargaining position.

Cliff Clavin says, it's a little known fact that...
A person afflicted with hexadectylism has six fingers or six toes on one or both hands and feet.

Cool pics! Thanks.

Mornin' snippy. Thanks for your comments yesterday, and thank you for this service you and SAM provide. :)