USS Alabama (Davis Pictures)

Davis had his own camera on the trip to the USS Alabama, and was taking pictures for his class as they are discussing WW2 history.  But he also captured some unique Davis images and figured I would share a few.  The first picture was the talk of Blakeley state park.  Sam threw his walking stick into the water along the bay, and it just stuck in in just like that.  All the cub and boy scouts thought this was so cool, and while I did not see this amazing stick, Davis did capture the image.  The picture with the scuba diver is one Davis always wants to find, and we made a special trip together through the whole ship and finally found it hidden in a side room.  Two pictures on the back of the boat with Sam was from a late night gathering with him...I had D's camera as my phone was low in battery.  Sam had watched on the video where a Japanese plane was riding low across the water, and the gunner on the back lowered his gun too low and shot a hole through the back of the boat trying to hit the plane.  I went out hunting for Sam late at night and ended up watching a short documentary on the Alabama, and wouldn't you know it Sam came in to do just the same.  :) 

 

My buddy D took the cool picture head on with the blackbird.  He also thought that a KFC/Taco Bell was about the coolest thing he had seen on our way home.  He was upset for missing the giant peach in Clanton on the way down, but he caught it on the way back home.  And the last picture is one Magan wanted me to post.  It is Davis' first text conversation with his mom..."Hey mom, It's Davis"..."You sleep good because I slept grate on the boat"..."See you at home"

 

 

USS Alabama

So many fun memories with my boys on trips to the USS Alabama.  And it was kind of sad as each moment in this trip I felt would be the last.  Scouts has brought us to the battleship 3 times as just the boys, and I love it everytime.  This time Sam was away with the boy scouts for much of the time, which kind of made me sad.  It just wasn't the same in a lot of ways.  I enjoyed my time with Davis, and touring the boat with him, but something was missing. 

 

On Sunday we got up early after our night on the boat, and went to church, but afterwards we went back down, and I had probably 2 hours of my favorite time with the boys.  Some of those moments that I just want to bottle up and hold onto.  Some of the pictures below capture moments that we shared as they were little.  We got our required picture on the ladder in the machine room.  I remember the first time that little Sam saw the battleship and he said "My Eyes are leaking"...Magan asked me if anyone's eyes were leaking on this trip, and I honestly said "only mine".  Time slips by so fast, but I am glad for these pictures, and glad for these memories. 

 

So sappy beginning, but I guess I can write about the fun stuff.  We stopped on the way down at Blakeley state park and had a hike and picnic lunch.  We visited the "Hanging Tree" that once was popular in the area.  Once down at the battleship, we were the last ones on the boat (SAM!  What in the World were you doing in the car?) and therefore we got last selection on our bunks...but luckily we were together, just in a row of three on the bottom.  As I mentioned earlier, me and Davis did some touring together, but I did catch Sam way up high with his hands up on the ship in one of the pictures below.  We found where Bob Feller (HOF pitcher) slept on board.  We also saw Jean Claude Van Damme filming a movie at the submarine the next morning, the kids didn't care tho, they went to the gift shop while I waited for my JCVD smile shot.  At one time, I was a huge fan.  Sam came home with a new tshirt, and Davis got a cool submarine that he plays with often, and he painted really well.