What a day! What a weekend!

A hailstorm led off Saturday, with a heavy rain following.  The internet went off on the computer and, as far as we know, stayed off all night and Sunday morning.

We  visualize Easter as being warm and sunny with flowers in bloom.  It wasn't that way Sunday. Rains came falling heavily and then at about five minutes before church was to start the lights went out. Later we learned some 9,000 Shreveporters were without power.  When we got home at 12:30, we found we were among them.

But let me get back to church. Utilizing small battery powered candles, the choir opened with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.  Services continued with more Easter music and sermon by the pastor.  The Easter egg hunt was relocated from the lawn to Fellowship Hall.

We required no artificial light for an excellent lunch for the family and guests, including Brighton Wayne Lowe.

How am I writing this?  The lights came back on at 6:30.

Less than two days from Okinawa

This day in 1945, the USS Pickens was in a convoy of 2,000 ships of  various sizes and capabilities, headed for Okinawa and whatever action that would bring.  We had taken on board Marines from the Second Division, completed training with them and on March 27 left Saipan for Okinawa.  At this time we were less than two days away from perhaps the most important battle of the war.

I have no memory of some activities described by Mark  White, pharmacist mate and ship photographer, but he was writing shortly after the events so I take his word. He said that while on the way we had "regular song fests, music hours, boxing matches and other recreation."  He points out, though, we were in constant danger from suicide planes and boats.

Happy Easter, all

Happy Easter to you and your families as we join in celebrating the risen Christ. 

Easter, which falls on March 31 this year, can come as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.  At the first Council of Nicaea, called by the emperor Constantine in 325 AD, Easter was established as the first Sunday after the first Paschal (spring) full moon.  The date is unimportant as we as Christians believe Christ's death and resurrection freed us from sin.

News I would prefer to miss

IRS (don't you love 'em) projects the cheapest Obamacare plan to cost $20,000 per family.  Of course, it will not cost some 9 million families; Obamacare  will force them to lose their health insurance.
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More than 110 million Americans have a sexually transmitted disease, according to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control.  (Some body has had a lot of unsafe sex.)     
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President Obama and family take lavish vacations more than once a month.  (If the president would stay in one of those countries, the money would be well spent.)
  

Remembering the Ben Franklin

As the anniversary of the battle for Okinawa approaches, my thoughts include the attack on the  Franklin aircraft carrier.   On March 19, 1945, a single Japanese plane managed to bomb the Franklin, setting it afire. Casualties were high, 724  losing their lives, but enough crew remained on board to get the ship moving and on to Brooklyn.  The ship was 50 miles from the Japanese mainland when attacked.

We on the Pickens were stunned with news of the attack.  It was especially sad for us radarmen when we learned that 45 of the 48 radarmen aboard lost their lives. We were acquainted with some of the radarmen.

That's not the solution, school board

Caddo parish school board has apparently decided to make that common mistake -- take the same action over and over again while expecting different results.  The board will employ a high-cost head hunter to search for a school superintendent, pay him or her a big salary and expect that to result in  failing schools
  getting  well.  So far, that has not happened; 20 schools are graded F and could be taken over by the state.  That is no guarantee the schools will improve.

Why are some schools succeeding while others similar in student bodies fail miserably?  Why do we not make a serious effort to find the answer?  We know that some teachers are capable and dedicated while some are incapable, disinterested or lazy.  Some students will learn no matter how bad their school is while others are incapable or disinterested.  Some parents care and some could care less.

Knowing all this I continue to ask -- why are some schools good and  others so bad?  Paying superintendents big money is just not enough action to solve our school problem.  The answer is not that easy.

When 15 cents meant more than money

When I attended LSU years ago, I got rides home with other students and sometimes took the train, but most of my trips from Baton Rouge were by hitch hiking. I've talked about some of my experiences, some good and some not so good.

Almost always I found rides easier to get on Highway 7l to Shreveport and on Highway 80  east.  Once, and only once, I found myself leaving Alexandria on Highway 167.  As expected, rides were difficult to get but finally late at night I reached Minden.  I entered the bus station and asked for a ticket to McIntyre.  The lady tore off the ticket, handed it to me and said "15 cents."  I searched my pockets and could not find even one cent.  I have no inkling why I was traveling without any money but I gave the lady an embarrassed smile, handed the ticket back, picked up my bag, and left the bus station.

While walking down the hill toward Highway 80 and thinking I would probably have to walk five miles to reach home, I heard the sound of someone in high heels running after me and calling "wait, wait."  I stopped, turned around and saw the lady from the bus station.  She handed me the ticket and said, "Don't ever say I never gave you anything."

Random acts of  kindness are not something new.