Monday, November 16, 2015

Harrison Tomb

Before our post begins I want to tell you how proud I was of my Wills on Sunday. 
 We went to PetSmart and I had loaded his food in our cart then stopped to look at the dogs up for adoption.  Wills was patiently waiting by my foot when I felt a little tug on his six foot leash.  As I looked Wills was up on his back legs sitting in front of a Down Syndrome young boy.  The boy had his hands cupped by his chest.  Wills gently put his front feet on the boy and his head in the boys hands looking him in the face.  Wills then got down sitting in front of the boy.  The boy with hesitation tapped Wills on the head three times.  Wills then returned to being at my feet.  The boys Mom said, as I had not seen what Wills did, that Wills came over very slowly to her son wagging his funny tail wag and sat in front of her son before he proceeded to raise himself up to get the Down Syndrome boy to pet him.  The Mom said the child talks about dogs all the time but when they come to look or are around dogs he will not touch them and totally goes into his shell.  My Wills was his first touch of a dog.  How he picked out the child to go to or why only Wills know.  But Wills sure put a smile in the boys Mom's heart Sunday.  And I am still smiling.
 
Now for our post.
 
I, Sweet William The Scot, am on the westside of my Nati City today in North Bend.
 William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States, an American military officer.
He was the last President born as a British subject.
Harrison was the first sitting President to have his photograph taken, on Inauguration Day in 1841.
Why I, Sweet William The Scot, get my picture taken all the time.
He was a U.S. representative and senator from Ohio.  
His nickname was Old Tippecanoe.
Harrison's tomb was built in 1841.
 He was also the first president to die in office. He was 68 years old and the  oldest president to take office until Ronald Reagan.
After the War of 1812 he retired to Ohio.  He lived in relative retirement until he was nominated for the presidency in 1836. Defeated, he retired again to his farm. He was elected president in 1840.  
 
He served the shortest tenure in United States presidential history, 32 days in office. 
 Lee and I find it sad the state of disrepair this monument is in and poor grounds keeping.
I think Nati City could do much better. All the interpretive displays on the kiosks were gone, that were put in on January 29th, 2007.
President Harrison  Born February 9, 1773 ~ Died April 4, 1841.
Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison Born July 25, 1775 ~ Died February 25, 1864 wife of President William Henry Harrison.
To the far left is buried John Scott Harrison, the only man in U.S. history to be the son of a president and the father of a president (Benjamin Harrison).
Harrison's granddaughter by John Scot Harrison and son-in-law are interred in the Harrison Tomb also.
It was also meant as a temporary place for his family.  The Harrisons had ten children in all.
Hence all the empty spaces.

This picture depicts his final moments.  And says his body was placed in a glass coffin in the East Room of The White House.  And tells of the long road home to Ohio.
Harrison's grandson, Benjamin Harrison of Indiana, was the 23rd president.
 In the weeks to come I will tell you what William Henry Harrison has to do with the Brown County Indiana State Park where the BAR is happening next year.  The Park sits 135 miles from our door on the eastside of Nati City and Lee over the years has spent many hours horseback riding there.
  
Thanks for being a  friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of  mine
Signing Off 
Sweet William The Scot 

Monday, November 9, 2015

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river


I, Sweet William The Scot, want to show you something.
We have to follow these plaques.  They are smokestack plaques of a bygone era when paddlewheel and steamboats went up and down the Ohio River daily. 
This plaque tells of  the Robert E. Lee, nicknamed the "Monarch of the Mississippi," was a steamboat built in New Albany, Indiana in 1866.
Sidewheel Packet Buckeye State.
 Set the all-time steamboat speed record of 43 hours between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in May 1850
 Louisville and Cincinnati mail packet steamer "Jacob Strader".
The "Jacob Strader" was a troop carrier during the Civil War and was dismantled in 1866.
If you follow all the plaques which are dozens you get to this,
The National Steamboat Monument!
This monument is a reminder of the steamboat heritage of Cincinnati.
At the height of the riverboat era, in the mid 1800s, 8,000 riverboats a year, an average of about 22 per day, docked near this spot.
 The Monument is topped by a the original 30-foot diameter paddlewheel of the American Queen, the largest overnight passenger steamboat to be built in the last half century.  We have watched it pass by our city many times.  Lee would love to take a cruise on the American Queen.



Beneath the bright red wheel are two dozen stainless steel columns, or torchiers, built to represent smokestacks. Photo sensers set off steam jets that whistle and hiss through these stacks when a person passes them.
This center circular plaque tells you which way to walk to get them to play.  You have to walk in the order it states and you cannot do it slow.  But it is fun to hear them go off.  I got my ears up because they are playing now as Lee runs around.  Lee is being silly.
During the Civil War The Navy Department had under contract a man who had experience in designing river craft, one Samuel M. Pook.  Seven gunboats were made. The seven gunboats in the class were named for cities on the Mississippi or its tributaries. They were: USS Cairo, Carondelet, Cincinnati, Louisville, Mound City, Pittsburg, and St. Louis.
Their awkward appearance struck the fancy of the farm boys who saw them, and they christened them "Pook's Turtles."  
We like to read the history of the boats that traveled the Ohio.
 If you don't want to walk along you can rent bikes and wheel carts of all kinds to peddle around our riverfront.  It makes for a fun time. See the BB Riverboats in the background.
You pass by the Great American Ball Park on the winding banks of the Ohio River.  Home of the Cincinnati Reds.  The ballpark officially opened for the 2003 season.  The ballpark has smokestacks which shoot fireworks when the Cincinnati Reds get a home run.
 The sign for the All Star Game is still up with Mr. Redlegs face.
The truck was parked at the top of the Stadium.  How in the world did it get up there.  That takes talent.
These are the BB Riverboats.  Dining Cruises, sight seeing cruises, private charter, weddings.
Lee has done their dining cruises which she enjoys.
Now this man we see often on the river.
What a way to travel the mighty Ohio River.
Well see you next week! 
Thanks for being a  friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of  mine
Signing Off 
Sweet William The Scot

 

Monday, November 2, 2015

The Ship That Won The War



The LST 325 docked at the public landing, bringing with it living history to the Cincinnati riverfront.  I, Sweet William The Scot, am going to give you a tour. 
They call them "The ship that won the war".
 LST 325 could carry as many as 20 Sherman Tanks into combat, and saw action at both Sicily and Normandy.  It is a  2,300-ton ship.
The World War II-era landing craft delivered men and equipment to the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasions and liberation of Europe.
Of the over 6,000 ships that served in the D-Day landings, the LST 325 is one of the last remaining sea-worthy vessels.

It serviced in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
70% of these vessels were built on the Ohio and Illinois Rivers.  The largest ship ever designed to place tanks, troops and cargo onto hostile beaches then retract off.
They told me to go to the aft end of tank deck keep left and take the starboard ladder up.  Okie Dokie Lee I need to ride on your back so you can hold onto the ladder.
For $20 you can have a one year Memorial Membership.

The Bulkheads are the walls or sides of the ship.
On the 2nd deck is the Galley original to WWII, the kitchen, where you get your grub!  Sorry some of our pictures are fuzzy because of close quarters 
Ship's Office and Post Office.
I thought I was suppose to yell YEOMAN for service.
A yeoman is a petty officer in the US Navy or Coast Guard performing clerical duties on board ship.
Hatches are the doors. 
So much lingo to learn.
 This is one of the crew.  A real true super nice man. The ship has 53 crewmen that sail with it today. He stopped me and wanted to compare beards.  His beard won!
He wanted to keep me. They say most of the ships had a dog.  Yep we are good for raising the spirits of humans.  Cincinnati News was doing a video the day we were there.  This man is in the video.
 We took the Upper Ladder to 01 Level.
Note to self ~ when on Lee's back duck head when we go through a hatch.  I got a knot on my noodle from the last hatch.
 On this level are the 40mm gun mounts. 
 A big barge passed by and you could not feel the water current because this ship weighs so much.
 Through this window you can see the wheelhouse where the ship is controlled.
The Combat Information Center and Radio Room are just aft of wheelhouse.
I could hear Morse code and I kept turning my ears but Lee has not taught me to read Morse.
 Well you can see the main deck.  This was where trucks, artillery, supplies are carried.  The helicopter pad, not original for WWII but used in Korea and Vietnam.
 A Passageway is a hallway. They call this Officer's Country. Usually 10-12 officers and room for 8 Marine or Army Officers.
Captain's Quarters.  He had a small office, separate bunk room and head (toilet).
 
Main Deck. Good to be out in the air again.
 The covered hatch, is a fully operational forward elevator that brings equipment up and down.
 Now that we have gotten all the way to the top deck we go down another way.
 This is a true Mash Jeep used in Korea. I wonder if this jeep was the one "Radar" O’Reilly sent home in pieces.
 
 Troop Berthing.  This ship could hold up to 200 troops for long distance.  These bunks are as they were in 1942.  Darn hard bed if you ask me.
 Well it is time to disembark. 
It took us three hours to tour this boat. 
I was the perfect dog, greeting everybody who acknowledged me and minding my manners, no fear in me for new adventures.
 The tour cost $10 and dogs are welcome.
 
 Thanks for being a  friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of  mine
Signing Off 
Sweet William The Scot

Pssssssss ~ If you wonder how Lee carries me, well I have a boba wrap carrier.  It has a hook so it goes over either one of Lee's shoulders and then it ties around her waist evenly distributes weight for comfort and longer carrying time. She has used it for all her Scotties.
I was going to show a picture of Lee's knee.  Lee had her surgery on the 20th.  But it kind of made us sick when we looked at it loaded on my blog.  Maybe next time after it heals some.
 

Monday, October 26, 2015

National Bandana Day


Look Look Look it says Sweet William The Scot and it is addressed to my post office box.
Why it says from South Africa.  I know who this is from, why it is Sammy & Wally.
They are truly wonderful dogs.

Lee are you seeing everything that they packed into this box.
Why there are dog treats and peep treats.  Lee they sent you more tea and three bags of treats to munch on.  The card says their Mom loves these treats.

Look there is a key chain that looks like me.  But you know what they sent us the 2015 Sunflower Bandana which raises money for The Sunflower Fund.  It supports peeps diagnosed with life threatening blood disorders.  Yep Lee and Sammy & Wally's Grandpa have the same blood disorder.  So The Sunflower Fund is very important to us.  Please consider getting tested to be a bone marrow donor. 
Thank You Sammy & Wally.

Thanks for being a  friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of  mine
Signing Off 
Sweet William The Scot


Do you think I might be on the Titanic.  They said all women to the lifeboats!
What about us dogs?
Well stop by next week to find out what mighty vessel in history I'm on.
Just sit right back
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip

Anyone got a life jacket.
Psssssssss ~ My Lee is having knee surgery  for a Meniscal tear and a torn Medial Collateral Ligament on the 20th.  It snapped when she fell off the wharf into the Ohio River on our Nina & Pinta adventure.
Lee says it is a miracle that we were able to do this three hour tour.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Sadie

Our Sadie Dance Photo
I, Sweet William The Scot, got this e-mail from Bella last week
SW will you go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with me.  SHE's so slack at the moment....well, slacker.  Now, when SHE was young, it was a Lil Abner type of thing, but Google says it's just an informal dance.  So don't know what's up
♥♥♥ Your Bella
Well guys and dances, I started running right away. 
Then I thought it was the beautiful Bella.  My gal Bella and what a lucky dog I was that Bella wanted me for the Sadie Dance. 
So I slowed down and I fooled her and I let Bella catch me. 
 Oh dogs Bella drives a wicket scooter around these Roos.

Why look at that twinkle in Bella's eye.
  Why a Lassie as beautiful as Bella would ask me to accompany her to the Sadie Dance is beyond me. 
Bella is seriously sizzling scorchingly HOT!


 Thanks for being a  friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of  mine
Signing Off 
Sweet William The Scot