I think this part of Arizona has cleaner air and bluer sky’s then almost any place I have been to in the world except fro maybe Hawaii and Alaska. Having said that It's time to get some tools out and finish a few projects I had been putting off. I decided to fabricate a new bracket for my Suzuki Ozark Quad so that the storage box and dump box can universally be added or removed quickly. This required welding and fabricating a wooden base for the job. I have used a welder off and on throughout the years for various projects but it hasn’t been until recently that I am finally becoming proficient at making clean beaded weld joints. Later in the afternoon I had get together with retired Master Chief Bill. Turns out the Master Chief has a place near Flagstaff AZ where the elk and deer are thick this time of year, so Tuesday we will be headed up there to try our luck. I also received an email from retired Master Chief Dave who send me this cool Coast Guard site that portrays such a good snap shot of the Coast Guard that I included it the link on this journal site, check it out here. http://patriotfiles.org/CoastiesRule.htm
Its funny how some people who have never served will try and tell you what the Coast Guard must be like because they stereo type it after the military services, but the Coast Guard is completely 180 degrees different. We don’t fall under the department of defense and all our 23 missions like "Life Saving" just to name one are active missions not static like the military services waiting and preparing for a major conflict (now in action), and yet the Coast Guard has fought in every war but smaller then the New York police department. We are so small that everyone knows each other person in their specialty and regardless if you are retired or active we receive our own monthly Coast Guard news letter and celebrate Coast Guard Day picnic in almost every state, every year, sponsored by congress. The Coast Guard is the only force that is "POSSE COMITATUS" and completely different and separate from the armed forces and yet is the first and oldest United States fighting service. Believe me, unless someone has experienced the Coast Guard lifestyle they absolutely have no idea what the Coast Guard experience is like. But if you want a basic idea you need to see the motion picture, The Guardian.
http://theguardian.movies.go.com/
