Without knowing what I was even about to see, I think I just did the most important thing I could have done today.

I was looking for something to watch while Dave was watching other things on Tv. I had no idea what the significance was, or the emotional trip I was about to take. If you have served in the military, no matter the branch, or have had family members give their lives for our country, you owe it to yourself to see this important movie. It is a Golden Globe Award winning movie. They could not have cast it better. If you don’t, or didn’t respect the Marines before you see it, you will. I promise. If you have not served, I’m not sure you will feel the same impact, but it is important for you to learn about nonetheless. I really can’t say much more without crying again, and don’t let that stop you. It is not a new movie, I had never heard of it. But now, I will never forget. It was the ultimate Memorial Day activity in my situation that I could have done.

On a lighter note, you all know (that follow me or read my posts) that my brother, Kevin, visited this weekend. We got to enjoy time together, even an hour or two at the beach before the hordes arrived on Saturday and there was absolutely no room on the beach for two solid days. We dined out a few times, and also had a home cooked meal. We didn’t not do any of the typical Memorial Day things like BBQ or parades, and it was like pulling teeth to get him to tell me anything he wanted to do. He kept saying, “I came to visit y’all, not for you to keep me entertained.o Here is a great pic I took of him at the beach.

After he left, I mean, he just missed it, some nice folks here in the park that we talk to every time we walk our dogs, came over and gave us some delicious, homemade cookies her husband Denny made. Was that not the sweetest thing? I will have to repay her kindness at some point.

This afternoon, Dave and I took quite the walk, to view the boats in the marina behind the fancy restaurants and then across the street to the famous Tarpon Inn. In the lobby of that establishment, there are hundreds of tarpon scales, signed by everyone who’s ever caught a tarpon, complete with the size of the fish, the date, and their name and where they came from. It was funny, but the first one I happened to look at was by a man named Claude Allen. That could have been a relative of David’s, Allen is his family name. One of the most famous of the tarpon shells though, was Franklin Roosevelt. The Inn sustained damage in Hurricane Harvey, but the scales and the records of everyone that has a scale up there are still there. Also recovered was the last tarpon ever mounted, it not allowed anymore, is on the wall. It’s very expensive to stay there, especially if you stay in the Roosevelt suite, but what a cool place to visit. We had been there before, many years ago. It was warm, and I was quite sweaty when we returned from the rest of the walk, but I’m glad we went.

Now, Dave and I are watching the Stars play the first game of the playoff series against Vegas.
Also, the NASCAR race from Charlotte, NC. The Coca Cola 600. I don’t have a favorite anymore since Jeff Gordon retired, so I’m rooting for Byron, the guy who drives his number 24. ☺️

I hope you’ve all had a happy, safe, Memorial Day and please, don’t ever forget the ones who gave their lives for our great nation.