Category Archives: Beaches

Ballparks, Beaches, Beyond

D-Day Remembered 70 Years Later

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Today marks the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, which is the name given to the World War II battle involving over 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landing on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region in one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history.

Led by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Allied forces stormed beaches at Normandy code named Sword, Juno, Gold, Utah and Omaha.

The storming of the beaches was met by German machine gunners and artillery who tried to hold back the invasion force. The Germans almost succeeded at Omaha costing the Allies more than two thousand casualties in the opening hours.

For an idea of just how gruesome this type of frontal beach assault is, one need only watch the opening of “Saving Private Ryan.” It is easy to forget in this era of drone attacks and smart bombs that war was once much more hand to hand leading to much higher casualty rates among its participants.

The guns on the USS Texas provided cover for the troops storming the beaches during D-Day. The flag that flew on the ship during the battle will be on public display starting today. Photo R. Anderson
The guns on the USS Texas provided cover for the troops storming the beaches during D-Day. The flag that flew on the ship during the battle will be on public display starting today.
Photo R. Anderson

In total, the Battle of Normandy lasted from June 1944 to August 1944 resulting in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control and has been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

During the D-Day invasion, all scheduled baseball games were canceled on June 6, 1944, marking only the second time in history that games were cancelled league wide.

The first cancellation of baseball games happened on the day U.S. president Warren Harding died in 1923, and the third time was when Commissioner Bud Selig stopped play for six days from Sept. 11-16, 2001, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

While baseball games were cancelled stateside on D-Day, two future Hall of Famers, Yogi Berra and Leon Day, were participating in the battle.

Shortly after being drafted by the New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra was drafted by Uncle Sam. Berra witnessed D-Day 70 years ago today as a member of the U.S. Navy. Photo R. Anderson
Shortly after being drafted by the New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra was drafted by Uncle Sam. Berra witnessed D-Day 70 years ago today as a member of the U.S. Navy.
Photo R. Anderson

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, 35 Hall of Fame members and more than 500 Major League players served in World War II.

Many celebrations are planned today to mark the anniversary. In France various heads of state are visiting Normandy

Closer to home, the people of Houston, and the surrounding areas, will have their own chance to see a piece of D-Day history starting today.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science will give the public an opportunity to see the 17-by-9 foot battle flag that was waving on the USS Texas during D-Day.

Although the USS Texas itself has been on static display for many years, the exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science marks the first time since World War II that the flag has been on public display.

Whether one travels to see the beaches of Normandy, or the Stars and Stripes, it is important to remember the sacrifice of all of those veterans who stormed those beaches to help ensure the freedom that is enjoyed to this day.

After serving in World War I the USS Texas was called into action on D-Day. Seventy years after that battle the ship remains as a monument to the people who fought and died to help bring the freedoms we know and love. Photo R. Anderson
After serving in World War I the USS Texas was called into action on D-Day. Seventy years after that battle the ship remains as a monument to the people who fought and died to help bring the freedoms we know and love.
Photo R. Anderson

Unfortunately, the time to thank a World War II veteran in person is vanishing rapidly.

The United States Veteran’s Administration estimates that a World War II veteran dies around every two minutes. That translates to a rate of approximately 555 veterans dying each day.

By the year 2036, the VA estimates, there will no longer be any living World War II veterans.

For comparison purposes the last World War I veteran, Frank Buckles, died in February 2011.

A reminder of the rapid passing of World War II veterans occurred Wednesday when, Chester Nez, died at age 93.

Nez was the last living member of the original 29 citizens of the Navajo Nation who were recruited by the Marine Corps to develop the legendary “unbreakable” code based on the Navajo language that was used for vital communications during battle.

Just as the sacrifice made on the beaches of Normandy saved countless lives by hastening the end of the war in Europe, the Code Talkers helped end the war on the Pacific front with their sacrifice.

There are countless other stories of bravery and sacrifice from the men and women of the “Greatest Generation” who served during World War II. Each story goes towards the patchwork on which the nation is built.

It is likely, and hopeful, that the world will not see another war of the scale of World War II. While there will always be a need for a certain amount of boots on the ground, advancements in technology have greatly reduced the number of boots required to conduct modern warfare.

But while the number of soldiers needed to protect freedom will continue to decline in the coming years, that does not minimize the level of sacrifice made by each of the soldiers who wear the uniform.

Take some time before the start of the hustle and bustle of the weekend to remember the sacrifice and reflect on the high cost of freedom paid by each generation that has gone before.

And by all means, if you happen to see a World War II veteran, or any other veteran for that matter, be sure to thank them for their service and their sacrifice.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a flag to visit.

Copyright 2014 R. Anderson

Ballparks, Beaches

Something Smells Fishy in Seabrook

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Over the past couple of weeks, the city of Seabrook, TX , as well as other neighboring cities, have dealt with the lingering effects of a fish kill along the shores of Galveston Bay.

While there is always a certain sea faring odor associated with living along the water, it is usually a salty aroma that makes one want to read Ernest Hemingway novels in a smoking jacket wearing a captain’s hat, while eating black licorice rope and sipping iced tea while Nat the lighthouse keeper helps guide the ships safely to port.

A recent fish kill along Galveston Bay has been a little less "Hemingway" and a lot more "Silence of the cod" lately. Photo R. Anderson
A recent fish kill along Galveston Bay has been a little less “Hemingway” and a lot more “Silence of the cod” lately.
Photo R. Anderson

Of course, even Nat and Papa Joe himself would have turned their noses at the smell of thousands of dead bait fish washed upon the shore.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife officials, the fish kill is likely being caused by low oxygen levels in the water. Putting on my Ry the Science Guy hat, low oxygen levels can be caused by many naturally occurring things such as algae blooms and other factors that make it hard for the fish to “breathe” under water.

In an official statement released by the city of Seabrook, residents were notified that the region’s Kills and Spills Team (KAST) was on top of the situation and that fishing was discouraged in areas where fish carcasses have accumulated due to health concerns.

Let me just pause for a minute from this regularly scheduled column to say that a Kills and Spills team sounds like they would tell great stories at parties.

Now back to our main story.

I can only speak for myself, but usually the sight of thousands of dead fish “carcasses” in a given area is pretty much going to discourage me from fishing there without needing to have the city tell me.

While there is never a good time for a fish kill, having one during Memorial Day weekend makes the fine folks at the local tourism office a little squeamish as they try to kick off the summer tourism season.

The waters of Galveston Bay are churning with more than just shrimp boats lately with the arrival of several thousand dead fish washing up on the shore. Photo R. Anderson
The waters of Galveston Bay are churning with more than just shrimp boats lately with the arrival of several thousand dead fish washing up on the shore.
Photo R. Anderson

With seaweed of biblical proportion washing up a bit further to the south, there really are no odor free beaches and waterways for one to visit for the time being.

In time, nature will take its course and the salty Hemingway smells will once again return to the shores as the numbers of dead fish and seaweed subside.

While the fish kill is currently limited to mostly smaller fish, time will tell if larger fish in the food chain will start to die off with so many of their food sources killed off. As the animated lion and his friends taught me through song, it is all part of the circle of life.

Speaking of fish kills and singing lions, there is a similar circle of life within the ranks of professional baseball where each big fish club is only as strong has its minnows, err Minor League clubs.

Major League Baseball teams like the Tampa Bay Rays depend on a strong Farm system to survive. When the smaller clubs suffer the big club feels the pain which is similar to how the big fish feel during a fish kill ala the circle of life. Photo R. Anderson
Major League Baseball teams like the Tampa Bay Rays depend on a strong Farm system to survive. When the smaller clubs suffer the big club feels the pain which is similar to how the big fish feel during a fish kill ala the circle of life.
Photo R. Anderson

Teams with a healthy level of oxygen and prospects throughout the system tend to thrive, while the clubs with a weaker farm system tend to flounder.

Much like seasonal fish kills, the ebbs and flows of the haves and have nots in baseball also seem to be cyclical with each team rising and falling with the tides depending on how strong their farm systems are.

The good news for fans of teams such as the Astros, and others who are in rebuilding mode, is that while the product on the field at times may stink during the rebuilding years, it never affects the noses of fans in the same way that thousands of dead bait fish will do.

Of course, if one ever happened to see a Kills and Spills Team visit their Ballpark, odds are the situation is a bit more serious than first thought. It might be time for a fan to “fish” elsewhere for awhile.

Residents along Galveston Bay anxiously await a return to a more fragrant experience full of licorice and lighthouses. Photo R. Anderson
Residents along Galveston Bay anxiously await a return to a more fragrant experience full of licorice and lighthouses.
Photo R. Anderson

So, while the residents along Galveston Bay will have to wait a little longer to don those smoking jackets and break into the licorice, at least they know that the fish are sure to disappear one way or the other eventually.

Until then, the birds will continue to swarm all over the free Golden Gill buffet, while residents can stay indoors with the windows closed and watch some baseball, or read some books about the sea.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check the seals on my windows since the direction of the wind just shifted.

Copyright 2014 R. Anderson

Beaches

Oil Spill Shows how Fragile Ecosystems Can be

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This past weekend around 160,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into Galveston Bay following a collision between two ships.

High waves driven by wind made containing the spill impossible. As a result, oil reached some areas on shore while also leading to the closure of the Houston Ship Channel during the early phases of the cleanup effort.

Besides the container ships and tankers that were left waiting for the Ship Channel to reopen, passengers aboard two cruise ships were delayed, and the ferry linking Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula was closed as a result of the spill.

While 160,000 gallons of oil sounds like a lot of oil, it is a mere drop in the bucket compared to some of the worst oil spills in history.

Pelicans like this one are especially susceptible to oil spills.
Photo R. Anderson

Still, even a drop in the bucket can have long reaching implications.

When that drop of oil in the bucket occurs during prime bird migration season, the sticky situation can be even worse.

Oil covered birds have already been discovered, and there will likely be more found before the cleanup is complete. There is more to the impacts of the spill then some oil covered birds and fish, however.

Impacts of crude oil will likely be felt all the way to the bottom of the food chain with the total impacts not known for years.

Few would argue that oil is an important part of life and is needed for everything from transportation to power generation. While efforts can be taken to reduce the world’s dependence on oil, it is not realistic to say that society needs to be completely oil free.

Effects of oil spills are often felt all the way to the bottom of marine ecosystems which means finding the total impact can often take decades.
Photo R. Anderson

While there are alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power that can help reduce the amount of petroleum products society needs, the simple fact is the industrialized world cannot function without fossil fuels.

As such, every possible precaution is taken to ensure the safe manufacturing and transporting of oil from the time it leaves the ground until the final product is placed in the consumer’s hand.

Despite all of these precautions, there are occasionally spills and other accidents such as the one that occurred over the weekend.

When things do go wrong in the oil manufacturing process and entire ecosystems are put at risk, it becomes time to look at all sides of the argument and ensure that impacts are minimized and the oil is removed in the safest way possible.

Birds that land in oil require quick attention to prevent lasting effects and death.
Photo R. Anderson

We are approaching the fourth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon incident where the Gulf of Mexico was inundated over 87 days with an estimated total discharge at 4.9 million barrels of oil, which is roughly 210 million gallons.

The 2010 spill, which is also referred to as the BP Oil Spill, was the largest oil spill to occur in the waters off of the United States.

Even now, many groups are monitoring the Gulf of Mexico for signs of damage to the ecosystem. While trends such as a rise in dolphin fatality rates have been observed the total impacts related to the spill will not be known for decades.

It should be noted that there are ships and other modes or transport that travel safely through the waters and roads on a daily basis. So, oil spills are certainly the exception more than the rule. However, it is an exception with dire consequences.

Oil runs the boats in the marina and under most circumstances can coexist with marine life unless it spilled directly into the environment such as was the case recently in Galveston Bay.
Photo R. Anderson

Generations of people have counted on the Gulf of Mexico for food and relaxation. And with the right steps now it should be available for generations to come.

The same is true of Galveston Bay which has large recreational and professional fishing communities that count on the wildlife within its waters to be free of contaminants and safe to eat.

There is certainly more to life than a stroll on the beach or a quiet day out on the fishing pier. But everybody deserves the option to stroll on that beach and fish from that pier oil free when the time to does come.

It is time to take a hard look at alternatives to oil so that we are no longer dependent on the remains of dinosaurs to fuel a 21st Century society.

The birds and marine life certainly deserve better and so do we.

Now if you’ll excuse me, all of this talk about marine ecosystems has me craving some scallops with Old Bay Seasoning.

Copyright 2014 R Anderson

Ballparks, Beaches, Beyond

Triple B Hits the Century Mark

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If you happen to be reading this right now, it means that you have arrived at the 100th column entry here at Triple B.

Now, 100 columns is certainly a milestone worth noting and as it got closer there were increased thoughts at the Triple B Gigaplex regarding the best way to celebrate it.

The first thought of how to celebrate the occasion was actually to not celebrate it at all.

Let

Ballparks, Beaches, Beyond

Cuba Home to Old Cars and Pet Pelicans Among Other Things

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For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with the idea of visiting Cuba.

Of course, with all of the travel restrictions and trade embargoes in place traveling to Cuba is not really an option for me at the moment.

The closest I ever came to visiting Cuba was on a cruise ship in the late 80’s when the ship was heading back towards Miami from the U.S. Virgin Islands. As we approached the island the captain made an announcement along the lines of if you look out to our starboard side you will see Cuba.

I recall that the island was covered in a sort of rainy haze which made it both intriguing and beckoning at the same time. I also remember briefly thinking that I hoped the captain did not drift into Cuban waters by mistake and lead to an international incident.

In the end we passed without incident and as Cuba got smaller and smaller on the horizon behind us I was even more convinced than ever that I wanted to one day step foot on that mysterious rock.

Stories of the pre Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs Cuba have always fascinated me. I was not alive during the tense days when the U.S. Naval blockade was in place to keep Russian ships from supplying missiles to the island so it is likely that my opinion towards Cuba may be different if I had lived through those tense days that almost led to World War III.

Bell tolling books
Earnest Hemingway’s home in Cuba is where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.
Photo R. Anderson

Instead, to me Cuba represents a land where Earnest Hemingway and other figures spent their days fishing and their nights in smokey rooms, or crowded ballparks enjoying the freshest of Cuban cuisine and culture while getting from point A to point B in various cars from Detroit.

I guess one could say I want to experience the vision of Cuba that I have in my head. I want to sit and watch a baseball game played in a ballpark where the air and the accents are both thick and rich with history.

I want to sit in a road side cafe and eat my weight in Cuban pork and plantains while watching the hustle and bustle along the street.

I want to visit Finca Vigia, Earnest Hemingway’s home in Cuba where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.

I want to see those old cars that were on the road when Hemingway walked the streets and are still being driven today due to the ingenuity of the Cuban people to keep those cars roadworthy for all these years.

I want to tour a cigar factory and see people using the same hand rolling techniques that their great great great grandfathers used.

I want to do all of these things and more in Cuba but sadly under the current rules of travel that is not an option for me at the moment.

Our friends north of the border in Canada can come and go as they please to Havana but for those with America stamped on the cover page of their passports it is a different story.

Of course, I certainly hope to get to visit Cuba without having to become a Canadian citizen first and feel that I will get a chance in my lifetime to do so.

While I have many things on my list to see when I do get to Cuba, there was another item that I heard about that also seems worth checking out on the island 90 miles away from Florida.

I recently learned that there is a family in Cuba with a pet pelican named Pancho. When I saw the pelican above in St. Petersburg a few years back it never occurred to me that pelicans would make a good pet. Photo R. Anderson
I recently learned that there is a family in Cuba with a pet pelican named Pancho. When I saw the pelican above in St. Petersburg a few years back it never occurred to me that pelicans would make a good pet.
Photo R. Anderson

I am of course talking about Pancho the pet pelican.

There was a story in USA Today about Pancho, a pelican that wanders the streets of Havana with his owner who nursed him back to health.

Now, before I saw the story I had never even considered the idea of having a pelican as a pet.

I am a huge fan of pelicans and I love to watch them fly and do their pelican thing but never once in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a pelican would follow me around without me having to carry a fish to lure him.

So while conditions in Cuba and the surrounding political system may not be the best for individual freedoms I think that a country that allows its citizens to have pet pelicans cannot be all bad.

Okay, let me clarify before I get angry cards and letters that I am in no way endorsing communism as a preferred form of government over democracy. I am merely stating that I think it is pretty cool that there are people in Cuba with pet pelicans regardless of what form of government they live under.

When I lived in Florida I had many friends from Cuba who told me first hand of the atrocities that they had witnessed under Fidel Castro so I know that it is not all pet pelicans and sunshine.

These

Beaches

Of Seaweed and Seawalls

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Recently it was announced that parking along the Seawall in Galveston would no longer be free.

City leaders had been trying for years to turn the parking spots along the beach into revenue so the fact that they succeeded in finding a way to do that should really surprise no one.

Of course whether they are providing a product that is worth paying to see is another issue entirely.

Starting last month parking along the seawall in Galveston was no longer free. While it now costs more to see it there is little evidence that the view has improved. Photo R. Anderson
Starting last month parking along the seawall in Galveston was no longer free. While it now costs more to see it, there is little evidence that the view has improved.
Photo R. Anderson

It is no secret that while I am a fan of the town of Galveston and its various historic places, my affinity for the island ends pretty much where the seawall begins. To put it bluntly Galveston has an ugly beach that one could not pay me to swim in.

So when it was announced that visitors would now have to pay for the privilege of parking along the seaweed covered shores it made me laugh.

The parking meter system that was chosen made me laugh even more since it seems to discriminate against people who do not have cell phones.

That’s right boys and girls one now needs a cell phone or another means of wireless access to the web to pay for a parking spot on the seawall since the meters do not accept cash or credit cards.

I know that it is assumed in this day and age that everyone has at least one cell phone.

Beaches, Beyond

Fire Represents Life on Survivor and Food on the Beach

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About this time last week I was able to do something that I had never done before.

It was not that I had never wanted to do this particular thing. In fact I had often thought about how fun it would be to try.

Still despite my best efforts and desires I had never found myself with the opportunity to grill my own dinner.

Of course I have cooked my own dinner numerous times and actually enjoy coming up with new creations but the pivotal manly event of cooking over either a propane or charcoal grill with visible flames had eluded me.

Early attempts at fire starting proved difficult to say the least. Photo R. Anderson
Early attempts at fire starting proved difficult to say the least.
Photo R. Anderson

I mean some people would say that guys are born to grill from the womb with generations of instincts rattling around through them dating back to the first fire discovering cave men.

Others might think that a man of my age who had never actually harnessed those generations of innate fire cooking skills is not really living up to their full manly potential.

It is hard to say how it is that I got so far in life without ever being head griller. There were just always others around who would do the cooking.

And of course apartment living did not always make for the best open flame situations so I did get to be quite good at George Foreman Grill cooking.

In the spirit of full disclosure I had cooked over an open flame before with Smores and campfire hot dogs but I am talking about never firing up the grill and having an honest to goodness All American barbecue where it is man versus grill.

Of course as is often the case one needs to be careful what they wish for.

While burgers, steaks and other red meat delights tend to be the go to carnivorous treats for cooking over open flame, my grilling debut experience included jumbo shrimp and fish fillets.

As they say about what to do when in Rome, it seemed more fitting for seafood grilling when overlooking a pool and hearing the sounds of the waves of the Gulf of Mexico.

Knowing that the shrimp were likely so fresh that they were still swimming and doing what shrimp do a day ago was also a bonus to the entree choice.

Through trial and errors, and the right charcoal, fire finally arrived. Photo R. Anderson
Through trial and errors, and the right charcoal, fire finally arrived.
Photo R. Anderson

Of course, fresh seafood can be way less forgiving on a grill than say a huge hunk of meat.

So I knew that my seafood would require constant supervision and a keen eye to avoid it getting too rubbery or over cooked.

What I did not know was how difficult it would be to get the all-important cooking flame going at the start of the process.

While I had witnessed many a time on the grill this was my first attempt at actually starting the fire making process.

So armed with charcoal and an Aim in Flame I went down to the grill to get the fire started.

Now in my mind I pictured a quick shot of the Aim in Flame followed by glorious full spreading fire that would be the start of the process.

I have never had much luck with using paper matches. Not sure why that is but they always seem to give me fits. So with the Aim in Flame I knew the spark to start the fire would likely not be an issue.

Unfortunately the charcoal I had to work with was the non-presoaked kind so it involved lighter fluid as well as spark.

After numerous attempts to get the full range of charcoal burning and applying copious amounts of lighter fluid I just could not get the full glorious flame that I had seen in my previous observations of grilling.

Fish on the grill waiting for the shrimp to join it. Photo R. Anderson
Fish on the grill waiting for the shrimp to join it.
Photo R. Anderson

After switching to presoaked charcoal though I was able to get the flame going and was one step closer to putting the food on the cooking surface.

Once the charcoal turned a lovely shade of gray it was time to foil up the cooking surface and place the Old Bay seasoned food upon it.

Just for the record Old Bay goes great on pretty much everything.

Of course I forgot another crucial step in the cooking delicate seafood on foil approach and that was the use of non-stick cooking spray.

Growing up I did not see a lot of non-stick cooking spray used so it did not really dawn on me that things could stick.

So, some of the seafood stuck to the foil and some of it did not.

Then when it came time to flip the items over for even cooking it became clear to me that I was missing the crucial grilling tongs and other utensils that are often found where grilling is taking place.

So instead of longer tongs with insulated handles I was forced to use regular all metal kitchen tongs which had me closer to the fire than I would have liked.