Morning shadows

Tuesday
It was a hot and steamy day today, so I got out for a short photo walk round Pioneer Park first thing after breakfast. It was a still morning, and there were lovely reflections in the lake, and wildflowers in bloom in the meadow area, but I finally chose these shadows in the gazebo as my blip. In the afternoon I went to the "Y" to swim in the outdoor pool - not surprisingly it was pretty crowded, and I had to share a lap lane initially, but later I had it to myself. This evening we had bell practice - this Sunday is the last Bell Sunday until after the summer, and both bell choirs are playing - doing some pieces individually, but one piece is for two bell choirs and trumpet - our choir is playing chimes, and the Chancel Bells the regular hand bells - it should sound really great!

We were at church last night for a special speaker - Louis Zamperini, featured in the book Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Sea Biscuit. It is an amazing story. Louie Zamperini competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, as a 19 year old, and trained for the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo. But of course the 1940 games were canceled and instead Louie entered into the service, becoming an Air Force lieutenant.  In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. Only three of the twelve on board survived the crash, and of those three, just Louie and the pilot survived a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft in the Pacific. They were finally captured by the Japanese and Louie landed under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist. By war's end, Louie was near death. He returned to the U.S. and impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life. However,Louie remained tormented by nightmares, consumed by a desire for vengeance, and resorted to drink to forget. His wife persuaded him to go and hear a young up-and-coming evangelist, Billy Graham, and Louie turned his life over to Christ - he stopped drinking, the nightmares stopped and his longing for vengeance disappeared and was replaced by forgiveness. At age 94, he still travels the country to tell the story of his amazing life: his challenges, his obstacles, his will to live, and the people who helped him along the way. The book topped the New York Times bestseller list for about 9 weeks. It was an amazing evening!

One year ago: Manatee