Love presents itself in many forms.

California recently has been devastated by wild fires. The worst ever. Whole communities destroyed. Lives disrupted. Death visiting some.

Paradise, California, is a small California town. Nearly wiped out by the wild fires.

A local girl’s volleyball team was still determined to play their final championship match – despite having no uniforms or equipment after evacuating with only the clothes on their backs.

The opposing team from Lake Forest High School in Auburn was waiting for them with a big surprise.

Within 24 hours, they had collected donations of $16,000. When the girls from Paradise Adventist Academy showed up, they were greeted with new custom uniforms, knee pads, and socks.

A whole lot of love!

Key West is experimenting. Turning Duval into a promenade on weekends. Only pedestrian traffic. Merchants free to set up tables for dining or retail sales in the street.

Last night the second such night. I walked the area to get a feeling for what was occurring.

Too soon to have a definite feeling. Merely the test’s second night. I will need a few weeks to make up my mind.

The test needs to develop into what it might be. Last night, nothing terrific. If anything, an experiment by the restaurateurs and shop keepers.

The question in the end will be what better suits Key West. Duval as it was or the new night time scenario described.

Time will tell.

Finished my walk and headed over to Donna and Terri’s for dinner. What a meal! Donna is one of the best cooks ever! She had prepared chicken soup with pieces of chicken, carrots, celery, and matzoh balls.

The chicken had been fresh killed. The carrots and celery boiled soft. The matzoh balls made from scratch by Donna herself.

Donna placed a huge bowl of her artistry before me. Delicious! Perhaps the best home made chicken soup ever!

After dinner, we chatted for 2 hours. Great give and take about everything. Terri is not merely a great performer. She is educated and knowledgeable. Donna has smarts. Knows everything.

Then there is me.

The interesting thing about our conversation is that rarely did the 3 of us agree. We each drew on our own experiences in countering the other(s).

A terrific evening.

Big weekend at The Little White House. The structure commemorates Harry Truman’s 11 visits covering 175 days to Key West. He stayed at what is now known at The Little White house.

This weekend descendants of 4 Presidents are at the Little White House. An annual event. They spend 2-3 days and tell personal stories about their Presidential fathers, grandfathers,and great great uncle.

Mingling and talking with visitors are Truman’s grandson Clifton Truman Daniel, Gerald Ford’s daughter Susan Ford Bales, Dwight Eisenhower’s granddaughter Mary Jean Eisenhower, and William McKinley’s great great nephew Jack Massee McKinley.

Worthy of a visit.

Seek out my friend Mary. She is an official guide at The Little White House. Historically knowledgeable, especially re Truman.

The Los Angeles Times yesterday ran an article concerning Trump’s declaration of a National Emergency. The LA Times described Trump and the claimed emergency to a T: President Trump is the national emergency.

The measles epidemic has caused the flu epidemic to take a back seat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the U.S. is suffering a “low severity season.”

From October to mid February, only 17.8 million flu cases reported. Whereas in the previous year covering October through May, 49 million cases reported.

Some interesting history. Eniwetok Atoll is part of the Marshall Islands. It was important for U.S. forces to capture the atoll during World War II. It would provide an air base sufficiently close to Japan so as U.S. B-29’s could bomb the Japanese homeland.

On this day in 1944, U.S. troops landed on Eniwetok Atoll. Six days later, the U.S. forces has secured the Atoll.

Casualties between the forces had different results. Japan had 2,677 troops guarding the island. Six days after the U.S. landing, only 64 remained alive. U.S. deaths were 195.

Eniwetok Atoll has a second significance. In 1952, the Atoll was used as the testing ground for the first U.S. hydrogen bomb.

Amazing! In war and peace, tiny Eniwetok Atoll got the hell knocked out of it!

Man is gifted with extreme optimism. Hope springs eternal, things will be better in the future, etc.

The best, most sensitive, and emotional in my opinion are the closing words in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind: “…..tomorrow is another day.”

The words immediately cause one’s eyes to lift and look forward in anticipation of that day.

Enjoy your Sunday!