Fleet Week
Hello, friends. It’s that time again. The months just seem to fly by so very quickly. Thank you for joining me on my blog this month.
On Monday Vern and I were headed to San Francisco for a medical appointment. Crossing over the Golden Gate bridge is always a highlight of what have become rather routine and challenging visits. This time we were enveloped in cloud as we neared the bridge. It was truly breathtaking to see those burnt sienna spires rising high above the cloud bank.
I was unable to capture the moment well on camera, but I know that many of you can visualize what it’s like, having experienced it yourself. This photo only gives an idea of the experience, as the clouds surrounded us.
It was on this trip that I concluded what my blog post would be this month. So many wonderful experiences flood my mind as the beloved landmarks whiz by on the Golden Gate. Call it an escape from reality, as we were really headed for the now-too-familiar blood draws and scans for the maintenance of my husband’s cancer.
Fleet Week was supposed to have taken place October 9 through 11, but, to the disappointment of many, it was canceled. Covid struck again. Fleet Week is a week-long event that honors our civilian and military forces and assists in emergency preparedness. Fleet week first began in 1981 and was originally created by Mayor Dianne Feinstein to celebrate the sea services.
Fleet Week has grown to feature the legendary Blue Angels, band concerts, ship tours, a parade, and an aviation demo. It is truly an awesome event, fun on both land and water. If you would like more information, here is the link to the San Francisco Fleet Week website: https://fleetweeksf.org
I have been blessed by marrying into a family that loves sailing. What an amazing thrill it has been for me to experience days on a sailboat in San Francisco Bay. It took a while for me to get my sea legs. I have vivid memories of saying my prayers as the boat listed, wind howled, and the tanker ships seemed to tower over us.
But as the years went by and we had many a day on the Bay, I learned to love sailing too. And thanks to Vern and my brother-in-law Dan, I have enjoyed more than one Fleet Week on the water.
Vernon Anderson
Enjoying a much-needed day on the Bay.
Dan Anderson
Our fearless captain.
One of the last Fleet Weeks we enjoyed was aboard Dan and Bonnie’s boat. What an amazing day we had. I couldn’t click the button on my camera fast enough. The atmosphere is electric with vessels of every kind.
I think it may actually be one of the few times I know of that people are actually delighted to be in a traffic jam. Well, easy for me to say. I’m not sure how the captains of the vessels enjoy dodging the other crafts, but they sure make it look easy and fun.
“Seas were meant to be sailed by those with salt in their veins and love in their heart.”
The Blue Angels are always the highlight of the day. What a joy it is to be bobbing on the sea surrounded by a myriad of other boats with people in festive moods all gazing heavenwards, as these gigantic birds swoop and soar and challenge our eardrums with their power.
And he’s off, thrilling the crowds as he dips low and then soars out over the city.
Can you see the two jets flying right at each other?
Here’s a photo of an exciting flyby.
It doesn’t take much imagination to grasp that my artistic juices were flowing. It was such an amazing event. How does one capture all that movement and excitement? Well, it took a while for me to digest it all. Much later in my studio, I came across a special photo and this painting was born.
It was a wonderful experience to spend time with water, brush, and pigment attempting to capture this delightful memory. I could feel the waves beneath me, see the clouds encompassing the city, see the jostling boats, hear the wires making the masts sing, and remember the thrill of the day.
A huge thank you to Dan and Bonnie Anderson for inviting us to join them on their boat. What wonderful hosts you are. I know that you’re missing Fleet Week this year as well, so I’ve attempted to bring a little of it to you.
I hope that you all have enjoyed this look back at a wonderful memory of ours. I hope, too, that my attempt at capturing Fleet Week will inspire you to capture your own moments of fun in the sun. There’s just something extra that art brings to a memory. I love going back through my sketchbooks that I carry. Often it’s a quite simple outline, but it brings to life memories that would otherwise be lost to time.
