It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1861
The sun highlights skeletal trees, as a March storm looms ominously in the distance.
March is, in my opinion, the strangest month of the year. It’s the transition period between winter and spring, thus making it the most manic-depressive month by far. This changeover seems to be much wilder and more dramatic than the transition from summer to autumn. The weather is all over the place. Hot one day, snow and below freezing temps the next. And wind. Lots and lots of wind!
I’m not entirely sure why March weather is usually crazier than September. I suspect it’s because it takes a while for the atmosphere to cool down going from summer to autumn. By contrast, the warmup in spring is usually rather rapid, leading to more unsettled weather. But that is just a guess on my part.
And that unsettled weather is why March is such a tease. The sun is higher in the sky, the light is brighter, and the daylength has gotten noticeably longer. So, it you peek out a window, it certainly looks like spring. But oh, can looks be deceiving! For though it may look like spring, it often times doesn’t feel like spring!
Fool’s Spring
The March sun might warm your bones and lighten your spirits. Step into the shade, however, and winter reminds you it is not done with you yet! Or take of your jacket to enjoy the warmth, only to have a March zephyr drop the wind chill by 15 degrees. ARRGH!
March is such a trickster. One day you’re outside on a springlike day, perhaps working in the garden, or going for an afternoon stroll. Signs of life are beginning to appear all around, and the winter lethargy that has gripped us since November begins to fade. Ah, Spring! Welcome back old friend!
Then March laughs and taunts us, by dumping heavy, wet snow the very next day. Take that suckers! Exaggeration? Nope. Check out these photos from March of 2020. I literally unpacked the patio furniture on the 18th and was shoveling a foot of snow two days later.
Wearing flip-flops and shorts on March 18, 2020March 20, 2020
Spring will never get here!
I think I’ve told this story before on this blog. Heaven knows my wife and daughters have heard it often enough. But it goes to my love/hate relationship with March.
When I was a wee lad, perhaps 7 or 8 years of age, my parents informed me that it was the first day of spring. Yippee! I was so excited. All day I kept going outside, looking and waiting for the arrival of spring. I really thought that in one day the trees would leaf out, the flowers would bloom, and the warm weather would return. Instead, while it was sunny out, it was blustry cold day.
And the only sign of green, growing things was some clover in the grass.
Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
And to this day, that is how I feel about March.
Patience grasshopper
The one thing the intervening years have taught me, is to be patient. While I still anxiously await the arrival of “real” spring, I know now that nature moves to her own rhythm. That it is the soil that must warm up before the trees can leaf out and for the flowers to bloom. And the birds and the bees must time their arrival for when the conditions they need have been met.
Still, it is hard to wait.
But I know that in just a few short weeks, spring will finally arrive in all its glory. And March will go from looking like this…
The wreck of last year’s garden in late March
To looking like this by the end of April.
The last days of April
And life will be grand. Well, at least until August arrives, when the days will be hot and miserable. Then I will bitch about the heat, and I will be pining for the cooler days of autumn.
It’s the curse of the Irish: we’re not happy unless we’re miserable.
Posted inGardening, Life, Spring|Taggedspring|Comments Off on The month of March is a shameless flirt
Wings of War by David and Margaret White (Wings of War (bookshop.org), details the development, deployment and combat effectiveness of the North American P-51 Mustang. It is my considered opinion, and the opinion of a great many others, that the P-51 was the greatest fighter to fly in WWII. It is arguable that it is one of the greatest airplanes of all time. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful.
Wings of War is divided into two sections. The first section is about the three men who were instrumental making the Mustang a reality: the creator, the crusader and the warrior, who birthed the fighter that, if nothing else, saved the lives of countless American bomber crews.
The second section covers the Mustang in combat. I’ll get into that part later.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a breezy read and I learned a lot about the people behind the scenes, and the obstacles they had to overcome to bring the P-51 to the front lines.
The Good
The book starts with the creative genius who conceived and willed the P-51 into existence. Edgar Schmued was born in Germany in 1899. At the age of 8, upon seeing a plane in flight, he determined that his future was in aviation. He was a self-taught engineer, who held several patents in Germany.
After WWI, with Germany’s economy in ruins, he left for more promising pastures. After a stint in Brazil, he eventually made his way to Southern California, where he signed on with North American.
When Britain, fighting for its survival during the Battle of Britain, came calling to the US to purchase fighter planes, Schmued offered them an alternative to the P-40 Warhawk. After a feverish 4 months, Schmued and his design team produced the plans of the nascent masterpiece. The rest, as they say, was history.
Schmued would later help design the F-86 Sabre fighter jet. He ranks right up there with Kelly Johnson, the designer of the P-38 and the SR-71.
Next
The rest of the first act concerns two people: the man who overcame all obstacles to force US Army Air Corp into accepting the version of the P-51 that was married to the British made Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and the man who led Mustangs into combat over Germany.
Tommy Hitchcock, a scion of a very wealthy family, served in the Army Signal Corp in WWI. Later he became an internationally renowned polo player. When WWII started, he attempted to join the Army Air Corp as a pilot but was rebuffed because of his age. Instead, he became the chief booster of the Merlin equipped Mustang, realizing early on its potential in protecting the bombers flying over German held territories.
Finally, we come to Lt. Colonel Donald Blakeslee, the fighter pilot who fought to have the P-51 taken out of a ground support role and used instead to protect the bombers of the 8th Air Force. Blakeslee was a fighter pilots fighter pilot. He ended the war with over 500 missions and 1000 combat hours.
Now, the not-so-good
As I said, Wings of War is a good book. But it could have been better. I’ll paraphrase the words that so many of my schoolteachers put in my report cards: it fails to achieve its potential.
First, the authors tend to overstate the impact of the raids on Germany’s industrial centers. They rave on and on at how the bombers were laying waste to Germany’s industrial might. Most WWII historians now believe that the strategic bombing of military manufacturing was a failure. The authors even admit later in the book that Germany was able to produce more aircraft in the final year of the war than it made in the first two yearsof the war combined.
They are on stronger ground when it comes to the impact the destruction had on the oil fields in Romania, and on the synthetic oil factories in Germany. By wars end, Germany’s oil reserves were practically non-existent.
The second half of the book covers the P-51 in combat. Amazingly, the “action” portion of the book becomes repetitive and dull. The authors made their point that the P-51 was a good dogfighter in the first 25 anecdotes. This section feels like filler and padding, because it is filler and padding.
Finally, we come to the melodramatic adjectives and exaggerated metaphors, AKA “purple prose”. This overwrought writing is distracting and annoying, and it takes the reader out of the book. Here are some examples of the type:
“There now unfolded across an immense area 833 square miles in size…a spectacular tarantella of combat that filled the skies with fire…“. I had to look that up. According to the google machine, a tarantella is a “lively folk dance of southern Italy”. The authors could have easily used “a deadly dance” and still got their point across.
“There were dodges closer than a matador’s cape in a bullring; there were passes slicker than silk”.
My personal favorite: “Moments flew past, seconds ejected like bullet slugs”. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!?
In Conclusion
As I said, for all its flaws Wings of Waris a good book. I learned things about this amazing aircraft, and the men who created it, that I didn’t know before. That’s a win right there.
However, I feel it could have been a better book had it gone into more detail on the men, and the obstacles they overcame, to make the P-51 Mustang a reality. I’ll have to reseach and see if anybody has written a biography of Edgar Schmued.
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The Revolutionary Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff was given to me as a birthday present by a very old (“old” as in I’ve known him for a long time. Well, he too is in his 60s, so I guess technically he is old) and dear friend who felt it was something I would be interested in. And he was right! When I purchased Wings of War, I had been debating whether or not to get The Revolutionary Samuel Adamsinstead. I went with Wings of War and put Samuel Adams on my “to buy later” list.
Synchronicity in action, yes?
Interesting character, Mr. Samuel Adams, a real firebrand. He was the driving force behind the Boston Tea Party. Even his cousin John Adams, who was seen by many as an as a pain in the ass in his own right (watch this scene from the classic 1776: But Mr. Adams Clip), felt Samuel was a tad extreme.
But outside of the Tea Party, Samuel Adams is also something of a historical cipher. After the Revolutionary War begins, Samuel almost completely disappears from our historical consciousness and national mythology. John Adams was part of the Congress that drafted the Declaration of Independence, served as an ambassador to France during the war, and eventually became President. Samuel Adams? Who knows?
Without looking at the interwebz, can you think of anything (besides the Boston Tea Party) that Samuel Adams is famous for? Today, the name Samuel Adams is known to most Americans as a craft brewing company based in Boston.
I can hardly wait to dig into this biography. Thank you, Bernie!
Ah, Southern California. As I kid, I grew up listening to the Mamas and the Papas ‘California Dreaming’, the Beach Boys ‘Surfing USA’, and the Riveria’s ‘California Dreaming’ on radio (as an aside, when I was a wee lad my dad was stationed at March AFB in So Cal for three years, but I was so young I don’t remember much). I kind of have a soft spot for the myth of Southern California, even though there not enough gold in Fort Knox for me to live there.
I really like visiting Southern California, specifically San Diego and its surrounding environs. It’s got a laid-back vibe, and the weather is nearly always pleasant year-round. Plus, it’s not nearly as insane as the LA area.
So, when the youngest Vintage Daughter went to the University of San Diego to earn her master’s degree, this afforded MrsVintage and I numerous opportunities to explore the region in more depth when visiting her.
There is a ton of things to see and to do in San Diego. The beach of course. The San Diego Zoo and the Wildlife Safari. Balboa Park, Sea World, Legoland, Seaport Village, Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, USS Midway, the list goes on and on. And the Vintage family has been to most of them, sometimes more than once.
But with more time and opportunities available to us, the Vintage family had the chance to broaden our vistas, so to speak. We were able to explore some of the lesser known or lesser visited sights in the San Diego area. With smaller crowds, we were afforded the time and elbow room to explore at our leisure.
So, if you’re ever in San Diego and want to stay “far from the madding crowd”, check out some of the suggestions I’ve provided below.
Things to do & see
Cabrillo National Monument
In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on the coast of present-day California. Today, the site of his landing is commemorated by the Cabrillo National Monument.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is also on the grounds of the monument. One of the original 8 lighthouses built on the West Coast, Point Loma has been restored to reflect what life was like for the lightkeepers in the 19th century.
Me pondering the vistas at Old Point Loma Lighthouse
There is a two-mile nature trail that wanders through the monument. These trails provide some stunning views of San Diego to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The vistas
Veterans Museum & Memorial Center
Balboa Park is home to 18 eclectic museums that run the gamut from automobiles to science. The Veterans Museum and Memorial Center one of those museums, but it is located in a more secluded and remote location in the Park. You’ll know you’ve found it when you see the WW2 era B-24 Liberator bomber on a pedestal in front of the museum.
Exhibits include military life in the San Diego area from 1915-1988, the Korean War, the Vietnam war, and women in the military. For military history buffs, or even those with a passing interest in US history, this little gem is well worth the effort in finding it.
My old unit, the 140thFW, was activated and deployed to Vietnam in 1968. Displayed at the Veteran’s Museum is a copy of the painting “Scramble at Phan Rang”. This painting shows the members of the 140th FW preparing to launch F-100 Super Sabres from Phan Rang air base in South Vietnam.
Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial
The legal history of the Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial cross is fascinating in its own right, but not really important for those who just want to pay homage to the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces. (If you are really curious, Wikipedia has a fairly long entry on the contentious issues surrounding the constitutionality of the cross).
This memorial, located in La Jolla, honors over 3500 veterans, both living and deceased. Construction is ongoing to add another 2400. Each veteran has his or her picture displayed on a plaque, with a short biographical account of their service.
The memorial also has some stunning views of La Jolla and the ocean.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is another gem located in Balboa Park. While nowhere near as big as the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C., or the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson in Ohio, it still packs a lot of aviation history within its walls.
The displays and artifacts are arranged in chronological order, starting from the early days of heavier than air flight, to the modern age. Military and civilian aviation history are mingled together, to give an overlook at how flight in both fields evolved and adapted together.
My youngest daughter took me to this museum during one of my visits to see her. She had never been there before, but fortunately, she had an awesome tour guide in me! I can tell you that I was much more informative than the electronic guide provided by the museum.
If you are into aviation history, Air Force history or if you just like airplanes, this little museum is well worth a visit.
The Junipero Serra Museum, perched on a hill overlooking Old Town San Diego, appears ancient but was actually built in 1928. Designed in the Spanish Revival style, the museum was intended to invoke the Spanish missions that dot the coastline of California. For many years this building complex housed the San Diego Historical Society. The society has since changed its name (San Diego History Center) and moved to Balboa Park.
But the Junipero Serra Museum lives on as an artifact in its own right. While the building is new(ish), it’s located near the spot where the first mission and presidio were established in California. Some consider the hill it stands on to be where the founding of California began.
If you want to get out of the city and into nature, the Mission Trail Regional Parkis for you. Located on the eastern fringes of San Diego, Mission Trails is where the coastal region ends and the desert begins. Mission Trails is one of the largest urban parks in the United States.
Visitor Center at Mission Trails Regional Park.
This park is packed with over 60 miles of hiking trails, a lake you can boat upon if you so wish and camping available year-round. An oasis of tranquility from the hustle and bustle of of the city.
The park also has a modern Visitor and Interpretive Center where visitors can learn more about the park and its natural surroundings.
Be forewarned: it was rather warm when I visited the park in the month of February. Apparently, it can get a might bit toasty in the summer months. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen!
If you like trains, and if you like model trains, the San Diego Model Train Museum is the Taj Majal for model train lovers. I have seen several model train displays in my time, but none of them hold a candle to the ones on display in this museum.
Coronado is a resort city located on an island along the San Diego Bay. It sits directly across from Downtown San Diego. Its most famous building is the Hotel Del Coronado.
Coronado is home to some great beaches, fine dining and shopping, and one of the best breweries I’ve ever visited, the Coronado Pub and Brewery (Coronado Brewing Company).
Coronado is also a rather tony place. In a land of astronomical housing prices, Coronado is in a park all its own.
Still, it’s a fun place to visit, and it is home to a small but interesting museum: the Coronado HistoricalAssociation. The exhibits at this museum are quite eclectic. The history of Coronado is one of the more permanent displays. But they have covered a variety of subjects such as golf on Coronado, fishing, and WW2 naval aviation.
They also offer a walking tour of Coronado. I cannot speak to this because I didn’t partake. Should I ever return to San Diego, I will endeavor to correct this.
Old Town San Diego is a great place to visit. History of San Diego mixed with some great food and shopping. You can spend the whole day there and not see everything. I highly recommend visiting at least once if you are in town.
But let’s be honest, Old Town is also a tourist trap, with all the kitsch and marked up prices that go with it.
Scattered along the roads that encircle Old Town are some funkier shops and restaurants, including, in my ignorant and ill-considered opinion, a place that makes the best pizza in San Diego. The pizza at Pizza Bella is doughy, cheesy and delicioso!
I will admit that it is also a little pricey. Hey, it’s Southern California. EVERYTHING is pricey.
Located in the community of North Park, San Diego, is a funky little hamburger joint called Crazee Burger. This place has quite a variety of burgers, some a little out there. They also have some great shakes and malts.
Karl Strauss Brewery is the oldest surviving brewery in San Diego County. Founded in 1986, it is still an independent brewery. With locations scattered all over the Southern California region, you’ll have no problems finding one of their breweries.
