May 3rd

I can't believe this. It is so awesome, I have to share it.

So, we (the museum, and the H.M.S. Surprise and the Californian) were invited to participate in the Fleet Week celebrations the first week of May. Yesterday, the Captain shared with us the general plan. The Surprise and the Californian are going to duke it out three times, in three different spots on the bay, for the benefit of the public. Which means, obviously, that the Surprise is going to get guns! We are getting 4 small guns, 2 long guns and 2 swivel guns, as well as a guest crew of 9 gunners on board to man them. The guns will all be small, 6 pounders or less, but still. They will make lots of noise, and lots of smoke.

I can't imagine a better day. What's more, after the gun battles on the bay, that afternoon is the trial day for the Red Bull Air Race. So, we get to hang out at the Museum all afternoon, watching little trick planes doing sick stunts all around the bay. Sweet, eh?

There is progress on the wheel too. We've been scratching away at the Surprise's wheel for months now, off and on, getting a few hours in here and there. Yesterday we made a lot of progress. I started sanding down an area that had been really weathered and grey, and now the mahogany wood is rosie pink. It will look so beautiful when we oil the wood. We need at least a couple of weeks of nonstop hot weather to dry out the wood before we redo the varnish, so for now, to protect the wood till summer gets on for real, we're going to coat it in lynseed oil. No matter what, it will look so much better. Instead of being yellowish/brownish and peeling, it will be a beautiful, deep rosie brown. It will be so satisfying to see it finished.

Well, that's all for now.

Cheers!