#REFUELING

[nocternalrandomness]

En Route to NATO Tiger Meet

[sempergrumpy-1]

[usafphantom2]

Fellas, is it weird to have tactical aircraft in the tanker role?

@HawkeyeJoe via X

[lonestarbattleship]

USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) refueling USS NECHES (AO-47) at sea.

"We are on the side of the ammunition ship and North Carolina on the far side. Tough job if the sea was rough a bit."

Note: Many men on top of the Mark 37 (5-inch) directors.

Photographed on November 30, 1944 by an air combat intelligence officer on the USS SARGENT BAY (CVE-83), escort carrier.

Battleship North Carolina Archives: 2009.043.001, 1998.001.0056, 1998.001.0057, 2009.043.004, 2009.043.002, 2009.043.003, 2009.043.005, 2009.043.006

[postcard-from-the-past]

Refueling and airplane in Port-Gentil, Gabon

French vintage postcard, mailed in 1939

[ladypilotuniform]

Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet first officer

[alefarben]

I have to be alone very often.

I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment.

That’s how I refuel.

Audrey Hepburn

[coffeeandpjsposts]

My secret weapon ☕️❤️

[vaevictis2]

[nocternalrandomness]

Hooked up to a KC-10 Christmas Day over Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve - Dec 25 2016

[funbearer]

[usafphantom2]

USN F8 Crusader being air refuelled by an A4 Skyhawk

credit Daniel Racette

@CcibChris via X

[lonestarbattleship]

"Wheelbarrows for distributing coal to various bunkers. U.S.S. TEXAS"

Date: early 1920s

Battleship Texas Foundation Archives: 2023.1005.3

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

And Gatlinburg awaits!

OFF I-39/90 AT A TRUCK STOP OUTSIDE JANESVILLE, WI: "You know, Snagglepuss," Huckleberry Hound was observing as we were getting the journey underway again in our motorhome, "having the Cattanooga Cats hosting an informal Easter parade down Gatlinburg way seems so--"

"Quixotic. Interesting, even," saith I to compensate for Huck's being in a struggle for words apropos the moment. "Especially with the routing bypassing Chicago--I-39, for the most part, down to Bloomington, Illinois ... thence on I-74 via Indianapolis to Cincinnati, maybe a bowl or two of Cincinnati chili, even ... joining I-75 from the Queen City to Knoxville, Tennessee, thence on US 441 into the Queen Mother of Tourist Traps!"

"And I've oft wondered why exactly Gatlinburg would be such a 'gold standard,' so to speak, for tacky tourist-dependent communities," mused Huck over a substantial-size soda as he was filling the motorhome with diesel fuel, preceded by some additive supposed to improve engine performance--especially after winter storage.

Which also saw Crazy Claws, our guest this time around, get some decent(?) Wisconsin cheese, sausage and crackers in a not-so-touristy sort of manner, which he put down to "just wanting to get some decent snacking out of the way without the 'cheese shop' markups as seem common to tourist areas. Wisconsin Dells included, come to think of it!"

"At least Crazy Claws had some sense in his mind," Huck added.

Yet what was especially worthwhile was the meetup of The King and girlfriend Sheena, he in a denim jeans jacket looking so cool and Sheena in a V-neck sweater, considering the coolish weather. But at least they followed a sort of Funatstic tradition we've established while travelling of travelling light, packing pretty much the essentials (maybe a couple days' change of clothes, consider some time at a laundromat at destination before returning, and essential toiletries and medications, if required).

"Heeeeeeyyyyyy ... and heeeeeeyyyyy again!" was how The King made his presence known into the motorhome, doing the old Edd Byrnes number with the Brylcreem and pocket comb along that glossy leonine mane of his. "And I take it we are heading for the Great Smoky Mountains over Easter?"

"I take it you received our message by text," explained I.

"Actually, King and Sheena," Huckleberry Hound remarked, "it's that the Cattanooga Cats--as in that Gatlinburg coffee shop of theirs, Cattanooga Klatsche--are arranging an impromptu Easter Parade of sorts in Gatlinburg along the Parkway on Easter Sunday!"

"Ohhh," Sheena purred oh so seductively, "I can't help but seriously appreciate what coffees the Cattanooga Cats manage to come up with!"

"I take it," Huck asked, "you order your coffees from Cattanooga Klatsche?"

"Correctamundo" was how The King responded with his usual leonine swagger. "You never tasted anything better--especially when it's whole bean, and ground back at home! Especially when you can blend two such varieties, impromptu, and grind them together!"

"Hopefully," Crazy Claws chimed in, "you can stand some not-so-touristy Wisconsin cheeses and sausages for the odd snacking as we head down to Gatlinburg."

"And who else," Sheena remarked, "will be joing us?"

"It'll be rather interesting," saith I. "And we have a couple more Funtastic types joining us down the road--let alone many others perhaps heading to Gatlinburg before too long." (This as we were driving back onto I-39, which is part of I-90 into Rockford, with tolling prevailing until the I-39 junction just on the southeast side of Rockford; I-39 continuing southward with US 51 to Bloomington.)

*************

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