Anchors

Anchors - All of us have anchors in our life. I don’t mean something that weighs us down and keeps us immobile. That is not healthy. I am talking about the people who keep us from floating away when the next storm ravages our personal world. During this holiday season, take a moment to identify who the anchors are in your life and reinforce them.

Happy Holidays.

Tall Wooden Ships

"How do you know so much about tall wooden sailing ships?" This is a common question that I get from people who have read Destiny’s Gambit. The answer comes from my passion for naval history. I tried to make it a focus during my time earning an M.A. in History at Sam Houston State University. In fact, I wrote my final research paper on the role of the fledgling Texas Navy during their revolution with Mexico, where I pointed out that armed action took place on the sea before Gonzales. Therefore, the war actually began at sea.

History is not my only source of knowledge. I have also read the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brien and the Hornblower novels by C.S. Forester . O'Brian was meticulous in his descriptions of sea life for the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Treasure Island is a great read for the younger crowd. If you must turn to the film versions of the books, try the Hornblower series by A&E and the movie Master & Commander. Sailing buffs will be certain to point out technical inaccuracies within these and my writing, but I hope they will find the spirit of historical accuracy present enough to be sated.

Pictured above is the 44 gun heavy frigate U.S.S. Constitution launched 1797.