Have you ever been to Boston Harbor to see the USS Constitution? It is the world’s oldest warship that is still afloat and can operate under its own power.

One of six ships commissioned in 1794 by the United States, it was built in Boston in 1797. The three-masted wooden war ship was nicknamed “Old Ironsides.”

Why did I blog about the USS Constitution today?

Today is the 212^th anniversary of the first time the USS Constitution engaged in battle against a British warship. That ship was the HMS Guerriere.

Just the facts, ma’am

In researching today’s topic, I found the website for Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/original-frigates/uss-constitution-americas-ship-of-state/background-for-media/fact-sheet.html) and I recommend it if you are interested in some of the minute details of the USS Constitution. On that site you will find the ship’s measurements and many details that mean little to me because I know almost nothing about ships.

I few of the facts grabbed my attention, though. I had no idea how large the USS Constitution is. It boggles my mind to think of some of the ship’s statistics considering it was built in the late 18^th century.

For instance, it is 305 feet long! That’s a little more than the length of an American football field. Its main mast is now 172 feet tall. It has 48 sails, which is equal to an acre of canvas.

In 1812, the crew of the USS Constitution was more than 405 sailors and marines. What surprised me the most, though, was that today it has a crew of three officers and more than 85 enlisted U.S. Navy men and women.

Since my last blog post

We continue to have a lot of rain in the southern piedmont of North Carolina. We have a rain gauge in our yard. From July 12 through August 12 we had a little more than 16 inches of rain! We have some beautiful green moss and a variety of colorful mushrooms in our yard. I wish we could send some of this rain to put out some wild fires in the western states.

School started in the county in which I live last Tuesday, which served as a rude awakening for me that the summer months are flying by much faster than I would like.

Until my next blog post

I hope you are reading a good book that you’re eager to get back to when you finish reading my blog post.

Spend time with friends and family.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

If you’ve ever visited the USS Constitution, I’d love to hear what your memories are. What about it impressed or surprised you the most?

Janet