Veteran's Day

Anthem has a Veteran's Memorial located in the main park at the center of town.  You can see it in this photo.  It is designed so that on 11/11 at 11:11 am, the sun will shine through all the holes onto the great seal of the United States.  

Since Veteran's Day fell on a Saturday this year, the crowds were rather large



So there was a camera that projected the seal onto an LED screen for all to view this phenomenon.  Here it is just before 11:11 and you can still see some shadow.


Here it is at 11:11



Steve and I rode our bikes to this event.  Sadly, our folding camp chairs are packed away in our garage in Columbia so we brought a beach towel to sit upon if we could find some shade.  Ultimately, a kind man let me sit in his chair.  Steve ended up standing.  We both decided that we won't attend next year but we might check out the memorial on Saturday, November 10th up close and personal to see the seal lit by the sun. 

Last week, Anthem had a Veteran's Day parade.  It went right by our house.  This is our ward marching in the parade....

Steve finally visited a dermatologist on Thursday to have that growth on his ear looked at.  He'd been to a doctor here in Anthem twice and two times he applied liquid nitrogen to try to freeze it off but it just kept getting bigger and blacker.  Ugh.  The dermatologist actually cut it off and sent it off for a biopsy because he suspects it might be a cancer of some kind.  He did the same with another smaller growth on Steve's head and overall cut or froze off other smaller spots on his scalp.  Even though Steve always wears a hat, being a freckled, fair haired (auburn) person - skin cancers are not a surprise.  I am sure Steve and the dermatologist will be seeing more of each other during our stay here in Anthem.

I am playing a cello duet with a fellow missionary this morning in church.  The other cellist is Elder Smith.  His main instrument is tuba but he played cello in high school and he is not a bad player.  We will reprise this duet at his Zone Conference this Wednesday.  After sacrament meeting, Steve and I will drive down to Phoenix to the Rose Lane ward where I will accompany another missionary (a senior Elder) who is singing in that sacrament meeting.  Busy day.