23* beach bum Kenny

   There has been a lot going thru my mind lately, but now my mind is blank. I am away from home for a couple days and it feels weird. The thoughts that occur when I'm on the road disappear before I get them written anywhere. It's very frustrating. I hope I can remember.

>>> Random Topic <<<
~^~^~ the beach ~^~^~
   One of Kenny's favorite places to be was the beach. For most of the first years of his life we lived in the San Fernando Valley which is fairly close to many beaches and I took my sons as often as I could.Actually in those days there were lots of times their dad came too.Naturally,there are many different kind of beach lovers. There are those people who enjoy looking at the ocean waves from afar; there are those who like to walk on the sand but not get dirty and brush off the sand immediately; there are those who like to get their feet wet but nothing else, who stay for a short time; and there are those like Kenny- he was the kind of beach lover who could stay at the beach all day.He'd go into the water as far as he could go> be wet from head to toe, dig in the sand, build in the sand, get buried in the sand-> he could spend hours running through the dunes-- didn't matter if it was sunny and warm or dark and cold, he loved to go to the beach. He was the only other true beach bum in my family.I have many pictures of Kenny on the beach. One of my favorites in on the refrigerator:he was around 10yrs old, he's sitting on the beach with his legs stretched out drying off with sandy sparkles all over himself>>his hair is golden and glistening hanging down to his neck and he has his very Kenny goofy smile- I love that picture of him.
  Shortly after he got his driver's license we went on our first trip for the day in which he drove. It was something we did sometimes to get away...and the coast was always our destination. He already had his car (his gray Nissan Sentra which has been passed on to his brother Vincent). On this occasion our destination was Monterey. He drove all the way to Casa de Fruta and I remember how thrilled he was that he could drive fast on the highways.We did a lot that day--it was just the two of us and it was the only time we went to the beach when he drove.It was toasty hot in Fresno so the cool air in Monterey was a wonderful relief and we were both happy and relaxed. Somehow we were able to fit in going to the Monterey Aquarium, it was during the time when the seahorses were on display-I bought both of us key chains. His was an actual key;it looked like an old skeleton key, it was the first key chain he got for his car keys. I have mine on my house keys and whenever I see it I remember that very special day with Kenny. It was the last time we went to Casa de Fruta together (a family tradition),but even more important it was the last time we went to the beach together.It was one of our most favorite activities...I truly miss you beach bum Kenny!  

Element of the day(day 23)

#4) Be-Berylium-] metal

Discovered in 1797 by Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin, France.
A soft silver-white shiny metal.Very light and has a high melting point. Used in alloys with nickel as a strong, structural material and with copper in electrical contacts.
Main minerals are beryl and betrandite. Beryl provides green emeralds and blue aqauramarine. Other berylium-bearing minerals include chrysoberyl, gadolimite, and gerderite. It is mined in the USA, China, Russia and Brazil.