The Sunshine State

Old hat

In some ways 2004 was a rotten year. We were peppered with hurricanes and tropical storms, Cheryl had to stay home on bed rest due to an at risk pregnancy, and to top it off… Bush won a second term that November. Sitting around waiting for the 11am, 5pm, and 11pm updates from the National Hurricane Center brings back some memories – but not all bad though. A very pregnant Cheryl…
Read more
Current EventsThe Sunshine State

The three day track still ain't gospel, but...

I was just checking the county elevation maps – you know, just for kicks – no real reason. I noticed we’re eleven meters above sea level. Woo-hoo! We went out tonight to refresh our supply of batteries and non-perishibles, to try and beat the rush. If the track still put’s it here Tuesday in tomorrow’s forecasts, we’ll probably start to see the stores&#8217…
Read more
Current EventsThe Sunshine State

Here we go again

There’s been a lot of talk in the news here recently that hurricane season was about to giddy-up. Sure enough, look what arrived in my inbox this afternoon: A few months ago Cheryl and I were talking about what it would be like to live in Vermont. I think I might be willing to trade severe tropical weather for a little cold air in the winter. I say a little like it’s a trifling…
Read more
The Sunshine State

This is summer

This is another post that got lost in the shuffle, written sometime during the last week of June. My least favorite time of year is here, but a string of days with our typical (at one time) afternoon thunderstorms have my spirits up. It’s one aspect of summer in Florida I enjoy. It’s hot and sunny all morning, until the early afternoon. Then dark clouds start forming on the eastern…
Read more
The Sunshine State

We like Florida, really

I went a little shutter crazy this spring, snapping lots of shots of wonderfully sweet citrus blossoms and gardenias. It’s hard for me to like much about Florida in July (or August, September…), but looking through these pictures the other day reminded me there’s more to Florida than heat and humidity. I hear gardenias are supposed to be hard to grow, but they’ve been…
Read more
Important StuffPoliticsThe Sunshine State

Tuna waffle

I wonder if Charlie is feeling a little heat… The gov’s words, via St Pete Times: “Only when we are able to do so far enough from Florida’s coast, safe enough for our people, and clean enough for our beaches, should we even consider increasing our oil supply by drilling off Florida’s shore. Let me repeat: far enough, safe enough and clean enough.” But allow me…
Read more
Important StuffPoliticsThe Sunshine State

Oil on my mind - or - A well oiled rant

Sorry for the swearing… For the moment, let’s set aside the merits of offshore drilling. It seems to me like some “conservatives” (note the strategic use of my buddy, the quotation mark) bat around the words “offshore drilling” like it’s an act of patriotism; a shared sacrifice for a greater good. I think it’s code for building a bunch of oil…
Read more
Important StuffPoliticsThe Sunshine State

Light tuna in oil

McClatchy: Describing his position as evolving, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he now supports exploratory drilling for oil and gas off Florida’s coast because “Floridians are suffering…” The National Petroleum Council estimates the eastern Gulf might hold 36.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 5.2 billion barrels of oil. Others doubt those numbers but say there is…
Read more
PoliticsSoapboxThe Sunshine State

Have pity on your health insurance company

I mentioned a Republican representative from our state legislature the other day, the one I heard on the radio. I kind of suggested he might’ve said something that made me a little mad; “pissed off” may have been the words I used. Well, if you don’t want to read a rant on Florida politics, now is the time to bail. The Florida Legislature is in session for two months of…
Read more
The Sunshine State

The post Beth wanted to write

A few weeks ago Beth begged me to set up a blog – or more precisely, begged me to let her set up one herself. She wanted write this post, but call me old fashioned, I think ten is still a wee bit young for a blog. I offered to post it here, if she wanted to write something for internet consumption, but that wasn’t good enough. It HAD to be her own blog. She HAD to do it on iWeb. She…
Read more