Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).
It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday June 16TH 1991:
EMF topped my chart 30 years ago this weekend with their unique HI-NRG pop-dance track “Unbelievable”. It was a worldwide smash, and a # 1 smash here in the U.S. It was near the start of a long 10-week summertime run at # 1 on my chart.
EMF were formed in 1989 in Cinderford – about 40 miles west of where I lived for 2 years (1985-1987) near Fairford. Both towns are in Gloucestershire in the South West of England. I haven’t been back to England since I left 33½ years ago. I hope to make it back sometime in the future.
Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to June 1986 – when I lived in Gloucestershire. I attended my very first concert ever back then in London England. I’ll share that experience with you next week.
It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !
All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
It’s Part 2 of my multi-part Thursday blog series on my recent 77-hour / (4-day / 3-night) / 472-mile road-trip spanning Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties (in that order). It was my first extended visit ever along Florida’s Treasure Coast. While there I was always within about 5 miles of the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent Indian River.
Last Thursday we left off on Bathtub Beach located on the barrier island adjacent to Stuart (South Hutchinson Island). A mile up the road was my next stop – House Of Refuge Museum At Gilbert’s Bar. It’s a Historical Society Of Martin County museum. Admission was free for me as a U.S. Veteran. Normal adult admission is $8 with modest discounts for seniors, children, and AAA and AARP members. This was a fascinating place, and it greatly exceeded my expectations. I was the only customer at the time, so I was treated to a personal one-on-one tour following the short introductory video in the gift shop. Following the tour you get to step inside the last remaining House Of Refuge along Florida’s east coast – and the oldest living structure in Martin County. There’s an upstairs and a downstairs. You can easily spend 60 to 90 minutes here. Be sure to also visit the raw and unspoiled beach adjacent to the museum grounds. It’s not a sunbathing beach. It’s a sightseeing beach.
My next stop was another Historical Society Of Martin County museum – Elliott Museum. Admission was free for me as a U.S. Veteran. Normal adult admission is $14 with modest discounts for seniors, children, and AAA and AARP members.
This was a nice modern two-story museum (entirely indoors) with a focus on antique cars and other forms of transportation. I met a nice 90-year-old man by the name of Lawrence up on the second floor. He was sitting by a display that he made himself over the course of about 20 years. It’s a River Cruiser made from a Grumman Mohawk Drop Tank. He worked at Grumman for many years, and he retired from the company. We enjoyed an extended conversation together about his work, his career, and his ministry. He’s a born-again Christian, and he loves to talk about his Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. He gave me two cards – a business card with Scripture on it, and another larger card with Scripture on both sides of it. We encouraged each other. As it turns out he and his church family drove down to Homestead in the days following Hurricane Andrew in August of 1992 to deliver supplies to a church with no roof and pews that were cut-up to form shelving for all of the incoming supplies. I’m familiar with that church. I shared with him my ministry. I told him that I would incorporate our chance meeting at the museum into one of my future sermons to my church family. Our short time together was the highlight of my visit to the Elliott Museum.
I’ll present Part 3 for you next Thursday, and we’ll arrive at my destination for the next 3 nights – Vero Beach.
All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
Last Wednesday June 02ND 2021 about 45 minutes before local sunrise I embarked on my latest fun road-trip exploring my great state of Florida. This was actually a road-trip that was planned more than 3 years earlier and scheduled for the exact same Wednesday to Saturday time-period in June 2018. I had to cancel that trip when I was offered the opportunity to attend an important work-related trip to Middle Georgia (Warner Robins) later that same month in June 2018.
Earlier this year I decided to resurrect that June 2018 road-trip exactly 3 years later. I took my original itinerary for the trip, and I updated and enhanced it. As it turns out I actually visited a majority of the places that were on the original itinerary.
This was a 77-hour / (4-day / 3-night) / 472-mile road-trip spanning Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties (in that order). Aside from driving to and from Florida’s Treasure Coast I was always within about 5 miles of the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent Indian River (which is actually a very long [121-mile] lagoon).
Starting today and continuing for the next 3 or 4 Thursdays I’ll share some of my road-trip adventures with you. I presented a sneak-preview of this road-trip recap this past Sunday here on my blog. (Check out “Sunday Scripture”.)
We start about 3 hours north of my home for a full Breakfast pitstop in Stuart Florida. I enjoyed a nice hearty meal at a local place called Berry Fresh Cafe. I’ve been there before (at their Jupiter Florida location), so I knew what to expect. I knew that I would be full when I walked out. My waiter was over-the-top energized and passionate about his job – perhaps even borderline bombastic – but in a good way. I told him that I was on vacation visiting the area, and he gave me a list of places to visit in Stuart. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that his restaurant was my only stop in Stuart proper. I now have a list of places that I can check-out on my next (perhaps longer) visit to Stuart. I actually have friends who live in neighboring Jensen Beach. I didn’t get a chance to visit them on this trip, so maybe next time.
My next stop was to a popular place located on the barrier island adjacent to Stuart (South Hutchinson Island) known as Bathtub Beach. My aforementioned friends go there on a regular basis with their young daughters, so I decided to check it out. It’s very unique in that it’s the Atlantic Ocean – but with subdued waves and currents. There’s a mile-and-a-half-long reef just offshore. It’s below the water surface during high tide, but during low tide there are exposed sections. This reef is not a typical coral reef, but rather a living worm reef. I’ll let this sign explain it in greater detail:
I spent a lot of time all along a 54-mile stretch of Florida State Road A1A – from 27.2° to 27.8° north latitude. I visited a lot of nice Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River County beaches on this road-trip. I think this was probably the nicest and cleanest beach of them all. Check out this photo of this beautiful wide beach:
As you may know if you’ve been following me for awhile I try to keep my blog posts to under 3 minutes or less, and I think that we’re close to that ceiling right now, so let me close this part of my road-trip. Next Thursday I’ll present Part 2, and we’ll visit House Of Refuge Museum At Gilbert’s Bar and Elliott Museum.
All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 06TH 2021, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us look upon our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ for guidance and direction – for safety and security.
I have returned from a 77-hour / 472-mile summer vacation road-trip to and from Florida’s Treasure Coast. I spent some quality time, I learned a lot, I had a lot of fun, and I met some great people along the way from Stuart to Sebastian Inlet State Park.
I have at least a month’s worth of new material to write about, and I’ll be sharing that for the next 4 or 5 Thursdays starting this Thursday June 10TH 2021.
One of my many fun visits was to the McKee Botanical Garden just south of the city limits of Vero Beach off U.S. 1. It’s on the U.S. National Register Of Historic Places. From 1932 to 1976 it was known as McKee Jungle Gardens, and it was a popular roadside tourist attraction right alongside the main highway for the U.S. East Coast.
That’s the King James Version from the Book Of Genesis – Chapter 2 – Verses 8 & 9a.
Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:
The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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