Category: Weather

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Astronomy Bugs Nature Travel Weather

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon: Special On-Location Edition – Everglades National Park

YESTERDAY I visited Everglades National Park to spend the day outside with nature. Here are my takeaways in 15 words or less:

– Me and a buddy arrived out there shortly after 9 AM while it was still foggy.
– I knew that it would eventually be a sunny and hot day – and it was.
– We took a cool 1 hour and 45 minute tour of the former Nike Missile Site.
– It’s a small abandoned military base that was active from 1964 to 1979.
– It’s remnants are now owned and operated by The National Park Service.
– They started giving (limited) guided tours of it just last year.
– Our tour guide – Ryan – was thorough and knowledgeable.
– Check out this article for more information on the site.
– After the tour and a quick Lunch in the car we went hiking on some trails.
– We took on a couple of easy trails at first – less than a mile combined.
– And then we went for the gusto.
– We went on a 6.0-mile hike through muck and mosquitoes.
– We walked the entire 2.6-mile length of the Rowdy Bend trail eastbound.
– Then we took the Snake Bight trail 0.3-miles south to Florida Bay.
– Then we walked the entire 3.0-miles all the way back to our car.
– I smothered myself with Off / Deet before the hike, but it wasn’t enough.
– The trails were totally infested with swarming and biting mosquitoes.
– They were drinking the Off / Deet, and biting through my shirt !
– In addition to the hundreds of mosquito bites I also got a facial sunburn.
– If I go out into the woods without sunscreen then I might just be a redneck.
– I was totally shocked as to the abundance of mosquitoes on the trails.
– They froze to death during the recent freeze, but then new ones took over.
– It’s been a very wet dry season, so it didn’t take long for new skeeters to be.
– They are totally hungry and thirsty for human blood, and so we were Lunch.
– After the 6.0-mile hike we ventured down to Flamingo on the Bay.
– We took a really nice 1 hour and 45 minute boat tour of Florida Bay.
– We went westward adjacent to the south coast and towards the sunset.
– The sun set at precisely 5:59 PM, as that’s when the disc touched the horizon.
– The sun hit the horizon and then took a mere 3 minutes to drop below it.
– It was one of the most perfect sunsets I have seen in my entire Life !
– There were no clouds in the way obscuring it in any way.
– As our sun was setting it was rising simultaneously in Shanghai China.
– It was a nice tour of the bay, and quite refreshing after a hot and sweaty day.
– Water temperatures on the bay have slowly recovered back to the upper-60s.
– It was recently much colder than that, and thousands of fish died.
– It didn’t smell very nice at the shore with all of the dead fish floating.
– It may take a couple of years for a normal fish population to return.
– I really enjoyed my day out with nature despite the bites and burns.
– I hope to do it again sometime before the end of the current dry season.
– Thank You God for all of your Glorious Creations !

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Blogging Food Health History Music People Sports Television Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– Let’s get spontaneous.
– Can we talk here ?
– I’m currently fasting for about 16 hours.
– I have to give blood at my Doctor’s office tomorrow morning.
– After that I’m gearing up for a GINORMOUS Breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.
– And then it’s off to work to conclude this weird work week.
– I’m looking forward to this upcoming weekend.
– I plan to make the most of it.
– I’m going outside to play on Saturday.
– I’m taking my ‘Walk-A-Thon’ on the road – and deep into the Everglades.
– I want to see how everything looks out there after the big freeze.
– It’s gonna be a nice and warm and dry weekend.
– 80°F+ weather has a tight grip on America’s Riviera.
– If you like it then have fun for the next 4 days through Monday.
– We’ll have a brief cooldown for a couple of days next week.
– Only 23 more days until my upcoming Carnival cruise vacation.
– I’m getting really excited about it.
– Not only am I preparing for it, but I’ve already got my luggage out !
– This blog will go on a scheduled 8-day hiatus during February.
– When the blog returns LIVE I may transition to a 5 or 6 day a week schedule.
– I’ve been thinking about it for awhile – taking a day or two off per week.
– Sundays and Mondays would be the two days that I’d consider not blogging.
– This Saturday night on the ‘Retro’ I’m bringing back some 2003 Trance.
– But before that it’s the ‘Disco Party’ tomorrow night with Thelma Houston.
– Thank You so much for supporting ‘Moldie Oldie Music Weekends’.
– I also thank you for your requests, so keep them coming.
– This Sunday it’s the Vikings-Saints and the Jets-Colts.
– I’m rooting for a high-scoring offensive blitz in the Bayou.
– Light up that scoreboard Favre and Brees !
– I’m also rooting for the high-flying Jets to show the Colts how to get it done.
– Jets-Saints OR Jets-Vikings would work for me in the Super Bowl.
– Maybe if Favre wins the big game he’ll retire for real ?
– Or maybe not.
– Well those are my ‘Mini Thoughts’ on this Thursday night.
– Your time is valuable, and so I Thank You for it.
– Until I blog again (tomorrow) – REMEMBER THIS !

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God Health Holidays Weather

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon

Time: 7:16 AM – 8:05 AM
Sky: Partly Cloudy
Temperature: 59°F
Dewpoint: 59°F
Relative Humidity: 99%
Winds: W 3 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.10 Rising

Here are my walking thoughts in 15 words or less:

– It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the U.S.A.
– That makes it a Federal holiday from coast to coast.
– Enjoy your day off, and make it a productive one.
– I didn’t walk this past Saturday morning, as I ended up sleeping in a bit.
– I didn’t walk the previous Saturday morning because it was freezing outside !
– But this morning was just right – a nice and comfy 59°F / 15°C.
– The air was totally saturated, and it felt real nice to my once dry skin.
– My hands were literally bleeding last week during the Arctic blast !
– But now the’re recuperating nicely in the typical South Florida humidity.
– There was little to no wind this morning, and that made it even more pleasant.
– I walked around my neighbourhood for the 4TH time during this cool season.
– It was the longest walk in modern history – 48.7 minutes / 2.6 miles !
– I’ve made tremendous progress on these walks over the past 25 months.
– My very first walk was back on Christmas Eve in 2007.
– Before that walk I had never previously done anything like this.
– Of course that excludes all of my runs and walks during my USAF tenure.
– These walks today mean so much more to me than those from back then.
– These are physical walks that are part of my spiritual walks on this journey.
– They are to help me become healthier and stronger – physically and mentally.
– At nearly 43-years-old I am now in the best physical condition of my life.
– Anyone who knew me before the Summer of 2006 will testify to that.
– I must be healthier and stronger so that I may serve God and mankind.
– Some people do their best thinking while going to sleep or waking up.
– Others think best while alone in the shower.
– I’m sure that some of you daydream while you drive 75 MPH !
– I do my best thinking while walking around my neighbourhood.
– My mind is clear as put foot in front of foot and move along the roadside.
– It’s just me and my kool iTunes playing in my ear via my Shuffle.
– I come up with some of my greatest ideas while walking.
– I should carry a voice recorder with me so that I can remember them all.
– I hope to enjoy many more early-morning brainstorming walks in my future.
– My walks won’t stop until I reach the top !

Categories
Blogging Career Driving History Holidays Music Sports Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– Let’s get spontaneous.
– Can we talk here ?
– I’ve only worked 2 days this week, but it seems like I was there all 4 days.
– It’s been a weird, wild, and wacky week at work, but I’m used to that.
– Tomorrow is Friday, so let the weekend commence at 1530 !
– It’s a 3-day holiday weekend, as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
– This Saturday night on the ‘Retro’ I’ve got a very special tribute to Dr. King.
– It’s a really cool song from a really cool electronica band of the 1980s.
– And now with the weather here’s our amateur weather forecaster Chris !
– This morning was our 13TH and final morning in a row below 50°F.
– That ends the longest cold spell in South Florida weather history !
– We won’t be back in the 40s again anytime in the near future.
– Our normal early-morning temp. for this time of the year is the low-60s.
– Our normal late-afternoon temperature is the mid-70s.
– We should see a couple of 80°F days during this upcoming weekend.
– Remember last Saturday when we were stuck in the low-40s all day long ?
– That was one of the coldest days since weather records have been recorded.
– It rained all day, and some people claimed that they saw sleet and wet snow.
– Much of the grass was burnt by two mornings of frost.
– It was green and lush, but now it’s mostly brown and lifeless.
– I’ve got NFL playoff action to look forward to this weekend.
– The Cardinals-Saints game should hopefully be exciting and high-scoring.
– New Baltimore plays Old Baltimore on Saturday night.
– On Sunday I want the Vikings to totally blow out the Cowboys.
– After that I’m rooting for the J-E-T-S to upset the Chargers in the P-S-T.
– After my most recent road trip up to the JAX area and back I’ve got stats.
– I’ve driven over 4,300 miles over the past 8 weeks.
– Typically I drive a tad over 1,000 miles every 8 weeks.
– My 2003 Saturn is aging before my very eyes.
– I remember when she was hot, fresh, and new.
– Now she’s cold, stale, and old.
– But she survived the Arctic blast of the North Pole of Florida.
– She’s not all that bad after all.
– Shaun Cassidy Alert ! – Tomorrow night on the ‘Disco Party’.
– Be there as we totally rock the roller disco dude !
– Groovy man !