TWO DAYS IN REVERSE ORDER

2010 Jan. 24, Sunday.
We did our usual Sunday morning thing - Starbucks & church. For afternoon break, we went to the bookstore and I worked on the computer. We had supper at Islamorada Fish Company at Bass Pro, one of our favorite places. Linda had coconut shrimp (again), I had scallops (again), and they both were very good (again). Later, I watched the football game, rooting for Brett Favre and the Vikings, but they lost in overtime. It wasn’t over until 10:20, and I stayed awake for the whole thing, because it was such a good game. That's pretty late for an old geezer like me!!

WEATHER: Very warm and humid, high 85 and low 67. We didn’t start the AC, but we did run two fans all night. Not very comfortable for us - look forward to the 70’s again, coming soon.

FL NEWS: “Sand scatters in beach debate” Traditionally, beach nourishment - placing sand on eroded beaches - has been controversial. Proponents say nourished beaches help protect buildings and roads from wave action and provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities; opponents say nourished beaches wash away and cost too much. A proposed beach nourishment for Ft. Myers Beach continues to cause controversy and rancor. Lee County’s plan was to pump sand onto 4.6 miles of Estero Island [Ft. Myers Beach is on Estero Island] that the state calls ’critically eroded’, at an estimated cost of $10.5 million. One criticism of the plan is that it requires beach vegetation in the dune area - vegetation captures and stabilizes sand. Some beach property owners don’t want vegetation because it encroaches on useable beach and can block their view. One of the biggest objections to the proposal is that nourished beaches don’t last forever. The island of Captiva [just north of Sanibel Island] has an organization that fights against beach erosion, and it has nourished the beach there three times - in 1968, 1996, and 2005. One resident put it this way - “As far as I’m concerned, our properties would not be here - the island might not be here - if not for renourishment.”

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2010 Jan. 23, Saturday.
There was a light rain this morning, so I took the car to get the paper. After lunch here, we went to the book store so I could use the computer to see what movies were playing at what times. We decided to go see “Leap Year”. It was very entertaining, better than I thought, and was very beautiful visually. It was filmed primarily in Ireland, mostly in the rural area around the Dingle peninsula, and partly in Galway, home of my Kelly ancestors. After we got back, Linda went for a long walk, and I went for a long bike ride, sweating because of the high humidity. We sold two folding chairs that we didn’t want to haul back home, and that probably ends the selling of extra stuff. I have had no interest in the rubber raft, so I’m convinced it will have to be packed. It won’t take up too much space if I lay it out flat in the back of the van. Only one more week living in the 5th wheel, forever! Now I’m anxious to get to the resort in Orlando. The worst part is packing everything in the van, delivering left-overs to Goodwill or leaving them in the lockers in the 5th wheel.

WEATHER: High 81, low 65. The front was supposed to be gone by now, but it is moving slower than predicted. It rained fairly steady all morning, never very hard. Then the sun came out, and it was very warm and humid. One more day of 80’s and humid, and then a cool front is supposed to come through and drop the temperature to low 70’s with lower humidity.

FL NEWS: (1) “Governor announces environmental plan” With mangrove-shaded waterways as a backdrop, Gov. Charlie Crist announced his push for new environmental funding in next year’s state budget. The key item is $50 million to restore “Florida Forever”, the state’s program to purchase and preserve environmentally valuable land. It was eliminated last year, but Crist [who is running for the Senate] said he’s confident that this year the state legislators will see the wisdom of helping preserve the features that make Florida’s quality of life so desirable. The governor said, “It helps keep our economy strong to protect the environment … the environment relates so strongly to the jobs that are created because of tourist and new residents.”
(2) [Inland toward Lake Okeechobee, sugar cane is a major crop. More news about the damaging cold earlier this month.] “Half of sugar crop damaged by cold” U.S. Sugar Corp. announced Friday that half its sugar cane crop remaining to be harvested was badly damaged by freezing temperature this month. The damage will not affect the number of people working on the harvest, because all the cane will be harvested and run through the mill for processing. However, the cane will yield a smaller percentage of sugar, and the cost will increase.