Beach Afternoon

 

SV Dragonfly off Jupiter
Jupiter Island, Jupiter, FL
October 26, 2022

The weather the past few days has been idyllic. Seriously. Clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and mild or no wind. Perfect weather for afternoons on the beach or at our favorite watering hole along the Loxahatchee River. 

We are three for three for the week!

Last evening the color of the water finally returned to blue as the turbidity from the recent storms decreased. It was a beautiful night. There was a lone sailing vessel on the horizon. My Marine Traffic app indicated it was the SV Dragonfly. I enjoy identifying the vessels at sea. I am looking forward to using the app during our upcoming cruise. 

Pelican on Loxahatchee River
Jupiter, FL
October 24, 2022

Each evening has been different, yet still enjoyable and beautiful. Monday evening I imaged a pelican on a post while looking toward the mouth of the Loxahatchee River where it empties into the ocean. There were more clouds Monday evening, but sitting at the Square Grouper with friends was a perfect way to celebrate the end of the day.

I was reminded yesterday that the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) is November 6th. With sunsets happening at 6:40 PM right now, once DST ends, they will occur closer to 5:30 PM. Ugh. As I recall, however, this may be the last time that we transition off DST. According to the Sunshine Protection Act, beginning in November 2023 the United States will remain permanently on DST! Think about it--we only have two more clock changes to suffer through!

We will see what today brings! It should be another great one.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Chris Gets a New Ride

 

Chris with her new Bike
Tequesta, FL
October 25, 2022

I finally followed through on a promise that I had made since before we returned to Florida. Chris has a new bicycle!

She had been riding an old hand-me-down which was not nearly large enough for her. She has long, and I might add beautiful, legs. She needed a larger framed bike. Her old bike also did not coast as well as a new bicycle which forced her to work harder.

For those who are interested, it is a Giant Vida in Charcoal. 

Chris Riding
Tequesta, FL
October 25, 2022

As we have been increasing ride mileage, she has begun to experience some back and shoulder pain which is a sure sign that the bike is not properly adjusted for her. In this case, the bike frame was too small to properly adjust. I had made as many adjustments as the bike could make. 

Chris is routinely now knocking out 14-15 mile rides with ease. We are touring many areas around Tequesta and Jupiter. In the planning are some new places such as the local Jonathan Dickinson State Park and River Bend Park which both have trails and paths to explore. 

I am looking forward many miles of biking with her. 

BTW, yes, her bike is bigger than mine--but you know, size doesn't matter. Actually in terms of bikes, it does matter. It is critical to have the right sized equipment for both enjoyment and safety. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And We Are Off--Go Vote!

 It is Election Season!

VOTE!

At least here in Palm Beach County, Election Season has arrived. Early voting is underway.

Chris and I both voted yesterday. It was the most complicated ballot that I have ever seen in that we voted to retain about 10 justices (or not) in addition to the regular offices like governor and senator up for election. There were also five ballot issues. Fortunately we did our research ahead of time on each of the election items on the ballot. 

OK, I may not have spent much time on the election for Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District, or the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District. I'm not even sure of why those offices in fact actually are established. 

I encourage everyone to vote. I do not care if we agree on the candidates or the issues, but it is critical to vote so that our representatives know how "We the People" feel and what we want our representatives to support.

It was important for Chris and I to vote early because we will be on a cruise over Election Day. Our vote is cast!

Do your part and be sure to vote!!!!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - October 24, 2022

 

1. Here we go! Today is the fourth of five October Mondays. Next Monday is Halloween. Buy your candy now! There are only nine Mondays remaining in the year! P.S. One month from today is Thanksgiving!

2. Family NFL Results. It was a good Sunday with three of four family teams posting wins.

  Commanders (3-4) defeat Packers (3-4), 23-21

  Ravens (4-3) defeat Browns (2-5), 23-20

  Cowboys (5-2) defeat Lions (1-5), 24-6

  Steelers (2-5) lose to Dolphins (4-3), 10-16

Ibis Take Flight
Tequesta, FL
October 23, 2022

3. On our walk yesterday, a small flock of Ibis took flight in front of us. It was fun to watch them take off. 

4. Early voting begins today in our county. Chris and I have appointments to be some of the first to cast our ballots! Get out and vote, or don't complain!

Shadow Selfie on the Beach
Jupiter Island, Jupiter, FL
October 23, 2022

5. Shadow selfies on the beach. Instead of watching a football game we really didn't care about, Chris and I headed off to the beach yesterday during the 4 PM games. It was a windy day and we enjoyed watching the tide come in. We took this image of our shadows, a shadow selfie!

6. Today in History. On October 24, 1901, a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to successfully take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

After her husband died in the Civil War, the New York-born Taylor moved all over the U. S. before settling in Bay City, Michigan, around 1898. In July 1901, while reading an article about the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, she learned of the growing popularity of two enormous waterfalls located on the border of upstate New York and Canada. Strapped for cash and seeking fame, Taylor came up with the perfect attention-getting stunt: She would go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Fed Rate Slowdown Talk Offers Respite for Markets - The Wall Street Journal

Winter’s Onset Will Change the War in Ukraine - The Wall Street Journal

China’s Xi Claims Third Term as Communist Party Leader - The Wall Street Journal

Trump set to collide with Biden, courts and facts - CNN

US: Russia's claims about Ukrainian dirty bomb are 'false flags' - CNN

Nation's Report Card: Declines in math scores is largest ever - CNN

Rishi Sunak on course to become U.K. prime minister - The Washington Post

Right-wing roadshow promotes Christian nationalism before midterms - The Washington Post

Florida needs workers to rebuild after Ian. Undocumented migrants are stepping in. - The Washington Post

Tesla cuts China prices by up to 9% as analysts warn of 'price war' - Reuters

Korean Air says jet overran runway in Philippines - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

From Dawn to Night

Sunrise in the Clouds
Tequesta, FL
October 22, 2022

Standing on my patio as the sun was rising yesterday, I did not know that by the end of the day I would own a new laptop, but I do.

The repair cost for my old MacBook Pro was going to be about $700 and I just could not justify putting that amount of money into a 5 year old computer which would only fix the current issues. I have concerns that the screen was failing as well. And so, I decided, after much consternation, to replace my old friend.

Replacing a computer is messy. Although there is a good program to transfer data from one computer to another, it is not perfect especially when I was running a Windows emulator to allow me access to one program that just does not run well in an Apple OS environment. I am currently still getting that program up and running. 

It was not until after dark that I arrived back at home with my new laptop ready to set up. And I let the set-up processes run overnight.

I am now fine-tuning my computer and getting it ready to fill the void left by the failure of my old friend. It turns out that the old laptop was doomed by a failed Apple technology experiment--the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar technology is no longer included in Apple laptops because of the problems it created. I also found that I could not just replace my old laptop--no, I had to give up some capability or buy more capability. 

I wonder what planned obsolescence is included in my new MacBook Pro?

In the end, it was a full day, from dawn on my patio to arriving back home after dark with the solution to my computer problem. I did get in a 14 mile bike ride--just saying.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wasting a Day

I wasted most of yesterday trying to revive my laptop. It is amazing how much time it takes to work on computers, especially when reloading the operating system is one of the suggested actions.

I could get it into Safe mode, but in the end and after chatting with an Apple tech I fear my laptop has a fatal hardware issue. I took it to a nearby tech store and I will join them this afternoon to waste more time, and probably money, to come up with the same solution—the touch bar has a flaw. Now the error can likely be repaired, but the cost seems excessive for an almost six year old laptop. I fear that I am looking at a case of planned obsolescence. MacBook Pro laptops are not inexpensive. 

The good news is that I have backed up all of my data on my external terabyte drive. I have stopped short of wiping the disk and reinstalling everything from start because I am convinced that the issue is hardware and not software related. It should be noted that the battery on my laptop is also failing, but I usually use the laptop plugged in and it gives me a couple hours power when needed. 

So, I am sitting on my patio watching the sunrise through the palms. It is 69 degrees, the sky is clear and I am looking forward to a long-ish bike ride this morning. After that, I will deal with my laptop.

Happy Saturday. 

—Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Leaving Key West

 

Chris and I departed Key West yesterday and returned to our regularly scheduled lives. The five hour drive was not too bad and we arrived home by about 2 pm. It was cold in the Keys as we woke and subsequently departed. But, before we departed we enjoyed a solid breakfast at Two Friends Patio Restaurant. This had become one of our favorite places because of the rooster, Solo.

Chris enjoyed interacting with Solo during our meal. I think he was a surrogate for Finnegan. The sign hanging in the restaurant about says it all regarding the chickens running around. 

Scarlet Lady
Key West, FL
October 21, 2022

After breakfast, we took one last walk around the area. A cruise ship had docked, but it was so early that none of the passengers were yet disembarking, which was a good thing since none of the shops were open. Nothing gets moving in Key West much before 9 AM.

The morning temperature was in the high 60s and so it was chilly. The wind blowing off the water made it feel even cooler as we walked along the pier. I actually was amazed at how close we could get to the ship without being stopped by security. Perhaps it was because the gangway was not yet open.

After the walk we returned to our room and loaded the car for the return trip to Tequesta. Our Key West escape was over, but we promised to return—soon.

Programming note: My laptop is still out of commission I am currently reinstalling the OS to attempt recovery.

— Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Roosters and Birds

Solo
Key West, FL
October 20, 2022

Yesterday could be described as a day of birds and also roosters, which are of course birds. 

At one restaurant we met Solo, a Key West rooster. He is the resident bird in the restaurant and it is easy to see that this rooster is definitely in control of the situation. Chris and I have been amazed at how the roosters and chickens rule the streets.  I remember them from our last visit, but then they seemed more confined to the residential areas. Not so now, they are everywhere. 

In terms of other birds, it was too cold and rainy yesterday to go birdwatching, and so we went to the Audubon House. The house is historically the familial home of a Key West salvage captain, but during the 1960s was turned into museum devoted to the period history of both the captain and Audubon. 

Image in Audubon Museum
Key West, FL
October 20, 2022

The Audubon museum has prints from the mid-1800s adorning the walls next to mementos from in the family. Part of the estate has been turned into a museum store where actual antique prints of Audubon’s works are for sale. 

We did not let the cold temperatures get us down and had a very enjoyable day. The only issue seems to be that my Mac died because it couldn’t get a critical update.  I think it may be due to the questionable internet that I am dealing with. Hopefully, when I get home and on a stable wifi it will all work. 

— Bob Doan, Key West, FL

Out the Hotel Window - Key West

Out the Hotel Window - Key West
Pier House Resort & Spa
October 19, 2022

 

We are in Key West. Chris and I made the drive yesterday for a planned combined birthday celebration/get away. 

Out our hotel window is a stunning view of palms. Various large palms. At some point I guess I need to start learning the names of the different species of palms. We are on the ground floor and it is very cool this morning as I am writing this from the verandah. The temperature is reported as 77 degrees, but with the low humidity and breeze it seems cooler. 

The drive to Key West from Tequesta is a planned five hours before stops. And there is always one stop for lunch or dinner at my favorite restaurant in the Keys, the Islamorada Fish Company! We arrived at the restaurant almost exactly at noon, which means it is just over half-way to the destination of Key West. For those who have never driven U.S. 1 through the Keys, it is a slog. Mostly 2-lanes of towns and stops interspersed with stunning views of land, ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. The Islamorada Fish Company is a bit less than two-hours from Key West and provides a much needed stop and respite from the traffic--which was not that bad being that it is not the high season, yet.

Seagull and Tarpon
Islamorada Fish Company
Islamorada, FL
October 18, 2022

The restaurant is built around a large pond which is open to the ocean and is populated with large, and I mean large, tarpon. Chris decided to throw some of her leftover bread from lunch into the pond for the seagulls which were diving to snatch small fish and the bread. I just happened to get this image of a seagull about to snatch the bread while a tarpon is seen in the water below. The dorsal fin is just visible above the surface of the water in front of the seagull. 

View from the Pier House Private Beach
Key West, FL
October 18, 2022

We enjoyed our drive and arriving at the resport we changed into swim gear and headed to the beach. Yes, this report has a private beach. 

It was probably a good thing we hit the beach yesterday since the weather today is supposed to be much cooler. The temperature is forecast to decline as the day progresses and there is rain in the forecast. It may not be a good beach day. 

But wait, I'm in Key West! What is not to like? I did check the cruise ship schedule and one will arrive tomorrow morning when we are planned to depart to drive back to Tequesta. 

Fun awaits!

-- Bob Doan, Key West, FL

Sights at the Beach

Sailboat at Sunset
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
October 16, 2022

 Being on the beach late in the day provides opportunities to watch not only the critters, but also the people and their activities. 

Sunday evening as we enjoyed Happy Hour on the beach there were some sights that I just had to record.

The first was a lone sailboat offshore at sunset. The interesting part about the image is that the camera is looking East and the salmon color of the sky is the reflection of the sunset behind me. The sail reflects the sunlight and is illuminated by the almost fully set sun.

Bums on the Beach
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
October 16, 2022

The second image from the same Happy Hour is more humorous. I call it, or rather one of my friends called it, "Bums on the Beach." Of course, we are referring to the British definition of the word "bum." That this person was laying on the beach in the position I photographed her is truly amazing. People need to think about the image they present, I guess. 

On any given day, all sorts of people find their way to the beach. It is fun to enjoy the all of sights at the beach. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL