Picking Grapefruits can be different from oranges

35 year record COLD temperatures

Here are a couple of Palms that will be dead in about a week.  Most palms that weren't near the ocean or south of Tampa are dying because it was SO cold for SO long.

So Peaceful

Nothing like a winter Sunset

The wind died down ...

A look at the Shuttle model

Here is the model that shows what it looks like when the tower is open and the shuttle is exposed .... this occurs mere moments before launch.  At this time, only the top of the orange booster is visible, unlike THIS model.

First Stop back - a "Spacey" day

A BEAUTIFUL day in Florida.  It was the first after many days of cold.

This is the Shuttle Endeavor.  It is sitting on the launch pad, getting it's final prep work.

The "Crawler" that drags it out uses 150 gallons of fuel for each mile that it takes to take it out to the pad.

Launch is due for Sunday, Feb. 7 at 4:39 a.m. EST.

Christmas back in Canada

We have a goal for our next trip segment

Often when one door closes, another opens.

This Coquina stone sphere, located near the waterfront in St. Augustine is the Mile ZERO marker for the Old Spanish Trail.

The mate to it, which is supposed to be rectangular, is in San Diego.

We have a goal - go west .... find that Marker!!!!

We'll keep you all posted.

The end of this segment of the trip

Well, here we are at the end of this part of our trip.  We have filled the map all the way through to Florida.

We will start working westwards around the gulf.

Unfortunately, there will be a few gaps left .... waiting to be filled in on the NEXT TRIP.

Bill working on Christmas breakfast - lol

Here is Bill picking real Florida oranges.  They are all tucked away in a box to go home for Christmas morning breakfast.  I wonder when we gather the whole family together if could make a commercial????

The first Ripley's Believe it or Not - the Ripley Mansion

This beautiful mansion was built in 1887 to be a winter home.  It passed through several hands, even being a bed and breakfast hotel until the Ripley family bought it.  They never lived in it, and it became their first museum in 1950.  The original TV Show, "Believe it or Not", was filmed here.

Is it true .... will we live longer??

In 1513, the Spanish landed at, what is now known to be, St. Augustine.  The local natives were over 7' tall and in excellent health so the Spanish felt that the "Fountain of Youth" was near by.  The Spanish leader, Ponce de Leon, was 4' 11" tall, with his hat on.  He was the tallest on his ship.

Bill and I were able to sample the water from the original spring of the first settlement.  It has quite a mineral/sulpher flavor, similar to "medicinal" spring water.