Monday, May 18, 2009

Space Stories

Reflections of Cape Carnival by Hal Povenmire, no the title is not spelled wrong, it says Carnival. At first I was thinking this book was a little to KSC technical for me, but that quickly changed. The author has a collection of short stories about the space program from the early start to current. It contains fascinating facts that I enjoyed sharing with my own family members who work at KSC…and do not know everything. At the end of the book I found out Hal Povermire lives locally which makes it more so interesting. Any space lover would enjoy this book.

Here's the Story

Maureen McCormick – Here’s the Story; well who doesn’t know Marcia, Marcia, Marcia? Due to lack of time to search the library I ended up with this book. And true to my reality show self, I read the entire thing. It wasn’t particularly great, but had enough background on the Brady Bunch to hold my interest in the beginning and then I just had to know how things ended. Maureen had a different upbringing then the rest of the crew and struggled with the typical child star drug problems but I enjoyed watching her on “Gone Country”.

Protecting Our Waters

Protect the Lagoon and Other Waters
Keep your trash secured and dispose of it when you reach land
Operate at speeds posted for the sake of wildlife and help prevent erosion
DO not dump any sewage into the water
Maintain your boat and make sure you have no oil leaking or other fuels, same for your car
Make sure in your own yard the only thing that goes into the storm drain is rain
Dispose of household chemicals at a collection site
Use native plants and use environmentally friendly products for fertilizer and pest control

Fruity

Take along papain type meat tenderizer when heading to the beach, it is used in easing the pain should you be stung by a jellyfish or bitten by fire ants. Papain is from papaya, South American Indians used papaya juice to tenderize meat for centuries.

Florida Fruit
You will see roadside fruit stands or pick your own while in Florida. The citrus varieties are endless, try some and you will soon taste the difference from those you buy in the grocery store.

Our Other Season

Hurricanes
Well it’s almost that time of year again, hurricane season which runs from June 1 – November 30th, usually more activity August – October, but of course Mother Nature can do her own thing whenever she wants.
If you are new or a visitor to a hurricane area, the good thing is we get plenty of notice, well as much as we can get. You will hear about a storm well in advance, at times worrying for nothing because it may take a new path. We first are told about tropical depressions; an organized system with winds less than 38mph, then tropical storms; winds ranging from 39 – 73 and much more circular than a depression, next is a hurricane; well defined in pattern with winds 74+mph. Once you have a hurricane then they are described in categories, given a number 1 – 5 depending on the wind speed; Cat 1 is 74–95, Cat 2 is 96–110, Cat 3 (remember Katrina) is 111-130, Cat 4 (heard of Andrew?) is 131-155, Cat 5 is 155+.
Watch-means you have a possibility to experience this storm within the next 36 hours
Warning-means this storm is expected in the next 24 hours
The eye – center of the rotation and the winds are calm. If you experience the eye passing you will have calmer winds, then they will pick up but blow in the opposite direction.
Things to do to prepare for a storm;
Gas up, bring yard items inside, get a weather radio and stock up on batteries, have a current list of phone numbers and even a number of someone not in the area that people can check in with, stock up your supplies; basics including water, non perishables, don’t forget your pets, babies and medicine. Get bills out early if needed – they will not be as understanding in another state. Put up hurricane shutters or plywood – shutters bring such peace of mind and are not that too costly (I have 19 windows and 3 sets of sliders so I know).
A Caribbean poem:
June – too soon, July – stand by!, August – look out you must, September – remember, October – pretty much over!

Snakes

Snakes
I can remember when I lived in NY and a friend, who lived in Fl, wrote a letter. In it she talked about how she was mowing the lawn and almost mowed over a snake. A snake? I had never seen a snake in the wild in my life so I was surprised by this. Florida has snakes???
A few years later I was living in the great snake state myself. But it would be years before I actually saw one with my own eyes, well at least one long enough to be a snake and not a worm to me. I remember the day clearly. My dog was digging a hole, I wanted to catch her, and so I quietly snuck around the house to come up from behind her. I carefully put my bare foot down in out slightly high grass when a black slithery thing shot up on both sides. I ran, it went the other way and Lady (my dog) was caught but I didn’t care.
Since then I have realized these black snakes mean no harm and no longer bother me.
I am no expert on snakes, nor am I a fan; I have 2 in the house; my husband and my daughter. I have seen snakes in the wild, recently on a trip to the springs in North Florida, but I do not know anyone that has ever been attacked, bitten, killed or constricted by a snake!
Remember this:
Red on Black, Friend of Jack. Red on Yellow, Watch out, Fellow.
Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, friend of Jack

Friday, May 15, 2009

Recent Tips

When my brother was preparing for his first tour in Iraq I wanted to learn more about the country. Honestly I couldn’t even point out the Middle East on a globe. I printed maps, the time difference, weather, and customs, whatever I could think of. I found all of this helpful in several ways. One was for care packages. More recently an item I sent was a hit, I wasn’t sure when I mailed it but soon another was on its way, solar lights. They sure have enough sun to power them, do not cost much and easily fit in a box.

Moving Wall Part 2

The 2009 Moving Wall at Wickham was better than ever. I went 4 times during the week and each time saw something new.
Did you know that you can adopt a hero? That’s right, retired military working dogs can now become a family pet. Check out: www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com Every Friday I get to pick up my son from school along with 3 other girls (one being my niece). I wanted them to learn something not only about the Vietnam War but about Vets in general. We were honored to meet a RMWdog (Rudy)who served in OIF for 4 tours. Rudy is now 11 and has lived with his current owner for 2 years. While talking to Rudy’s owner we met a young man who was on furlough from Iraq. I was somewhat sad to hear he returned to Fort Bragg with no one to visit, so he came to Melbourne to stay for the Wall. I thought of my brother and was so thankful he has so much support during his time in Iraq. Another important site for veterans is www.VetCenter,va,gov which assists soldiers in readjusting from the war zone. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is real and more of our soldiers suffer from this than we know. We tend to put the war on the backburner, it no longer makes news like it did just a few years ago and yet it continues. I wish people would remember those that continue to put their lives on the line for our country.
*More on Moving Wall - see Florida Space Coast tab - Moving Wall label

Cleaning

When drying clothes outside, turn darker colors inside out to prevent fading. Window wash with 2 T. of vinegar and 1 gallon of water; use newsprint to avoid streaks. Use one part borax with 2 parts water and dab on stained clothing.

Clean Up

After my daughter completed a year long project on the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) I learned quite a bit. One thing I found interesting is how dog waste contaminates the IRL. It is often found in storm water runoff, which enters local canals, is not treated and ends in the IRL. The bacteria found in the waste can cause algae to bloom and kill fish…just another reason to clean up after your dog.