pack rat bill mind pieces

2011-11-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

A courageous young UC Davis professor demands Chancellor Katehi's resignation after pepper spraying incident on campus.

Open Letter to Chancellor Linda Katehi UC Davis

Letter to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer

2011-10-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Mayor Dyer, I am a ardent supporter of yours. I was extremely impressed by your leadership and persistence in getting approval for SunRail. Your efforts and accomplishments to make downtown Orlando an attractive, pleasant and entertaining place to visit are commendable.

This is to bring your attention to the Occupy Orlando protests. I urge you to support and enable the protesters. They are frustrated and angry about how the system has failed them. Their grievances need to be heard. They have the support of the majority of Americans who share their frustration with the system. In a NY Times poll released yesterday, congress had a 9% approval rating, an all-time low. The Occupy protester’s message is extremely important and must be heard. Our system is broken and must be fixed. Failure to heed the message I’m afraid will lead to more anger and violence. Civic leaders can head this off by supporting the protestors’ right to assemble and express their First Amendment rights of free speech. The need for this message to get out supersedes any need to maintain a curfew on a public space.

I respectfully request that you issue an indefinite permit for the protesters to occupy Senator Beth Johnson Park 24 hours a day. They need sanitary facilities including porta-potties. I would personally be willing to help raise the funds necessary to accomplish this. I am confident that with the overwhelming support the Occupy Protest movement raising funds to enable an orderly protest would not be a problem.

I have personally participated in the Occupy Orlando protests including the march on the 15th. The vast majority of the protesters want to maintain excellent relations with the city and keep the protests peaceful. The volunteers that act as peace marshals have done an excellent job so far. Clashes with the Orlando Police Department such as took place the other night just make some protesters more angry and make the job of the peace marshals more difficult.

Mayor Dyer, these protests constitute an opportunity for you to show your leadership on this critical issue. I urge you to act decisively now. Orlando should be an example to the rest of the country, certainly not another Oakland.

Thank you very much.

William B Carpenter

928 Arabian Ave

Winter Springs, FL 32708

Pedestrian Safety in Metro Orlando

2011-02-13T17:39:00.001-05:00

Advocating a new approach to pedestrian safety and mobility on arterial and collector roadways

Summary:

Metro Orlando is the most dangerous metro area for pedestrians in the nation. Urban sprawl, poor planning, land development patterns and the high-speed, high volume collector arterial roadways these propagate are principally responsible for an unsafe pedestrian environment. Innovative new pedestrian infrastructure is an important part of the way to a Metro Orlando that is more pedestrian safe and friendly.

The past: The problem and how we got here

The story of how Metro Orlando grew rapidly after World War II in typical suburban sprawl fashion almost totally dependent on motor vehicle transportation is well known and oft repeated. What this regional planning for total dependence on the automobile and resulting rapid sprawl left in its wake is a sparse network of collector and arterial roads jammed with motor vehicles traveling at high speeds and very unsafe for, and unfriendly to pedestrians.

Metro Orlando is ranked at the top of dangerous communities for pedestrians in the 2009 “Dangerous by Design” report by Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership.

It is virtually impossible to get anywhere in Metro Orlando without using this network of dangerous collectors and arterials. Thus all its citizens wishing to travel wholly or partially on foot must use these roads and be exposed to the danger of being killed or injured.

It is not just an issue of safety for those using these streets; it’s also a moral issue of making those streets available for all citizens to use in safe and quiet enjoyment. Too many citizens feel they have to use their motor vehicle for safety and peace of mind instead of the alternative of walking.

The future: Where we need to go

The incentives to reduce our dependence on motor vehicular transportation are many and large, and will become even more important and compelling in the near future. Limited energy resources, global warming, congested highways, reduced transportation funding and unacceptable fatality rates are all reasons to seek alternatives to motor vehicles by themselves, and when taken together, necessitate change.

Moving to alternative transportation modes such as bus, bus rapid transit, or rail all necessitate more walking on the part of transit users. Making our streets safe and friendly for all users is a necessary condition to adopting these alternative modes. In addition, the ability of citizens to walk more allows them to pursue healthier lifestyles.

Making the transition: How to get from here to there

In order to safely and effectively use Metro Orlando’s network of arterial and collector roads, pedestrians have to be able to walk comfortably along the side of the roadway and to cross the road safely and effectively. An effective way to summarize what’s required is the three “E’s”:

Engineering. Just as roads must be well engineered to allow safe use by motor vehicles, those same roads must provide safe and effective pedestrian infrastructure. Today’s roads built with the focus on moving motor vehicles fast, do not provide adequate pedestrian infrastructure. New, widened and resurfaced roads must provide adequate pedestrian infrastructure to allow safe, comfortable and convenient use, and older, non-compliant roads must be upgraded to the same level of safety and convenience on an aggressive schedule. Florida Department of Transportation must take the lead on this since most arterials are state roads and FDOT planning, design standards and precedence filter down to counties and municipalities. They have a responsibility to deal with the pedestrian safety issues in a meaningful way, and should be measured on their success in achieving safety.

Education. Both motorists and pedestrians must be aware of their rights and responsibilities to use the road system effectively and with due regard to the rights and safely of other users. Equally important, public officials and transportation planners and designers must be made aware of the needs of pedestrians. Driver licensing must incorporate more pedestrian safety material, and pedestrian education programs must be developed to reach ever more present and future pedestrians.

Enforcement. As the infrastructure and rules of the road are being put in place, effective, diligent and continuous enforcement is required for the system to work safely and equitably. This enforcement must be a priority with regional police units and it must be funded by counties and municipalities.

The role of technology: A bright spot on the horizon

Increasing use of improved pedestrian features such as signal control systems, l.e.d. and strobe lights give the design engineer a broad pallet to work with in designing innovative pedestrian infrastructure systems. Some examples are sensors that detect the presence of pedestrians, strobe light attention getting beacons, sensitive vehicle sensors in the pavement, versatile and reliable computer controls, and audible and visual pedestrian warning and information systems. In addition, those existing signal systems should be timed to reduce pedestrian delay, which again discourages walking, and contributes to jaywalking

This technology can be use to design systems that are cost effective ways to provide safe pedestrian access to our road system. One example is an un-signalized pedestrian crosswalk with a flashing strobe warning beacon activated by a pedestrian sensor, but only when vehicle traffic is favorable for pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian would be warned to wait for the signal to activate before crossing.

Innovation, experimentation and the scientific method: We can’t learn without trying

Transportation design is a big, big business. It is the responsibility of the public agencies that fund and administer the roads. It is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly since thousands of users are on our roadways every day and depend on them to get where they need to go safely, comfortably and effectively.

This awesome responsibility has created a structure with multitudinous rules and regulations in an attempt to make sure designs are as safe for motor vehicles as they can be. However, this same structure also makes innovation difficult and glacially slow. This needs to change. Design professionals with the ability to authorize new and innovative solutions to pedestrian safety must be willing to experiment with these new ideas and accelerate adoption of those that prove themselves. Only by trying new things, carefully monitoring the results, and then rapidly approving the winners can we hope to provide innovative, cost effective solutions to pedestrian infrastructure problems.

Future Growth that is Smart Growth will mean Pedestrian Convenience and Safety

Unplanned and improperly planned growth resulting in suburban sprawl has brought on the present crisis in un-walkable communities and pedestrian safety. Future growth should be planned using Smart Growth principals so the same mistakes are not repeated. Land use plans and regulations and transportation plans must be tightly integrated to achieve optimal use of all modes of transportation. Metro Orlando is at the point where there is no other alternative. Our precious natural environment, our air quality and our quality of life are all dependent on citizens and public officials that embrace Smart Growth and make it a reality.

Conclusions and recommendations:

Action is warranted and overdue to make our roadways safer and more convenient for pedestrians. All public officials and transportation planners and designers should make pedestrian safety a high priority. Funding to upgrade existing roads, educate the public and enforce pedestrian safety should be provided. Design professionals should be seeking innovative solutions and be open to suggestions on how to solve safety issues. Future growth should be planned using Smart Growth principals. Working together we can all make a difference.

Open Letter to Governor Scott

2011-02-05T14:08:00.001-05:00

Dear Governor Scott:

I am a resident of Central Florida. I did not vote for you and do not support your actions thus far as governor. I think the way you bought the election was an obscene abuse of the power of the almighty dollar. You are, however, my elected state governor, and I have some things to say to you.

I support commuter rail and high speed rail. I think they will be an extremely positive addition to our transportation alternatives here in Central Florida. I also think they should be subsidized by state and local government and I’m willing to pay the taxes necessary to do so. I urge you to complete your review of these projects and move ahead with them. I urge you to work with local government to find permanent, stable funding for transit and alternative transportation of all forms: high speed rail, commuter rail, light rail, trolley, bus rapid transit, bus, para-transit and active transportation - biking and walking. Shifting users to these alternative transportation modes will relieve congestion, reduce hydrocarbon fuel consumption, decrease polluting emissions, save money, bolster our economy, encourage smart growth development, and promote healthier lifestyles.

The State of Florida is not a sick business corporation in need of a hatchet-wielding turn-around manager. Florida is a political entity organized by the people and for the people. It is run by our elected representatives who we expect to do the best they can to intelligently and openly carry out the will of those they represent. And that includes ALL the people, not just the small number that voted for you. We expect our governor to lead not only by actions but by example. Finally, we expect our governor to be as we strive to be, humble, caring, open and respectful of the needs and views of others.

I hope that over time you will come to realize that you cannot run the State of Florida like a business. It must be run like the great political institution that it is, with its leaders recognizing, respecting and caring for the needs of its citizens, and setting examples that others will be proud to emulate.

Sincerely,

William Carpenter

Winter Springs, Florida

Witnesses: Teen crossing Aloma struck by 2 vehicles, killed

2010-10-10T15:23:00.002-04:00

Orlando Sentinel – Oct. 10, 2010.

Read the full article about 17 year old Kasön Bailey’s death here.

This is the second pedestrian death at this location since a crosswalk was installed in early 2008. This accident is particularly upsetting to me since I advocated for the crosswalk knowing there was high pedestrian activity there and a high probability of accidents. Obviously much more needs to be done.

The accident location is midway between the Forsyth and Palmetto intersections, both of which have signalized pedestrian crosswalks. The distance between these two intersections is 2/3 mile, and this location has high pedestrian activity because there are apartments on one side of Aloma, and businesses on the other. Strip shopping centers and a RaceTrac convenience store attract local residents day and night. The crosswalk is not signalized and is unlighted, although there are occasional street lights and light from businesses along the street.

At this point I don’t know if the victim was in the crosswalk or not. But regardless of whether or not he was, it is painfully obvious that pedestrians are not being adequately protected in this area and further steps need to be taken. There are three areas in general that need to be addressed in order for pedestrians to be able to walk and cross streets safely:

A sea change needs to happen to motorists’ perception of the pedestrian’s right to the roadway.
Adequate pedestrian safety infrastructure needs to be approved, funded, designed and constructed.
Pedestrians must be educated on the proper use of pedestrian infrastructure and exercise of their rights to use the roadways.

The accident at hand was probably precipitated by too little of each of the above being present.

Motorists’ Perception of Pedestrian Rights:

Aided and abetted by the automotive industry and transportation officials, motorists have mistakenly gotten the impression that the streets and roads are for them only, and people on bikes or walking need to just stay out of their way. Transportation officials reinforce this notion by providing all manner of restrictions on the movement of bicyclists and pedestrians to the point where motorists are led to believe they will have adequate notice or warning if one of these interlopers is on the road. Otherwise it’s fine to maintain the speed limit and do any of the myriad other things people do while driving these days. This attitude has led to dangerous inattention and frequently reckless driving for conditions on the part of motorists. The motorist thinks, “If there’s anything I need to slow down for or be aware of, a sign or flashing light will tell me.”

Public officials also reinforce this notion by failing to enforce existing traffic laws designed to protect pedestrians. There is virtually no enforcement of pedestrian crosswalks where motorists are required to yield.

The laws protecting the pedestrian are inadequate. In accident after accident involving a motorist hitting a pedestrian, the motorist gets off Scot free, most of the time without so much as a ticket. This entire section of the traffic code needs to be addressed to remedy this imbalance.

This perception of complete ownership of the road unless otherwise notified has to change. It isn’t the case and never has been the case but it’s going to take a lot of re-education to change.

Adequate Pedestrian Infrastructure:

Not only do we need many more marked crosswalks where there are none today, those crosswalks need to be lighted and have user-activated beacon markers. The Aloma crosswalk is a good example of an inadequate response to an accident risk situation. The crosswalk is beautifully designed and signs erected just as specified in the latest FDOT documents, but it doesn’t do an adequate job of protecting pedestrians. The only time I’ve seen a motorist yield to a pedestrian is if traffic is backed up and moving at a crawl. If traffic is moving normally, pedestrians are ignored. Once that pattern is established, then it is aberrant behavior to stop for a pedestrian, and no one does it. Since yielding is not required, motorists cease to look for and see pedestrians getting ready or waiting to cross.

There are many innovative new devices and designs that will help protect pedestrians. They need to be thoroughly researched and the promising ones implemented as soon as practical. Public officials need to approve funding for these initiatives and give them a higher priority than road projects such as widening to six lanes which increase the risk to pedestrians.

Pedestrian Education on Infrastructure use and Proper Exercise of Rights:

Too often I hear that pedestrians disobey traffic laws and put themselves at risk. If they obeyed the laws and used signalized crosswalks say these critics, accidents wouldn’t happen. The problem with this thinking is that it ignores the reason the pedestrian is out there trying to use the streets in the first place: They NEED to use the streets to get where they’re going. And to do that they are going to take the shortest, most convenient way even if it involves some risk. Traffic planners and designers must acknowledge this basic fact and design our roadways accordingly. And people’s perceptions of pedestrians as outlaws putting themselves at risk must change to encompass this principal. No pedestrian is deliberately putting themselves at risk of injury or death by choice. They are just trying to get from point A to point B.

That said, there are areas where pedestrians can be instructed in safe use of existing infrastructure with some benefits to be gained. Particularly with school age children, safety skills can and should be taught.

However, the most important thing that pedestrians need to learn is the proper exercise of their rights as pedestrians. Unfortunately, this skill has been mainly taken away by the relentless attack on these pedestrian rights by transportation industry and public officials.

Using the Aloma crosswalk, I will illustrate how regaining this skill can radically change things.

What if, immediately after the opening of the Aloma crosswalk while the signs are new and fresh in motorists’ minds, pedestrians wanting to use the crosswalk got motorists’ attention by placing one foot into the roadway and waiving their arm at the motorist? When the motorist slowed, the pedestrian advanced carefully into the crosswalk forcing the motorist to slow and stop. The pedestrian would then do the same thing in the next lane, which would be easier because one car in the adjacent lane had already stopped. Motorists behind the lead vehicles would observe that cars were stopped to allow pedestrians to cross. The next time those motorists in line came to the crosswalk they would expect to stop for pedestrians and look to see if there were any coming. If this scenario is repeated time after time, motorists would adopt the habit of looking for and yielding to pedestrians. All this because the pedestrians that have the right to use the crosswalk and have motorists yield to them exercised that right.

If a super majority of the pedestrians that use this crosswalk had been schooled in proper exercise of their rights before starting to use the crosswalk, the preceding scenario would have happened and the crosswalk would become a valuable safety feature.

Unfortunately, what happened was that pedestrians saw the traffic speeding by, were reluctant to enter the crosswalk and so waited patiently until it cleared. The motorists saw the pedestrians waiting for them so they continued on their way. Eventually the motorists came to ignore the crosswalk and any waiting pedestrians altogether, thus virtually negating the crosswalk’s effectiveness. A corollary effect of this is that pedestrians observe that using the crosswalk doesn’t buy them any additional time or convenience, so they resume their patterns of crossing where convenient. After all, it takes exactly the same amount of time, less if the crosswalk is out of their way.

Pedestrians can be taught the proper exercise of their rights again. We can import instructors from Manhattan. We’ll just have to make sure they know beating on motorists’ hoods is not permissible behavior in our more placid Greater Orlando metro area.

Over the next several days I hope to learn more about the accident that killed 17 year old Kasön Bailey. I’ll report any new information I find that impacts pedestrian safety in general. In the meantime I hope you’ll continue to fight for the rights of bicyclists and pedestrians to share our area streets and roads safely.

A Downtown Orlando Stop for High Speed Rail

2010-06-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

It is incredible to me that our local Greater Orlando political leaders have been silent on the issue of a downtown Orlando stop for high speed rail. It appears as though they are placidly accepting the plans put forth by the engineers and technocrats without considering some very basic issues. Political leaders need to have vision and make sure that vision is carried out.

Having high speed rail go to Disney, the convention center and the airport is not vision. It's a sub-optimal solution and smacks of catering to airport interests and the tourist industry at the expense of Greater Orlando and its citizen-taxpayers.

There are only two segments that can be called high speed rail, Tampa to Lakeland, and Lakeland to Orlando. The remaining segments are too short to achieve any speed. The Lakeland-Orlando segment should terminate in downtown Orlando. The other segments will best be served by light rail.

A downtown station is the optimal solution for Orlando and Florida High Speed Rail because:

Downtown is the most likely destination, or at least the center of all possible destinations in Greater Orlando
Downtown is a logical place to connect to SunRail which will service the areas north and south of downtown
A downtown station will promote high quality renewal and growth in the downtown core
Very few passengers will have the airport as their final destination
Having a downtown station will reduce car traffic in the downtown core
A downtown station will minimize transfers and changes of transportation modes
Vehicle miles traveled, vehicle emissions, and congestion will be minimized by a downtown station
Finally, after all is said and done the regret of not having a downtown station will be far greater than regret over any extra cost

It may cost more for a downtown station, but innovative funding can be sought involving all stakeholders that will benefit.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Wake up Orlando! Demand what's right. Let’s make it happen!

Response to Orlando Sentinel Editorial – Make Our Roads Safer

2010-05-22T11:01:00.001-04:00

After publishing a very salutatory article about Bike To Work Day and bicycling in general, the Orlando Sentinel chose to publish Make Our Roads Safer, an editorial condemning Florida bicyclist's objections to HB 971 which would require bicyclists to use bicycle lanes. In the Sentinel's editorial, local bike advocates Brad Kuhn and Might Wilson's views were dismissed as being trivial. The Sentinel cited Portland, Oregon's Bicycle Transportation Alliance as recommending the use of Portland's bicycle lanes.

Come on Sentinel. Rejecting local bicycling advocates' views as self-serving is ignoring the real message they are trying to get across, that motorists and police officers have to recognize that bicyclists have the right to use our roads too, and shouldn't be viewed only as obstructions. Every bicycle that is on the road is one less vehicle using a cup of gas for every mile traveled and perpetuating our dependence on Big O - Oil. The bicyclist is riding to work using his/her breakfast for fuel.

Come on Sentinel deux. Comparing Florida's bicycle infrastructure to Oregon's is like comparing buffalo trails to Los Angeles' freeway system. Oregon is light years ahead of Florida with their bicycle infrastructure. With few exceptions, Florida communities are just getting started with theirs. In too many cases, the initial attempts have been, to be kind, misdirected. These attempts at "bike lanes" are substandard and unsafe. It's too soon to force bicyclists onto bike lanes that are unproven at best and downright dangerous at worst. Serious bicyclists will use the lanes when they consider them safe, but in the meantime they need the freedom to act in their own best interest.

Finally, how does HB 971 make our roads safer as the Sentinel editorial suggests? Is there evidence that failure to use bike lanes has caused accidents? Or is this law for the convenience of motorists who want the slow bicyclists out of their way. Certainly none of the other provisions of HB 971 are concerned with safety: New vanity license plates including plates for the governor, senators and representatives; a provision for 3 wheeled vehicles (safe not); new fee structure for vehicle registrations; and a provision to get DUI drivers who've had their licenses revoked back on the road. And I think there's something about kitchen sinks in there too.

What about making it safer and more convenient to use a bicycle to commute to work? Isn't the long-term goal to increase bicycle ridership and use less hydrocarbon fuels? Anyone who uses a bicycle to commute to work deserves a little edge, and a lot of credit.

Come on Sentinel.

Pedestrian Crosswalk Needed – Semoran at Full Sail University

2010-04-11T10:13:00.007-04:00

Full Sail University has grown to a major, four year university with 8,800 students. Located at the southeast quadrant of Semoran Boulevard and University Boulevard in Winter Park, Full Sail, like other universities its size, has many students that live close by and walk or bike to class. Unfortunately, the area around the university is typical Florida sprawl with little or no consideration given to walkablility and pedestrian safety. In fact both Semoran Boulevard and University Boulevard are major arterial roads, 6 to 8 lanes wide. This presents a clear and present danger to students who walk or bike to class and have to cross these roads. Semoran Boulevard carries 60,000 vehicles per day at 45 mph and higher. As a major arterial road it carries traffic from the suburbs to downtown Orlando and Orlando International Airport and back.

There are two signalized intersections on Semoran flanking the Full Sail campus, University Boulevard to the north and Banchory Road to the south. Students coming from or going to the campus from the west side of Semoran can cross at Banchory, University, or mid-block.

On April 1, 2010, the author counted the students crossing at each of the three possible locations. I also took many photographs of pedestrians as they crossed. You can see a slide show at the end of this post. I observed from a location on the east side of Semoran midway between University and Banchory. From this point it was easy to count the mid-block crossings, but somewhat more difficult to count the crossings at University and Banchory. As a result, those crossing counts may not be as accurate as those of the mid-block crossings.

I spent a total of 3 hours and 40 minutes counting in three shifts: 8:05 AM to 9:30 AM; 11:55 AM to 1:15 PM; and 4:55 PM to 5:55 PM. The following table shows the counts that were made:

I was surprised to find the number of midblock crossings was more than double the number of crossings at the two signalized intersections at University and Banchory. Even if some of those intersection crossings were missed, the disparity is still very great. This indicates pedestrians have a preference for crossing mid-block as opposed to the signalized crossings. This preference can be explained as follows:

The distance between University and Banchory is ½ mile. A pedestrian starting at a point midway between the two intersections would have to walk an additional ½ mile to cross at one of the intersections, a walk which would take approximately 15 minutes.

Crossing mid-block is usually faster than crossing at a signalized intersection. Arterial roads like Semoran have long signal times especially at rush hours to enable large traffic volumes to move through the intersections. Crossing mid-block merely involves waiting until the traffic clears in one direction, crossing to the median, waiting until traffic clears in the opposite direction, then crossing the remaining lanes. The timing of adjacent signals virtually assures a significant traffic-clear interval to cross.

The following map shows the section of Semoran Boulevard being discussed as well as the location of the Full Sail University Campus.

A mid-block crosswalk at the location indicated would provide the pedestrians currently crossing Semoran in this general area a safe way to cross. The benefits of a crosswalk are several:

Allow pedestrians to cross at a highly visible, signed location where motorists will expect to have them cross.

By using a marked crosswalk, pedestrians are given the protection of Florida law which requires motorists to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Without a crosswalk the pedestrian is at fault if he/she fails to yield to a vehicle. In other works crashes that occur outside a crosswalk are always the pedestrian's fault.

The crosswalk can be signalized if desired.

As an effective alternate to signalization, flashing beacon lights can be utilized to signal to motorists when pedestrians are in the crosswalk. This type of crosswalk has proven highly effective in obtaining motorist yield compliance in other jurisdictions.

The cost of an un-signalized crosswalk with beacon lights is significantly lower than a signalized crosswalk and cost effective in providing pedestrian protection.

The three hour forty minute sample taken April 1 represents only a portion of the crossings each day. Multiply daily crossings by the number of school days in the year and the number of crossings annually is in the tens of thousands. How long will it take before someone is hit and injured or killed?

This is an appeal to the major stakeholders: Full Sail University, Orange County, Florida Department of Transportation, and Metroplan Orlando to work together to approve and construct a crosswalk at the designated location. Let's all work to make this area and all of Metro Orlando a safer and more pleasant place to walk. It makes good sense both for safety and the economy.

Safe and comfortable places to walk make healthier and more prosperous communities.

Crist's Everglades Land Purchase: Boon or Boondoggle?

2010-03-13T11:29:00.001-05:00

The New York Times ran an article Monday on Florida's $536 million deal to purchase 72,800 acres from United States Sugar. The article highlights what critics of the deal are saying, that because of down-sizing the purchase Florida taxpayers will be paying too much for land United States Sugar has hand picked to get rid of, and Governor Charlie Crist is pushing the downsized deal to help save his chances in the U. S. Senate race this fall. The fact that Senator George LeMieux's old law firm, Gunster, represents United States Sugar indicates the principal players have been cozy from the start. Recall that Governor Crist appointed Mr. LeMieux to the senate seat Governor Crist is running for this fall. Critics contend the original $1.75 billion deal was $400 million more than the market value of the property and downsizing it has not corrected this overpricing but exacerbated it. The way the deal stands now, critics point out, the only parties that will profit are United States Sugar and its attorneys.

Environmental groups still support the purchase plan saying this a unique opportunity to purchase a significant amount of agricultural land to aid in Everglades restoration. They want the deal to go through pointing out that Florida will have an option to purchase 107,000 additional acres in the future when the economy gets back on its feet. Critics point out the problem with this is that the South Florida Water Management District will not have enough money to properly develop these parcels for Everglades restoration, and in fact has already stopped work on other restoration projects to divert funds to the purchase. Have environmentalists focused too much on the end result and not on how we get there?

Everglades restoration should go ahead as fast as it can be done. However we should be getting our money's worth and should be funding those projects that produce the highest return soonest. I would love to have assurance that Governor Crist's land purchase from United States Sugar meets that criteria, but I don't get the feeling that it does.

PS: Here's another NY Times article.

St Pete and the RRFB

2010-02-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

Color me green, with envy, that is. Tuesday I visited St. Petersburg with Mighk Wilson and Keri Caffrey. Keri and I were tagging along with Mighk whose purpose was to check out installations of the RRFB, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, on pedestrian crosswalks. The envy part came about when I saw just how pedestrian friendly St. Pete is, and the level of commitment the Sunshine City has to becoming even friendlier to the lowly pedestrian, the lowest member of the transportation food chain.

I knew St. Pete had a reputation for being pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and I had experienced some of it first hand, but after spending time with our friendly host, Michael Frederick, I learned the breadth and depth of the city’s commitment. Michael is the Manager, Neighborhood Transportation, and has been instrumental in formulating and implementing the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan, Since the start of implementation in 2003, bicycle and pedestrian crashes have declined steadily while usage increased. St. Pete has installed pedestrian crosswalks, created bike lanes, and rebuilt streets incorporating traffic calming in hundreds of locations throughout the city. Crosswalk enforcement was funded and has been key to obtaining high driver compliance with un-signalized crosswalks. Each city neighborhood has its own traffic plan that is approved by the residents. The city’s proactive approach and thorough planning process have enabled it to obtain funding to move ahead aggressively with its plan which is near completion. Overall very impressive and envy inducing for a Metro Orlandian living in the most dangerous place to walk in the country.

But back to the purpose of today’s visit. As you can see from the photograph, the RRFB is a rapidly flashing amber strobe crosswalk signal placed just above driver eye level. The signal is activated by a pedestrian pressing a button at the crosswalk entrance. With most installations the signal begins immediately, although it can be coordinated with adjacent traffic signals if desired. Driver compliance levels, that is drivers yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks with the RRFB, is high. The installations we observed were very impressive. I couldn’t suppress a big grin when traffic actually slowed and stopped after I pressed the button and stepped into the crosswalk at the installation on 4th Street. You can see a video of me skipping across the street here. This device looks very promising for use in Metro Orlando.

We’ll be discussing pedestrian safety Wednesday morning at the Citizen’s Advisory Committee at Metroplan Orlando, and it will be discussed also at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting in the afternoon. I hope to have more stuff and progress to report on this important subject in the future. In the meantime, become a pedestrian safety advocate and let us know your ideas for making Metro Orlando a safer place to walk.

Metroplan Orlando Pedestrian Safety Workshop – February 18, 2010

2010-02-19T11:23:00.001-05:00

Metroplan Orlando held a pedestrian safety workshop yesterday. The attendance and enthusiasm was very encouraging. The board room was filled to capacity with more attendees than expected. Many different disciplines and organizations were represented, all with the same goal of enhancing pedestrian safety in Metro Orlando.

Presenters included Bill Segal, Metroplan Orlando Board Chairman, Mighk Wilson, Metroplan Orlando, and Sara Issac, a strategist with Salter-Mitchell. After Mighk explained the need, Sara Issac gave a short presentation and led a discussion on what the key problems were, what behaviors were behind the problems, and who would be the target audience for any social media to change behavior.

There were many ideas volunteered by the attendees. Since most of the pedestrian crashes occur along Lynx transit routes, it was thought transit riders provided a good target audience for pedestrian behavior changes, such as using crosswalks properly and crossing streets carefully. In addition, there are many existing ways to reach this group through Lynx ads, signage and literature. The group identified transients as another target audience because of the high rate at which this group is involved in crashes. However, no good strategy for reaching this group and effecting behavior change was put forward. This group, however, will benefit from more pedestrian-friendly streets as they become more prevalent in the future.

This workshop and the subject it addressed represents one way our community can start to reduce pedestrian crashes and fatalities, by changing behavior and social norms to make our streets safer. There are many other things that can be done as well. I encourage each of you to become a pedestrian safety advocate if you aren't already one, and come up with ways to make our streets safer. We need to get Metro Orlando out of the top ten most dangerous places in the country to walk. We don't want a repeat of the number one ranking our community received in 2009 and 2004. Let's make 2014 the year we're out of the top ten. If you have ideas on how to make our streets safer, both short term and long term, get them to the people that can make those changes. Let's make our streets safer to walk on, step by step. This blog is a good place to post your ideas. Do it today.

The Case for a Six Lane Moratorium

2010-01-28T10:17:00.001-05:00

The last two years have brought unprecedented change to the nation and to Central Florida. The financial crisis virtually dried up credit. This caused the housing bubble to burst putting Florida's housing industry sales into free fall. Unemployment, foreclosures and outmigration rippled through the economy. And for the first time since the end of World War II, Florida's population declined. Oil and gasoline prices fluctuated wildly which caused drivers to cut back driving, to stop buying gas guzzling trucks and SUVs, and to create long waiting lists for fuel sipping hybrids.

Traffic on our roads, interstates and toll roads declined. Money available for transportation improvements became scarcer as revenue from gas taxes declined. The federal government pumped massive amounts of money into the system to keep the economy from collapsing, with only a small portion making it to local transportation infrastructure improvements. Global climate change caused by man's activity, primarily the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, became a reality for the majority of citizens who in turn looked to their political leaders for solutions. And the Greater Orlando area was cited in a national report as being the most pedestrian unfriendly metro area in the country. All these events and their repercussions created new and difficult issues for Central Florida transportation planners.

But these events have also fostered unique opportunities to improve transportation in Central Florida. Consider the positive aspects:

Declines in road usage and miles traveled have altered the need for additional road capacity. Projected traffic increases are not being realized causing at the least, postponement of capacity needs, and, depending on future events, perhaps elimination of some.
The long and much anticipated Metro Orlando transit system with north-south commuter rail as its backbone is approved and construction will start soon. This new system will create opportunities to offer commuters viable alternatives to single passenger vehicle use previously unavailable.
Increased awareness of Greater Orlando's position as the most pedestrian unfriendly metro area has created demands for changes to the system to increase pedestrian convenience and safety.

With less travel on our roads, more viable transportation alternatives, and public pressure to give the pedestrian a better break, transportation planners have the ability and franchise to devote more resources to more walkable streets and pedestrian safety.

Transportation planners and researchers have found out much about the relationship between the type of roads we build and pedestrian safety.

Most of the urban/suburban pedestrian crashes occur on multi-lane, high speed roads that are difficult and dangerous for pedestrians to use and cross. These roads were built to move vehicles quickly and making them safe for pedestrians was not a priority.
Studies have also shown that increasing a road from four to six lanes doubles the pedestrian crash rate on the road, and there are indications widening increases the vehicle crash rate as well.
The process of making existing urban roads safer will be expensive, time consuming and will involve making choices among trade offs between pedestrian safety and vehicular convenience and travel speed.

And the need to resort to widening roads as a routine response to congestion is being increasingly scrutinized as planners have found that:

There are proven ways to increase traffic flow without resorting to widening roads, including better signalization to achieve maximum throughput, eliminating bottlenecks, improving intersection turning movements, and improving intersection stacking and throughput capacity.
Many transportation planners have come to believe that increasing road capacity does little to change peak time congestion on any given road. Once the road is widened, traffic increases to fill the additional road capacity and congestion reaches equilibrium at the old level.

The Metroplan Orlando 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan has as a desired outcome less growth in vehicle miles traveled by cars and trucks on our road system, and more use of transit and other alternative means of transportation. To accomplish this some of each of the following is required:

Smart Growth planning and growth management to create more walkable, transit-friendly communities.
Providing viable alternatives to vehicle/road use.
Making vehicle/road use relatively more expensive than alternatives in terms of cost, time and convenience.
Providing education to change motorist's expectations through use of media and public relations.

In response to these challenges and opportunities a moratorium should be placed on construction of six lane roads. Such a moratorium would stop the construction of, or widening to, all roads of six lanes or more. Limited access interstates and toll roads would be excluded.

The immediate benefits of a moratorium would:

Allow the reallocation of funds committed to such six-lane construction and widening to alternative forms of transportation such as transit – bus, rail, car pooling, and paratransit - bicycles, and walking.
Promote the evaluation and use of alternatives to six lane roads such as increased connectivity, use of grid road systems, increased efficiency of existing roads through better traffic management, and use of incentives for drivers to use alternative transportation.
Provide an opportunity to increase pedestrian safety on the existing road system without the addition of more six lane roads that increase the pedestrian crash rate, negating any safety improvements on existing roads.
A moratorium will provide base data points from which the pedestrian danger index can go down rather than stay the same or go up.

Turning challenges into opportunities frequently involves changing the paradigm or shifting emphasis to cause people to consider things in a new way. If the desired change features a common goal or focal point that the public can identify with and rally around, then change becomes easier to communicate and put into effect.

A moratorium on six lane roads in the Metro Orlando area would provide such a rallying point. The word moratorium itself communicates urgency and action. In this context it means to stop doing something in order to halt its deleterious effects, and to examine closely the tradeoffs between the benefits and harmful effects of the activity in order to determine whether to continue it in the future.

A moratorium on six lane roads will focus a spotlight on issues that heretofore have not had much public exposure and debate:

Issues of excessive single occupant vehicle use
Never ending spending on roads that are always full
Lack of alternative travel modes
Wasteful and emissions-producing combustion of hydrocarbon fuels
The effects of urban sprawl on lifestyles, productivity and energy use
The danger to pedestrians caused by multi-lane, high speed roads in urban and suburban areas

As with any rule there will be exceptions. Projects already underway that cannot be reasonably stopped would be allowed to continue. Projects in the pipeline that are deemed to be absolutely critical would be allowed to go forward. But the very act of examining and approving these exceptional projects will give greater insight into alternatives and to the criteria that should be used to evaluate future projects. The previous concept of build and ask questions later will be replaced with careful evaluation of need and alternatives before building.

The current environment of economic hardship, shortage of infrastructure funds, unconscionable pedestrian accident rate, global climate change, and the dawn of a new era for transit in Central Florida calls for bold and imaginative leadership. Imposing a six-lane moratorium now is one way to show such leadership, and will demonstrate that the leaders in Metro Orlando are serious about achieving Metroplan Orlando's transportation goals.

Fixing A Dead HP Computer

2009-10-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

Friday morning my wife Sue found her HP desktop computer off. She pressed the button to start it and nothing happened. That evening she tried it again and when it remained comatose, she appealed to me for help. I tried it myself, did a couple of basic things to entice it to come alive again, but nothing. It's scary when the machine is totally dead and you know it has access to all the electrons it needs. Hard to know where to start, other than call the repairman or take it to the Geek Squad.

That evening after dining out and a few beers, I wasn't in the proper frame of mind to tackle complex computer problems, so I decided to put off trying to fix it until the morning. Sue was able to access her e-mail using her laptop from work and web mail.

Saturday morning, the first thing I did was consult the HP website for help. Since the computer is out of warranty, e-mail support seemed to be the best alternative available. My first e-mail, I thought, described the problem quite well. Basically it said "the computer is dead, help".

My first reply from the help center, an outsource somewhere on the other side of the globe, started with a list of instructions on what to do if various things appeared on the screen. Wrong. There is no screen, the computer is dead. Reading on, I found a suggestion of something to try if the screen was dark:

Motherboard beep test:

Ø Switch off the computer. Open the Tower Cabinet and look for the Motherboard, which looks like big rectangular sheet. It is the main circuit board of the computer. You can identify with the diagram
Ø You will find RAM card on the motherboard, which looks like long narrow ruler fitted in the black slot with two white notches across it.
Ø Pull the notches in the outside manner. As soon as you do so it will flip out from the slot.
Ø Now pull out the RAM card and check for the beep sound if any.
Ø If you find any beep sound then it indicates that the Motherboard is working fine.
Ø Reseat the RAM and switch on the computer.

Now this may look strange to you, but I found I understood it pretty well, despite a few departures from the English most of us generally use. I performed the test and there was no beep. I replied with the results.

This is what I received in reply:

After reviewing your email, I understand that your system is totally dead. Neither light glows nor sound comes out from the system. (An apt description I totally agree with)
I appreciate that you have shared your concern with us and have given us a chance to assist you in this matter. I, as a part of HP Total Care, take the ownership of your concern and would try to answer your queries accordingly and to the best of my abilities.
The most possible cause of this issue is that the power supply unit has gone bad or started malfunctioning.
Hence, in order to resolve this issue I would recommend you to check the power supply unit. I ma providing some steps below and recommend you to follow the steps that I have provided in order to comprehend it.
1. Turn off your power switch and plug it out from the power supply.
2. Remove the cable from the CPU and start unscrewing the power supply section in order to remove the whole power supply (square metal box) from the CPU.
3. Once done, locate for the main ATX connector and find the green wire.
4. Also locate for the black wire near the green wire and with the use of a paper clip, connect and safely bond the two together with a piece of isolating tape.
5. Put back all the power supply and switch the system on again and ensure that your system ventilation is working.
6. To check whether the connection is correct, the Molex in between the yellow and black wire should display at least 12 volts.

Now we were getting somewhere. The problem seemed to be the power supply. However, I was reluctant to follow the instructions to the letter, since it was hard to tell which black wire to use, there were about 10 of them, and I didn't really like the idea of having my computer using a paper clipped power supply.

All was resolved happily when I purchased a new power supply from Best Buy and installed it. The computer came to life again and even runs better than it did previously. And it is noticeably quieter. The old power supply is pictured.

Today I got a follow up message from a different person at the help center asking if my problem had been resolved. I reported it had, and was pleasantly surprised when I got this message in reply:

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.
This is technician Mrinal, from Hewlett-Packard Technical Support Team
After reviewing your email, I understand that the issue with your system resolved with the previous troubleshooting steps that have been provided to you.
I must admit that the issue would not have been resolved without your efforts. We can only provide technical resolutions from our side. But, it is you who implemented the resolution to perfection. It feels good and boosts our confidence in working with such a well-informed user. It is always a pleasure to hear that all problems have been resolved.
Once again, thank you for your comments and the opportunity to serve you. It gives immense pleasure when we hear from our satisfied customer.

All's well that ends well.

Central Florida Commuter Rail - SunRail - Some Questions & Answers

2009-07-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of misconceptions about commuter rail and its place in a healthy transit system for Central Florida. Here are some questions and answers that address these.

Q: I’m not going to ride the rail so how can it help me?

A: Transit modes like bus and rail are alternatives to using automobiles. When a rider uses transit, chances are very good a car is not using the road system. If only a small fraction of drivers become riders, this can mean the difference between a gridlocked road or highway and one that flows freely. Recall your own experience on minor holidays and no-school days. By supporting rail an automobile driver, even if he/she never uses rail, benefits by having fewer cars on the road system.

Q: Transit doesn’t pay for itself, so why should we build it?

A: All transportation is subsidized by our governments to one degree or another, and no transportation alternative is expected to pay for itself. If you use your automobile, you are using the road system. Our taxes pay for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of the road system. The automobile user is only paying a fraction of the actual cost of that transportation mode. Other transit alternatives actually pay a portion of their operating cost through fares collected. Of course automobile drivers using toll roads pay more, but even then tolls don’t cover the entire cost. Bus and rail transit provide transportation capacity at less overall expense than roads, they’re better for the environment and use less land.

Q: Why don’t we just spend the money on buses?

A: Buses are a vital part of a transit system, but they can’t do everything. They use the road system that is already congested. Would you prefer to sit in a bus on I-4 rather than your car? They are also more expensive per passenger mile than rail. Rail is best at carrying riders over a fixed route at medium to longer distances. Buses provide the feeder routes that take riders to and from the rail stations.

Q: Why not build light rail to the airport and the theme parks now? Why SunRail?

A: An important mission of SunRail is to take commuters off I-4 during the widening that is going to start in 2010. The pre-existing CSX rail right-of-way gives FDOT a quick, inexpensive way to get commuter rail up and running. This is the same way TriRail got started in South Florida when I-95 was widened. I-4 commuters are a ready-made, pre-existing ridership waiting to use the system. Once SunRail is up and running, then east-west light rail will be the next step. SunRail will provide a great many of the riders this east-west system will use. Without SunRail an east-west light rail system would be difficult to justify.

Q: I’ve heard that commuter rail will help prevent development sprawl. How can it do this?

A: Establishing a high-capacity rail system makes people want to live in close proximity so they can use it effectively. This demand for proximity to the transit stations increases the value of development of all kinds around the station locations. This demand focuses developer’s efforts to build close to the stations. Communities with station locations use their zoning and regulatory powers to encourage optimal development around stations and discourage sprawl. Thus development is concentrated around stations and not wherever a developer can buy cheap land and get a road built to it. The better the transit system, the better the ability of communities to focus growth.

Q: How can I find out more about commuter rail, SunRail, transit and how to manage growth?

A: . For more information check these websites: http://www.smartgrowth.org/, http://www.metroplanorlando.com/, http://www.transact.org/, http://www.beforesunrail.com/

2009-04-08T18:34:00.000-04:00

If you subscribe to the Maine Media Workshops eNews letter you'll recognize immediately that I'm plagiarizing their latest edition. But I'm sure they won't mind the publicity, and I couldn't help but comment on the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a full-frame digital SLR with HD 1080p video capability. Maine Media Workshops is featuring the camera in a workshop with Vincent Laforet, who made the first short film photographed/filmed/videoed with the EOS 5D Mark II - Reverie. While you're at Laforet's website, take a look at his other work including some awesome aerial coverage of Katrina and her aftermath. Laforet's blog is interesting also. (The picture shows Maine Media College students Kevin Carragher and Ashish Dawar testing the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Photo by Shane Hofeldt.)

Back to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There has been some talk of movement by the news media away from the still camera and toward video cameras. The thinking has been that if you need a still, you can pull it from the video since video resolution has improved so much. The Mark II changes the equation, however, enabling still photographers to take HD quality video when the situation warrants. How this opens up the possibilities for the rest of us is difficult for me to get my mind around. I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 with video capability. I have used video a few times, but haven't scratched the surface of possibilities. A couple of my experiments are on my YouTube channel. Interestingly, another video I have on YouTube is a slide show of still images. I'm sure we'll see much more "mixed media" mixing stills and video in creative ways.

One of my favorite HDTV programs is Sunrise Earth which features HD video of sunrise scenes around the world. Most of the "footage" of the videos is basically a live still picture with the camera fixed while it captures the scene changing as the sun rises. The scenes are usually purely nature without evidence of man's encroachment. I haven't watched the program lately. It isn't shown as often as it was since HD has moved to more traditional programming.

While I'm sending you around the internet, allow me to send you to my photo website AvidPhotographer.com. I've recently reworked it and made it easier to get to the different web locations for the work I've done. It's likely you came here from there. If so, you're finished. Hit the back arrow.

Buddy Holly

2009-03-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

A new Buddy Holly collection has been issued that includes some of his private recordings done in the last year of his life. The collection was reviewed on Fresh Air this afternoon. I was deeply moved hearing the review, not only because of the thought of being able to hear previously unreleased material, but also because of the large part Buddy Holly played in my musical life.

He was at the peak of his popularity when I was in high school, and he was killed the year I graduated. I have several of his albums, vinyl LPs, that I still get out and play occasionally. I also have "Best Of" collections on CD. My favorite song is Not Fade Away, an affection I apparently share with a majority of his fans. I have never tired of hearing his music. His was an incredible talent.

The Fresh Air reviewer, Ed Ward, pointed out that Buddy was trying a lot of different things in his latest recordings. Ed wants us to imagine what Buddy would have become if he hadn't been in that plane that night. I would hope he would have gone down new paths and gotten better and better like John McCarthy of the Beatles or Ray Charles. But there's always the possibility that he could have taken a different road like Elvis did. As tragic as Buddy's death was, it has served to immortalize him as he was at his peak. His life and his musical career were cut off, but his death also prevented any diminution of his legend. Buddy Holly lives on in my memory just as he was when he died in 1959.

This year will see my 50th high school class reunion, and I'll be looking forward to hearing Buddy's music, a part of all which we were back in high school. A part that hasn't and won't change. There's some irony in the title of his famous song. The memory of Buddy Holly will "Not Fade Away".

Replacing The Coffee Maker

2009-03-22T07:51:00.000-04:00

On the right is the old Braun coffee maker we've had for over a decade. On the left is the new Cuisinart we purchased to replace it. The Braun had been showing signs of age the last couple of years, and a couple of weeks ago the heating element gave out in the middle of making essential morning coffee. I finished the process by pouring hot water directly onto the coffee grounds and then closing the coffee holder to let the water seep through.

Now I had to face the daunting prospect of replacing the Braun. A couple of years ago I had tried to replace it when it started showing its age, but after trying out three different makers, decided I couldn't do any better than the Braun. So I cleaned it again and kept using it. Now I had no choice but to find a replacement.

Consumer Reports didn't even list the Braun, so right away I was confused. I'd had such good luck with mine, why wasn't it listed? I went to Google. I found my Braun was still listed for sale. I tried to buy it through Amazon.com but when I got to the checkout, it said zero were available and I was asking for one. I went up to the next model. Still no one had any inventory. I checked the Braun website. They pointed me to dealers with nothing but shavers and hair dryers. I finally came to the conclusion that Braun coffee makers are not available to us here in the States, at least not now.

Back to Consumer Reports. I ended up buying a Cuisinart which is the same as the top rated model but has a thermal carafe. I have to say I like it a lot. But as you can see, the Braun is still on the counter. I don't know when I'll have the courage to put it in the trash. It's like a pet that you have to take to the vet to be "put to sleep". You postpone it until you can't any longer.

However I'm liking the new Cuisinart more and more every day. I don't think it will be long before the old Braun hits the trash can and joins it's siblings in coffee maker heaven. But it won't be without a proper memorial ceremony. So long faithful Braun. Many fine cups of coffee were enjoyed thanks to you old friend.

Recycling Milestone - Solid Waste Less Than Recyclables

2009-03-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

On the right in the picture is the total amount of trash I put out for pickup on Friday. On the left are two recycling bins containing paper of all kinds, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles. The volume of recyclables is greater than the amount of trash or solid waste. I've been looking forward to the day I could say this, and it's a milestone I'm proud to have achieved.

It didn't come easily. I had to set up a system to collect all the paper that could be recycled. Then I had to do the same for all the cans. The cardboard boxes like those used for breakfast cereal were next. They are collected and broken down so they're flat. I crush all the plastic bottles and cans I can to make them all fit in the recycling container. Finally, it helps to drink enough beer to provide cans enough to make a difference.

With this system in place and the family members all properly trained, I'm hoping there will be many more days like Friday where solid waste is less than recyclables.

Let me know if you have solid waste less than recyclables days.

SunRail - Central Florida's Commuter Rail

2009-03-19T21:17:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since my last post. No apologies. I just knew I couldn't compete with Al Kaplan http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com/ who was doing one photo and post every day for years and years. Now that he's slacked off a bit, I feel like there's room for me.

SunRail - Central Florida's Commuter Rail.
This is a very worthwhile project that needs approval by the Florida Legislature this session. I won't go into the dollars and details. There are lots of places to read about those. There are three simple reasons it deserves to get done:

It will get cars off our roads. Central Florida is Atlanta a couple of decades ago but without MARTA. We don't want to go there.
It will provide alternative transit to people who don't want to, can't or shouldn't drive.
It's a really good deal. The right-of-way will cost less than half what it would if built from scratch, and the Feds are paying half the cost of the tracks, stations and trains.

Check out this website: BeforeSunRail.com

Then contact your Senators and Representative and tell them to vote for SunRail. Your children and grandchildren will thank you.

Maine Trip - Sixth Day - July 9th

2007-07-10T12:13:00.000-04:00

I got up at 6:00 and decided to take more of a walk than a photo quest. I walked to the back of the Transue property, then out the road to the point. I turned up the second drive toward the water. This property rises to the top of a granite bluff looking out to the east across Machis Bay. The naval radio antenna array is very visible from this location. I decided to come back to this point at sunrise.
Walking back the point road I noticed some fresh deer tracks in the sandy gravel. When I looked up a Whitetail was looking at me from the side of the road, and she quickly showed me her namesake.
When I got back to the house Bill told me a water line leak had dried up the well and shut the pump down. He fixed it temporarly. After breakfast we made the fix permanent. It looked like a rodent had chewed almost through the pipe and it eventually failed at that point.
I stopped by to say hi to the folks at BBS Lobster. They said things were very slow with the catch only about 50% of what it was at this time last year. I walked through the plant and down to the dock but nothing was going on. I went on to the beaver pond on the property just south of the Transue's, which is shown in today's picture. There I found more deer tracks and much evidence of beaver activity.
Laura & Rowan Donohoe dropped by just before lunch and ended up eating with us. Laura was interested in my photos and I showed her a selection of what I had taken so far on the trip. Her son-in-law is an amateur photographer.
After lunch Bill took Laura to town, and Virginia and I worked in the yard. I fashioned a vegetable garden from the manure pile while Virgina trimed around the plants in the garden. We worked until it started to rain hard enough to matter. At that point I was wet from the rain and sweat and took a shower.
The weather continued to get worse and it got much colder. Bill started a fire in the wood stove after dinner which was much appreciated.

Maine Trip - Day Five - July 8th

2007-07-10T12:07:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to really get serious about photographing found objects on the beach. Accordingly, I got up early and tripod over my shoulder, went down to the beach. Using a tripod is definitely more work since it has to be set up and carefully adjusted for each shot. But in situations like this in the early morning on the beach, the results are worth the effort. Afterward I took today's picture of boats moored in Bucks Harbor.
More work in the yard mowing and clearing unwanted growth, a continuous process especially given everything had more time to grow this year because of Bill & Virginia's late arrival.
Mid afternoon, I walked to the entrance to Dickenson's Reach, a 45 minute walk one way. My feet held up but were noticably sore at the end. When I got back we picked up a truck load of trimmings Virginia had produced. It went to a burn pile at the back of the property.
Dinner was excellent. Virginia outdid herself fixing baked haddock, riced potatoes, fresh spinach and fresh local strawberrys. We had a very old bottle of Chardonney from Bill Sr's house which was beyond its prime. The cork crumbled when Bill tried to pull it. After dinner we talked until 10:00 and headed for bed.

Maine Trip - Fourth Day - July 7th

2007-07-10T11:51:00.000-04:00

The first full day at Bucks Harbor. This time of year daylight is around 4:30 AM. Since I'm an early riser anyhow, I woke up a little before 5:00. I tried going back to sleep, even read a little, but by 6:00 I was out of bed. Bill & Virginia "sleep in", usually getting up by 8:00, so I went down to the beach with my camera. The local lobster distributor, BBS Lobster, built a new sea wall and filled in part of the beach. They added a truck parking and staging area that they needed badly, but now part of the beach is gone and replaced with an industrial looking seawall. Good for the local business, bad for the local residents.
I went over to the beach on the south side of the harbor where there is nothing from there out to the point. Here the light is fantastic in the early morning. Last year I made several good pictures here, including "Driftwood at Low Tide", which won best of category at a monthly contest at the Orlando Camera Club. I found some excellent subject matter today and feel like it was a productive morning. Today's photo is of driftwood on the beach.
After breakfast, Bill, Virginia and I did some chores, including mowing the grass, something I haven't done for many years. I guess it's like riding a bike, you don't ever forget how to do it and it came back naturally to me. It was actually enjoyable for a while, but I wouldn't want to make it a habit.
Virginia, a neighbor Jane Porter, and Laura & Rowan Donohoe and I had dinner at Bluebird Ranch Restaurant and saw the Machias Downriver Theatre Company presentation of South Pacific at the University of Maine Machias campus auditorium.

2007-07-10T11:36:00.000-04:00

Maine Trip - Third Day - July 6th

The stay at the Inn included a very quiet, restful night, and breakfast at the Bagel Hole restaurant next door. I got a cup of coffee as a down payment on the breakfast and walked down to the harbor. Still foggy and not much going on early in the morning. The photo today is of the Camden River from the Riverhouse Footbridge which festooned with flowers.
Since I expected to meet up with Bill Transue at noon in Bangor, I got breakfast, packed up and was on the road by 10:00. Bill called as I was going around Belfast and said not to hurry, that everything was taking much longer than expected. I adjusted the meeting time to 2:00 PM. I stopped in Searsport, spent time at the Penobscot Marine Museum and an antique/junk dealer. I found a candle holder with a finger handle that I had been looking for. Got back on the road around 12:30, ate lunch at Wendy's by the Bangor Airport, and turned in the car at 2:00. A quick taxi ride got me to the hospital where I found Bill just finishing up the first stage of his treatment. Since he still had three more hours to go, I took the grocery list and headed to Hannaford's. I didn't understand the directions so it took me a while to find the store. The good news is that I know Bangor a lot better now.
We finally left the Cancer Center at 5:30. We stopped for gas then headed for Bucks Harbor via the Airline Highway, a fine road through a beautiful, remote area. The principal hazard is an occasional moose which I was assigned watch for.
Virginia greeted us with a dinner of pork chops, new potatoes and green beans. The very full day left us all very ready for bed after drinks and conversation.

Maine Trip - Second Day - July 5th

2007-07-05T21:59:00.000-04:00

It was great to be able to sleep in this morning. Nothing to do and no where to be so I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. The Freeport Hampton Inn is pretty new and very nice and quiet. The breakfast in the lobby was the normal fare. I checked out of the hotel around 10:00 and went into Freeport. First stop was LL Bean where I looked at GPS units. But I don't really need one and resisted the temptation to buy what would just be another toy.
Almost at the north end of the commercial area of Freeport a couple of buildings south of the McDonalds, is a Matthew T Moser furniture store. They have some of the most beautifully designed and built furniture I've ever seen. It's all hand made in New Gloucester, Maine. The prices reflect the quality. A bedroom dresser is $8,500. You can see their products at http://www.mtmoser.com/. Now if I just had the house to put them in.
I had planned to eat lunch in Freeport but the only places that were appealing were expensive and crowded with tourists, so I hit the road north. I ended up stopping in Bath. I went down by the Iron Works looking for a good local restaurant. I found one with a nearly full parking lot, one of the things I look for, and went in. The restaurant was nothing special and there weren't that many customers. The cars in the lot must have been parked there for other reasons. Deceiving. Food was very ordinary, not bad but not noteworthy.
Back on US 1 north, traffic was heavy with long lines forming to go through each tourist town. In Maine, pedestrians in crosswalks have the right-of-way so the tourists cross the highway at will and hold traffic up. Not that it's a bad idea, but some folks don't think before stepping out in front of traffic. I stopped for a while in Wiscasset where I got today's picture of long lines of tourists waiting to buy food at this little walk-up, Bill's, while long lines of cars waited to creep through the town. This town is an antique shopper's heaven. I visited several shops looking for a candle holder with a handle and a reflector that folks used to use to light their way walking in the dark. Still no luck finding one.
Just south of Rockport, I saw a sign for Center for Furniture Craftmanship and Messler Gallery which piqued my courisity. It is a school and workshop for woodworkers and carvers. The Messler Gallery has works made by staff for sale. There are some very beautiful pieces. Check it out at http://www.woodschool.org/. This might be something I can use as a subject for my photo essay class.
I got to the Rockport area around 4:30, and drove around a while before I found where the Maine Photographic Workshop is located. Then I needed to find a hotel. A couple I met at the Messler Gallery had made a couple of suggestions. One was too far to the south, and the other they said was on the water, but a little run down and had been featured in a Stephen King novel. I checked it out and with the fog coming in off the water, I didn't even want to stop to take pictures let alone spend the night there.
I found a very nice inn in the heart of Camden where there are shops and restaurants all around, several on the water. After checking in, I walked down to the waterfront. Ended up eating at the Water Front Restaurant on the bay. I would definitely go back.

Maine trip - first day July 4th

2007-07-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

The flight to Boston went well. Got to the airport in plenty of time and got to use the new shoe scanner in the Clear line. Sat next to a nice couple from Palm Coast who were going to Boston to visit her mother on her 88th birthday 7/7/07. The baggage pickup took longer than expected since Airtran has just one small carousel in Boston.

Picked up my Avis rental and got out of Boston and onto I-95 without any trouble. Light rain most of the way. I arrived at the Freeport Hampton Inn a little before 8:00, the Moose above was there to greet me.

The girl at the front desk suggested Gritty's for food and beer. The home brewed beer was excellent, the food unremarkable. I asked two guys next to me at the bar when the fireworks started and was told 9:00 or a little later as was the custom. The barmaid gave me 50% off my quesadillas because I said I didn't like them, so I upped her tip. Went back to the motel, got my hat and rain jacket, and headed for town.

A sign directed me to park in the LL Bean corporate parking lot. The fireworks started as I got out of the car. As I walked toward the center of town, I watched the fireworks on the way. I got there about 15 minutes later just as the finale started.

After the fireworks were over, someone suggested ice cream. That sounded good to me so I went to the Ben & Jerry's and got a waffle cone special with double Cherry Garcia. I sat in front of LL Bean's waterfall fountain with a local couple watching the people walk by and the traffic gridlock. After finishing Cherry Garcia, I walked around a little more. It started raining harder, the sidewalks cleared leaving long lines of cars headed home. I walked back to the parking lot in the rain, thankful for the foresight to get my rain jacket.

The Bush Administration's Latest Diversionary Tactics

2007-01-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

So the Iraq "War" you started is going poorly, congress and the American people are telling you to change course and show some results, what can you do next? Well there's nothing like another national enemy to rally the troops and divert attention. Iran seems to fit the bill nicely. They are "supporting the insurgency in Iraq", "supporting terrorism", not to mention their nuclear program. The perfect diversion to deflect criticism of Iraq. Never mind that the United States should be building bridges to Iran to facilitate some kind of political solution in Iraq.

Health care is another one. No one can be against providing health care for more people as long as it doesn't cost more. Bush's plan is being promoted as doing that. What it really looks like is another way to make the tax code more complex and provide a tax break for the wealthy. After his State of the Union address, Bush went on the road to promote his health care plan. Never mind that the violence in Iraq is escalating and the additional troops he is sending are going into an increasingly dangerous and chaotic place.

When things go bad, just change the subject. Divert the public's attention and you can ignore all those nasty questions from the press.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Eight

2007-01-26T18:08:00.000-05:00

This is for day eight of my trip, January 25, 2006.

I woke at 5:30 and showered. Pat and Chip were up to greet me when I came upstairs. Pat gave me breakfast of cereal and toast, and made me a turkey sandwich for lunch. Very good of her and much appreciated. I took a quick tour of her studio. Her ceramic work is really good, and her studio is very well equipped and stocked with all sorts of clays and glazes. Very impressive.

I was off by 8:00 with over 700 miles to cover before reaching home.

Today was the first day I experienced clear skies and sunlight since I left Texas. I finished listening to the Michael Korda book, Country Manners, and found it very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it.

All went smoothly and I made good time until I got to Kennesaw, 20 miles north of Atlanta, where traffic came to a halt. Then it was stop and go to the center of the city. While the overhead traffic alert sign said there was a major event downtown and to expect delays, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just normal Atlanta gridlock. I Lost about 45 minutes. Atlanta just has an incredible traffic problem. I expect someday the city will experience catastrophic gridlock. Best to avoid driving or flying through Atlanta whenever possible.

I started listening to a memoir by Mike Wallace, Between You and Me. I got through about 30 minutes of it but lost interest. While Mike's experiences are interesting, the way he relates them put me off. Too egocentric for me.

I stopped at a rest stop in Macon for lunch at 12:45, and at 3:15, crossed into Florida. I was in Winter Springs by 7:00. Eleven hours and 700 miles later, it was good to be home.

I traveled a total of 3,502 miles during the eight day trip. Overall, I consider the time well spent and the trip a success and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It was great to be able to visit everyone and I had a really enjoyable time. The next time I make a trip like this, I will try to allow more time to stop along the way, since I passed many interesting places that I would have liked to be able to visit. Maybe next time.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Seven

2007-01-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

This is day seven of my trip, January 24, 2006.

Lisa fixed me a bagel and juice for breakfast after Chas left for work. I have almost 700 miles to cover today and I want to be in Knoxville in plenty of time for dinner with Pat and Chip. I got started at 7:30 and headed south on I-55 to take I-80 east in order to avoid any rush hour traffic. It worked, and I made good time. The snow cover which was so prevalent in Chicago gradually gave out as I made my way south. It didn't completely go away until I got into south Indiana.

I remembered to bring the leftover pasta along from the previous evening, and I had it for lunch at a rest stop on I-74 south of Batesville.

I noticed the left front tire was low and I added air shortly after starting out. By early afternoon it was low again. I stopped and added air again, but I knew it had a slow leak which would have to be fixed. I had stopped at Dry Ridge, Kentucky, and fortunately there was a Tire Discounters store on the other side of the interstate. An hour and a half later, at 4:00, I was back on the road again. But now I was going to be late arriving at the Herzog's. I called to let Pat and Chip know.

I crossed the Tennessee border at 6:00. It turned dark shortly after, and the drive through the mountains to Knoxville was harrowing and stressful. Lot's of trucks on the road going slow up the mountains and fast down. One 18 wheeler, not wanting to lose momentum going up a grade, pulled out in front of me and I had to jam on the brakes to avoid plowing into him.

I got to Pat & Chip's at 7:00. It was great to see them and they were the most gracious of hosts. Pat had steak, roast potatoes, green beans and rustic bread. Chip charbroiled the strip steaks. Wine and bread pudding for dessert made an excellent meal. We looked at my pictures of the grandchildren and talked until we all agreed it was time for bed.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Six

2007-01-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

Woke up early and finished the blog entry from the night before. I had fallen asleep working on the computer.

Chas fixed a great breakfast of French toast and sausage. I showered and shaved, then we went to the science museum here in Naperville. Daniel went helter-skelter from one display to the next. The museum had many, many interactive displays for the children, and they all got a workout. Brandon got a kick out of watching all the kids.

We came back to the house for lunch. Lisa fixed chicken salad for sandwiches with sour dough French bread. Chips and grapes completed the menu.

The boys both reluctantly went down for naps after lunch. It took quite a while before Daniel went to sleep. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing errands and other tasks and talking.

Dinner was take out Italian from Francesca's Passaggio in Naperville. We all agreed it would be too much to take both Brandon and Daniel to a restaurant. I had linguini with a tomato sauce with mushrooms and sausage, and a Caesar salad which was very good.

After dinner we cleaned up, played with the boys a little, put them to bed, and watched a little TV. Everyone was tired, Chas had to get up early and go to work in the morning, I wanted to get a reasonably early start for Knoxville, and so we went to bed.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Five

2007-01-22T23:27:00.000-05:00

The temptation to stay in bed was strong this morning. Reluctantly I got up and got on the road by 7:30. I-55 parallels the Mississippi River for 100 miles or so, but there is a two lane road, Hwy 61, that runs along the river and goes through several small river towns. It would have been nice to drive along the river the whole way, but I couldn't afford the time. I compromised by cutting over to the river on Hwy 140 and driving 61 for 15 miles or so. The levee is visible from the highway, but there's no way to drive to the top and see the river. The rest of the sights along the river in this area weren't particularly inspiring.

At 8:45 I crossed the Mississippi on I-57 into Missouri. The sky was cloudy, the landscape bleak, and now it started to get colder. Made a rest stop at the Missouri welcome station at 9:30. At 10:15 crossed the border into Illinois. Chicago is only 387 miles! I am traveling the state from the extreme southern end to the northern. In a short time I began to see snow on the ground, and by the time I was half way across the state, the temperature was 32 degrees and the ground was covered with snow.

I listened to a Bailey White tape which I enjoyed very much. I do believe she is one of the best writers I know of. In short stories she reads herself about living with her mother in a small, rural Georgia town, she packs in so much imagery, fun and irony. She is truly a master story writer and teller.

I couldn't bear the thought of eating fast food again, so in Effingham, I had beans and greens for lunch at Cracker Barrel. It's served with cornbread, relish and a big onion slice. Both the pinto beans and turnip greens are cooked with ham. I ate the onion with the beans, but couldn't find an appealing way to use the relish. I stopped at a local WalMart to get Daniel a Thomas the Train.

The drive through Illinois was proving to be monotonous so I listened to the full length audio book I brought along, Country Matters by Michael Korda. It's written by a New York literary editor who with his wife buys an old farm house and 20 acres in Dutchess County. So far it's been very entertaining.

I was concerned that I might run into the Chicago rush hour traffic, but I took I-80 west to I-55 and avoided any stop and go. I got to Chas and Lisa's at 5:30.

Daniel was glad to see me. He's talking a blue streak now. He loves to get you involved with what he's doing. And he loves to dance. Lisa put on a DVD called Ralph's World and Daniel danced up a storm, asking everyone to dance with him. Brandon was asleep when I got here, but soon woke up. He has gotten big and is very animated. He smiles and makes all sorts of sounds and moves around a lot. He's either very good or if there's something he wants, he lets you know in no uncertain terms. They are both very cute grandchildren.

Chas got home at around 6:45 after his normal hour and 20 minute commute. He's talking about moving closer to town and using a different train to shorten his commute to 45 minutes. Still long but much more tolerable than what he has at present.

Lisa fixed pizza and a salad for dinner and topped it off with apple crisp for desert. Everything was very good. After dinner Brandon was fed and both boys put to bed. By then everyone else was ready for bed as well.

Chas was able to take tomorrow off so we'll be able to spend the day together.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Four

2007-01-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

Got up at 6:00, showered, packed and had breakfast with Kim at 7:00. Todd, Makenna & Mason got up to see me off, and I started out at 8:00, an hour behind schedule. I decided to take Hwy 59 north instead of retracing my route back to New Orleans and going north on I-55. 59 is a little slower, but I wanted to see the country.

The weather cleared mid morning and the ride through East Texas was very enjoyable. Went through lots of small towns. Really a rural area. Going through the town of Diboll, I saw a building supply store that had burned to the gound and was still smoldering. It didn't look like any attempt had been made to put out the fire. I stopped to take some pictures. A hamburger and fries at Wendy's in Marshall, Texas made lunch.

After crossing into Arkansas, the clouds returned, and while the miles went by faster because it was all freeway, the scenery wasn't as nice.

I got into West Memphis around 6:00 and after dark. The room at the Hampton was nice, but the internet service wasn't working. The manager changed my room to one that had service.

I wanted Memphis ribs for dinner. I asked the hotel manager where the nearest Corky's was, and unfortunately it was on the east side of Memphis, too far to go. She suggested Interstate Barbeque, close to downtown Memphis. It was closed. I went on downtown to Beale Street looking for ribs. I found Alfred's. The ribs were only so-so, but on Sunday nights from 6:00 to 9:00, the Memphis Jazz Orchestra plays there. The MJO is an 18 piece jazz orchestra made up of amateur musicians. They've been doing this Sunday night gig for 18 years. The sound they produce is not often heard today and very professionally done. Most of the players show up in jeans and play around a lot. They have fun and sound great doing it. I thoroughly enjoyed the music.

They quit at 9:00 and I came back to the hotel. I want to get started by 7:00 to be in Naperville mid afternoon.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Three

2007-01-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

Had moderate indigestion last night and woke up early with upset stomach. After using the computer and reading in bed for a while felt better. Joined Kim in the Kitchen about 8:00. She fixed a grand breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. I felt much better after breakfast.

Spent the morning talking with Kim, playing around with Makenna and Mason, and working with Kim on her photography. I cleaned her lenses and reset some things on her camera. We also went through some pictures both hers and mine.

Around lunchtime my stomach started to act up again, but was better after I ate something. The big event of the afternoon was Mason's basketball game at 3:30. His team the Owls was to play the Longhorns. Todd is one of the Owl coaches, and they felt the Longhorns were one of two exceptional teams in their league they had to beat in order to have a chance at the championship. The Owls had won the first two games they played, and were coming together as a team. Everyone; players, coaches and parents were keyed up for this big game. In addition, there was a protest e-mail sent by the Owl's head coach regarding one of the Longhorn players which added to the game's tension.

Kim and I were planning to take pictures at the game as well, and so by 2:30 everyone was on their way to the game.

The game didn't disappoint in the slightest. A capacity crowd was in attendance and in fine voice. The coaches of both teams were up for the game. And the players were all in great form. Right from the start the coaches and the referees were having animated discussions. The Longhorns scored first, but the Owls moved ahead. The Longhorns tied the game during the free-throw contest. Then during the second half, the Owl's B team pulled the team out in front. The last period started with the Owls 23, Longhorns 17. The Owl's A team controlled the ball most of the period, but the Longhorns still scored another four points. With less than a minute to go the Owls got the ball and retained possession until the clock ran out. Final score, Owls 23, Longhorns 21.

Kim and I got some good pictures during the game.

We decided to have dinner at Babin's Seafood House, a Cajun seafood restaurant. And despite the early hour, 4:30, went directly to the restaurant. This turned out to be a good move since we didn't have to wait at all even though it was Saturday. We had beer and sodas, an order of crab balls for an appetizer, and an excellent dinner. I had 1/2 fried crayfish tales, 1/2 Etouffee with a Greek salad. We ordered a serving of bread pudding to take home for desert. A fine dinner to go with a fine day.

When we got home we looked at pictures both those we took and Kim & Todd's from the last couple of years. Then the TV went on and the Dog Whisperer whispered me to sleep in the easy chair. When I woke up Todd was watching the Michigan State / Penn State basketball game he had recorded earlier. I came up to bed to write the blog and read.

It will be difficult to get an early start tomorrow, but I have to do it in order to stay on schedule.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Two

2007-01-20T00:21:00.000-05:00

The Courtyard at Gulf Shores provided a very comfortable night's stay, and getting out of bed early in the morning was not easy. After shower, shave, breakfast, etc. I finally got on the road again at 7:30. The trip back to I-10 took another half hour putting me an hour behind schedule, and I had to cover 534 miles today.

The weather was overcast with occasional drizzle. Traffic and roads were normal with the exception of one accident in Mobile, and at 11:38 I entered Mississippi. A portion of the morning was taken up by listening to the radio show The Gestalt Gardener on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The two garden gurus that do the show, Felder Rushing and Dr. Dirt, are very witty and entertaining as well as informative, and I enjoyed my first encounter with the show. As I passed by the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I had to fight the temptation to drive along Hwy 90 to look a the destruction caused by Katrina, but I knew I didn't have the time to spare.

After the Gestalt Gardener show, I listened to a short tape by Charles Curalt, American Moments. While I always enjoyed Curalt when he was on radio and TV, the tapes produced since his death are not as rewarding. Once I got within range of New Orleans, I listened to Jazz on the local public radio station until it could no longer be received.

Since I had driven to New Orleans before, the highway was familiar to that point. However, once past New Orleans, I was covering new ground. The causeway, really a bridge, across the vast swamp west of New Orleans provided a very unique and scenic drive. Lots of birds were in evidence. I would definitely like to come back for a closer inspection.

Lunch at a Taco Bell in Lake Charles was a Fiesta Chicken Bowl, eaten while I continued to drive. Definitely not a choice made for any reason other than expediency. Each encounter with Taco Bell engenders a longer interval until the next.

By 2:30 I entered Texas with 113 miles to go. Traffic began to pick up until in downtown Houston it slowed to a crawl. It remained stop and go until I reached the western suburbs. At 4:45 I arrived at my destination on Portage Rock Lane in Katy.

It was exciting to see Kim, Todd, Makenna and Mason. They all look great. Makenna and Mason are much more mature than when I saw them last. They are both very sweet kids, but then I'm not an unbiased observer.

We ate a very nice dinner of roast pork, fingerling potatoes, broccoli and salad that Kim fixed. Mason and Todd left for basketball practice, Makenna went to a birthday party, and Kim and I discussed photography. After practice, Todd picked us up for ice cream at Baskin Robbins. There, four fathers ate ice cream and discussed players and standings in sports leagues from grade school to pro.

When we got back to the house, Todd put on the show The Dog Whisperer, one I had not seen. It was very interesting, and Cesar, the featured dog trainer certainly looks like he is very good at what he does. The show looked to me not a little like Dr. Phil for dogs.

Tomorrow Mason has a basketball game which should be interesting not only for the play, but there is an on going parent controversy regarding proper placing of players that may play out as well.

Houston-Chicago Trip - Day One

2007-01-18T21:14:00.000-05:00

Today is day one of my eight day trip to visit children and grandchildren in Katy, Texas and Naperville, Illinois. I am now in Gulf Shores, Alabama where I'm spending the night and writing this entry.

I left my home in Winter Springs, Florida at 7:30 on a foggy, misty morning - not typical Central Florida weather. The clouds and fog reinforced my belief that this trip is probably going to be nasty weather the entire time. Driving was typical with heavy traffic and delays getting through Orlando this morning. Later the Florida Turnpike, I-75 and I-10 were busy but allowed me to make good time. I was going through Tallahassee by noon. Lunch was a Publix Cuban sandwich, apple, and banana. I was in Gulf Shores by 3:00 this afternoon as planned. With the thermometer in the 40's, it's much cooler here than Central Florida, but not uncomfortable.

On the way I listened to an audio book, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. It is the story of the powerful hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas in 1900 claiming 8,000 lives. The book has lots of great details about the storm and it's aftermath and I enjoyed listening to it.

Aside from being half way between Winter Springs and Katy, this area of Alabama is attractive as a stopping off place because my grandparents Carpenter had a second home in Magnolia Springs on the river. Several years ago I visited the old house, but this time I couldn't find it. Either it's been torn down or changed so much I don't recognize it. After driving around for a while I gave up. The area has changed so much anyhow. The old general store on the corner is now an upscale restaurant and gourmet shop. The area around the river is packed full of homes. It's nothing like I remember from my childhood. I thought there might be some good photo opportunities, but the light was poor and nothing was attractive enough to stop for.

I'm staying in a new Courtyard by the mall. Gulf Shores reminds me of Gatlinburg, Tennessee with all the commercial development and amusement facilities. On the way from Magnolia Springs to the hotel, I went through Bon Secour, a little fishing village on the Bon Secour river, which empties into Bon Secour and then Mobile Bay. The Tin Top Restaurant in Bon Secour had a neon 'Oysters' sign in the window which caught my attention. After checking it out with the hotel staff, I decided to have dinner there. I expected it to be a local Oyster Bar restaurant and wasn't disappointed. It was more refined than I anticipated with a lot more restaurant than bar. The food was very good, the service great and the prices, while not cheap, were reasonable. I had oyster stew, an oyster po' boy sandwich, and fried green tomatoes. Apparently a lot of folks like the place since one wall was covered with write-ups. One was from the 'Mullet Wrapper', a great name for a local newspaper.

Tomorrow I'll leave early and plan to be in Katy around 3:00 PM.