The Space Shuttle Endeavor-STS 130

4 AM.

I usually do not get up this early voluntarily. I remember two occasions getting up early (again not voluntarily) and it resulted in my giving birth to my daughter and then two years later my son. This early morning there was no baby involved (there would have to be another star in the East for that to happen).

The Colonel and I planned this early awakening. We set our alarm so that we could be up in time to glimpse a bit of history; the last scheduled night launch in the space shuttle program!


This is what the launch looked like from the Kennedy Space Center on Florida's east coast and this is what it looked like from the upper deck of my back porch on Florida's west coast.

Maybe not as impressive visually but still as historical. The space shuttle Endeavor was travelling away from us on a NE route and we had 140 miles of the Florida Peninsula between us.

The Endeavor will be on a 13-day mission to the International Space Center and will deliver a new module and an attached cupola.

As exciting as watching space shuttle history unfold right before my eyes was, I found it easy to crawl back into bed and fall back asleep to catch a couple of winks before I had to be up again at 6 AM to see Spud off to school (by the way, I crawl back into bed after Spud left and grabbed a few more winks).

Vacas

I love cows, I always have. I collected cow statues as a kid. I think I finally amassed a mismatched herd of about 25 head of cattle.

My maternal grandfather had some cows and when we visited him I would love to help feed them and their calves.


There are 'Cracker Cows' in the old orange groves across the road from my house. These cows' ancestors were left behind by the Spanish explorers of the 1500's.

They are called 'Cracker Cattle' because the cowhunters (don't you dare call them cowboys) would hunt for the wild cows and round them up via a bullwhip. The whip never touched the cows; it made a loud cracking sound as the cowhunters flicked it above the cows while rounding them up.

The term 'Cracker' can also apply to some people in Florida. It is often used with a sense of pride, indicating that the person's family has lived in Florida for many generations; these people are the descendants of the original settlers of Florida who arrived in 1763. Many of the settlers hunted wild cows with a whip.

I love cows and I love history, so I think it's great to see both of these loves married together when I look across the road and see the Cracker Cattle grazing in the old orange groves.

"Take One"

The Colonel and I had to be at the Blanchard House Museum today. We had to be there to open up and welcome the television film crew of WGCU from Ft. Myers. They came to film a "bumper" (a short segment sandwiched between two programs) for their Connect; SW FL Guide to Community Engagement series.


They interviewed the museum's Executive Director, our friend, Dr. Martha B.

And our friend John A.

John spoke of his growing up in the area during the days of the Depression, Segregation and Civil Rights and Dr. B. spoke about the museum and also about the neighborhood of days gone by.

The crew filmed inside the museum as well as outside. They were at the museum for two hours.


Watching the crew set up and do their work reminded me of my college and post-college days. I studied Broadcast Technology at an Indiana university and shortly before graduating, I landed a job at a small television station in Terre Haute, Indiana. I was the weekend anchor and during the week, a reporter.

I remember reporting on the shooting of then President Reagan and the election of Pope John Paul II. The Pope's brother was rumored to be living somewhere near the town the station was located (someone had called in the tip and left a number where he could be reached). I made the call and the man on the other end said he did not want any publicity (he also never confirmed nor denied that he was the Pope's brother. I cannot remember if he had a Polish accent or not). I also remember going out to cover a story and an older gentleman asked me for my autograph on the newspaper he was holding. I was happy to oblige him.

The station I was employed by was small and they eventually stopped their news program and had to let me go. Part of me was disappointed with the turn of events and another part of me was relieved (the part that was creeped out by the weather man who shared the set with me. He was considerably older than I was and would hit on me and ask if I wanted to go out for drinks with him and his friend who watched the newscast and thought I was attractive and wanted to meet me. Eeeewwww!)

When I miss my television days, I sometimes watch the recordings of my newscasts (my kids get a huge kick out of watching them too I can tell you).

These days I do voice-overs for the Blanchard House Museum's future pod casts and videos.
All Pro bono publico of course. I have fun doing it.

Wordless Wednesday

The Cat's Meow

Last week The Colonel and I visited Joshua Citrus, Inc. It is a nearly one hundred year old family business. We followed the signs to Joshua on roads that ran between huge orange groves.

We pulled up and were met by two friendly ladies. One of the ladies immediately asked if we liked tangerines and placed two perfect, deep orange tangerines in my hand. They had lots of citrus to choose from. Tangerines, oranges and grapefruits.

They also had jellies, jams, juices and honey for sale. We bought a bag of oranges and Honeybell Tangelos and some of their delicious Orange-Strawberry juice.

The friendly ladies told us we could visit the building where all the citrus is brought in and sorted. Big white crates loaded with fruit were dumped onto a conveyor belt.

Hot water was sprayed on the citrus as it traveled down the belt. Once the fruit was washed it was sorted into different crates.

We were met by the resident cat, Joshua, as we toured. He was very friendly. The ladies said he had been dumped at the grove when he was a little kitten and is now their mascot more or less.

After our tour and purchases and before we left Joshua Citrus, Inc., we walked through the grove. The orange trees were beautiful, heavily laden with fruit.


We got back home with our fruit.

I squeezed the oranges for juice, but kept the Honeybells for eating (I shared some with a couple of friends too).

Having loads of fresh citrus virtually at your fingertips is 'The Cat's Meow'.

The Land Baroness

Darling Sister-In-Law (DSIL) has become a local land owner, a Local Land Baroness, if you will. She has purchased a lot in town here. Both the location and price were right so she took the plunge.

She likes the small town we live in and wants to retire here in a few years. Now that she has the lot she is starting to decide what kind of house she wants to build eventually.

She also wants to plant some trees on the lot. She would like to plant fruit trees now so that when it comes time to retire, build and move in, the trees will be mature and producing delicious fruit.

The gentleman who owned the lot before her had planted fruit trees, but back in 2004 hurricane Charley destroyed many of them as well as the house that was there.

There is a tree that is still alive and producing fruit; it is a tangerine tree.

DSIL gave The Colonel and I permission to pick the fruit (by the looks of the tree some of the neighbors had been helping themselves to it as well).

The ripest tangerines were higher up in the tree (apparently the neighbors could not reach them so they tree-ripened longer which made them sweeter). The Colonel and I used a ladder to pluck the upper tangerines.

We must have eaten two or three each as we plucked away. We ended up picking about 40 of those little orange balls of Florida sunshine. We gave half of our harvest to our friend Louise who said they were so good she might not share them with her husband.

I don't have a fruit tree in my yard yet, so it sure is nice to know someone who does and is willing to share the fruit. Being related to the tree owner helps too. Thanks a bunch DSIL.

Wordless Wednesday