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Tag Archives: the Sunshine State
After Hurricane Sandy
As a Floridian, I have experience with hurricanes, from those just glancing past home, to the eye of the storm coming right on top of me. I have gone through too many storms in my life, and I have cleaned … Continue reading →
Posted in Life in General, Personal
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Tagged Atlantic storms, cleaning up after the storm, experience with hurricanes, facing the cold, Floridians, gas stations out of gas, Hurricane Sandy, hurricanes, the Sunshine State
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Florida’s Hometown Hero
In the Orlando area, the aviation community is well aware of a gentleman by the name of Joe Kittinger. He has been well involved in the aviation industry almost all of his life. In fact, he has set some significant … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying
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Tagged 102800 feet, 1LT William J. Reich, aeromedical research, Air Force, aviation records, Church Street Station, Clark AFB, Colonel John Paul Stapp, combat tours, F-84s, F-86s, Florida Gator, Florida's Hometown Hero, freefall at 714 miles per hour, Gainesville, he F-4D Phantom, high altitude ejections, high speed ejections, Holloman AFB, Jacksonville, Joe Kittinger, jumped out of a balloon, Marine Corps, Mig-21, Navy pilots, New Mexico, Orlando, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus, Tampa, the A-26 Invader, the Bolles School, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the Hanoi Hilton, the Harmon Trophy, the longest freefall, the senior ranking officer, the Sunshine State, the University of Florida, Vietnam
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Funny Gator Stories
Can there be such a thing as a funny gator story? Well, yes. Of course. An older Floridian, Ray, who spent part of his childhood growing up in Saint Augustine tells the story of his grandmother’s front porch and “George.” … Continue reading →
Posted in Life in General
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Tagged a big cat-eating lizard, a big fuzzy lovable gray tabby, a juvenile alligator, California, Dudley, eagles, Funny Gator Stories, hawks, older Floridians, rge enough to eat a cat, Saint Augustine, The Alligator Farm, the Sunshine State, ’gators
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It’s Another Year
Well, until today, I was older than my best friend, Paul. Today, he is as old as I am. Unfortunately, we both went over the hill a long time ago. In other words, we are a couple of old fa… … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged a damn Yankee, a lifetime of gratitude, Alberto Santos-Dumont, barnstormers, biplanes, gypsy pilots, in the fifth grade, It’s Another Year, It’s [a] old Southern joke!, my best friend Paul, my only interest was jets, over the hill, the Demoiselle, the First World War, the summer of 1986, the Sunshine State, the War Between the States, ultralight airplanes
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1 Comment
Florida Authors
Last evening, we enjoyed a delightful dinner with co-workers and friends. The surprise of the evening was talk about Florida authors. In “the olden days,” the foremost Florida novelist was John D. MacDonald. He lived in Sarasota and completed many … Continue reading →
Posted in Life in General, Reading
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Tagged a delightful dinner, a graduate of the University of Florida, a prolific writer, A Purple Place for Dying, Auburn, Captiva, Carl Hiaassen, co-workers and friends, Coleman, crime stories, Doc Ford, Double Whammy, editors, Florida authors, Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, his sailboat No Mas, Hoot, John D. MacDonald, Killing Mister Watson, La Florida, Marion “Doc” Ford, memories, Miami, Miami Herald, modern-day writers, mysteries, Naples, Newbery Honor, Nightmare in Pink, North of Havana, Orange Crush, Peter Matthiessen, Ponce de Leon, publishers, Quick Red Fox, Randy Wayne White, real-life Florida fishing information, Sanibel Flats, Sanibel Island, Sarasota, Serge A. Storms, Skin Tight, South Florida, Tampa Tribune, Team Rodent, The Deep Blue Good-by, the Everglades, the Land of Flowers falling in love with Florida…, the New York Times bestseller list, the sugar industry, the Sunshine State, Tim Dorsey, Tomlinson, Tourist Season, Travis McGee, Triggerfish Twist
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3 Comments
Sun N Fun Gets Slammed
It is early, but late. I have slept too long. It is after 6 a.m. and I am usually up and writing by 5:45 most mornings. But last night was a late night and so I understand why I am … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged a comforting rain, airplanes, airplanes upside down, Cessnas, double-check the weather forecasts, editors, Florida, flying, friends, get up to make coffee, go back to sleep the word processor, hangars demolished, lightning and thunder, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, professional pilots, radar screens, rain, student pilots, Sun N Fun, Sun N Fun Gets Slammed, taildraggers, Tampa, The Lakeland Airport, the pinging of hail, the Sunshine State, the telecommunications expert, thunder, tornadoes, training aircraft, typesetters, typewriters, up and writing by 5:45
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1 Comment
A Change of Seasons
Well, we have finally moved from the “cold” season to the “warm.” Many new to the Sunshine State bemoan the fact that we have “no seasons” down here. Some have gone on to say they miss the turning of the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged A Change of Seasons, aches, airplanes, Cessnas, cracking joints, crankiness, engine pre-heats, flying, friends, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, lke a bear in hibernation, more creakiness, northern visitors, oshkosh, set the thermostats from heat to a/c, Southerners, the color green, the colors of spring, the EAA Convention, the Sunshine State, the “cold” season, the “warm” season, variation, Wisconsin, “Feed the Fish”, “no seasons” the cold of winter
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2 Comments
The Day of the One’s Takes its Own Place in History
Well, yesterday I made mention January 11, 2011 would create its own history and it did not disappoint. Throughout the eastern half of the nation, the weather was awful. According to various news reports, the airlines canceled as many as … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged 1-11-11, 7700 flights canceled, a unique day, airline cancellations, Atlanta's Hartsfield, awful weather, declare an emergency, Delta Airlines, hotel rooms, hurry up spring, loss of millions of dollars, Old Man Winter, state of panic, stranded passengers, The Day of the One’s Takes it Own Place in History, the Sunshine State, too cold, travel delays, treacherous driving, uncomfortable nights in airport terminals, US Airways
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