So true......

While creating my November events calendar, without which I'd be lost, I can tell everyone that the first official, advertised, open-to-the-public Christmas-related event will take place November 6th. Of course, that could change.....My disclaimer: superstores have their own agenda; please refer to corporate, thanks.

Visit Florida Beach Walk

Saturday, November 6th, Visit Florida will hold The Great Visit Florida Beach Walk - a wonderful concept to draw visitors to Florida! The idea is to have each of Florida's 825 miles of beaches covered by volunteers who will sign up for a location near them, and take a snapshot looking appx one mile in the distance. Everyone participating is asked to upload their photos by 11am and the result should be a visual starting at one end of the state, circling around to the other. The object is to draw visitors to our beautiful beaches. The economy of the Space Coast could use a shot in the arm, so do your part and sign up. You can register online - what could be easier?! For more info, contact Patricia Brown @ 631-0501 Ex 201.

Beach clean-up

Sunday, October 31, there will be a beach clean-up, with Keep Brevard Beautiful, at Coconut Point Beach. This beautiful beach can be found 5.5 miles south of 192 in Melbourne Beach. Time is 8am-noon.

Note to PAFB Officer's Club: The above bag represents trash found by the steps leading to the beach from the clubhouse, last evening. Please tell the person who lost the black 12X16 binder on the light sand that they need to get their eyes examined and can do so on base. Thanks. Sorry to leave the bag there but I just couldn't lug it any more...

Musical Halloween treat

Here's a Halloween event thats educational and the kids won't mind at all - how's that for a treat! The Brevard Symphony Orchestra will present a free family concert, starting at 3 PM Sunday (10/31) at the King
Center. The family-friendly concert will feature music made famous by Harry Potter, Darth Vader, Cinderella, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. Musicians will be in costume and the audience is invited to be, as well. After the show, those attending can trick or treat through a hands-on activities area that will include a 'musical instrument petting zoo'. Tickets can be printed ahead from the symphony website. For more information, call 321-242-2024. How's that for class (ical)!

Own a piece of history

Nov 5-7, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation will hold their 8th annual Astronaut Autograph & Memorbilia Auction. What has been a major part of our lives is coming to a close, for how long we don't know. Go to the Foundation website and see whats going on. Get tickets for dinner or just an autograph/photograph session with over 80 Astronauts who will be there next weekend. For details, read the article on Space Coast Events Examiner. This is history, folks! When it's gone, it's gone. No re-do's.

Thanks for the memories

For the times way back when, before security became an obsession, when you could actually watch a shuttle launch so closely that you cussed because the ground shook so bad the vibrations made your photos blurry.

For the times when the 747 and piggyback shuttle flew up and down the beach and kids ran out of schools, workers ran out of offices and shoppers ran out of stores - just to see the show. People cheered, clapped their hands, and whistled. Kids just plain screamed; that show beat anything they'd seen on TV, hands down.

And for the heroes the space programs gave us to admire. Make sure you don't miss Discovery on her final launch. This is history happening, folks. Right in your own backyard. Be there!

Note: the guys on the podium are the Apollo 7 Astronauts on the 20th anniversary of their walk on the moon.
The date was July 20, 1989. The setting? John F Kennedy Space Center. Because he believed in the program.

Make A Difference Day follow-up

This group of volunteers made 200 blankets and over 200 cuddle pillows for a hospital, all in four hours. The project was part of Make A Difference Day. Their local newspaper ran the story. USA Today, creator and sponsor for the project reported that over 3 million volunteers participated and 169 groups sent in a photo of their project. Much press seemed to be available nationwide, however, my Florida Today search yielded nothing. Did I miss something? If you'd like to know what the rest of the country did for Make A Difference Day, there is a huge photo gallery on their web site. Caution: Uplifting, heartwarming, feel-good news alert!

Paws in the Park

For a howling good time (sorry, it was hard to ignore), this Saturday the Humane Society will host the 8th annual Paws in the Park. And yes, there will be a pet costume contest! The event will be held on Saturday, October 30, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., at Wickham Park. For more details, visit Space Coast Events Examiner!

Todd Holland cleans house

Another local boy (Cocoa Beach High graduate, anyway...) does good; always good news. Todd won Best Wave at the Slater Brothers Skin Cancer Invitational this past week-end. 36 shortboarders and 24 longboarders competed in the event. Kelly got a chance to show off for the home-town folks in a 45 minute "Expression Session". With good humor, Todd thanked Kelly for not entering the tournament and beating them all. Kelly heads to Puerto Rico this week in his quest to win a 10th world title. Look for an upcoming feature on Kelly and those who believe he is the best athlete in the world.  

Special Olympics surfing

Todd Holland may have cleaned house at the Slater Bros Tournament this week-end but a little further South something else, at least equally as important as skin cancer research fund-raising - another surf event was happening. Those who witnessed it couldn't possibly have been the same people after as when they arrived. As seen in the photo above, the look of joy on the faces of those special surfers was heart-rendering. The inaugeral Florida regional Special Olympics surfing event attracted 25 participants from the Space Coast, Stuart, and Jacksonville. Special Olympics coordinators hope to increase that number. Locally, the program is under the direction of Craig Carroll at the Ron Jon Surf School. Looking for something that will give your week-end meaning? Volunteer with them.

Space Coast celebrates Air Force Week

Today is just the beginning - unless you were driving on A1A near Patrick yesterday - of Air Force Week on the Space Coast. Air Force Week is celebrated twice a year, in two locations within the U.S. This year, Cocoa Beach is one of the two chosen ones. Exciting things are happening, including the Blue Angels. Check the schedule of events at Space Coast Events Examiner!

BOO! at our zoo

There's monkey business happening, that's for sure, at Brevard Zoo. For good clean, non-violent, family-friendly, age appropriate, photo-worthy Halloween fun - check out Boo At The Zoo. Read about it on the Space Coast Events Examiner and the Brevard Zoo Examiner.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Especially proud of my jazz group, just a few of the more than 6,000 people that showed up for the walk in Viera. We raised over $4,000.00 for American Cancer Society, in the name of Amazing Grace. And yes, she was.

Port Fest

Saturday, October 23rd, Port Canaveral will hold Pink Ribbon Port Fest 2010. This year's event will start with the 5K Pink Ribbon Walk for breast cancer awareness, followed by Flavors of the Port, the ever-popular Bed/Bathtub Race, a Shrimp Peel/Eating Contest and live stage entertainment. There will be live music, vendors to help you spend your money, and the best part is that all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society - Brevard. As in 'the money stays here!'. Hopefully, you'll never have to ask them for help, but if you did, they'd be right there for you. They really rock! For more about Port Fest, go to their website, or call 321-403-7695.

Make A Difference Day

Make A Difference Day, a national celebration, is this Saturday, October 23. It is the largest national day of helping others. Created by USA Week-end in 1997, the idea caught the attention of Paul Newman, who donated tens of thousands of dollars for prizes. Enthusiasm spread like wildfire, largely because it took so little to get imvolved. A group, could be Scouts or just some people from the office, could simply plant some trees in a naked area or spend the day cleaning the community eyesore. Prefer to go it alone? Spend some time baking some cookies for a local nursing home or fire station. Just about anything will do. The idea is to make a difference in someone else's day. That's it. Real simple. Make the effort. You'll sleep better!

National Feral Cat Day

The true definition of a feral cat is one that is untamed and does not interact with humans. Feral cats reside in a feral cat colony because they have no place else to go; its all they do know, through no fault of their own. The failure of the more intelligent species, humans, to spay or neuter their pets has led directly to the formation of feral cat colonies. And yet man has the audacity to complain about them. For those who care, check out (volunteer!) the Space Coast Feline Network. They, among other things, locate feral cats, trap them, have them sterilized and vaccinated, and return them to the colony where they were captured. If you see a feral cat and would like to help it, contact the Network at 321-631-SPAY. To learn more about them, visit their website.  "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it's animals are treated" - Gandhi

Slater Brothers Invitational Surf Contest

Mark your calendar for next weekend's World Skin Cancer Foundation Slater Brothers Invitational surf contest. The action begins on Thursday night, with a kickoff party at Rusty's at the Port. Besides being able to see some world-class surfing and boarding, there will be free and private skin cancer screenings. Kelly Slater, currently holding the top spot in the competition for what would be his 10th World Championship, will be in town and hitting the waves (please let there be some waves...) at his old stomping grounds. For details, check out the  related article on Space Coast Events Examiner.

How do you spell....

October 16th is Dictionary Day, and the word of the day is creativity. For more creative ideas for your pumpkins this year, check out http://www.extremepumpkins.com/. This Halloween, let your creative juices flow.

Oktoberfest #2 - or #3?

If you haven't had enough of Oktoberfest yet, hold on - Melbourne Oktoberfest will be held at Wickham Park Oct 15-17. Food, drink, music, and rides will be available. Hours: Fri 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. Tickets $6, kids under six free w/paid adult. For more info, call 321-473-6369 or visit the website.

First Farm-Aid, now Beach-Aid!

Two amazing young ladies have organized a Beach-Aid concert for Saturday, Oct. 16th. The event is family-oriented and will take place in Melbourne Beach from noon until 9 p.m. There will be live music, volleyball, paddleboarding, surfing, sandsculpting, and more. Also expect to see skim, kite and indo boarding demos!

The event will be outdoors until 6 p.m. - when there will be a beach clean-up event - and then move indoors until 9 p.m. The location is Ocean Park, State Road A1A and Ocean Avenue, and Sand on the Beach. The requested donation is only $5 in advance, $10 cash on Saturday, and kids under nine are free. Can't make it? Go to their website, make a donation, and/or get a t-shirt. All money raised goes to Sea Turtle Preservation. Let's support these young ladies, please!! They both volunteer at the Barrier Island Center and Sanctuary, and to find out what happens there, check out Space Coast Events Examiner.

National Dessert Day

October 14th is National Dessert Day. May we all receive our 'just desserts'!

October trivia

October, 2010 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This won't happen again for another 823 years. Spend your week-ends wisely!

Christmas shopping in the Village Oct 16 & 17

This week-end, in Historic Cocoa Village, there will be an Arts & Crafts Show. This is the best time to begin Christmas shopping, at your leisure. Hundreds of local artisians will be displaying their wares and shoppers are able to get that one-of-a-kind gift. Its also a great time to get out and support the small businesses that make this country so great. Having participated in this very same show, this writer can tell readers that whatever a vendor is selling, if it's home-made, then a lot of time went into it. Go for a leisurely stroll through the village and be sure to compliment the artists. It's what keeps us going!

Space Coast Home Show

Calling all fixer-uppers! Looking to complete a little do-it-yourself project? Or maybe an upgrade since you haven't really done anything to the house in thirty years. Whatever! The Space Coast Home Show is  where you need to be the 16th and 17th of October. The show is free, and is being held in the 40,000 square foot Cocoa Expo on 520 at the I-95 ramp. Whether you are going solar, getting granite countertops, or finally indulging in a hot tub - over 98 booths, chock full of information,  will be at your disposal. For more info, go to Space Coast Events Examiner!

10/10/10 wedding update

Yesterday was that once-a-century date, considered to be good luck, that had couples all over the globe scurrying to get their marriage licenses. Tried to get figures for Brevard County, but unable to. To make up for that, here are some interesting statistics:

Above photo is from South Korea, where 7,200 couples shared a mass ceremony.

In Great Britain, over 31,000 couples applied for marriage licenses for the date.

In China, where 10/10/10 was considered a perfect date, more than 10,000 couples were married in Shanghai, while in Beijing, 11,000 were joined together. 

And, according to the weddingchannel.com and theknot.com (undisputed wedding authorities), 32,000 Americans tied the knot on 10/10/10.

10-10-10

A rare opportunity to see a group wedding awaits those who care to do so. Space View Park, in Titusville, will have ten groups there on Sunday, October 10th. They are the ten winners of the Chamber free wedding contest. A gazebo for photos, a view across the river of the VAB, and indoor restrooms. Ah-h-h. Should be interesting to watch. Bring the camera and post your photos online because there aren't very many available!

Family History month

October is Family History Month and this writer can say, with vast amounts of experience, that Genealogy is a whole world unto itself. If you like puzzles, you'll love Genealogy. Finding your family history has never been easier. In Rockledge, at 1801 Fiske Blvd, there is a Family History Center. It is linked to to a huge database of family history, owned and operated by the Mormon Church, and it's free. Call 636-2431 for hours. Start in Rockledge, or go online, but do it. Not just fascinating, but it erases the feeling that you are 'just one of the millions'. But be prepared! Three bits of advice:

1) Genealogy is an addiction.

2) Keep your search organized - it gets very confusing. Notebooks help.

3) The further back you go, the smaller the population, thus increasing the chance that you are a descendent of someone you read about in your history book. That's your carrot!

This photo is the family farm of my ancestors, located in Somewhere, N.Y., as it looked in 1880. The generation before them married into the family of another farmer, Martin Van Buren, future President. See - you never know what you'll find!

Mama Nature venting

This is the normal view from the rocks by the radar on my stretch by Patrick. Not even during any of the 'storms' that brushed the coast this year (Danielle & Earl), did the surf pound the rocks.

This was last evening. Not only was the surf lashing out at the same rocks, but it was doing it's best to grab what it could and drag it out to sea. The 'cliff' seen here was at least 18" tall.

This is the same stretch, looking south to the radar and rocks. To the right, and out of camera range is the ramp to Patrick's parking lot.

And this was the ramp last night. The bottom is completely covered with sand, while the remainder of the beach was just disappearing. The erosion was two feet and more. Gone. Turtle eggs everywhere. Hundreds of them.

Was there a storm or system brewing? The wind was quite strong. Maybe Mama Nature just wanted to remind everyone to take better care of the beaches or she'd just snatch them away...A very sad walk on the beach last night. The waves were absolutely wild (for here) but didn't make up for what was being swept out to sea.

10/10/10 Project

Sunday, October 10th is Global Work Party Day. In celebration thereof - and because Space Coast folks are such amazing people - there will be a beach clean-up at Pelican Beach. Sponsored by the same people that brought us Surfers for Autism, the clean-up will begin at 10:10 a.m. and last for an hour. Hopefully, the 350 people they are hoping will show up - do. Because one hour goes by pretty quick, especially on the beach. To lure potential picker-uppers, the cleaning-up will be followed by live music and an organic breakfast. For info, or just to lend support, call Jesse at 239-390-6209. Or like this writer intends to do - just show up! Pelican Beach is located in Satellite Beach.

Happy 200th Anniversary Ocktoberfest!

Two hundred years ago, someone threw a party (kegger?). It went over so well, that two hundred years later, it's still going on. If you've ever been to Munich, you understand. If not, Thursday - Sunday, October
7 - 10, head to Historic Cocoa Villagefor their Oktoberfest. Then you'll understand why Munich does it all year long. And have for 200 years. For details, go to Space Coast Events Examiner.

German-American Day

October 6th is German-American Day. Many Space Coast residents, including this writer, are descendents of German immigrants. This photo shows immigrants being 'processed' at Ellis Island back in the late1890's. 40% of the immigrants arriving in this country, between 1892 and 1954,  were processed at Ellis Island. If you haven't done it already, Google 'free search German ancestry'. See what hardships your ancestors endured to become an American. A humbling, eye-opening experience.

Captiva-ish

Saturday evening, after work, while policing my usual stretch just

south of Second Light, Satellite Beach, a mirage appeared in the distance!

Shells! Not just a few - piles of them! It was a Captiva moment. Working till almost dark, back seriously aching, but smiling all the way home....shells! Not wanting to miss out, returned Sunday before sunrise - armed with cooler, towels, coffee, and camera. Worked till noon and brought home a bounty of shells never seen on this coast, as well as a fine collection of sea glass. Truly a Captiva moment!

Baseball's chosen one in Viera

Baseball fans can see the Washington National's No. 1 draft pick,

Bryce Harper, in action at the Space Coast Stadium for just a short

time longer. The Nationals have games Friday, October 8th and Saturday,

October 9th. Tuesday, October 5th, Sunday, October 10th, and

Wednesday, October 13th are camp/workout days. For times, call 633-9200.

Voter Registration

Last day to register to vote in Nov. election is MONDAY, OCT. 4th!!
http://www.rockthevote.org/  OR http://www.rockthevote.com/  
NO excuses!!
Register, get informed and vote. Stop whining and get involved!

Fall Festival time!

The Space Coast might not have an actual, for real Autumn, but we can pretend, can't we? During the month of October, several Fall Festivals will take place. There is at least one every week-end. Downtown Melbourne, as in New Haven/192, is holding theirs this week-end. It is free, family-friendly, and there is an Oktoberfest beer garden. Find out whats going down on their website.

Happy October

October is many things, but perhaps the most important is "National Adopt-A-Dog Month". The ASPCA & Humane Society state that 3-4 million unwanted dogs & cats in shelters are euthanized every year. Ghandi said it best, when he said, "The character of a nation is best shown by the way it treats it's animals." Don't we, as a nation, have more character than is shown by the ASPCA statistics? Either get your dog fixed or visit a shelter and adopt one. If you can't adopt, at least bring them some food. You'll sleep better at night.