Thanks for the memories, Tim!

 Happy 100th birthday Fenway and thanks for the memories, Tim! So lucky to see you play at the best stadium ever. Go Green Monster!

 Last time at Fenway, Tim pitching against Tampa - Sox took it. Sweet Caroline, oh yeah!

Can't see it clearly but this is Tim Wakefield hurling his famous knuckleballer @ 93mph. Welcome home, but thanks for the memories, too.

What could possibly beat seafood and pro baseball?

A glorious sunset in the background as seen from the stands in Space Coast Stadium maybe? This week you have 5 opportunities to see the Milwaukee Brewers play right at sunset. And you can have a great seafood dinner right before the game. For more info and times follow this link.

Florida Vietnam and all Veterans Reunion

This week the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica that travels the country will be at Wickham Park. There are memorials for both World Wars, the Korean War, the Gulf War and the War on Terror. Every year this reunion draws over 100,000 visitors so go see why. It's a humbling and educational experience.To learn more about this 25th anniversary event, follow this link.

Furry Friends need help

 
 Suntree Viera Pet Rescue is a no-kill, non-profit 501(c)3 foster care Animal Welfare organization. Their main goal is to alleviate the pain and suffering of all animals. They spay and neuter all animals prior to adoption. And they are active in the adoption of abandoned cats and dogs and other small furry friends, as well as animals rescued from the shelters.They are the only all breed rescue in Brevard County.

They frequently receive requests for help to rescue unwanted, discarded and abused animals and urgently need more  foster families. If you have room in your home and love in your heart, you can help by becoming a foster family. For more info about this rescue group:  http://svpr.rescuegroups.org/    
OR email Melinda to help at  svpr@bellsouth.net 
You'll sleep better tonight!

Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day to my most favorite place on the planet...

 The following appeared in yesterday's Space Coast Daily:

BREVARD COUNTY •  MELBOURNE BEACH, FLORIDA – A 28 year-old Melbourne Beach resident was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center in stable condition Thursday evening after suffering an apparent shark bite while surfing.

The unidentified man told rescuers that he was about 50 feet from the shore line when the bite occurred.
As he paddled out, he reportedly felt something grab his hand as it entered the water and, after pulling his hand free, then saw what he described as an approximately 5-foot-long unidentified shark swimming away.

Should you avoid the water? Nah - just be on your guard, folks. The ocean temp is so warm it will probably
attract more sharks this year...

Are all shuttles the same size?

Atlantis inside VAB behind a five feet high wall seemed so much smaller than Discovery does - or is it me?
Lucky DC got to see Discovery Tuesday and next Monday they get to see Enterprise leave for NYC. It will land at JFK. This will mark the second time the 747 carrying Enterprise will have done a flyover of Manhattan - the first was way back in 1983!

State of the Beach address

As we near the two-year anniversary of the tragic Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter is finally releasing preliminary findings from the "State of the Beach" oil trend study. Below is a summary of the report's top findings:

1. The data collected confirms that Corexit dispersant mixed with crude oil creates a discernible fluorescent signature when illuminated by 370nm wavelength (UV) light.

2. The use of Corexit as a dispersant has inhibited the microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in the crude oil and has allowed Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) concentration levels to consistently exhibit high toxicity levels in excess of the carcinogenic exposure level specified by NIH and OSHA.

3. Of the 32 sampling sites, mainly in Florida and Alabama, 26 had PAH concentration levels exceeding the established carcinogenic exposure limits. In only three locations, samples were found to be free of PAH contamination.

4. Seventy-one samples were collected. Twenty-three were tested for oil range organics and 16 exceeded the target clean up levels specified by the EPA. Of the 48 samples submitted for PAH tests, 90% of the samples had contamination levels in excess of the carcinogenic exposure limit.

5. Tar product remaining in the coastal zone contains PAH levels likely to be toxic (levels > 80mg/kg). Wet skin dermal contact and absorption of tar product was documented. This unknown risk for human health and safety should be further studied.

6. Carcinogenic PAH compounds from the toxic tar product that concentrates in surface layers from natural beach processes was found to be leaching into the lower layers of beach sediment. One researcher's published scientific results concluded this could lead to the contamination of local groundwater sources.

The Emerald Coast Chapter began the oil disaster "State of the Beach" monitoring program in June 2010 in an effort to help beach goers who suffered from burning eyes, respiratory problems and other conditions since the spill. Existing government testing results do not provide sufficient information for the public to truly determine if Gulf beaches are "clean" enough for safe recreational use. The Chapter's independent testing provides a valuable source of information.

Click here to read the report.

Reminder: The government has stopped testing the waters of the Gulf - Surfrider never did stop.

Was it worth getting up for? Hell, yeah!!

Thank you NASA !!!!

Discovery's swan song

Waiting patiently while watching the sun rise out of the sea...
Makes one forget how awful the traffic was getting here...
And how creepy it will be getting back...but considering there was a change of flight plans and there were actually two flyovers - well, you couldn't be in a better spot than Main Gate!

Farewell Discovery events at KSC

With the departure of the Space Shuttle Discovery taking place on April 17, it comes as no big surprise that the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has planned four days of farewell festivities for Discovery, the orbiter that's heading to it's final destination at the Smithsonian. And Space Coast residents wouldn't have it any other way. Regardless of how many launches have been observed, many residents and former employees will turn out for one final look at the vehicle that has been such a large part of their lives. See what's going on here.

For those who'd like to see the interior of Discovery, follow this link to a slideshow that was done on media day at KSC. Guaranteed you'll be fascinated!!

Saturday pet event

The City of Palm Baywill hold it's 5th annual “Bark in the Bay” on SAT April 7 at Palm Bay Regional Park’s Youth Camping Area, adjacent to the dog park. This free event for dog owners and their pets will feature a variety of pet-related educational displays, adoptable pets, and a number of demonstrations. A Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant from the Animal Emergency and Critical Care Center of Brevard will be on hand to conduct a demonstration in canine physical rehabilitation. Demonstrations in obedience training and other pet-related issues are also planned.

Pet care providers, dog clubs, pet trainers and other exhibitors will have staff available to answer questions and give advice on dog care and behavior. A number of pet rescue groups will have adoptable dogs at the event and pet artists will be on hand to showcase their artwork. The musical group, The Dog Bones, will play from 10 a.m. until noon. The Lagoon Program and the City of Palm Bay will distribute educational materials and pet waste bag dispensers to highlight the importance of cleaning up and disposing of pet waste, which has been found to be a contributing factor to bacterial pollution in the Indian River Lagoon. Rain often washes pet waste left on trails, sidewalks, streets and grassy areas into the nearest storm drain, many of which flow to canals that drain directly into the lagoon. Time: 9am - 1pm. For more information, call the Indian River Lagoon Program office at (321) 722-5363.

Easter week-end happenings

For the extremely young and young-at-heart - Easter Egg Hunts at:
Kiwanis Island Park
West Melbourne Library
Crane Community Center
and probably more! Details right here.

And for the beach babies, there is the Ron Jon's Surf Contest!! Not only can one study and appreciate fine surfing form but there is also the chance to learn to surf or skim board. With the demonstrations, live music, food and even an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids - what more could you ask for on Easter week-end? A Sunday morning sunrise service? You got it!! Details:here.

Easter for brew-lovers!

WOB's Easter Egg-stravaganza!

The Easter "Beer" Bunny is stopping by Saturday night and selecting 100 different beers for you to find. This Sunday, April 8th, when you are finished with your Easter brunch come by WOB, to start your bottle beer hunt. To begin your hunt, purchase a bottle beer and check the back for an egg sticker. If it is one of the 100 select "Easter" beers, you can pick from the Beer Basket and win a prize. Prizes range from stickers to gift cards. But if you find the "Golden" beer, you will win an extra special prize. We will be open our normal hours that day, 12 pm to 2 am. Quenching your thirst has never been so rewarding. Happy Easter!

Baseball Appreciation Day @ Stadium April 5th

Tomorrow night is the Brevard County Manatee Minor League season kick-off at Space Coast Stadium. It is also Fan Appreciation Night and that translates to FREE. Get there early and you'll also get a free magnet schedule and appetizers. The Washington Nationals are seriously thinking of leaving us so we need to show our support for the Manatees. They have some very creative and entertaining promotions and are bending over backwards to get us to the stadium.

National Walking Day

Don't let runners sneer at you, you now have proof that walking can be as physically challenging as running. But only if you speed things up! A study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine showed that walking faster DID burn more calories over the same distance as walking slower over that distance. The results indicate that walking at slow to moderate speeds up to 3.5 mph is energy efficient, but that efficiency steadily decreases with increasing speeds. Approximately 33% more calories can be expended to walk a given distance by increasing walking speed from 3.5 to 4.5 mph. By increasing walking speed from 3.5 to 5.0 mph, about 50% more calories will be expended over a given distance, and will be comparable to the number of calories expended to run the same distance.

Brisk walking is an aerobic activity. This means waking raises your heart rate and forces you to breathe faster for an extended period. MayoClinic.com recommends you get in at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. If walking bores you, do what I do - do it on the beach and throw in a few sand dunes. Climbing uphill in the sand isn't easy. But PLEASE - don't wreck the dunes by pushing sand downward towards the water. Stay parallel to the water. And if you prefer more activity check out my articles on Zumba, Skating and Jazzercise on the Space Coast.