Uphill battle

Sunday morning there were new turtle nests! And while it never ceases to amaze us how these heavy beasts drag themselves onshore to lay their eggs - these gals deserve extra points for scaling the 6+ ft sand dunes!!

The creeps

High above the water line and sand dunes of Hangars 2, this pile of coquina rock sticks out like a sore thumb. It looks like a grave but that has not been confirmed. And it probably won't be, at least by yours truly. It has been there for over a year and remains unchanged. Any guesses? It gives me the creeps...

Our dimes at work

This State Dept 747 (says United States of America and has a flag on tail) is a very frequent visitor to our area. It takes the same flight path every time and parks at Patrick in the same place every time. The engine sound is unique and unlike any other. The security around it, as it sits on the ground, is extensive. The engines don't shut down and it always seems ready to take off at a moment's notice. And it was parked at Patrick Sunday morning, although it might have been heard arriving Saturday night just after dark...

A West Point grad standing close by said he thinks this plane is the E-4B, one of a fleet of only four aircraft specifically designed to withstand an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) and that " has state-of-the-art direct fire countermeasures ". He told a group observing the plane that it was the original "doomsday plane" . It was (is) designed back in 1973 to conduct warfare in the event of a nuclear attack. With a huge crew, stateof-the-art communications system, and all the comforts of home while in flight for up to 35 hours without refueling - it is an amazing piece of machinery!

It could be worse

It could be the dream vacation you've spend years saving up for. You could have extended yourself by booking a suite instead of a room. It could be the only week off you'll get this year. You could have packed 12 swimsuits but no windbreaker. You laughed when someone suggested an umbrella. It could be worse.

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.

When shopping this year...

"The average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and goodies this year, totaling more than $465 billion... If that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs... If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs."

The good old days

I remember when Thanksgiving meant having family come to dinner, watching football, and Macy's Parade. When did it become a race to lure shoppers to stores at the expense of allowing employees time to spend with their families? When did the day shift from easy to frenzy? I will contemplate all that as I sit on the beach in the morning - my gift to me - before I run home, cram the stuffing into the turkey and get out the Christmas lights. Happy Thanksgiving.

Jason Stidham

Don't read too much about Jason Stidham in FT...Jason, whose family lives in Palm Bay was an 8th round draft pick for St Louis Cardinals and in the last 15 months has had two knee operations...watching the playoffs, couldn't help wondering what he was thinking. As a child, Jason was quiet and thoughtful. Wonderful family; hope Jason is recovering quickly and will be able to get started on his dream in spring training...