Well - the last day of the month - things got interesting - - -
We finally got the AT & T modem-situation resolved on the 29th (LATE!)
On the night of the 29th I lost a gold tooth-cap (luckily I did NOT swallow-it!) - so that meant on the MORNING of the 30th I was at the dentist's at 07:20 a.m. and out by 07:35 a.m. - and we made it to the place for the 'beach-shuttle' (or larger picture) before 09:00 a.m.. The lady that drove the shuttle arrived about 09:20 a.m. and off we went...
and we were on the beach, working, by 09:40 (and a close-up of "working" (or bigger)) and done with this job and back home by 1 p.m. and I had to go to ANOTHER beach (or larger version of the picture) to do some more work - - so it was a BUSY DAY!
However, while waiting at Hobe_Sound_National_Wildlife_Refuge for the 'beach-shuttle' Ms._May lounged, beautifully on this tree, - she's also written a 'blog-post' about our 'adventure' on the island. Her blog-post can be seen here.
Life in the engineering department at the _BeachClub_ goes on and on and on...
Whoops - sorry - I had to 'engineer' something for my upcoming trip to work on a 'beach-cam'... This little 'rig' is just what it looks-like - except the box (with my tools, spares, keyboard, monitor, mouse (for the computer)) goes where I am now sitting, when I 'pull it across the sand-dunes' to where I'm going to (where the beach-cam is!). The (very tastefully done) umbrella was Ms._May's idea - but it will significantly help me be able to SEE the computer-monitor in the BRIGHT SUN that is typical of Florida Beaches in the summer! This is probably version 5 or 10 or something like that, if one thinks in software terms - but it is probably almost finished at this point - not much else I can do to improve it!...
Oh - while we are 'working' on the beach we have to make sure NOT to step-on this little-guy... He (maybe she, we didn't look!) - is a protected / endangered species, and we have to be careful not to disturb he (she / it?)
Today is Sunday, 20th - and we did another 20 something miles on our tricycles, this morning - before pancakes and bacon...
We've had some interesting times this past couple of weeks...
Mr._Bill & Mr._Nick (we're sometimes called the 'A-Team' (for our 'success-rate') - tried (but ultimately failed)) at getting this (very remote) web-cam back up and running - the weather - the Verizon people, the AT & T GSM-cell-modem and other things got in the way. - A couple of pictures - ( Mr._Nick at the base of the pole, and - more Mr._Nick dealing with 'cables' to get the monitor, mouse, and keyboard all hooked-up to the computer-board... ) notice Mr. _Nick's 'chair' and the other in the background.
Note this web-camera / beach-camera is ENTIRELY self-contained. There is NO power to the camera from the ground (it gets all it's power via the two solar-array-panels you see mounted on the pole), and it's only connectivity to 'upload' the pictures it takes (and the weather-data) is via the AT & T GSM-cell-modem that was 'broke' ( most probably because of the amount of HEAT on this beach-front area ).
We used kayaks instead of our little motor-boat because the motor boat's engine 'sizzled' it's ignition (at least that is what I think (copious smoke pouring out from under the flywheel)) - the sizzling stopped when I pulled the battery-cable-off...
Mr._Bill (and possibly Ms._May to 'help-out') will probably have to go back to this site later this week (or next (depends on when someone gets us a new GSM-cell-modem (from AT & T))... We HOPE - when we go back to get a ride on the water-taxi / beach-shuttle from a nearby 'gated' community - we HOPE we can convince them to ride us over to the beach and back instead of having to travel in kayaks as we did yesterday. It's only a mile and a quarter paddle (less than 20 minutes) but the hassle of loading / unloading / washing / taking-down / putting-up / tying down on the car can all be eliminated if they would give us a ride!?
Ms._Bear is becoming more well integrated into our family - here she is showing off her fashion-scarf (borrowed from Ms._May...)
One trip I made recently was to spend a couple of days at the 'office' in Miami, where someone had to leave for a couple of days to deal with a death in the family. While I was there in the office I was able to view a lot of their spares, their test equipment and such.
They have some really terrific equipment.
They also have a LOT of Windows XP PCs - (all our cameras run on Windows XP PCs (SBCs (Single Board Computers))). However, some of their BIG HONKING HARDWARE is really special, this is one of them...
I also received, this week, a box of buckles and other things to make tie-down-straps (for this, that, and the other). Some I've made straps for - some I haven't (the above picture the 1" strap-buckles (to the left) I already had). I got, in this box, 1 1/2" and 2" wide metal buckles, and some plastic "Super (size) LadderLoc" buckles "LadderLoc" is someone's trade-name but these are 2" wide and very very strong plastic - one could tie-down a lot of things with these buckles...
On our typical (before pancakes and bacon) Sunday morning ride, we really hadn't intended to spend too much time, but a couple of things happened that caused our ride-delay...
We met-up with someone whom Ms._May seemed to know - and he wanted something to eat. So we fed him the better part of one of Mr._Bill's granola bars. He was VERY appreciative and grunted, mildly at the tastiness of this un-expected breakfast. Here's another picture...
Then we met the very first trike I'd ever seen on the Jupiter Island road - in 18 months I'd NEVER met another trike until this morning - Sorry, we have no picture - but he seemed to be a really nice guy with a 'TerraTrike" with an 8 speed - in the hub gear (no derailuer) on his rear-hub and no shifter on the front crankset, either. We enlightened him to the pleasures (and the risks) of the Lake_Okeechobee_Scenic_Trail (_L.O.S.T._). We hope he'll call us some day and then we can enjoy a ride together...
I was saddened, last month, to discover some 'animal abuse' here in Florida - it happens everywhere...
HOWEVER, there's always some 'good' that comes out of almost everything? - This morning, on my TriceQ ride (I'd left home about 06:10 a.m.) - I found that the Animal Abusers were having a Garage Sale and they were offering-up Ms. Bear, for the wonderous price of $4.00 - so - needless to say I brought her home (no, I did NOT cycle home with her on the Tricycle (it was 8 miles - I might have gotten some funny looks!))
I've done some "sponge bathing" for her, and she's a little cleaner, now and drying in the warm Florida sun...
She's a WELCOME NEW MEMBER of our family, and she'll keep a close eye on the bunny rabbits, the raccoons, possums, and other such wildlife as we manage to have accumulated around here...
- She might have to have her own trailer behind the TriceQ since she seems quite a bit too big for the trike (along with me?!)
anyway - I'm now the 'proud owner' of Ms. Bear!
more Bear Pictures (I could over-load you but I won't): Bear sitting on 'Dai Fui Tong' Bear drying after brief bath
HEREIN I re-publish an EXCELLENT picture of my sister's Friend Mr._Ben who owns a VERY NICE, exclusive, expensive Spa_in_Austin,_Texas... Small Mr._Ben Large Mr._Ben
AND - also found this sunrise this morning before I got to Ms. Bear... ( (MUCH) larger version of the sunrise )
Well - it was actually 31 May, but we'll put the 'stuff' here on June's web-page...
Mr._Bill managed 582 miles in 18 rides in May, 2010, that's a lot of riding - maybe too much? - we'll see?
Here's the ((last month of May) ride): 'image-file' (track-log from GPS, overlain on top of the "Google Earth" image), and here's the ...kml file in case you want to 'play' with that... - warning - this is a BORING track-log-file because it was around the Lake (Okeechobee) - so it's pretty predictable...
We'll do this ride again, in less than a month - 53 miles is not a bad ride, but one thing about the "L.O.S.T." (Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail) is that the wind (strangely enough) comes from In FRONT of you - regardless of which direction you ride. This is a documented fact and - well - UGH UGH UGH...
a 'Red Tree' - this is from 'last month' (May, 2010) - and it's called a "Flamboyant" or a "Royal Poinciana" and they are VERY POPULAR around here... They are blooming all around Stuart, Hobe Sound, Jupiter, etc. right now and they are GORGEOUS, and they are RED, RED, RED, and even though the iPhone camera is pretty good - it does not even come close to capturing the brilliant, deep, dark, wonderful red of the blossoms on this tree!
My friend down "South" (Mr._Gary) has done a STELLAR JOB of photographing these trees, try his web-site here.
======================================================================================
Life in south Florida has it's 'ups and downs' - we discovered, yesterday, some 'animal abuse' - it was very very sad - but - well - it happens, I guess. (Picture NOT for the "Faint of Heart") - HOWEVER, the bright-side is that today I discovered just the opposite, - animal love!. - so - enjoy
abuse of animals (not very large) Animal (Ms. Maggie) Love and Tenderness LOTs of Love and Tenderness (much bigger-image)
Lesson to learn; do NOT leave your garage door open if you tend to 'abuse' your animals;
AND: if you think the "Love and Tenderness" picture looks a 'little' skewed' (or funny) you are NOT WRONG - this is an 'artifact' (near as I can describe it) of digital camera(s) (this one on my iPhone) when digital cameras (especially in-expensive ones) take a picture of a 'moving-object' things do NOT LOOK CORRECT. So it's not that you are getting old or can't see or need glasses (or maybe a new computer) this IS A FUNKY IMAGE - don't worry about your eyes (but maybe worry about your digital camera...)
Oh Oh OH OH _ almost forgot - met this guy while riding my TriceQ today (Saturday, 29th) and he said he desperately wanted to be on my web-site so here he is:! small_picture Largerester_picture
This picture is (kind of boring, huh?) of the new 0.8 mile long 'bicycle-path' that the Martin County government just completed... Mr._Bill has been riding on it now, nearly a week. It's the 'final-piece' in about 50-80 miles of a bicycle-pathway (some of which is sidewalk, some of which is bike-lane on roadways), and this one, this tiny little (0.8 mile) segment was 'missing' and this was a VERY DANGEROUS road, before.
Now with the new bicycle-path - it's MUCH SAFER!
I've spoken with some of the supervisors, workers, etc. and they say that there is a 'move afoot' to attempt to find funding to make a better bike-path along A1A all the way down to where it joins US-1. IF they are able to do this there is a WHOLE LOT OF Bicyle People that will be VERY VERY HAPPY!
Speaking of 'TriceQ' things - I seem to have 'outdone myself' and managed 582 miles in the month of May (for an overall total of about 6,500, (I'm now at about 6,900). That seems a 'lot' so I'm cutting-back a bit from roughly 20 hours a week on the Trike to roughly 10-14 hours a week - that should bring the mileage down some, we'll see how June goes...
We finally got the AT & T modem-situation resolved on the 29th (LATE!)
On the night of the 29th I lost a gold tooth-cap (luckily I did NOT swallow-it!) - so that meant on the MORNING of the 30th I was at the dentist's at 07:20 a.m. and out by 07:35 a.m. - and we made it to the place for the 'beach-shuttle' (or larger picture) before 09:00 a.m.. The lady that drove the shuttle arrived about 09:20 a.m. and off we went...
and we were on the beach, working, by 09:40 (and a close-up of "working" (or bigger)) and done with this job and back home by 1 p.m. and I had to go to ANOTHER beach (or larger version of the picture) to do some more work - - so it was a BUSY DAY!
However, while waiting at Hobe_Sound_National_Wildlife_Refuge for the 'beach-shuttle' Ms._May lounged, beautifully on this tree, - she's also written a 'blog-post' about our 'adventure' on the island. Her blog-post can be seen here.
Life in the engineering department at the _BeachClub_ goes on and on and on...
Whoops - sorry - I had to 'engineer' something for my upcoming trip to work on a 'beach-cam'... This little 'rig' is just what it looks-like - except the box (with my tools, spares, keyboard, monitor, mouse (for the computer)) goes where I am now sitting, when I 'pull it across the sand-dunes' to where I'm going to (where the beach-cam is!). The (very tastefully done) umbrella was Ms._May's idea - but it will significantly help me be able to SEE the computer-monitor in the BRIGHT SUN that is typical of Florida Beaches in the summer! This is probably version 5 or 10 or something like that, if one thinks in software terms - but it is probably almost finished at this point - not much else I can do to improve it!...
Oh - while we are 'working' on the beach we have to make sure NOT to step-on this little-guy... He (maybe she, we didn't look!) - is a protected / endangered species, and we have to be careful not to disturb he (she / it?)
Today is Sunday, 20th - and we did another 20 something miles on our tricycles, this morning - before pancakes and bacon...
We've had some interesting times this past couple of weeks...
Mr._Bill & Mr._Nick (we're sometimes called the 'A-Team' (for our 'success-rate') - tried (but ultimately failed)) at getting this (very remote) web-cam back up and running - the weather - the Verizon people, the AT & T GSM-cell-modem and other things got in the way. - A couple of pictures - ( Mr._Nick at the base of the pole, and - more Mr._Nick dealing with 'cables' to get the monitor, mouse, and keyboard all hooked-up to the computer-board... ) notice Mr. _Nick's 'chair' and the other in the background.
Note this web-camera / beach-camera is ENTIRELY self-contained. There is NO power to the camera from the ground (it gets all it's power via the two solar-array-panels you see mounted on the pole), and it's only connectivity to 'upload' the pictures it takes (and the weather-data) is via the AT & T GSM-cell-modem that was 'broke' ( most probably because of the amount of HEAT on this beach-front area ).
We used kayaks instead of our little motor-boat because the motor boat's engine 'sizzled' it's ignition (at least that is what I think (copious smoke pouring out from under the flywheel)) - the sizzling stopped when I pulled the battery-cable-off...
Mr._Bill (and possibly Ms._May to 'help-out') will probably have to go back to this site later this week (or next (depends on when someone gets us a new GSM-cell-modem (from AT & T))... We HOPE - when we go back to get a ride on the water-taxi / beach-shuttle from a nearby 'gated' community - we HOPE we can convince them to ride us over to the beach and back instead of having to travel in kayaks as we did yesterday. It's only a mile and a quarter paddle (less than 20 minutes) but the hassle of loading / unloading / washing / taking-down / putting-up / tying down on the car can all be eliminated if they would give us a ride!?
Ms._Bear is becoming more well integrated into our family - here she is showing off her fashion-scarf (borrowed from Ms._May...)
One trip I made recently was to spend a couple of days at the 'office' in Miami, where someone had to leave for a couple of days to deal with a death in the family. While I was there in the office I was able to view a lot of their spares, their test equipment and such.
They have some really terrific equipment.
They also have a LOT of Windows XP PCs - (all our cameras run on Windows XP PCs (SBCs (Single Board Computers))). However, some of their BIG HONKING HARDWARE is really special, this is one of them...
I also received, this week, a box of buckles and other things to make tie-down-straps (for this, that, and the other). Some I've made straps for - some I haven't (the above picture the 1" strap-buckles (to the left) I already had). I got, in this box, 1 1/2" and 2" wide metal buckles, and some plastic "Super (size) LadderLoc" buckles "LadderLoc" is someone's trade-name but these are 2" wide and very very strong plastic - one could tie-down a lot of things with these buckles...
On our typical (before pancakes and bacon) Sunday morning ride, we really hadn't intended to spend too much time, but a couple of things happened that caused our ride-delay...
We met-up with someone whom Ms._May seemed to know - and he wanted something to eat. So we fed him the better part of one of Mr._Bill's granola bars. He was VERY appreciative and grunted, mildly at the tastiness of this un-expected breakfast. Here's another picture...
Then we met the very first trike I'd ever seen on the Jupiter Island road - in 18 months I'd NEVER met another trike until this morning - Sorry, we have no picture - but he seemed to be a really nice guy with a 'TerraTrike" with an 8 speed - in the hub gear (no derailuer) on his rear-hub and no shifter on the front crankset, either. We enlightened him to the pleasures (and the risks) of the Lake_Okeechobee_Scenic_Trail (_L.O.S.T._). We hope he'll call us some day and then we can enjoy a ride together...
I was saddened, last month, to discover some 'animal abuse' here in Florida - it happens everywhere...
HOWEVER, there's always some 'good' that comes out of almost everything? - This morning, on my TriceQ ride (I'd left home about 06:10 a.m.) - I found that the Animal Abusers were having a Garage Sale and they were offering-up Ms. Bear, for the wonderous price of $4.00 - so - needless to say I brought her home (no, I did NOT cycle home with her on the Tricycle (it was 8 miles - I might have gotten some funny looks!))
I've done some "sponge bathing" for her, and she's a little cleaner, now and drying in the warm Florida sun...
She's a WELCOME NEW MEMBER of our family, and she'll keep a close eye on the bunny rabbits, the raccoons, possums, and other such wildlife as we manage to have accumulated around here...
- She might have to have her own trailer behind the TriceQ since she seems quite a bit too big for the trike (along with me?!)
anyway - I'm now the 'proud owner' of Ms. Bear!
more Bear Pictures (I could over-load you but I won't): Bear sitting on 'Dai Fui Tong' Bear drying after brief bath
HEREIN I re-publish an EXCELLENT picture of my sister's Friend Mr._Ben who owns a VERY NICE, exclusive, expensive Spa_in_Austin,_Texas... Small Mr._Ben Large Mr._Ben
AND - also found this sunrise this morning before I got to Ms. Bear... ( (MUCH) larger version of the sunrise )
Well - it was actually 31 May, but we'll put the 'stuff' here on June's web-page...
Mr._Bill managed 582 miles in 18 rides in May, 2010, that's a lot of riding - maybe too much? - we'll see?
Here's the ((last month of May) ride): 'image-file' (track-log from GPS, overlain on top of the "Google Earth" image), and here's the ...kml file in case you want to 'play' with that... - warning - this is a BORING track-log-file because it was around the Lake (Okeechobee) - so it's pretty predictable...
We'll do this ride again, in less than a month - 53 miles is not a bad ride, but one thing about the "L.O.S.T." (Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail) is that the wind (strangely enough) comes from In FRONT of you - regardless of which direction you ride. This is a documented fact and - well - UGH UGH UGH...
a 'Red Tree' - this is from 'last month' (May, 2010) - and it's called a "Flamboyant" or a "Royal Poinciana" and they are VERY POPULAR around here... They are blooming all around Stuart, Hobe Sound, Jupiter, etc. right now and they are GORGEOUS, and they are RED, RED, RED, and even though the iPhone camera is pretty good - it does not even come close to capturing the brilliant, deep, dark, wonderful red of the blossoms on this tree!
My friend down "South" (Mr._Gary) has done a STELLAR JOB of photographing these trees, try his web-site here.
======================================================================================
Life in south Florida has it's 'ups and downs' - we discovered, yesterday, some 'animal abuse' - it was very very sad - but - well - it happens, I guess. (Picture NOT for the "Faint of Heart") - HOWEVER, the bright-side is that today I discovered just the opposite, - animal love!. - so - enjoy
abuse of animals (not very large) Animal (Ms. Maggie) Love and Tenderness LOTs of Love and Tenderness (much bigger-image)
Lesson to learn; do NOT leave your garage door open if you tend to 'abuse' your animals;
AND: if you think the "Love and Tenderness" picture looks a 'little' skewed' (or funny) you are NOT WRONG - this is an 'artifact' (near as I can describe it) of digital camera(s) (this one on my iPhone) when digital cameras (especially in-expensive ones) take a picture of a 'moving-object' things do NOT LOOK CORRECT. So it's not that you are getting old or can't see or need glasses (or maybe a new computer) this IS A FUNKY IMAGE - don't worry about your eyes (but maybe worry about your digital camera...)
Oh Oh OH OH _ almost forgot - met this guy while riding my TriceQ today (Saturday, 29th) and he said he desperately wanted to be on my web-site so here he is:! small_picture Largerester_picture
This picture is (kind of boring, huh?) of the new 0.8 mile long 'bicycle-path' that the Martin County government just completed... Mr._Bill has been riding on it now, nearly a week. It's the 'final-piece' in about 50-80 miles of a bicycle-pathway (some of which is sidewalk, some of which is bike-lane on roadways), and this one, this tiny little (0.8 mile) segment was 'missing' and this was a VERY DANGEROUS road, before.
Now with the new bicycle-path - it's MUCH SAFER!
I've spoken with some of the supervisors, workers, etc. and they say that there is a 'move afoot' to attempt to find funding to make a better bike-path along A1A all the way down to where it joins US-1. IF they are able to do this there is a WHOLE LOT OF Bicyle People that will be VERY VERY HAPPY!
Speaking of 'TriceQ' things - I seem to have 'outdone myself' and managed 582 miles in the month of May (for an overall total of about 6,500, (I'm now at about 6,900). That seems a 'lot' so I'm cutting-back a bit from roughly 20 hours a week on the Trike to roughly 10-14 hours a week - that should bring the mileage down some, we'll see how June goes...
AND - I passed the "G.R.O.L." test (elements 1 & 3 (124 questions) on Friday, 2 April, down in Ft. Lauderdale... It is considerably more work, questions, study, electronic theory, etc. than any of the Amateur Radio tests were, and I've been studying the "G.R.O.L." material for nearly 3 months... - here's a Wikipedia Link if you're interested to learn more about this 'advanced' FCC license... I'm hoping to pass other elements (7, 8, 9 (about 200 questions)) late in June, that will give me even more useless pieces of paper to hang on my wall...
Mr._Bill's best hang-gliding-flight (Ever) - see the FlightLog.Org web-page, here...
and-or see the track-log over Google Earth Image(s), here... small_image larger_image (1 megabyte)
Archived BeachWeb monthly site(s): Click here for a list of the archived months
Some people have asked, WHERE can I FIND, "X" - whatever the heck "X" is?; but in my case - these two things are being asked about...
The "Tire Changing Web-Page" and/or the VANC (VikingAsia (Networks and Computers)) Consulting) web-page.
AND / OR if you 'WANT' (or desire or need or have an 'urge' for something you don't see, then you can e-mail me at: bill@vikingasia.org
Archived BeachWeb monthly site(s): Click here for a list of the archived months
Some people have asked, WHERE can I FIND, "X" - whatever the heck "X" is?; but in my case - these two things are being asked about...
The "Tire Changing Web-Page" and/or the VANC (VikingAsia (Networks and Computers)) Consulting) web-page.
AND / OR if you 'WANT' (or desire or need or have an 'urge' for something you don't see, then you can e-mail me at: bill@vikingasia.org
updated: 17:48 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 June, 2010 - from the Macintosh "G5" - revID: 1m