The weather has been nicely cool and breezy. Most mornings start with a fireball sunrise lighting up fishing trawlers and shoals of shore birds. Finally though this week Florida got some badly needed rain to ease the drought. Free natural car wash too!
Valentine's Day brought big hearts in the sand and a smaller one on Sweetie's trail. Unfortunately, the surprise gift I ordered online still hasn't arrived. Stay tuned, it's soooo romantic.
Pre-dawn the light is poor for photos from the balcony. But you can make out these hundreds of military doing stamina drills by running a mile with 50-pound packs. Some of them over-exerted. On the lighter side, life guards do rescue training that looks like fun.
Around the 'hood, there's bad news and good. On one hand, the high-profile community garden has been abandoned. On the positive side, the city has installed self-fixing stations along the bicycle trails. Something Toronto and elsewhere could copy ---- common tools and a secure air pump. Very smart.
But the big buzz is the start of Race Week leading up to next Sunday's Daytona 500, the SuperBowl of NASCAR racing. Lots of preliminary races, celebrity events, and of course merchandise tents. It all started about 100 years ago when the hotrodders raced on the long wide flat beaches. Motorcycles too.
At nearby Ponce Inlet the famed North (and South) Turn where the historic beach racers sped through on their return --- the original Back Straight! Yesterday the clock was turned back and the noise was turned up by restored vintage race cars. For a car guy, awesome history and fantastic machines rolled up in one. Holy Jalopy!
Heritage Indian motorcycles emerged from the sands of time, too. But (Q:) Why were the 2-wheelers all numbered 35?? (A.) All the bikes are from one family's racing team and the number is assigned to the team. Bikes #2, 3, and 4 are back-ups.
With the nostalgic smell of dirty exhaust and the noise of hundreds of horsepower, the beauties lined up for the green flag Start. Dogged determination!
The glorious "race"ended in front of us at the same checker-flagged Finish Line as a century ago. If these cars could talk, what would they say about the newfangled premium fuel? the bikinis? the drones?!? And just to be correct for the period, some had to be pushed over the line. Most of the crowd burst into applause for the excitement.
Valentine's Day brought big hearts in the sand and a smaller one on Sweetie's trail. Unfortunately, the surprise gift I ordered online still hasn't arrived. Stay tuned, it's soooo romantic.
Pre-dawn the light is poor for photos from the balcony. But you can make out these hundreds of military doing stamina drills by running a mile with 50-pound packs. Some of them over-exerted. On the lighter side, life guards do rescue training that looks like fun.
Around the 'hood, there's bad news and good. On one hand, the high-profile community garden has been abandoned. On the positive side, the city has installed self-fixing stations along the bicycle trails. Something Toronto and elsewhere could copy ---- common tools and a secure air pump. Very smart.
But the big buzz is the start of Race Week leading up to next Sunday's Daytona 500, the SuperBowl of NASCAR racing. Lots of preliminary races, celebrity events, and of course merchandise tents. It all started about 100 years ago when the hotrodders raced on the long wide flat beaches. Motorcycles too.
At nearby Ponce Inlet the famed North (and South) Turn where the historic beach racers sped through on their return --- the original Back Straight! Yesterday the clock was turned back and the noise was turned up by restored vintage race cars. For a car guy, awesome history and fantastic machines rolled up in one. Holy Jalopy!
Heritage Indian motorcycles emerged from the sands of time, too. But (Q:) Why were the 2-wheelers all numbered 35?? (A.) All the bikes are from one family's racing team and the number is assigned to the team. Bikes #2, 3, and 4 are back-ups.
With the nostalgic smell of dirty exhaust and the noise of hundreds of horsepower, the beauties lined up for the green flag Start. Dogged determination!
The glorious "race"ended in front of us at the same checker-flagged Finish Line as a century ago. If these cars could talk, what would they say about the newfangled premium fuel? the bikinis? the drones?!? And just to be correct for the period, some had to be pushed over the line. Most of the crowd burst into applause for the excitement.
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