Well, hello once again. It is May 21, 2019 and I am going to attempt to re-Kindle my life in the Florida Keys and beyond. Patience My friends a lot has happened since my last post.

AROUND THE BLOCK WITH ROLAND AND I ABOARD PUFFIN

WE CALL IT,  "SAILING AROUND THE BLOCK"

Yesterday, my friend Roland and me took a sail that we have come to call "around the block". The sail usually takes us on a course that makes a circuit around several Keys and varies from a few miles to many miles, like yesterday. Our "around the block" yesterday covered about 25 - 27 miles when all was said and done. These sails invariably play the predicted winds and any shifts that might take place later in the day. It was a great day to be on the Florida Bay/Everglades National Park.

When we started the winds were SE at 12 (we were headed NW at that time) and were scheduled to turn SW by three O'clock, (we were headed S at this time) which they did. By using the wind direction prediction were able to chart our course so we had very little windward work .

Roland looking out over the Florida Bay

Our around the block course, 25 - 27 Mi.



BACK FROM THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...2500 MILES LATER.

JUST BACK FORM A 2500 MILE BIKE TRIP TO THE GREAT SMOKY'S

Our trip 2500 miles include stops in:

Elkins, WVA

Maggie Valley, NC

Nashville, TN

Lynchburg, TN

Gatlinburg, TN

Hillville, VA

Onancock, VA

Back to NJ

Arriving at Jack Daniels Distillery in  Lynchburg, TN

A traditional still setup

Maturing the brew in wooden barrels

Filtration process through charcoal, the mellowing process

Jack was not a tall fellow

Lynchburg is not only a small town but a dry one as well. You cannot buy a drink anywhere in town.

Wood ricks used to make the charcoal for the mellowing process

Burning the charcoal

The end of the charcoal making process, charcoal

The original fire fighting truck at Jack Daniels, just in case

Looking into the underground spring that feeds pure water to the distillery

This spring has been providing water for over one hundred years

The Man, Jack Daniels

Pas and present Distillers

What you get if you buy a barrel of Single Barrel Jack, for a mere $9000.00

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$ 200.00 will buy this set of seven beers

Maggie Valley, NC

Our first stop, Maggie Valley

A stop at Clingman's Dome, Smoky National Park

On top of Old Smoky

Riding in the clouds most of the day.

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T one rest stop, a new friend paid a visit

The Cape May - Lewes Ferry, the last leg of our Journey

We did get some rain, not enough to put a damper on the trip

A dry bike is a happy bike

Pictures in the Nook.

After receiving a request to provide some information on the pictures in my Tiny House ,  here is some background information to explain.

My first "Puffin", a Marshall Sanderling, 1970. Leaving the Harbor.

While beach combing in the 70's, I came across this glove nestled in a bed of sea shells.

A Christmas card from one of my co-workers, he was an Art teacher and this was his way of sending Seasons Greetings. The subject was a beach scene from near his home along the Shore.

One of my Japanese, Artist friends did this ink drawing for me. The subject, a traditional Japanese fishing boat.

This is the house and property where I grew up, in a tiny seacoast town of Sea Girt, NJ. My father built this when he came back from a tour in the South Pacific, United States Navy Chief Petty Officer, Sea Bees.

A picture of another tiny house I found in a thrift store, it gave me some inspiration for my project.

The town of Sea Girt, one square mile, on the Atlantic, this was my favorite beach as a kid growing up.

My first attempt at a carving a half model.

Half model # 2

One of my better efforts, models usually face left to right, I did mine facing right to left.

Custom Built by Charles Best

To take the edge off a cool day or evening.

Our Futon, serves as a sofa during the day and a sleeping surface at night, very comfortable.

A clock given to me from my athletes during my coaching days.