The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[Rustyoznail]

Fine and sunny with a top of 14 C today.

This morning, for work related purposes this morning I'm flying a small drone to photograph a couple of stormwater drains that have been constructed down a cliff face to the ocean. After heavy rain the cliff can move, so a standard check is to make sure the drain is flowing. It's nearly a mile hike to get to one of the outlets from the closest access, and you have to do that at low tide. The drone is much safer.

 

[TxRad]

Don't forget your fishing gear, Rusty. I have a friend who surf fishes and uses a drone to drop his bait just outside the surf line for bull reds. In the past, we'd have to wade out shoulder deep to cast far enough to get past the surf line.

Since I'm here, I'll make the evening coffee.

Supper will be grilled pork chops, mashed taters, and green beans.

 

[ishtat]

Don't forget your fishing gear, Rusty. I have a friend who surf fishes and uses a drone to drop his bait just outside the surf line for bull reds. In the past, we'd have to wade out shoulder deep to cast far enough to get past the surf line.

That sounds as hazardous as Rock Fishing. Fishing from the rocks on Australia's east coast takes more lives every year than any other sport or recreation. It takes more lives than any of our supposedly lethal wildlife, and unfortunately, seems to claim an unusual number of new migrants who don't seem to realize how unpredictable the surf can be.

 

[TxRad]

Our surf here along this section of the gulf coast is pretty low and predictable unless there is a hurricane out and about. The main problem is the abundance of kelp washed in from the south Atlantic when the wind is from the southeast. The beach is sand but there are areas of clay in the surf that can be slick and slippery.

 

[NotWise]

The Gulf of Mexico is pretty much a big bathtub: tepid water, low surf, little tide, and flat beaches where the coast isn't marsh.

 

[Duleigh]

Good evening folks, I've got the midnight (EDT) pot of coffee brewing and I put on some water for those that need a dose of tea.

I just got back from my very first hurricane party, It started as the weekly billiards game (8 ball) then a 9 Ball tournament started, then a huge flock of workers from the nearby rail yard showed up and it became a hurricane party. Today is Tuesday, the hurricane isn't supposed to hit until Thursday, that's a 72 hour bender. Back in my early 20s I wouldn't have thought twice about a drunk like that, but not in this tired old body. I quickly beat the owner of the pool hall in 8-ball and beat feet to the home QTH.

 

[TxRad]

Duleigh. I can remember when it didn't even take a hurricane to start a party like that.

Thanks for making the coffee. I was distracted by some writing. Now I'm getting distracted by a lurking nap.

 

[sirhugs]

Just drinking my first coffee in a week. It sure tastes extra good...

 

[MrPixel]

Last month I started using an insulated carafe for refills at my desk. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing yet. It keeps me from having to make repeated trips to the kitchen counter just to keep the coffee in my cup semi-warm, but OTOH I'm even further glued to my chair.

38°F here this morning. I'm really not ready for this. 36° at the cabin, which is where we are heading this morning to expect a high of 63°. I'm OK with that as long as it isn't windy, C won't even leave the cabin (or will be all bundled up ) if it's below 70°. I hope the contractor has finished the heating system plumbing; it was left undone in the spring since he had to move on to other projects at the resort and we weren't going to need it... until today. The little fake fireplace is OK as a chill-chaser, but it's far less than adequate for heating the whole place. Ugh.

D, it's looking like Ian is a moderate rain & wind event for where you are. I feel badly for the folks in Ft. Myers, tho'.

 

[sirhugs]

Last month I started using an insulated carafe for refills at my desk. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing yet. It keeps me from having to make repeated trips to the kitchen counter just to keep the coffee in my cup semi-warm, but OTOH I'm even further glued to my chair.

38°F here this morning. I'm really not ready for this. 36° at the cabin, which is where we are heading this morning to expect a high of 63°. I'm OK with that as long as it isn't windy, C won't even leave the cabin (or will be all bundled up ) if it's below 70°. I hope the contractor has finished the heating system plumbing; it was left undone in the spring since he had to move on to other projects at the resort and we weren't going to need it... until today. The little fake fireplace is OK as a chill-chaser, but it's far less than adequate for heating the whole place. Ugh.

D, it's looking like Ian is a moderate rain & wind event for where you are. I feel badly for the folks in Ft. Myers, tho'.

frosty here.

 

[Duleigh]

Wow, Ian suddenly jumped to Cat 5, only 4 other Cat 5s have hit the US Coast. Folks in the path were told to evacuate 2 days ago, I hope they took the warning seriously, Tom Brady moved his family from Tampa Bay south to Miami, Personally I would have headed NORTH so there would be an escape route. The first city in North America, St Augustine (founded 1565) has been ordered to evacuate.

Any idea how long it takes to get a poem posted? Is it like an edit submission where it's left to slowly age until the author forgets he wrote it?

 

[Rustyoznail]

Mine took a couple of weeks. Also, the Halloween comp entries will be flooding in and taking time to process.

 

[Duleigh]

Mine took a couple of weeks. Also, the Halloween comp entries will be flooding in and taking time to process.

Rgr dat, + Amorous Goods - it's a busy week to be a porn reading bot.

 

[TxRad]

I'll make the lunch time coffee.

I slept through breakfast and I think lunch will be a bologna sandwich and chips.

D, you're on the clean side of the storm so you should be in pretty good shape. No dog paddling for you. Some rain and wind as the storm crawls northeast.

 

[Duleigh]

I'll make the lunch time coffee.

I slept through breakfast and I think lunch will be a bologna sandwich and chips.

D, you're on the clean side of the storm so you should be in pretty good shape. No dog paddling for you. Some rain and wind as the storm crawls northeast.

View attachment 2179487

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Sometimes you see these thread titles in the Story Ideas forum and you just hope that no one is going to answer, so it can quietly drop off the first page.
(And no, in general the first post does not make it sound any better, if anything, it usually makes it worse).

Also 'coffee', and by 'coffee' I mean at this time of the day, 'beer'.

 

[Duleigh]

View attachment 2179547

Spare Power just for toys (tablets, laptops, phones, etc) there's a gas generator for my oxygen machine, the fridge and freezer, propane tanks for the camp stove and grill.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

View attachment 2179547

Spare Power just for toys (tablets, laptops, phones, etc) there's a gas generator for my oxygen machine, the fridge and freezer, propane tanks for the camp stove and grill.

Is the generator safe from flooding?

 

[Duleigh]

Is the generator safe from flooding?

I'm actually in the high point of Florida, we are 50 entire feet (15 meters) above sea level and pretty far inland. I don't even think I'll be needed to open up the emergency communications office in City Hall. I'm the guy with a ham license in town to operate the comms should phone and internet go out, which, with Comcast, is a guaranteed occurrence.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

I'm actually in the high point of Florida, we are 50 entire feet (15 meters) above sea level and pretty far inland. I don't even think I'll be needed to open up the emergency communications office in City Hall. I'm the guy with a ham license in town to operate the comms should phone and internet go out, which, with Comcast, is a guaranteed occurrence.

What's a ham license? I assume it does not involve pork or chewing the scenery.

 

[Duleigh]

What's a ham license? I assume it does not involve pork or chewing the scenery.

It's a nickname given to Amateur Radio Operators. As part of a deal with the Federal Communications Commission we get exclusive rights to operate radios on specific portions of the radio spectrum if we return that largess with service to the community. Right now I'm listening to the SARNet, the Statewide Amateur Radio Network, (442.900 MHz) and there's a lot of emergency traffic being passed, and work being done in the storm area. Right now most is weather updates to communities that lost their method of communications. Another example: A town lost internet to their police department, and we had the internet provider out fixing the outtage before the town was able to contact the internet company themselves. Right now, SARNet is trying to get rescue for two people stranded on Sanabell Island, that island was completely underwater, the woman who called the request for rescue sounded terrified, but her training worked, and the rescue is happening as I type this

Our communications methods are "old fashion," but we're not tied to public utilities like power, phone, internet. Morse code may seem archaic, but no matter how noisy the radio band gets, morse will go through, and it's amazing how well a bunch of amateurs can work together.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Ah OK, Radio Com back-up.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Good on you, Duleigh.

 

[NotWise]

It's been a stellar day so far.

I had a biopsy done last week and the results came in this morning -- clean. Yay! I think. Being benign limits the number of treatment options.

Had a zoom call schedule for early afternoon and spent the run-up to it doing data archeology on an old project. Got it done on time. The call was for a client we've had since 1988, but without much work to do in the last five years. It was good to "see" the boss, who now counts as an old friend. He's about four years older than I am and slated for retirement at the end of October. Like mine, his hair is whiter and thinner than it was the last time we talked.

Went for my one-mile walk after the call. It was a beautiful, mild afternoon with just a breath of a breeze and a few puffy clouds going by.

I drove through a sun shower on the way home and got a look back at its bright, full rainbow.

Now if I could just get more writing done.

 

[TxRad]

And with that public service announcement, I'll make the evening coffee.

Not to rub it in or anything but it's 87 with a light wind and sunny skies until the sun goes down. A low of 61 tonight.

I've spent most of the day binging on the last two seasons of Roswell that I somehow missed.