On The Fly

Views of Summer Summer is upon us; officially, the summer solstice occurs today  at 6:34 p.m. EDT. With a midwest twang severely off-key, I’m out the front door; earbuds plugged in, arms pumping, on my routine early morning walk. Of course, I must look ridiculous and sound even worse echoing the chorus of -  Sunshine on my Shoulder, makes me happy . . . Thankfully, there’s no one else on the streets.  According to Ker Than in an article for National Geographic, “The solstice is the result of Earth's north-south axis being tilted 23.4 degrees relative to the ecliptic. This tilt causes different amounts of sunlight to reach different regions of the planet during Earth's year-long orbit around the sun." Translation, daylight lasts until after 8:00 p.m. in Southern California. T his year, the first of many, I’m planning to spend my summer in California. Now, I can hear you say, “Ok, what’s the big deal, don’t you live in California?” Yes, but every June, for t...

In this episode - Re-Discovery . . . Dateline March 1989 - Surrounded by a city of motor homes that sprung up overnight in the middle of a normally wind-swept California desert, the question on everyone’s mind was, “How will we know when the space shuttle arrives?” While searching for something to share this week, I was reminded of a significant event 54 years ago. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 successfully landed on the Moon. This event reminded me of how much the space program had captivated me. As someone who enjoys reading science fiction, witnessing mankind's greatest achievement was not a fictional experience. Edwards Air Force Base 1989 Twenty years later, Lori, my friend Bill Videto, and I embarked on a two-hour drive from Santa Monica, CA., to Edwards Air Force Base, hoping to witness the Space Shuttle Discovery touched down in California - weather permitting. Otherwise, the landing would be diverted to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Fortunately, luck was on our...

Cruise Compass “Good evening, Patrick and Lori did you have a fabulous day?” says our head waiter AJ as Charles the assistant waiter pours our drinks. “Tonight the chef recommends the lobster tail, we begin with a fresh seafood salad; prawns, shrimp, and mussels. Of course you’re welcome to order anything you like from the menu.” It was formal night, day two of our seven day cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage on Rhapsody of the Seas. No need for the steward to seat us, our table for four was ready and our traveling partners Bill and Linda were already seated. Quickly, we were made to feel like family aboard the ship. The service unprecedented, the food exquisite. We were on our way to the first port of call - Juneau, Alaska. Now, I’m inclined to candid here, a cruise vacation? My first day aboard ship, I’m not to sure about all this. For readers of this blog our vacations always involved; hiking the mountains, bicycling, driving, exploring, and physical activity. Not this ...