Fade to Years End

Jake and I spent the last part of the year at our Valhalla Beach Shack. Highlights included:

50th High School Reunion

Celebrating high school reunions over the Thanksgiving weekend is a tradition. This year was number ‘five-o’ for me. It was a lot of fun, and I talked with people I have not spoken to since then. Thanks to the cheerleaders – still at it these many years later – for putting it on.

I went with many of the people there for all twelve years! Like me, their parents were brought in for the space program. I fondly remember walking single file down to the beach to watch the launches 🚀 with many of these folks. Interesting times indeed.

Meanwhile, back at the beach shack…

As immortalized on the album A1A released fifty years ago. RIP Mr. Buffett.

Oh Come All Ye Pastafarians! Ramen!

I finished the west wall of the living room to add some more mood lighting and a spot for my carved turtle.

A stroll downtown on Winter Solstice. Cool murals are everywhere now in our little tourist town.

Panama City Christmas Time

I spent Christmas with Dave & Lisa in Panama City. We got out in the boat several times, ate some delicious oysters, and feasted on Lisa’s culinary decadence!

Christmas Day Sunset over the Bayou

Falcon Heavy Night Launch

Elon and Co launch 🚀 top secret spy space plan into high orbit on a spectacular 🤩 evening!

Fall into Winter Sunsets

Special Note: The Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun – Perihelion – January 3-4. The orbit varies by about 3% over the course of the year at roughly 92 million miles. Now you know 🧐

Fall 2023 Family Visit

Theo and Carl came down to let Beezy and Grampy babysit! Oh Wow! Big Fun!

USCG Cutter Argus

Dave and Lisa got a great view of the launching of the US Coast Guard Cutter Argus. It is the first of four planned to be built at the plant nearby to where they live in Panama City.

myNoise

I have been working on some videos from our recent Excellent Adventure. I use iMovie, which is quite good once you get the hang of it. It has a good library of sounds, including music, but they really do not fit my style.

At the same time, I have been hunting for a good audio source to accompany my drumming. I can produce drone-like sounds typical of the Didgeridoo on my electronic drums. I like that it provides a backdrop without forcing me into a set rhythm or tempo.

Finally, I have been sleeping with white noise for many years now. I found that playing the background noise in the house adds a very pleasant yet non-intrusive touch.

Along comes myNoise. It was developed by a Dutch guy who is really crazy about sounds. Travels all over the world, recording and collaborating with other like-minded people. The result is like the answer to my dreams.

Sample Indian Drone

There is a catalog of hundreds of different titles. Each title can be manipulated to add, remove, or change the level of different components of the sound with slider controls. The slider controls can be animated to change levels over time cyclically. Pitch can be accurately controlled. You can play multiple titles together to create combined sounds. It is truly a remarkable piece of programming.

Hurricane Sunrise 🌅

Magnificent sunrise between the two Hurricanes. The sand blown off the Sahara that creates the storms enhances the effect.

More mid-Summer sunrises….

68

Other than it being my age, it is the largest known number to be the sum of two primes in exactly two different ways: 68 = 7 + 61 = 31 + 37.

I think it looks bold and ready for action!

Buckeye Whale Carving

Buckeye burl humpback whale with manzanita base. Carved by Bruce Stamp. Discovered at Forest Gems in Pt Townsend, WA.

🤩

🤡 Indicted

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Wouldn’t it be something if we elect the fucker after this?

Angry White Guy 2024 — Oh My God – Another Low-flow Shower Head!

Home

Most Excellent!

😎🐶

North Carolina

Despite the heavy rain, we left Memphis and headed for Nashville. An overnight there, and we were on our way to North Carolina.

Smokey Mountains near Waynesville and the Blue Ridge Parkway

The drive from Knoxville to Scaly Mountains through the Smokey Mountains was very scenic. We probably stopped at the trip’s most excellent rest stop, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Scaly Mountian

We enjoyed three nights with Dave, Lisa, and the Girls. We got a couple of great hikes in and enjoyed Lisa’s most excellent culinary delights! Jake got to say hi to his cousins Elly and Bonnie. And I finally made it up late enough to see the sunset!

Sunset from Easy Breezy – Dave and Lisa’s magnificent home in the mountains

We had a torrential downpour on the first afternoon! Lightning cracking all around! Poor Elly Mae was not a happy pupper!

The only thing left to do now is make it home. Wow. It’s hard to believe our nearly three months on the road are at an end. What a fantastic time it has been.