How to fill time in retirement

When you live on the Space Coast and you are retired, you go to see a launch when they happen. Today, an Atlas was being launched from Cape Canaveral, so I headed to my favorite spot to take photos, Jetty Park. It isn't my favorite spot because of the views of the launch, but because there are so many other things to take pictures of while waiting for the launch. I like to talk to people, and normally, I look like I belong so people have a tendency to ask me questions about the launch. Part of my enjoyment! I like taking pictures of birds but all my friends know that by now. I mean, look at this pelican! There are knowledge and experience that appears through the baby blue eyes. The jetty rocks have lots of pelicans and other birds too. When I was in the Galapagos, a female Doctor from New York City asked the Ecuadorian guide "Why do you paint the rocks white?" Of course, he answered that they don't, that it was "bird dung". It seems they paint t...

When I retired, as you probably know, I got an annual membership to Brevard Zoo. I usually try to go once a month and sometimes twice. There are changes and special exhibits, but most of the animals are the same and I have tons of photos of many of them. So, how do I keep myself interested when visiting the Zoo? Well, one way is to talk to people including the volunteers and zookeepers. Two things were of interest this last visit. First, was a change with the emus in the Land of Change section of the Zoo. As I was walking the boardwalk I noticed that the female emu was right next to the fence... That is the railing right next to her nose. I was not sure if she would peck at me if I leaned over the rail while taking the photograph. I also saw there was fresh food in this obscure area. Why would they do that? Then I saw another emu lying right next to the fence. I took a photo looking straight down... I passed a little and tried to get another shot. His head was facing ...

I really like sushi and sashimi. The love of this food did not begin until I had moved to Florida after graduating college. In Vermont, we consider sushi to be good bait.  I do not think I had much before that, maybe some while in Hawaii visiting my sister as a kid. But I know I started to go to a place in Satellite Beach when I first started at ENSCO. I have forgotten the name of the place but we were regulars. Peter Fortunato and Michael Sonnier are the two who really got me to try new things. The staff at the unnamed beach restaurant moved to a bigger place in Melbourne called Miyakos. That became our regular place for sushi. Miyakos restaurant was torn down a few years ago and replaced with an Einstein Bagel. I think there was just too much competition for them to survive. Once, they were the only place. Now, there are plenty of Thai/Japanese restaurants. Before retiring, I was a regular for lunch at Bonzai. It got to the point when I walked in my order was a...

It is always fun, now that I have retired, to be there when someone new retires. I want to send them this Blog as a means to ease them into their new life. The discussion is always "I am so busy how did I ever have time to go to work." Dr. Greg Taylor started at ENSCO back in 1984. Al Siegel knew him from college and brought him to Indian Harbour Beach, the small town where our Division office was located. It is hard to turn down a job when the office is on A1A and across the street from the ocean... Al Siegel, Greg Taylor, and Joe Vervier The luncheon was being held at River Rocks in Rockledge, and I was one of the first to arrive with Greg arriving behind me. We walked in together to the "middle room," a place set up for the 20 people that were expected. There were going to be people from ENSCO's current and past. Dr. Norm Bush talks with Nancy Provoncha Norm was our Division Manager back when Greg was hired, and he went on to become President of ...