This Morning’s Gift

Sunrise at Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Sunrises have gotten sort of cliche for me lately, but the chance for a sunrise at the beach still manages to get my attention. We spent last night at Fort Walton Beach, FL and I got myself up this morning to see what I was presented with. I gladly accepted this gift of a beautiful sunrise. The crescent moon, Venus and stars were an unexpected bonus!

Sunrise at Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Postcard From Fredericksburg, Texas

The Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas

This past weekend, Kathy & I spent some time in Fredericksburg, Texas, which is the heart of Texas wine country. Didn’t know Texas made wine? Well, sure ’nuff they do!

We stayed at a lovely motel located at the Gillespie County airport called the Hangar Hotel. It is styled after a WWII hangar from the 1940s, complete with an Officer’s Club bar and an airport diner. It was a great place to hang out for a few days, watching the planes come and go, including an impressive number of business prop and jet aircraft.

We’re in Florida now, getting ready for another cruise that starts Friday. More photos in the works!

Bonus Postcard! The Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas

Rescue At Sea

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

On the first day of our cruise we were at sea, headed to Costa Maya, Mexico. At some point in the afternoon we started to notice that the ship had slowed and started a big turn. As passengers realized this we started to wonder what was happening, and soon word started to spread that someone had spotted a stranded sailboat.

Soon the captain came on the PA and explained that we had passed a disabled boat and that the passengers were waving for help. It is a maritime rule that the closest vessel is obligated to perform a rescue, and that was us.

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

While the rescue was taking place, the cruise director kept asking for “no photos or videos,” which is a lost effort when everyone on board is carrying a camera! I took a few photos of the rescue, but they are heavily cropped. The one time on the cruise where I wish I had packed my long lens!

Turns out it wasn’t much of a sailboat. We learned the following day when the rescued people were turned over to Mexican authorities that they were refugees from Cuba, had been at sea for over a month, and had recently run out of food and water.

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

I can only imagine the desperation that people have that would make them want to undertake such an effort. I am thankful that any ship I sail on has plenty of food and water!

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

A Slice of Color From Belize

Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize

Kathy & I are in Fredericksburg, TX after our cruise on Norwegian Prima, and I just took time to look at my photos so far. We didn’t get off the ship in Costa Maya, Mexico because we got in to port late and the weather was iffy, which turned out to be the right move because it rained most of the time we were in port!

Our stop in Harvest Caye, Belize was cloudy and overcast, so I didn’t get any “postcard worthy” photos, but I did manage to find some slices of color in this interesting foliage.

I’ve taken a bunch more photos and will get them posted in due time!

Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize
Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize
Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize

Postcard From Space Center Houston

The Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, from which NASA led Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission as well as early space shuttle missions. Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Houston, We had no problem. 😉

Kathy & I visited the Space Center Houston Complex, including a tour of the Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, which was the Mission Control made famous with the saying, but also for the center used in all of the Apollo missions and many Shuttle missions. The center has been completely restored, down to the butts in the ashtrays on the consoles. The idea was to make the center look like the workers just got up and went home for the day.

The presentation included snippets from the Apollo 11 mission which landed on the moon. For a long-time space buff it was truly a memorable visit!

This photo also looks pretty good (possibly better) in B&W:

The Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, from which NASA led Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission as well as early space shuttle missions. Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Photographs and stuff!