I first moved to Florida in October of 2007. Here are some of my reflections of living here for the past 11 years. [continue reading…]

Hi everybody! I just wanted to remind you that based on all my previous years of living in Florida, we are now heading into the most glorious time of year.

My son and I started the day a little late, waking up about 9:30am. After looking out the window and seeing sheets of rain I began to settle in. Then I realized that is what we’ve done for the last three weekends. We got the rain slickers put together, packed one for my wife on the off chance she finishes work early, and then headed out.

I come across a real gem every once in a while. This time it was in the form of a book, Ghost Towns of Florida by James R. Warnke. But what makes this special isn’t necessarily the content of the book, but the spirit of the book.

Florida has beaches, springs, space shuttles, and Disney World—there is an overabundance of places to see and explore. Yet, despite this there has been one object that has risen above the rest to symbolize Florida: The Pink Flamingo.

There are anywhere from 1-2 million alligators in Florida. And since 1948, there have been over 300 recorded alligator bites, 22 of them ending in death. The chances of you getting attacked are slim, but it is best to be prepared. Because if you’re like me; you love exploring every inch of Florida, including swampy, alligator-heavy backlands.

Here’s a great shot of Florida from NASA, taken on Shuttle Mission STS-95, October 31, 1998.

When I’m exploring I like to go-go-go! but that’s not always going to be the case while being a father. Several months ago we visited the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs on Dodecanese Avenue.