Only In Florida

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:22 pm

The [QUOTE] feature is working just fine. Your errors are due to two mistakes.
1) Careless editing of the quoted message.
2) NOT using the [Preview] button.

I'll be waiting for your thank you.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:24 pm

Kat @ Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:15 am wrote:The vulture is a cousin to the eagle. They are - with hawks and falcons- part of the family of Falconiforms.

It's neat you-all look UP^^^
Not many people do- and thus they do not observe the things going on in the sky!

In Seminole county, near me, there is the largest nesting population of eagles in the state. I was actually watching 2 thru binolculars a couple of days ago!

Should that be "look up and dodge"? Wear a wide-brimmed washable hat.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:27 pm

1bigsteve @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:09 am wrote:It is easy for a review board to recommend a book but unfortunately the ones recommending the Brown book are not experts on the Borden case. As long as the book looks well written, has a nice cover, well, why not? Thats probably their thinking anyway. I don't think anyone here is a fan of Mr. Brown. Well, except for you-know-who.
...
-1bigsteve (o:

Where is your proof that those reviewers are ignorant? Please name a reference, if you can, or admit to your personal prejudices.

Any business who employs people like you describe is ripe for bankruptcy or a take-over. IMO

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:04 pm

RayS @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:27 am wrote:
1bigsteve @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:09 am wrote:It is easy for a review board to recommend a book but unfortunately the ones recommending the Brown book are not experts on the Borden case. As long as the book looks well written, has a nice cover, well, why not? Thats probably their thinking anyway. I don't think anyone here is a fan of Mr. Brown. Well, except for you-know-who.
...
-1bigsteve (o:
Where is your proof that those reviewers are ignorant? Please name a reference, if you can, or admit to your personal prejudices.

Any business who employs people like you describe is ripe for bankruptcy or a take-over. IMO

Ray, when someone asks you to provide proof or a reference you throw out a bunch of double talk that muddles the subject. Now you're asking me to provide a reference? Isn't that called "hypocrisy??" Besides, we're here to talk about Florida, a State I would love to visit one day.

But, I do like your idea of wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Maybe "look up and dodge" should be "keep your mouth closed and run?" Not that I talk from personal experience...

-1bigsteve (o:

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:53 pm

I have no problem answering those who question me.
But something like the "Library Journal" should be assumed to be more accurate than anyone here. I don't know much about them, except they are in the business of advising libraries as to the quality of books.

THEY are not on this site, so you should not ask them questions here.
I would like to hear what you found out about them.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:21 pm

RayS @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:53 pm wrote:I have no problem answering those who question me.
But something like the "Library Journal" should be assumed to be more accurate than anyone here. I don't know much about them, except they are in the business of advising libraries as to the quality of books.

THEY are not on this site, so you should not ask them questions here.
I would like to hear what you found out about them.

Ray: "I have no problem answering those who question me."

Me: Come now, Ray. Your answers often times don't make any sense. You muddle-up the subject, you're evassive. An example: Tracy asked you two very simple questions last month on another thread and you never gave a straight answer to either. I still have my Brown book near my monitor waiting.

Ray: "But something like the "Library Journal" should be assumed to be more accurate than anyone here."

Me: Why? About what? I was referring to their knowledge of the Borden case, not their "over-all" knowledge of choosing books for Libraries. Just because they may have chose Arnold's book dosen't mean it is the best book out there on Lizzie's case.

Ray: "I don't know much about them, except they are in the business of advising Libraries as to the quality of books."

Me: For a group that you admit not knowing much about, you sure seem to think very highly of, even (them) knowing more than anyone on this forum.

Ray: "THEY are not on this site, so you should not ask them questions here. I would like to hear what you found out about them."

Me: I had no plans to ask them anything. I'm sure they do the best they can with picking books for Libraries but when it comes to this murder case, choosing Arnold's book over others is NOT proof that Arnold was right and everyone else is wrong. He never produced proof. Nothing Arnold said in his book would have much of a chance of standing up in a court case. And that goes for all the other books as well.

Now, back to Florida. Kat, how do you like your house since you had it remodeled? I'll trade my run-down place for your's. Deal?

-1bigsteve (o:

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:37 am

Some of you have written Stefani and myself privately to find out how we fared over the 2nd of February, thru the tornado threats. Some of you have expressed concern here on the Forum.
I thank you all heartily for your caring queries!

I can't speak for Stefani, but I do know I was awake thru it all, watching the new technology on the local weather all night. They have this thing that shows the cloud tops in 3-D and shows a spinning oval. So I watched the tornadoes symbolized as these spinning ovals proceed to march toward the east coastline. There were reports called in of overturned semi's on I-4 and they closed the road. That was early on.

Then as the storm progressed, the weather/news had callers who phoned in after they were hit. So there was the weatherman giving us updates of the destruction moments after it happened. At one point they said there are deaths confirmed. So while I watched I knew people in my community were dying. They said some places were just "Gone" and they had been populated with families.

It was horrible to watch the weather map and hear the stories as they trickled in. At least the facts were filtered thru the professionals- they did not expose the viewing audience to first person phone calls or anything- but the news was relayed to us. So I watched a map while people were slaughtered in their sleep. It's unimaginable.

At 5:30 AM I was given a *Tornado Warning*, naming my town and the 2 next towns north of me which meant *go to your safe room.* It was up for 30 minutes, so I collected my things and went there. I read my book until 6:09 AM. After a lot of heavy rain and lightening and thunder it was over here. My area had not been hit. I fell into bed pretty exhausted. I didn't get up until 2:30 pm and never had breakfast until 7 PM, because the coverage of the devastation on TV was sickening to me.

Here is the map I made at Christmas, with the new pink dots signifying Feb. 2nds tornadoes. The first pink dot = a town called Paisley. It was so strange to see the views of these places today on TV after hearing them named last night. It's strange, because they were exactly right in their forecasts as to where the storm was going. They were right also as to the minute it would hit an area.

(They were so concerned last night they actually advised viewers who had friends or family in the path to phone them, wake them up, and warn them to take cover. Today we see why.)

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:41 am

Just the day before, FEMA had denied the State any relief from the Christmas Day survivors of those tornadoes.
Those storms I don't think even made it onto National News.
But now politicians are saying they are going to get those victims covered by FEMA as well as these new ones.

Look how close these storms have hit near each other!

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:40 pm

Glad your safe and sound! I live in what's called tornado alley, and don't believe I've ever seen anything as bad as what I saw on the news lastnight. For some reason I never thought of Florida as having that many tornadoes. I started a new post, should have come to this one, but didn't even think........Once again glad you and Steph are alright.

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:56 pm

Yes, thank goodness you're safe! Tornadoes are a frightening prospect, I've come in close proximity twice. I had one follow me while driving and another hop over the top of me as it "bounced" along. Are tornadoes common in Florida? I visited St. Cloud a few years ago, I think it was May, 2003, and I was dodging severe weather both down and back!

william · Post by **william** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:59 pm

Sorry for the victims - glad you both are safe and sound.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:33 pm

Thanks you guys!

Pam I saw your topic- it was fine! I only came here because my map was already here.

I left out Lady Lake in the pink dots.. I think that is first touchdown.

Since our hurricane season was a big nothing in 2006, that was due to El Nino, so this winter is supposed to have more of this kind of weather. This is the 4th outbreak since November. If it makes onto National News, apparently FEMA takes notice.
This will last until our next hurricane season starts, June 1st- then we have that to look forward to.

The last big deal weather like this was 1998. But tornadoes are always spawned during hurricanes as well- so yes I guess you could say we are prone to them.

I can remember 2 other years previous to 1998 that actually produced tornadoes that came thru my neighborhood. I remember a car on top of a house on the street behind me. And of course the trees always go.

People always say we pay for living in Paradise. Being a homeowner makes it more scary than if one is renting or just visiting- except if you have family here.

As an aside, my yearly homeowner's insurance bill came on Feb. 1st and it had increased by $900, but that's not what I mean about paying for Paradise.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:57 pm

Glad to hear that you and Stefani are doing fine! That is just so horrible, all those poor people who didn't know what hit them until it was probably too late. Please take care, Kat, and keep safe.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:22 am

Thank you Susan! You too! Had any earthquakes lately?
We used to live in California but I never experienced one.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:50 am

No, knock on wood, I haven't experienced an earthquake out here.......yet. Actually, I think I only have dealt with a few earth tremors. I did experience an earthquake once though it was in New Jersey of all places, I'll never forget that as long as I live!

Edited for spelling.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:58 am

Feb. 23rd, 2007.
About 75 degrees at 4:30 PM.
Got Snow?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:01 am

Ooo, it was getting chilly around sunset. Maybe 65 degrees?

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:37 pm

What warm looking pictures! Finally getting rid of the snow and ice, and it's raining today. Hopefully the temperature will stay above freezing till it's done. 1-2 inches of rain would be a whole lot of snow and ice! ugh!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:06 am

UGH is right! So sorry you are having bad weather!
I have a tan!

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:33 am

Kat, be a good sport, and send some of that warm sunshine this way!!!! It's still raining here and so far there hasn't been any ice! Right now the temperature is 36, but they are talking about snow, but only an inch. Once again......ugh!

william · Post by **william** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:58 pm

Kat: You have a tan while all of the rest of us up North are freezng to death?

AREN'T YOU ASHAMED OF YOURSELF?

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:21 pm

Susan @ Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:50 am wrote:No, knock on wood, I haven't experienced an earthquake out here.......yet. Actually, I think I only have dealt with a few earth tremors. I did experience an earthquake once though it was in New Jersey of all places, I'll never forget that as long as I live!

Edited for spelling.

My Dad experienced an earthquake in New Jersey decades ago. He said the house shook like a big truck was passing on the street. Not much of an earthquake?

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:01 am

The earthquake I experienced happened in the 1980s and thats exactly what it felt like, an eighteen wheeler going by on the street where no eighteen wheeler had business going by! It was preceded by the most awesome hush, the birds stopped singing, the crickets stopped chirping, you could totally feel that something was coming before it hit.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:23 pm

I usually hear a soft far-off "crack" just a moment before the quake hits. I don't know what causes that crack but I know it's not my plaster.

-1bigsteve (o:

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:14 pm

Jeesh!
All the Big News Stories are coming out of Florida!
Today Capt. Nowak was *fired* from NASA and the Navy says they will put her back into active duty status but yield to the Florida court if there is an indictment against her.

Then that Couey freak just got his verdict of guilty, Live, on the 4 pm local news. The penality phase in the Jessica Lumsford case will start Tuesday.

Then there is that on-going saga of Anna Nicole Smith.

Jeesh!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:26 pm

Hope you guys don't suffer from the bad weather due up in the northeast!

We have had lots of rain. It's 72 degrees.

I have just spotted an armadillo in my backyard. I opened my rear bedroom window that has no screen and took 3 photos. He was within 12 or 14 feet from me! He did not hear me open or close the window. I don't think his hearing is very good.

In one picture his whole face, including long snout, is embedded in the dirt. He was digging a lot.

Another wildlife spotting!

BTW: That's my old Magnolia Tree some of you may recall.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:31 pm

My Armadillo

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:33 pm

I knew I had something lately because the partial fence barrier had been knocked down- providing an escape route from my yard.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:39 pm

Aren't they natives of the dry southwest?
Or is there an annual migration to the east?

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:40 pm

This guy has been flying around the mountain with his friends the past couple weeks. So awesome!

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:40 pm

Today its a balmy 28F outside with sleet and snow. We don't have to worry about mosquitoes and West Nile Virus today.
At least its not the Great Blizzard of 1888 (March 11?).

bobarth · Post by **bobarth** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:33 pm

[quote="Kat @ Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:31 am"]My Armadillo

Hey what are you going to name him? He sure is a cutie?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:33 pm

Angel that woodpecker has been at my telephone pole! But not lately- I wondered where he went!

The Armadillo, if he returns, will thus be named *Armand.*

SallyG · Post by **SallyG** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:17 pm

Love the armadillo. I used to see those critters in Texas when I lived there.

Hope the weather in FL is nice...my husband is flying down to Gainesville this coming Friday for the weekend to see one of our boys. Plus, we are planning a trip down the end of May to visit. My husbands sister lives down there, and his brother just bought a house in Palm City (?), plus assorted nieces, nephews and friends live down there.

I guess we are going to finally have to give in and move down there in a couple of years....which I don't mind one bit. I can do without all this cold weather we've had up in MD this winter.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:57 am

A neighbor of mne had a little visitor sitting on her back patio all weekend. It is a ruffed grouse- about half the size of a chicken. Left a little present for her too, I see.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:44 pm

Wow Cool!
I like bird spotting!

I've just killed 3 SPIDERS in 2 days! What's with that!?

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:59 pm

Good Lord, don't remind me! I'm STILL walking on my toenails after finding the spider that ate West Virginia in my kitchen last summer.
I bought a gallon of spray tht we're going to spray around the house every few weeks to keep that from happening again this year.

SallyG · Post by **SallyG** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:28 pm

My husband has off on Mondays, and when I got home yesterday he filled me in on the latest "visitor". He said around lunchtime he was walking into the kitchen and spotted something scurrying across the kitchen floor towards the refrigerator. It was a spider about the size of a thumbnail. The spider hotfooted it underneath the refrigerator before my husband could reach him. He decided to pull the refrigerator out to try and find him, but once it was pulled all the way out, the spider seemed to have disappeared. He kinda gave up at that point, but when he pushed the refrigerator back in place; lo and behold, there sat the spider!! A large, furry, ferocious looking creature with 4 legs on each side. My husband quickly dispatched him with one stomp.

We always have a spider problem for some reason....one day I was standing in the middle of the diningroom and one dropped down from the ceiling to the back of my neck and bit me!! And here I thought I was at least safe in my own house!!!

Of course we live in an old, restored house so maybe that's part of the problem. Old houses always seem to attract unwelcome "visitors".

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:39 pm

Hah! Be glad you don't live up in the mountains. The spider I found last summer was huge! After I sprayed his butt I shakingly put a jumbo sized MacDonald's soda cup over him, and his legs were sticking out a little bit. Naturally, my husband wasn't home at the time, so I had to have my nervous breakdown all by myself.

SallyG · Post by **SallyG** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:02 pm

I can't do crawly things....my husband is petrified of bees, which don't bother me, but something crawling across the floor .... I go shrieking to another part of the house until it's been killed.

Once a large praying mantis flew in an open door and perched on top of the television set; and I was home alone! Before I could scream and run, my brother walked into the house. He calmly got a sheet of paper, coaxed the praying mantis onto it, and put him back outside. If he had not showed up when he did, my husband would either have had to come home and attend to it, or I would have left until he got home.

On the other hand, mice and snakes don't bother me at all.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:25 pm

I've never thought much about it, but last year a neighbor found her toe attached to a giant copperhead when she was outside raking. Almost lost her foot, not to mention her life. I've been a lot more careful since.

william · Post by **william** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:43 am

When I was a lad (oh, so many summers ago!) I spent my vacations with my Mom and Dad. On thiis particular year they decided to visit the shores of Lake Ronkonkama, about fifty miles from our home. They had small cabins with few creature comforts. The latrine was located about a hundred feet away from the cabins and on this particular evening I paid one a visit. Grasping my Boy Scout flashlght in my hand I surged foward and gingerly opened the latrine door. Facing me was a snake, about four feet long. Of course I retreated hastily, very hastily. It wasn't until the next day I learned it was a copperhead. It seems there was an infestation of them that summer.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:26 am

They are very, very nasty snakes. They strike without much provocation.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:10 pm

Naomi Judd carried a .38 revolver for copperheads when treking through the woods of Kentucky and Tennessee.

I once reached my fingers into the holes of an intake manifold and out through my fingers came a huge, black, hairless spider! I nearly had a heart attack. You never saw a 270lb. chunck of muscle turn into a pile of mush that fast in your life! I don't like spiders.

-1bigsteve (o:

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:26 am

When my 25 year old son was a toddler he walked up to me with something in his mouth and he mumbled "MMMM, good!" I went up to him and said "Tristan, NO! Spit it out!" and held my hand under his mouth. He spit out a wolf spider who, at this point, was staggering about feebly (if spiders can stagger). I almost had a heart attack. He's never lived that one down. (Tristan, that is, not the spider.

)

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:32 am

In my teens I was putting on my Levis one morning when a sharp pain hit me just below my knee. I janked off my Levis and out fell a hugh Wolf spider! That thing bit me good. I had a painful, quarter-sized pink welt on my leg for almost a week. I'm just thankful he didn't bite me a little further north. Get it?

I was cleaning my garage one day and grabbed ahold of the 2 x 6 that made up the front edge of my workbench. The tip of my left middle finger made contact with something soft and spongy. I thought at first it was a ball of sap but it wasn't sticky so I looked under the bench and there was the biggest, blackest Black Widow I have ever seen! Fortunately it was her back I had touched. If she had been turned around facing my finger she would have nailed me good. Of all the Black Widows to have contact with it had to be the biggest one I ever saw. She was a major porker. Her whole body was huge, legs and all.

I wear gloves now.

-1bigsteve (o:

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:50 am

Angel @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:26 am wrote:When my 25 year old son was a toddler he walked up to me with something in his mouth and he mumbled "MMMM, good!" I went up to him and said "Tristan, NO! Spit it out!" and held my hand under his mouth. He spit out a wolf spider who, at this point, was staggering about feebly (if spiders can stagger). I almost had a heart attack. He's never lived that one down. (Tristan, that is, not the spider. )

"MMMM... Look Mommy, an M&M with legs!"

I've seen toddlers put bugs, spiders, worms, mud puppies and other assorted critters in their mouths. Like a vacum cleaner.

In California we have what we call a "stink bug." They are big like a beetle, black and they stick their butt up in the air and squirt just like a skunk. The smell is out of this world. One day a two year old neighbor put one in his mouth and that bug exploded! I bet that kid can still taste that bug.

-1bigsteve (o:

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:54 am

I cannot imagine what kind of bite that big wolf spider in my kitchen could have given someone. It makes my skin crawl to even think about it. My cats sure were not doing their job that day. But they were little stinkers that day, because after I had put the cup over that monster so I wouldn't have to look at it (hoping someone else could later pick up and dispose of the corpse) they came back and knocked the cup over, so I had to see it again anyway. The cats probably ran off laughing their little butts off.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 11:53 pm

We visited a Marina in Titusville today. Beautiful weather.
Saw some Manatees.
One came up for air, snorted, caught my attention and then made me wait a long time for it to come up for air again to take a photo. I didn't get a shot of him. He just did not want his picture taken!

I think it was about 85 degrees as a high today. I hear there's a Nor'Easter due in New England?

The Manateees are coming up in a minute...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 11:58 pm

The Marina view toward the Intercoastal Waterway

I just love the palm trees

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Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Only In Florida

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