Back on Land

Got back from about three days out in the Gulf of Mexico. Quite a bit of work and not to terribly much sleep, so I'll keep this short. The day we headed out was clear and cool and generally gorgeous.

Moblie, AL Skyline - Heading down the River to GOMEX

During the trip I saw the sunset twice and the sunrise once out at sea. Going out on a ship again sparks a bit of nostalgia. The hard decks do a number on the knees and ankles, and there's nothing quite like the night sky in a place with limited light pollution. Dolphins swam in our wake, and a birt caught a ride on the anchor. She used her perch as a hunting stand to stalk flying fish, and her two catches that I saw seemed to prove the wisdom of this approach.

Back in the sky tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to what the day sends my way.

Sunrise to Sunset - Sunday Travel

Getting up this morning at 0430 was a bit of a challenge. The power had gone out sometime during the evening. I can only surmise that the howling wind that had lulled me to sleep had played some role in limiting the flow of electrons. I'd prepared the evening before, so getting out the door came off without too much trouble. A quick hop, skip, and a jump down to the airport, and I found myself on the Airbus 320 that was headed to Charlotte. On the way down the taxiway, the sun peaked up over the horizon.

Sunrise Reflecting in the Terminal Windows - BWI

The early morning flights on Sunday are comfortable. I heard the flight attendant say that we had about on hundred and twenty people on a plane designed to haul one hundred and eighty. I had the entire starboard side of exit row ten to myself.

Sunrise at BWI - Turning for the Takeoff Roll

The engines spun up, the hydraulic pumps whined, and we lept up to thirty thousand feet in the blink of an eye. Five miles above the earth, and the buffeting wind was barely a whispering backdrop. The clouds flashed pink, and I took a quick catnap to catch some of the Z's that I'd left back at home.

Clipping South, Five Miles above the Earth

I put in some time at work when I got to Alabama, but I left early enough to make the trek (via car) down to Fairhope for the evening walk.  This was the starting point for the two day stretch when Rory and I covered a little over fifty four miles, and it was good to be back. It was also good to be back in April when the temperature was in the high sixties. Last July, I assure you, the air was quite a bit hotter, quite a bit wetter, and heavier. It sat on you like a damp, boiling elephant.

The reason for the trek down to Fairhope was hope that I could catch a picture of the sun setting behind a marble dolphin statue in a city park on the shore of Mobile Bay. I wasn't even sure if the statue was oriented in a way that would work for the shot I had in mind, but opportunities like this don't come along very often so I thought I would give chance a try. I was not disappointed.

Dolphins at Sunset - Fairhope, AL

With the cool breeze wafting in from Mobile Bay, I cannot think of a better way to wrap up a Sunday. I first saw this statue over a year ago, and I've been planning to try to get this shot since it first crossed my path. It was the perfect way to end a Sunday, except that it wasn't the end.

On the way out to complete this goal that's been in the works for a year, I passed another statue that I don't remember seeing before. The really interesting thing is that I'm almost certain that it's not a new installation. I've been past this spot probably ten or fifteen times, and I've never noticed the seahorse. I jogged back, and this is what I saw when I got back to the starting point of the walk.

Seahorse at Sunset - Fairhope, AL

The sun had set, but the seahorse stood in sharp contrast to the gathering dusk. What a glorious Sunday, and it left me with the gift of another goal. I have a feeling that I'll be stalking the sunset behind the seahorse sometime going forward. I hope it doesn't take a year this time, but I know that the chase, however long it may be, will be worth it. Sunrise, Sunset, and Sunday. I'm not sure it can get any better than this, though I remain hopeful. Tomorrow is a new day, and I can't wait to see what the universe delivers to experience.

Interstate Travel

Early this morning, I watched the sun rise over the great state of Alabama as they awakened to the first full day of being the College Football National Champions.

Spanish Fort, AL Sunrise

After work today, I made a quick trip to the great state of Florida for the opportunity to participate in tomorrow's $1.5B (annuity value) Powerball multi-state lottery drawing. It was about a 38 mile trip one way, and the odds of winning are vanishingly small but for that kind of upside I'm willing to invest a little time and money.

Pavement Logo at the Florida Welcome Center on I-10E just over the Alabama-Florida State Line

It was a good little jaunt, and I even took a quick moment to swing through the Florida Welcome Center that was sporting a Blue Angel Jet static display, a life size dolphin statue, and this (trademarked) sidewalk logo.

I ended the meeting watching the 2016 State of the Union address given by President Barack Obama. He is exceptionally talented at delivering soaring rhetoric, and his presentation was a stirring look toward the future. I wish he had gone a little further in his call to big action on a number of fronts. I believe that the nation is primed and ready to tackle a major project. My choice would be a return to the Moon and on to Mars, but there are a number of efforts that are begging for national (and even international) investment.