I watched another old movie, Valley Girl, starring a youthful Nicholas Cage, after a recommendation on a radio talk show. They likened it to Fast Times at Ridgemont High that will always be a favorite of mine. Fast, in my opinion, had better characters and more humor but I could see the appeal. I had honestly never heard of it before. I don’t listen much to local shows anymore, having abandoned my radio for the digital world of music. It was kind of a hobby as I traveled to sample some of the unique morning programming, but I’ve gotten into the habit of listening to the same songs over and over. It may be time to seek a little more variety and some interesting personalities to keep me entertained during my run. 

It may be a good day to go to the beach, although I prefer the less busy weekdays. Parking is the biggest issue. There are so many that we have yet to visit with little planned for this afternoon. It’s already a hot and humid morning, so the breeze off the Gulf may be refreshing. Last night’s sunset was beautiful and I heard that the colors are a result of swirling dust from the Sahara Desert, 5,600 miles from here. Most Saharan dust gets caught in the atmospheric winds and stays suspended over our area of Florida usually from mid-June to mid-August. I’m also looking forward to the peak of The Perseids meteor activity next week, now that we can actually see the moon and stars again. They hid behind the gray skies and tall trees of Portland. Living near all the downtown light pollution also made stargazing impossible. 

There are boat trips to the Keys leaving daily from Fort Myers. It’s about a three-hour cruise and may be a great opportunity to visit that area without the long drive. They are discounted in December with two years before expiration. This was another little tidbit that I learned in our “Meet the Neighbors” event last night at the clubhouse. My wife and I posted the flyers and made the reservation, while everyone brought an appetizer. The lanai setting was much more comfortable than the driveway events we organized the last two times. Slowly but surely we’re getting to know the people around us, with only a few bad apples that we’ve had to deal with since we moved in four months ago.