The above picture was taken from the deck of the CARNIVAL MIRACLE in Tampa Harbor. Cruise ships depart Tampa for 3, 5 and 7 day cruises to the caribbean to destinations like Grand Cayman Island, Cozumel and Costa Maya Mexico and Belize. It's a great trip and a perfect way to enjoy a gorgeous sunset.


(yeah, that's me)

Want to see a Shuttle Launch? The Kennedy Space Center is a 45 minute drive from Orlando. Want to have a GREAT time? Key West is 90 miles south of Miami and is a very beautiful drive. But as with all great things, there's a catch. HUMIDITY.

Yes, the humidity is extremely high here during the months of July through October making it very uncomfortable for those of you who are not use to it. Most outdoor activities, such as visiting any of the major Theme Parks or taking in a Shuttle Launch will prove to be a test of your ability to cope with temperatures in the 90's, and humidity between 85% to 95%. Plan to have sun block or sun screen with you if you intend to be outside any length of time during the day. Going to the beach may seem cooler, but the average time to burn here in Tampa-St. Petersburg is about 10-15 minutes, with 20 minutes on a cooler day.



Finally, just in case the heat doesn't bother you........

IT RAINS HERE.....

In fact, almost EVERY DAY during the summer. You can count on rain from 45 minutes to 3 hours almost every day......LIGHTNING included. Also, June 1st is the start of HURRICANE SEASON. I mention all of these things not to scare you off, but to make you AWARE of what the conditions are, and can be during the summer. A good friend of mine came here for the summer from New York, and found out that he was not quite prepaired for the weather and humidity.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS if you or a family member could possibly have problems with these conditions, PLEASE CONSIDER VISITING HERE WHEN IT IS COOLER (mid October through mid May). YOU'LL THEN BE ABLE TO ENJOY ALL THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS BEAUTIFUL STATE HAS TO OFFER........





The photos below were taken Wednesday evening, October 11, 2000 from here in St. Petersburg, Florida of the 100th Space Shuttle launch using the SONY DSC-S30. The inset photo was at full Zoom. We are 120 miles west of the Kennedy Space Center.





I'm an artist, among other things, and I thought I would share with you one of my favorite paintings. It is called "the cave". Its' actual size is 12" X 16".

A few hours away from Tampa are some areas that are of interest to rockhounds and gem hunters alike. Georgia and North Carolina offer you the chance to find REAL minerals and GEMSTONES. This is a group of rough Gemstones from there(SONY DSC-S30). Emerald, Ruby, Topaz, Kyanite, Aquamarine, Quartz, and Garnet.




Getting within 2 inches of a WASP with the DSC-S30 was not as difficult as it may seem. Hoping that it didn't fly away before I took the shot......that was the tricky part.


IN MEMORY OF RUBY......WE LOVE YOU......







Lon
aka Lonster99

"HAVE ROCKPICK, WILL TRAVEL"

Tampa, Florida