“You’re Gonna Miss the Rain”
That’s what people would tell me when I would say that I was leaving Oregon and moving to Florida. If there’s any truth to that it’s that living here in Florida made me appreciate the rain a bit more. The rain in Oregon is cold, constant and makes most people miserable, myself included. I’ve always been a sun worshiper and a fish out of water, even when I lived in Oregon. So moving here was much like returning an injured turtle back to sea, and put me in my element.
It does rain here in the Sunshine State, quite often actually. In fact there’s an entire season dedicated to it, it’s called hurricane season. You may have heard of it. Annual precipitation in Florida is about 1/3 MORE of what it is in Oregon, but it’s a warm monsoon type rain. It often comes in heavy and leaves as quickly as it started and before you know it, it’s back to the business of blue skies and sunshine again. I love the Florida rain.
So do I miss the rain in Oregon you ask? As my friend Cory recently put it, “Do you think people that move from LA miss the smog?”
The Endless Summer
Now that Labor Day is over, it is the “unofficial end of Summer” for most of you. Here in Florida it goes year round though. So when you need a break from Oldman Winter, remember that Florida’s just a plane ride away…
The Road Less Paddled
This is the wife & I paddling down a canal of mangroves to the sea in Marathon Key.
Waiting for the Elevator
I came home from work to find this guy waiting for the elevator in my building (the elevator is outdoors). You often see these Land Crabs crossing the road…or evidence of them trying to cross. This one was full grown at about 6 inches wide.
See You Later Alligator
The Everglades is the only place in the world where you can find both alligators AND crocodiles…
Warrior of the Clouds
What do you see?
The Perfect Storm
Everyone knows about how rainy it is in Oregon and that there is a lot of it. What they don’t know about is the rain in Florida. It never rains in the Sunshine State unless there’s a hurricane there right? Not true. In fact the annual average rainfall of Miami is almost twice as much as it is in Portland, Oregon. So how can Florida maintain it’s Sunshine State title with all this rain you ask? Because it has the perfect storms. Storms that are so condensed and efficient that they roll in without much notice, take over the city and flee the scene all in a matter of minutes. Dumping tons of rain, wind and lightning before it’s on to the next town to wreak havoc upon them. Before you know it, the sun is shining and it’s business as usual again. Portland has a constant drizzle that puts out 36 inches of rain every year. Miami’s sh*t or get off the pot attitude puts out 62 inches on average each year.
This is a photo of a mild storm this weekend, there were even tornado warnings with this one. My next post will be from this same night.
Bearthday
Today’s a very important day for everyone on the planet. It’s a day to do good for the planet that gives you life. The day your are reminded to appreciate and respect Mother Nature, just like your own Mother. This photo was taken at my mother’s favorite place in Florida, a place she introduced me to when I snapped this photo. This is a pier on the Indian River in Melbourne Beach, just outside Djon’s Steak and Lobster house. Happy Birthday Mom, and Happy Earth Day to the rest of you.
Always and For Everglades
Before moving to Florida I used to think, “why would anyone ever want to go to the Everglades? It’s nothing but alligators and mosquitoes.” Boy was I wrong! I fell in love with it the first time I was out there. I couldn’t believe how much life was everywhere I looked…birds, flowers, fish, trees, turtles, all so healthy and full of life. It’s an incredible ecosystem everyone should see.
Beauty of Florida 