FINISHED

This is just a note to thank those of you who have followed our trip.  I have greatly enjoyed doing this blog and hope you have enjoyed it also.  But, now we are back from Mexico and have used up our free photo storage space for the blog, it appears to be time to bring this blog to an end.  I don't really want to but that's the way the cookie crumbles.  Hopefully, when our third book titled, "History Is Growing Prophecy Is Shrinking" arrives from the publisher I will be able to delete a photo or two and make the announcement on this blog (complete with photos of it).  But, that won't be for three weeks at the earliest.

By the way, we still have hopes of continuing our trip to Central and South America but don't know when that will happen if at all.

So, again, thanks for following … Sincerely, Dana Brown.

SURF CONTEST

There was a surfing contest south of 16^th Street this weekend.  Dad and I walked past and took these photos:

Flags Mark Boundaries

View From The South

Photographing Photographers

Young Surfers
Getting Ready For Next Heat

Horn Blows
After Photo Snapped

FISHING FOR SHARKS

Matt is an aggressive fisherman.  He uses his boat to paddle his fishing line out beyond the breakers where the hungry sharks hang out.  Sunday, 10 June 2012, when we took these photos Matt was out of luck.  No sharks to photograph.  Maybe next time….

Watching The Fishing Rod

Boat Is In Background

Better View Of Boat

Matt Out For Shark

Shark Fishing

BEACH VISITOR

We had an interesting visitor this past Saturday, 9 June 2012.  Kai, while walking on the beach decided he wanted to walk up to us and hang around for a while.  His mom watched with a smile.  She nudged him several times and offered to lead him away by the hand.  But, Kai had his mind made up.  Kai wanted to further investigate things.

Kai Thinking

Kai On His Way

Kai Preparing To Leave

There Goes Kai

PATRICK AFB

Patrick Air Force Base is situated about a mile south of Cocoa Beach, Florida.  A bit of "no-man's land" separates the two.

Back in the 1950's & 1960's Dad worked at Patrick AFB as an officer in Research and Development, Plans and Programs, and as Station Commander at Grand Turk Air Force Station.  Dad flew on many, many missions as a navigator in missile re-entry collecting re-entry data (telemetry), and he flew on early missions collecting infrared data for IRMP (International Radiation Measurements Program).  The latter was at L.G. Hanscom Field outside of Boston.  While stationed in Los Angeles he became project manager for data collection and assimilation in the "Bambi Program" which was later renamed "Star Wars."  Data, of course, was shared with the "Midas" spy system and clandestinely sent to Russia in the midst of the cold war back in the early 1960's via the behind-the-scenes organization's efforts to balance the three world powers (i.e. Russia, China, and the Free World).  This way, should one step out of line the other two could be brought against the third.

Surprisingly, Dad learned about this balancing act initially from intelligence reports and then after leaving the service.   So, it wasn't a secret from Washington DC.

Patrick From A1A Southbound

Base Housing

Dad Worked In This Building

Beaches East Of A1A

Sign Says What's Next

Main Gate

Another View Of Main Gate

Airfield

Eastern Test Range Antenna

Turning The Corner
      (Pineda Cswy Westbound)

Banana River
      West Of Patrick AFB

VIERA VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC

The local VA outpatient clinic is a rather new facility.  In fact, they just opened a new wing this past year.  The place is a busy place and there's always lots of people coming and going when we've been there.

Main Entrance

Inside The Gate

Dad Heads To Front Door

END TIMES

It seems we always get to stop and talk to somebody on the beach about the weather or the surf.  But, this guy (Mark from Tennessee) took time to talk to us about the Bible.

You can see Dad drawing End Times matters in the sand.

Diagrams In The Sand

Mark Is Recording Events

BEE LINE

I don't know about you but I wish they'd stop changing the names of roads, etc.  Yeah, they changed the name of the 528 Bee Line from here to Orlando.  It's now called the "Beach Line".

The bridges in the following photos have become part of the Beach Line and they span the intercoastal channel in the Indian River which separates Merritt Island from Cocoa, Florida.

Bridge Ahead

New (Left) Old (Right) Bridges

Cocoa Ahead

River Front Homes

Landmark Cocoa, FL

FLOYD'S CLAN

Just about every time Floyd shows up at 16^th Street to go surfing the parking spot next to us seems to mysteriously become empty minutes before Floyd's arrival.  So, the ongoing joke is that Floyd thanks us for saving his spot.  Floyd parked next to us this past Sunday, 3 June 2012, when he showed up with several other car loads of brothers, nephews, and cousins.

Floyd called yours truly his official family photographer because I had taken photos of Floyd's family surf/beach outing in previous years with Floyd's "pricy" camera.  He said the photos came out good and wanted me to do it again this year at their much larger gathering.  This time, Floyd's brother, Tom, had an "Ooh la lah" camera.  (I wonder how those photos turned out.).

When it came time for the surfboard shots I couldn't resist and took these with the Olympus FE-310 Jedidiah gave me last year.

Floyd's Relatives

Floyd Has Orange Shorts

View From Lifeguard Tower

What Are We Waiting For?

Let's Go Surfing!

FIRST DAY IN THE JOB

We were surprised to see Lifeguard Rookie Jonathan "John" Brown sitting on the lifeguard tower Thursday afternoon, 31 May 2012.  It was Jonathan's first official day on the job at 16^th Street.  Jonathan wasn't alone.  Seasoned Lifeguard Nick was assigned to keep an eye on Jonathan et al.  Lucky for Jonathan the beach was empty after 3:30 PM because an offshore storm threatened to get everybody wet but it never came ashore.  So, obviously, nobody was in any danger from Jonathan … (Smile John we're just kidding.  We expect you will do well!).

Thumbs Up From Jonathan

Models Lifeguard Shirt

Lifeguard Nick Smiles

Nick And Jonathan On Duty

Just Out Of The Ocean

End Of The Day

DAD

Dad (George Brown) is doing much better after almost dying in March 2012.  He's now driving the van and getting around without my help although he still likes me to give him a pull to get up off the beach or up out of a low chair.  He's also regained most of the weight he lost during his ordeal.  The following photos were taken of him after we returned to Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Shortly After Returning

Taking A Rest

Something Made Him Smile

Working On Our Third Book

The Beach Is A Great Place