October 11, 2004

• COLUMBUS DAY IN FLORIDA

  The drive down from Maine was spectacular, especially in the White Mountains of NH. The Fall colors were approaching their peak. Right now there is a storm up there, so most of the trees will be bare. The New England Fall is spectacular but brief. When We left Maine, the temp was in the thirties and I had to mess with the waterlines, etc. You could probably hear my teeth for miles.
  We skipped the Smoky Mountains on the way down. some of the roads were closed because of washouts, etc. I guess the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway won't be open until next summer.
  We got to the Florida Panhandle just in time for Tropical Storm Matthew. Just a lot of rain to the west of us. We suffered no damage from any of the storms (so far ).
  Columbus never got closer to Florida than the Bahamas but it is still a pretty big deal here. Florida wasn't discovered by the Spanish until about thirty years later and had a bloody history for the next century. Most of the early explorers got into fierce fights with the resident Indians. Unlike the Arawaks of the Caribbean, these were tough-minded and fierce and sometimes didn't let the Spanish get off the beach before slaughtering them.

  • 10:25 am
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