Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season

With apologies to Jimmy Buffett -- It looks like it is finally showtime in the Atlantic.

Many of you know that I am an avid storm watcher -- so long as I can keep a couple of hundred miles as a "safety zone" between me and the storm. I've spent way too many hours surfing the Internet looking for new bits of information on hurricanes and the forecast models. I have finally settling on one site that gives me just about everything I want and some of the coolest graphics I've seen.

Go to www.stormpulse.com

Then look on the upper right corner and click the "Forecast Tracks" button. There is much to explore with this site -- just hover over the various items and enjoy.

One other site that has nice maps, especially when the storm is making landfall, is

www.skeetobiteweather.com

So, stock up on the canned goods, gas up the generator and charge up the batteries 'cause the "big wind" is gonna' blow -- maybe.

52nd Scouting Jamboree on the Air

One of the great Scouting and Amateur Radio events each year is the Scouting Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). JOTA is an international Scouting activity held annually on the third full weekend in October. The event was first held in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of Scouting in 1957 and is now considered the largest event scheduled by the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM). Amateur radio operators from all over the world participate with over 500,000 Scouts to teach them about radio and to assist them to contact their fellow Scouts by means of amateur radio and, since 2004, by Echolink. Scouts are also encouraged to exchange QSL cards. This provides the Scouts with a means of learning about fellow Scouts from around the world. It is an adjunct to the World Scout Jamboree. The Coastal Empire Council JOTA will be October 17th from 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum at Pooler.

Getting Recharged at Amelia Island

One of my favorite places here on the coast is Amelila Island Plantation. Wendy, Nicholas and I had the opportunity to spend a few days there last week. It was mostly work for me but Nicholas and Wendy got to play. The trip was a little less pleasant due to four separate electric power outages -- two in the same night! But we just opened the doors and slept under the moonlight till sometime after 1:00 a.m. when we were awaken by the TV blaring and all the room lights coming on.
There is a quaint little lighthouse there that I'd like to see some of my lighthouse buddies activate one weekend as a special events station.