Earthbound

After hours of work refueling, our rental shuttle is ready once more, so we orient the small craft for re-entry and prepare to make a landing.

Like the Auto Club

After a brief stint in handcuffs,  we are unexpectedly released when  the authorities learn that the shuttle we rented was not stolen after all--there had been a mistake made on the registration form when the new owner acquired the vehicle. Once released from custody, we leave the ISS and start back toward Earth, having had enough excitement for one day. But much to our dismay, we soon run out  of fuel and need to call the  triple-A motor club.  They arrive a short time later and leave us a small fuel pod,  but one of us needs to go outside to retrieve it:

Space Incarceration

The alien police catch up and insist we pull over, but since there is nowhere to stop safely, they escort us to the nearest police station, which just happens to be aboard the International Space Station...

Meanwhile,  GrayRider is outside in the backyard with his grandson, helping the lad set up his telescope,  focusing the eyepiece on a familiar space object, all the while wondering what had become of us.

Calling in Reinforcements

Extraterrestrials, who moonlight as cops in the local solar neighborhood, rendezvous with the police and plan our apprehension...

Unleashing the Fleet

Unknown to us, the rental vehicle is stolen, prompting the authorities to send out an all points bulletin over the wire, assuring that every police officer in the region would soon be after us...

Unusual Rental

We continue eastward,  arriving in Cape Canaveral to visit another one of  our BL Rag editors, GrayRider.  Our F40 is a bit expensive to keep using,  so we head over to another rental place, arriving early enough to pick and choose among vehicles. We settle on this high-tech SUV and make ready for our departure to the outskirts of town where GrayRider resides...

Different Wheels

While roaming about in Orlando, our car breaks down, forcing us to pay a visit to the Swap Shop to rent ourselves another automobile...

It took awhile to find it, but when we did, the choice of vehicles was an easy one. We head out of the rental office, eager to see what this beauty can do, but traffic seems intent on foiling that plan before we can reach the highway.

At last...the open road...but...hmm...this no longer looks like Orlando...

Turning Eastward

After a weekend hanging out with Redbeard at his bike shop in Tampa, we resume our journey homeward this morning, backtracking a little and heading east to make a stop in Orlando...

A Quick Visit

The woman stepped into the gallery, her eyes dark, her look mysterious. She inspected the works along one  wall of the room which showcased a small collection of  paintings created by the Dutch artist, Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634). Whether or not the woman liked the artwork was yet another mystery,  as she stepped away without  expression and then quickly departed the gallery (and the museum) a few minutes later. The old curator, Clovis, who was talking with his assistant, Marco, looked up and saw the woman as she opened the main doors. He stopped in mid-sentence and started after her, leaving Marco standing there dumbfounded...

...to be continued...

Bikes and Babes

After searching elsewhere in the city for Redbeard, we decide to visit this place, which is hosting a bike show and bikini bash. My guess is this is where we're likely to find him...

Have a nice weekend. Our trip through Florida will resume next week.

A Brief Pause

Here we are, in Tampa Florida, where we will spend the weekend cooling our heels, relaxing and replenishing our strength for the next phase of our journey in the following week.  One of the BL Rag's editors, Redbeard, is said to live in the city,  so let's head to the Lost & Found and see if we can locate him...

Wall Art

We head westward across  the state,  our stopping point for the weekend being Tampa.  Taking a quick rest in Lake Placid, we notice a proliferation of murals, a sight that prompts us to pause and make a further examination.

Blustery Morning

We were going to stop in Port St. Lucie next, but weather conditions curtailed the visit...

Moving up the Coast

Our next stop is the city of Fort Lauderdale. Let's have a quick look around:

Relaxing Sights

Feeling a little restless, we leave the tour group now for a quick diversion that allows us to check out the latest in beachwear attire at the West Palm Beach fashion show...

West Palm Beach

Our next stop is West Palm Beach. We have a little extra cash-on-hand, so we may as well take another sponsored tour:

Underwater Highway

On a whim, we indulge in a little new age speculation and rent a boat for a spell to visit the Bimini Road, a myth-inducing area under the sea dotted with limestone blocks. These rather large lumps are more than likely products of  natural geological forces,  but many believe that the underwater formations are man-made, a strong indication that despite our advanced civilization, we moderns are no better than our ancestors when it comes to superstitious belief.

Two Weeks in Florida

We finally reached the east coast after leaving California over a month ago, arriving in Miami last Friday.  We still have a little ways to go yet, however; Washington DC being our final destination. Before leaving Miami,  we will drive over to  the local visitors' center and let them give us a quick tour of the city.

Alexandrian Artist

Moving its focus back into modern times, the museum showcases the artwork of the Greek and Italian painter, Konstantinos Parthenis (1878-1967), who often added religious themes into his paintings:

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No Pets

The party at the beach is going in full swing, but things go awry a short time later when one of the latecomers brings along a small but unwanted pet.

Hopefully, we will be back home soon. Have a nice weekend.