Still Gravity

2-Way GMRS radios ( General Mobile Radio Service )   are good for group comms when there is no phone reception. Our FRS/GMRS radio GXT1030G by Midland.  GMRS differs from CB ( Citizen Band ) and FRS ( Family Radio Service ) for its power. On channels 15-22 it transmits up to 50 watts. Channels 1-7 allow up to 5 watts and 9-14 only 0.5 watts. The reach of GMRS depends on the terrain. The fewer obstacles, the better. You can use a repeater to increase the range. Inside vehicles, they may not work well because we are in a sort of  Faraday cage .  A $35 license is needed to use GMRS. The license is good for 10 years and covers the whole family.  Some folks advice using Channel 20 for emergencies - 462.675 MHz with PL tone of 141.3 Hz. This is called the "travel/calling" frequency, but only works if someone is listening and able to help. This is not an officially monitored channel. 

Sweet retirement spot - License our images  here . At age 59 1/2 you can take money from your 401k or IRA without penalties. What about using those savings for early retirement?  I think is possible. The idea is to cover the gap years to the "official" retirement age when social security will pay monthly income. Explained as simple as possible.  Divide the balance in your 401k or IRA by the years until your legal retirement age - add three more years to cover for stock market fluctuations.  The result is your maximum annual "salary" coming from your retirement funds - remember that you are "hiring yourself" to do what you want, so you will be your own "employer".  Now calculate your monthly expenses and create a budget based on your new "salary". Include healthcare cost, real estate property taxes, and income tax - 401k and Traditional IRA distributions are taxed as ordinary income.  If you decide to retire early... stick to your budget

...however secure and well-regulated civilized life may become, bacteria, Protozoa, viruses, infected fleas, lice, ticks, mosquitoes, and bedbugs will always lurk in the shadows...            Hans Zinsser, Rats, Lice and History   DEET-based repellant canisters.  Forget bears, wolves, and snakes. Tiny and more abundant, ticks and mosquitoes are more common risks. Not even the famous Alexander the Great survived the bite of an insignificant and unknown mosquito. While camping and hiking, checking for ticks is a must and the CDC has a good graphic showing where to look for them.  Where to check for ticks - CDC illustration. The main danger coming from ticks is  Lyme Disease . Ticks are found everywhere - even in cities. When the temperature is over 39℉ (4℃) they go into feeding mode. These little beings are good at

View from the bike trail by the Red Lands - License our images  here . 50 miles trip on the bicycles around the southern tip of Florida. The route was the paved bike trail the follows Krome Avenue. Many farms and plant nurseries around. Urban civilization returns with the cities of Homestead and Florida City.  These places are the doors to the Florida Keys, Biscayne, and Everglades National Park. Now the cities mix up, we couldn't see where one ends and the other begins. Hurricane Andrew brought destruction to both in the early 90s. Now there is a vibrant community of Hispanic immigrants here. Most work in the surrounding farms.  Riding through the downtown of Homestead.  The original name of Homestead was "Homestead Country". The town grew from the Homestead Act, a law signed by Lincoln in the 1860s that made easy to get free land. The city o

Dry camping in DuPuis Wildlife Management Area, Florida - License our images  here .         Dry camping is closer to real camping. The wilderness, the fires, the darkness, the privacy. Primitive minimalism. Dry camping has less conveniences but is closer to nature.