Der folgende Blog ist vorgesehen fuer Stan und seine Frau Amy aus Alaska, die auf unserer PERU Reise mit von der Partie waren. Stan ist School Superintendent in einem Bezirk von Alaska, so was wie ein Kreisschulrat in Deutschland. Sehr nette Leute! Unglaublich, ihnen gefaellt's in Alaska, wir beginnen zu frieren, wenn wir nur daran denken! Die Temperaturen im Februar waren dort -30 Grad Celsius!
Stan:
Here is a number of pics that I don't have in my Peru Trip Blog. We hope you like them.
On Monday, Feb. 11, a beautiful sunny day here in Florida, we were invited by friends to join them on a boat trip through partially pristine river country.
I took quite a few pictures and I hope that you like the many river scenes and perhaps visit here and enjoy the often hidden beauties of Brevard county, Florida.
Our guide and boat owner, a former US Navy officer with a WWII employment in the Pacific, was a brilliant captain and provided us with details about nature and water that we had hitherto not known.
Here is our captain and some of the crew. 
That's me - waiting for action. 
Birds and their nests.
Yes, they are fishing crab here, like in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. 
Beautiful house on the banks of the Turkey Creek
Look at this beautiful Blue Heron, looking for prey.
Pristine river forest.
Come and see the beauties of Brevard County, Florida.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, Petra and I participated in a 5k race in Wickham Park, Melbourne, Fl.
About 500 runners participated in the races, a 1-mile, a 10k and a 5k, which was the one we ran.
The age groups were from 3 and 1/2 (1-mile kiddy run) to 80+, Petra is in the 65 - 69 age group and I in 70 - 74, that's where the old geezers vainly battle senility.
We have in the past already participated in numerous races, about 15 here in Florida, and it has always been lots of fun, least the race proper, but all the activities around it - the signing up with Running Zone (responsible time-taking and the exact distances), the get-together with the competitors, the award ceremonies, and much more.
The "kiddy races" remind us of the numerous folksmarches, bicycle tours, and camping outings with our kids some 30 years ago.
Petra won the second place in her age group, she could not beat Mrs. Moulinar, maybe next time.
I also came in 2nd, but there was only a total of 3 runners in my age bracket, so when I am 83 I will be in first place ALL the time!
Our next race will be in 2 weeks, on Feb. 21.
On Feb. 7 we drove to Titusville, Fl., across the Indian River from the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of Shuttle Atlantis with European Space Agency module Columbus to be delivered to the ISS. Although we had watched Shuttle launches from our backyard in Palm Bay, about 35 miles south of KSC several times, we had never witnessed it from so close up. It was a unique experience!
Thousands of people from as far as Minnesota the Indian river shores, with cameras trained on the launch pad about 10 miles away, were watching the launch in awe.
Up and away - awesome! 
