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My buddy Gecko arranged for us to tour the TECO Big Bend Power Plant.

The first stop was to take a birds eye view of the facility from the top of one of the 499 ft tall smoke stacks. We were standing on a ferforated metal grate – so we could see all around, and well as down. . . . Amazing, but not so good if you are afraid of heights!

Next we got to open up an inspection hatch on the boiler and look inside the mouth of hell.

These are two of the 4  turbines, the one in the distant photo was opened for repair.

The turbine tool room . . . big, big, big wrenches and lots of sledge hammers!

And here is the control room . . . it looked like the set of Star Trek.

The Gasparilla season is upon us here in Tampa Town. What is Gasparilla? Google, my friends. Tomorrow the Dread Pirate Couch and the winsome wench EvilE will be invading with our Krewe of Seville.

This photo shows how sneaky pirates can be.

This year I was “hired” by the Lion Club to carry their social krewe called “Ye Notorious Krewe of the Roaring Lions.”

As you will see they have an Indiana Jones theme.

So the lovely WG and I donned our fedoras and carried the krewe through the parade route in M35-style.

This video is mostly of the Lions . . . I will be making a cut that has more of the other “sights.”

The local team was playing . . . the World Something-or-other.

Homecoming is approaching for the University of South Florida.

The “Running of the Bulls” night parade will be Friday, October 14th, and as per my usual, I will be driving my 6X6 with a load of friends in the back, followed by a string of Jeeps from my 4×4 club. (You are welcome to join us if you are local or happen to be in Tampa.)

After the parade I am subjecting Elizabeth to a MBA class reunion . . . . it is not going to be that meaningful, as it has only been 3 years since we graduated, but it will be a gathering of friends and former professors, and well, an open bar.

Not sure what will happen after that . . . . one year there was a bon fire, last year I ended up on a karaoke stage. We will see.

The big game is on Saturday, 10/18; we will be taking on Syracuse.