(meteorobs) Lew & Norm

[Norman W. McLeod III]

Three days later, and large numbers of people still are without power, and 
many without other services as well.  Yesterday we went to church 3 miles 
out the east side, and nobody past downtown that direction has power save 
one grocery store a little further.  Few traffic lights operating so that 
triples the time to get anywhere.  Am glad to stay home for a couple of 
days.  Ice and drinking water are the valuable items in the August heat.

A couple of medium-grown banana plants made it, and there's plenty of young 
replacements.  We lost about half of the mango tree -- the largest upright 
branch is the one that broke.  At least we harvested a number of pineapples 
the week before.  I did salvage one bunch of bananas that should partially 
ripen ; lost four other bunches, two during Charley and two a month earlier 
due to tree collapse.  Should have put a support under them sooner.

The award for stupid goes to a man who went outside at the height of the 
storm to have a cigarette.  How did he expect it to stay in his mouth?  And 
how did he get it lit?  Maybe he didn't get that far -- a large falling 
tree branch hit and killed him.  One more cigarette death.  I don't know 
what city that happened in, could be anywhere between here and Daytona on 
the Florida upper east coast.

I figured Lew was safe just by staying on the lower east coast, well out of 
reach of Charley.  Am glad he checked in quickly.  Thanks from us to all 
who expressed concerns in writing or by phone -- we appreciate your thoughts.

Deep blue sky this morning.  I did check the pre-dawn sky and it was LM 
6.2.  Saw a couple of casual meteors.  I want to get my Perseid max data 
posted shortly, maybe later this evening.


Norman

Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society

Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod at peganet.com