Coffeeneuring Stop #3: Lafayette Park

 Today's Sunday outing was to a Coffee Shop Without Walls, namely Lafayette Park overlooking Apalachicola Bay.

1. where: Lafayette Park, Apalachicola FL

2. date: 10/31/21

3. what: Lucky Goat "Goat Tracks", home brewed by The Big Sis, brought along in a thermos

4. details: a perfect October day in the low 70's.  CX bike for me, Big Sis rode her stylin' Schwinn (which badly needs a new rear hub, but that that's a topic for another time)

5. distance: 2.2 miles round-trip.  (It's a very small town!)

Coffee and conversation overlooking the Bay on a beautiful afternoon.  Can it get better?  Maybe, we'll see on the rest of the 2021 Coffeeneuring rides.

Smells Like Halloween

 Heh.

Coffeeneuring Stop #2: Early Birds Mobile Coffee

 Onward and upward with this years Coffeeneuring Challenge!  Details:

1. where: Early Birds, across 10th Street from The Pig, Apalachicola FL

2. date: 10/27/21

3. what: basic big honkin' latte

4. details: another nice October day, in the low 70's.  CX bike

5. 1.0 miles there, continued with another 12 miles of gravel, shells, & mud in the alleyways

It's a new place, all my neighbors are recommending it, so I had to try it.  Everything I'd hoped it would be.  Then I was off on a jet-fueled tour of the mean alleyways of Apalachicola, followed by tacos and a nap.

Meh.

 It ain't over yet (see what was still in store this time last year), but... meh.  For the moment.

Radio Hiking Season Begins

 Oh, we've had a few cool days, but the real bug suppression won't start until later this week.  In the meantime, here are two from QRPer.com.

Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit Part 1: Basic components and Advantages of going QRP

Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit Part 2: Kit Types, Preparedness, and the Golden Rules

Time to dust off and recharge everything after this just-passed summer's estivation.  Also, probably wouldn't hurt to sit a the desk with the FT-817nd plugged into a dummy load and just practice for an evening.  Also, I really need to re-program the PSK-31 frequencies – it's changed for 17m.  Lots to do.

I may even have some Real Trail Action Pictures to show by this time next week.  In any case, here's a blast from the winter just past:

Overholt vs. Overholt

 I'd been seeing this slightly upscale version of Old Overholt for a while now, and finally had the chance to do a single-blind tasting of it vs. The Original.  It has a noticeably more rich flavor that sips better and will hold up to mixes better too.  Original is good, but at only about $8 a bottle more, Old Overholt Bonded is more than worth the small step-up in price.  Here, read what somebody who knows what he's talking about has to say.  Also, stop by the maker's web site and see what they have to tell about the original and the bonded versions.

Coffeeneuring Stop #1: Scipio Creek Farmer's Market

 Let's get this year's coffeeneuring adventures started in style with a trip to the local farmer's market.  Details:

1. where: coffee guy at Farmer's Market at Scipio Creek commercial marina, Apalachicola FL

2. date: 10/23/21

3. what: Ethiopian "Bold and Bright, Notes of Blueberry, Strawberry, and Peach"

4. details: nice clear late October day, about 75F.  CX bike

5. 2.0 miles round-trip (and I had to take a slightly indirect route)

Bought tomatoes and a few other odds and ends while there.  We're kind of between seasons here, with the summer produce mostly done but the winter harvest still ahead.  Just the usual Saturday ride to the market, but now with Official Coffeeneuring Documentation.

As a side note, Apalachicola is so small that sometimes a circuitous route is required to get the minimum 2 total miles in.  It's an excuse to dawdle, talk with neighbors, and check out the riverfront.

Coffee guy is facing away in the chair on the left side.  Coffee cup is just left of the water shut-off valve.  Coffee is inside the cyclist/photographer.  Note the snazzy Coffeeneuring 2018 patch on the daypack.