There is soooooooooo much to tell about our visit to Brevard County, Florida.
But before any of that, we want to thank LT Chris DiSciasio. This guy busted his tush to make this the event it was ... and we didn't even get to all he had planned! Dang, guess we'll have to visit again! ( ;
We arrived very late, and stayed at the hotel arranged by the firefighters for us. After the long drive, nothing could have felt better!
Forgot about the humidity down in this area. Wow! Y'all don't get paid enough ... And I have no idea what you make ... It aint enough! I have not yet figured out how you can wear all of that material and weight, and THEN walk into a burning building!
Our day started off about 9am ... And didn't stop for a long, fun time!
Let's see. Chris was most accommodating, He made sure that we got our Starbucks ... It was right there in the hotel parking area. (Style points!!!! lol)
First stop, over to the firehouse. What a great bunch of people! We had looked forward to this visit for a while, we were not disappointed!
The guys came out so we could meet, then did the photo ops. There are some real characters down here, which only made sense to me ... being the Florida native that I am! Would have been sad if this visit sucked, ya know?
After our station visit, it was off to the Brevard Zoo. How cool is this place?! You might not even notice it, but once you get in the area, you will find a choice spot for a great family visit. The animals are so close, and each living area is just right. From the impressive sand sculpture as you walk in, right to the flamingos, parrots, hippos, gazelles, alligators (of course), and the coolest giraffes ... this was perfect! I have to admit that as I am going back through the journal doing the updates, that seeing the pix from here reminded me of what a neat place this was. Kudos to the staff of the Brevard Zoo!
We weren't sure why we were visiting the zoo, it was a first on the tours, but afterward it made perfect sense! This is a tight community, and you could see the respect from the locals for the fire department and their personnel.
We saw that same respect expressed at the ball park. Sharen got a team shirt from the Washington Nationals and pom pom, and hung out with the staff as they prepared for a winning season for their team. This is a farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers ... Boy, I hope I got that one right! I can say for sure that they were just really friendly. We'll have to come see a game some day.
We had another firehouse stop. It's always nice to meet the firefighters. And when you can feel the personality of the house after just a few minutes, that's a good thing!
We found just that at each house we visited here. They were all different, but the same. And whether it was a crazy calendar, or giant stuffed dog, or just "that guy" with all the personality ... We loved every stop and every one we met here!
And we didn't just do firehouses, aside from the zoo we visited the world famous Ron Jon Surf Shop. That place is huge, but Sharen found lots to do. We didn't stay long though, Sharen got a lil concerned that she needed to wax before we got to the bikini section. Sigh.
Oh, wait! We tried something really cool. Have you ever had a fried olive? Or pickle? Really? Well, we hadn't ... But those are good!
But the visit wasn't over! After a small break, we geared up for the evening at a local club, The County Line. It was open for our party, and was attended by firefighters, and local troops from Patrick AFB ... Also firefighters.
It was a nice break from the typical tour stop. We got to just listen to music, have some really good food, and play a bit. It was fun! I want to come to the County Line on a full night, bet that place rocks! Thank you to all involved in securing this event for us.
Even better, we were able to pay honor to Brevard Country Fire from McChord AFB firefighters while USAF troops were present. It was a wonderful feeling. Watching them read the messages on the Honor Shirt, you knew it made an impact and the honor was felt by all present. We salute BCFD, MAFB & PAFB for their part in this special moment. Heroes all!
Brevard, Chris ... ALL of you ... You are amazing!!! Thank you so much for a great visit and wonderful memories. Get those shirts collected!!!
lj
2 comments:
Wooo Hooo. I was getting worried that we weren't going to see an update for a few more days. So far, the first 45 pictures look like you had a blast with this stop. I got a huge smile out of the tattoo picture. It brought back memories from last year when we saw soooo many tattoo's. :-)
not so patiently awaiting more pictures.....
Kathy
WooHoo... Thanks for getting more pictures posted. I can't wait to hear about this stop some more. It doesn't surprise me that SHaren enjoys making new friends and fishing as well. ;-) Its great to see that she also enjoys surfing and skating boarding. ;-)
Kathy
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