Outdoors

Special to The News
 
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host a series of public meetings in late January to help shape the future of deer management in the Florida Panhandle.

The weather may be uncharacteristly warm, but few are currently diving. The ocean is still on the cool side. 

I do see many trailered boats pass by us preparing for the upcoming season.  And we are no different. A good friend donated a nice boat to our efforts to move more diving offshore. Folks are tuning up engines, testing electronics and charging or replacing batteries.

April arrives soon enough. The excitement is epidemic with this warm weather.

Last week I attended the Beachwood 31st annual New Year’s Eve party at the Livingstons residence. There, amongst our friends and neighbors, we typically review what has happened during the last year.

This year the continued increase in home foreclosures, loss of jobs and general economic strife was distressing. Some are solidifying their resources while others are just leaving town for greener pastures. One dive shop in Tallahassee went out of business a week ago, and the other has branched out away from diving into archery.

With everyone on holiday, and the weather turning colder, we see an increase frequency of very small steel and aluminum cylinders show up for recharging.

These cylinders were first developed decades ago driving the gas for soda making machines. Today they drive a thriving sport called paintball.

The cylinders are DOT-monitored just like our scuba cylinders, but apart from their size, differ most often in that they are filled with low pressure liquid Carbon Dioxide or CO2.