2019 09 ... Run Away!

Aunti Em! Aunti Em! .... Hurricane Dorian tracking straight for us here in Titusville... time to run. And we did ...to Darien GA. Spent two nights there .... and sure enough....it changed direction ....straight for us again. ugh

(below) The park also houses the largest carillon tubular bell collection in the world and it is in dire need of repair. Built in 1958, the 97 bell carillon is one of the largest musical instruments ever produced in the Western Hemisphere. It has admirably weathered the last 61 years. Visitors were awe struck by their unique sounds that could be heard throughout the entire park as the bells rang out renditions of Stephen Foster’s music, Christmas/Holiday music and other compilations. The bells also chimed on the hour and every quarter hour.

The brass tubular bells are made up of three full sets of 32 bells. The scales range from C-G in the chromatic scale and have a 4th high G bell. The largest bell, the low ‘C’ bell, is approximately 12.5 feet long and weighs a whopping 430 pounds. The smallest bell is the high ‘G’ bell and weighs around 70 pounds and is 3.5 feet long. Almost any song can be played from a special keyboard in the tower or from pre-punched scrolls that ring the bells, similar to a player piano. Some of the scrolls are so old they are made of onion skins and are still in use today. Some scrolls were made especially for the park by composer June Albright. Albright was one of Deagan’s carilloners and used to play frequently at Stephen Foster. There are very few carilloners left as it is a lost art.

The entire bell housing in the tower is made from huge wooden beams and supports 27 tons including the 97 bells, the strikers and dampers, etc. It is 21 feet high, 15 feet long and 11 feet wide.

Sun, Sept 15... Today Kathy's mom arrives for a week. We picked her up at Orlando Airport. 

According to the International Shark Attack File maintained by the University of Florida, in 2007, Volusia County (New Smyrna) had more confirmed shark bites than any other region in the world. Experts from the university have referred to the county as having the "dubious distinction as the world's shark-bite capital"