Weather ... Front and Center

Day 245  |  St. Petersburg  

The cold front was forecast to roll through around noon so when we woke up to blue sky we were motivated to get outside and enjoy it while we could. Today we headed back north, up to the aquatic complex where a swim meet was already underway. At the entrance to the Municipal Marina, we again passed the oddly-placed statue of Christopher Columbus holding a scroll in front of a coiled rope and sphere. Today I finally Googled the rest of the story and found that it was installed on the access way to The Pier back in 1960 by the Knights of Columbus in honor of the local chapter's 40th anniversary. The six-foot tall likeness was carved in Italy out of carrara marble.

The Pier is another interesting nugget of local political wrangling. The marina anchorage, dinghy dock, and parking lot are all closed because of construction, and have been since 2013. The signs on the construction fence say "Coming in 2019." They've still got a long way to go.

The inverted pyramid which stood for 42 years has been demolished and construction continues on the new and improved entertainment complex shown below in renderings.

The clouds were escorted in by gusty winds right at noon. The temperature dropped quickly and occasional showers fell. I spent a few hours visiting with Chris on Miss Utah. Barry and I finished up the day by watching the NFL playoff games. The cloud cover is easing, but will probably limit our view of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse. We're hoping tomorrow will be our final day in St. Petersburg. We're ready to get moving south ... in search of warmth.