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| Redneck, the red-eared-slider-turtle Trachemys scripta elegans |
While cleaning one of our big koi ponds yesterday I realized that Redneck-the-red-eared-slider-turtle had returned; he was watching me. This is the 9th summer that I've recognized Redneck. His return signals an imminent return of Florida's rainy season. It cannot happen too soon. The peninsula is exceptionally hot and dry.
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| Redneck: He looks a lot like a yellow-bellied slider if you cannot see the red markings behind his eyes. The markings dry quickly and turn dark when he is out of the water. |
Redneck is right on schedule as a tropical storm forms south of us and rainy season tries to get underway on May 15, 2020. This year has been exceptionally dry and it will likely take rainy season another week to a month to get going (if at all). The turtle knows these seasons.
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Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are not the dominant species of slider turtle in Florida. Commonly one would encounter yellow-bellied sliders instead, but there are some red-eared's mixed in with the local population.
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| Redneck-the-red-eared-slider-turtle |
Redneck brumates (brumation is a form of semi-hibernation) during Florida's dry season from late October to May, either in the bottom of one of my koi ponds or in adjacent Lake Theresa, behind my property. I recognize Redneck both because he is friendly and because he has a distinctive white spot on his upper right carapace (see above). Most sliders run and slip into the water when approached by humans. Redneck does the opposite. He's looking for a handout of cat food.
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| Trachemys scripta elegans |
At about a foot long Redneck is a typical size for an adult red-eared slider.
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| Redneck, whom I tend to anthropomorphize, always seems to look sleepy |
Red-eared sliders originated around the Mississippi river and other rivers with alluvial plans that discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. They prefer swamps, ponds, or slow-moving rivers and from my experience with Redneck, they stick to one territory for a large part of their lives.
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| Basking is import for slider turtle's carapace health |
Slider turtles are known to live 20-30 years, or longer, so we may see Redneck for many more summers if he manages to avoid his biggest predators in my backyard which are alligators and otters.
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| Redneck, like all slider turtles, basks a lot on sunny days. |
Due to the ongoing drought and drastically lower water levels in Lake Theresa, I believe Redneck returned to one of my deep water ponds for protection from predators.
Florida Rainy Season 2020
Floridian's are wondering when or if we'll get a rainy season as even huge lakes like Lake George (above) start to run dry. For years the rainy seasons have been unpredictable or absent. 2020 has been one of the hottest and driest winters ever so the drought pains are widespread.
Climatologically, the last week of May is the start of the Wet Season in Florida. Because of rapid climate change, historical data may be irrelevant. Regardless, looking at past data is currently the best scientific way to predict future weather.
Formula for Finding the Beginning
of Rainy Season
Warm Nighttime Temperatures (67-70° F)
+
High Humidities (dew points in the 70°s)
=
Rainy Season
Normally around June 1
Water level and flow meters at the Astor station on the St. Johns River currently report that the depth is .48 feet away from the channel. The flow at Astor is virtually non-existent. At the other end of Lake George there are tidal influences from the Atlantic Ocean pushing brackish water south toward the lake twice a day.
Beginning of the Wet Season for Orlando
Using data for the period 1949-2001 to look for the median date (half earlier, half later) when minimum temperatures were in the 67-70° range (19-21° C) and dew points were in the same range one can estimate the start of Orlando's Rainy Season. These dates almost always coincide with the onset of the Rainy Season. This combination of high nighttime temperatures and high humidities (dew points) usually occurs a few days before the start of frequent showers and thunderstorms.
Based on those data the start of the Rainy Season
for Orlando is: May 27
Beginning of the Rainy Season for Daytona Beach
For Daytona Beach data from 1935-2001 showed that there were more frequent intrusions of drier air after the apparent beginning of the Wet Season. Nevertheless,
Based on those data the start of the wet season
for Daytona Beach is also May 27.
A very low Wekiva River at Katie's Landing
It must be noted that a purely objective analysis is not possible because the exact onset of the Wet Season is difficult to determine in some years. There were classic years when dew points and minimum temperatures rose to around 70° in mid/late May, a rainy period ensued shortly thereafter and continued through the summer. Some years saw the start of showers/storms in late May, followed by several weeks of little/no rain, and then the onset of frequent rains once again in late June. Notably in 1998 neither occurred until late into July. It was in 1998 that much of Central Florida burned in wildfires.
This year dew points and nighttime temperatures are already high but a thermal inversion and semi-permanent high pressure have precluded any rainfall. A series of shortwave troughs are forecast to move through Florida the last week of May which should bring beneficial rains but not what we would consider rainy season rains (from sea breeze thunderstorms).
Me and my shadow, on another blazing hot May day on the shores of Lake George, Florida's 2nd largest lake.
Attempts to objectively pick the date when dew points/minimum temperatures remained above 70° degrees failed, since many years had brief periods of readings in the 60°s through the month of June. This would have resulted in the median date for the onset of the Wet Season not correlating with a reasonable person's perception, and being much too late in the season.
Using these criteria the past few nights would qualify as precursors to the Rainy Season. Also a tropical storm is forming in the Florida Straits which pumps more moisture north over the peninsula.
Currently dew points are around 73° (23° C) and temperatures are in the mid-70°s (24° C) at night making for very humid overnight conditions. However, current forecasts call for an extended period of dry following the passage of the aforementioned shortwave troughs so real rainy season? May come in June or may be delayed further.
Using these criteria the past few nights would qualify as precursors to the Rainy Season. Also a tropical storm is forming in the Florida Straits which pumps more moisture north over the peninsula.
Currently dew points are around 73° (23° C) and temperatures are in the mid-70°s (24° C) at night making for very humid overnight conditions. However, current forecasts call for an extended period of dry following the passage of the aforementioned shortwave troughs so real rainy season? May come in June or may be delayed further.
Precipitable Water and Precipitation Rate
Can Determine the Start of the Rainy Season
Another method for determining the start of the Wet Season is inspection of two variables, Precipitable Water and Precipitation Rate. Using the 1960-2000 time period the areal average of these parameters was attained for a one degree of latitude by one degree area that covered Cape Canaveral, Orlando and Daytona Beach. There are approximately 69 miles in 1° of latitude.
A sharp upward trend in precipitable water starts historically about May 20. Precipitation Rates rise significantly beginning about May 22. This corresponds rather well with the median dates determined by looking at minimum temperatures and dew points. The small differences in the dates determined by the two methods is likely due to the different time periods examined.
Onset of the Wet Season at Daytona Beach and Orlando, Florida(Updated through 2010)
Daytona Beach Median Date = May 29
Orlando Median Date = May 27
RAINY SEASON DATA
UPDATED THROUGH 2010 REVEAL A
SLIGHTLY LATER START DATE
FOR DAYTONA'S WET SEASON
ORLANDO'S WET SEASON BEGINS MAY 27
Orlando Median Date = May 27
2004
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6/1
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6/3
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2005
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5/30
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5/30
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2006
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6/11
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6/11
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2007
|
6/6
|
6/6
|
2008
|
6/10
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6/9
|
2009
|
5/17
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5/17
|
2010
|
5/30
|
5/30
|
Florida Wet vs. Dry Season Explained
The Wet Season
The Wet Season is typically considered to begin in the latter part of May and resembles "summer" across much of the remainder of the country. Warm temperatures (mid to upper 80s) begin earlier, but usually do not coincide with the beginning of frequent summer-like rains. The primary difference between summers in east central Florida and those at higher latitudes is that the heat and humidity are relentless (i.e. there are no synoptic scale fronts that bring significant cooling and drying). Though it does not rain every day during the summer, the frequency of rainfall usually begins to increase in late May. The start of the Wet Season is occasionally delayed until June and in rare cases, even as late as early July (e.g. 1998).
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| Swallowtail on Buttonbush The blooming of Buttonbush and the emergence of Swallowtails are more signs of the changing seasons. |
The Dry Season
The Dry Season usually begins in October as the first synoptic scale cold front brings drier and slightly cooler air into the area. This first front sometimes results in a significant rain event. Tropical systems, additional fronts and gale centers can bring periods of heavy rain through November, but the frequency of rain almost always decreases after the first significant frontal passage.
Fronts continue to push through the area during the traditional "meteorological winter" months of December, January and February. Cold frontal passages during this time period will sometimes be preceded by a line of showers and thunderstorms, but the occurrence of rainfall is much less frequent than the summer. The greatest coverage of rainfall during the winter months often occurs when one of these fronts moves back northward as a warm front. Some winters have more frequent frontal passages, which can result in much above normal rainfall. The most recent occurrence was the 1997-1998 winter when a strong El Nino resulted in significant severe weather episodes and flooding across the Florida peninsula, followed by severe drought the summer of 1998.
For east central Florida, late February through March might be the time period that most closely resembles typical Spring weather in the higher latitudes. Large swings in temperatures often occur along with occasional severe weather episodes, but rainfall is usually infrequent. April is often the driest month of the year as fronts become weaker and yield less rainfall, yet manage to pass through the area and reinforce the dry and stable air mass. Temperatures warm through May with average maximum readings reaching the upper 80s by the end of the month. Rainfall frequency increases compared to April, with the most notable increase usually beginning late in the month.
To see much more of Stephen Amell, the best place to start is Season 3 of the HBO series HUNG, which is also streaming on Prime Video. In several shocking nude scenes Stephen managed to catapult himself to The Arrow stardom. Watch all of The Arrow and The Flash (for more of Robbie) on Netflix.
In The Flash, Robbie Amell plays Ronnie Raymond aka Firestorm. In The Tomorrow people he plays Stephen Jameson. He's also in the Scooby-Doo! films as Fred Jones.
We're Watching
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| UPLOAD poster, featuring Andy Allo and Robbie Amell |
UPLOAD, Streaming on Prime Video
The Best Quarantine Series of 2020
UPLOAD, the Robbie Williams, Andy Allo Sci-fi Comedy on Prime Video is one of the best series of 2020. So good in fact, that 8 days after it premiered the show was greenlighted for a 2nd season.
The Greg Daniels comedy "delivered a smart, cinematic comedy crackling with intrigue, and it has clearly delighted our customers who have spent a lot of time in Lakeview this past week. We know our global fans want to see the next chapter with Nathan and Nora, so we are greenlighting season two," said Amazon Studios head Jennfer Salke in a statement in the Hollywood Reporter.
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| Robbie Amell nearly naked, then naked, or maybe not? |
The series is sent in 2033, when people have the option of uploading their consciousness to a virtual afterlife when they die. It centers on Nathan (Robbie Amell), who's badly injured in a self-driving car accident and makes a hasty decision to be uploaded to the luxurious virtual afterlife of his girlfriend Ingrid's (Allegra Edwards) family. Once there, Nathan develops a reciprocal bond with Nora (Andy Allo), the customer service "angel" assigned to look after him.
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| Robbie Amell shirtless supermarket stunt |
Robbie Amell Nude Scenes in UPLOAD
Robbie, like cousin Stephen Amell (The Arrow), has shown a willingness to use sex appeal to further his career. In UPLOAD he goes a bit further than in films like "The Duff" with full-on nude scenes. However Robbie, and his wife (Italia Ricci) say that is not Robbie's naked body you see in UPLOAD.
While undergoing the upload procedure in the hospital, Nathan, still wearing a hospital gown has his head burned off while his body falls face forward into a cooler of ice, revealing his naked backside. Robbie says the fall was too intense to let an actor perform, so the stuntman stepped in with his hospital gown open in the back.
"Its not my butt," Amell said. "I fall face first into a cooler. They couldn't use real ice and the ice that was in it, they wouldn't let me fall into. So they had a stunt double fall face first into the cooler." Sounds like a pretty elaborate denial but until the owner of the butt seen in UPLOAD steps forward we'll have to take Robbie at his word. Still, perhaps Robbie should stick to simpler denials?
The second Robbie Amell nude scene is in the shower. Once Nathan is in the digital afterlife, he explores the simulation. He still eats and showers like he did in real life, and you may think you're finally seeing the real Amell in the shower. However, he says he was covered up in those scenes too. Huh?
"I'm in the shower, so I have some little privacy shorts on that are folded down to make it look as thought I don't have anything on," Amell said. Movie magic or another implausible elegantly detailed denial? You decide. Either way the show is great and we cannot wait to see more in season two.
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| Robbie and Stephen Amell, posing on old tires |
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| Stephen Amell and cousin Robbie playing mock football, American style |
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| Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell pastime, rope pulling |
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