March 10, 2020
To begin, I would like to welcome all of the new readers (if you are still around) that I picked up due to my post on the uncertainty related to COVID-19 and the markets. I appreciate the spike in readers, and perhaps some of you will come back from time to time.
Per my friend Peter who thanked me for the investment advice, it is worth noting that it is more awareness and strategic planning advice. Not investment advice. It is a fools game to time markets (and I am fool, I do it all the time) and it is rarely successful. That said, it is worthwhile to recognize macro issues which drive markets in case they help you re-assess your plan.
COVID-19 will have a measurable impact on the economy, but the size of that impact will not be known for months. Recognizing that the world is heavily indebted, is 12 years into a bull market (typical length of 6 years), and now we have an exogenous risk . . . keep the big picture in mind when planning, particularly if you are in or close to retirement (or a boat purchase) as many of my readers are.
Moving on, I have enjoyed a few bike rides over the past few days, although enjoy might be a strong word. The winds have been ferocious, from the East, and I am sitting on the eastern coastline. That means that when I leave, I have a tail wind and when I return, well, let’s just say, I am not having a lot of fun on the way back.
With 132km on Sunday, 55km yesterday and 45km today, I am a bit sore, mostly because I have been working on speed. Having the ‘good’ bike here with the aero wheels and aero bars, and Florida flat, my speed seems to have gone up by about 4kph, and so I am pushing hard to get fitness.
On Sunday, on my return I rode along the shoulder of the road, like I normally would and it was good (despite the wind). When I went out on Monday, I ‘stumbled’ upon a bike path on the same highway, but the other side which was amazing. Now to be fair, the roads around here have a lot of bike lanes, so it is pretty safe to ride, but this bike path on the edge of Highway 70 was clean, flat, paved and nice to ride on. I don’t really know where it starts, but it ends at 95. I’m pretty impressed and tomorrow I will likely ride out to find how far it goes.
I have been looking for the Pelican to come back and fish off of my dock so I can take photos/videos. Alas it hasn’t come back, at least not while I have been paying attention. Perhaps another opportunity will present itself.
The birds around here are numerous, and I enjoy watching them. There variety and antics are all appealing. While riding, I frequently see a lot of cranes and hawks, along with plenty of turkey vultures. I particularly enjoy watching the hawks soaring over the fields while I ride.
The manatee viewing area is just ahead of my boat (a few hundred feet), but I haven’t seen any manatees. Perhaps it isn’t cold enough, or more likely I am not paying close enough attention. I think tomorrow may be a day for watching wildlife.