Tonight, meaning the night of Oct. 15, take a moment from your football game or Angry Birds or whatever it is you do on a Monday night, and step outside.

If the weather guys are correct, you should feel a cool, dry breeze from the northwest. Early tomorrow morning, the temperature should drop to about 53 degrees.

This is the best time of year along the Emerald Coast. It’s warm enough in the day you can still enjoy the water, but cool enough at night to air at your house, and yourself, of all that stuffy summer humidity and enclosedness.

I plan to step outside several times tonight must to enjoy the coolness, and maybe catch a glimpse of the star. It just feels good, in a lot of different ways.

Today as thunderstorms rolled across the Emerald Coast, the scanner crackled to life with reports of “signal 4s” – car accidents. We had wrecks on Eglin Parkway, wrecks on Beal, wrecks on Racetrack, wrecks on Hollywood. It seemed every major thoroughfare in Fort Walton Beach was clogged with wrecks.

This happens every time it rains. The simple fact is, people don’t drive differently when the roads are wet.

So here are a few reminders for your wet road driving adventure:

1. When it rains, SLOW DOWN. You can’t drive as fast when the roads are wet because your tires don’t grip the road as well when a layer of water lies between the rubber and asphalt. I realize this is contrary to your technology-addled I-Want-It-Now, Get-Out-Of-My-Way, I-Don’t-Have-To-Wait mentality, but if you don’t slow down, you might have a wreck.

2. When it rains, DON’T TAILGATE. You shouldn’t tailgate when the roads are dry, but you really shouldn’t tailgate when roads are wet. For the same reason as listed in No. 1.

3. When it rains, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. Don’t play with your phone/nav system/MP3 player/whatever. You shouldn’t do that when the roads are dry either.

4. When it rains, DON’T TALK ON YOUR PHONE WHILE YOU’RE DRIVING. Talking on your phone while your driving in perfect conditions is hazardous enough; when the roads are wet you’re begging to have a wreck.

Jim Cantore, well-known meteorologist for The Weather Channel, visited South Walton recently and told folks at a presentation that our area is overdue for a hurricane.

The last hurricane of significance to affect Northwest Florida was Dennis in 2005. Luckily, we’ve been spared major impacts since.

I don’t know anything about Cantore except he’s the guy TWC sends into the eye of the storm. He seems like a decent fellow though like many of TWC’s on-air personalities, I think he tends to be a “doomcaster” – a weather person who elevates the threat bad weather presents. I’ve been accused of doing the same thing, though I think the people who say that don’t know what they’re talking about. I go out of my way NOT to doomcast.

At any rate, are we overdue for a hurricane? I don’t know. But here are a few things to think about:

I moved here in 1964. I experienced my first major hurricane with Eloise, which struck in 1975. That’s 11years. The next big hurricane to hit the area was Erin, in 1995. That’s a span of 20 years. Only two months later Opal struck. But another hurricane didn’t hit until nine years later when Ivan clobbered Pensacola. Then Dennis came along in 2005.

Sure, we’ve had close calls – Frederick in ’79, Elena in ’85 and Georges in the ’90s. But in terms of direct hits there doesn’t seem to be a stastical average one way or another – sometimes we get hit back to back; sometimes we go 20 years without a storm.

By the way, you might be interested to know the weather guys are thinking an El Nino is starting. In his blog, Dr. Jeff Masters said the parameters necessary for an El Nino have either been met or are being met. What remains to be seen is if these effects will persist an extended period of time.

El Ninos are good for us – at least during the summer months – because they rip apart hurricanes. I don’t know about you but with the early start to this year’s hurricane season, I’d be a lot more comfortable with something out there to inhibit storm formation.

I’m not a meteorologist so I can’t say Cantore is right or wrong. But when a doomcaster tells you something bad might happen, you look for that proverbial grain of salt.

No sooner did I get the first draft of my blog about Sheena Russell’s missing $600 finished than my telephone rang.

It was Russell, calling with some good news.

“I’m absolutely overjoyed,” she enthused.

On her way to Walmart to talk to the manager about the missing money, she felt something strange in her pants’ pocket. She put her hand inside and didn’t find anything, but she could still feel something out of place. That’s when she realized there was an inner pocket.

That’s where she found her cash.

“It turned out to be my own, uh, I don’t even know what to call it,” she laughed. “I blame it on the cold medication.”

I think somebody’s going to have an excellent weekend.

I think we all have nightmares about finding and losing large sums of money – that lottery ticket we accidentally threw in the trash, the credit card left on the restaurant table, or the $20 bill we just know we put in our wallet but now is nowhere to be found.

For Sheena Russell, that nightmare followed her into day.

It happened. 

Sheena posted on the Daily News’ Facebook page she visited the Navarre Walmart on Thursday, withdrew $600 from an ATM, and went shopping. When she checked out, the money was gone.

“I started to freak out,” she told me during a telephone interview Friday.

I wanted to know about events leading up to this unfortunate situation. Here’s what she told me:

She spent Thursday running kids to friends’ houses and post-graduation dinners, then sat down last night to watch “The Hatfields & McCoys.” At one point she fell asleep – she’s under the weather with one of those summer cold things. Later that night she got a call from her daughter asking for a ride from a friend’s house. She picked her up, then dropped by Walmart for a few things, as she had a house full of people. This was around 11 p.m.

She stopped at the ATM and withdrew $600, which a lot of people would say was her first mistake: removing such a large sum of money from an ATM. She said she’s used Walmart’s money order machine before but got the cash because she not only wanted to pay for her purchases but tend to some bills on Friday.

When she and her daughter checked out at the cash register, she used the remaining balance of a debit card to pay part of the bill, then pulled out her wallet to pay the rest.

When she saw the money was gone, “I started trying to figure out what I did with it, or where I’d put it.” She said she spent an hour and a half retracing her steps through the store, frantically looking for the $600.

When she couldn’t find it, she reported the loss to a Walmart employee she thought was the night manager.

As of this writing she is reconnecting with the management of the Navarre Walmart, and will file a report with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Good thing. I called the Navarre Walmart and asked to speak with the store manager. I was transferred to Frank, who, when I asked if he’d heard about the incident or had found the missing $600, replied, “This is the first I’ve heard of it.” He then referred me to Walmart’s corporate offices, and said any future communication between me and the company had to be brokered through their public information office.

I also called the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office to find out if they’d heard about the incident, or if anybody had turned in the missing money. I was transferred to dispatch, who said any information about the incident would need to come from public information officer Sergeant Scott Hanes. I have not heard from Sergeant Haines.

And you thought journalism was easy.

“I guess I feel like such an idiot for it not being where it’s supposed to be,” Sheena said of the money on Friday. “I’m not irresponsible with my money.”

She added she’s asked herself over and over why she didn’t just wait until today to withdraw the money, or use a money order. Her husband has been asking the same questions.

Still, she’s hoping after she talks to Walmart management, and the Sheriff’s Office, they can review video footage and find clues to the money’s fate.

“I’m just hoping a good person picked it up,” she said.

I’ll write about this again if there are any developments. If you have any information about Sheena’s missing cash, post it here or give me a call at 315-4433.

I asked Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce President Ted Corcoran if the Bowlegs festival was for tourists only. He said:

“It’s for everybody! Come on down and have the time of your life!”

Last week a bit of a dust-up occurred when somebody – I think it was a letter-to-the-editor writer – said the chamber was telling locals who called to complain about Bowlegs schedule changes that the festival was for tourists, not locals.

These changes amount to moving the parade to Thursday, from Monday. Unfortunately, Thursday conflicts with graduation ceremonies at Baker School, Choctawhatchee High School, and Niceville High School (here’s a complete schedule of local graduations).

The letter-writer said that when the chamber was approached with a complaint about this change, the chamber responded with a not-for-locals comment. Corcoran assured me – repeatedly – that that isn’t the case.

He said the festival is a draw for locals and the chamber recognizes that. He said it’s open to anybody in the world, and all were welcome. He was very sorry about the conflicts with graduation exercises, and offered this as an explanation for the schedule change:

Back when Bowlegs first came into being, he said, it was intended as an event to kick off the summer tourist season. That was back in the early ’50s. In 1955 the festival was moved to the Labor Day weekend, then in 1960 it was moved back to the first week in June.

In the past four or five years the chamber has been collecting feedback from tourists about Bowlegs. One insight: They’d like to stay for the parade but they can’t because it happens on Monday and they have to be back at work on Monday. So the chamber is experimenting with a Thursday night parade schedule.

“Thursday night is a trial for the parade,” Corcoran said. “We’ll see how many people line the streets, and how many are in the parade.” (As of this writing over 70 parade entries are scheduled.) If the parade bombs, they’ll go back to square one.

Corcoran said hotel bookings for Okaloosa Island and Fort Walton Beach were packed for Bowlegs weekend – the rooms are filled. Maybe the schedule change had something to do with that; maybe not.

This wouldn’t be the first time a Bowlegs activity conflicted with a local high school graduation. Entertainment Editor Brenda Shoffner said the Bowlegs skirmish and fireworks conflicted with her sons’ graduation from Fort Walton Beach High School.

Obviously I can’t know what the letter-writer was told, but Ted sounded sincere in wanting both tourists and locals to participate in Bowlegs, and seemed genuinely concerned the parade was opposite the graduation ceremonies, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see if this schedule change works. It’s conceivable the schools could work around a Thursday night parade time.

A friend posted a disturbing note on my Facebook page yesterday. She got it from author Anne Rice’s Facebook page.

Rice apparently was told – by her son, author Christopher Rice – that the Books-A-Million store on Mary Esther Cut-Off in Fort Walton Beach was not stocking their books and would not allow readers to order them.

I couldn’t believe that was true. Chain book sellers, especially sellers of printed books, seldom ban titles. I can only think of one example: The fellow who e-published the pedophile manual on Amazon recently had his “book” yanked (deservedly so).

Sure enough, others had gone by the store to inquire and were able to find copies of the Rice family’s books on the shelves. They were also told any books not in stock could be ordered.

So what the heck was going on?

I called corporate and spoke to Jane Horner, Books-A-Million’s marketing manager, who said the episode was a misunderstanding between a customer and a clerk. She did not elaborate on the exact nature of the misunderstanding, but wanted it known – and said this several times – that “We don’t ban any author’s books.”

She said the company posted its response to the accusation on Christopher Rice’s Facebook page. Below is Rice’s reply:

Hi Everyone,

I screwed up, and I owe everyone an apology. While it’s true that I was told a disturbing story this weekend, I let my ego get the best of me and I posted that story without first ensuring that it was something other than hearsay.

First and foremost, I must apologize to the staff and management at Books-A-Million Ft. Walton Beach who held up bravely under the deluge of calls and visits they received about this over the past 24 hours. I spoke to them myself this morning, and while I was sure they would never want to hear my name again after what they’ve been through this weekend, they invited me to do an event at their location instead. I happily accepted, of course. And I will post the details of this event once I have them. And those details will be fact-checked, double-checked, triple-checked and reliable.

I also need to apologize to my mother, who carried my posting in good faith. And then, of course, there’s all of you. I’m blessed to have as many followers on Facebook and Twitter as I do, and it’s my responsibility to provide you with better information than this. I was deeply moved by the number of people who contacted the store. Thanks to your actions, it was clear to me within several hours of my posting that I had been duped, and that I had acted carelessly.

I have long held, personal connections to Ft. Walton Beach, and other Florida Panhandle communities. My family still owns property in the area, and some of my happiest memories were made along the beaches between Sandestin and Perdido Key. It’s easy to dismiss entire regions of the country and whole groups of people based on the unfortunate actions of a few. But no one who works at the Books-A-Million Ft. Walton Beach has done anything unfortunate. That responsibility lies entirely with me.

I look forward to meeting all of them in person, and if you live in the area, I look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, there are multiple flower deliveries headed their way.

Christopher Rice 

So that settles it. No banned books.

On a personal note I’d like to thank Jane for returning my call. She was the only one who bothered.

My pal Shane Reynolds has a new promo for his travel production company. Pretty slick.

One day, when I’m less dumb, I’m going to learn video production this cool!

No, I didn’t find that note on my car. I haven’t been to Australia since forever. It’s just a goofy photo I came across online. But it’s something that would happen to me.

Actually, it DID happen to me, or something like it.

I was going through my mid-life crisis and bought a ’95 red Mustang convertible. At $25,000 it was horribly expensive, the most costly vehicle I’ve ever owned. But oh my, was it beautiful. And fun. I’d climb into that sexy beast after work and just drive, listening to CDs (obviously gas cost a lot less than $3,97!), thinking people must be swooning with jealousy. They were probably thinking: Look at that old fool in his red convertible.

The only problem with the Mustang, which I called “The Pimpmobile,” was this: It was too beautiful.  I worried about it endlessly. I had nightmares of cats using the top to sharpen their claws (that actually happened to my aunt’s convertible). I’d park at the back of the lot, only to come out and find the truck from “The Beverly Hillbillies” parked next to it. I obsessed over scratches and nicks.

I worried about the car so much I actually lost sleep.

Then one night, my worries came to an end. I was working the late shift and didn’t leave until 10 p.m. When I stepped outside I spotted it immediately – some #@%$& had smashed in the driver’s side door. No note, no nothing.

I called the police, and the next day took it to the insurance agent. Wouldn’t you know, the damage amounted to $5 less than my deductible.

The next day, I traded it in on a Nissan Pathfinder.

And slept like a baby that night.

I must be the only human being in the world who doesn’t have a tattoo.

I don’t have a problem with them … well, much of a problem. I’m sorry, but for the first 40 years of my life the only people who got tattoos were criminals or sailors. So for me, the tattoo has a kind of negative vibe.

Now, tattoos are mainstream. Just about everybody has one. I wouldn’t be surprised if the president has a tattoo.

I would look stupid with a tattoo. I’m too old for that kind of thing. And whatever pattern I got would look awful after a couple of years, what with my accelerating weight gain. The state of Florida, for instance, would become the entire North American continent on my flesh, especially if it were tattooed on my waistline.

Besides, I might get a flawed tattoo, maybe one with a misspelling, like this chick: