Time in private community pool refreshing and tranquil

The storm that knocked out power to more than 20,000 utility customers Sunday throughout the coastal areas of Volusia County was replaced early Monday by clearing skies and seasonably warm temps. Power was restored in our home in Sugar Mill in New Smyrna Beach at 4:15 a.m. Monday after being knocked out just after midnight as was the case throughout the community.

Late this afternoon, I ventured into the community pool. Most of the people in our neck of the woods in the gated Sugar Mill are elderly and rarely use it. But I do. It's a beautiful, quiet place, surrounded by trees with birds, squirrels looking skyward and the occasional armadillo meandering below.

I enjoy listening to the whistling birds and the tranquility of being in the water. This gives me time to de-stress

and to get some exercise. I stayed in the pool for two hours. I walked up the path to my home feeling refreshed and energized. I'm not much of a swimmer, but I enjoy moving about in the water -- letting my mind wander.

There is a lot of stress in keeping up with a news website; determining what should be updated, what to post and what not to post. There are the countless e-mails, press releases, solicitations, etc. Then there are the seemingly endless comments to review, most of which I delete.

Then there are the raw videos to process and send to my wife, Serafina, for production, and then for me to post with or without stories. A lot of time goes into tracking the blogs and write-ups from community bloggers and guest columnists. And all of the editing.

The intensity comes with writing breaking news and developing investigative reporting projects.

There's the social media, Facebook messages, postings and the same with Twitter. And finally, the advertising and marketing. In this economy, it's the most challenging. Even with the cheapest prices and best bargains, people are always looking for something for nothing.

The demands are seemingly endless, which is why I enjoy the time in the pool when I can get it. There's nothing more refreshing and so tranquil in my busy life; without even a mention of family, bills, pets, relatives, friends and everything else that comes along on a daily basis.