310/365 The Beach in November

with a good friend



really should have thought to bring extra clothes. Whoops!





The sting rays were a nice touch.

198\365 Destin

We went to Destin on Saturday. The goal was to hit the outlet mall and then go to Ft. Walton Beach and do the Gulfarium. It all went wrong, no one was feeling too great, so we didn't last long before we headed home.

This is Crab Island. It's an underwater sandbar where boaters drop anchor and swim and play. It always tempts me every time I see it.




Shrimp boat in Choctawhatchee Bay. Quick shot grabbed while crossing the bridge.

157/365 Protests

As there is more of this





there is more of this


Gas mask wearing protester holding "Drill, Baby, Drill" sign with tea bags hanging from bottom


Plane pulling banner that reads "GOP Drill Baby Drill"

Click the pics to see them large.

155/365 Beach Day

The first reports of the oil reaching our beautiful shores was here, and it was now or never to grab a last trip out before it gets bad. We had a blast.

122/365 The Oil Spill

My pic for the day is this as both these things are on my mind.



I love Nashville, have lived there and still have family there, so it makes sense I'd watch with concern. I am saddened by the lives lost, and am amazed at the imagery. Flooded I-24 with the building floating down it hits me like the I-10 bridge picture after Ivan here in Pensacola.

I can't help but wonder what images are to come. The oil spill should be here Tuesday or Wednesday, and everything I've grown up knowing is going to change. Change is part of life on the coast, you can't experience storms and have things stay the same, but this is different. With storms sand stays white, and there is still marine life, and the birds come back, and the beaches rebuild with our help.

We have so much to lose, and Jessie Whittle gave me the great idea to show you some of it. This isn't as well done at hers, but here you go.












Wish us luck in what's ahead.

115/365 Sunday Drive

With the end of the rain and the return of the sun the plan was to go to Scratch Ankle but early in the morning Lucian woke up coughing and struggling to breath, and through the rest of the day he coughed and wheezed and sounded awful. He was still happy, and would have loved the chance to try something fun, but it wasn't an option. Running would have put him in a bad place, and not running is something he can't manage. So we went for a Sunday drive.

First stop, car wash. They love those, and they prefer Ronny's but we were out too early on a Sunday for that.




We drove through Pensacola and saw the Krispy Kreme hot sign was flashing, the only time I think they are worth eating at this point in my life, so we each had one plain glazed. The woman at the window tried to sell us on a dozen, which would only have been a little more than the cost of what we asked for, but we didn't want a dozen. She didn't seem to be able to understand that and asked if we were sure, then gave us a look like we were idiots when we said yes.

After that we headed over the 3 mile bridge and decided to take a drive along the beach. The flag was red as we headed into Pensacola beach and then as we made it to Navarre the purple was added to it. It was a peaceful drive, nice to smell the Gulf and just to see it. There was no fussing that we weren't stopping, we just all talked and looked.





As we went through one part that was very flat and had a dirty look from all the asphalt that was destroyed during the storms (you can see some in the picture above) the boys began referring to it as the poison land. "When we are out of The Poison Land can we stop and get some lunch?" "Look at that big truck coming! It looks like it lives in The Poison Land." I have no idea where they get this stuff.



Earle Bowden Way has only been open a little over a year. It took them almost 5 years to get it open after Ivan, thanks to additional damage by other storms that came along. I miss all the big dunes, and the pure white of the sand, but I missed being able to drive it even more.