Simon says....Woof!

Meet Simon!

I occasionally run into Simon on afternoon walks along Santa Rosa Sound. He's so snorty and smooshed-faced that I think he's absolutely adorable (I'm gonna hear from one of my viewers on that comment!). And he thinks I'm a pain in the tush for interrupting his walk with a bunch of human fawning.

A couple of snorts and he's on his way, but he always makes me laugh.

Twilight at the pier

Another beautiful evening at the pier.

When day is done

"Love, good night. Must thou go,
when the day and the night need thee so?
All is well; speedeth all to their rest."

-- Taps

Due to a death in the family, I will be departing for Tennessee tomorrow morning and will be unable to post for a few days.

Calming sea

When high winds come out of the north, we laugh and say the Gulf of Mexico has turned into the Lake of Mexico.

It is a chilly, but beautiful morning.

Birds gotta fly?

"Lift your head high
Place no limits on the sky
You were meant to fly
So fly, we implore you"

-- lyrics from Robin and the Giant

Hmmmm.... whatever happened to "fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly"? This flock of seabirds seem to be grounded.

Blue diamonds

There is nothing more beautiful than the Gulf of Mexico when the sun turns the water into a sea of blue diamonds.

Barrancas National Cemetery

Barrancas National Cemetery, located within Naval Air Station, is a place of quiet dignity and reverence.

Southerly/northerly winds

Seventy-one degrees at 6:30 this morning and winds from the south...wait...from the northwest...now from the south! Ah well, it's a beautiful day.

Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival

The 54th annual Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival was held this weekend in the beautiful town of Fairhope, Alabama. Last year's event drew in 200,000 people.



Almost 250 exhibits....



Family-friendly...



Pampered puppies...



Flower-lined streets...



And upscale shops are everywhere. {{{pssst...Uptown carries Kate Spade!)




And unique stores like Terra Potta!

Azaleas

Today is the first day of Spring and all across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, thousands of azaleas are now in full bloom.

Strawberries!

Yea! The strawberries at B.J. Farms are in! Sweet and juicy, picked ripe from the vine and washed clean.

B.J Farms is located on Highway 98, just east of Elberta, Alabama. Their beautiful fields are right next door and seem to go on and on forever. You may also pick your own.



Besides these beautiful strawberries, B.J. Farms is currently selling vine-ripen tomatoes from Homestead, Florida. Also available are firm, green tomatoes, which meant this barrier island girl had fried green tomatoes for dinner tonight! YUM!

(See! You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl!)

Moon over the Gulf

Peace and tranquility over the Gulf of Mexico. I wish you could see the way the light shimmers on the water.

Doxy Dog - Mighty Crab Hunter!

Spotted!


Pounce! Pounce! Pounce!

National Wildlife 35th Annual Photography Contest

Your Barrier Island Girl blog master (that's me) has been suffering from a rather acute ear infection for the past week. Since we typically have windy conditions at any given time on Pensacola Beach, it seems prudent to stay indoors -- and out of the wind -- until I improve.

This forced hiatus has given me time to work on 2005 taxes which has, understandably, thrown me into a deep depression. But, I assure you, I will begin posting again on a regular basis as soon as I stop crying and my ear stops hurting.

On a more cheerful note, I was delighted to discover a friend of mine from Tennessee forwarded the winning photos from this year's National Wildlife's 35th Annual Photography Contest this morning. Since I'm unable to get out and about to provide you with photos of my usual jaunts around the island, I hope you will take an opportunity to click on the link and browse these great photos. They certainly give me something to aspire to in my old age!

The first thing

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully."It's the same thing," he said."

-- A.A. Milne

Rise and fly

"Time is swift, it races by; Opportunities are born and die... Still you wait and will not try - A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly."

-- A.A. Milne

The fly-by!

I'm certainly glad these fellows figured out I had a camera and not their lunch!