A 'Chipper' little guy on the beach!

I think I'm in love -- with an 8 week old puppy named Chipper. My readers will have to educate me on whether he is a Labrador Retriever or a Golden Retriever. He is adorable and fluffy-soft and full of life. The biggest challenge was getting a photo that wasn't a complete blur as he bounced from one spot to another.



"I'm gonna get that bug...or shell...or sand stuff. I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna......."



"Got it! Hey, where'd it go? I'm gonna get it!"

After the storms

After a round of heavy storms last night and this morning, the sky cleared and sunlight sparkled on the Sound.

One last look!

Here was one last look and one last shot before a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning sent me running for cover!

Movin' in

The storms are moving in!

Thunderboomers ahead!

Looks like we're in for some rough weather tonight. Thunderboomers ahead!

Morning at The Marina

I stopped by the Market on the Island this morning just to get a shot of the beautiful cloud formations beyond the Marina. The water and the sky have been even more gorgeous than usual in the past week or so.

Glorious Pensacola Beach day

Look at what a glorious day we're having on the beach! I'm so lucky to live here.

Sunset on Pensacola Beach

What beautiful colors on the beach tonight. Little do I know of cirrus, stratus and cumulus clouds, but there were so layers of what appeared to be different types that it made for an unusual shot.

Sandcastles

"...I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take - applaud. Salute the process of life and go home."

-author unknown

Contemplation

"Beauty in things lies in the mind which contemplates them."

-- David Hume

Solace

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature... Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be…amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."

-–Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank

Colors of Easter

The most beautiful colors I've seen this Easter weekend are in the Gulf of Mexico along the coastline of Pensacola Beach.

Cobia boats

It may be slightly difficult to see on a small screen, but the Cobia boats are out in full force now. A Coast Guard helicopter is checking on the boats and the beach.

The Gulf water has warmed and there are schools of small fish here and there, also known to Cobia as 'lunch.' The water is incredible!



A small boat looking for Cobia. You can see a lookout standing on the flying bridge.

Coasting along

This guy just seems to be coasting along.

Sunning on the Sound

A beautiful day to relax and enjoy the colors of Santa Rosa Sound. Children love to build water-filled corrals for hermit crabs.

Missin' my view

I'm visiting my parents in Tennessee again, missin' the view from my condo. Although things are beautiful here in middle Tennessee, last week's tornadoes caused considerable damage in both Warren County (where my parents live) and in Sumner County (where I lived before moving to Florida).

I should be on the road to Florida very soon, meanwhile I look at this photo and sigh.

Afternoon walk

I think the birds are getting used to me!



Hmmm...maybe not. Buh-bye!

Wind beneath my wings

Ahhh...to be able to soar high above Santa Rosa Island for a bird's eye view.

Little Surfer Gull

I think this little seagull has been watching our local surfers a bit too long. Then again, it's alway good to dream BIG. [pun actually intended]

The Sand Canyon

The way the wind has carved a few tall dunes just past Portofino on Highway 399 remind me of the way the Colorado River etched through sandstone and limestone to create one of Mother Nature's masterpieces, the Grand Canyon.

Crab shacks

Pretty cool crab shack, huh? This little fellow slammed the door right in my face when I tried to get a shot of him.

Peep eye!

"Peep eye," said the hermit crab.

While the photo may appear blurry, it is because the tiny crab is underwater and his 'home' is covered with some type of algae which sways back and forth with the incoming tide.

It was a beautiful day to hike east to Range Point and I was fascinated with this little fellow.

Hazy days on Pensacola Beach

Now that I am a permanent resident, I have realized how many hazy days we have here on the island. On those occasions it is a matter of waiting for the haze to lift just enough for one photograph.

Pensacola JazzFest 2006 - Sunday

It was another beautiful day for the Pensacola JazzFest 2006. Slightly warmer today, but we still had a cool breeze.



It's Holly Shelton! What a great entertainer. Hey, I think she's singin' to me!



"Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
A box where sweets compacted lie."

-- George Herbert




Wow, a punk hair-do, a pink collar, pink nail polish, a pink dress, and a recent body-wax. I'm speechless. I hope she remembered her SPF 30.



"In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."

-- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Hmmm...looks more like he's catching a few zzzzzz's to me.



Now this is one laid-back guy.

Pensacola JazzFest 2006 - Saturday

It was a perfect Spring day for the Pensacola JazzFest -- lots of sunshine and a cool breeze off the bay.



My favorite vocalist is Kitt Lough. If you ever see her scheduled to perform locally, please take the opportunity to go.




Dave Shelander on the keyboard.



Pull up a chair!



The Swing Kids Dancers! If you think you can keep up with them, why not take a few Lindy Hop classes.




Happiness is a boy and his funnel cake



Or a little red-haired girl with chicken-on-a-stick. Ya know, I don't think strollers and skewers go together. But the way this little one is chowing down, I wouldn't want to be the one to take it away from her.