Crawfish Boil at the Singleton's!

Our wonderful hosts for last weekend's Crawfish Boil were our next-door neighbors, Wes and Elaine Singleton.

Steam rises from a huge pot of  crawfish, the size of baby lobsters!  Now, technically, I should be writing "crayfish" which comes from the Old French word escrevisse.  To learn more about them and their colloquial names, you may click HERE.

Heat was turned off and ice was added to the pot after the crawfish had boiled for 3-5 minutes.  This stopped the cooking process and also causes the crawfish to sink, thereby soaking up the spices. 

Mr. Ronnie Treuil, Wes's cousin, came all the way from Rosedale, Louisiana for this event. Ronnie also delivered seven sacks of giant pond-grown crawfish straight from Louisiana bayou country. Six sacks, each weighing in at 35-37 lbs., were stored in a large custom-made cooler on the back of Ronnie's truck. The seventh sack was housed in a separate cooler.  Now THAT, my friends, is one special delivery!  

Another great friend who jumped right in to help Wes and Elaine with cooking duties and clean-up, was Gene Morgan.  Gene and his wife, Tammy, own ReMax Total Properties in Navarre, so if you're looking for some property (or some cooking tips), you know where to go!

Spicy shrimp for appetizers - 20 lbs worth!

When you think of the quintessential southern lady who loves her friends, has a wonderful sense of humor, always has a smile for you, loves to dance, loves to sing, and says nary a cross word about anyone (well, maybe an occasional "bless their heart"), that's our Elaine!  She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Let the good times roll, dude! (Isn't it embarrassing when older people like me use the word 'dude'?)  Our neighborhood kids are coming home for summer! George Weisnicht and a friend are fast peelers!

Elaine, always a gracious hostess.

My across-the-street neighbor, Bet Ellis, is in true barrier island girl mode with that hat and smile!!  And don't you love that necklace!   

Another Seashore Village neighbor, Carmella Campbell, always has a smile. If Carmella looks familiar, you've probably seen her hosting the cooking demonstrations/presentations by various local chefs at the Pensacola Seafood Festival each year!

"I just want a cookie, mommy. That man said they were cooking mud bugs!"

Wendell and Marie Colberg's beautiful daughter was in for the weekend. The neighborhood kids are all growing up so fast.

Joe Ellis, president of our Seashore Village Homeowners Association, and an exceptional friend to us all.

I had a chance to spend a little time with neighbor Anne Baehr who is a fellow photographer! Photographers always need more time to talk about lenses and techniques.

The gentleman behind our neighborhood Architectural Committee, Scott Campbell of William Scott Campbell Architects!

I met one of our newest neighbors, Pam Gadboys, who can't say enough wonderful things about living on the beach. Obviously she fits right in with the rest of us who feel the same as she!  Welcome to Seashore Village, Pam

It was very nice to see George Eckes and his wife, Yvonne, at the Crawfish Boil.  George was our former HOA president, but recently sold his property in Seashore Village.  We know how heartbroken he was to give up that position.  Right, George?  :-)   

It was a treat to meet Wes's friend, Bill Koenig, another avid photographer. When Bill brought out his Canon with a 70-200mm lens, I humbly bowed to him. That is the next piece of awesome equipment I hope to buy, but it may be a while before I can justify the cost (convince my husband). That didn't stop me stealing a few yearning glances Bill's way.  And, sorry to catch you off-guard, Bill. Most photographers do not enjoy having their picture taken and you can see that expression on his face, non?  Go figure!  But it's the way we are.

Dr. John Baehr had a chance to chill out with friends and neighbors.  Wes and Elaine were 'roommates' with John and Anne for several days in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan slammed into the island and caused much damage to our Seashore Village neighborhood.

"Hey, Tammy!"   

Ahhhh...and now we see why these Louisiana boys love crawfish boils so much. Those spicy little mudbugs have the power to transform folks into love bugs!