Barrier Island Girl

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-10T21:16:00.002-06:00

Ft. Pickens reopened (again) this afternoon and we discovered our own version of a winter wonderland!

Tons of sand cleared from Ft. Pickens Road following Tropical Storm Ida and a subsequent winter storm, made it look more like we were driving through a ski resort than Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Awesome!

Ft. Pickens reopens...again

2009-12-10T16:09:00.004-06:00

The Ft. Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore has reopened after thousands of tons of sand dumped onto the road by Tropical Storm Ida and a late season winter storm were cleared enough to allow traffic back into the park.

I took several photos of giant sand dunes created by the front loaders, but the beach was so pretty today that I wanted to share this photo with you first.

Pensacola Beach Christmas Ornament

2009-12-09T16:09:00.004-06:00

I received a note from a blog visitor this afternoon who reminded me about our Pensacola Beach Christmas ornament which is available again this year! He grew up in Pensacola, but now resides in Texas. Seeing the beach sign made him a bit homesick, so he called and ordered two!

I'm sure Santa would love to place one of these on your tree this year, too.

I called Island Style to make sure they have plenty in stock, and they do. The photo above is of the ornament when it is turned off.

When it is plugged into your Christmas tree lights, it duplicates the flashing of the iconic neon Pensacola Beach sign itself. It is awesome!

The ornaments are $17.99, plus shipping and handling. Island Style can take your credit card info over the phone, so if interested you may purchase them by calling 850/934-3100.

Tell them Barrier Island Girl sent you!

Sea Oat Honey

2009-12-09T11:09:00.003-06:00

I was very excited when I received a gift of 'Sea Oat Honey' from Mr. Morrie Drees this week and, as you can see from the jar, I've already been into it a couple of times!

Before Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004, Mr. and Mrs. Drees lived on the sound-side of the island, near the Beach Community Church. It was there that he kept a hive of honey bees which drowned during the storm. Luckily a sealed five gallon container of the honey survived by floating to the top of a confined area during the surge. As you can see from the container he gave me, it is still clear and has a lovely rich amber color.

Mr. Drees said that for honey to have a varietal name it must have 60% of a certain source, for instance, "orange blossom honey" must have 60% nectar from orange blossoms. So although he can't assume his is from sea oats, it surely tastes wonderful and I love the name!

Thanks, Mr. D.!

Jake and Santa Claus

2009-12-08T12:24:00.010-06:00

This weekend I participated as photographer for the Santa and His Paparazzi event on the Boardwalk. It's a sweet and special occasion to see the children interact with Santa. They always surprise me with their questions and comments to Santa. Some are shy, some are very excited, some come prepared, but there are a few who fall into a category all their own, which brings me to 3 year-old Jake.

Jake's parents said he had been very excited on the way to see Santa, but suddenly was not such a happy camper when he got actually got on Santa's lap. His older sister, Ashley, thought perhaps Jake had a flashback to all those times he'd been reminded to be good...and had a teeny, tiny problem.

His parents, Brent and Tara Belongy, had talked to Jake on the way over about what he was going to ask Santa to bring him. Jake said,"Everything on the commercials and in the magazine!" But now Jake slumped rather dramatically in Santa's lap and couldn't be persuaded to talk at all.

Santa did his best to get Jake to confide in him, but nothing helped.

Finally we realized Jake actually seemed upset with himself, though no one could figure out why.

His mom and sister talked to Jake and eventually discovered why he was so inconsolable...

It was because...he hadn't brought his list! Now this may not seem a big issue at first, but when you consider that Jake wants "everything on the commercials and in the magazine," that's a lot of pressure for a little fellow to handle when he's sitting on Santa's knee and realizes he left his list at home.

Jake's dad, Brent, leaned over to reassure him that it would be okay and that they would e-mail the list to Santa when they got home. At this point Jake firmly told his dad, "I'm tired and I need a nap!"

I'm not sure that Jake will get everything on his list this year, but I think his family definitely will when Jake receives his first Oscar for lead actor in a comedy.

I requested permission from Jake's parents to share the photos of his visit to Santa with you, and they generously agreed. His mom shared with me that when they left the Boardwalk his sister Ashley carried a tired little Jake all the way back to the car, whereupon he asked his folks if they thought a trip to McDonald's would recharge his batteries.

Uh, Santa, could you add a recharge to Jake's list.

[Note: Jake might be upset if I didn't let you know that he will turn four on December 21 - but that's another list.]

Island SOBs

2009-12-07T12:31:00.008-06:00

The SOBs (which stands for Sisters of the Beach) traded in their tiaras for Santa hats yesterday afternoon during their annual luncheon at Flounders. Although I had a few stops to make at other events, I definitely made time to stop by and capture some of the fun with photos. Bunkie Hewerdine and Paulette Provost (First Mate of the Krewe of Wrecks this year) were so festive!!!

Mimosas, champagne and frequent toasts.

Melanie Waite is one of my fellow sea turtle patrollers in the summer. This year she earned a beautiful gold pin for 1,000 hours of volunteer work with the sea turtle program.

A gator girl at the party!

Chrissy Cook found an inventive way to keep her booted foot safe after recent surgery.

Amy DePew believes in Santa and has the sweatshirt to prove it!

Gwen & Danah Gibson with Sharon Mattair. I think everyone who has ever met Danah thinks she should have her laugh marketed. You can't hear her laugh without laughing along!

Jayne Drees Redmond sported some high antlers! Jayne was so nice to help me out at the Mardi Gras parade earlier this year after I became the photographer for the Krewe of Wrecks.

Karen Hagford and Elaine Mitchell. Elaine is current Queen of the Nereids! Remember the Nereids incredible mermaid costumes at the Mardi Gras this year and their choreographed dance after the parade! Wow!

The ladies made sure their wait staff at Flounders knew how much they were appreciated after the luncheon! I actually thought I saw some of them blushing!

One of my favorite shots from yesterday! Bunkie's 4" heels (or were they 5"?) finally got the best of her, so Gwen helped transport her to the group photo. You must click on the photo to see those incredible shoes in detail -- and see if you wouldn't have been in the same boat!

Check out the next issue of Island Times to see a group photo of the SOBs!

Gulf Breeze Pet Fest

2009-11-23T09:44:00.005-06:00

One of the fun things about having a photo blog is being able to show you a lot more photos than the local papers. This was one of the charming faces they missed yesterday at the Gulf Breeze Pet Fest.

Poor baby looks so sad. Perhaps it's because no one has adopted this gentle giant yet. Please check out this link to the Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue. They have many wonderful dogs who need good homes.

Or even consider becoming a foster home!

Ah ha! There were some amazing exotics at yesterday's Pet Fest.

I must admit to not being overly fond of reptiles, but this fellow was pretty incredible.

What a beauty! Look at those ice blue eyes.

Sizing up the competition.

Hey, Buddy!

A Bichon angel...and she actually has wings to prove it.

Representing the exotics, these two young ladies have three entries, but you'll have to click on the photo to spot them all.

Back side of the dog...

This is the front.

The Wooly Booger Bawl

2009-11-22T11:51:00.005-06:00

It was a dark and rainy night... but still great for the Kiss the Hurricane Goodbye Wooly Booger Bawl on the beach.

The Wooly Boogers came together to celebrate the end of the hurricane season and also crown their new Queen Sugah.

Outgoing Queen Sugah Kathi did a fantastic job of keeping the hurricanes away this year. Now everyone waits as she announces who will take her place.

"Moi!!????" Shelley Johnson, editor of the Island Times, seemed truly surprised -- and it's not easy to pull one over on this lady who knows everyone and everything happening on this island!

Passing of the tiara and beads...

Queen Sugah Shelley! We're betting she has some powerful gris-gris to protect us from the hurricanes next year too.

There to help celebrate was Queen Sugah Shelley's handsome son, Jeremy, and beautiful daughter-in-law Rachel. You can see that one of the Queen's favorite gifts last night was a pink-feathered fan.

Entreaty to Queen Sugah

Oh, Queen Sugah, draw us near,

Ease our Wooly Booger fears.

Protect our island night and day,

And keep the hurricanes away!

After Ida

2009-11-10T12:43:00.003-06:00

I'm very appreciative that Ida was pretty much a non-event for us here on Pensacola Beach -- at least in my neighborhood. We didn't so much as lose a palm frond in our yard and we had no flooding. Issues of beach erosion and road conditions within the National Seashore may be another story.

Ft. Pickens Road and Bowden Way (the road to Navarre Beach) are both closed. I was hoping that Bowden Way would reopen quickly, but now I'm not so sure after looking at some of the photos in this morning's Pensacola News Journal online. It is going to take a while for the water to drain and the sand to be plowed off the road.

You may check out some of the PNJ photos of Pensacola Beach after Tropical Storm Ida by clicking HERE.

Tropical Storm Ida

2009-11-09T14:25:00.004-06:00

Tropical Storm Ida continues to weaken.

Lifeguards keep a watchful eye at Casino Beach, but even the surfers are staying out of this churning surf.

Don't forget that you can check conditions at the beach near the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier via the Island Empress webcam. It is located under "Local Cams" in the left-hand column of this page.

Coming home

2009-11-08T18:03:00.004-06:00

Today is the first day I've been able to drive and you can't imagine how excited I was. This afternoon I drove almost to Park East to get photos of the surf. Suddenly, in the distance, I spied the Blue Angels!

Many times the Blue Angels fly over the beach on their way back to Pensacola Naval Air Station after a weekend performance. This time they were returning from Jacksonville, Florida.

It's always exciting to see them return, but today it was especially beautiful with the high surf and golden haze.

As they flew west the F/A 18's began to disappear into the sun.

Suddenly, as they neared Portofino, the jets signaled their arrival home with long, glowing contrails. What a remarkable sight.

Grommets

2009-11-08T17:25:00.004-06:00

A couple of tuckered-out younger surfers (grommets) lay atop an old gun turret at Ft. Pickens watching waves sweep into Pensacola Pass.

Surfers lined up along the beach near the Pass catching a few nice waves as the surf started to build this afternoon.

Red flag

2009-11-08T17:12:00.002-06:00

Red flags are going up along Pensacola Beach as the surf gets higher.

Ft. Pickens

2009-11-02T10:47:00.000-06:00

At least I'm making it to my computer now. This break has given me a chance to organize my photos a bit and I came across this photo taken a couple of weeks ago at Ft. Pickens. It's a great place to spend an afternoon, especially with this cooler weather.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Witches hats and pitchforks... Happy Halloween!

Short break

2009-10-28T09:40:00.001-05:00

I'm going to be taking a short break from my blog-- hopefully just a few days. I'm heading out the door at the end of this post for Andrews Institute to have my knee 'scoped.

I scheduled the procedure for after turtle patrol season and a couple weeks of company and travel. The physician's assistant said they've had patients who requested waiting until after deer season or turkey season, but 'turtle season' was a first. :-)

A note to friends and family, I won't have access to my computer and e-mails for a while since I'll be separated from the office by a flight of stairs. That alone will inspire me to rehab quickly...or get a laptop!

Wish me luck!

Dance in the sun

2009-10-28T06:57:00.001-05:00

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..."

~~Susan Polis Shutz

Incredible sunset

2009-10-27T19:09:00.001-05:00

Wow! What an incredible sunset tonight. After heavy rain overnight and all morning long, we were rewarded with exquisite colors.

American Redstart

2009-10-27T14:54:00.003-05:00

Poor little thing, it crashed into a glass door on our deck and was stunned.

It finally became more alert and flew away after about three hours. I contacted Lucy and Bob Duncan, my 'go-to' people when I need help identifying birds and they informed me this beautiful little fellow is an American Redstart. They also informed me how to help an injured bird such as this in the future -- but hopefully it will never happen again.

Crabs - We Got 'Em

2009-10-27T10:13:00.005-05:00

I've been hearing from my blog followers that I've been absent of late! Ha! Actually I have either had company or been traveling since October 7th. Today is my first day at home in my regular routine...and it is pouring rain.

So here are a few photos I took Sunday afternoon when my son was visiting and we stopped by Crabs-We Got 'Em for an appetizer.

The surf was flat and the sky was overcast, but it was a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Under the influence

2009-10-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

"The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life."

~~ Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

The willet

2009-10-21T07:44:00.000-05:00

Another one of my favorite shorebirds is the willet which is in the sandpiper family.

Next spring and summer when I start sea turtle patroling again, I hope to get a photo of a willet in flight to share with you. The change is very dramatic from the soft color above to the bold pattern which is displayed in flight.

You may see an example by clicking HERE or HERE.

Brown Pelican

2009-10-20T18:42:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple of our Brown Pelicans that I frequently see near Pensacola Pass. I sometimes sometimes where they have all gone. Before the road to Ft. Pickens reopened I would hike a few miles into the Ft. Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Park and see hundreds of them along the shore, plunging head first into the Gulf for fish.

They are sometimes a bit difficult to photograph unless you have a good telephoto lens, although a few overcome their shyness and hang out near fishing piers and docks.

A bit of happiness

2009-10-20T13:43:00.000-05:00

If you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness.

~~ Julie de Lespinasse (1732 - 1776)

Ft. Pickens portion of the Florida Trail

2009-10-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

Not far from the Ft. Pickens Visitors Information Center inside the fort there is a small white building that folks frequently overlook. Next time you are there, check it out more closely and you will notice a path where the northern terminus of the Florida Trail begins.

This small section was mentioned in Gulf Islands National Seashore: The Treasure of the Gulf Coast as the path of a railroad which ran from Langdon Beach to the Fort with supplies.

Now it is just a path for people to enjoy hiking through the wetlands, across the canals and on toward the beautiful white sands of the the beach.