Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade

Actually this is just a 'teaser' post. I took many fun photos tonight and have been culling them out, but my eyes are getting pretty heavy at this point.


Great floats and good beads.



Hilarious characters.

Be sure to check back after I've had some sleep!

Lining up for the parades

Driving down to the core area of Pensacola Beach this afternoon, I noticed trucks already being lined up (backed in with truck-bed nearest the road) for Sunday's Krewe of Wrecks Parade on Pensacola Beach.

Are you getting excited?????

"Sorry, babe, move on. This is my spot for the parade!"

Weekend of Mardi Gras Parades

This is the big Mardi Gras weekend for the Pensacola area, full of parades and celebrations.

Tonight is the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Night Parade in downtown Pensacola. The parade starts at 8:00 p.m. on W. Garden Street, turns north on Palafox Street for a short distance, then loops back south and continues on Palafox all the way to Main Street. You may click HERE to see photographs from last year's parade.

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. will be the Krewe of Kids Parade at Tiki Island - in the Casino Beach area - which was postponed from last week due to heavy rain.

Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. is the Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade which follows the same route as tonight's. Don't forget to bring bags for all your beads, moon pies and doubloons. Believe me, you don't want to be carrying all those beads around your neck! If you do, I've got the name of a great chiropractor for you! You may click HERE to see photos from last year's parade.

The Krewe of Wrecks Mardi Gras parade takes place Sunday at 2:00 p.m. on Pensacola Beach. It may be a bit cool, but at this point forecasters are calling for a beautiful sunny day. Come to the beach for lunch, then stake out your viewing place along the parade route. You may see photos of some of the characters from last year's KOW Mardi Gras parade by clicking HERE.

King Juan Carlos & Queen Sophia visit Pensacola!

We had a sunny day to show off our beautiful beach to King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia as they visited Pensacola Beach overnight. Small crowds of locals and school children turned out to greet them along their route this morning as they departed the beach for downtown Pensacola. I hoofed it west toward the Boardwalk area to have less competition viewing and photographing the procession.


Here comes police cars and motorcycles. The Royal Couple can't be far behind.


Oh no, a windshield, a few splattered lovebugs, and a couple of secret service agents got between King Juan Carlos and me. But that's him in the back seat.


One of the gentlemen in the crowd brought along a colorful, giant flag of Spain.

A young lady waves her flag and waits for the Royal Couple to arrive in downtown Pensacola.

Ah ha! I got a close-up of King Juan Carlos as he arrived at T. T. Wentworth Museum.

Secret Service agents watched the crowds closely

King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sophia, and Senator Bill Nelson on the balcony of T.T. Wentworth Museum.

Mrs. Carole Crist, Governor Charlie Crist, King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sophia, and Senator Bill Nelson on the balcony of T.T. Wentworth Museum, enjoying the enthusiastic crowd.

Did you know that Queen Sophia met King Juan Carlos I while she was on a cruise in the Greek Isles? The (then) Princess of Greece and Denmark relinquished her rights to the throne of Greece to marry the future king of Spain and converted to Catholicism.

The museum displays flags on either side of the balcony which overlooks Plaza Ferdinand VII.

The press box. {{{sigh}}} Now how do I go about getting some credentials to gain entry? I have to work doubly hard for my shots!

Okay, I have to tell you, these agents were fine!

I'm sure I should know who this dignitary is, but I'm at a loss. Please feel free to e-mail the answer and I'll add it to the post.

Senator Bill Nelson.

A happy crowd listens to a speech from King Juan Carlos I.

The Royal Couple depart for the Naval Air Station. They seemed absolutely charming.

Another bit of trivia. Queen Sophia is a pescetarian. Give up? She's a vegetarian who eats fish. She is said to be fluent in five languages: Greek, Spanish, English, French and German. And she has a beautiful, sweet smile!

Celebrate Pensacola, a non-profit organization, should be commended for all the hard work they put into making this day happen and bringing the Royal Couple of Spain to Pensacola during our 450th anniversary year celebrations.

Big Sabine Point at low tide

"...For beauty is simply reality seen with the eyes of love.”

~~ Evelyn Underhill (1875 - 1941)

Shallow water

Contemplation

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

~~ Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

A visual vignette

High heels, boa feathers and remnants of Hersey Kisses' foil wrappings: a visual vignette. I took nearly 500 photos at the Krewe of Wrecks Mardi Gras Ball last night and finally had to sit down for a while to give my aching feet a rest.

Ready to get up and put my shoes back on, I looked down and captured this shot which will always remind me of a very enjoyable evening.

Fog comes in

"...the fog comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It almost never comes in on little cat feet, as the poet Carl Sandburg said."

~~ Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle

Florida Trail Association

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of joining a group of hikers along a small section of the Florida National Scenic Trail. You may learn more about the Florida Trail Association by clicking HERE.

About a quarter mile past Portofino you will notice the sign above on the north side of the road. This is where our hike began. Don't forget to click on any of the photos you'd like to see in more detail. I can assure you my photos don't do justice to the beauty of the dunes and marshes.


Turning north, we followed white path markers which have an orange stripe at the top of the pole, making our way around the dunes. You can see one of the Portofino Towers to the west.


Hurricanes and tropical storms in the past few years have seriously eroded our dunes, but the surviving vegetation such as sand live oak allow the dunes to re-grow.

I was delighted when one of our trail guides pointed out wild rosemary which is blooming now.

The small shrubs smelled similar, though less pungent, to the potted variety I grow on my patio.

A beautiful piece of driftwood along the trail.

Our area is denoted as the Western Gate section of the Florida Trail.

An osprey nest! I'll have to come back this spring and try for photos of the osprey and its fledglings.

Nothing but 'bones' of this once beautiful, dense pine grove remain after the damage it received from hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

There are several canals which run through Big Sabine Point. To me, they appear to be man-made, which is possible considering there are remains of an old fish hatchery in the area.

Remains of the fish hatchery which was built five or six decades ago. Though I've been unable to find details about the project, our trail guides had heard they were trying to raise pompano.

What a lovely day and a great hike. Be sure to check out the Florida Trail Association and try to join one of their hikes this spring. Hikes like these are halted during the summer months, but you can always check out their schedule by clicking HERE. The next dunes hike will be held (weather permitting) on March 13.

Blue Angels Air Show

At last, the date for the Blue Angels' performance on Pensacola Beach this summer has been finalized. It will be July 11th!

For some reason tentative dates kept shifting between July 11 and July 18, but you may now mark your calendars!

For folks visiting during that second weekend of July, this means the Blue Angels will be also be practicing over the beach Thursday morning, July 9th. A dress rehearsal with other participants will be held on July 10. In the past that list has included favorites such as the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Gary Ward in his MX2, Julian MacQueen in his vintage Grumman Widgeon G-44, Vortex Aerobatic, and the Geico Skytypers (I'd really like to see them again!).

Driftwood

“When despair for the world grows in me...I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

~~ Wendell Berry

Mardi Gras excitement

Mardi Gras isn't just for adults on Pensacola Beach. Kids love it, too. In fact, the island has its very own Krewe of Kids and they will be having their parade this coming Saturday, February 14th, starting in front of Tiki Island at 10:00 a.m.

The adorable young lady above is proudly wearing the brand new Mardi Gras mask her mom bought for her last night.

Exalted Ruler

Bet you didn't know we have an Exalted Ruler on the island, did you? Neither did I until last night!

A desert of waters

"Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the ocean desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny."

~~ Carl Schurz - 1829 – 1906 (13th U.S. Secretary of the Interior)

More redheads hit the beach!

First I discover Redhead ducks (Aythya americana) on the island , then this gorgeous Vizsla, a 'redhead' breed of dogs which originated in Hungary many centuries ago.

Look at this beauty! My photo doesn't do her justice.

I recognized her as a Vizsla immediately because I enjoy watching dog shows. Speaking of which, the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show starts tomorrow. Live coverage from Madison Square Garden will be presented on the USA Network and CNBC.

Vive la redheads!

Brethren of the wood

"...the pines, and their brethren of the wood, have seen so many suns rise and set, so many seasons come and go, and so many generations pass into silence, that we may well wonder what "the story of the trees" would be to us if they had tongues to tell it, or we ears fine enough to understand."

~~ Author Unknown (quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938)

Pensacola Beach Elementary School

Check out the new look of the Pensacola Beach Elementary School website! They've done an awesome job. You may learn more about this charter school, which was recognized by the Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, by visiting their site, listed in my links.

Here also is a link to their Visitor's Guide to Pensacola Beach, written by 5th grade student, Tyler Burke. Great job, Tyler!

Redheads converge on Pensacola Beach!

Redhead ducks (Aythya americana) , that is!


Hundreds of them converged on the Sound behind our neighborhood this afternoon. Yesterday there were fifty or more, but today there were probably ten times that many.


Thanks to a neighbor, Maria Weisnicht, who called to give me a heads up, I was able to get a few shots. Wish I'd had a stronger telephoto lens with me.


Must be something very good down there. Click on the photo and you'll see more than half of them are head down in the water. Maybe they're just trying to warm up their tiny tushes in this cold weather! ;-)

Range Point at Twilight

"The lengthening shadows wait the first pale stars of twilight."

~~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Poems of the Class of '29 -Even Song