The Nereids!

A blog visitor reminded me about posting photos from the Nereids impromptu dance after the Pensacola Beach Mardi Gras Parade. Come on up, girls, and dance to your theme song, Mermaid in the Night! [Click on the song's link in a different window to listen and imagine how much fun the ladies were having with their dance and on the photos to appreciate their enthusiasm.]


"I went out fishin' on a sandy beach
Cast my line out as far as it would reach
Lookin' for somethin' for the fryin' pan
I kick back with a beer in my hand...

"I must've got a big one 'cause it's bendin' my pole
I'm havin' to fight just to keep control
It could be a whale, God only knows
Whatever it is it's not wearin' any clothes...


"She's larger than life
Made from holy water
She's covered in green and got
Little scales upon her
She's larger than life
She'a a mermaid in the night!


"She's got a set of gills like no fish I've ever seen
Long blond hair and a tail in between
I'm in love with a creature from the sea
She brings out the crustacean in me.


"Her voice is a temptation it's a siren song
When we kiss there can be no wrong
I ask her to marry me and be my wife
Do the backstroke the rest of our lives.


"She's larger than life
Made from holy water
She's covered in green
She's got little scales upon her
She's larger than life
She's a mermaid in the night.

"She's larger than life

Made from holy water

She's covered in green

She's got little scales upon her

She's larger than life

She's a mermaid in the night...

"I think I'll have the catch of the day"

~~Jimmy Buffett, "Mermaid in the Night"

St. Paddy's Day on the Island

Irish eyes were smiling all day long on the island.


Folks were celebrating St. Patrick's Day and the island was bustling like a summer weekend.


Ahhh...an Irish jig or two at Paddy O'Leary's, where corned beef and cabbage were served up all day.

Sweet Nora Jones met me on the way into Flounders. She's one of the nicest folks you'll meet.

Oh! What a surprise!

Leprechaun Sherry is somewhere under all that green hair.

"May your neighbors respect you,

Trouble neglect you,

The angels protect you,

And heaven accept you."

~~ An Irish Blessing

Leprechauns at Tiki Island!

A passel of little ones turned out at Tiki Island this morning to hunt for the pot of gold left behind by a leprechaun!


The wee ones also searched for 'golden coins' he dropped along the way...


and Ms. Terri McKamey made sure everyone knew they worked just like tokens at the games inside.

Ahhh, the pot of gold was located by two-year old Nolan Saeger and Shelley Johnson captured the occasion for the Island Times! Nolan, himself like any good leprechaun, was very shy about discussing his find.

At last, this little girl showed us some of the gold she'd found.

Nolan and Madeleine Saeger hold up their finds from the Leprechaun hunt at Tiki Island.

"Maith thú!"

(A little leprechaun told me that's how they say 'Well done! Way to go!' in Ireland.)

Sea monster!

Actually I think it's simply a Snowflake Moray Eel, but the term sea monster works for me. I couldn't use my flash and I didn't have my tripod, so a napkin holder had to suffice for this shot.

Next time you go into Native Cafe, check this fellow out! You have been there, right? Native Cafe is located at 45-A Via de Luna Drive.

On the Florida Trail

It was a beautiful day for another hike along the Florida Trail. On the second Friday of every month until hot weather arrives, the Florida Trail Association sponsors a hike and the public is welcome.


How could such a lovely flower be called Spiderwort? I was happy to stumble across this one along the trail.


Skeltons of old trees, probably coastal scrub oak, still stand among the dunes.

Joe Concannon, was our 'sweeper' today. That means he stayed at the back of our group and swept up all the stranglers -- like me and Polly Crongeyer, the two photographers in the group. Take time to check out Polly's truly incredible photos by clicking HERE.

Ed Walker is going to shoot me for posting this photo of him. He really wasn't sticking his tongue out at me. I simply caught him at the wrong time. But he does such a great job for the Florida Trail Association that I wanted to recognize him -- though not exactly with a bad photo. Sorry, Ed.

Seriously though, thank you for the work you do through the Florida Trail Association and sponsoring free hikes to the public. Those interested in joining the Florida Trail Association may click HERE for more information.

Now this must be one big raccoon. I placed my 7.5 size tennis shoe next to the tracks just to give you some perspective. He's obviously eating well, wouldn't you say?

Click on this photo to enlarge and venture a guess on what type of track this is. If you guessed snake, you'd be correct. Don't worry, they get out of the way if they hear us coming. Or I get out of the way -- very fast -- if I see one coming.


When we made it to the Sound, we noticed a few stingrays here and there.

I generally stay out of the water unless I'm wading around to get photos, but I always remember to do the stingray shuffle.

Beautiful Santa Rosa Sound, with Portofino towers in the distance. The water, a light shade of aquamarine today, was calm with only a few wind ruffles across the surface.

Spring Break on Pensacola Beach

I decided to drive down to Casino Beach this afternoon and see how it looked before the next wave of Spring Break'ers hit town this weekend. I was surprised there weren't more on the beach, though I saw several heading over toward the Boardwalk. Some were hanging out around the pavilion and others were showering off at the Public Safety Building, getting ready to head in for dinner.


Everyone seemed to be having a great time. It turned out to be a beautiful day once the fog lifted.


Lifeguards and patrols were keeping close watch, making sure everyone had a safe vacation.


But there's definitely room for more!


Robert (on the right) politely asked if I would take a photo of him with his brother, Austin. Have a great time guys!

I live here!

Since my walk on the beach this morning I keep repeating, "I live here!"

I don't have to pack up and go home on Sunday morning, as I did for years. This is where I belong. Oh yeah! The excitement still hasn't worn off after several years. In fact, it just keeps getting better.

And sea turtle season is just around the corner!

A walk with me

Come take a walk with me! It's a beautiful day on Pensacola Beach and the water is so clear.


By-the-Wind Sailors are still washing ashore by the hundreds, thousands even, and I find them fascinating little creatures. I'm just happy they don't sting, though they can irritate your skin if touched.


What a hairy shoe! Looks like someone lost it a long time ago and it's just now washing ashore covered with sea grass and barnacles

I'm very happy to see the gulls are indeed chowing down on the By-the-Wind Sailors which have washed up. The more they eat, the less stinky it will get!

Portofino beach chairs and umbrellas are set up.

Fly by!

A dad and his little boy watch the sea birds and dolphin in the distance.

Unfortunately spring break always bring some who don't respect the beach and spend most of their time here racking up bad karma. Please help protect our beautiful island and marine life.

What a peaceful scene.

Heading back home, I walked out to our neighborhood dock on the sound side. So inviting, don't you think?

Looking west you can see Bob Sykes bridge (the toll bridge across to the island) in the distance if you enlarge the photo.

By-the-wind sailor

Literally thousands of By-the-wind sailors (Velella velella) washed ashore on Pensacola Beach yesterday morning. I had commitments earlier in the day and they were drying out by the time I arrived to take some photos. But, thanks to Sean Rogan, a friend who works at the Hilton, I was able to document this ususual event where so many were in the water and on the beach.

Let's hope the gulls think of all these sting-free By-the-wind sailors as a seafood buffet, otherwise it could get a bit stinky in another day.

Spring break!

Spring break on Pensacola Beach. I went down to the beach to photograph all the 'by-the-wind sailors' which had washed ashore and I had to stop to get a photo of this happy, cute young couple on spring break. He's a law student, so he definitely came to the right place for a bit of relaxation in paradise.

As usual, I was so in the moment that I didn't get names. (This is why I didn't go into photo-journalism!) Hopefully this happy couple will catch the post and reply with names and their hometowns.

Flower in spring bloom

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."

~~Audra Foveo-Alba

Quietwater Beach amphitheatre

It was a beautiful morning along Quietwater Beach. The amphitheatre and boardwalk were empty earlier in the day, but by mid-afternoon they were packed. Spring breakers are rolling in, enjoying the warm weather, beautiful beaches, and making local businesses very happy!