In the Arms of an Angel

I am ever so appreciative to my friend Shelley Johnson who allowed me the privilege of visiting the Pensacola Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center this morning for a media tour of the facility and operations.


This juvenile Northern Gannet in the process of being cleaned was obviously frightened, but the rehabilitation workers worked tirelessly at their task.


Conversation was held to a minimum and in hushed tones to prevent further stress, but as I watched the workers tending the frightened seabird, thinking what it must be going through, sad lyrics and the haunting tune of a song by Sarah McLachlan kept running through my mind...

"...I need some distraction, oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
They may be empty and weightless,

and maybe I'll find some peace tonight..."

"It don't make no difference, escaping one last time
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness,

oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees..."

"...In the arms of an angel, fly away from here

From this cold dark hotel room and the endlessness that you fear,

You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here..."

A couple of Brown pelicans who have made it through the process begin to regain their strength and preen their feathers.

Once they are evaluated to be strong enough, they will be banded/tagged and transported to a safe release area.

We thank the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center's professionals and paraprofessionals -- angels of mercy -- who take such care with the oiled wildlife and work hard to release these beautiful creatures back into a safer environment.

When the Coast is Clear

For those of you who missed Jimmy Buffet's great concert in Gulf Shores last night, you may watch an excerpt of When the Coast is Clear with its reworked lyrics by clicking HERE.

Ft. Pickens Turtle Patrol 7-11-10

I simply cried this morning. Seeing the state of Ft. Pickens was depressing and made me more weary than all the nights I worked on the beach last week.


This particular nest had been washed over, but somewhat spared the worst of the oil.


Other areas...well, my photos are testament - I have no energy to describe the extent of it.


The clumps in the foreground are sargassum (sea weed) which under normal circumstances is good for shorebirds to feed on and hide in, but behind it and even mixed in were puddles of oil.

What an awful day.

My beautiful Gulf Islands National Seashore - once so beautiful, so pristine. Heartbreaking... heartbreaking.

Blue Angels Air Show

Yesterday was perfect for getting away from it all, putting the oil spill behind for a few hours, and looking to the sky. Friends Mike and Chrissy Cook were hosts for a lovely day at their home in Villa Sabine. Some of us watched the show from the large deck, while others walked out to the dock and cooled off occasionally with a quick dip in Little Sabine Bay.


Team RV was awesome - as was the entire show.


Little Sabine Bay was PACKED! (Note Skip Stewart and his custom built bi-plane flying over the pier.)


And here is a shot of Skip Stewart climbing straight up over the new Margaritaville Beach Hotel. I have to tell you, after watching his performance, Skip Stewart is one crazy dude!!!

We love the Blue Angels!

Hanging at the dock.

Fat Albert!

The C130 (Fat Albert) is gigantic! It's incredible to see something that huge flying.

Fat Albert banks around the Pensacola Beach Ball.

And here come the Blue Angels.

Streaking over Margaritaville.

Once more 'round the Beach Ball, boys.

Plenty of spectators out in boats.

Big boats, too!

Spectators on the pool deck at Margaritaville had one of the best views on the beach.

The Fleur de lis!

Kayaking along, watching the show.

Zooming over down the beach.

What a gorgeous day!

Thanks to the awesome Blue Angels for another wonderful show!

Searching for paradise

There is a hole in the Gulf of Mexico which is spilling millions of gallons of oil into our Gulf water and there is a hole in my heart which is gushing its own emotional toxic mix. I'm up; I'm down. My short-term memory has been affected. My sleep patterns are disrupted following nights I work as a Wildlife Observer, but though the process seems futile at times, being involved with clean-up has somewhat helped me deal with the disaster.

Some days I deal with despair at what I see on the beach and some days I am encouraged when the water at least looks clear and colorful as a normal summer day and I discover windswept dunes which are still pristine, like the ones above.

I constantly search for reassurance that our beautiful paradise is still here by looking beyond the oiled beaches and clean-up crews which have replaced small groups of fisherman along the shore at dawn, and finding solace in places like these dunes which help heal my soul. They make me think of an old hymn whose lyrics I've slightly updated:

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin oil-sick soul

My Wake-up Call

A lovely young heron strolls the beach.

June grass (which is actually a green algae) and sargassum have begun rolling ashore. During last night's patrol there was a particularly high tide which washed copious amounts of both on the beach. Since I use red lights during night patrols and it was cloudy too, I couldn't be sure if oil was mixed in with the grasses. The Gulf water has looked clear during the past couple of days, so I'm hoping we've been spared another coating.

WAKE UP CALL: I worked on the beach until 5:30 a.m. and was home, showered and asleep by 6:30 a.m. (I'm less than 10 minutes from Casino Beach which is the staging area for Clean-up crews and Wildlife Observers right now). Then came a 8:00 a.m. wake up call from the Blue Angels.

I decided to get up and fix myself some scrambled eggs and a bagel while the Blue Angels rehearsed. Now it's 10:30 a.m., I've finished breakfast, the paper, and this post, so it's back to bed for me!

Osprey at Ft. Pickens

I was excited to finally see an Osprey this week. Actually I saw three of them Sunday morning and for a few minutes I actually forgot about the oil spill and things seemed normal again. It was a good feeling.

Generally I see several Osprey during my Ft. Pickens turtle patrols, gliding high above the Gulf searching for fish or perched of a piece of driftwood finishing off their catch. Though there are probably a dozen nests in the park, they've been absent on the beach lately and I was concerned.


Osprey are sometimes referred to as sea hawks or fish eagles. They are just incredible to watch as they teach the fledglings to fish.

Santa Rosa Turtle Patrol - 7/5/10

I did a substitute sea turtle patrol this morning at Santa Rosa for a young lady on her honeymoon. Good timing for her, I say! I had to hold off a while due to lightning, but around 5:30 a.m. it cleared enough for me to start out.


Sometimes, shortly after dawn on a partly-cloudy day, the whole beach looks bathed in pink when a brilliant red sunrise reflects on the clouds and then back down to the sand. It's amazing to see.


It wasn't long before the rain set in again. The old Mule at Santa Rosa bit the dust and was replaced by an equally old, but less decrepit Mule a couple of days ago. The replacement Mule has a windshield which most of our vehicles do not. Windshields have their good and bad points: Good in that it partially protects you from a driving rain and bad in that your visibility can be drastically reduced in such heavy rain.


The Gulf turned dark green as a downpour swept across the island. It was the heaviest rain I've ever patrolled in.

You'll have to click on the photo above to enlarge it in order to really appreciate the conditions this morning.

Visibility....hmmmm .... one percent, perhaps? ;-)

Happy Birthday, America!

Fireworks all over the island! Happy birthday, America!

Cute Chick!

I saw an adorable little chick this morning which I believe is a Plover. I have seen them frequently the past couple of weeks, but they are difficult to capture with my camera.


This one was a tad less shy, though it headed directly for mama.


Look at a close up of its long legs!

S.O.S.!

I'd like to send out a S.O.S. message to all my readers who live in or are visiting this area:

S.O. S. - Support Our Shops!

Most of our shops and restaurants are owned and operated by locals and they rely on the summer season to get them through the rest of the year. Right now they are suffering and I'm afraid some may either have to cut back on their staff or possibly close unless we pull together to help them through this difficult time brought about by the BP eco-disaster.

Stores like Island Style are currently running great 50% off sales under their own S.O.S. banner which reads SAVE OUR STORE! So, if you need a new pair of sandals or tee shirt or sunglasses, keep them in mind.

That same S.O.S. message is especially true for small family restaurants like Native Cafe (check out their delicious menu HERE); Florida Pizza Kitchen; and Dog House Deli. There's also the newly-opened Castaways, the elegant Grand Marlin, and the ever-popular spots like Flounders, Peg Leg Pete's, and Paradise. There are even more fan favorites out here on the island, but each and every one of them will be so happy to see you and appreciate your patronage.

I extend a BIG thanks to those visitors who have written me to say they were keeping their reservations in place and coming to Pensacola Beach this summer despite the presence or absence of oil during their stay. It is your support which will keep our local businesses going!

S.O.S.!

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Even though the beaches are marred with oil, the beauty of the Gulf Islands National Seashore still shines.

Happy Fourth of July, America, on your 234th birthday! ;-)

Saving paradise

"Eventually we'll realize that if we destroy the ecosystem, we destroy ourselves."

— Jonas Salk , American physician and microbiologist, 1914-95

Good eatin'

With my stepdaughter and her family here, we were afforded the luxury of some delicious redfish dinners this week. Living several miles east and of Pensacola Pass, they were still able to fish on the sound side of the island.


Sarah herself caught several beautiful redfish and also trout.


A string of redfish and a trout awaiting the filet knife.


Joe gets ready to filet the fish.

Cleaning an oiled nest

If you looked out at the Gulf of Mexico today, you wouldn't think it was different than any other day in Paradise.


The water was clear and the color of light jade.


Unfortunately a sea turtle nest located across from Portofino had been heavily oiled during a period of high surf. Park resources are stretched thin right now and it still had not been cleaned.

Clean-up crews (or anyone other than qualified Park personnel) are not allowed to go inside the perimeter of the nest/marked off area. Today, seeing that the oil was still there, I obtained permission from the Park to clean the nest since I am on a Park permit to work with the sea turtles and their nests.

It took a while to get the proper cleaning equipment/tools, a Tyvek suit, booties, gloves, and a crew to assist me outside the nest and to properly dispose of the contaminated sand, but the workers were polite, helpful, and anxious to do something to help the turtles.

Here is an 'after' shot. Yippeee!!! A clean nest! Save a sea turtle, save the world!!! :-)

I appreciate the workers who helped me today. It was a particularly rough day because of the heat and some of them working in our area suffered from heat exhaustion, requiring medical attention. One worker even had to be taken to the hospital. I stayed well-hydrated, but dressed in a Tyvek suit, booties, and gloves which were duct-taped at the wrist, I was drenched at the end of the process and my head is still pounding.

Again, let me stress that the workers (on twelve hour shifts) I've been around are good people and anxious to help get the beaches clean. Supervisors are quick to say "whatever you need, let me know". I also learned today that some of them are residents of the island. I thanked them repeatedly for helping. In doing so I learned thanks are not something they are accustomed to - they generally get frowns from people who associate them (negatively) with BP or think they are loafing.

Well I appreciate them and I say to all the rest, "Walk a mile in my Tyvek suit."

Long term oil-spill effects on Gulf species

You may read a good article regarding the possible effects of the Deepwater Horizon eco-disaster on several species in the Gulf of Mexico by clicking HERE.

Update 7-1-10

The rain has finally stopped - at least for a while. Dealing with the oil situation is difficult enough without the dreariness of rain day after day, even more so for those who have been working in rain on the beach the past few days and nights. I was soaked a couple of times after leaving my poncho in my vehicle.

It is heartbreaking to see the beach heavily impacted with tar balls/patties/mousse in areas. I have not been into the Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore since Sunday morning, so I don't know how bad it is there now. Tuesday night between the Margaritaville Hotel and about one mile west, the beach was hard hit.

Statements are being made about the workers on clean-up crews and I would like to add a couple of my own. In the area I was assigned, we were on a 10 to 11 hour shift, starting at 7:00 p.m. and ending between 5:30 - 6:00 a.m. The workers raked and shoveled oil, putting the contaminated mix of oil and sand into bags, tying them off and carrying them to a central area where front loaders come for them later.

Yes, frequent breaks are given to the workers because it is hard work. One group will be given a break while the rest keep raking and shoveling. When the first group's break is over, they switch off.

By 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. there isn't much conversation at all. Everyone is exhausted. Think back to a time when you have spent an afternoon raking and how tired you were afterwards despite the light weight of leaves or grass you were sweeping. Now consider the weight of oil and sand and imagine 10+ hours of being on your feet and repetitive work of raking/shoveling/scooping/bending over to tie bags in the hot sun or a night rain.

When you see tents on the beach where workers appear to just be "sitting around doing nothing", please consider that they may have been on the job for several hours, working hard, and are taking a break while the rest of the crew takes over for them.

I have also seen the faces of workers, after hours cleaning one area of the beach, looking back to see the area re-contaminated by a particularly high wave carrying oil balls and tar patties. Sometimes the oil gets washed to a higher level on the beach. Sometimes the oil is swept farther down the shoreline. I can also testify that oiled areas were not being dozed over by machines in my area, it was the churning wave action which sweeping sand over the oil causing the layering you see in some places.

Thank goodness Hurricane Alex didn't come any closer to us. I'm praying for a north wind to push the oil back offshore and give us a respite.

Please be forgiving of my posts. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who needs a lot of sleep and when I don't get it, I'm a bit more ditzy than usual. I feel much better today since I got ten hours of sleep last night!

Webcam reminder

The Island Empress webcam is still working if you want to check the Casino Beach area just east of the fishing pier. Although the webcam is looking down from a high vantage point (17th floor), it is easy to see there is oil on the beach this afternoon. It will be interesting to check it out this evening to see if cleaning crews are working in that area.

You may go directly to the webcam by clicking HERE.

Update

We've had rain and high surf for a couple of days, so I haven't been out with my camera. There are a few things I'd like to update you on, however.

First of all, even though a statement has not been officially released to turtle patrolers in this area, it has been widely reported that a decision has been made to dig up sea turtle nests along Panhandle and adjacent Gulf Coast areas around day 50 and relocate the eggs to the Atlantic coast. More specifically we have heard Cape Kennedy will be the spot they are taken. Being familiar with Merritt Island and the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, it sounds like a good location to me.

You may read more about this new relocation plan by clicking HERE.

How well this will work isn't known, but it reasonable to think it has to work better than allowing the tiny hatchlings to swim into heavily oiled Gulf water. I'm very relieved to hear about the new plan and hopeful it will help save our sea turtles. Once I know more, I will update you.

Next, I have begun helping out with the oil spill response as a Wildlife Observer. I may have to step up my supplements to survive the patrol schedule which goes from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. We don't have the luxury of Mules/UTVs at this point as we do during our GINS sea turtle patrols. Instead, Wildlife Observers will be given specific routes between clean-up crews at Point A and Point B and walk back and forth throughout the night checking for sea turtles/tracks (as well as oiled wildlife).

Lastly -- saving good news for last -- we have had two more sea turtle nests in the last couple of days. One nest was on Pensacola Beach and the other in the Santa Rosa area of Gulf Islands National Seashore (the section between Portofino and Navarre Beach). Navarre Beach has now had three sea turtle nests. The discovery of these recent nests is another reason to have sea turtle monitors out there constantly checking the areas around/between clean-up crews to make sure protocol is followed so that sea turtles are not frightened away, their tracks are spotted (not easy with all the tire tracks and footprints!), no one interferes with a nesting turtle, and that nests themselves are properly marked off so no equipment will run over them.