The Blue Angels practice

What great fun to walk out to the beach yesterday and watch the Blue Angels practice. Here comes Fat Albert. Can the hornets be far behind? And I wonder if those swimmers knew about the practice session. Can you imagine their surprise at the sight of Fat Albert, if not?



Uh oh! Is someone out here on the beach doing a rain dance?



And here they come!!! Yippeee!!!!



"Hey guys, look at me. Am I a finalist?"



Ahhhh...off again, into the wild, blue yonder. Bye-bye, guys!

Just look at the color of the water and the sky. Can you imagine what it looks like from their perspective?

The evening saunter

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter...to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life. "

-- John Burroughs (1837-1921) American Writer and naturalist

The reflecting pool

"If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! "

-- Chuang Tzu

Blue Angels weekend on Pensacola Beach!

Yippee, home again on Pensacola Beach! I arrived last night and was greeted back this morning by the Blue Angels practicing over the beach -- and occasionally over my house -- for their show on Saturday.

The rafters shivered in delight as the lightning-fast blue hornets roared over. Alas, my poor little pee pup shivered in fear.

Did I mention I'm happy to be home? Yehaw!!!!! And thanks, Blue Angels! [P.S. That was me jumping up and down on the beach each time you flew over.]

Blue for you

I'm so blue in Tennessee......

Pink oleander

"One can almost hear their pink fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always be summer.'"

-- Rachel Peden

A golden sunset

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the Earth are never alone or weary of life."

-- Rachel Carson

A beach bloom

A couple of days ago, before I headed back to check on my parents in Tennessee, I took a few photos to post while here. IF mother's dial-up Internet service cooperates, that is.

Pressed for time I explored the yard of my new home on the beach. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a couple of exquisite, fragrant blooms on a tiny shrub-size Magnolia tree!

I can't wait to get back home, listen to wind rustling through the palms trees, and possibly catch the scent of magnolia blossoms on a warm evening breeze.

Clouds on the horizon

We still have beautiful cloud formations this morning and perhaps a slight chance of rain!

Pensacola Beach on the 4th of July!

What a fabulous way to spend the Fourth of July, right here on Pensacola Beach!

As you can see, a little wave action during the past few days has washed up a bit of seaweed, but the clouds are incredible.

The Reunion

I haven't decided if it was time for dinner or an unsuccessful family reunion.

"The Procrastination Support Group meeting has been postponed!"

-- Unknown

Hazy summer days

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer;
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer --
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer."

-- Charles Tobias

Bella, on point

On my morning walk, I met the beautiful, independent Bella!




"I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying."

~George Bird Evans, "Troubles with Bird Dogs"

Morning Glory

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye
-- it also includes the inner pictures of the soul."

- Edvard Munch

(An incredible quote from an artist who was agoraphobic.)

A crabby opinion

"I felt, then spied, two tiny eyes,
fearsome, as she glared.
Her minute visage frowned at me
as if to say, "You dare!"

I smiled, then slowly backed away,
homage to her dominion.
Smiling, that at least I changed
one preconceived opinion."

-- Barrier Island Girl

Rustling palms

"Alone with myself
The trees bend to caress me
The shade hugs my heart"

- Candy Polgar


Ahhhh...back home with sea breezes and rustling palms. I am, indeed, a very lucky woman.

I want to extend my heart-felt thanks to all the people who e-mailed me during my time in Tennessee. I was so homesick for Pensacola Beach, but your kind words buoyed my spirit and helped brighten my days and nights.

Although I will return to Tennessee a few more times this summer to check on and tend to my parents, future absences should not be as extended.

Thank you again to all my incredibly kind blog visitors, many of whom have become my friends.

Carpe Diem

"'Carpe Diem' does not mean 'fish of the day'."

-- Unknown

I love being back home on Pensacola Beach. Both this little fisherman and I were trying to 'seize the day' and, if you note his rod, I think we both succeeded.

He got his fish and I got my shot.

Ahhhhhh...it's good to be home.

Sunset on the Sound

It was a beautiful evening to walk along the Sound and unwind after my drive home from Tennessee. Hopefully I'll be able to capture a few good photos for everyone in the next few days.

My pew

"If I were called in to construct a religion, I should make use of water"

-- Phillip Larkin (1922 - 1985)

As my regular visitors know, I am currently in Tennessee. My mother suffered a serious break of her left femur this past Monday. Tuesday night she underwent surgery and had a rod inserted to stabilize the bone and begin her long journey to recovery. Wednesday morning she received a transfusion due to the amount of blood she lost during the operation. On Friday, however, she was improving enough to be moved into the rehabilitation wing of the hospital.

While not at the hospital, I'm also taking care of my elderly father who is not doing very well himself. In fact, I'd prefer to bring mother home and drop my obstinate daddy off at rehab. The nurses, however, did not offer that option.

I would like to thank each of you who have left encouraging comments on my blog. They mean a lot to me. It was quite a surprise when I finally had a chance to log on and read them all.

JoeB, thank you for the compliment, but I was never a teacher, just an only child who hid out in my room and read a lot. You don't even want to know about the summer I fell in love with Sherlock Holmes and really used the ol' flashlight-under-the-covers trick to get through the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Terror at the post-midnight shrieking of a neighbor's peacocks during Hounds of the Baskervilles, eventually ended that routine .

Mimi, I am SO disappointed that I missed your visit to Pensacola Beach. I was hoping to meet you and the whole Froot Loop team! Next year, for sure, okay?

As it appears now, I will spend the majority of the next three months in Tennessee. Mother will be restricted from weight-bearing on her left leg for three months. Hopefully, after the first month, I will be able to come home for at least one week and return to Tennessee for one or two -- at least until she is able to be totally independent again. Until that time, there are miles to go before I sleep.

Although I have no new photos, I went back and found my favorite shot and am re-posting it. It is the one which gives me the most peace and sense of well-being -- no insult to little Chipper, of course! My mother has dial-up Internet service, so I rarely have time to log on and even check my e-mail. This photo will get me through the rough times.

Thank you again to all my friends and blog visitors.

DJ - Barrier Island Girl

Leave of Absence

I would like to thank all the visitors who have left compliments on my Barrier Island Girl blog regarding my photography and other postings. I appreciate each and every one of your comments and have enjoyed getting to know some of you as friends.

I fell in love with this island when I first visited it five years ago, and nothing has changed one iota since. I have been happier since moving to Pensacola Beach than at any other time in my life and I started this blog to share those feelings with you. The best way to show you how I felt was to let you see the island through my eyes -- or, in this case, through my camera lens.

This afternoon I received a call that my mother suffered a bad fall and will have to undergo surgery tomorrow. Consequently, I am heading back to Tennessee tomorrow for an unspecified period of time.

I do not know how long I will be absence from my blog. Although I'll keep my camera near, I will not have access to my computer and software to edit and post photographs. Depending on how long my mother remains in the hospital, I may have enough material to write a few columns now and then. But somehow, I think I will be so sad, missing my beautiful island, that my heart may not be in it.

I hope you will check back occasionally to see if I've returned. I would expect to be in Tennessee off and on for approximately six weeks -- or until my parents get tired of my cooking. Then again, being an only child, daddy would be quite willing to wrap me in cotton and lock me away in a pink bedroom full of dolls and stuffed toys, forcing me to eat a Hardee's steak biscuit for breakfast every morning. His greatest disappointment in life was that I grew up.

However, with your well-wishes and good thoughts {{{"There's no place like home; there's no place like home."}}} I will click my ruby slippers together and return to my emerald island very soon.

Sincerely,

DJ - Barrier Island Girl