Crawfish Boil at the Singleton's!

Our wonderful hosts for last weekend's Crawfish Boil were our next-door neighbors, Wes and Elaine Singleton.

Steam rises from a huge pot of  crawfish, the size of baby lobsters!  Now, technically, I should be writing "crayfish" which comes from the Old French word escrevisse.  To learn more about them and their colloquial names, you may click HERE.

Heat was turned off and ice was added to the pot after the crawfish had boiled for 3-5 minutes.  This stopped the cooking process and also causes the crawfish to sink, thereby soaking up the spices. 

Mr. Ronnie Treuil, Wes's cousin, came all the way from Rosedale, Louisiana for this event. Ronnie also delivered seven sacks of giant pond-grown crawfish straight from Louisiana bayou country. Six sacks, each weighing in at 35-37 lbs., were stored in a large custom-made cooler on the back of Ronnie's truck. The seventh sack was housed in a separate cooler.  Now THAT, my friends, is one special delivery!  

Another great friend who jumped right in to help Wes and Elaine with cooking duties and clean-up, was Gene Morgan.  Gene and his wife, Tammy, own ReMax Total Properties in Navarre, so if you're looking for some property (or some cooking tips), you know where to go!

Spicy shrimp for appetizers - 20 lbs worth!

When you think of the quintessential southern lady who loves her friends, has a wonderful sense of humor, always has a smile for you, loves to dance, loves to sing, and says nary a cross word about anyone (well, maybe an occasional "bless their heart"), that's our Elaine!  She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Let the good times roll, dude! (Isn't it embarrassing when older people like me use the word 'dude'?)  Our neighborhood kids are coming home for summer! George Weisnicht and a friend are fast peelers!

Elaine, always a gracious hostess.

My across-the-street neighbor, Bet Ellis, is in true barrier island girl mode with that hat and smile!!  And don't you love that necklace!   

Another Seashore Village neighbor, Carmella Campbell, always has a smile. If Carmella looks familiar, you've probably seen her hosting the cooking demonstrations/presentations by various local chefs at the Pensacola Seafood Festival each year!

"I just want a cookie, mommy. That man said they were cooking mud bugs!"

Wendell and Marie Colberg's beautiful daughter was in for the weekend. The neighborhood kids are all growing up so fast.

Joe Ellis, president of our Seashore Village Homeowners Association, and an exceptional friend to us all.

I had a chance to spend a little time with neighbor Anne Baehr who is a fellow photographer! Photographers always need more time to talk about lenses and techniques.

The gentleman behind our neighborhood Architectural Committee, Scott Campbell of William Scott Campbell Architects!

I met one of our newest neighbors, Pam Gadboys, who can't say enough wonderful things about living on the beach. Obviously she fits right in with the rest of us who feel the same as she!  Welcome to Seashore Village, Pam

It was very nice to see George Eckes and his wife, Yvonne, at the Crawfish Boil.  George was our former HOA president, but recently sold his property in Seashore Village.  We know how heartbroken he was to give up that position.  Right, George?  :-)   

It was a treat to meet Wes's friend, Bill Koenig, another avid photographer. When Bill brought out his Canon with a 70-200mm lens, I humbly bowed to him. That is the next piece of awesome equipment I hope to buy, but it may be a while before I can justify the cost (convince my husband). That didn't stop me stealing a few yearning glances Bill's way.  And, sorry to catch you off-guard, Bill. Most photographers do not enjoy having their picture taken and you can see that expression on his face, non?  Go figure!  But it's the way we are.

Dr. John Baehr had a chance to chill out with friends and neighbors.  Wes and Elaine were 'roommates' with John and Anne for several days in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan slammed into the island and caused much damage to our Seashore Village neighborhood.

"Hey, Tammy!"   

Ahhhh...and now we see why these Louisiana boys love crawfish boils so much. Those spicy little mudbugs have the power to transform folks into love bugs! 

The Ruddy Turnstone's breakfast

Sushi, anyone?

Ghost crabs

As a sea turtler patroler, click HERE to read why I'm not fond of ghost crabs, even though they may be cute as they skitter across the sand and are an important part of a beach ecosystem. 

The only part of my patrols I dislike is when I discover a ghost crab has burrowed into a nest and we must carefully dig down, remove them, and fill in their tunnel.  Otherwise these predators will eat the sea turtle eggs or hatchlings, if they have emerged and are working their way up toward the surface.

Crawfish Boil!

Before moving to Florida, I only knew about crawfish boils through articles in Coastal Living or novels by Mary Alice Monroe.  Now I know the tradition is alive and thriving on Pensacola Beach.
 

                                                                                                                         

Crawfish (Crayfish/Mudbugs) are cooked with corn and potatoes, various spices and lemon halves, then heaped up and served on large platters.

 Whatcha think about it, Anna Grace?

Lance shows Graham, Anna Grace's older brother, the proper technique.

Amy holds Sharon Elizabeth, who's keeping a close eye on her grandpa and daddy as they cook.

By the way, Sharon's daddy, Justin, is the speediest crawfish peeler I've ever seen!

Anna Grace's blue dress is adorable, but it still can't compare to her beautiful blue eyes! 

Poor Roux keeps hoping someone will drop a tidbit under the table, but the sad expression is because she hasn't gotten lucky yet.

Looks like Graham is enjoying the crawfish.

Our next door neighbor/host, Brian, brings in another platter.

Brian and his son-in-law, Justin, have a great system going.

Sharon Elizabeth should be nicknamed 'Sunny'.  She's the happiest little girl I know, always laughing and smiling.

Poor Hub watches the fun through the fence.

Pat and Justin peel the leftover crawfish for tomorrow's etouffe while Elizabeth supervises!

Lance has a chance to catch up on his share of crawfish now that Graham is full and off to play.

Back-door neighbors, Mellissa (Anna Grace and Graham's mom) and Priscilla (our hostess).

Two Cajun boys! Our neighbor Wes with his long-time friend, Wayne, who was visiting from Lafayette, Louisiana.  I could happily listen to Wayne talk all day!

Stacy and Molly!

Mother's morning walk

My mother loves to walk on the beach and look for shells.  Unfortunately we don't have a lot wash up in this area. Still it is a beautiful way to spend a morning, especially with the water so clear and calm.

Mullet!

And here is a swirling school of mullet at the Palafox Pier!  Click HERE to read Mullet Musings, an article about mullet by Florida Sportsman.

Mother's Day at Jaco's

Mother's Day at Jaco's, with my mom.  Jaco's is a beautiful waterfront restaurant on Palafox Pier with gorgeous views of the Pensacola Bay (and sunsets) and the Marina.    This is a lovely place for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

{{{Wait 'til we walk her out on the pier later to see all the Mullet which school and swirl around the boats!}}}

Mermaid's Purse

I discovered a Mermaid's Purse washed up on shore during sea turtle patrol.  These strange looking clumps are egg casings of (I believe) the Clearnose Skate, Raja eglanteria. 

To learn a bit more, you may Click Here to watch another YouTube video in which "North Carolina Sea Grant marine education specialist Terri Kirby Hathaway tells us more about this beachcombing find and unveils the secret to its animal identity."

In and out

I love watching shorebirds run in and out with the waves as they roll ashore.  What a spectacular day on the beach!

Florida's Birding & PhotoFest

I'm currently attending classes at Florida's Birding and PhotoFest in St. Augustine, trying to take my photography to a higher level.  I'm suffering brain fatigue, for sure, but grateful for the incredible opportunity to learn from professional prographers like Arthur Morris, Greg Downing, Maxis Gamez, and Joe Brady. 

The photo above is one I took of a Great Egret posturing one evening at the Rookery within the Alligator Farm.  If you've never visited this incredible rookery, you must put it on your list of places to visit in the spring when the birds are mating and nesting.

Tomorrow will be my last day of classes and I'll start off in downtown St. Augustine at 6:15 a.m.  Can you imagine the beauty of the 'Old Town' at first light!

Travelin'

You come across some lovely parts of the country when you get off the beaten path.  This picturesque area is along the St. Johns River in Astor, Florida.

And then there are the oddities such as this marker which sets next to the sidewalk at an I-75 rest stop.  I'm sure there's quite a story behind it.

Osprey!

I was excited when I learned a subdivision on the west end of the island had erected two Osprey nesting platforms within their neighborhood park.  One platform was quickly claimed by a pair of these magnificent birds whose wing span can range from 4 - 6 feet!

The photo above was taken from my vehicle using my small Panasonic Lumix, but you can be sure I'll be back throughout the season with my Canon 40D, a telephoto lens, and a tripod!

St. Michael's Cemetery

Every year I like to take advantage of tours in our historic St. Michael's Cemetery, located in the downtown area of Pensacola.  Last Saturday, April 9th, St. Michael's hosted a very special Free Day with sixty individual stations set up throughout the cemetery  for demonstrations of remote sensing; masonry, brick, metal fence, stone conservation; talks about prominent historical people buried in St. Michael's and epidemics through the centuries; Iconology and meanings; and even information about a botanical survey of St. Michael's Cemetery which mapped out over 450 species of wild grass and wildflowers. 

St. Michael's Cemetery was recently awarded a grant of over $100,000 from IMPACT 100 (please click on the highlighted link to learn more about this incredible group of local women), which is helping to fund many repairs/restoration of this historic landmark which covers 8 acres.

Below are some of the photos I took last Saturday:

This oval-shaped berm area was consecrated by St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church for the burial of local priests and pastors.

One of the most prominent markers in the cemetery is that of Daniel Sullivan (1833-1884), a local lumber baron who was born in Ireland.

Beautiful detail is seen on many headstones, markers and mausoleums.

 This is one of my favorite sculptures in St. Michael's.

Members of various historical and genealogical societies dressed in costumes that day and presented talks about historical residents of the city, now buried at St. Michael's.

Photos may be enlarged by clicking on them.  This sign tells a bit more about the St. Michael's Cemetery Comprehensive Botanical Survey.

Sad little headstones of beloved children.

Through the decades, a large live oak enveloped a headstone.

Dr. Eugenio Sierra worked as a surgeon in the Spanish royal hospital in 1785, but by the mid-1790's had became a prominent doctor in Pensacola.  His is a fascinating story you may read by clicking on the link.

Dr. Sierra was known to have purchased a guillotine in New Orleans and brought it to Pensacola to use for amputations!

This marker is one of the few original wooden markers from St. Michael's Cemetery which remain.  It is generally kept in a museum but was brought to the site for display on this day.  Local woodcarvers took the original markers and recreated them using cypress.  The photo below is the finished reproduction of this marker. 

As you can see, the gray of the cypress wood almost matches stone markers nearby.

The unique 'table' of stone is the marker for two young wives who died during a yellow fever epidemic in Pensacola. 













I hope you will take time to visit St. Michael's Cemetery.  It holds so many stories and secrets which span its more than 200 year history.   

You can print off a map and take a self-guided tour.  In fact, if you have a smart phone (iPhone, Droid, etc.) you may be very interested in trying the Next Exit History app which, as they say, can literally put history in your hands with its database of over 35,000 historical sites.  Check out more about this new software app by clicking HERE.

The Bottlebrush Tree

You can see why I love the Bottlebrush tree in my yard.  My mother gave it to me as a birthday present about 3 years ago and I'm so surprised at how well it has done out here on the beach.

Wildflowers

“Men do change, and change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like the stealthy perfume of wildflowers hidden in the grass."

~~ John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968)