May rays in Santa Rosa Sound

Now that I live in a condominium, I have many opportunities to observe sunsets, sunrises and storms, as well as all type of birds and marine life on Santa Rosa Sound.  This was an amazing moment when I saw two schools of May rays (cownose rays) noticing each other and staging their own version of the Sharks and the Jets (in West Side Story)!

Holding communion

"There is indeed, perhaps, no better way to hold communion with the sea than sitting in the sun on the veranda..." ~Joseph W. Beach

Kissing the Shoreline

"There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away." ~~ Sarah Kay

Favorite Places

One of my favorite spots is the western end of the island at Ft. Pickens. To the right is Pensacola Pass, where you see boats heading out into the Gulf of Mexico. On the other side of the Pass is the remains of a battered and burned Ft. McRae,located at the tip of Perdido Key.



Solitude is where one discovers one is not alone. ~~ Marty Rubin

Park West

The surf has continued to cut into the shoreline. Beach restoration, which had to be postponed from last fall due to rough surf and windy conditions, will commence soon. This photo was taken recently at Park West.

Sunday blues

Ahhhh, what a beautiful Sunday!



May your only blues today be the sea and the sky.

Rescued Leatherback

A friend of mine brought the video below to my attention a couple of days ago. As you know, I've been involved with the Sea Turtle Monitoring program on Pensacola Beach for several years as a volunteer sea turtle patroller, so I was very excited to see the rescue of this huge leatherback which had gotten tangled up in a crab trap and buoy. As you can see in the beginning, it was exhausted and probably would not have lasted much longer had it not been spotted. I hope you are able to access the link:

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/off-duty-jso-officers-save-sea-turtle-from-crab-trap/52633847

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.

~~ Deepak Chopra

January sunset

“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner." I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”

~ Carl R. Rogers

Savor the View

“The road to destiny is long and winding. Be sure to stop and savor the view as you ramble along the way.”

Good Morning, Sunshine!

I'm not going outside to take photos in these temps, but I looked out through a salty upstairs window and saw the beginning of a beautiful sunrise.

Blowin' in the Wind

Cold north wind is really kicking up the Sound today!  Burrrrrrr!

Bella Blue

How lucky am I that this sweet furbaby found me and so difficult to imagine people are willing to abandon them.

Patrol at Ft. Pickens on a stormy day

Greet the new day

Namaste

We greet a beautiful day full of promise.

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew!

This was the autograph/meet & greet line for Andrew Zimmern today.  I think he's going to be here a while!

Last shot of the night

All is calm

What a beautiful evening to be screening nests on the beach.

Turtle Time

I don't know what I love most - my patrols, the hatchings, or talking to young people on the beach and seeing their eyes light up as they learn about our magnificent marine creatures. 

These two handsome young men and their families were near a nest I screened tonight and got to hear the hatchlings digging their way to the surface.