Living on 30A

Dogs on the Beach

2012-01-26T12:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Gus

Ain’t life grand! When I see a dog coming towards me at the beach, for the most part, that’s the sentiment reflected in their eyes. There are a few exceptions of course but most of the dogs I run into are happy, cheerful and absolutely thrilled to be there. If they aren’t totally preoccupied with some interesting news they are reading about with their nose, almost all of them, will greet me like I am a long lost friend that they are so very, very happy to see again.

Pretty Roxy

Dogs I meet at the beach, with their soft, gentle eyes, make me smile and I tend to remember their names much longer than I remember their owner’s names. I’ve met Harlan, Dixie, Bebo, Otto, Sarah, Doosie, Bailey, Roxy, Riley, Gus…so many pink tongues, tails wagging, bright eyes shining. They are out there doing what comes naturally and they are really lucky because we people of Walton County, notoriously fond of our pets, make them welcome on the beach.

Girl Riley

There is room for them here and the beach is a fine place for them if they, like us, follow a few rules. Okay I know rather than wagging my tail my tendency is to wag my finger now and then about rules. I can’t help it, I believe in democracy. Walton County has specific rules about dogs on the beach but I would vote for enforcing two that work equally well for the humans… the two most important beach rules of all: don’t leave anything on the beach (no pooh, no toys, no cigarette butts, no trash, nothing foreign) and stay away from the vegetation precariously holding the sand dunes in place. If we humans were fastidious about these two rules and if we made sure our children and pets followed them, there would be peace in the world. Yep, peace in the world because our terra firma starts at the shore where we humans live and if we humans are safe and if we have adequate food, everything is good, right? Okay maybe peace in the world part is a little strong but vegetation is definitely the best defense against the erosive work of the tides; much more effective and a lot prettier than most manmade structures. But that’s another rule to investigate and cover in another blog. Today, I’ll concentrate on keeping dogs and people and people stuff out of the sea oats. There is an impolite name for finger wagging people like me.

Rotten Riley

A lot of our beach dogs don’t actually go on the beach. Our Riley doesn’t because he hasn’t an ounce of obedience in him but don’t feel sorry for him. He gets plenty of exercise and prefers a good walk in the State Forest.

Other infamous beach dogs like handsome Merlin is comfy on the walkover. He brought a house guest Izzy; a gorgeous little slip of a thing.

Yep, life is grand!

30A Songwriters Festival on the Beach

2012-01-19T09:52:00.001-06:00

When you hear a super star sing a super hit that is a very fine experience indeed but if you are given the opportunity to hear that super hit sung by the songwriter in an intimate setting like Bud and Alleys with sometimes less than 100 people in the room, wow that is in a word, sweet. I had the pleasure of working the 30A Songwriters Festival this weekend and a wonderful experience it was.

While the staff and volunteers work really, really hard they do have one really great fringe benefit of working the event: the occasional, if brief, off-stage encounter with the artists. Veteran performers and newcomer alike, I found all the artists’ I spoke to patient, good natured and a pleasure to be with. Friday evening, after his set, Steve Forbert and I talked a little about kids and college and red snapper and how cold it was. Jeff Black and I also talked a little bit about our kids and another popular subject, our beaches, he’s been coming here for years. David Olney and I stood under the outdoor heater for a time together watching out that his hat didn’t catch fire. Back stage, Tommy Womack shared some funny stories with us after I told him I was sure one of his most colorful songs was written for someone very near and dear to me (I won’t mention any names or the lyrics I refer to).

Jedd Hughes came into the green room greeting us all warmly. I didn’t know his music then but the kindness in his eyes and his great smile were a preview of the writing and the music and lyrics that I would guess drew Rodney Crowell into his life. Oh yes, I met Rodney Crowell backstage too, waiting patiently for his time to go on stage as Jedd Hughes “special guest”. I got to see more of them the next day on the big stage. Talk about “stars on the water”. I also spent a little time with Billy Montana and his charming wife and because some of the performers shared the stage, I saw Joe Leathers and Erick Baker getting to know each other. I witnessed a similar encounter between Mathew Mayfield and Davin McCoy after their sets. I felt like an “insider”… well not really, more like a fly on the wall, but it was fun to watch the artistic exchange.

All the performers chatted easily between songs, adding to the entertainment and making it personal. Lori McKenna talked about her husband, their five kids and laughable everyday experiences that most everyone could easily relate to. Her unique talent is crafting life’s everyday moments into lyrics and music that show how perfectly special those moments are. When I looked out into the audience as she sang “Sometimes He Does”, it was clear the audience was totally captivated, transported into her world as they saw their own; you could have heard a pin drop. It’s a unique experience this 30A Songwriters Festival.

If I had to pick the festival day I liked best, I couldn’t. I’ll try again next year.

So much to do in January!

2012-01-10T16:53:00.000-06:00

The 30A Singer Songwriters Festival is happening this weekend. I'm a house manager for the event working at Bud and Alleys and Pizza Bar at night so I'll get to hear some wonderful music there and then I'll be going where ever the spirit moves me during the rest of the festival. The schedule is a moving target right now. Lots of musicians and venues to coordinate...it's a wonderful event with a life of it's own...my guess is that, like last year, the schedule will settle into itself on Thursday. Also this week, Escape to Create begins with some fine programming that includes song, theater, poetry, educational lectures, mixed media and illustration...I have marked my calendar with those dates appropriately as well. Lots of talent roams this little corridor.

Loons on the Beach

2012-01-05T09:45:00.002-06:00

By this time every year, many of our northern friends have come to the beach for the warmer weather and a whole lot of them look like loons. I mean that in the nicest way because they are loons. If you are used to seeing loons up north “on golden pond” you may not recognize them here because their outfit is quite different. Loons tend to favor casual beach wear here; no need to be formal. I’ve mistaken loons for cormorants but I read that cormorants don’t have the delicate white in their wing so that helps and they don’t do the wing drying exercise either. Gary Parsons tells me the beak is another difference to look for. Loons have a dagger beak and cormorants have a hook at the end. Since loons see their prey, primarily fish, before they dive, they like our clear water.

And of course who doesn’t like to winter along our Gulf of Mexico coastline. Sure it can get cold here but I usually walk the beach barefoot year round. Heck last week I had on board shorts and a tank top and sat in the sun for several hours reading.

A loon body is much better suited to water and air than to anything that has to do with land. I watched this one for quite awhile who seemed to be taking a rest in shallow water. He started to sort of crawl/scoot away from me when he thought I was getting a little too close and looked pretty darn vulnerable. Gary tells me that is because they cannot walk. Feet designed for swimming are pretty useless on land. Their take-offs can be a little unwieldy too but the wings are very helpful underwater for speed. The name loon probably comes from lumme, an Old English word meaning lummox or awkward person, or perhaps the similar Scandinavian word lum meaning lame or clumsy. Not a very complimentary name but understandable after I saw that crawl/scoot maneuver.

Out in the gulf water, a loon can appear to be a snake rising out of the surf because its plump belly is submerged. Accomplished divers, they can dive over 200ft below the surface and they eat their prey underwater. When I watched one dive for dinner my short little attention span lost interest waiting for it to surface and then I was surprised by when its head popped back up. They have red eyes but I haven’t gotten close enough to observe that. I usually see them in flocks close to shore near the dune lake openings, dipping up and down with the chop of the water. Occasionally I’ll see one working the dune lake alone.

The lone loon… you wonder why he is off fishing on his own; what makes him tick this rogue of a bird? Why does one loon buck the establishment like that anyhow? Is there something special about him? Does he see things others don’t? And with his choice of attire fooling my eye is this lone loon a he or a she? Both genders of the loon wear unisex clothing so I’ll just never know. They strip down out of their feathers (aka molt) once a winter so you'd be polite to avert your eyes if you see them naked. I'd bet they do that out in the deeper water because it makes them flightless. They can live to be 30 years old so I hope to see this one again someday, my time on the beach enriched by the company.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T09:06:00.000-06:00

Here's to a beautiful new year...

Fishing Rules on the Beach

2011-12-27T14:37:00.000-06:00

Here’s a good New Year resolution: “Sit Quietly and Smile.” Anyone know where I got that quote from? While it is a very therapeutic endeavor, to actually do it…to actually sit quietly and smile can be hard to accomplish for any length of time and if you are out and about, people might look at you suspiciously. But if you sit quietly and smile while watching a great blue heron fish for its breakfast you won’t look the least bit odd. And you might also be lucky enough to witness an osprey working the same spot.

While the heron took a slow, careful approach to its task, the osprey took a confident, fast and very steep dive toward its target. Equally effective, both creatures caught their fish within minutes of each other. It was a great treat to observe; not a lot of debating involved in the natural world.

Bruce and I shore fish Blue Mountain Beach once in awhile. Well okay, we hang out with our friend Dave when he goes fishing and we are lucky to share in his bounty because he makes his own “sculpin jigs” (sells them at Yellow Fin in Seagrove Beach). Dave is really, really good at catchin’ fish.

This fall, a question that came up from visitors as I walked the beach for the TDC was about fishing licenses. I answered the question saying I thought one needed a license for everything but shore fishing. So writing this, I thought perhaps I should verify that response and it seems I was incorrect. Sometimes that happens. I always thought shore fishing was the one thing in the world you didn’t need a license for but you do. It doesn’t cost a cent, but you need a permit. It seems all fishing requires a license. Who knew? The rules are different for residents and non-residents with residents (human residents that is), getting a bit of a break with an annual pass option. For now, as long as birds don’t use fishing poles, they don’t need to carry any paperwork but sadly I can imagine the day that is not the case.

Shore fishing is very satisfying, not to mention cost-effective and relatively uncomplicated. Walking back to the beach access, I thought about how growing up in South Florida, I went fishing a lot. Well okay, I tangled the lines a lot and hooked myself more than I fished. My father was an avid fisherman and it was a big part of my life with him; my best family memories. Now I’m content to watch or to take advantage of my fishing friends or to buy the fresh catch at our local fish market. My dad would tell you the world is safer for that. I never picked up my father’s skills as an angler however I’m starting, however late, to understand the art of patience.

See you at the beach...

Christmas on the Beach

2011-12-22T15:47:00.001-06:00

This year the December beach sand has been warm enough to enjoy barefoot and when by chance a wave has washed over my toes, that has felt pretty good too. Holiday parties are spilling out onto decks and folks are comfortable and happy to chat around fire pits. You can wear a favorite sweater at night and during the day you will be comfortable back in your sandals...you gotta love that.

No one but the surfers are actually in the water right now but no, no, I take that back…lots of our furry friends have been enjoying the mild weather. Clarence sure likes it. Heck, he makes it look very tempting. If this warm weather holds, I'll participate in the New Years Day Polar Bear Plunge at Watercolor! Okay, no...that won't happen. I'm happy to observe at that event but this has been some kind of December and a far cry from last year in terms of temperature.
I've seen a lot of walkers and runners out on the beach in the last few days. Kayak enthusiasts and stand up paddlers have been enjoying quality time on the water this month too.

As always, the whitest part of our South Walton Christmas will again be the sand which is just fine with me.

Wishing you joy and a very, very, merry, merry Christmas!

Sheila at Salon Centric

2011-12-18T16:07:00.000-06:00

Today I was out wading in the Gulf of Mexico (yes wading in the water and yes I know it is December but it was nice). If you would have seen me you would have thought I was a crazy woman because my hair looked like I just got out of bed because I did. But usually, I like my hair and that is because Sheila cuts it. Sheila found waves in my hair I didn't know I had. She believed me when I told her I have no interest in hair products and blow dryers so she cuts it in a way that makes it easy for me. I like Sheila. She gives a great cut, she is reasonable, and she will bleed for you (she nipped her finger once when she was cutting my hair and it was pretty bad and has a scar to prove it but she still kept on cutting after we bandaged her up). The salon is in Grayton Beach at Grayton Corners which is very easy to find and her phone number is 850-534-0800. I am happy to recommend her.

Fun at Central Square Records

2011-12-13T16:56:00.002-06:00

Happy Holiday Potluck

Central Square Records is having their 2nd Annual Holiday Potluck Party. Starting at 5:30 pm tonight, they promise lots of great food, music, friends & drinks. Bring a dish to share & celebrate the holiday season with some great people.

I love these people.

Kayaks in December

2011-12-13T11:26:00.000-06:00

It was just a few days ago when I met some real nice folks kayaking near the beach access at Ed Walline. They have a vacation house here in South Walton and live most their days "up north" in Tallahassee. I met them after their paddle and not surprisingly, they were clearly delighted with their time on the water. This winter has been mild so far. Gorgeous. I did see tar balls near the shore, remnants of the disaster last year and a reminder to me not to forget. I will always speak out against what can damage our beautiful, beloved Gulf of Mexico. The oceans are so wild and once you step away from the sand castles and go into the water you enter an environment relatively unknown to most of us land born creatures. I've learned to respect that. And once you get out into the water, far enough away to loose sight of the shore you can see why some people think they can get away with things they wouldn't do on land. So, we all have to be watchful; be aware of the consequences of our actions. As a kid in the 60's and 70's, the line in one of Joni Mitchell's song "Carey", "I got beach tar on my feet" was more a statement of reality than words of alarm. Tar on your feet was common until people did something about leaks and discharges from oil tankards. I think we can safely say that none of us want tar on our feet to be the norm...I vote for that.

In any event, this December afternoon walk was as beautiful as any I have seen. Crystal clear water, wide sandy beach, amazing colors softly painting the sky. Worth taking care of. Worth remembering we have to be good stewards of this gift.

PS: I dutifully reported the glob and I have no doubt a clean-up crew was dispatched quickly.

The Pelicans of 30A

2011-12-09T09:02:00.000-06:00

Our pelicans are beautiful. Well I'm a big fan of all the creatures I meet along the shoreline so I might be biased. It's a pleasure to walk the beaches anytime but in December it's so quiet, so peaceful and much easier to get some quality time with the birds. I can testify that watching a pelican paddling around one of the dune lakes is one of the best way to pass time and get one with the universe. To "sit quietly and smile" is easily accomplished during this activity. However brief.

Day before Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Just a note to journal the weather. It is unseasonably warm enough for shorts and sleeveless t-shirt, sunny skies (not unusual), warm sand for bare feet, the water is clear, Tommy is fishing, Jack is out on the SUP, lots of folks (and their pooches-see my new friend Cassie in the Dogs slide show) are out early for a walk.

My girl is home safe from university, my family is traveling in for a big dinner, and as far as I know, everyone I know is content and happy today. That's a lot to be grateful for.

30A is full of itself

2011-11-17T12:32:00.000-06:00

Ha! I don't think I've ever lived anywhere that was so full of itself. There are all kinds of decals and websites and blogs and magazines devoted to our little strip of heaven and they all talk glowingly about living here and/or vacationing here. Move over "home on the range", South Walton's 30A has taken over your "where seldom is heard, a discouraging word..." line. Everything is beautiful. It's like a sickness, I caught it too. You won't find a lot of sad tales in this blog. We are even creating our own 30A decal this week for Blue Wave Livings - 30A Listings. I love our BWL logo and want another decal for my beach car. South Walton really is a great place to live and everyday, I am grateful that Bruce and I manage it. Still, our community has our tragedies, sadness, and struggles just like anywhere we humans call home. So before I get wrapped up in the preparations for the Thanksgiving holiday's, before I give myself over to too much food and merriment at Christmas, I'm going on the record to make sure I take the time this week to humbly give back as much as I can to the place and the people I love and to write about at least one thing I am grateful for everyday this week until Thanksgiving.

Here's a reason to be grateful if you are looking for one: We got through yet another hurricane season unscathed! Yay. The weather has been wonderful. I'm happy to report the sand is still warm enough to walk barefoot on and the forecast looks mild in the foreseeable future.

Had a great time volunteering at Flutterby this year. I was pleased to work the gardening booth with Snookie Parrish which we shared with some very cool critters. Great fun.

Here's to the sunny side of 30A.

Things to do on 30A when the weather is cool

2011-11-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

This will be a long post because I've been busy enjoying the nicest time of year here and I haven't wanted to spend a lot of time inside. Here are suggestions for some things to do when it is cool.

Go to Paradis in Rosemary Beach for an early dinner. I love the food, the drinks, the service, the surroundings. I'm a lousy food photographer but trust me the tuna is yum.

I'm also crazy about Bud and Alley's. Not only is it the best place for sunset, the food is good and the owner is one of the best citizen's this coastline could ever ask for.

Go to the beach in the early morning. Yes it is cool but there is no better place to start the day than at a SoWal beach. You never know what you will see but it is always interesting.

photo by Sandra Groeneveld

Photo by Sandra Groeneveld

The sand dunes are remarkable to look at against the blue sky, the water is the prettiest color in the world almost every day and the sea life always provides some kind of awesome visual (okay sometimes kind of eerie but it's the ocean after all, the truth is we don't really know much about it). We ran into a Pink Meanie or two or three or four, this week. Stunning and Medusa like, they might be attracted to the bloom of Moon Jellyfish that we have also been seeing here of late. I notice that the seagulls love to hang with them.

Go to the calendar and make sure you are in town for Halloween weekend next year so you can attend "Halloweener" in Seaside.

The wiener dogs race at the Seaside Green and it is so entertaining there is no way not to have fun. This year's race winner was a late entry and he was, in a word, "Dapper". There is also a costume contest and that is pretty funny too.

This weekend, on Sunday, you will find me at the CAA event: Flutterby. It will be held in Rosemary Beach this year. If if you have kids and you are visiting here or you live close by and you don't bring them to this event then you are just mean.

Looking for a bull shark

2011-10-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

I like to randomly stop and talk to people on the beach; to hear about what they saw, to hear about what someone else told them they saw. I'll hear about a manatee coming this way, a bull shark going that way, a school of dolphins close to shore, etc., etc. It is a kind of human news wire. Hearing of a large bull shark about 14' off the shore and coming this way, I kept my eyes peeled thinking maybe this time I'd see one. I hear about shark sitings all the time and some of them dramatic, like the time Peterson's dog Taffy was walking along shore and a shark beached itself, jaws snapping at sweet Taffy. She growled and snarled at it until it retreated into the surf. So brave! I have only seen a couple of small sharks near shore in all my years here. Just lucky I guess. Anyhow, I was diligently watchful, screening for something dark and large, slowly swimming in the turquoise waters.

Bruce was with me for this evening walk and simultaneously, a bright color color grabbed our attention on the white sand. Slowly and carefully so she wouldn't fly off we got closer, drawn to this lovely, living jewel. She stayed posing pretty as you please. We noticed several of the Monarch butterflies flying royally above us and resting on the white sand of the beach. What a pleasure. Not so many have come through this year it seems to me so I felt honored. Thinking that would be my special beach treat for the morning, we moved on. Who cares about a bull shark anyhow.

Happily, another show was about to begin. Just up the beach, birds of all sizes started to gather at a particular spot watching the water with great anticipation. A few people started to walk towards them to find out what these birds knew and we didn't. Then we saw the flashes of small fish and then the flashes of bigger fish and then the birds joined into the splashing frenzy. Diving, jumping, everybody was trying to get their fair share, or more, of whatever was smaller. It was a show we've all seen before but it was particularly lively this day, overly produced and very entertaining like a grand finale at a fireworks production. After that, it was time to turn back.

As we walked west, we watched people who had gathered to see the sun do it's evening drop into the Gulf of Mexico. A ritual people never seem to tire of. It's easy to picture Native Americans gathering here to do the very same thing before we newbies got here.

The next morning, I witnessed another glittery show of note, starring some of the characters from yesterday's evening performance. In the surf, nearly on the sand, the little bait fish were making a gentle, moving pattern of what can be accurately described as wonderful. These tiny creatures created art pure and simple. After a few moments of entertainment, they moved off together, leaving me in awe and inspired by their oneness. You never know what will happen at the beach, what you will see. I've always try to be one with it and it never disappoints.

I felt pretty darn satisfied with the start of this October day. So with the morning sun warming my back and my toes enjoying the sensation of the cool sand, I walked east ready for my bike ride home. Having the good fortune to keep my eyes on the water's edge, I was rewarded yet again. A large grey shadow was coming toward me, just beneath the surface of the water. Slowly, gliding by, a perfectly beautiful sting ray passed by moving east, peacefully and purposely. Another treat, a sort of encore of the beautiful show I got to witness this day at Blue Mountain Beach.

Since I still haven't seen the bull shark, I guess I'll have to go again tomorrow.

Back to Nature 2011

2011-10-11T15:01:00.002-05:00

Every year I do myself a favor and attend the SWCC Back To Nature Event. It's coming up this weekend again and the line up of things to do looks great.Opening Night Party Friday, Oct 14 @ Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse 6:30-8:30 pm.

Silent Auction Saturday, Oct 15th All Day @ the Seaside Amphitheater. Proceeds benefit SWCC.

Outdoor Adventures Saturday & Sunday, Oct 15-16th throughout Walton County. Their classic adventures of hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, riding, & astronomy.
Explore at Grayton Beach State Park Saturday Oct 15th from 10 am-2 pm @ Grayton Beach State Park, this event will be hosted by Walton Outdoors & feature activities geared for kids 6 and up.

Celebrate Nature at Seaside Saturday, Oct 15th 12:30-4:30 pm @ the Seaside Amphitheater. A celebration of nature & community, this event has something for everyone: music of Kyle LaMonica and Elizabethtown, E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center wildlife exhibits, green business displays, the Farmer's Market, local community groups and the kids can get creative. Bring your blanket or lawn chairs & join the celebration!

Jewels of 30A Artshow Sept 26-Oct 29 @ The Hidden Lantern Gallery in Rosemary Beach, featuring art inspired by our Coastal Dune Lakes.
I love this event.

First Note, a Blue Mountain Original

2011-10-08T15:29:00.001-05:00

We are so fortunate to live on this coast and it is not only because of the beach. This is Florida's music coast if you ask me. Live music is a priority here. Our proximity to Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans gives us such an advantage. Our turquoise water has a tendency to inspire.

Last night we had the best night out in a long time and it was because of the First Note Music Hall and some terrific company. First Note is right down the street from where we live and we have been hearing about it all summer long. It gets sold out every weekend they are open. Still I was a bit of a skeptic because it is a "listening hall" and I couldn't believe I would remain quietly attentive sitting there from 7pm to 11pm listening to musicians I didn't know. It turns out, I did know one of the musicians and a couple of them had written songs that we all know, and I know I haven't heard the last of the ones I didn't know at the beginning of the night. In any case, I didn't exactly have to sit quietly and I didn't want to leave. None of us did. One musician after another, all exceptionally talented, took their turn on the stage, and entertained us every minute. The mix of shuffling genre's make it a very unique experience. Jazz, country, blues, and ballads play nicely together on stage, each individual musician backing up the next creating a sort of familial magic. Founder Tommy Jackson's energy is contagious and everyone involved is polite, enthusiastic and glad you came. Please go there as soon as you can.

PS: I had eaten before we got there so I didn't order food but I will eat there next time because our companions ordered tapas and they were very happy.

October Paradise

2011-10-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

Still enjoying the best job in the world, today we were at Watersound.

Walking along the boardwalk there is spectacular enough and then zowie...there it is, a vista of the turquoise Gulf of Mexico.

Get a little closer to the water and powie, perfectly clear water. I remember the first time I saw the panhandle beaches so very many years ago. We stopped the car and went into the water, quickly giving in to the watery, irresistible color, we did not bother to change into swim wear. The beaches are perfect today. Everything sparkling.

Picturesque Watercolor. Another grueling day at work.

This week on 30A

2011-09-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

As an official beach ambassador, and may I say I don't think I've ever had a more pleasant job, I am tasked with walking South Walton - 30A beaches several times a week, thanking people for coming, taking their photos for the Visit South Walton Facebook page and handing out goodies like beach balls and coosies. There were lots of people in from Tennessee and Kentucky this week. All happy to be here. Enjoy photos of some of the South Walton beach accesses I had the pleasure to wander this week.

Blue Mountain Beach

Inlet Beach

Santa Rosa Beach

Alys Beach

Today on 30A

2011-09-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

The beach clean-up went well. I guess it did anyhow. Bruce and I both went. Picked up an assortment of stuff to tally up. Ran into this blue crab that grabbed onto a guys fish net. The crab was fine...went back in the water. He (or she) was handsome. Bruce saw a manatee. Beautiful day.

Clean up with the Ocean Conservancy

2011-09-13T12:22:00.001-05:00

I would argue that South Walton has some of the cleanest beaches anywhere...thankfully...even after the oil spill. Still, walking the beach on a regular basis, I am struck at the trash that washes up from points unknown and saddened at the trash visitors accidentally leave behind. So whenever there is a clean-up, I'm happy to attend. This weekend's clean-up is an international event in association with the Ocean Conservancy.

The idea with this event is to engage volunteers on a worldwide basis to clean-up shorelines from the coasts, lakes, rivers and streams in order to identify and record every item picked up. That way we can get a clear picture of what manufactured items are impacting ocean health. Sounds like a solidly productive idea to me. The body of data recorded helps us to create action that will rid the ocean of harmful trash.

Trash I see on a daily basis is plastic. Lots of bottles and plastic sand pails and associated debris. Brightly colored as most of it is, these mischievous items slip out of beach bags or are inadvertently forgotten by budding sand sculptors and young architects distracted by some other coastal wonder (and there are lots of pleasant distractions at the beach, so I don't blame them). Plastic beach toys often find their way into the surf, getting washed up later in the day or week, they then get buried in the sand only to be uncovered later often broken and brittle. This is a necessary tool at the beach for the building of sand castles and I don't suggest we get rid of toys but wouldn't it be nice if they were made out of biodegradable material? Maybe someday. Until then may I suggest vigilance when it comes to picking up after a beach day.

Beach clean-ups are also another occasion to see our neighbors. These events usually bring out what I like to call "the usual suspects". Walton County is not all that populated and you get to know the locals if not by name, by face, or reputation. Picture a dose of Carl Hiaasen characters, southern gentry, the beautiful people, beach bums, surfer dudes and "fish heads" and you will start to get the picture. All walks of life and all political bents...everyone with one thing in common, a basic, kind of primal love of the NW Florida coast.

Anyhow, Bruce and I will be at the Blue Mountain Beach access on Saturday Sept 17th at 8am. The weather is beautiful and the water has been downright spectacular so this task will be a very enjoyable Mitzvah.

Fish Out of Water

2011-09-08T17:36:00.000-05:00

Sit outside at Fish Out of Water for a beautiful view. We like breakfast there. Overlooking the sand dunes to the Gulf of Mexico beyond, it is not uncommon to see dolphins playing as they make their way long the turquoise coast. Today I had the quiche with the Gruyere cheese grits. Good and filling. I like the coffee there too. We have also gone there for happy hour and there is a special mojito like drink the bartender recommended that was really good, less sugar. I'll have to get the proper name for you the next time I go.

Any way you look at it, from the balcony, there is not a bad view. I heartily recommend it.

This week I have enjoyed working with the TDC promoting the area with the "Find Your Perfect Beach" contest. It's on Facebook, easy to find. People entering the contest can win some nice prizes. As "beach ambassador" I speak to each beach visitor about the contest and they have all been so nice and to a person they have been so complimentary about our 30A beaches. And so many come here year after year. Nice working environment, eh? Lucky me.

Quieting Down

2011-09-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

It's almost Labor Day and already things are starting to quiet down around here. There will be a lot going on this weekend and then the shoulder season will begin in earnest. Nice time of year for us locals. The sea birds like it. I have seen more of my favorite Sanderlings out and about and the Seagulls are on their very best behavior. It's still hot, in the 90's but it feels a little less humid in the mornings. The Gulf has kicked up today (I love the sound of that) but most of this week was calm, great for dolphin sightings.

Watercolor Lobby Bar

2011-08-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

There is a little cafe/lobby bar at the Watercolor resort, called the Gathering Spot and a friend of mine met me there for a chat and a cocktail. We were early so we got to enjoy happy hour with a Mojito and sushi. Really good Mojito, fresh mint and perfect for a hot August afternoon. I liked the sushi too, the cowboy roll was our favorite but I'm not a sushi expert. Year's ago when a Japanese friend first introduced me to sushi it was really just raw fish and a sauce he put together. I don't see that anymore. Anyhow, the Gathering Spot ambiance is good for a lobby bar and the service was really friendly and helpful so we will go back. And if you go, I highly recommend taking a walk over to the Watercolor garden. It is especially nice when the butterfly's come in September and October.

Glad April loves Grooming

2011-08-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Our Himalayan princess, Juno Cat, is very grateful that April loves Grooming because now she gets her hair cut almost as often as her best friend Riley, our sweet cocker.

We highly recommend April. She gets the job done for Juno without using sedatives and all I can say is "wow" to that. April is in Gulf Place and schedules her appointments like a beauty salon.

We are all better off with the stylish short summer cuts. Yay April.

Balcony Beauty

2011-08-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

Darling fat frog hanging out at the balcony garden today.

Golden Rule at the Beach

2011-08-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

The Golden Rule at the beach includes picking up after yourself. Sadly, cans bottles and Styrofoam containers and ribbons are just a few things representative of what is left behind. This stuff is not only ugly but becomes dangerous to critters and bare feet. Kudos to the TDC for trying hard to keep up after it. We humans can be pretty messy.

A good Dolphin morning

2011-08-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

Look closely and what you will see in this picture is people enjoying themselves swimming and paddling. What you don't see is that swimming with them this morning were several dolphins making their way east on the NW Florida coast. I went out for a dip to cool off after my morning beach stroll and just before I got out, a steel grey fin came up and went down, probably 20 feet from me. So exciting. It is always a joy to be in the presence of dolphins. Everyone swimming and paddling had a treat as a group of these marvelous creatures calmly and gracefully swam around us this beautiful August day.

Gulfcoast Week

2011-07-31T11:02:00.002-05:00

Highlights of this week.

Enjoyed an evening with Leon Russell and Bob Dylan in concert in Pensacola.

and

the beautiful cloudy morning today at Blue Mtn beach.

Perfect views...

2011-07-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasurable duty to volunteer at the CAA designers showcase home at the Retreat. The house will be showcased this fall in Vie Magazine and I think, Birmingham Home and Garden. The professionals will have better shots than me but here are a few shots I took of the home.

And the view.

The home is for sale so if you are interested, call the best realtor in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida - Bruce Johnson, Broker Associate, Davis Properties.

Busy Night

2011-07-20T17:33:00.003-05:00

Last night I went out to get a bite to eat with a good friend of mine. Another 30a local. We hadn't been to George's in Alys Beach so we headed that way. It's a really cute place and I think we would have been happy there but the wait was longer than we wanted to give so we decided to try something in Seacrest. I hadn't been to La Cocina. My friend had and even tho she hadn't been happy with their top shelf Margherita on her first trip, we decided to give it another shot. Although we had a good time chatting away, it was not the greatest dining experience we could have made. The food was adequate, as was the service. I guess I'd try it again sometime when they weren't so busy but it won't be a priority. After that we went to LaCrema in Rosemary Beach for a birthday dessert (it was my friend's birthday, not mine). The service was adequate (they were really busy too) but desert was great and it was great fun sitting street side cafe style. I'd been there before for lunch and had a very good service/food experience so I'm happy to recommend LaCrema.

The beach is buzzing with activity. Maybe it's the new flights from Vision Airlines and or some new service offered from Southwest. Either way, we are happy to have visitors. Bring it.

More friends at the beach...

2011-07-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

Today I met Lila who likes the water fine and Jett who is not so crazy about taking to the waves.

There's room for everyone.

It was a good day for a paddle or a swim.

Blue Mountain Days

2011-07-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

Today at the beach, I met Sadie from across the bay. Sadie, wearing beach black, was very friendly and happy to say hello to everyone she saw. Her person calls her "the greeter" and the title suits her. They come from Freeport every morning for their walk. We don't like to bring Ri to the beach because, although he graduated top of the class at obedience school, he has no manners at all and runs willy nilly so we let him sleep in on summer days and I kind of think he's happier for it. Anyhow Sadie had nice manners and it was lovely to meet her.

Next I met Chase. Chase is absolute canine eye candy, pretty and soft looking even when wet. But Chase was only interested in something to, well, chase. As far as I could see, she had no other interest in anything or anyone around her this fine morning at the beach. I could have plopped down right next to her with a steak grilled to order and she would not have taken her eye off her person sitting nearby. She seemed pretty sure that her person was just about ready to throw something that she would need to bring back immediately in order to do it again, so they could do it another time. And then maybe again. I understand the look, because our Riley would be content to die of heat exhaustion in order to chase a ball just one more time. I heard a great story yesterday on "This American Life" from comedian Merrill Markoe. I think Chase would completely relate to the thought process. Really, funny. Listen and Laugh ... go ahead.

So after almost 2 days of some pretty serious rain (that we really needed), this 30a day is bright and shiny. The seaweed is easy to avoid, the water clear, the sky bright with white clouds accenting the alternating blue stripes on the horizon. Nice. Oh, and the dune lakes are breaking out with fresh water and there was a lot of bait fish jumping around...there is always something to see.

The American Dream is pictured on the Right.

Today at the beach

2011-07-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

This morning it was nice at the beach. At least at our Blue Mountain access we could go in and enjoy the water. There was seaweed on the shore edge but plenty of open sand to play in. I went in the water for two enjoyable dips. It was early but there were several other people there sharing the beach and floating happily in the water.

Who likes Sargassum?

2011-07-10T17:22:00.001-05:00

Since we go to the beach a lot, we see it all. Some days the water is so clear you could swear it was drinkable, some days such a beautiful shade of turquoise it takes your breath away. I still am in awe of the wonder of it. But, occasionally, it is not so good for swimming. The last few days we have had lots of Sargassum on the shore. I've lived all over Florida. I'm a Florida native born in Miami and I can remember wading in Sargassum as a child. We called it seaweed in south Florida and you could grab a handful and see it was filled with marine life so we were fine with it. I guess when you live at the beach you understand that it isn't always perfect for humans. It is after all, a wilderness area. Here on the beaches of South Walton, we get impatient with anything other than picture perfect but if you wait a day, or move to another access, you can very often get away from it. And if you can't, and sometimes you can't, may I suggest you just watch it for awhile. Easy for me to say since I live here and can be very choosy about my beach days but you can't change what nature gives you on any given day so why not give in. This may sound Pollyanna but there are many gifts of the sea. Shorebirds, dolphin shows, feeding frenzies, Pelicans, Skimmers, schools of Stingray's and of course sand crabs can provide a great deal of entertainment. Anyhow, back to seaweed, if you sit quietly and watch the water, sometimes you will see little flashes of silver splashing in the grasses, evidence of the rich life all around you, tiny as it might be.

And sometimes you will see a fish catcher hard at work taking advantage of a bountiful situation.

4th of July Crab at Blue Mountain Beach

2011-07-02T11:49:00.001-05:00

It's the 4th of July weekend. We went out to the beach early so we could get to the Seaside Farmers Market for some "real" tomato's before 9am. You mostly find locals out at the beach early...it's fun to see people and pooches we know and see out and about all week.

After checking out what Tommy was fishing for and saying hello to neighbors Barry and Sarah,
I sat down to watch the crab hole next to the little flag I put in the sand earlier. I thought it might be early for the crabs too but before you know a funny little guy came up to see who was making a racket above his home. At first he was shy, darting up and back quickly now and then but then he came out for a friendly staring match which I eventually won.

We are lucky to live here in America the beautiful.

Happy birthday USA!

Memorial Weekend starts the 30A season

2011-05-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

What a glorious day on Blue Mountain Beach. The South Walton beaches are beautiful and the Florida gulf water is perfect.

Tilefish at Mitchells Fish Market

2011-05-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

Had a swell dinner at Mitchell's Fish Market in Grand Boulevard. Our friend and guest, who had dined there before, recommended the Tilefish and since it was caught in local waters, that is what I ordered. It was delightful. I don't remember having Tilefish before and as a Florida native, I've been missing out. Bruce had a dish that included salmon and scallops and our other dining companion had a salmon sticky rice dish that he asked to be prepared a little differently from the menu which they did to his satisfaction. Everyone was happy with their meal. Mitchell's is a chain but the service was cheerful and attentive, the ambiance pleasant, the food and value good and Grand Boulevard, is a nice place to go, not too far off the "a".

Goatfeathers in Blue Mtn Beach

2011-04-26T13:41:00.001-05:00

Had a lunch date at Goatfeathers today. I enjoyed the fish po boy and the spinach salad they had on their lunch special. My lunch partner had red beans and rice with sausage. We were very pleased. Service was good, food was good, price was good (under $8.00 wow). This is a restaurant and fish market that has been on 30a for many years while fancier eateries have come and gone. It is funky and non-pretentious, the fish is, well, fresh and the owners are local. All good things to me.

I love the shoulder seasons on 30a. Not that I am unhappy with visitors, far from it. Visitors are our life blood. They make it possible for me to make a living here so I can live here full-time so I like them a lot. But each season has it's good points and the restaurants are easier to get into between now and summer season and the weather is really, really fine.

A real spring

2011-04-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Some years it's like we just skip spring going straight from our beautiful north Florida version of winter into the summer days our tourists crave.

But this year, what a spring we are having here at the beach! I don't think anyone could find fault in any part of it. This year's April is a glorious opposite experience from last year's and I couldn't be more grateful.

The rabbits are very happy with the crop of strawberries I'm growing for them,

the primrose is picture perfect,
the peaches plentiful and

I might even have enough mustard greens for our Easter feast this year.

Nice.

This is the day...

2011-04-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday, lower than whale doo, I had nothing except the occasional chorus of my favorite slow, bluesy gospel song playing in my head. It goes like this “You gotta move, you got to move. You gotta move, you got to move, you gotta move, you got to move. When the Lord, calls out your name, you gotta to move, you got to move”. I had always thought the song had a pretty cheerful message until Donnie, our church choir director told me it was more a funeral song. It doesn’t mean the Lord wants you to get up off your bottom and do something productive, it means, when your time is up, just go on and go back where you started from and that will probably be a pretty good gig when the time comes. Guess it’s how you look at things. Today, perhaps inspired by the chickadees chirping right outside my window, I find myself loudly singing a happy, cheerful bible school song that goes like this: “This is the day, this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made that the Lord had made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad he did and be glad he did. This is the day that the Lord had made, I will rejoice and be glad he did. This is the day, this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made”. Bruce got me started on it and now I can't stop.

I blame all my mood swings on pollen and sometimes, but not as often, there is always Bruce I can point to.

I don’t always think in gospel music but there is often a musical theme to my day. Sometimes it’s Copeland or CS&N or Eva Cassidy or Led Zepplin or THE BEATLES. I don't seem to have much to do with the selection. Anyhow, I wish the world music that matches the weather here today at the beaches of SoWal. The birds and I are sure rejoicing in it.

Mint and Mulberries

2011-04-15T08:37:00.001-05:00

I have to admit I don't have much luck with farming. So I planted mint and of course anyone can grow it with no effort at all. Here is a good recipe for mint tea, compliments of Renee, Twin Oaks Farm. Find Renee at the farmers market every Saturday.
How to make Mint Tea with fresh mint ...
1 cup of water
10 mint leaves
2 tsp of sugar
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, let it simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime fill a pitcher with water and ice
Add the content of the saucepan, mix ....
Nice cold refreshing mint tea ....

Also, the Mulberry tree in my neighbor Vera's yard is in full fruit. You could literally live under her tree, it's canopy is so wide. She has a green thumb and of course I am envious. Here is a link for Mulberry Crumble that looks worth a try.

Fishing on the Beaches of South Walton

2011-04-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

If it's April on 30A then the Cobia are running near the shoreline and the fisherman are out in force. It's fun to watch. Kind of beautiful. I took this shot of the boat from the shore of Blue Mountain Beach.

I was at the beach early, chatting it up with my buddy Dave who is a master shore fisherman. I've written about him before. He makes and sells the sculpin jigs he uses to catch Pompano and we are the happy recipients of fresh fish for dinner when he is here for the winter and spring.

He wades out to the sand bar and casts his line. The water is too cold for me but he doesn't seem to mind at all. If you are ever on Blue Mountain Beach and see him out there, say hello. You'll be glad you did.

Looks can be deceiving

2011-03-24T16:14:00.001-05:00

This is just amazing to me...a "basking shark" that's just, well, basking. It's good that I was not in the kayak...

Horse back riding in Santa Rosa Beach

2011-03-23T12:42:00.001-05:00

Gulfside Trail Rides, Stables and Camping is now offering trail rides, boarding, lessons and birthday parties on 393 in Santa Rosa Beach. The stable is under new management and it looks just great.

In May they plan on offering camping too. How fun is that? Camp with your horse, do some trail riding, go watch sun down at the beach and then have dinner at Smiling Fish.

Sounds like a good day to me.

Spring along 30A

2011-03-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

Every morning on our walk through our beloved little section of Point Washington State Forest we watch for and enjoy the subtle changes it has to offer. The massive pine trees were felled long ago for homes and ships masts so our forest is not epic in size at a human level. Still it is cherished and provides us lots of entertainment as well as a good place to walk.

Last week we had the seasonal treat of watching spring arrive. It starts here with some low thick leaved greenery tucked way, way under the winter branches and spent turkey oak leaves. Then the rosemary begin to show their blossoms, then my favorites, the blue lupine begin to show that they have something special to offer if you just wait a few more days.

The big treat was the morning that the mist was heavy enough to dampen your clothes; the definition of 100% humidity. That morning, the dew illuminated hundreds of spectacular spider webs, hammocks of webs really...double deckers and hammocks and webs that looked like upside down hot air balloons. It was just magical. I always picture forest fairies in the spring, preparing to paint everything in bright colors. These spider webs looked like little camping sites, perfect sleeping areas for the fairies distributed all over the forest for their use as they work coloring everything.

The next plants to pop with color will be the ferns. They have gone through a transformation that included deep burgundy and now they are ready to lay down their lives for the new kids coming up...the ones the faeries paint when we are sleeping.

McTighue's Pub

2011-03-06T19:48:00.000-06:00

Living on 30A you have everything if you look around. Even a really good tavern. We live down the street from Johnny McTighue's Irish Pub in Santa Rosa Beach and I'm happy about that. It doesn't look like much but when you just want a Philly Steak or a Reuben or a Greek Salad or a goooood pizza, this is the place to go. And as an added benefit, every once in awhile, when the music on the juke box is right, the whole tavern sings together...a "one with the universe" moment. Tonight it was John Prine that got it started, then Van Morrison, then Joe Cocker singing Randy Newman and we just didn't want to leave. Life is good on 30a.

30A Songwriters Festival

2011-01-28T11:07:00.001-06:00

It's been a couple of weeks since the festival so before I get all excited about the next 30A event, I want to go on record saying the Songwriters Festival was outstanding from my perspective. I worked at Bud and Alleys Friday night and enjoyed the whole line-up. Starting with Brian Davis, Ben Glover, Joe Leathers and Pete Sallis who I wasn't familiar with and ending with a set from legends Gary Nicholson and Lari White, I would say I spent a really great evening of music. I particularly enjoyed hearing Angel Snow.

Didn't get to see anyone on Saturday but Sunday was just terrific starting with Callaghan opening for Shawn Mullins at the Lyceum. Mark your calendars for next year.

Something that never gets old...

2011-01-14T15:09:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at the beach.

It might be winter but the cold sure doesn't hurt the view. I like the beach best in the winter.

It's starting to warm up a little for the weekend. Perfect timing!

I'll be checking armbands while hearing some great music this weekend at the 30A Song Writers Festival. Jennifer, as usual, is doing a great job of putting this all together. Bravo to everyone involved. We are so lucky to have such big talent here in our little community.

Gravel Road

2010-12-23T10:55:00.003-06:00

I love Gravel Road in Seagrove. I love them because the restaurant design is comfortable, the price is reasonable and the food is really good. I've eaten their for lunch and had chicken pot pie, wonderful, for dinner and had the meatloaf, yummy and for breakfast and had Eggs Benedict, good. While happy with all the meals, I would repeat each selection except for the Eggs Benedict but only because my breakfast companion had an omelet with cheese grits and that is what I will try the next time. I wish they hadn't moved because selfishly I liked the Grayton Beach location better but they are worth going the few miles extra.

Ft Walton Beach to Niagra Falls

2010-12-20T12:35:00.004-06:00

Vision Airlines has opened a new flight from Niagara Falls NY to Ft Walton Beach, FL continuing to Miami Florida. Wow is that great for us. We hopped right on their inaugural flight to Niagara Falls to see family in Canada. The Niagara Falls airport is 30 miles from our people across the border in Beamsville so this is going to be a wonderful resource. And since we also love Miami, we are most grateful to be part of this flight path. The flight to Niagara Falls was fun. It was full of press and marketers so everyone was in high spirits. Once we got to NY, it was an easy ride to the Canadian/American border and we got through by car with just a little delay. Bruce's daughter has the loveliest tea parlour in Ontario so we went there for lunch. Willow Creek Cafe is as pretty as you please and serves wonderful food. The delight is in the details and Liz delightful. We didn't stay in Niagara Falls but heard from folks on the plane with us that they enjoyed museums, learned about Frank Lloyd Wright, and visited the site where the 1950's Marilyn Monroe / Joseph Cotton film Niagara was shot. The original film cast stayed on the Canadian side of the falls which are really stunning but next time I'll give the American side a look since that was the film setting. Anyhow, we are thrilled to have this direct flight available and look forward to more weekend visits north.

November in South Walton

2010-11-07T07:07:00.011-06:00

This weekend has been great. After picking up a birthday gift from the airport, we did a little shopping and then just enjoyed the beautiful weather; bright blue sky and cool dry temps. Later, after a glass of wine and an appetizer at the Wine World in Watercolor, we walked past the butterfly garden, to attend the Telluride Mountain Film Festival. Yep, a Mountain Film Festival on the beaches of 30A. They have been sharing their films with us for many years and the film festival was great fun. Sitting out on the grassy lawn, blankets over our legs with jackets wrapped tight, the chilly evening was beautiful. Starry skies sparkled over the pine trees that were up lit in festive colors, the pine trees framing the outdoor screen prettily. Starting with the movie "Bag It" we were persuaded to take even a closer look at what we could do to reduce our carbon footprint. They were preaching to the choir with us in the audience but you can always do more to be a better person, the movie gave us additional reasons about the wisdom of trying. The second half of the evening showcased extreme sports. After seeing a boy with one leg climb Mt Kilimanjaro with crutches, you could not possibly complain anymore about anything, at least for 15 minutes or so. And the film on the rock climber who used a parachute as a safety net made me a little queasy.

Saturday morning it was off to the Farmers Market for some veggies and honey. We also tasted pear chutney and I got some more seeds. Why not, I'm not completely frustrated by gardening yet. The selection is getting better and better at our Farmers Market. Small in quantity, they are loyal and local, you gotta love them for getting out there every Saturday.

The afternoon was spent at Tops'l State Park learning a little more about Dune Lakes and the endangered little mouse that helps keep the dunes in place. Sunday morning started with a walk in the State Forest, followed by lunch at the Red Bar (Duke made an appearance with Dred Clampett), and we ended the weekend watching the Sunset go down over the Gulf of Mexico. Not bad.

Not bad at all.

"Every day spent above ground is a day to celebrate". Unknown

October at the Beach

2010-10-06T19:10:00.005-05:00

I would rather be in South Walton in October than anywhere on the planet. The weather is perfect. The color of the sky competes with the color of the water like it's a beauty pageant. The air temp is cool. No need for closed windows and air conditioning. Can I hear a hallelujah! It's a very liberating time of year somehow. The bugs are scarce, the birds seem happier, the fall flowers are beautiful, the butterflies are plentiful. After this awful summer, we all really deserve this. I could not work at all this afternoon. I had fall fever bad so I just gave in to it and went off to the beach. Great move. The beach was beautiful and my little shorebirds were there to entertain and I was pretty happy with that. But then I caught a splashing out of the corner of my eye. And there they were. A large pod of dolphins, maybe 20, going west along the shoreline. They were pretty far out, my camera couldn't catch it but they certainly put on a show. They were fishing I guess but some of them couldn't work either today because there were a some spectacular jumps going on, even some group jumps interrupting the steady up to the surface and down again rhythm of the group. It was a special treat; something I wish everyone could have the pleasure to see.

Writers Conference in Rosemary Beach

2010-09-26T15:44:00.007-05:00

My second fall writers conference at "escape to create" was as good as the one I attended last year. It was like a really groovy vacation. The artists were wonderful and I'll get to that but the vibe is set by the organizers so I'll start with them. I am happy to have had personal encounters with two of the organizers and the lucky chance to observe a 3rd in action. First Malayne. Gracious, calm and the very best example of genuine southern hospitality that I have ever run into. She manages a gathering of impractical souls, capturing them with her magical Louisiana charm and then keeps them organized for 3.5 days without them even knowing it. (I have written about her before. She won me over years ago by cracking craw fish for me at a craw fish boil.) Then there is Marsha. She, one of the original organizers of this event, is brilliant for that fact alone but she is also artistic, articulate, and delicately beautiful, all things I covet. I didn't get a chance to speak with her but I loved her introductions of the writers and I benefited from her quiet fussing everyday. And finally Jane. I sat down at her table the first day, not knowing she was part of the event and a distinguished member of the board. I found in her a bright companion who amused me right away and inspired me daily. How lucky I am.

The writers were inspiring and wonderful delivering hard earned knowledge easily and with a clear, unselfish interest in helping the audience through practical issues like agents and publishing as well as the art and craft of writing. It was a treat to be surrounded by such talent, the published, the read, the awarded. There was a pleasant mix of audience participation with writing exercises thrown into the agenda too. Just the right amount of time to allow words to pour out quickly and with meaning like they finally found an unlocked door after a long unorganized search. I enjoyed listening to each audience participant who shared what they managed to write after just a few minutes time from a prompt, a picture, or a theme. It was kind of remarkable.

I'll describe the writers in the order of their appearance. Frank Giampietro started the first day with poetry. Poetry and laughter and fun. His descriptions about where poems come from was delightful; his poetry interesting, fun and full of surprise. He was also a wealth of knowledge about what is in and what is not. Melanie played her guitar for us and sang her stories. She is a natural caretaker, her work with words of critical importance heard by only a lucky few. Frank Giampietro and David Magee finished the day, each with a reading of their work. Just like last year, I left the conference each day a little heady, anxious to return. John Dufresne writes wonderful books for people but his ability to inspire others to write is his gift to them. His opening writing exercises were custom made for me, I'm sure of it. He takes the scary out of writing by revealing secrets that aren't secrets at all. Secrets that make the idea of writing a novel within the realm of possible. I love him for that. I'm also a little annoyed with him for showing me there is no excuse not to write. Brad Wilson came to the podium with a soft spoken voice and seemed a little bit hesitant with this eager crowd but as he got to know us he came to life. With Daphne Kalotay, he talked with enthusiasm about practical issues of writing for journals and magazines. That evening he read to us and we saw him at his best, telling a story. Daphne Kalotay also described practical issues, the nuts and bolts of research. Her book Russian Winter is her example of the care and importance of research. After hearing a passage from it, read by the author herself, I look forward to more. David Magee gave us the good news and the bad as he talked about what he sees as the "truth of publishing". I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Rosemary Beach was an ideal place to hold the event. Their town hall is a wonderful spot to gather a group of that size. The white room with it's tall ceiling and natural light was bright and open. I liked hearing the clock bell outside and I liked that you were within walking distance to good places to eat for lunch and a decent martini and delicious appetizer to end the day.

The writers conference is a treat, an inspiration and a great way to spend a few days with other people who, whether they want to or not, find themselves grappling with words on a regular basis. Make time for it next year.

Flashback

2010-09-25T19:10:00.003-05:00

Last week we went to see Neil Young play at the Marina Civic Center in Panama City Beach. He is on his Gulf coast tour visiting Mobile next, then Pensacola. I hope he gets to enjoy his time here. On our drive to Panama City we enjoyed a wonderful sunset in the rear view mirror. A fall sunset on the Gulf of Mexico is hard to beat; shimmering yellows and pinks that are sometimes almost gaudy. I wondered if he might have seen it too.
So we get to the civic center and settle in to our seats. The venue is relatively small but we hadn't gotten our tickets as soon as they went on sale and so we were tucked into a back corner, under the balcony section. I felt a tiny bit claustrophobic and because of the incessant risk assessment that goes on in my head at all times, I found myself picturing the necessary jump over the side wall of the entry ramp if a fire broke out. Anyhow, we could see the stage fine and it looked great. A simple set design. I appreciate an nice simple set design with interesting lighting that enhances the music instead of fighting it.
The crowd was very attentive as the wonderful Allen Toussaint played piano, entertaining everyone with colorful stories and music and words that defined his era as definitively as Neil Young's defined his. After Mr. Toussaint's performance, as the show crew set-up for Neil Young, the lights came up and I looked around at the folks sitting in our row and around us. There was a generational sampling but the crowd was clearly and naturally weighted toward the "older folks", and in some cases downright "elderly". Yikes. As a matter of fact, I could have sworn that my long dead Uncle Joe was sitting next to me on my right. It was an odd feeling. I kept looking at him. He seemed to old to be at a rock concert. I chuckled realizing that he could have as easily been looking at me like I was his old Aunt Agnes. It's very funny that the way my face looks doesn't match how I young I feel. Well maybe funny isn't the right word.
There was the usual girl who swayed in the aisle and the obligatory couple of guys who yelled out songs that Neil should sing, Alabama being one of them. You just wonder, do they really think he is going to sing a particular song just cause some joker is bellowing at him? Has it ever worked? They were behaving as if they hadn't aged since the 1970's. I guess they still feel young too.
The concert was good and the audience grateful he came to our often forgotten part of Florida. I never have liked the raw guitar sounds that Young goes off into now and then but I enjoyed hearing some of his new music especially "You Never Call". The best part of the evening to me was his encore with "Old Man". The whole audience, me too, sang with him. It was very sweet. This old lady's will always love that song.

You can come out now...

2010-09-09T11:24:00.007-05:00

Most every one's gone but the locals, leaving the 30A beaches just the way we like them, kind of empty. Okay, don't get me wrong...we like our visitors...we love them. Without them we couldn't live here year round but during the "shoulder" seasons, the weather is great, the water is nicest and the lines to get into restaurants are pretty much non-existent. Another bonus is we townies can get back in touch with the shorebirds and pelicans and gulls we share the beach with. All the wildlife is more approachable this time of year. Another sure sign of fall are the random rough and tumble sandcastles made with whatever is handy, without the aid of Walmart plastic molds. They are a bit more primitive but have a good vibe to them standing like little forts built for the crabs to trample over until the tide takes them down to a sandy, sticky rubble. And of course the street traffic is nice and light. A nice beachy pace like it should be. Funny how when people come visit the beach it takes them time to slow down and relax.

The clean-up crews are still here and there but they are not the focus of attention anymore and their numbers are minimal. You don't see any damage but these days, without the vacationers, it seems to me like the rythum of the waves coming in and going out are an exercise of washing themselves. That will change. We have time. It will be nice to take some time to really be with the beach again. I didn't go in this morning because I didn't have my swimsuit on but everything looks just right to me now and I'll have a dip next time. There's nothing better.

A bright spot in a Gray Day

2010-08-29T17:01:00.007-05:00

Today is dreary. We've had lots of rain so everything is soggy. We were going to ride bikes to the beach but I heard thunder and so I decided to just have a look at the beach on my way to visit my mum. The waves were kicked up. There were a few folks out there at the edge of the water, their bright swim suits were like drops of water color from a painters brush. The lifeguards looked annoyed, their faces showing that they would probably soon be packing in all the gear they just set up. I liked how it looked but I always do. The beach always looks amazing to me. Okay when we were all anticipating thick waves of oil coming on shore I was more frightened than amazed but since that hasn't happened I can go back to the shear wonder of it. Anyhow, the lack of color inspired me.

The bright spot in the day was having lunch with my mum and her "boyfriend" where she lives at the Stanley House. The Stanley House is an assisted living facility in DeFuniak Springs, FL. It is cozy and warm and filled with caretakers who seem to really care about the folks they look after and cheerfully attend to. Most of the folks who live there are pretty sweet but I can say that on occasion I have witnessed some exceptions to the "sweet" description so that cheerful attendance, I am sure, isn't always easy. But today I think I got a taste of why the caretakers are so patient and tolerant. Everyone in the lunch room seemed happy and pretty care free; the food is good there and it's served hot and on time so what's not to like at lunch time. Sitting with us at the table was another of my mums lunch table mates along with his son. Off and on we shared weather stories. Some small random slices of WWII stories splashed into the conversation here and there. At one point, my mum's boyfriend, relating to how people can get through difficult times, told of an experience he had in the Navy on a destroyer. He talked about being in heavy seas during a bad storm and how as the ship plowed up over the huge waves and crashed down the other side, bolts of the ship would rip and fly off in the strain. He related how the damage from one storm being much worse than anything they encountered in battle and how helpless they felt as they were assaulted by Mother Nature's fury. During the quiet points of his story I could see that he was as good as on that ship reliving moments of the extraordinary hours he spent enduring the storm. His poignant story easily trumped any of the stories the rest of us landlubbers told yet it was offered matter of factly to our group with an ironic humility. His description of the fear they all felt was palpable and he delivered the story with some physical difficulty. Having a father who was a WWII army war veteran who saw hard combat and let loose a scary story now and then himself, I have always had the greatest respect for our nation's brave warriors and aware of the heavy toll of their service. Today I was struck again and deeply by this encounter with an American treasure.

"Hello in there, hello." (John Prine)

NO rocks

2010-08-11T06:04:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you just have to go to New Orleans.
What a great city. We just went for an overnight stay and couldn't have had more fun.

Another party heard from...

2010-08-03T18:56:00.007-05:00

I love having an epiphany. I had one today realizing my political bent. I am a party pooper. "The truth will set you free." I don't like attaching myself to a political party because they all seem crazy but I felt like I needed a title if not an affiliation...so I am not a democrat or republican, independent or tea party member, I am a party pooper.

Summer Projects

2010-08-01T19:09:00.006-05:00

I never thought I would be capable of saying this but here goes, I don't care to much about my plants this year. I no longer go out to stare at a leaf, wonder at the progress of a spider, worry about disturbing a toad. Nope. I hardly even go out in the yard. I only water everything because I am afraid God will come out of the heavens and arrest me for murder if I don't. Maybe my lack of interest stems (pardon the pun) from the fact that very few flowers bloomed for me this year; maybe it's the extreme heat; maybe it was my preoccupation with the beach because of the oil disaster. I don't know. This year, I am interested in getting to know the neighborhood personalities. The 30A corridor is populated by a relatively few residents. We have lots of visitors but it looks like a ghost town here right after a hurricane when the only ones who want to be here actually live here full-time. Anyhow, since I'm not working at an office anymore, I have more time to get to know my neighbors. It's a good group. I don't know everyone of course but I see the same people over and over around town. I say hi to more people here everyday than anywhere I've ever lived before. It's a group worth teasing a little. We seem to have a lot of benefits per ca pita. We have a non-profit groups galore (I support a several myself). Some are environmental groups, some are beautifying the area in some way, many help the under served, all are worthwhile. Still, I wonder with all the energy we put into our charitable organizations and social causes, how anyone has time to support themselves. Right now, I'm very involved in Community Walton which strives, as a part of it's mission, to make sure goods and services actually get to those who need them. This year, via a calendar contest, event and auction, we are working to get Call 2-1-1 for Walton County. It's a United Way effort to connect the help where it's needed with one phone call. And in the process, maybe we will connect all our causes and efforts so that we achieve our ultimate goals. I hope/wish we could all work to do that somehow for the country. Watching our national politics is like watching a boxing match without the benefit of an ending round. But that's another and I know it's complicated so right now, here's to looking toward and for good, starting locally.

Sunset and BBQ

2010-07-29T19:56:00.002-05:00

Went to Ed Walline park to watch the sunset. Not bad but accustomed as I am to ravishing beach sunsets I didn't find this one spectacular because the clouds were covering the action. The clouds were outlined in a beautiful gold frame though...to me much more pleasing than the raging pink that sometimes happens. The smells were very summery because there were people cooking out at the pavilion; a man was playing the flute on the boardwalk; the sand was white and warm.

Off the Beach Fun

2010-07-23T17:32:00.004-05:00

I love what Rosemary Beach did Thursday to cool everyone off. They put down a slip and slide so the fire department could come in and turn on the hose. Wow did that look refreshing; custom made for the supple, colorful and a perfect way to cool off in the July heat. I love the colors of a 30A summer. Bikes and beaches and umbrellas and blue sky and flags.

The doors in Rosemary Beach are something to see. This one is my favorite. I was in the house while it was being built. It's full of unusual architectural elements. Delightful and surprising.

Rosemallows and the beach

2010-07-18T12:33:00.007-05:00

Draper Lake was stunning early this morning. The hibiscus, (or rosemallow), was happily reaching up to the sky, brightening the dark green lake edge. The view stopped me in my tracks as I rode my bike across the covered bridge along 30A.

The beach was beautiful too, the outflow from the lake making a really dramatic visual. I'd like to find out for sure where the sanderlings are. Some say they left because of the spill, some say they are nesting.

There are always two stories. It has been my experience that the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. I'll see what I can find out.

Yesterday, as I went north on 331 to DeFuniak for a visit with my mum, I noticed a steady stream of cars going south to the beaches, but not as many as some years. We all pray that the new, so far effective cap stops, contains or funnels the oil in a way that keeps it out of the gulf and off our beautiful shoreline.

So far, as far as what can be seen with the naked eye, our economy is what has been hit the hardest. Our psyche suffers though with these many days of uncertainty. A lot of us are staying out of the water and there are a lot of unknowns, but it is certain we aren't experiencing the environmental devastation they are facing in Louisiana. How the environment fares in the long run has yet to be seen, but none of the locals I know plans to leave. We might be angry and frustrated, acting out our anger and frustration in varied and often completely different ways but for the most part, people are intent on sticking it out and figuring out how to heal the damage.

And thank God Mother Nature has her own ways of fixing things.

Monday Morning at the Beach

2010-07-12T09:27:00.005-05:00

Now that I write less about my crazy attempts at gardening, and more about the beach, some people have actually started reading this blog. Imagine that. So I'll start the week with photos of the beach, taken this morning at around 8 am and some simple, unscientific observations: There is a yellow flag up. The surf is still a little churned up, the trademark turquoise color evident only near the second sandbar. The water, as it hits the shore is clear (at 8am I saw no tar balls). Ironically, as you leave the beach you will see a warning sign posted that this "beach has been affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill" (no kidding, really?). But to answer what folks most want to know, yes, people are still coming to the 30a beaches (I go early so you don't see many in this picture but the rental chairs indicate at least some folks are expected and later in the day the beach access parking I drive by are full). I admit I saw no surfers, yolo boards or kayaks in the water this Monday morning but the "pretty yachts all in a row" were out in the water again. There were 2 BP clean-up people walking along the shore and one guy in an ATV (he may have been the "safety observer" as there actually is such a position) and a handful of tourists. For more information on the water tests the surfing community is spearheading check out http://www.waltonoutdoors.com/ because Lori is really good at covering anything to do about, well, what goes on outdoors in Walton County. My observation in it's simplest form is this: The beaches look good, there are plenty of businesses and activities in place to keep visitors happy. I'm really pretty certain that anyone coming for a vacation here will have a good time albeit a little different than past years because the 30A experience is more than just the beach.

I'll keep posting my observations on the beach but I plan to also continue to blog about other attributes along our piece of paradise. And maybe something, if there ever is anything, about my experiences with plants and critters in my yard, a place which I have decided can no longer be identified as a "garden".

Nothing Personal

2010-07-11T09:36:00.008-05:00

Went to the beach Saturday morning. We always go early to beat the rush. The temps a little nicer in the morning too. Anyhow, there were two things on the beach that I wish weren't there. One was the clean-up crew...nothing personal...I just can't wait until they gone, a thing of the past. They don't seem particularly busy the locals have reported them sleeping a lot, but I know they are a necessary evil right now. The second "thing", and within everyone's control, are tents and beach gear left out all night. It's against beach code and just bad beach etiquette. Taking everything home at the end of the day may be a bit of hassle but it's the right thing to do and something the beach patrol shouldn't have to worry about right now.

The first thing everyone does now upon arrival, even before setting up their beach accoutrement's, is to go down to the waters edge to check for oil. I can tell you, you won't often see it. The prevailing winds are helping us and what does come gets picked up quickly by the before mentioned clean-up crews. There are sporatic sightings and tests show evidence of oil even when you don't see it. However, don't confuse a reddish or brown tint to the water as oil. Sometimes our dune lakes spill out fresh water that has a red tint. And a strong surf can stir things up, sometimes churning up the dune lake water, to make a color that I'm sure people might mistake as oily water. The tar balls we've seen and heard about from others are small, dime to quarter sized, often in patches. That is what you may see. The beaches are open so it's an individual choice whether you go in or not.

Got to see Hubba Hubba play at Shoo Mamas. Hubba Hubba always rocks.

The Theatre

2010-07-08T11:28:00.004-05:00

Having an afternoon root beer with some friends at Amavida Coffee in Seaside, I ran into Carol from the Seaside Repertory Theatre. She was dropping off some programs for the Summer Season. I love the Seaside Rep. On top of showing great theatre, it has always been a good neighbor holding community meetings, sharing programs and films that make a positive impact on our lives. The independent film series "Growing Local" is a good example of that. Passionate about eating healthy, Jennifer Kuntz of Raw & Juicy and Renee Savary of Twin Oaks Farm are presenting the series. You will run into both of these dynamic women at the Seaside Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

On my way back to the car, I noticed the amphitheatre filling up for the Wednesday Seaside concert. I was sorry not to be able to stay for the music but there were some pretty happy people waiting to take the premier parking space I was vacating, part of a line of SUV's anxiously looking for anyone else to leave the square. The weather was great yesterday so once everyone got out of their cars and down to the relaxing part, their blankets down on the green and their glasses of wine poured, it should have been a good evening for the outdoor event.

Tonight I hear some local legends will play at the new restaurant where Jam Bones used to be on hwy 98 by the post office. Will report on that as I plan to check it out.

Beach Clean-up

2010-07-05T12:35:00.004-05:00

Every year SWCC hosts a beach clean-up the day after Independence Day. The beaches are always littered with used fireworks and it's usually pretty messy. I have attended them in the past. This year I was an organizer assigned to Miramar Beach. The first thing I saw when I arrived at 7:45am was the the beach was pretty well covered with DH clean-up crew. Some in vehicles, some under tent shelters, some on foot. The ones on foot were cleaning the beaches, picking up trash and bagging it. I asked the supervisor if they were getting the firework debris and he assured me they were. They were told to clean the beach and they were doing just that. He did not report that there was much in the way of oil. I stayed at my station for awhile so if anyone came to help with the SWCC effort I could explain they really didn't need to help these guys. It was interesting to watch all the activity anyway. I could probably observe about a mile from where I was and guess that within a half mile area on the beach I saw approximately 60 contracted clean-up people and 9 or 10 vehicles (2 were trucks driving around with port-a-pottys), and a hand full of tourists. I met one person from Fish and Wildlife management who politely gave me a phone number card and asked that I call if I saw any dead animals. He told me about birds out in the gulf that are breeding and particularly vulnerable to the spill and that we should expect to find them washed up on shore occasionally. I met the head of one of the condo HOA's, also involved with an organized clean-up effort, that told me the beach has never been cleaner...not even any cigarette butts could be found right now. I also met a man who lives here part of the year who was visibly shaken as he asked about what I knew about the oil spill. All I could tell him was that the beaches were being cleaned and that is really all I know for sure. It's just surreal here right now. You are normal because life goes on, the sun is shining, the tide keeps coming in and going out and you have your routine but yet nothing is normal at all.

Blue Mountain Beach 4th of July

2010-07-04T19:45:00.006-05:00

It rained a lot today but this morning it was just beautiful. No oil at the beach that I could see but I didn't go into the water. It was rough..the red flag was up. A red flag to me means you don't go in. I don't even like yellow flag days.
The outflow from Draper Lake must have broken through the berm or maybe the county opened it up but there was a good flow of fresh, albeit red tinted water, escaping into the gulf. Some people get worried about it but it's perfectly fine water. Good, safe water to play in. I saw one oil clean-up guy weaving in and out of the beach goers looking for oil. He didn't have much of anything in his net so I think the currents are taking it elsewhere. I hope the dolphins and turtles stay over here with us. Tonight there is a concert at Seaside. Dread Clampitt and Sam Bush. It should be a good prelude to the fireworks.

Pretty Boats All In A Row

2010-06-30T13:02:00.005-05:00

Wanted to post the photo of the yachts out on the water this weekend. Kind of hard to see here but as previously noted, aesthetically it was kind of beautiful.

This weekend there is a sailboat race in Grayton Beach. 30A on the fourth of July is always fun. Parades are found in Seaside and in Grayton as well.

Looking for oil

2010-06-27T10:03:00.005-05:00

Sunday when we got to the beach there was a line of yachts out in the gulf, an armada purposely spaced apart, slowly going east. Rather than fishing, I'm sure their mission involved looking for oil. It was kind of a beautiful visual. It's weird that all these "after deepwater horizon" beach scenes have a richness to me, more dimension, saturated color and texture. Anyhow, once the yachts passed we went down to the shoreline and again, found it clear.

The water today as beautiful as it was yesterday at Seaside where we joined about 1000 people for "Hands Across the Sand".

Everything is at odds right now. The water looks so good yet there is still the so much unknown. Another sign of what had been a recovering economy, a house closed in Seaside last week for over $7 million dollars but for the most part, business "adh" has, of course, been negatively affected. Talking with friends around town, we share hope and concern, relating what this "expert" or that has predicted good and bad. These conversations often take place with the beautiful Gulf of Mexico sparkling in the background like it is just another day in paradise.

Tempers flair sometimes because there is so out of our control but the locals are working together, at once resolved and resigned to getting through this. Understanding that as a community we have to take care of ourselves, the sheriff has agreed to a weekly town hall meeting. He is very visible and open to suggestions. That is so important right now. The county commissioners are also listening. The often loud, frustrated demands from local community hero's and watchdog organizations for more information are being heard although the process seems incredibly slow.

As we left the beach we saw a team of Community Responders; a big group of people with green shirts, chatting in the shade, clearly waiting for instructions. We overheard the foreman telling them they would be combing the beach, evenly spaced, looking for any signs of oil. Just like the yachts. Just like all of us.

Saw one

2010-06-24T21:28:00.002-05:00

This afternoon we went to the beach for sundown. There lighting was perfect. The sun shining on the water, the sand reflecting the colors of sundown, people were beautifully halo'ed. There were two teenagers lying on the sandbar, waves washing over their perfect selves. There were 3 kites sharing the sky with the moon in the east. There were 2 grandma's enjoying their children, several mothers watching them with love. Dads playing in the surf with children. So dimensional and full of grace. I didn't have my camera but I'll never forget the imagery.
I also saw a tarball. Oddly, I was resigned to it, almost at peace. I can see what we may go through but I can also see that we will get through it.

July 5th - Good Clean Fun

2010-06-23T13:15:00.003-05:00

Every year, the day after Independence day, the South Walton Community Council organizes a Beach Clean Up. I'm guessing, this year the need will be greater than others.

Meet at the beach at one of the Regional Beach Accesses at 8:00 AM Monday, July 5^th:

Miramar

Dune Allen

Blue Mountain Beach

Ed Walline Park

Grayton Beach

Butler, Between Seaside and Water Color

Santa Clara in Seagrove Beach

Inlet Beach

Trash bags, gloves and bottled water will be provided

Contact SWCC at 850 314 3749 or visit www.Southwaltoncc.org

See you there...

Water on the beach

2010-06-22T12:59:00.002-05:00

Even though the Blue Mountain Beach water is beautiful, the sand bright white, the sky summer blue, with the oil spill comes great anxiety. You can't help but examine the water for tar balls. You watch the small creatures like the sand fleas and the coquina for any stress. You watch the birds carefully, studying them for unusual behavior. We have not seen any tar balls yet on our beach but we expect them. We hope and pray it won't be too bad, we look forward to when the well is capped, the gulf skimmed, the animals saved. You tuck away your anger and frustration; you live with your sadness.

A bright spot is our visitors who continue to come despite all the news. One woman told me cheerfully that "there were so many things to do here she had no intention to cancel no matter what." We so appreciate that. Thank you for being here.

Bruce and/or I will continue to go to the beach every day. We will join our neighbors for hands across the sand on Saturday, the one way I know to speak out against drilling anywhere near our beach. As an unabashed proponent of developing alternative energy sources and living simply, I'm tired of our dependency on oil. The cost is too high no matter how you look at it. We are better than this.

NW Florida Beaches

2010-06-11T14:55:00.004-05:00

The beaches continue to be clear at Blue Mountain Beach in South Walton. Well, we have some seaweed but it's the time of the year for that. The dark areas on the beach and in the water are the seaweed and small dark spots in the water are people having fun.

We had a community meeting last night about the gulf mess. I'm proud of what the county is doing to be prepared. They have blocked the dune lakes, prepared and stashed all different types of material that we hope will be helpful if the spill comes this way. This is uncharted territory but the weather conditions continue to be on our side.

We go see Digital Graffiti tomorrow in Alys Beach. That will be a unique experience to enjoy. Artwork projected on the white walls of the buildings. Very exciting.

I'll continue to provide photos here to document what's going on at least bi-weekly.

The Beaches of 30A

2010-06-09T15:05:00.004-05:00

I feel like it is my duty to go to the beach everyday to take it's temperature. Bruce took a swim, or in his case a float this morning. So far so good. This is what the Emerald Coast looked like yesterday. The water looked good. The winds are favoring us.

We had family in town over the weekend for my daughters graduation (she graduated with honors btw). There were quite a few of them so they rented a house on Oyster Lake right across the street from the beach access at Dune Allen. They were pleased we live at the beach so they could mix the event into a beach vacation! They had a wonderful time. The weather and the water was gooooood.

Memorial Weekend - Friday at the Beach

2010-05-28T21:27:00.006-05:00

Bocce, beer, babes, baby's, tidal pools, crystal clear water, umbrellas, bright colors, white sand.

Dolphins, boats and cool clear water

2010-05-22T11:50:00.007-05:00

Bruce and I went to the beach this morning. He jumped in the water bobbing around the surf immediately. The conditions were excellent and I detected no imminent danger but perhaps because I am a mother, I tend to be a perpetual risk assessor. So before I relaxed I wanted to walk down to Draper Lake to make sure the reddish water along the shoreline was from the outflow of the dune lake (it was). We had walked to the east side of the lake outflow and on that side the water was it's normal stunning turquoise self. Seeing a yacht coming towards us I thought to try and get a photo of the yacht and a little shore bird that seemed to be waiting for it too. I shot a few stills and then started shooting a video of it passing and Bruce yells "look at the dolphin." I jump, startled at his alarm and happily watched as a number of dolphins jumped joyously up high out of the water as they played in the wake of the boat. It looked like they were having a party that was part aerobics and part religious exaltation. It's not unsual to see dolphin in the surf but it never ceases to amaze me when they jump up high in play. It made my day and even though I couldn't visually capture the moment I wanted to journal it.

After that experience, we walked back to our spot west of the outflow and enjoyed a swim where the reddish water from Draper mixed into the clear gulf water in a sort of pool between the sandbar. Very refreshing. We are planning to go back for the sunset.

Flags at the Beach

2010-05-17T16:34:00.004-05:00

So I stop by the beach today after meeting a friend for lunch just to get a good visual fix of the Gulf of Mexico. I spot a no swimming flag and my heart skips a beat. I scan the water, I see a few swimmers further down the shore, I see the life guards are calm, not scrambling out to save them, so I calm myself down.

Checking with the lifeguard I find out that the no-swimming flag is a safety flag marking a possible rip current area. Just that area, maybe 15 ft wide. Cool. How proactive of them. I guess I've never seen a no-swimming flag before. This very capable lifeguard goes on to point out, in detail, the characteristics of a rip current, explaining what to watch for and even drew out a diagram. I'm aware of rip-currents but it was good to see the diagram and see the water action at the same time. So I walk away from the beach, happy that 1. I managed not to over react over the flag, actually checking the facts about it before I jumped to any conclusions, and 2. happy that Walton County seems to have good safety measures installed and very capable people looking out for us.

Here's two links for fact checking the latest beach condition info from the fire department and the a description of the beach flag system.

Beautiful Blue

2010-05-14T09:54:00.006-05:00

This is my favorite wild plant. The blue Lupine. It's just finishing it's blooming for the season. I haven't been able to get it to grow in my yard but it grows happily all along 30A. I've heard someone has figured out how to propagate it so as soon as I track them down I will post the source.

The weather is beautiful. The water looked a little rough yesterday but there is no oil here. Walton County took the hay bales away because we seem to be out of the path of the spilling. Maybe the rivers work in our favor, not sure. Whatever it is, the beaches look beautiful and people are out there enjoying them and we are grateful.

The Power of Nature

2010-05-06T20:01:00.007-05:00

It was a cold winter this year. We thought we would go a little nuts as we are used to sandals and mild weather. I worried about all the plants and wondered which ones would come back, you can only cover so many plants with sheets. Now, well into Spring, the drought tolerant, low-maintenance plants are coming back nicely. I can't say fast, but nicely. This delicate "showy primrose" I planted in 2008 is much better this year than last. The different tickseeds are doing well, the Black-eyed Susan and Purple Cone flower should give up some blooms pretty soon. The Stokes Aster are about to explode any minute.

The elephant in the room is the oil spill looming off our shores. I am confident that if the spill hits us or our neighbors we will get through it through sheer willpower and hard work. There are so many good people here anticipating possible problems and getting ready to act. There are bales of hay poised on the shoreline ready to be taken out to be used as a natural sponge, volunteers groups are being trained, booms being put up proactively in front of the dune lakes. My heart aches for the innocent creatures great and small out there, out of sight and out of reach. Their fate, as ours, is way out of my direct control. I intend to help wherever I can and then put my faith in the power of renewal and resurrection.

Now Blooming In South Walton

2010-04-12T16:04:00.008-05:00

There are so many wonderful April flowers blooming in South Walton.

On April 14th the South Walton Community Council will sponsor: "Wild Flowers of Walton County". Presented at the Seaside Reperatory Theatre at 7pm by Snookie Parrish, this will be a special treat.

Bikes

2010-04-08T17:04:00.005-05:00

Bikes are everywhere on 30A. Really, everywhere. On the bike path, on the street, on the sidewalks, parked here and there. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and see my summer picture of Seaside and you'll get the drift of what I'm saying. I've had my bike for well, a very long time. I used to ride it with a pack of social riders in Orlando (I wore the padded pants for comfort because we rode for about 35 miles a ride but not the tight shirt). I know we would irritate people on the road with us. Not because we were going fast or slow but that we were their at all. But it was so nice to see Orlando's beautiful side, Winter Park in particular, on a bike. I choose to ride on the bike path here because there is one and because I go pretty slow and have little chance in running into a pedestrian. When I drive my car down 30A I get irritated at the bikers on the road...I do. Even though I once was one, but I can catch myself...what's the hurry anyhow? Give them plenty of space and remember that what they are doing is just right for 30A. I sincerely wish us all happy riding now that the season has warmed up and hope we all stay safe, relax, be mindful of each other and have fun. Me too.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

Here's To Life Renewed...

Twin Oaks Farm

2010-03-22T13:35:00.006-05:00

On Saturdays I always see Renee at the Seaside Farmers Market. Her Twin Oaks Farm fresh organic eggs, chicken and duck, are very popular. On Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending a poultry workshop at her farm near Bonifay. Thinking I might like raising a couple of chickens in the backyard, it seemed prudent to seek the wisdom of someone with practical experience on the subject and I've always admired Renee so when the opportunity presented itself I was happy to participate. Sitting on her big porch, sipping strong coffee laced with fresh milk, I listened intently with several backyard farmers and several backyard farmers to be as Renee laid out all the details of raising organic chickens including details on how to deal with weather issues, predators, housing and feed. She was thorough and may I also add, served a wonderful lunch. What I decided is that while the chickens are very pretty and would make a lovely addition to the aesthetic texture of our yard, for me it will be much smarter to buy the eggs from Renee on Sunday's. Watching three of Renee's favorite chickens busily clucking at the steps of her porch, I could see myself getting very attached to these creatures and soon I'd become obsessed with their comfort and happiness; keeping the dog away from them would become a full-time job; and I'm guessing that building a simple chicken coup for their home would become an epic, on-going life event for me. So, for the near future anyhow, I'll still be buying our eggs at the market.

Salad Garden

2010-03-10T17:15:00.003-06:00

My neighbor Dave and I, well, mostly Dave, built a salad garden to keep on the veranda earlier this month. I planted arugula (from Chandra) and some other seeds that Dave passed on to me including two kinds of chard. Week two and it's looking good; everything has survived the cold weather. I stopped putting the cover on it a few days ago.

As is my custom this time of year, every morning I scour the yard looking for any sign of new growth in the form of green plants waking up from their winter sleep. It still looks pretty grim out there but there are tiny buds on the peach tree and some somethings that I put in last year are showing their hardy selves (I'm pretty sure it's swamp daisy but wouldn't swear to it). Looks like the blueberry bushes are coming back so the birds will be all over them pretty soon (I'm sure I won't get a berry at all but that's okay). The Red Bud still suffers...if it lives in spite of my lousy location choice it will be miraculous. Strawberries were fine all winter as were the Stokes Aster. The native azalea looks pitiful but it's got buds and I expect their fireworks soon.

A SoWal Wow Weekend

2010-03-07T16:57:00.005-06:00

This was a terrific South Walton weekend. I started it with the Seaside Market on Saturday morning. The air was crisp, the sun warm, the sky brilliant blue and the market was buzzing with activity. Bought some sprouts (Chandra's Moonlight Micro Farm) to eat with home made lunches this week and some seeds to plant that I hope will provide tomato slices for lunches in the future. Bought milk from Ocheesee Creamery because their milk is good and cold and local and the photos of the dairy cows pasted on their table get me every time. You can see it in their eyes that the cows, Ocheesee "employees", are happy.

Today, with lots of birds chirping loudly and the cheering crowds of the Seaside marathon as background noise, I spent most the morning sitting on the veranda finishing an interesting novel, "Makers" by Cory Doctorow. The marathon and the birds seemed like a pleasant harbinger of Springs pending arrival. For a few hours every year, the marathon closes down 30a while runners take over the road. I have never understood running for the fun of running but the participants and their roadside fans seem to have a good time here year after year and the background noise is pleasant enough. It was funny but the birds seemed to get a little louder, almost competing for airtime, as the sounds of the race passed by.

Once the racers were gone and the book finished, finding every excuse not to go inside I stayed out as long as I could washing the cars, tending the plants, staring into space, whatever. Then I talked Bruce into taking a bike ride to the beach. Draper Lake was boldly pouring clear red tinted fresh water into the gulf and the colors were remarkable to see. Stark white sand, blue blue sky, and stripes of red, turquoise and deep blue water. People who are new to the area are often alarmed at the spectacle but it's all quite natural and good. Photos don't capture the beauty with any real accuracy. It is something to see in person. More on coastal dune lakes.

On the ride back we went to Ballyhoo's restaurant on 30A and shared a burger, fries and beer. The sandwich was really good and we are all about reasonably priced places to eat on 30a so good and reasonable will end this recollection of simple moments of a good weekend.

Cheers!

Bird Garden

2010-02-23T09:00:00.004-06:00

I've mentioned the EO Wilson Biophilia Center before. It is an amazing place, open only to "students, educators and professional audiences". Students from all over the Florida panhandle use the facility on a regular basis for environmental education. I keep my eye open for the opportunity to be a part of this effort whenever it is presented. After getting on center director Christy Scally's volunteer list I had the pleasure of helping to install the bird watching garden, digging holes for the plants that were being installed and spreading pine straw mulch to protect them. It was a delightful morning with a great group of people ending with lunch on the back porch of the facility. An excellent way to spend a beautiful Winter morning.

Christy sent word that the goldfinches, robins and chipping sparrows are already enjoying their special spot.

Northwest Florida Winter Lettuce

2010-01-27T19:19:00.004-06:00

Crazy winter. It was in the 20's at night for almost two weeks. Still, I had the urge to plant so I planted some more lettuce seeds, including arugula and chard. The lettuce I planted in December hung in there through the hard frost. The chives made it as did the Meyer Lemon bush and my one and only palm. Now it's back to more seasonal temps. Some rain, then clear and cold. We will see what happens as the winter progresses.

The beach was beautiful today. Spent a little time taking pictures at a beach house Bruce just sold in Grayton just behind the Red Bar. Not a bad way to spend the morning.

Cold, Bold, Art

2010-01-09T10:17:00.006-06:00

Went to the beach this morning to see what it looked like at 27 degrees and on the way there I saw this unusual piece of art at Justin Gaffrey's studio. He can really stop traffic... It's fun to have him as a neighbor. There is always something interesting to see out in the yard. His work is bold and full of textures.

And the beach is beautiful on this cold winter day.

A New Decade

2009-12-31T15:52:00.004-06:00

No resolutions from me, no looking back and no predictions for the future, I simply send out my best wishes to everyone for a good and prosperous 2010.

Saltbush at the Beach

2009-12-28T11:33:00.006-06:00

Before the season changes with the new year, I wanted to mention Saltbush. This is a plant I am starting to really like. It can be a woody shrub or small tree. It is found growing along the edges of salt and freshwater marshes and disturbed sites both wet and dry. It can reach a height of ten feet with a spread of ten feet wide. It grows throughout Florida and along the coast to Texas and Massachusetts. I planted two when we first moved into our house and way too close together. I am trying to train one to be a bush and one has grown into a small tree reaching up through the native scrub oak. They are part of the reason we have so many birds in our wild garden as the bees and butterflies seem to like the nectar. Two seedlings have recently appeared by our front porch in pretty lousy soil conditions reaching up from the sand and through driveway clay and gravel. They seem perfectly happy and will be a welcome additon. I'm anxious to see what they want to be when they grow up.

The one pictured here is from our visit to the Camp Helen State Park. The leaves are evergreen and the flowers appear in the late fall during a time few other plants are flowering.

It is important to note that the plant is toxic to grazing livestock. For more info on this plant: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BAHA

Even in Winter

2009-12-18T14:37:00.003-06:00

The 30A corridor has many second homes and vacation rentals but more and more people live here year round. The area is known for it's summer season but I tell anyone who will listen to me how nice it is to live along the Northwest Florida coast even in Winter. Especially in Winter. It is different from the southern part of Florida in that the weather here gets cold. Cold enough to brown up the foliage. You won't find a lot of human swimmers out in the Gulf of Mexico but you will see birds. No matter what the weather is doing the beach is just much more interesting this time of the year. It's just great for birdwatching. American Bald eagles are apt to fly overhead, the loons bob in the surf, even the gulls seem happier, as to the pipers and the pelicans. Birds are one of the reasons I recommend any one looking to retire to consider South Walton County.

This year I gave "Johnny's Garden" up to the wild flowers. Container plants are my new passion. The plants seem to be happy on the porch where they get several hours of eastern sun exposure. We have Meyers lemon, peppers, parsley, tropical sage, mosquito plant, hibiscus, papyrus and palm. I planted some lettuce from seed last week and it's already coming up nicely. Winter and lettuce work fine here. I will lose some of these plants to frost but most will be protected by the colorful sheets I cover them with on the nights we get to freezing temperatures. The porch looks odd those nights but allow the plants to come back to me each spring.

Camp Helen

2009-12-01T18:38:00.006-06:00

On the west side of Panama City Beach is a beautiful park called Camp Helen http://www.floridastateparks.org/camphelen/default.cfm . The lodge there was once a private "corporate retreat" in the 1940's. These days it is best known for it's ghost tours in October held to benefit the care and maintenance of the park. Camp Helen is bordered on one side by beautiful Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake on our northwest Florida coast. For more info on coastal dune lakes, may I recommend: http://www.basinalliance.org//CDL/CDL.htm . On the south side of the park, a very wide beach spreads out like fine linen, to the turquoise edge of the Gulf of Mexico. The path that leads down the dune is edged with salt bush, oak and sea oats. Even if you don't spend the day, there are vistas of the lake and beach and sky that are worth a walk down the dune. A perfect day trip on a cool winter day.

Queen Bee Cupcakes

2009-11-23T19:24:00.007-06:00

In Seaside, on Scenic Highway 30A, the food court is a shiny row of Airstream trailers that line the street on either side of the post office. Here you will find Raw & Juicy, a juice bar of only good for you food, a not so healthy juice bar that balances it out with cocktails, a lemonade stand, BBQ and our favorite: Queen Bee cupcakes. Try the special of the day which can be anything from the popular Key Lime to my current favorite, Pumpkin Spice. You can purchase to go (packaged in a cute little box), or you can sit right down in the shade and enjoy them immediately. People are crazy for these tasty treats and I have it on good authority that more than once, they have been ordered in mass, to be used in lieu of a traditional wedding cake. Kind of a fun idea.

Oh, and the employees are just great too.

After Ida, a local report

2009-11-10T10:16:00.011-06:00

This morning, Blue Wave Weather reporter Laurel (and faithful scout Riley), bring you live (well almost live) coverage of: "After Ida" from Blue Mountain Beach. Bracing for the worst from this late season storm, the inhabitants of the house slept (as soundly as they ever do) through the night as IDA (or what we experienced of IDA) passed over South Walton County. An ever vigilant suspect of danger, this reporter woke up at her usual 3am. Hearing the wind blowing and the rain hitting the tin roof hard, I went back to sleep secure in the knowledge I had put all the container plants in a huddle on the veranda and picked up most the loose items around the perimeter of the house (except for, I would find out later, woops, the lounge chairs on the balcony's). This morning braving the remnants of the storms fury, we two intrepid reporters, went out to scout the area for damage. Well, the pictures tell the story: the mail box had fallen open, there were a lot of pine needles on the cars, some of the pine trees might be leaning a little more than yesterday, there was absolutely no flooding (although the neighbors pond looked a little higher than usual) and there was a double red flag at the beach access because the surf was strong (I really don't know what the surge did but the water was true to it's ominous self when the wind is up and so I will have to check later know if our beachfront neighbors fared as well as it looked).

Joking aside, as a Florida native I do not underestimate tropical storms and hurricanes. I've been through plenty of them. I'm grateful that we experienced no ill-effects and hope that as Ida moves North, she is kind. In our geographic favor, South Walton is the highest point on the gulf coast so while we are always preparee and duly cautious, we have less to worry about when Mother Nature sends us a stormy tropical curve ball. We have also come to take cable TV storm coverage with a hefty helping of salt rather than just a grain.

Anyhow, thanks for the calls and emails. Reporting from Blue Mountain Beach, we are just fine after IDA.

Mexican Milkweed in Blue Mountain Beach

2009-11-09T19:47:00.003-06:00

This is not a native but I kind of like it because it is an adult nectar source and larval host plant. It's around most of the year and I see the "Monarch" and/or "Queen" (I can't tell the difference) butterfly around it frequently. We have a native milkweed but I don't have any yet.

Walton County Promotes Slow Food

2009-11-07T16:00:00.005-06:00

Billed as an environmental forum on "Growing Locally with Community Gardens", the Beaches of South Walton our TDC http://www.beachesofsouthwalton.com/ put together a lovely program. Speakers included a Eric Draper Policy Director for the National Audubon http://www.audubon.org/ and representing our own County Extention Service, local food enthusiast "Extention Agent II" Kendra Zamojski http://walton.ifas.ufl.edu/ who both spoke about all the good things that come from local gardening. Kendra is always at the front of the pack advocating we work as a community to grow, sell, and eat locally grown food. The event was held at the E.O.Wilson Biophilia Center http://www.eowilsoncenter.org/ which in of itself holds the making of a wonderful day and catered by Red Bay Grocery http://www.redbaygrocery.com/, we were also given the opportunity to attend ten, count 'em ten, gardening workshops so, in my opinion, this was a perfect day. Reviewing each workshop is just too much for one blog entry but the workshop leaders were very helpful and to a person, I find this small but mighty group of focused individuals are always here to support Walton County Eat Local efforts. I've mentioned them in previous blogs as I will again.

Opportunities like this are the makings of "Blue Wave" living to me.

Back to Nature 2009

2009-10-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

The two events I attended at the October SWCC Back to Nature weekend were great fun. Starting with the River Safari Saturday morning we bundled up and hopped on the boat at 9am. The air was brisk and the bay was rough but it gave us a look at the Choctwahatchee from a perspective other than simply looking over the edge from our car window as we drive over the 331 bridge. There were magical things to see and the river guide talked about the flora and fauna as well as the good fishing. The highlight of the tour for me was being underneath a huge Osprey nest that sits on the top of a very tall tree on the edge of the riverbank. The angle was unusual. How something that size can stay sturdily balanced there is remarkable.

Sunday I toured the Coffeen Nature Preserve at the Four Mile Village community founded in 1946 by John and Dorothy Coffeen. Our tour guides, and the current managers of the property, told us how after the Coffeen's had purchased the property in the early 1940's. Shortly after that, the U. S. Military (Army Air Force) "requested" use of the land for an important military mission during 1944-45 to test the JB-2 missiles (the American version of German V-1). When the Coffeens finally were able to settle on the land in 1946, the military mess hall became the Coffeen home and the Preserve managers still live there today. Although Mother Nature is slowly covering evidence of the military mission, I saw one of the four bunkers and walked two of the missile ramps. It was an interesting tour that ended with a wonderful reading of an essay written by Dorothy Coffeen explaining her love of the land and her keen desire in keeping the property preserved.

Morning Glory

2009-09-27T17:47:00.006-05:00

To stabilize the sand on the beach side of their homes, beachfront owners are taking their cue from nature by replanting what had been previously fashionable to tear out...ground cover. I have seen the white "beach morning glory" used. In spite of it's hardy disposition it is visually delicate but what seems to be in vogue is the purple "railroad vine". My guess is this beautiful vine is a faster grower than it's white cousin. It is resilient against salt, heat and wind and the bright purple blossom and strong green leaves are striking against the white sand. The vine is a good plant sends down roots at nodes along it's runners which is why, I guess, it was named railroad vine. It's worth getting up to see in the morning light.

Today was a perfect day to walk the beach. I highly recommend walks at 7 or 8 am. Lovely.

Morrisons Springs

2009-09-13T18:36:00.003-05:00

We live on the south side of Walton County so naturally the south side is usually the area I comment on but we spend a good deal of time on the north side as well. Walton County is one of the highest places in the state. There are rolling hills with views of "pleasant valleys" and country roads where you can easily forget you are in Florida.

Today we had the pleasure of spending the day kind of in the middle of the county. Organized by 30A radio and www.waltonoutdoors.com we attended a picnic at Morrison Springs . What a lovely day. The morning sky started out cloudy but by the time we arrived at the park, the sky had cleared to a beautiful blue nicely accessorized with white fluffy clouds. Morrison Springs is located about 30 miles from Blue Mountain Beach, easy to reach and just delightful. Crystal clear water; cold and refreshing; a nice picnic area; and a clean and tidy wc. We saw divers exploring the spring head, watched a family paddle the yolo boards and after enjoying a tasty picnic lunch we even got a chance to kayak.

It was a special day and we are grateful to our neighbors for introducing us to a new favorite place.