What a difference a month makes.

At the end of March, Gulf Breeze was celebrating Seagrass Awareness Day at Shoreline Park. Now, we are facing perhaps the most devastating natural disaster in our history.

As I drove out to Ft. Pickens and the Gulf Islands National Seashore on this overcast morning, I noticed a few people standing on the beach here and there, just staring out to sea. Some fishermen were casting their lines, probably thinking "Will this be the last weekend of fishing until...?" We are all stunned and outraged, that this could be happening to our beautiful home. Smiles have faded, replaced with a touch of sadness on most faces, and our neighbors and friends are wondering how this will affect our economy, our wildlife, our quality of life that we cherish.

The pictures we post on this blog in the days and weeks to come might not be very pretty, but they will tell the story of Gulf Breeze and the surrounding area as we face this next tragedy.

For now though, enjoy these bloom stalks from a plant growing in the white sands at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island.