Sunset from Pensacola Beach Pier

Smile High

We were all smiles today after our parasailing adventure with the guys at Key Sailing!

Worship

A quiet moment during the Worship at the Water service on Pensacola Beach this morning.

Driftwood at Ft. Pickens

Taking Comfort

What does a 13-year-old do while waiting for her breakfast? Why, take pictures of course! With all that is changing around us, it's nice to know some things never change. You can always count on the Waffle House in Gulf Breeze to be consistently ... Waffle House!

A Gorgeous Mid-Summer Day

This morning, the water felt wonderful. The sand felt wonderful. The air smelled wonderful. But...



Once the oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster began washing ashore in June, my enthusiasm for taking photos took a vacation. However, this morning I wandered out to Pensacola Beach just to see how things were going. On July 21, on a beautiful, warm morning at around 10:00 a.m., I witnessed water as clear and beautiful as I'd ever seen here. Sand clean and soft, and bright white. And a surreal almost complete lack of people to enjoy it all.



Sadly, with health warning signs posted everywhere and BP clean-up crews still here, this community is suffering in a huge way. The unknowns are frightening people -- both locals and tourists -- away. Even though the water and beach "look" great, and the air is salty and fresh, no one seems to know if there are unseen dangers in the waters, the air, and buried just under the surface of the sugar white sands. Some are taking their chances and enjoying themselves anyway. But most others are staying away. And Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach and the surrounding communities are hurting. Badly.

Somber Sunrise on Pensacola Beach

The smell of oil was thick this early Sunday morning as my daughters and I took a somber sunrise walk on Pensacola Beach. The tar balls are getting larger, and more numerous. I wondered if they had made their way into Pensacola Bay and if they were hitting the shores of Gulf Breeze yet...



The BP cleaning crews were out already, picking up the tar balls and blobs.



This little crab seemd to be suspiciously eyeing the tar balls coming in with the surf. I silently apologized to him, and to the shore birds diving into the waves to catch their breakfasts.



As we left, although we thought we were very careful to avoid stepping on tar balls, we all had gooey tar on the soles of our feet.

Oil begins to come ashore today

On this picture perfect warm summer morning, Margaret and I went out to Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island to walk along the water's edge and take some pictures of the still-pristine waters and sand. As we pulled in to the parking lot at Casino Beach, we heard the news that tarballs were beginning to be found on the beach this morning. It is impossible to describe the sorrow that permeates this community today.

Sunrise on Pensacola Bay

Spring is here!

After the coldest winter on record, finally spring has arrived in Gulf Breeze! Dogwoods are blooming and spring break is just around the corner...

Skywatch Friday - First Light

It is simply incredible what dust and a star can do, isn't it? Friday morning's sunrise was a heavenly gift to those of us awake early enough to witness it. Thank you Margaret for a wonderful Skywatch Friday photo!

In honor of Grandparents Day

Not too long ago, on a visit to downtown Mobile, Alabama, Margaret decided she had to have a picture of this window display at Downtowner's on Dauphin St. She took this photo with her grandmother in mind, who is a member of the Red Hat Society.

Happy Grandparents Day to all of our grandparents!

Transportation II

Two sailboats at rest on a sleepy Sunday morning in Santa Rosa Sound.

Looking Down

A Quiet Sunday Morning on Santa Rosa Sound

This shot was taken on another recent Sunday morning from the pier at Shoreline Park South in Gulf Breeze, and looks east across Santa Rosa Sound towards the Bob Sykes bridge which connects Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach and Santa Rosa Island. Many, many fish are caught from this pier.

Skywatch Friday - Gulf of Mexico Sunrise

Margaret was wading into the surf early Sunday morning to capture the sun rising over the Pensacola Beach highrises. A lovely photo for Skywatch Friday!

Sunrise on the Beach

Since 13-year-old Margaret is the most frequent contributor to this blog, I thought a photo of her would be appropriate today. This was taken this morning as the sun was rising in the Ft. Pickens Area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Margaret and I have made sunrise on the beach a tradition for the two of us, enjoying the peaceful beauty of the coastline when no one else is around except the shore birds (below) and sand crabs.

At sunrise and sunset, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico change hues every few seconds. It is impossible to convey in photographs the hundreds of shades of blues and greens and grays... but we try.

Breakfast at... Shoreline

This great blue heron was fishing for breakfast Sunday morning at Shoreline Park South, and didn't seem to mind the two young girls 5-10 feet away snapping pictures. These serene creatures, some of whom nest and hunt in our neighborhood, are quite accepting of people... as long as we don't get TOO close.

Live Oak at Shoreline

This is one of Margaret's favorite live oaks in town, so she photographs it often. It stands watch over Santa Rosa Sound, just a few feet from the water, at Shoreline Park South on this fall-like Sunday morning in August.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

It is a picture perfect morning in Gulf Breeze, for seagulls, young photographers, and everyone else enjoying the water in Santa Rosa Sound.