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

One Love, One Ocean

On a hot summer Saturday night, the front door of Surf Burger on Pensacola Beach brings a smile to my face... the hula fries were top notch, as always!

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.

Tar Ball

This "tar ball" on Pensacola Beach yesterday looked like a rock at first. It was a little over an inch wide. Once I realized what it was, I started to see several along the waterline. It is the first sign of what is to come.

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.

Gulf Islands National Seashore: The Treasure of the Gulf Coast

Jill Hubbs, Director of Outreach and Educational Services at WSRE-TV, our local PBS affiliate, has announced that their documentary, Gulf Islands National Seashore: The Treasure of the Gulf Coast, is available for viewing online. Ms. Hubbs wrote, directed and produced this wonderful film and even persuaded Ken Burns to narrate the piece which serves as a companion to his series The National Parks: America's Greatest Idea.

I want to thank Barrier Island Girl for posting this a week ago on her blog.

I hope you enjoy!

Ready for Christmas in Florida

A festive boat in the Lafitte Cove Marina behind Peg Leg Pete's on Pensacola Beach.

Skywatch Friday - From NAS Pensacola

There is something very primitive about the beach in winter. On this late November afternoon, the beach at Lighthouse Point onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola was chilly, lonely, and spectacular.

What's for Lunch?

Meredith got this photo of a friendly great blue heron fishing along the shoreline in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Pensacola Beach.

After a long day in the sand and salt water on Pensacola Beach, a rinsing off at the showers feels sooooooo good...

No Lifeguards on Duty

The lifeguard stations at Pensacola Beach - closed down for the off season - on a cloudy October afternoon.

Looking Down

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.

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.

Claudette's Gift

Margaret took these shots of a log washed up on the beach at the Ft. Pickens area of Santa Rosa Island. The huge surf was bringing up many unusual things from the ocean floor, thanks to the 35-40 mph sustained winds from the remnants of Claudette as she came ashore Monday morning.