You Know You're in Florida When...

As a "Newbee" to the great state of Florida, I guess there are some things we need to learn from the "Old Timers" here.  This was sent to my husband by an Old Timer...it's hilarious...you gotta read it...

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN FLORIDA IN JULY WHEN...

~ The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
~ The trees are whistling for the dogs.
~ The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
~ Hot water now comes out of both taps.
~ You can make sun tea instantly.
~ You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
~ The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
~ You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
~ You discover you can get sunburned through your car window.
~ You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
~ You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30a.m.
~ Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
~ You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
~ The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
~ Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
~ The cows are giving evaporated milk.
............Ah, what a place to call home! Ha,ha, love it!

4th of July in Mexico Beach, FL

Tropical storm/hurricane Alex winds had been pushing the oil away from our beaches during the week,
so we were blessed with the opportunity to celebrate our Independance Day at the beach.  We wanted
to avoid the massive crowds in our area so we drove down to the small town of Mexico Beach about

50 miles to the east of us to check out their fireworks display.  It was a wonderful day.

Relaxing by sea...

Enjoying God's beautiful artwork in the sky...

The cool seashell art on the beach...

And walking along the shore getting sand between our toes!

Then it was off to the pier to watch the fireworks over the water!

They were awesome!!!

Happy Birthday America!

May God bless us all with His wisdom, discernment, protection & a repentant heart.

"...the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love..."

Psalm 33:18

Surf On Pensacola Beach Boiling Like Acid

Gregg Hall of Pensacola, FL posted this recent video of the oil that washed up on shore...horrible.

He's right...May God help us all...

If the video doesn't load correctly, just try clicking in the middle of the image.

Today's Update:  As of yesterday the high tide is covering up the oil under 1-8" of sand, which is making cleanup even harder.  Plus, it looks like a tropical storm my hit us soon...

The Oil Has Arrived...sob...sob

I so hate to have to report this but the oil has arrived here.  Tar balls have been washing ashore here since Thursday night, even creeping into the protected bay area of St. Andrews State Park where I took and posted the photos last week.  I haven't had time to go out and get any photos myself but Sandcastle Momma, who lives down the road in Destin, just posted recent pics & excellent commentary of her area...just follow this link to see the updates...
http://sandcastlemomma.blogspot.com/

I'll try and get some photos of our beaches posted soon...let's please all pray that they'll be able to stop the leak and eventually get everything cleaned up and back to the beautiful way the good Lord created it.

A Few PC Beach Critters

Since moving here we've come across some interesting critters like sting rays, jellyfish, snakes, brilliant green lizards and even an armadillo.  Unfortunately, I've only had my camera a few of these times, like when I came across this guy outside our apartment...

While living in Oklahoma, we'd seen many armadillos that never made it across the road...this was the first time I'd seen one alive and searching for food...pretty cool.

I also had my camera with me at the beach one spring day when, after a storm, there were quite a few of these clear jellyfish that had washed up on the shore...

From what I've been able to research, this thankfully is not a venemous jelly so that's a relief since there were quite a few in the water along with these Moon Jellyfish which do sting a little bit...

According to the locals, pouring vinegar on the sting and scraping off the stingers with a credit card is the best way to deal with these...so of course I added a small bottle of vinegar to my beach bag.

Recently, about a month ago right after the oil spill had just occurred, I came across about 5 dead Portugese Man O War jellys washed up on the shore, just didn't have my camera...those are scary because they are very poisonous & painfull...here's a photo from the internet...

 

Yeah, I could have done without knowing these were in our waters!

PC Beaches Update

I went down to the beach today to see what condition they were in

and thankfully they were still crystal clear and beautiful...

I took these at St. Andrews State Park on the east side of Panama City Beach, FL.

Sadly, if BP & the feds don't get their act together

we're afraid the beautiful gulf coast ocean the good Lord created

and the inhabitants He filled it with will be short lived.

Seems they're making a mess of the cleanup efforts

to the west of us...their incompetence amazes me. 

Santa Spotted In Florida

Incase you've ever wondered where Santa would go on vacation,

we've discovered the answer... Destin, Florida!

We spotted him this weekend at the Baytown Wharf in the Sandestin Resort chatting intently on his cell phone.  No doubt making sure the reindeer are behaving up north, lol.

Memorial Day

 

"Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:12-14

As the wife of a Veteran, I want to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful husband and every Veteran, past and present, for your sacrifices for our country and our precious freedoms.  
The Lord's grace and your faithful service are responsible for all the freedoms we enjoy including our freedom of religion and of speech.

May we as American citizens, do our part to insure we do not loose them and that your sacrifices will not have been in vain. 
Thank you Honey, I love you very much.
&
To the rest of our indispensable active & retired military...
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART,

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU AND PROTECT YOU.

PC Beaches Still Beautiful

Thank the Lord the oil hasn't reached our beaches yet...

praying they get it stopped & cleaned up soon!

Apalachicola, Fl - Oyster Capital of Florida

Fishing boats during a recent trip to Apalachicola Bay which produces 90% of Florida's oysters and 10% of the nationwide supply...these oysters have a reputation with chefs across the US as being some of the finest tasting oysters available.

Apalachicola River and Bay meet in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to form one of the most unspoiled and productive estuaries in the country...the mixure of salt and fresh water makes an ideal nursery for oysters, shrimp, crabs and a variety of fish. 

Where we ate freshly caught Apalachicola oysters...not big on raw...definitely prefer baked or fried.

Funny sign we saw in a gift shop window...

I liked this one too...

...In The Midst of Chaos

Being new to the area, we were warned...many, many times by the locals....heard rumors that sent chills up our spines...could it be true?  "Just wait" they said, "hoards of them everywhere." "Don't even think about going to the beach...just forget it even exists...better yet, stay safe inside until after Easter."  The phenomenom decends on the community the 1st week of March and stays around til after Easter...or so we're told.  Listening to the dread in the locals voices made us wonder "Could it really be true?" 

Well, I'm here to tell you...yes, it is true.  The dreaded Spring Break! LOL  Hoards of college students everywhere!  Traffic backed up for miles at the lights, cash registers backed up to the clothes departments with carts full of beer, chips & overly, shall I say, enthusiastic young people at the local grocery store (don't even think of making a quick trip or finding a parking space for that matter).  And that's not even along the beach road...there you'll have to be careful to not run over all the hoards that were formerly in the long grocery lines with their beer carts but are now walking (or stumbling) along (and in the middle of) the road shouting, hooting, hollering and not watching where they are going, totally oblivious to the fact that they just may not make it back to college if they don't watch where they're going (or sober up). 

Then you get the ones behind the wheel...oh joy. Thankfully, we live a few streets removed from the main beach road so we just have to deal with long lines of cars backed up at the lights & someone gunning his motor and racing down the road at all hours of the night...so when is Easter this year?


Oh did I mention the balcony jumpers (fallers)?  Sadly, the locals say that has become one of the first signs of spring around here...when the first balcony fall/jump happens (thanks to the previously mentioned beer/liquor cart)...thankfully, the first one only resulted in non-life threatening injuries...but sadly I do have to add, we had a second incident recently that was fatal.

In all fairness, I have heard reports that not all spring breakers behave this way...a few have actually been observed behaving themselves in public, picking up trash left behind on the beaches from partiers the night before (those, I'm told, came from a Christian college up north) and even paying for the lunch of an elderly man at a fast food place.  Whoever you are...Thank You Very Much!!
 
So that brings us to our quest this last weekend to find a quiet beach to visit.  "Is it even possible?" I pondered.  We were determined to find out, so we packed up our stuff early Saturday morning and headed south where we were pleasantly surprised to find Mexico Beach (south of Panama City & Tyndall AFB).  It's a beautiful, small, peaceful beach community of about 1,000 people...and it was practically deserted!  How wonderful!  There were no skyscraper condos, nighclubs or even a Walmart but it does have quaint cottage homes, small beach condos, a park, a small grocery store, quirky little gift shops and several restaurants along with miles of the some of the most beautiful, white sandy beaches along the Emerald Coast.  But don't tell anyone...let's keep it our little secret...
 

Mexico Beach, Florida

Cool & unique beach chairs at a local shop.

Sweet, peaceful solitude!

What a view!

Finding this place of peace and solitude amongst the chaos of spring break reminded me of the peace that is offered to us in the midst of the storms & chaos of life.  We have to do our part and look for it...but there is such a great reward in doing so.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

We have had some very tough storms to weather these last 6yrs...at first I thought I would drown and never be able to come up for air...never experience peace or joy again.  But thankfully, my Savior reached down and pulled me back up into His arms and restored my joy and peace.  It's been a learning process...He's been teaching me how to make sure I don't wonder off again...and grow weak...how staying at His feet, in His presence daily (like Mary did when Martha was staying busy) is the only way in which He can fill me with His peace and joy...and thankfully, with joy comes strength...even in the midst of chaos.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

May He be your's also.

Fancy Feathers

This guy was showing off for visitors and a few girlie peacocks at the local zoo...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc 3:11

Lord God Almighty...Master Creator....Master Artist!

The Dog Ate My Homework

Wow, I can't believe I'd ever be saying that but sure enough, that's what happened....really.  I was working on my watercolor class homework the other day (a color chart) when I had to take a break to run an errand.  Since it was still wet, I left it on the coffee table in the livingroom to dry, never imagining in a million years that my very obedient, never-gets-into-anything, perfect pooch would think it smelled tasty enough to eat.  Apparently he did, because we came home to find this on the bedroom floor...

Yup, the dog really did eat my homework...or more accurately, chewed it up and spit it out...guess it didn't taste as good as it smelled, lol. 

Kayaking St. Andrew Sound

My hubby and I first discovered kayaking on a trip to Siesta Key, Florida last year and fell in love with it.  It's a very serene, relaxing way to spend a beautiful, sunny day on the water...or so I thought.  Now that we live so close to the water, we were itching to start exploring the various waterways in the area so the first somewhat warm day (about 60 degrees) we headed straight for the naval base in town (Naval Support Activity) to rent some kayaks.  Being retired military has some great benefits, one is having access to very affordable outdoor rec rentals ($10-$15/day) and the other is having access to the amazing and very secluded beaches of Tyndall AFB.  Hubby loaded up the kayaks from the navy base and we headed to Tyndall to explore St. Andrew sound. 

We were hoping to make it across to the narrowest stretch of the barrier island and walk across to the gulf (I so love the ocean and couldn't wait to have it all to ourselves).  This being the first time I had my own kayak, I had underestimated the strength of the currents I'd have to fight...much easier being a passenger!  (I wonder if the wind had anything to do with it?)  We started from the northwest end and planned to paddle around the 2 big bends to make it to the skinny stretch of sand that separates the sound from the gulf.

View Larger Map

Well, we also totally underestimated how far it really it is, so after making it around one big bend and coming ashore on the fatter part of the barrier island, we explored a bit but couldn't find a path to walk through the scrub bushes (we were in flip flops) and it was getting late so we decided to head back and try again another day.

On the way back I did the dumbest thing.  The current was so strong that it seemed no matter how hard I paddled with my skinny little arms, I was either staying in one spot or moving backwards.  Now my hubby, being Mr Fitness, was having no problem making his way across and had pity on my plight so he paddled up to me and told me to grab onto his kayak and he'd paddle us both to shore. 

Here is where I made two fatal errors in judgement...one was to listen to him,lol... and the second came when the kayak, instead of moving forward with his, immediately flipped over into the water...taking me and my camera (thankfully being in a ziplock bag it survived unscathed) into the 54 degree water...brrrr!  Second mistake...not letting go immediately,lol. Yeah, apparently I do not have cat like reflexes...or even dog like reflexes for that matter...more like turtle.  By the time my brain understood what was happening I was under water.  Once I came up for air, for some reason I found it incredibly hilarious & couldn't stop laughing...which is good because after having to paddle all the way back to the truck soaking wet and cold against the current...the good news is hubby is still alive.  I knew it had to happen sometime...just wish it had been in the summer when the water is a nice 80 degrees.  Even after that though, I can still say I still love kayaking...although lesson learned...don't hang onto another kayak unless you want to swim with the fishies.  

All Moved In

We are now all moved into our hew home and are enjoying it very much.  The first month has been very hectic (and unseasonably cold we are told by the locals) but now it is time to explore this new land!  One of the first must see places for me is always the beach!  Laguna Beach to be exact. 

It was a little chilly but made for a very beautiful and peaceful walk along the beach.  On another day, we visited a gorgeous beach in the Destin area.

I have to say, Destin does a great job of keeping their beaches clean & looking good, can't wait to go back!

Travel Tails

Our journey from Ohio to Florida was quite an experience with our pooch, Shep.  We were a tad worried he may not travel well since we were told he came from a abusive home...plus, we had only had him for a little over a year and hadn't done any long distance traveling with him. Thankfully, all in all, he was a pretty great traveler, always happy to be sitting behind Dad in the truck while on the road.

Our only issues arose when we had to stay in hotels while on the road and waiting for our household goods to arrive.  Can you say separation issues?  We couldn't leave him alone in the hotel room for more than 5 minutes without him whinning and barking up a storm!  So, needless to say, he came with us almost everywhere we went.  Even the beach!

Yup, they have a dog friendly beach here...how cool is that!  I believe he's gonna fit in just right with our beach loving family... 

Exodus to the Promise Land!

After over 20 years of following my husband around the U.S. while he served his country, our time had finally come to kiss the frigid winters we'd endured (16yrs combined) in Alaska and Ohio goodbye to follow our dream of living by the sea in a sunny land!  We are both originally Arizona natives and were tired of shoveling snow, scraping ice from windshields, driving on icy roads and freezing our patooties off for too many months out of the year (these photos were taken before Dayton got over 3 feet of snow in the span of 2 weeks).

Thankfully, the Lord opened up a door to the sunny land of Florida in the form of a job transfer...so in January we tearfully hugged our beloved friends goodbye & off we went.

Asta la vista Ohio & arctic winters!!!!

Woohoo!!!  Hello Florida!!

So that brings us to the beginning of this blog...a journal of our new beginnings in a new land...