Fort Pickens Museum

When the hurricanes hit Pensacola Beach, one of the areas that received lots of damage was the museum by Fort Pickens.   Matter of fact, it was knocked right off of the blocks the building sat on so it has been a long time waiting for it to reopen.   It finally did last week so we ate lunch at Shaggys on the beach and then took the beautiful drive down to Fort Pickens.  Today was a good day to do it because starting tomorrow the beach area is going to be crowded with people and cars because of the Memorial Day week-end.

The museum is small but very informative about the history of Fort Pickens and facts pertaining to a barrier island.  Here is an exhibit that shows different birds found on the island and we are supposed to guess if they are visiting birds (on their way south) or do they live here full time.   You can also push the green button and hear the call of each individual species.

A barrier island is always on the move.  The currents and wind constantly move the sands to the west and hurricanes can cause major changes.  Here is a picture of the break in the island after the hurricane.  It did not take long for Mother Nature to fill it back in and the road was again constructed out to Fort Pickens.

Here is a model of the layout of Fort Pickens.

This is a wonderful 15 minute you can watch telling the basic information about the history of Fort Pickens.   So much history and I never visit without thinking about the men that were stationed there in the 1800's and required to wear their wool uniform in the middle of the summer heat.   Can you say deodorant?

For all of you bikini beach babes, this is a typical woman's swim suit at the turn of the century.  I guess you don't need sunscreen if you are wearing this suit.  Oh, and it came only in this color.  Well, that makes shopping easy.

I just got off the phone with my cousin Sandy and all is great with that side of the family.  We try to keep in touch often - our family is spread out all over from Indiana, Florida, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, and Minnesota.  Thank goodness for cell phones and Facebook.

Memorial Day week-end begins tomorrow and like I said, we will probably stay away from the beach.  It will be so crowded and we get to enjoy it all week long.  Nicole and her family invited us over for a barbecue on Sunday and I know we will play badminton.   We played last night and hey, I wasn't too bad!  I know how much all my teacher friends love Memorial Day week-end -----it means the end of the school year is almost here!!!!! 

Summer On The Beach

Spring is finished....even if it is only May 22.  The temperatures have been in the 80's and the afternoons have pretty warm.   I worked outside in the yard for  awhile this afternoon but then the heat gets to me and I am ready for the air conditioning.  Sunday was the sand sculpture contest on Pensacola Beach and Dad and I ran over.

When we got to the beach they had it decorated with all these flags.  So pretty against the white sand and the blue water.

This sand sculpture was coming along great. He still had a couple of hours to work on it so I am sure it ended up a winner.

This is another wonderful sand sculpture of a mermaid.   He took seaweed and made the locks of hair.

The day before we walked on the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier to see if they were catching much.  It is a long pier - I mean long - and many people enjoy paying the $1.25 to take a nice stroll on the pier especially at night.  Fishing was not great the day we were walking but I learn something from watching the people fishing every time I go. 

The pier is 1471 feet long.  Navarre but one just a bit longer a couple of years ago.  I think this is long enough though.  When you walk out to the end, you are way out in the gulf and see fish, dolphins, sting ray, and more.   So fun!

This is a view of the beach when I was about half-way down the pier. 

We have been to several concerts in the last week.  This is the Pensacola Symphony on the Beach and the next week we heard the Pensacola Civic Band in Seville Square.  Both were very enjoyable with talented musicians.  Some more news is the Shaggys opened on Pensacola Beach.  My friend Nicole and I were so proud to be the 3rd and 4th customers on opening day.  ( I am easily pleased, right?) http://www.shaggys.biz/pensacola-beach-shaggys-location-florida-gulf-coast.html
The food was great and the view is even better.  This is a must-stop-and-eat if you visit the beach.  We also finally called to set up for termite control.   Termites in Florida is nothing like Indiana.  It is not "if" you would get termites but more like "when".  So you set up with a company to check your house once a year and the cost includes them taking care of the problem if any termites are found.  I'll end this blog with some thoughts about the end of the school year.  The bands went to the annual Indiana Beach trip/performance today and Kelly said they did great.  I miss these days and the fun we had but I am so glad when all goes well for Kelly and the kids.   So......tonight is final Dancing With The Stars so the TV is on and what am I going to do with Monday and Tuesday tv nights now that it is over?   Hmmmm......maybe go fishing.   Take care all!

Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and we had a great day planned to share with my Mom.   Speaking of my Mom, she is a wonderful, kind, loving, and generous person.   How lucky our family is to have such a Mother raise us.  So when Mother's Day comes, we would like to make sure Mom has a great day to enjoy.

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago while we were having dinner at Hemingway's.  Isn't this a beautiful picture?

The day started with Church and a rainbow popped up in front of us.   A sign for a perfect day ahead?
After Church, a light lunch because we were off to see the new movie DARK SHADOWS with Johnny Depp and of course, popcorn!  Then off to home with a turkey breast cooking in the crock pot.  Oh the smell when we walked into the house! 
We ended the day on the beach at Pensacola Beach to watch hear the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Mother's Day Concert and what a concert it was - popular and patriotic music.

So ended Mother's Day of 2012 a fun day in honor of my Mom.  So I will end this blog saying - "Mom, you are an incredible Mother and I have been so blessed to be your daughter.   Thank you so much for all that you have taught and shared with me.  You are my Mother and my best friend and have supported me throughout my life.  Mom, I love you THIS MUCH!!!"

Wednesday's This and That

Today is Wednesday and my pictures are in no particular order because my thoughts are in no particular order today.   Yesterday the car got washed, waxed, and cleaned inside.  Much needed, let me tell you.  After dinner, I cut the grass and Dad did the weed-eating.  So the lawn and flowers look great today.  Today was rainy off and on but Dad and I found a window to run over and hit some golf balls.  Oh my gosh!  How sad I am at trying to hit the ball BUT I have the prettiest golf clubs there.   That's important, isn't it?

This is a picture of me at the beach before I lost my sunglasses.   Yes, I lost my $400.00 prescription  sunglasses a month ago.  And don't ask me where I lost them - I can't believe how many people have asked me that question.  If I had the answer to that question, I would have my sunglasses back.  So...... I plan on getting contacts in June and then I can buy all those fun sunglasses that you see at the stores.

After running out for pizza tonight, we drove down to Fort Pickens.  Here is someone else that was enjoying the evening after a rainy day.

Yesterday it was hot - in the low 80's and humid - and I took Kacey down to the sound.   She loved it but was overheated by the time we got home.  Pugs do not do well in heat so a cold washcloth on her head with the ceiling fan on up above her helped cool her down.  (Kacey does not like heat, cold, snow, rain, dew on the grass - very pickey little doggie.)

Aren't these flowers beautiful.   These are planted in our mailbox planter.  We will see how they do in the hot part of summer.
Like I said, no particular reason for today's blog - just odds and ends.   But isn't that life - bits and pieces of this and that?  That is what makes life interesting and fun.  I wonder what bits and pieces of this and that await me tomorrow?   Take care all.

I'll Give You The Moon....

We like to say = Another Day In Paradise:

Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Pensacola Beach are beautiful and I pinch myself every day - do I really live here?  Is it a dream?   Yes!  It is our dream come true.
So when the news kept telling us about the moon Saturday night, I knew I had to be at the beach watching it as it rose in the sky.  So off we went to Navarre Beach and arrived by 7:00.  A wedding party showed up just after us and had pictures taken.   I loved the colors of the wedding party - yellow, black, and white.  The bride had a beautiful white bridal gown on and was barfoot. 
The men all had black tuxes with yellow ties.   They wore sandals on their feet.
Once they left, the moon began its show.  

The sky was as clear as could be and it was in the low 70's - a beautiful night on the beach.  The pictures don't make the moon look very large but it was quite bright and large to the human eye.

Thank goodness Dad was there to help point out the moon.  When Dad proposed to Mom, he told her he would give her the moon -

And tonight he did.

After Church today, I went to Michaels.   They had a great sale on scrapbooking paper and I am going to a  card making gathering in the morning tomorrow.  Dad and I stopped at Joe Paddies for some from shrimp and I made a fantastic dinner with shrimp in a marinara sauce over spaghetti.   It was delicious!  I have enough of the sauce left to put over chicken later this week and serve chicken Parmesan.   Yum!

Spring in our Yard

Spring is here and the temps have been in the low 80's so our plants have a great start.   We have been purchasing some greenery and flowers for the front yard. I thought I would post some pictures of what we have accomplished the last two weeks.

We have picked up some cannas for the back and this one has been growing an inch a day.  Then the flowers opened up yesterday.  I love the vivid red color.

These cannas are back by the shed and getting ready to bloom also. 

Our lanai has different flowers that bright up the area.

This is one of the five different colors of day lilies that we have planted in the front.   They are doing amazingly great also. 

Planting this date palm took a great deal of time and the fifteen day lilies have been incorporated within in the pine mulch. 

How about a picture at sunset of the park entrance by Fort Pickens.  Sunsets here often seem to be sent to us from Heaven. 
Today I got a coupon on line to get a hair cut with $5.00 off the regular price.  Then we went to dinner at Hemingway's with a $5.00 coupon.  I also had two coupons for dental floss - a dollar off for each so it only cost 4 cents for each floss.   That means I saved $12.00 today with coupons.  Yea for me!  Dad's back has been bothering him from digging when we planted the flowers.  We flipped Mom and Dad's mattress and it seemed to help Dad last night.  Back pain is so miserable, isn't it!