More Beach Pic's

I woke up during the night Monday to see and hear huge waves. When the sun rose, I could see that I wasn't dreaming...we really had 3'-6' waves at Navarre Beach! It was the beginning of the outer bands of Hurricane Dolly. Needless to say, the flags Tuesday and Wednesday were red, and purple for the lingering jelly fish. However, the water was even clearer than it had been on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday we spent the day on the beach, walking along the breaking waves, looking for shells as they rolled up to our feet, sitting in our chairs, sipping tasty beverages, and snoozing. What a wonderful day! That evening we decided to grill chicken--it was yummy!

Wednesday was extremely humid from the moment we woke up. It was too rough to shell, so we started digging in the sand just below the manmade sandunes. And we found nice shells! There wasn't much of a breeze, and by noon, we had to go inside for relief from the hot, humid Florida weather. Just as we were deciding to stay in for the afternoon, the thunder and lightening started....then the rain came....hard rain. You could actually watch it come in across the water towards us. It didn't last longer than 30 minutes, but it really rained hard. After the rain, the air was cool and so pleasant. We had decided to go into Pensacola Beach for dinner, so we got ready and went early. We took a few pictures on the sound side of Pensacola, watched the para-sailers, folks swimming in the water. A very pleasant evening. I had forgotten how huge the portions at Flounders are, so we had plenty of food to bring home for supper Thursday night. After walking around the boardwalk, we headed back to Navarre.

We woke up Thursday to continued high seas, though not quite as high as Wednesday. Shelling was much better--the water was even clearer, and we had a great day. That evening Phyllis was our photographer and took pictures of Jerry and I on the beach. She really got some nice shots!

Friday--our last day--can't believe the week is already coming to an end! WE were out shelling by 6:30. We found a place where the shore was protected from breaking waves by the huge sandbar out in the water. So, no waves were breaking on us. The jellies were still there, though the stings were litttle pin sticks and not the burning pain sticks I received on Sunday. We shelled until almost 9:30, when our shelling bag was so full I thought it was going to bust. Jerry headed back to the compound with our load and Phyllis and I kept looking. However, the tide was changing and the shells were disappearing! We needed a break anyway, so Phyllis and I headed to the compound as well. We couldn't believe the shells we had found...unusual shells that we never found in mass quantity at Navarre before. We considered it a great shelling adventure! After lunch, Jerry and I spent a restful afternoon in our chairs....until we decided to take the boogie boards out and ride the big waves. We had a great time! The water was perfect--we walked out about 30 yards into the gulf and the water was barely waist deep. We rode the waves, walked back out, and rode them again and again! What a great last day at the beach. There was nothing left to do but start taking the compound down, rinsing off the umbrellas and chairs, and getting them ready to pack. After dinner at a local restaurant, we started getting ready for our early morning departure. Friday night at the beach is always my least favorite time of all. But, we were just thrilled that we were able to go. We had a great time, made some great memories, and will look forward to out next trip. Want to come with us? You'd love it there....we're thinking the 2nd or 3rd week of June 2009! Start saving now and mark the date!

Sunday, July 20 At the Beach

There was a beautiful full moon over the coast Sunday morning. We were up and on the beach by 7:15; ready to find all the shells just waiting for us. We were hoping for the crystal clear water that Navarre is known for. When we arrived yesterday there was "sea grass", or green slimy stuff in the water, and we really wanted it to be gone. And it was! Well, 90% of it. The water was clearer than it had been in 2 weeks, according to beach neighbors. We were glad to hear that the water quality was improving. Jerry set up the "compound", and Phyllis and I gathered our nets. We headed west, and only found some interesting pieces of shells. We went back to the compound, and Jerry put got his snorkel mask, and we headed east in search of perfect shells. The waves were a little rough right at the shore, and our efforts didn't pay off. Exhausted from the waves and heat, we headed back to our compound for some shade and a cool drink...shelling is hard work! After a brief rest, Phyllis and I decided to get the boogie boards and really cool off! The water was calm, clear, cool, and so refreshing. We hadn't been in the water long when we started feeling little things nibbling on our legs! A huge school of minnows was traveling west to east, and evidently we were in their path. Those little fish were everywhere--and I mean it very literally! We found those little suckers in our bathing suits when we went up to the condo for lunch! Poor things had gotten trapped in places they should not have been---we laughed until our sides hurt! After lunch, we finished the day in true beach fashion---snoozing in our chairs! This is the most relaxing way to spend time at the beach! What a great day we had!

Saturday, July 19

After picking up my sister, we drove all night to get to the beach. That gives us an extra day on Navarre Beach. We immediately unloaded all our beach gear, checked out the water, then went to the local flea market. Next we headed to Mary Ester (just east of Navarre) for lunch--Krystal burgers--since you can't get them where we live, we have them at least once while we're on vacation! Simple pleasure, I know. We wouldn't be able to get into our condo for a couple of hours, so we decided to go to the super center and get non perishables. I had read on line that part of Navarre Pass was open; following hurricanes Dennis and Ivan it was closed for 2 years...so we decided to see what progress had been make along the National Seashore. The road is open, but the beach is littered with asphalt debris, shells of picnic pavilions, and trash left by uncaring visitors. Such a beautiful place--it really made us sad to see it in such disrepair. We walked around for a while, looked for shells and driftwood, took a few pictures, then headed back to Navarre Beach--just 3 miles east. There we set up our compound and waited in our beach chairs until our condo was ready...I had requested an early check-in but there was miscommunication somewhere between me and the owner---so we didn't get to move in until about 3:15. We were tired, hot, and ready for sleep! So once we unloaded the car and settled in, Jerry and I headed to the grocery store for the perishables we needed. We decided that there would be no cooking tonight, and picked up poorboys from a local restaurant. They were so good! It was a perfect evening so we returned to the beach to visit with a couple we met last year while here---what a treat to see them again this year! My sis, Phyllis, turned in early. After all, we would hit the beach early in the morning!

He Really Did It!

After years of talking about it, after taking a safety course, after drooling every time we passed one or one passed us, and after convincing himself that he would save $$$ going to/from school, Jerry bought a Honda VTX1300. It's pretty, it's not terribly loud, and it's not TOO big. He went to pick it up yesterday with co-motorcycle lovers Doug and Garry. They had a big time on their adventure. Jerry confesses that he's just a bit nervous about it, but I think that's a good place to be. So, take a little extra care around the folks on these "scooters"--they're not always the easiest things to see on the road, but we've got to be aware so no one gets hurt....especially Jerry! If the color is hard to determine from the pictures, it's burgundy--I prefer to call it "black cherry". Maybe one of these days I'll even have the nerve to ride with him...that will be a while, though....

Our Home Gym

Sometimes it's just not worth having a membership at a fitness center--you have to get ready to go, you have to make time to go, and you have to go so you don't feel like you're wasting your membership fee. So, we decided to address fitness right here at home. We have a home gym in our garage--complete with weights, benches, ball, yoga mat, treadmill, a big fan, and stereo! Soon we'll add a tv and dvd/video player for variety. Our weights range from 2 pounds (that's where I had to start) to 30 pounds (I'll get there someday!). I don't know the names of all the things we do, but we're working on our arms, legs, abs, and back muscles. I know I've already firmed up, Jerry's lost inches, and the soreness it not so bad, now! We usually lift on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, after walking/running. Jerry runs, I walk. When school starts, we plan on continuing by doing our weight training before school, and walking/running after school. So, lookout! This strength training is making us fit and tone and strong! And it's a fun thing we can do together!

4th of July Family Celebration!

What a great day we had with family on this special holiday! We were blessed to have a total of 18 family members together for food, fun, and fellowship. And when I say food, I mean FOOD!!! Cheese dip, corn dip; grilled chicken, pork, and pineapple; marinated pea/corn salad, pasta salad, potato salad, cucumber salad; deviled eggs; pasta/veggie/cheese bake; gazpacho; watermelon; brownies, homemade ice cream, strawberry cake; fresh mint tea, special lemonade, and more tea! Believe me, it was a delicious feast! But more than the feast was the sweet time of being together...my mom, my sisters/and their husbands, my nephew/daughter/wife and her parents, my niece/husband and his parents, my sisters in-laws. We just enjoyed being together as family so very much! How blessed we are!