Arrrggg..me hearties, tis anuther shipwreck!!!

What a great weekend....two walks on the beach. I'm so happy happy, oh yes I am!!! Of course, I'm paying for it dearly today too as my knee is so swollen I can hardly bend it. Dang it all.....hate to be getting old..hehe

Yesterday we went down to Fort Morgan. We love to go there because it's part of the Bon Secour National wildlife reserve. I love the name Bon Secour....just rolls off your tongue.....the reason I really like it is because in French it means "safe harbor" and that's exactly what it is. It's an ecosystem which serves as a refuge for endangered and threatened plant, fish and other wildlife species. It's also a hot spot habitat for our migratory birds ranging from our ospreys, herons and seven species of hummingbirds. One of our endangered species that lives among the sand dunes and sea oats is a cute lil fella called the Alabama beach mouse. They are small and very, very FAST. I have seen them but have never been able to get a picture of one because as soon as I get my camera up and ready.....it's gone!! Another endangered species that loves the shoreline along the reserve are the green, loggerhead and Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. So much wildlife living in one area that we are so blessed to be able to glimpse into.

Would ya just look at those big bird feet tracks? 

HEHE...there's the big bird they belong to too. Wonder if this is Hank?

I'm sure you're asking how in the world can we even get close enough to glimpse into it....well....the area that we can not walk in is posted and as far as I know....everyone abides by just the signs. We are allowed to walk on the beach and oh my, what a stretch of beautiful almost uninhabited beach it is. (most of the time)

One of our local photojournalist, Michelle Carroll Stancil was at Fort Morgan about 21 hours ago and captured some amazing shots of a new shipwreck that Mother Nature has uncovered after so many lost years. The Islander one of our local papers (online version) did an article on it which includes Michelle's photos and just what this mystery ship may be. If history and shipwrecks interest you, please take the time to read.

I posted the above so that if you did go and read (YOU did, didn't you? hehe) that you will see just how fast Mother Nature can reclaim a treasure. These are some of the shots I took yesterday on our visit there. No where near as good as Michelle's but I try with my lil camera. ^_^

Amazing what a day can do at the beach, eh? It was a beautiful day even if it wasn't a full sunny day. The sun was peeping out here and there and it reminded me of something my grandmother use to say, "The angels were sweeping and the gates were open".

I was hoping to find a whole bunch of shells too since not many folks wonder up and down this beach. I found a few of the big broken shells that look like angel wings to me and I'm thinking about painting a few with what I see.

We walked for about an hour and then drove over to where the ferry picks up folks to take them over to  Dauphin Island. The ferry was closed but we love to sit and watch the pelicans and sometimes the dolphins playing in the bay. No dolphins yesterday but there were some pelicans sitting on the pier post apparently doing the same thing we were.....just relaxing and enjoying the view.

We sat for about 30 minutes (hoping to see the dolphins) and on our way back up the short trail we discovered a cute little creature eating his dinner. Oh yes, we kept our distance!!!

It was a great afternoon spent together doing something we all love. I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and I would love to hear all about it.

Until next time............Hugs,
Regi

What an amazing weekend so far......

I just love our town and the surrounding area we live in. Always, and I do mean, ALWAYS something fun to do. With most of them being....YEPPERS...I'm fixing to say that "F" word again. FREE FREE FREE!!!
(Now shame on all of ya'll that thought I was going to say something else....ya'll know "THAT" word isn't even in this old gals vocabulary. ^_^)

To start our free weekend off right, Friday night, we went down to the Gulf Shores Public beach area and listened to some good music by a local group called "Top Hat and Jackie". What a fun band of musicians!! This was our first time seeing them and I sincerely hope not the last time. The singers are married (according to Top Hat for at least 100 years but he said it in a very loving way) and their voices harmonized so well together. I guess anyone that has been together for a hundred years should sound good together...LOL!!  In addition to the awesome music we were treated by the Gulf Shores fire department with several fire pits and what do you do with fire pits....roast marshmallows of course. As soon as we were ready to eat some of the awesome tasting flaming treats we simple walked up to a table and two very sweet ladies gave us each a stick and a bag. In that bag was not only the marshmallows but two pieces of chocolate and four graham crackers. What can you make with all these yummy ingredients? S'Mores!!!

Talk about Joe Cool!!! He loves roasting marshmallows. Haven't decided if it is the roasting itself and getting to play with the fire OR the eating of them. Perhaps both...LOL  The sunglasses were to keep the heat from getting to his eyes or at least that's what he told me. I think he just wanted to look COOL!!!!

Apparently my lil man LOVES S'MORES!!!! He has one in each hand. Take a bite of the left one....take a bite of the right one. Just kidding....one of them is mine. I just needed him to hold it so I could hold the camera and take his pic.....although I do remember having a bit more s'more before I handed it to him. Hummm!!

Daddy didn't eat any s'mores (just meant more for the Chazman and ummmm me..hehe) He did enjoy the music and listening to the ocean and feeling the cool breeze blowing.

Now everyone that knows us, knows that Saturday mornings are spent combing the area for yard sales, estate sales and any interesting junk ummmmm I mean treasures we can find. It was so beautiful out this morning so that meant a few good sales were going on. The Chazman found a few PS games (3 for $3), the hubbikins found him a work tshirt (.50) and a beach shirt (1.00). Momma (that's ME) found three wonderful items that I can use for my ooaks and I only spent 2.25 for all three.

Can't ya just see a tiny faerie standing in the teapot?

Large table runner...perfect for several Santa coats.

Full suede jacket with lambswool inside....I see some Native American ooaks!!

Hey Regi...what an awesome weekend so far, I bet you are saying. Well.....here is what has really made my weekend PERFECT....so far. While we were coming home from our treasure seeking we decided to go pass Heritage Park to see if anything was going on. Right across the street from the park is a lovely restored Bed and Breakfast called the Hotel Magnolia. It seems that they were having a 100+ year celebration today. Free food....free music and a tour of the B&B. I have been drooling seeing this home for most of my life. When I was growing up and coming to the beach on family vacations we would drive pass it. It wasn't a B&B anymore then but just a kinda run down place (late 60's early 70's). Having the gift to see things the way they could be (even when I was young I was blessed) I knew that this house could be a wonderful Southern mansion. I always told momma that "I'm going to live there one day".  Ohhhh the dreams of a child. 

Isn't it a true beauty? One of our Southern homes restored to all its glory. I was so excited to get to take a tour. Once inside and looking around we were told to make sure that we signed up for a raffle they were doing today. The raffle was to give away invitations to stay at the B&B for a night at the 1908 rates. Are you ready for this.....the rates back then were $1.25 for a regular room and $1.50 for the suite. I think the hubbikins and I had a walk race to the table to sign up. We never win anything so we had almost decided to go ahead and leave before the drawing. I'm so happy that we didn't. They pulled a name out of the bowl and it wasn't one of ours. (happy for the one that did win but a bit sad too) then they started pulling out more names. They were pulling names out for as many rooms as they had. Nope...ours didn't get pulled. UNTIL...she was pulling the name for the suite. OMGOSH....OMGOSH...OMGOSH...she pulled my name. My childhood dream is going to come true even if it is just for one night. Once she handed me the invitation she also informed us that we would also be treated to breakfast. I don't know who is more excited....me or the Chazman. Hubby told him that he would be staying with his Aunt on that night and he replied "Ohhh I don't think so". I had to laugh and of course we will all three be going. They will supply an air mattress but I have a feeling he will be right in the middle of the bed with us. Here is a pic of the suite....don't drool now!!

We are home resting (and so I can calm down from my excitement) for the afternoon and will continue our weekend in the morning when we go on our beach walk and swim. I hope that you are having an awesome weekend as well. If not...then maybe you should think about moving to a community that has so much to offer. Ours has plenty of room!!!

Until next time.....HUGS, Regi