Today I’m sitting in on a course taught by Skillq on how to get the most out of my WordPress blogging experience.
Sunset Over Western Lake
After a long day of work in an area known to many as “paradise,” I found myself being stopped in my tracks by the overwhelming presence of nature’s magnificence. Like so many others, I am guilty of letting the little things in life take a back seat position to the mundane rituals of the daily grind– not today. In a tangerine fire of a sunset, paradise tugged on my shirtsleeve, and I took notice. It just goes to show you that sometimes you have pull over to let nature take you by the hand, and show you something beautiful. We could all use a few more moments of silent splendor in our days.
With all eyes on the current status of the BP oil spill, a non-violent protest against offshore drilling will take place today along our beautiful beaches. Take a stand for our beaches. Join in the “Hands Across the Sand” demonstration today. Be at the beach (your beach, wherever you are in Florida) by 12pm (your time zone) to join hands for 15 minutes.
Given the current attention that Northwest Florida has received from the media lately, it is said that the event will make national news.
For more information on “Hands Across the Sand,” visit their official website at www.handsacrossthesand.com
As mentioned in previous posts, I plan on keeping everyone as current as possible on the impact of BP’s oil spill on Northwest Florida’s beautiful coastline. Here’s the latest news according to Yahoo News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_oil_spill_florida
It’s been 46 days! Why can’t they just clog that rig?
Only time will tell what will happen next. As for now, I’ll keep you posted to the best of my ability as more information becomes available and the situation develops.
I pulled this directly from my friend, Lorraine Sloan’s FB feed. She is the owner of Getaway Assist, a South Walton County-based vacation rental company. “According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and NOAA, no large oil impacts are expected in Florida in the next 72 hours. The primary oil plume is 35 miles from Pensacola. Pensacola is approximately 60 miles west of our region.”
As I’m sure all of you are well aware, Northwest Florida has not been getting a lot of good publicity lately. However, I honestly believe that it is my duty as a lifelong local to set the record straight and clear up some of the rumors that have been floating around.
Yes: There was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Yes: Northwest Florida’s beautiful sugar white beaches are on the Gulf of Mexico
NO: The oil has not made it into our reaches or infiltrated our coastline.
I had the distinct pleasure of spending a week in a beachfront condo recently and I can tell you with complete and confident honesty that our beaches are just as pristine now as they’ve ever been.
So here’s my message to those who are panicking: don’t freak out! If there’s reason to worry or change your vacation plans, trust me, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, come see for yourself why the beaches in Northwest Florida are called “The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.”
I’d like to offer this photo as proof.
As I promised, here are some of the photos taken at the 30A Songwriters Festival. Overall, the talent was excellent but the planning was a bit poor.
As you may have noticed, it’s been pretty rainy lately. But hark! There is an upside to this dreary weather; the waterfall at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley has a pretty hefty water supply. At 73 ft tall it stands as the longest waterfall in Florida. What makes it even more fascinating is that it falls into a sinkhole caused by thousands of years of mildly acidic water eating away at limestone. At $5 for a carload or $2 per pedestrian, I consider this natural wonder a bargain. Check out this picture I found via google image search taken by Tony Centeno, Chipley Bugle Photographer. Get out and see the real Florida!
I’ll be honest, I’m a little late on posting this, and for that I apologize to my readers.
If you haven’t experienced the delight of watching December 22nd’s episode of “Dirty Jobs” you must see it. It’s such an off beat, but authentic glimpse into the everyday lives of real, gritty Northwest Florida citizens. You can’t help but smile while watching Gary, a hard-working family man with a unique sense of humor from Sopchoppy, FL summon worms up from the ground by employing a practice simply known as “worm grunting” in the Apalachicola State Forest. The sound of worm grunting alone is enough to make you crack a smile. Mike Rowe’s attempts at worm grunting also cause chuckles throughout the segment.
Also featured in this episode is clam harvesting with the St. Teresa Clam Company at Alligator Harbor.
See for yourself why this is my new favorite episode of “Dirty Jobs.”
Click here to watch the clips from this episode.
I’d like to make an offer: Gary if you ever read this, let’s do lunch!
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