The Gulf Beach Blog

Those of us who live near the Gulf and who love its pristine beaches and fresh seafood are sad and frustrated right now. It's difficult to watch the oil disaster unfold and to know that you're completely powerless to help.

I took this photo during our visit to Destin in May 2009. Destin is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world--I don't know why. Maybe it's a combination of many fond memories and the sheer beauty of the aquamarine water. Give me a good book and plant me on that sugary white sand, and I'm a happy woman.

The Fred was the subject of one of my favorite memories from that trip. She was not a seasoned beachgoer at the time. When a rather chilly wave washed up over her little feet, she screamed and took off, running for her life from the apparent treachery of the ocean. Parents have to be quick, as it turns out. By the time Mommadrool caught up with The Fred, she was halfway to the beach road.

As for feeling powerless, although I've been researching charities and wildlife organizations on the Web, I haven't found an organization that is accepting donations solely for the Gulf coast; nor did I see any groups soliciting volunteers at this time.

About the only advice I can give to those who want to help is this: If you had previously scheduled a trip to the beach and are considering canceling, call your hotel first! Your destination may still be the unbelievably stunning place it was before the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Some vacation destinations are offering sizeable discounts. Seascape has posted a new Vacation Guarantee Reservation Policy, and it only takes a few seconds to check for updates on current beach conditions.

And if you haven't scheduled a trip to our gorgeous Gulf beaches, why not be spontaneous and plan one now? Be sure to take a good book with you.

Catfish on the Runway

Tropical Storm Fay is wreaking havoc with people’s Florida travel plans. Some travelers looking forward to trips to the beach cancelled plans rather than risk a chance of heavy rains or just a messy, windy weekend.

Air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays for a variety of reasons, including 1-2 feet of rain in some locations:

“Four catfish kept a Delta Air Lines flight from landing on time at Melbourne International Airport on Wednesday, CNN affiliate WFTV reported. The walking catfish, which use their pectoral fins to move and can stay out of water for some time, were on the runway and airport crews had to move them before the plane could land.

'Besides the catfish, crews also encountered two gopher tortoises, a blue indigo snake and an alligator, WFTV reported.”

Oh, and speaking of the media--have you ever watched the Weather Channel? I had occasion to see it off and on yesterday, and they have this new program, People Talking About the Weather. Well, I don't really know what they call it, but it's like a talk show where people discuss the most controversial and thought-provoking weather issues. Also, they show clips of Weather Channel reporters being blown about by unruly weather.

Now, I really like that part. One day I'd like to do a little video of a friend in one of those blue jackets holding onto a tree and being upended by a storm.

Just an odd fact about me.

The Blonde Leading the Blonde

It’s almost time for the annual beach trip with KayZee! We are really excited, and it looks as if we’re not having a hurricane. I have my laptop, my 95 SPF sunscreen, and my snacks, along with my trashy mystery/romance novel (we're downgrading from last year's Pulitzer-prize-winning tome).

Now all we have to worry about is getting there and getting back. Last year, I drove, and I appointed KayZee the Chief Navigator. Maybe we should both be Chiefs, since both of our dads were in the Navy. Anyway, last summer I had the Bond Girl going and KayZee had four or five helpful documents, including Mapquest directions and Google directions.

Well, the Bond Girl, as she is wont to do when she’s not in a major city, went a little berserk and started giving us wrong turns. We didn’t really get lost, but we had to turn around a couple of times before I realized that I shouldn’t be listening to the Bond Girl on this particular trip. (She’s very sharp in Atlanta and Birmingham, but rural areas are not her forté.) KayZee was very supportive, but I think we may have had too many helpful documents. The result was what DH calls “The Blonde Leading the Blonde.”

The other day, KayZee suggested, “I think we maybe should use a map.” So this year, KayZee is driving, and she has one map, so we are very optimistic about our chances for a successful road trip. Maybe we’ll take our journals so we can pen our thoughts about the beach and any wrong turns along the way.