What a View!

Last weekend we went to a family reunion in North Georgia. We sat outside on one of the decks most of the time eating and talking (it was so much fun to all be together). This year all of our children and grandchildren got to go so it was really lots of fun to have them there with all the cousins and for the family to meet our newest member, Addison, and to see our other grandchildren again. It made this mamma proud!

The view from my cousin's deck is unbelievable. Throughout the time we were there, deer would wander into their backyard to graze or eat the watermelon that had been tossed back there. Occasionally a bear visits them and climbs up on one of the decks to eat the bird seed but not while we were there. We were making far too much noise for a bear, I'm sure.

Below are some pictures taken from their deck. Also, be sure to visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

Life Goes on Here on the Gulf Coast

Be sure to visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday pictures.

Saturday we decided to go bike riding on the beach with some of our very good friends. We left early that morning (early for me, but not necessarily early for the rest). We drove to the beach, parked, and got ready to ride the 15 miles round trip down to Ft. Pickens and back. As everyone knows, all we've heard in the news recently is about the tragic oil spill. It makes us all so sad, but another thing that makes us sad is the bleak picture that the media insists on presenting daily. Our beaches are NOT closed, and, at this point, there is not oil all over our beaches. In fact, we didn't see any oil nor any tar balls. When we got to the fort, we got off our bikes and walked on the beach until we got to the pass---the place where the bay empties into the Gulf of Mexico. People were fishing, others were sailing, others were on a pontoon boat, and still others were swimming. The shorebirds were nesting, the blue herons were searching for food and watching people, the ospreys were taking food to their new babies, and the sand crabs were dashing to safety in their holes as we walked near. Life on the beach looked amazingly normal. I'm posting some pictures of our day. Let's all pray that the oil spill is taken care of very soon and that we will continue to be able enjoy life on our beautiful Gulf Coast.

Happy Birthday, David!

David, our only grandson, turned 8 years old last week. This is his cookie cake that he took to school to share with his classmates. We were there so we were able to eat with him on his real birthday. David LOVES anything Lego--Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Star Wars---so that's what he got for his birthday. His imagination is unbelievable and he can play for hours just pretending. He is a sweet, thoughtful little boy, When we stay overnight at their house, David sleeps with me. He always says, "MomMom, can we snuggle and talk?" How could I turn that down! We snuggle and talk and he tells me SO many things. He loves to read and often tells me about the book he's reading. It's hard to believe he's 8 years old already, but time marches on. Happy Birthday, David!! We love you!

David looking at his birthday gift

He read every word of every card he got!

Eating lunch with his friend Brady at school on his actual birthday

Oil, Oil, Please Stay Away

Yesterday we decided to ride out to the beach late in the afternoon to just sit, have a picnic, and watch the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico. We watched families playing in the water, people fishing, others walking or jogging, and fish jumping. We watched the shorebirds trying to find their last meal of the day. It was hard to believe that just 30-40 miles offshore there are thousands of gallons of oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico. Man can really mess up God's beautiful creation, but we're hoping and praying the oil stays away from our gorgeous emerald coast.




Be sure to stop by Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday posts.