Life at the Beach

After our vacation in May, we decided to try living at the beach for a while, to see if we would like it. I know, you are thinking, what’s not to like? But as is sometimes the case, when you live in a place for a while, you take things for granted and the gulf may not be as transfixing as it is while on a short vacation and a walk in the sand not so inviting. We decided to move temporarily at the beginning of July, to see if we could tolerate the heat at this time of year. John’s partner on the State Patrol, David, and his winsome, lovely wife, Sandra, have rented us their condo on Panama City Beach with an understanding that we would try it for a year. We have a balcony overlooking the beach and gulf and one day is so different from the next. The tides change the sandbars; the sea life comes and goes, as do the sun worshipers. We have had scores of new neighbors and groups and each is unique.
The first group were the little league play-off teams. There is a walk-over Highway 98 from the parking garage and the main building and it was filled with static in the mornings as the teams and their parents left for their game. But in the afternoon, as we approached the walk-over, you could tell by the slumping shoulders and the dejected gait that these were the losers and the skipping and yelping and flushed faces were those of the winners.
When we realized that we didn’t have to rush to go swimming, or read on the beach or play golf, we got into a slow and laid back routine. As luck would have it, the fireworks display on the 4th of July was to be on the pier close to our building. We grilled and sat on our balcony and watched the show in comfort, without having to leave. We decided that night that this is where we want to be.

More of Destin Vacay

Sorry to be so out of touch, but trying desparately to finish Daddy's scrapbook before Kittypalooza in August. Since Joe and company are coming from California, I wanted to have it ready for him to enjoy along with the rest of the Nix clan.

We had a wonderful time playing golf, shopping, sitting at AJ's watching the fishing boats come and go and then there was the visit from our dear friends from Bryson City, NC, Dana Smith and Linda Calhoun, who prepared a chilled soup of seafood and avacado and tomatoes, just to simply die for. After they left, we lunched on the leftovers which were better than the night before!!

We toured an apartment complex next to Regatta across US 98 between Destin and Seaside, which is a wonderful, secure, luxe place which fit in our budget and then on to David's condo in West PC that is 3 bedrooms and is completely furnished and has been offered to us to rent so that we can move to the beach and decide whether we might like it full time. Such an exciting opportunity and with the hottest months upon us, if we can love it in July and August, surely we can love it year round. But, we are keeping the Bolingbroke house. I have put so much in the gardens and flower beds that I am sad to let it go. We may just rent partially in FL and come back here during the hottest months from this time forward. We will just have to wait and see.

Destin Vacation

So, we left Bolingbroke around noon on Sunday, May 3, 2009 and made our way down to Blakely, Georgia where we encountered a roadway that was raised and on either side a swamp with water oaks with trunks like Cyprus and Spanish moss dripping from their branches. When we got to the Chattahoochie River, we were amazed at how clean the water was and how many folks have vacation homes on the banks. We then traveled around Dothan, AL and had no traffic troubles until we reached "Sadie's Flea Market" where people were swarming around the area with car trunks loaded with goodies and dashing out into the roadway! Holy Moly!

We arrived in Destin and our condo right before 5 central time and were able to meet the office staff before they went off duty. They are so laid back down there and the nice lady at the desk told us to not worry about a thing, go upstairs and get a cocktail and take care of business in the a.m. My kind of place! No fuss no muss.

The Shack

I had several good recommendations for this book. As most of you know, I lost my only child in a car accident some almost 15 years ago, so I thought maybe this book would be a salvo, since the family which is at the heart of said book lost a child, not to an accident, but to a depraved seriel killer. The first third of the book rang so true, but when I got to the part about salvation, I shut it tight. I believe in God and I believe that my daughter made a very bad decision on the day she died, as she had made other bad decisions in her teen life. I do not believe that God was responsible for her death and I cannot be angry with him/her. My daughter was responsible for putting herself in the situation that caused her death. I can be a witness to this as in my young life I made several bad decisions that resulted in bad consequences. I tried to hammer this into my sweet Sandras's head. Action = Consequences. But as with a lot of teenagers, parents are stupid; they don't understand; ad nauseum.....I believe that God lives in each of us and that we are all connected. I believe that we are God's "hands" and that we should help each other. Especially those who are beleagured by scams, con men, shams, oppression, etc. I only wish that I could be the hands of God in more ways than I am. I truly believe that we, as humans, can relieve the suffering of those who are at a disadvantage and I encourage all of my friends to do the same. Love, Peace and Hey Free Love is not so bad if you are a young person and use a condom.....

More Flowers

So I took another picture of the roses as they unveiled their beauty and then the wisteria which I bought at a nursery to the chagrin of one of the patrons "who actually BUYS wisteria, it's such a pest?" But I prevailed and now realize that I have a dwarf wisteris with winsome clusters of flowers, not the huge grape sized bunches that I see alongside the highway. I read somewhere today that what you surround yourself in life is how you want life to be. Deep.....

April showers...

I have a rose bush that was forever attacked by the local deer population so I transplanted it closer to the house. However, the sweet, seductive scent of its blooms still attracted the deer. John found a deer repellent that has so far kept them at bay and I have two buds that are opening just fine. I felt that if they were left on the bush that their scent would be too tempting, so I cut them and brought them in. They smell delicious and the room is filled with their perfume and wanted to share with you their beauty.

Animal Sancturary

So I am listed with the National Wildlife Federation as an animal/bird safe house and provide feed for the creatures of the earth who reside in my neck of the woods. However, there are certain birds/animals who are greedy and try to spoil it for the rest of the guys. (Kinda like some humans we know, eh?) So we got out the BB gun this evening and every time the big ole blackbirds tried to horn in on the feeders and keep the others out (and I mean, all of the others, the hogs!) we shot at them and scared them off. We did no harm to them except to scare them for all you PETA folks. Honestly, I am trying to re-populate the planet with the truly endangered Blue Jays, who are so susceptible to bird flue and I have a pair in my mini-woods and who visit my feeders every day. But when the blackbirds and crows are around, nobody gets to eat until they empty the feeders! Grrr. Such are the bloodsuckers of human society. So, here I am with the BB gun and a mission. You may think I am bloodthirsty, but no, I only want to save the food for the more amenable birds thank you very much. Let someone else take care of the aggressive blackbirds and crows, who care not for the rest of their population.