Spent part of a recent afternoon wandering around Sawgrass Lake Park. Though half of the park was closed for renovations, there was still plenty for me to see: tortoises, snakes, alligators, birds, and fish.

While strolling the boardwalk I noticed a juvenile alligator off to the side. The rule about baby gators is that momma is always nearby. I looked from side to side and all around before it finally occurred to me to look down.

Through the cracks between the planks I spied a large alligator. Taking advantage of my position I paced over the top of the big girl, she measured in at eleven feet. Thank goodness for the boardwalk!

Last week I took advantage of a day off to drive to Oscar Scherer State Park. The slightly cooler weather down here is enticing me to explore more inland places, away from the water. I had two goals for my visit, take advantage of the state park pass discount sale and see my first Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).

I accomplished the first but unfortunately, dipped on the second. There were plenty of other attractions for me to focus my lens on but I didn’t see a single Florida Scrub Jay (though I thought I heard one calling).

While the bird is endemic to the state it only resides in a habitat known as Scrubby Flatwoods. Sadly, this dry, interior landscape is rapidly disappearing due to development. Thankfully, the park protects roughly 1400-acres of their preferred landscape.

There is a movement to establish more protection for this species, including an effort to name it as the state bird. Currently, that spot is held by the chatty and prevalent Northern Mockingbird. While I love mockingbirds, they already represent other states and the Florida Scrub Jay is unique to the Sunshine State.

It may be a symbolic change but it could help drive conservation of the species. After all, nobody would want to admit that they allowed the extirpation of one of their state symbols!

In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for the handsome bird.

While our nights are markedly longer and the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico has dropped into the low 70s, our days are still full of warm sunshine – and I am not complaining! I’m definitely a Gulf Coast girl!

I hope you get to spend time in your happy place this weekend!

Stepped out my front door to take the trash out last night and encountered this sweet face (sorry for the low quality images, it was almost dark out and kitty would not pose for the camera).

At first glance I thought that somehow my boy Westley had dashed out because they certainly look alike. But this cat’s mellow little voice allayed my fears. I love Westley but man, his meows can be strident at times!

I gave new kitty a few scritches and offered it some food. Though I’ve never met this kitty before, it seemed to know the routine because it hopped right up on the patio table and waited patiently.

Makes me wonder if the other cats in my neighborhood have marked my house as a safe place, kind of like a cat “hobo code”. Hopefully they’ve given me 5 paws!

Last week was bookended by two fantastic concerts, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real kicked things off on Monday night while the Zac Brown Band brought the party on Saturday. As you might have guessed by now, I thoroughly enjoy music, especially live music performed by talented artists. It’s amazing how they can transport you with their songs.

I was fortunate to see both acts in Texas a few years ago and, as before, they did not disappoint. If you have a chance to see either of these bands I suggest you take advantage of it!

I really can’t think of a better way to honor the life of Jimmy Buffett than being a member of a Parrot Head club. The funky term for his fans came out of a concert in Cincinnati back in 1985. Four years later, the first club was formed.

Parrot Head clubs earned Jimmy’s blessing by committing to volunteer and/or raise money for social and environmental charities. Each club hosts annual fundraisers, usually in the form of a themed musical weekend. Over the past 30 years, members have volunteered 4.5 million hours and donated close to $60 million.

Meeting of the Minds (MOTM), is the largest annual Parrothead gathering but it isn’t all just fun and games. Here’s a snippet from the Parrot Heads in Paradise recent email of what we accomplished in Gulf Shores this year:

“Parrot Heads literally bled for our new host city, donating 126 pints to the LifeSouth Blood Bank that will save 378 lives. And we donated $16,172 to Singing for Change, $3,000 to Bras Across the Causeway, $3,000 to the South Baldwin Community Theater, $3,726 plus 115 toys and 61 pairs of shoes to the Christian Service Center, $3,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, $3,000 to the Alabama Gulf Zoo, $2,000 to the Lone Palm Foundation, $2,000 to the Artist Relief Fund, and we raised $10,100 for the PHiP Scholarship Fund. We also had over 400 walkers/runners in the SKIPPIN’ & SIPPIN’ Breast Cancer 5k and walk that raised an additional $18,000 for Bras Across the Causeway!”

I love knowing that we are doing good while having a good time! Bubbles up! 🫧🫧

While the long MOTM weekend is centered on music (which I thoroughly enjoy), I find it’s the fun times with friends that I treasure most. It’s a chance to spend time with old pals from Texas, along with newer ones from Florida, as well as making fresh friendships with people from all over the world.

There’s always something interesting going on. I tell people, “If you’re bored here, that’s on you!”

After over 20 years in Key West, the Meeting of the Minds Parrot Head gathering moved to coastal Alabama. There were many factors that forced the move (affordability being one of them) but the timing couldn’t have been better.

Since Jimmy Buffett passed away this past Labor Day weekend, it seemed even more fitting to be celebrating his music and lifestyle in his old stomping grounds. The Hangout, Florabama, and Lulu’s (Lucy Buffett’s establishment) were the official host venues, but there was trop rock music in most every restaurant/bar from Gulf Shores to Orange Beach.

My eight hour drive (only an hour longer than to Key West) went smoothly and I arrived in plenty of time to catch the tribute show on Wednesday evening. It was a fantastic way to kick off the event as dozens of musicians (including members of his band, the Coral Reefers) covered some beloved JB tunes. I could already tell it was going to be a wonderful few days!

This was not my first visit to this area of the Alabama Gulf Coast. My previous trip was just overnight, a quick stopover during my move from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the Gulf Coast of Florida. Sensing a trend? I’m admittedly in love with America’s Third Coast.

Thankfully, it was warmer and sunnier than my December stay. There were many similarities and I will admit that the sand there is whiter and softer than my sand in the St. Pete area but don’t worry, I won’t be moving (for many reasons).

Each morning, while my friends were recuperating from the night before I headed out to explore a different stretch of nearby beach. A relaxing and refreshing way for me to get ready for the long day of live music and fun.

Since it’s Halloween, I thought I’d share these two memes that I found on Facebook. Not only do they crack me up but they reminded me of an incident that happened this time of year, right after I bought my little house.

Three years ago, while I was landscaping my front yard, an older couple paused while walking their dog. I smiled at them but kept digging until the man asked me what all the holes were for.

Allow me to set the stage for you; I’d never met them before, I was standing knee deep in a large hole, I was a hot, sweaty mess, and I have an admittedly strange sense of humor.

I stopped working, looked up, and said the first thing that came to mind, “Well, I need somewhere to put all the bodies.”

They were shocked. You should have seen their faces! I laughed to ease the moment and explained that I was ripping out my lawn in order to plant a pollinator garden. That seemed to mollify them.

Fast forward a few years and my yard is full of flowering plants which are well-attended by bees and butterflies. I still occasionally see the couple walking their dog. Needless to say, they are very nice to me.