Saturday, May 08, 2010

A Shore Thing

So, what do Gulf Coast gardeners do when the heat kicks up in the garden? We get in our boats and ride.
In keeping with the gardening theme, I did see these brave little flowers growing in the sand on Santa Rosa Island. 
We walked across to the Gulf (of Mexico) to see that our beaches were still un-touched by the impending oil slick.
The beach was still clean and beautiful. There's much at stake here. We have some of the whitest sands in the world. (No kidding, I've been to beaches all over the world and I've never seen any as pretty as ours.)
They've set out numerous orange barriers in various areas of Santa Rosa Sound. It was great to see that even though the pass that feeds our sound will probably be protected, that they are taking no chances with the wildlife. 
We'd just jumped off the boat and were walking back home, when we spied this osprey high in a dead pine tree enjoying some sushi.

NOTE:  Last night we received our first whiff of the stench that folks in Louisiana are complaining about when the wind blew in from the direction of the oil spill. Yuck! 

17 comments:

Ami said...

I agree the sand on the west cost of the florida is very white and clean. I once went to Sarasota beach, was very impressed. The beach in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale is not that pretty compare to the west coast. Glad to know that beach over there has not impacted by oil spill, and they have put the barrier to protect it. Enjoy!

NanaK said...

Oh dear, I am very concerned about your lovely panhandle beaches. They really are some of the prettiest. Getting a whiff of oil doesn't sound like a good sign. I just read that the effort to use the container to siphon off a portion did not work. This is getting to be scary. I'm praying for a quick end to the flow of oil and that negative effects will be minimal.

azplantlady said...

I do hope your beaches escape the oil. I do not think I have ever seen such a pristine looking beach before :-)

Deborah Verhoeven said...

Ami, the sand up here in the panhandle is pure white crystals that actually squeak under your feet. The Miami area beaches have their own charm--I went to high school in Miami. I remember that the sand was
crushed shells that stuck like crazy to our skin.

Nana, a friend in Perdido Key (just down the coast from us) reports that the stench there is constant. It's making her feel unwell.

Thanks, Noelle. If it gets bad, we may be moving to your neck of the "woods".

The good news is that they are doing so much here to protect everything. I saw an news clip on TV where they are collecting hair and pantyhose to mop up the oil. I went for a hair cut the next day and found that the salon had a special bin set up to collect hair to donate.

Danielles Garden said...

Hi. We East Coast Gardeners do the same thing!!! I have to admit, the garden has suffered a bit because the boating has been great the past few months.

My fingernails have been unusually clean. Sounds bad, but it's good.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

It is nice to live by the shore... where the sea meets the land, teasing with beautiful waves... ~bangchik

Susan said...

Glad to hear the oil has not reached your beaches. They really are some of the most beautiful in the world. I hope and pray they can fix the problem soon and save the beaches.

Amy said...

We would like to do the same on Lake Austin, but we don't have a boat. I didn't realize how pretty the beaches are along the Gulf. The oil spill is terrible!!!!

Floridagirl said...

Beautiful shots of the real Florida! I do agree that the Gulf has the prettiest beaches. Hopefully, they will stay that way. I need a boat!

Shyrlene said...

Deb - could you hear my deep sign when I saw your pictures?! The shot of the osprey is phenominal... The thought of all that natural beauty effected by an oil slick stops your heart :( We'll hope n pray for the best. -Shyrlene

Isadora said...

Hope you are still oil=free. What a tragedy! I envy you your proximity to the ocean, what fun!

Diana Studer said...

((Um sorry. Motor-boat? Using the oil they ship on the tankers?))

Vetsy said...

Darn it! when will man stop messing up the earth!... That is a lovely beach it looks so peaceful.

Thank you for your well wishes, it was very appreciated! The little yellow flowers look similar to my creeping butter cups! I just found out that my buttercups are weeds! Lol!

Have a wonderful day!

debsgarden said...

What a disaster this oil spill is! I ache for the beaches and for the wildlife. I keep hoping our beaches will escape. You are right. People who haven't been to the Gulf Coast can't imagine how beautiful our beaches are. Lucky you to be so close!

Andrea said...

How beautiful and clean your beaches are! It will be a pity not only for the wildlife but also for the view if oilspill will reach it. That yellow grass flower is beautiful too. Here we have a comparable beach called Boracay, with its very fine white sand that glistens like mirror under the sun!

Kimberly said...

Deborah, great shots of the shoreline! I PRAY they stay pristine and beautiful...and that the osprey can continue to eat clean, good fish! Please keep us updated.

Jan said...

I hope your beaches aren't getting ruined. I'm so sad about this whole thing, and hope your lovely white sand will not be discolored and the beaches destroyed. The wildlife loss so far has been terrible...and I hope things aren't harmed where you are.