Storm damage

Alberta's iconic butterflies

There was little storm damage to the homes in Surfside. A strip of roofing on one house, a screen door on another, and one of Alberta’s butterflies was unhinged.  But we noticed very little damage from the high winds on our first walk in three days… until we reached the beach.

I’d seen the story in the Mobile Press-Register about the beach invasion but didn’t realize it affected Fort Morgan. 

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/03/millions_of_bythewind_sailors.html

 http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/123814536599410.xml&coll=3

But, when we reached Beach Shore Drive we found it covered in sand and littered with Portuguese man-o-war, not a good sign. We walked down to the beach beside the Governor’s House and I could see that water and debris was under some of the homes, and tidal pools made walking on the beach dangerous. I’ve stepped in quicksand after a storm once, and that was enough for my lifetime. (Mr. Bradt’s sculpture was intact and spinning lazily in the breeze)

As we made our way back to the safety of the road I could see that the debris high on the beach and under the homes was irridescent and quivering.  And, honestly, it smelled.

Surfside debris - just nasty

My photo, Saturday, was a dried up version of the photo posted by Ryan&nbsp Dezember on the Press-Register site Thursday.

photo posted by Ryan Dezember on Mobile Press-Register

But the storms raised the water level in the lagoons and prompted an immediate turtle migration. 

As we were walking back to the house we came upon a turtle parade, three of Alberta’s pets were moving to the pond west of the Surfside lagoon.                                                                               

Parade of turtles after storm

And some of them were migrating north to my lagoon.

cutting through the front yard

 One  liked the bottle tree and one was craving veggies (and I had blamed the rabbits for that damage)

I absolutely, positively have to do a water change in the aquarium today, poor Blue has just molted and is in hiding.

out of reach?

I may need a ‘restorative cocktail’  before I wade into the surf with my bucket…

A timely correction

A Gordon Bradt original?

I have been told, by a reliable source, that the sculpture on the beach in Surfside I described as ‘whimsical’ is most likely a kinetic sculpture by Gordon Bradt of Kinetico Studios! 

A Kinetico clock

Judging by the footprints in the sand, it has been quite popular with our Spring Breakers this week.

 

The top spins one way (armed with copper post caps) and the bottom turns in the opposite direction, always at about the same speed regardless of the wind. It is intriguing and, I still maintain, whimsical!

How fabulous to have an artist-in-residence (occasionally) who would take the time to create a public sculpture designed to make us stop for a moment and smile!

I encourage you to visit his website and watch the video of his extraordinary clocks.

http://www.gordonbradt.com/

Moving day

I have been on turtle watch since I had the unique opportunity to watch one try to nest in my backyard a few weeks ago, and I have been fortunate to see 2 more in as many weeks.         

 

I saw this strange sight off the deck after the rain last week. She was moving from the small pond to the west of the house to the larger lagoon in the back.

She was fast and was only mildly annoyed with me and my camera.

If I’m not mistaken, she is a female Florida Softshell.  I’ll take their word that her shell is soft and leather-like, her legs were quick and powerful and her snout looked too dangerous for further investigation.   She only hesitated for a moment when I appeared, and was deep in the palmettos in a flash.

I think she has a larger relative in the lagoon behind Alberta’s house, but she is shy and slips off the driftwood and into the water everytime I try to get a closer look. 

Maybe I’ll try again if it’s warm and sunny this afternoon…  yesterday I watched a ray leap out of the water just past the sandbar, I think spring has sprung and the wildlife is getting frisky!

Nature Sanctuary

I’ve had some interesting jobs in my life.  Cataloguing John R. Gaines’ art and library was undoubtedly the most interesting and lucrative, but working as the secretary for the Biology Department was the most inspirational. 

Dr. Mary Wharton had already published her second book when I was hired, as a sophomore at Georgetown, so she was only teaching a few classes each semester.

I was fortunate to have her for two environmental science courses including field trips where we trooped behind her, struggling to keep up, as she pointed out Trailing Arbutus or False Indigo.

Many years later I bought several books at her estate auction to benefit her beloved Floracliff Nature Sanctuary.  http://www.floracliff.org/marywharton.html

 

When my wonderful friends visited from Kentucky last weekend we had too much terrific food, drink, and laughter.

 But we also enjoyed many walks on the beach and a hike across to the bay. I stopped at a bookstore this week to try to find a local book like Dr. Wharton’s  ”Guide to the Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky” but there was nothing to compare.

So I can’t identify the flowers and plants we saw, but as I grow older I do identify with Dr. Wharton’s appreciation for the beauty in nature.

 

Artists in Residence… Fort Morgan creations

Horton Bateman's T-Rex before Katrina

Today the T-Rex is resting in the sand, in need of a little repair...

Whimsical sculpture in Surfside

Perfect sign for Surfside

Renovation for vacation

Guest bedroom under construction

I sprinted through my painting project to be ready for my Kentucky guests.   Five adults forced to share one bathroom was a terrific incentive for finishing up that guest bath!

Guest bedroom finished

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue room under construction

  

Blue room finished

 

 

 

Guest bathroom under construction

 

Guest bathroom after

 

Danny consults with Melinda

I didn’t get the light in the dining room installed before they arrived, but Danny came over for leftovers Monday and we crossed that project off my list.  Thanks, Melinda & Danny!  

Building the hurricane lamp

Voila!