Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida

I attended a unique Baby Shower last weekend, the annual Open House and Supply Drive for the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida (WSNF).

With apologies to my own children, these were some of the cutest babies I have ever seen.

Gopher tortoises by Janice Neitzel

In the past year the refuge has taken in approximately 3000 animals, including 4 Bald Eagles, 15 Hummingbirds, 39 Flying Squirrels, 1 Otter, 63 Turtles, and 8 Tortoise.

This remarkable staff was as proud of their ‘babies’  as any parent I’ve ever met.

Dorothy Kaufmann, Director, with owl (photo by Janice Neitzel)

Most of the very young animals were safely secluded from the inquisitive crowd, but many of the long-term residents were on display. These intrepid birds, too damaged to be released in the wild, were not camera shy and obviously enjoyed all the attention!

Cara and Janel educate the party-goers about their Vultures

The ‘Wish List’ for the Baby Shower included food for the residents, fresh or frozen, cleaning supplies, and (my personal favorite) Amdro Ant Poison.  Now I know what to get them for Christmas… I’ll just get a second jug of Fire Ant poison when I buy mine!

And I have promised to collect Gopher Apples from our Surfside crop and try to germinate some for the Sanctuary.

The WSNF has been in operation for 28 years and publishes an informative newsletter. I strongly encourage anyone who considers rescuing an ‘abandoned’ animal to read Karen Beach’s “Think FIRST Before You Rescue.”  And Cora Brown’s biography of Hudson is absolutely fascinating.

http://pensacolawildlife.com/

I was a little late arriving because of the traffic snarl at the Flora-Bama, but I knew where to find Janice…

Janice Neitzel focuses on the eagles

taking photos of Apollo and his friends.

Apollo by Janice Neitzel

The WSNF is a terrific destination if you’re thinking about ‘taking a walk on the wild side’ and you will enjoy meeting the dedicated staff and volunteers.

They are in my prayers as this horrible oil spill menaces the Gulf Coast, I think they will need our help and our donations.

Jack Friend,

a true friend to anyone who loves Fort Morgan

Jack Friend chats with co-author Mike Bailey at Fort Morgan

One of the perks of being the ‘website designer’ for the Fort is almost unrestricted access to that unique historic site.    

I think my acceptance is due mainly to the fact they’re not quite sure what to do about me…. a volunteer willing to donate time and money to promoting and marketing, but not really excited about reenacting the Civil War.  Actually, I’m very happy we lost that war.   

But I am an admirer of the architecture and wildlife here, and I’m glad we whipped the British (again) in 1812.  It was after the War of 1812 the Third System Coastal Defense Forts, including Fort Morgan, were built, so maybe we could celebrate that victory and our dominance over Canada (then British North America). I think the Star-Spangled Banner might be just as appropriate as cannon fire?   

Eli Chandler, Jack Friend and Mike Bailey

 

But the highlight of this event was, unquestionably, my meeting with Jack Friend. Escorted by a kindly neighbor from Fairhope, he was frail but obviously delighted to spend the morning at his beloved Fort.   

He is the author of  the definitive  “West wind, flood tide: the Battle of Mobile Bay” and co-author (with Bob England,  Michael Bailey, and Blanton Blankenship) of “Fort Morgan”.   

In 1974, by then a noted Naval Historian, he was commissioned to study the possibility of salvaging the USS Tecumseh. It was his determination that the process would cost at least $10 Million over 30 years ago, much too expensive. So today  # 19  in the ‘Self Guided Tour’ denotes the buoy making the wreck of the USS Tecumseh.   

But perhaps even more importantly he and his wife, Venetia, donated land that was to become part of the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge in the late 1970s and championed its preservation. Their home is now government headquarters for staff and volunteers and the popular Jeff Friend Trail is named for their late son.     

It was an honor to meet Jack Friend and spend time with him. He won’t attend many more events at Fort Morgan, but his memory and impact will persist for many, many years.

Coquina Chef

My first attempt at Coquina Chowder was 25 years ago.  The kids had collected a bucket full of the little jewel-toned clams from the surf and, on advice from a lady on the beach, Jan and I cooked them up.   

Coquina Collection

 

The broth was fragrant and it tasted like clams, but we were afraid to serve it to our happy sun-kissed children (this was back in the dark ages, before we had access to the Information Highway, so we had no way to verify if coquina were, in fact, even edible) and we sadly poured the remainder down the drain.   

Coquina bed

 

So I know Jan was smiling down on us as Leah spent hours digging in the sand collecting the most colorful shells this week.  I ‘Googled’  when we got back to the house and found that coquina are not only edible, but considered a delicacy in Europe.    

Our first batch was tasty, but sandy. Leah knew all about  ‘purging’ crayfish before cooking, so we researched clams and hit on a procedure that seemed sensible and feasible for coquina.  

 The next morning we brought a gallon bucket full back to the house and started to work on our Coquina Chowder.   

In Italy they are called ‘arselle’   

Image from Il Forno

 

and are served over pasta, and in France they are called ‘telline’ and served with garlic and parsley…  leaving the hapless diner the work of removing the tiny tasty morsels from their shells. In Lower Alabama we shuck the little clams for our guests, and it is a labor of love.   

While the coquina were busy ‘purging’ Leah and I looked for the perfect recipe. We decided on a variation from my favorite  seafood cookbook, “Catch ’em and Cook ’em”  by Bunny Day, a treasure published in 1961.   

When they were ready, we dashed them in boiling water just barely long enough to cook them, fearing they could easily become hard and rubbery like so many of the clams in clam chowder.   

Cooked Coquina

 

We poured off the steaming broth and I started on the chowder while Leah began the long process of shucking (and separating) the coquina shells.   

Coquina Butterflies

 

Almost three hours later, the soup was finally ready for a taste test. We held our collective breath as both her parents and her brother sampled a bowl… and proclaimed it, “good”.  And coming from the Batemans, that’s high praise!   

Coquina Chowder

 

But the grand prize was awarded the next day when Sharon called to tell me her husband poured the last of it into tupperware to take to their Cajun Grandmother’s birthday celebration this weekend!   

Here’s to you, Jan!

100 Dishes to eat in Alabama before you die

A Bucket List for Foodies

 

On a recent ‘Girls’ Day Out’  in Fairhope I crossed off another of the “100 Dishes to eat in Alabama before you die”. We sampled the Crab Cakes at the Fairhope Inn and found them to be decidedly deserving of that divine honor! 

After lunch at the Fairhope Inn

 

It’s an elegant restaurant steeped in sweet tea, magnolias, and Southern Hospitality (it would be the perfect place for a Bridesmaid Luncheon should the future Dr. Erin Wornall choose to be married in Lower Alabama… even my Aunt Alice, God rest her soul, would approve!) 

http://www.thefairhopeinn.com/home.asp 

I do have the 2005 version of the list produced by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel and have been happily eating my way through it, completely unaware that it is updated annually. 

The crab cakes in Fairhope aren’t on the 2010 list, they’ve been uprooted by some burgers at The Pub and Big Daddy’s, and the shrimp at Old Bay Steamer but I think that’s because so many new restaurants have opened nearby – Janice and Sharon swear the recipe hasn’t changed. 

In the newest brochure the Crab Claws with Remoulade Sauce at King Neptunes have been replaced by Royal Red Shrimp so I guess I’ll have to go back.  And the Peanut Butter Pie has been declared a better bet this year than my favorite oysters at the Original Oyster House so I’ll need to make another return trip. 

The tourist favorites haven’t changed, Lambert’s ‘throwed rolls’ and cheeseburgers at Lulu’s make the list annually, and my family has been ordering Hope’s Cheesecake for Christmas gifts for years so that’s no surprise. 

I am kinda troubled to see Bates House of Turkey in Greenville made the cut, the sandwiches I’ve gotten there on recent trips bear little resemblance to the smoked turkey breasts we bought on the way to the beach 25 years ago. Maybe there’s not a big selection of restaurants in Greenville? 

But our other favorites, going and coming to the beach down I-65, keep Clanton a perennial rest stop… on the list again are The Peach Park and Durbin Farms Market. This will be good news for the Kepharts and Tanners, we all love their barbeque. 

Jesse's in Magnolia Springs, photo from brochure

 

On the other hand, I’m a little dismayed to see Jesse’s and Sweet Home Farm still making the list, but for a different reason.  There are just some treasures we’d prefer to keep for ourselves…. small, intimate establishments with little room for tourists frantically checking off the dishes on their bucket lists. 

Here is the list for 2010. 

“100 Dishes to eat in Alabama before you die 

“One bite from a divine dish can make you feel as if you’ve just died and gone to heaven.  In Alabama 100 dishes can put you on cloud nine, from the ribs at Dreamland to the pie at Sweet Potato Heaven. You may never come back to earth…” 

http://800alabama.com/yof/YOFbrochure.pdf 

The children's park in Fairhope with Will's handprints

 

After we crossed the crab cakes off our lists, we spent the rest of the day strolling in and out of the shops in Fairhope. Sharon and Janice had shopped there many times, and even Pam had favorite destinations. I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t been to Fairhope in years (I’ve been through it countless times, but rarely stopped downtown) and poor Betsy has never had the opportunity to stray far from the beach when she comes to Alabama. 

On the way back home we stopped in Magnolia Springs for desert and a tour of the quaint Episcopal Church . 

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

 

It was a perfect day, and I’m happy to keep adding to my Bucket List of barbeque and seafood to eat before I die. If this is heaven, I must be in Alabama… 

Thanks to Janice, Sharon, Pam, and Betsy!