A day at the beach

No two beach walks are the same. One day the dolphins might be cavorting close to shore. The next day the dolphins might be shy, but in their place might be a flock of pelicans testing their fishing skills. On another day it might be a man fishing with three lines cast out to the Gulf. Sometimes we see surfers paddling for the perfect wave. At other times we might have the beach to ourselves. Sometimes the sand itself shifts and we find shallow pools with skates or high walls to climb.

The shells we find vary daily as well. One day the beach might offer up sand dollars. The next day urchins might be the shell of the day. And once in a while we are lucky enough to find whelks.

Yep....each walk may be different, but we are always shown something new!

 

 

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What Are We Up To?

The view from the condo.

As we had planned, we are working on our condo in Orange Beach, Alabama. The condo hasn't received any real renovations in the past few years, so it was time to update a few things. The cabinets and countertops are all original and in dire need of replacement. The cabinets look fine from 10 feet away, but up close they are very tired looking. Brenda and I picked out new custom made cabinets and some very pretty granite countertops. Removing the wallpaper and replacing the dishwasher should really update the kitchen area.

Tired old cabinets and wallpaper.

Additionally, we replaced all three ceiling fans, touched up the paint, put shelving in the Owner's Closet, mounted the bedroom TV on the wall and ordered new vertical blinds. We would like to replace the original vertical blinds with drapes, but as soon as we saw their prices we ran very quickly out of the store. It's just fabric people!

In between projects we have been enjoying this beautiful area of coastal Alabama. Brenda loves her walks on the beach, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, live music everywhere, too many restaurants to count and some of the friendliest people ya'll will ever meet. (Been just waiting for a chance to use "ya'll" in the blog)

Sunrise on the Gulf

Next week we are renting a car and heading north to see family and friends for Thanksgiving. We plan on spending a day with our good sailing friends, Sarah and Steve, in Illinois on our way up to Wisconsin.

Sarah, Steve, Brenda

It will be great to see them again. We are also anxious to see some of our Wisconsin friends again. We may have Florida driver's licenses and live wherever our sailboat is, but we'll always be truly at home in Wisconsin. Well, except when it is cold or snowing.

 

 

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Hard at Work

Note the storm damaged pier in the background.

This learning to fish stuff is hard work (insert sarcasm). First you have to have the right equipment. With the help of Lance and J & M Tackle, Mike was outfitted with a rod, reel and tackle for cast fishing. Next, you need to learn the types of fish in these here waters. For instance, you need to learn that the Crevalle Jack is so big it will bite your line and steal your lure. You also have to find the perfect place to fish. This takes some experimenting. You can try the end of the dock or the corner or out in the dinghy all of which should include a spot for your spouse to sit and sight-see or read (whichever she prefers). Different times of day must be tried as well. As you try out the different areas you will find that you get lots of advice from others. Fishing is a great way to meet your neighbors. Some will share specific techniques and tricks. Others will talk about anything other than where/how they catch their fish.

Stay tuned for future reports on our learning. At this point it appears that we fish like we sail.....Wrinkles in our fishing.

 

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