Pensacola Beach Blogger

I smile every time I walk out to the beach now that they’ve fixed our neighborhood walkway. Erosion from the passing of Gustav caused the dune under the walkway to wash out, and the SRIA boarded it up. Well, as of a few weeks ago, it is finally fixed. Thanks SRIA!

But what was even more surprising, was the fact that I have not one, but TWO sea turtle nests within a stone’s throw away!

I’m not sure how I missed these the last few days, as they couldn’t be any closer to my house. Last year, one day on the beach, Barrier Island Girl told me what the numbers and letters on the posts represent, but my memory is spotty now. Hopefully she can chime in and remind us all what’s going on here. I’m guessing the first few numbers represent when they were found (6-03 and 6-15). How can we calculate when they are going to be hatched?

I do know this: the eggs are very fragile, and should be left alone. It is unfortunate that we see what appear to be children’s footprints and drawings over the nests. This can put the baby turtles at great risk. Parents, please keep kids and pets out of the nests!

Another perfect night for Bands on the Beach! Last night, Dr. Breeze performed on the Casino Beach pavillion, and what a show it was! Dr. Breeze is originally from New Orleans, but now lives here, in Pensacola.

Presenting…. Dr. Breeze:

And his band:

That’s Art Brockmeier from Pensacola Steel on the steel drums. He will be playing at our wedding reception in September!

As always, there was plenty of food to go around:

Another record-breaking turnout for Bands on the Beach:

And don’t forget the wine:

Now, I don’t normally brag about these amatuer shots that I get, but I thought this one was pretty cool… Click to enlarge and you can see the sunset, Bands on the Beach, and even the Pensacola Beach Ball water tower in the reflection of my fiancé’s glasses:

See you next Tuesday!

Bands on the Beach is a free concert that happens every Tuesday night on Pensacola Beach at the Pavilion at Casino Beach. The concerts start up at 7:00 PM and usually go till about 9. The regulars bring chairs, a little table, some snacks and some wine and make a night of it. Scroll down to see the line up for this year!

5/5 – Wildwood (Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues, Beatles, Reggae)
5/12 – Mass Kunfusion (Classic Rock, 80s, Modern Hits)
5/19 – Local Hero (Rock, Soul, Blues, Funk, Originals)

6/2 – Modern Eldorados (Honky Tonk, Classic Country, Rockabilly)
6/9 – A Touch of Gray (60s, 70s, Grateful Dead)
6/16 – Dr. Breeze (Jass, Blues, Classic Rock)
6/23 – Mr. Big (High-Energy Dance Hits from 50s-70s)
6/30 – Midnight Confessions (Pop, Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock)

7/7 – The Kyle Parker Band (Classic Rock, Country, Originals)
7/14 – The 13th Hourglass (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s)
7/21 – The Reunion Band (60s and 70s Hits, Brit Invasion, Motown)
7/28 – Kee Creek Band (Classic Rock, Country, Modern)

8/4 – Not Quite Fab (Beatles Cover Band)
8/11 – The Laymen (Classic 60s Music)
8/18 – East Side West Side (Swing, Jazz, Latin)
8/25 – Civilized Natives (Acoustic, Rock, Original)

9/1 – Fort Morgan Slammers (Classic & Southern Rock)
9/8 – DLP (90s & Modern Rock)
9/15 – Crosstown (Variety, Blues, Classic Rock)
9/22 – Big Muddy (Blues, Rock, Country)
9/29 – Rain Date

It is shaping up to be a beautiful Tuesday night! I’ll see you out there!

Just came back from this week’s Bands on the Beach, and WOW was it great! I must say that this has been one of the best Bands on the Beach nights I’ve been to. The weather couldn’t have been nicer, and Southern Breeze was a fantastic band. They’ve been together since 1980, and still know how to rock!

Presenting…. Southern Breeze:

Quite the turnout on our beautiful beach:

Even my parents were there, all the way from Michigan! They sure did enjoy the show:

These huge bubbles made for some great stage effects:

The young and the young-at-heart all love Tuesday nights on Pensacola Beach:

See you next Tuesday!

My camera is undergoing some maintenance right now, which is the reason for the lack of posts, but this is a perfect time to present some pictures of a recent off-island excursion. Here are some interesting photos I took in the Everglades on my way to Key West. Enjoy!

About a month ago, my friend Randy and I took a ride to Key West via the Tamiami Trail highway (US 41) in his Jeep:

Driving through the Collier-Seminole state park, we could see sawgrass prairies, typical of the Everglades:

Nature at work: Vultures eating a dead alligator!

But not all the gators we saw were dead:

How about an afternoon nap?

On the outskirts of the Everglades, there were a few palm farms:

I snapped a pic of this gator by hanging the camera out of the top of the Jeep. Not bad, eh?

That’s all for now. I’ll get back to Beach Blogging now!

Now here is something you wouldn’t catch me doing… this kid was holding onto what I thought to be a Portuguese man-o-war. Now, I’m no ocean-life expert, but I’ve always assumed this action to lead to certain discomfort. If someone is more knowledgeable about what this kid is holding, please comment. I’m curious to know what I’ve been avoiding on my early morning walks down the beach.

Sunday morning/afternoon at Crabs seems to be a local’s secret here on Pensacola Beach. Since I’ve only been a local for a little over a year, I feel very privileged to know about this. Every Sunday, in addition to the live steel drum band, they also have an excellent brunch menu (all plates are 9.99) along with an outstanding drink special: All-you-can-drink champagne for 3.95!!! Wow!

If you stop in, be sure to get to know your bartenders. Ken and Jill are some of the best bartenders on the island!

If you come to Crabs between 11 and 2 you’ll be sure to catch the locals in action:

Stop in on a Sunday and have a glass of champagne with your local Pensacola Beach Blogger! Just look for the goofy Yank with Canon 40D!

It was a busy day down on Casino Beach today! I love coming back from business trips to my home on days like this! Click the picture to enlarge to get a close up of all the beach people.

Now that the lifeguards are back on duty, the beach is starting to look like a summertime beach!

Here are some of the pups I saw throughout the day at the Pensacola Beach Mardi Gras Parade. Remember, you can click these pictures to see the large versions of them.

I’ve never seen anything like this next one. Wow.