A Few Pictures to Brighten the Day

I haven't posted many pictures here in a while. I've been too busy doing nothing and then being too serious too often. Been slacking some on my writing and posting here. So, to keep it light as we head into Mardi Gras weekend, here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.

Cormorants on Bridge Pier, Mobile Five Rivers Delta

Dancing Heron #1- On the Beach

Dancing Heron #2- Mobile Five Rivers Delta

An Amazing Sunset- On the Beach

A Big Log With Teeth- Here's Looking at You

Mardi Gras I

Mardi Gras Fun

Here's my new video- a celebration of Mardi Gras for 2016. Pictures and video from Fairhope, Orange Beach, and Gulf Shores, Alabama, and naturally, New Orleans.

Enjoy.

Cross Purposes

During our recent stay on the Gulf Coast, two interesting items pulled me out of my mind-relaxing default mode.

One was on the front page of the paper and had the following information:

Beach weddings have always been popular on Alabama's coast and now a reef-focused nonprofit is taking it to another level...

[A] shell-covered concrete cross is being deployed at the nearshore reef called "Poseidon's Playground." Once it's in place in about 38 feet of water, 3.5 miles off the coast of Orange Beach, it will begin serving as an altar for underwater wedding ceremonies, according to Vince Lucido, president of the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation.

Underwater weddings have been popular in the Florida Keys for decades and are common in tropical locales around the world.

Having an underwater wedding altar would be unique to Gulf Coast, [a spokesperson] said.

"We would be the only one basically between California and south Florida, which would be pretty cool," she said. "This is going to be huge."
--Link

Reading more than the headline does give more depth (sorry, but unintentional pun) to the story. They are actually working hard at restoring reefs and providing places for divers. It is not some out in left field kind of scheme. But I know you won't find me officiating at any of those services.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other item bothered me more than this one, though. We were going shopping one day and a booth was set up at the entrance looking for donations for the tallest cross in the western hemisphere. Here's an earlier story on it from WKRG in Mobile:

SUMMERDALE, Alabama -

Members of the Gulf Coast Cross Project want to build the tallest cross in the western hemisphere. At 23 stories tall it will easily be one of the tallest structures in central Baldwin County. The group already has land donated for the project in Summerdale. With a community welcome center they want the cross to be a spiritual tourist destination.

“Being illuminated at night the six million approximate annual visitors and be reminded about what Christ did for us on the cross,” says Gulf Coast Cross Project Founder Jon Butler. They hope to finish the project by 2015. Butler says the cost will be around $750,000.
--Link

It is hard for me to remain sane about this and not want to make snide remarks.

I don't know if they are trying to compete with the Christo Redemptor Statue in Rio de Janiero which is, for comparison, only 13 stories tall, though it is on the top of the 2,300 foot peak of a mountain. They talk about the evangelistic importance of the project. But it sure seems to me that $750,000 can do a lot more effective evangelism than a cross in the middle of the Bible-belt of Alabama.

When I was hungry, thirsty, naked or in prison, you reminded me of my lostness by ignoring me and spending all your money on a 23-story cross.

No, I didn't contribute.

Can You Feel It?

The time is 5:46 pm, Central time.
Spring has arrived.

Earlier this week we spent some time at Weeks Bay, AL, Reserve looking for signs of spring.

They were everywhere.

Here they are in a video. Keep the faith... spring is on its way.

Native Dancers in Alabama

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized Native Tribe in Alabama. Last weekend their dancers performed at a local art gathering and I made a point to be there. It was fun to see the young people and their amazing dedication to their ethnic heritage and bringing it to the rest of us. I took some video (of course) and edited it into a 3 1/2 minute summary. I am impressed by the regalia (not costumes!) and their energy. Enjoy.

In Case You're Worried

It is important for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere to be assured that winter is indeed heading away from us, especially after this second winter of records. So I looked back at the sunset picture I took back in February and then the one I took last night. Here they are together:

Notice how far to the north (right) the sun has moved. There is also a strength to the light. Yep. Right on schedule.

Yep! Another Video

I have been working hard this past month on my video editing skills. Most of the videos have been simple. A little editing here and there, add a few cross-dissolves, find some music to fit and Voila! A video.

Today's was one I worked on for a while. I had a lot of video from a major heavy surf event the other week. I knew I wanted to do this one more story-like. It didn't need to be a linear-based video. It was to be a video about the ocean (Gulf of Mexico) and us. I dug through my music and found three pieces to put together to make it about six minutes in length. I then did an outline of the raw video, edited what I had to snippets totaling about 12 minutes. From there it was fitting the right stuff to the music.

Back in the old days of multi-media slide shows (read: predecessors of PowerPoint with soundtracks) we used to say it takes about an hour of production time for each final minute of product. For this video I would say that is probably true.

Anyway, here's the finished product. As usual, enjoy!

A Half-Day View

I started the time-lapse a little after noon. Here's an edited version of the clouds, sand and surf for a half day on the Gulf of Mexico. There is always something mystical about the surf and movement of water.

Ramblin' Bikin'

Yesterday was a great day on the Gulf Coast to do some biking. Didn't plan on a video so didn't have the handlebar connector but I held the iPhone camera for awhile and ended up editing it to 4 minutes. Al Hirt music and You Tube post-processing the wiggling and bouncing helps e keep the day.

Enjoy.

Mardi Gras

Let's bring the season to its end. The good times have been rolling. It will be time to reflect and spend some time in meditation and mindfulness. It doesn't mean the fun is all done. One does not have to be totally somber for the next 40 days. So let's do one last trip along the Mardi Gras (or Fastnacht or Fasching) trail.



(Note: All pictures from Orange Beach, AL, parades.)

Lundi Gras

Fat Monday: Lundi Gras in Alabama. The end of the season is almost upon us. Lent is almost here. But a last couple of days before settling into the days of contemplation, reflection and meditation.

Here's a video I just finished from my first Mardi Gras parade in Fairhope, AL, a week or so ago. Each parade has its own group that puts it on and this one was the Knights of Ecor Rouge. Their theme was A Knight to Marvel- Superheroes. It was simply taken with my iPhone (video) and dSLR (stills.) All the sound is ambient from the crowds and the bands.

Enjoy!

Heron Walk

Just your average Great Blue Heron moving deliberately toward the shore catching fish (didn't get that picture) and trying to get out of the camera's view. No music, just the heron. Taken with a digital SLR and a zoom lens.

At Sunset

I am going to be experimenting more with panoramas on my iPhone since I just did something brave and out of the ordinary- I learned how to do it by Googling it on You Tube, which I think is our 21st Century equivalent of the owner's manual.

Therefore: Two beach panoramas. 

First, when standing close to the water's edge

you get this fun U-shaped bay right in front of me.

And since it is sunset I present a really long shadow. 

It is, naturally, on the far left.

This one's not a panorama. (Duh.)

But it was almost a full moon so I managed to get 

that between the trees. The moon is actually

in the picture above, up to the right of my shadow.

If you click on any of the pictures a larger version will show up.

A Fine Day's Ride

Sunday was a beauty of a day on the Gulf coast of Alabama, so I set out for Florida. Well, I didn't expect to make it but I was only a few miles short as I crossed the Perdido Pass bridge and stopped at the state park beach access. I gave old Trusty Trek a rest and walked a mile and a half or so, just enjoying the day, the sun, the water, the birds.

All in all it was a 22 mile round trip. I can't believe how good a shape I am in this year. All that stationary bike riding- and the loss of 30 pounds in the past year- sure are making this a fun trip.

Can't wait to see what I find next.

The bridge across Perdido Pass. Yes, I biked it.

Trusty Trek taking a rest at the beach

One big old heron

Perdido Pass looking to the Gulf of Mexico

The view from the top of the bridge (above.)

Landing. This one was on the way home. Birds are everywhere.

The Thought That Came to Mind

Safe upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand:
Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

A Loon in the Gulf

Yes, they migrate all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in spite of being the state bird of Minnesota. They may be the most studied of birds, but very little is known about them in their winter habitat in the Gulf. The other day I was walking along the shore near sunset and out of the corner of my eye I saw the very familiar shape and color of the Common Loon. I turned and he dived under as I have seen many times up north.

No, there's no red eye and the speckled back isn't there yet. The banding looks different, but it is still a loon. I followed him along the beach for a good 20 minutes. I took pictures, he ignored me. The food was far too interesting. He would look at me from time to time but then again maybe he was wondering what this northern-bred and raised human-type person was doing here.

I guess neither of us like the winter we have been having.

But it was good to visit with the loon for a while.

I gave up as he kept at his feeding until sunset.

Sky Over Sky

Gulf Shores, AL

February 7, 2014

Soon? Yes, Soon!

Gulf Shores, AL

2/20/2013

Reflection

It is life, I think, to watch the water.

A man can learn so many things.

--Nicholas Sparks