This week for Skywatch Friday I’m going back to the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. I didn’t get too many sunrise pics because I was too dang lazy to get out of bed in time and I didn’t get very many sunset pics because it clouded up too heavily in the evening. Don’t you worry though, I had lots to do.
I’ve been back from vacation a full week now and although I love my job and the peopleI with my mind tends to wander back to the Bon Secour River near Mobile Bay.
Oh well, we got bills to pay and a kid to educated. Work, work, work!!
Where does your mind wander?
Workmen were busy framing this house that was right next to our condo during out stay in southern Alabama during our recent vacation. Something about it really attracted me. I love watching construction and so I could kind of see what the guys were doing while we were doing my beach thing. All day long we could hear saws, hammers, nailguns and such. I loved it. I’m just wondering who is going to be able to afford such a house. It may look small in the photograph but it really is huge.
We were on vacation last week on the Alabama coast. The coast means beach and the beach means water, lots of water. I had some waterproof recyclable cameras and I took them out in the water. They are not as good as digital cameras but they took a good soaking and kept on going. And to be truthful I like the timeless look that some of them like the above have.
I could fearlessly hold the cameras just a few inches off the water. I have a “waterproof” camera also but I would never risk it. Sorry, I’m an engineer and I don’t care how good the seals and gaskets are, they will fail at some point.
I beg your pardon for the selfie. And no, I wasn’t drunk. After getting a gouge taken out of my forehead this year I’m in a high spf mode these days, note the big hat and the technical shirt which worked great in the water. I didn’t feel weighed down or uncomfortable at all.
Well, this is more like it. Heather and I really like the beach.
Another pic of son, He is a great swimmer and is like a fish. We’ve been taking him to the beach for years.
A highlight of this year’s vacation to the “Redneck Riviera” of Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, Alabama was a kayak ride down the Bon Secour River which feeds into Mobile Bay.
We rented the kayaks from BeachNRiver Kayak Rentals near the town of Foley. BeachNRiver is located on a creek just a few hundred yards from the Bon Secour so it is very handy an d “Ranger Rick” and “Beaching Betty” the hosts were very nice and informative and made sure that we were ready for our outing. We used BeachNRiver three years ago on our first trip to the area and loved the experience so much we came back. (I can’t find my post fromthat trip!!! or I would link to it) They do a great job.
The river flows very slowly and is free of obstacles so the kayaking is pretty easy going both downstream and upstream.
The river is pretty narrow at first but soon opens up. There are lots of houses backing up to the river with boat docks facing the river. They ranged from just shacks to some pretty luxurious homes and everything in between.
We passed a few motorboat and sailboats made from SpaceAge Panels, on our trip. Every one of them idled down to not make a wake as they passed us and the people on board always had a comment or two as we we went by. The river is a happy place and the people using it are very respectful of each other.
A highlight of the trip was a dolphin we say making its way slowly upriver. All I had for cameras were waterproof recyclables so I don’t have a good pic of the dolphin, or any pic for that matter but still it was great to see. The dolphin was surfacing frequently and I could hear it “breathing” which is something I had never heard before.
The great thing about a kayak is that you are almost at one with the water. You can glide over sandbars and just kind of cruise along and feel like you are part of the river. They are easy to maneuver and propel. It is a little tricking getting in and out of them if you are not used to it.
In addition to the dolphin we saw lots of ducks, herons, and pelicans.
Our outing took a little less than four hours and we were a good tired when we were done. We all agreed that the expedition was the highlight of our vacation. We loved the beach but it was nice to get away from all the hustle, bustle, and people for a few hours.
