End of Summer

Sadly summer is coming to an end. You can feel a change in the air.

But I’m sure we still have some hot and sticky days to come.

With the highs in the 80’s we spent Sunday on the water with some friends.

I was a little late for the sunrise but the morning light was still gorgeous.

I used a couple of Kim Klassen’s older textures. Chamomile and Water stain.

Kim’s Skinny Mini class is open for registration now. 

It is the best class to introduce you to the ins and outs of photoshop. 

I highly recommend it.  It’s self paced and it’s free!

Kim also has Photoshop Elements class and an Art of Texture class. Go here for more info.

It’s always fun looking at all the dreamy houses on the water.

They recently finished building this one.

I’ve shown you my dream house before. But lets look at it again shall we.

These aren’t as big but this one has an infinity pool. Don’t know how I feel about the elephants.

This cottage style home caught by eye. The stone fireplace is so pretty.

It even comes with a sailboat.

 

The enforcers were keeping an eye on us.

  

That is when they weren’t busy fishing.

They were better at it then us. I only caught a fat catfish.

It was a relaxing day and I sure slept well that night.

Hope you guys had a relaxing weekend as well.

Linking to: 

Kim Klassen Cafe: Texture Tuesday

A Great Weekend

I can’t believe the week is almost over already.

Wasn’t it just the weekend?

We had a house full for the July 4th weekend and it was so nice.  

My two older sons, son #1’s girlfriend and her son. I love having them all here. 

The big kids were fearless and did a little tubing.

The little guy was not so sure about all this boating stuff.

He watched them all take their turns while he mulled over the idea for himself.

The little guy was brave and conquered his fears and had a blast!  

He did quite a lot of firsts on his visit here.

Jumping into the pool with no floaties.

Touching the bottom.

Cannonballs.

Big firsts.

Big!

Fish were caught.

Fish were grilled.

Fish were eaten.

Some lounging around.

Lots of splashing.

Then the weekend ended with some light painting with sparklers.

I love lazy relaxing weekends like that.

Hope you all had a great one as well.

Now that it’s almost the weekend again can we have a repeat?

Linking up to:
A Beach Cottage: Good Life Wednesday 

see ya,

Weekend Fun and Some Exciting News

First up I have some exciting news to share. My little recessed magazine rack made the Top 10 over at The DIY Club's monthly contest!! I was so thrilled to find that out. Especially when you see all the other great projects that made it too. You should go and take a look. I am honored to be among so much talent. Perhaps you could leave a little comment and spread a little love. :)

We had a really nice weekend. Son #2 came for a short visit with his girlfriend. They got to town just in time to see son #3's band march. They had to do an FBA rating thing and got all superiors. Well done Eagle Pride!

Then on sunday we went out on the boat and did a little fishing. There was not a cloud in the sky.

We were 12 miles off shore. We went to a reef so there were a couple of other boats. I was glad to see that. These guys hooked into something big. Look at how low the back of the boat got.

There was an eerie calmness about the water. I was just saying it looked creepy. Like you should see a shark fin gliding through the water. And low and behold one appeared. Wish I had gotten a shot of it. Then this guy showed up. Thank goodness for the dolphins. He hung out around the boat the whole time. He must have brought us luck.

Because this is what we brought home. More was caught but they were under the size limit so back they went. One grouper, 4 red snapper and 1 vermilion snapper.

It was a great day on the water. The water was so clear and it sparkled. Sad to see the two of them go back to Atlanta. Happy that his girlfriend was able to catch her very first fish. It was pretty exciting! Hope you all had a great weekend too.

see you later,

Tuuuuubing and A Coastal Charm Giveaway!

It was a beautiful day out on the water yesterday. Son #1 came into town for Father's Day. He went fishing with his dad early in the morning then #3 son and I met up with them so they could do a little tubing. They, not me.

#3 son showing his moves

Son #1 did stay on the longest until he finally wiped out.

We passed this wonderful house on the Boggy Bayou with these two cute little boys fishing on the dock. The house had this huge screened in porch on the bottom and a big deck up top. I just had to take their picture. Of the house and the kids. They probably thought I was some strange old lady. One still had his little baseball uniform on and they were yelling out Happy Fathers Day to us. I'd love to have a house right on the water like that. 

Then we went fishing again off the shore. Well, they did, I took pictures.

Another beautiful day on the Emerald Coast. So far so good with the oil. We did have some tar balls wash ashore on Okaloosa Island but the beaches are all still open and the boys were able to get through the pass to go into the gulf to fish during outgoing tides.

I also want to mention that Linda over at Coastal Charm is having a giveaway. A Coastal Living magazine subscription. Wow wonderful is that? Very! She also has some news about a free Jimmy Buffett concert that is going on July 1 on the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores AL to bring awareness to this horrible BP mess. She may be in AL and I may be in FL but we are Gulf neighbors just the same. Just click on the Love the Gulf button below and it should bring you right to Linda's post. She has more info on what is going on down at the beach concert. You can enter the giveaway and spread the love of the gulf at the same time! So go, spread a little love today.

A Series of Unfortunate Boating Events

So we rescued some people from the channel this past weekend. The boating channel that is. I'll get back to that in a minute. Ever have one of those days when it all just feels very peculiar? Just one misstep after another. It started with a little fishing for some snapper. The season is so short and hubby wanted us all along so he could catch his limit. I'm sure he wanted our joyous company also. 

First order, get some bait fish. We see it everywhere. Hubby throws out the cast net with no success. Do you think there is a "cast netting for dummies" book out there? Oh, that doesn't sound good does it? Lets just say someone could use a little instruction in the art of cast netting but won't admit it. 

So, son #3 rigs up a pole with a jig to get larger bait fish. It's this long line with about 6 tiny hooks with rubber worm things and a small weight on the end. #3 son is getting frustrated as the jig keeps getting tangled and then makes it worse by flicking the rod and we have now have a tangled mess of line, hooks and sticky rubber worms.

We press on and head out to the reef. I'm thrilled because these guys are there and I am determined to get some pictures. Hubby is not so thrilled because they are eating his fish. The little buggers are playing hide and seek with my camera which is ticking me off. This is all I got.

Then hubby gets a bite. It's a big one! Oh wait, no it's not a fish, some young guys in a boat are trolling and his line is hooked up with hubby's line. And the young lad is not aware. Hubby's waving his arms, I'm yelling "you're snagged", #3 son is hiding in embarrassment at me yelling. Oh why oh why did I not take a picture of such madness, I do not know. I'm picturing hubby being yanked into the water by the idiot trolling boat. See the guy above with his butt in the air? He got stuck in the middle, idiot guy is not turning around and so he cut the line for fear of being decapitated. Finally, idiot guy turns around. Hubby had his lure.

The heat, MY GOD THE HEAT! Bait is being taken, fish are not being caught. We move to find another spot. Follow the bait fish. Oh crap, hubby yells. This can't be good. One does not like hearing oh crap, when one is miles from the shore and it's 212 degrees out. The water seems to be boiling. Oh right, it's just the bait fish which looks surprising like boiling water. I turn to get the meaning of, oh crap. It seems hubby wasn't watching his trolling line and it is now nicely wrapped around the prop. Hubby has to jump into the water to untangle the line. I'm on the look out for sharks as Flipper and his friend are no where to be seen now. I'm sure they are below having a good laugh. #3 son jumps in to help. They get the line off and we head in. Not a day for fishing my friends. Well, at least they got cooled off.

Okay, here is where the peculiarity rises just a bit. There is an area called crab island. A huge sand bar where boats park and people swim and there is lots of drinking. Pure craziness.

more crappy pictures

We are considering stopping and taking a dip to cool off. I will only swim where I can see through the water. The water was so super clear this day. 

The island was packed and as we are going through the channel we spot something in the water. Is that someone floating in the channel? Boats are all around. The floater is pretty far from the island. Wait, it's two people. I'm like, do you think they need help? What if they are doing something, ewww.  No one is waving their arms. Wait, that's not two people as in adults, that a person and a kid. Go over and lets see if they need help. No one else is stopping. We head over there, it's a very large woman and a very small boy. On nothing but a child size vest and a swim noodle! We ask, they say yes. They are stuck in this mass of seaweed and the current is taking them out. We grab the little boy, about 5yrs old. The woman is having trouble getting in. The swim ladder is tricky. Hubby is having to give her a hand. Lets just say she was very, very well endowed and the swim suit was lacking in the support department. I'm thinking those puppies are coming out and my 16 year old is going to have an eyeful any minute. Whew, dodged that bullet. We ask where her boat is and she just points to the gazillion boats on the island. She had no clue. She just wanted us to drop her off in the shallow area. What has happened to common sense? A swim noodle? Lady, you need a bit more than a noodle. You are not in a pool. And tie off to your boat next time will you? Okay, I didn't say these things but perhaps I should have.


Enough is enough of this madness. Let's just call it a day shall we. We decide to just cool off at home.

Cheers!

Out and About on the Water

We went out on the boat yesterday so I thought I'd share some photos I took of the beautiful day. It was pretty hot but not unbearable yet.

Going out through Destin pass. Not too rough today. It can get pretty choppy going through here. You get a peak of the emerald water around the jetty. 

and the sand as white as snow

In hubbys words, now that's a big ass boat!

A little para sailing? No thanks!

                                                                                             

We caught a little fish but this dinner will have to wait until June 1st. The first sea turtle I have seen here. I am hoping that stuff on it's back is not oil! He was hard to get a shot of. The boat was rocking and he kept going under.

On our way in we stopped in a cove to look around. Had to take a shot of these old shrimp boats. It wasn't until our way out of the cove that I noticed the sunken sailboat. Quite the ram shackled yard!

I loved this yard and how it went right down to the water. Maybe one day we will live on the water like that.