Back in June 2023, someone posted a seahorse photo from Pensacola Sound on a group’s Facebook page. Of course, I immediately sent her a private message asking for the whereabouts. Not only did she give me directions to the snorkeling spot, but she agreed to meet up with me so that we could search together. The first morning we snorkeled together we found two beautiful seahorses,
And I was introduced to my first Gulf toadfish. Thus began my friendship with Jessica.
Not long afterward, I convinced Jessie to snorkel with me at the Navarre artificial reef. She had only been out that far once before, but I told her she needed to come with me to look for turtles!
We spied seven turtles on that first outing to the reef – a dream come true!
During our last full month in Pace, I got together with Jessie as often as I could: sandwiching snorkeling adventures in between trips up to Casa-Bama as we prepared for our move. We spied reef fish, octopuses, beautiful jellyfish,
And of course, lots of turtles!
One day I received an urgent call. Jessie had a family emergency and was heading up to Tennessee. Could I watch their cat, Charley, for the weekend? Regrettably, I had to decline. I felt awful in doing so and promised her that the next time they needed a sitter they could count on me.
That opportunity came the last weekend of October. Jessie and Walt were spending the weekend in St. Petersburg, and I agreed to Charley-sit from Friday mid-day until Monday morning.
I broke up the drive from Casa-Bama on Friday afternoon with a stop at Holland Farms in Milton. The sunflowers and pumpkin/zinnia fields were in full bloom, and I spent two delightful hours photographing all there was to see.
You can see my photos from Holland Farms here:
I arrived at Jessie and Walt’s house around 1:30 pm and immediately checked on Charley. She was hiding under a boat cover in the backyard. I was about to text Jessie that all was well when I noticed the “welcome gift” Charley had left by her food bowl. OH NO!!!
Fortunately, the little bird was simply stunned, and after a few hours chilling on the patio table, she was gone.
On Saturday I was awakened at 4:57 am by kitten feet gently walking across my legs. But I had set my alarm for 5:00 so I was ready to get up anyway. The seas were sporty, and swimming was out of the question. Instead, I headed to Fort Pickens to hike a nature trail. I was not disappointed as I spied multiple shore birds, monarch butterflies feeding on the milkweed at the beach, and a pair of bald eagles!
That afternoon I drove to Navarre Pier to check on ocean conditions. Although yellow flags were flying, there was no way I would swim in that washing machine! And I feared that even if things calmed down in the next few days, visibility would be too stirred up to see much of anything.
So, I pointed myself toward home and happened to catch the beautiful Hunter’s Moon rising over the bay.
Sunday morning, I was up bright & early once again. I knew the sea would still be too rough to swim, so I decided to take a walk. Jessie & Walt’s house adjoins a cemetery, and they have their own “secret door” to access it from their backyard.
Cemeteries are birding meccas, and I spent a wonderful hour enjoying all the birds singing in the quiet morning. Besides, it seemed somehow apropos to be walking amongst the graves two days before Halloween.
I returned home via the secret door and sat in the backyard with Charley. Despite her watchful position below the feeders, Jessie’s garden was full of life.
I even had a brief surprise visit from Gomer, their resident gopher tortoise.
The Blue Angels demonstration team was performing in Greenfield, Indiana this weekend. When they return home from an out-of-town airshow, they often do what’s called a “Beach Buzz” over Pensacola Beach. It’s never guaranteed, and you never know exactly when it might happen. Tonight was my last chance to capture this exciting flyover as it was the last of the season. So, I drove down to Pensacola Pier on Sunday afternoon in hopes of catching one more “buzz.”
While I waited, I spied a big loggerhead sea turtle along with a few sharks that are regularly seen in the area. I was trying out a new-to-me lens, so I walked back and forth along the pier to find the best angle for my photos. I wanted to capture both the Blues in flight and people on the pier.
At 4:50 I got the message: “Radio chatter from Pace, 15-minute warning.” Sure enough, at 5:05 they appeared north and west of the pier, flying south. Moments later, they came back towards us. Just as I spied the puff of smoke in the distance, two enlisted men walked by me, clearly not aware of the planes in the distance. I cried, “They’re coming!!” and they stopped to watch just as the planes flew over us.
Monday morning there was nothing left to do but take care of a few things for Jessie & Walt’s return. I ate my breakfast in the garden one last time while Charley patrolled the yard.
Charley is a sweet kitty and we bonded over the three days. Thanks for trusting me with her, Jessie and Walt! I’m happy to do it again any time!
You can see all my photos from the weekend here:
On The Road with Tall Guy & JET 