Thunder Thunder everywhere, but nary a drop of rain

The localized thunderstorms here never cease to amaze me.  When I left the driveway the other morning it was dry and sunny at my house, but one mile straight down the road is was POURING down rain and foggy/misty!  That always amuses me.  The same held true with yesterday's storms.  It thundered and rumbled and threatened for hours last night, but Navarre only saw .02 inches of rain, and the beach, hardly that.  Although there was quite the light show off shore from 11pm- 2am!

It's that time of year in Florida.  The afternoons become so sultry that the cicadas don't even bother chattering away.  So steamy that storms pop up in the blink of an eye, and clear away just as fast.  The heat index early this week promises to keep up searching for a cool place to hide, with highs around 110 again.  (True temps in the lower 90s.)  There is a chance of storms every day.  The GOM is quiet for now, but a Low pressure that promises to form off to our EAST on the tail of a cold front has tropics watcher's attention.  It is not uncommon for these to develop into short notice tropical blows.  So, we'll all watch for that as it forms off to our east and moves west towards LA (that's Louisiana for our out of town visitors) on Tuesday.

As for the beach, it looks lovely again.  Waters are calm this morning, but surf will be increasing today.  Due to the direction of the winds and currents, the rip current risk will be on the increase as well. So keep an eye on the flag warning system and educate the guests on their meaning.  A passing reminder to swim near the lifeguards never hurts either.

BP continues to pump cement down the well.  So far all reports are on the favorable side.  I've even noticed the media has slowed down on any reporting.  CNN.com no longer has the oil issue as a permanent resident on their home page in the upper left corner. In fact, there is just one tiny mention near the bottom: "Oil Spill is Over, right?". Foxnews.com has nothing on their homepage.  The Santa Rosa County Emergency Management has stopped issuing daily news blasts.  Weartv.com, which is local, still has it's coastal crisis link on the homepage, but the news behind the link is non-existant.  It's a collection of links to aid sites.  Be it a tiresome old story, news weariness, apathy, or disinterest in the oil since the well is capped and it's no longer spewing crude into the Gulf, the oil is still of interest here.

We aren't being bombarded with questions on and off the beach everyday, but we still need to be aware of the situation.  While the surface oil seems to be a non issue, there are still tarballs washing up in places, and will continue to do so.  (not here in abundance) And there is oil from the landfall in June that gets uncovered with heavy surf.  And then there is the issue of BP oil payments.

That is becoming the new story.  I'm getting more and more questions on the beach about that as I interact with more and more people from MS,AL,  and LA that are coming out here for their "quick before school starts" vacations.  They ask how BP is dealing with payments out here. They wonder if FL is being treated like those in the more heavily hit zones to our West.  Some think it's not fair that FL got money at all.  Some in FL think it's not fair that the $ given to FL went to tourism for the WHOLE state, and not just the panhandle.  Now with BP announcing that payments will not be made for the month of MAY for Florida, before the oil hit, things are steamy on that front.( http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/claims-31720-florida-losses.html )  And round and round it goes.  This is one of those situations that you just need to listen.  People really need to vent, and bounce their opinion on someone and know it's being heard.  If you share your opinion on the matter, make sure you say it's YOUR opinion. :)

The great circle of life. Sigh.

Even though it's hot enough out to melt tar, I hope you all are able to get out and enjoy the beach.  Being out there everyday, and dealing with heat indexes of over 100 since early June, I'm really starting to look forward to November-February.  Then we can all complain about it being so cold that the lizards are falling from the trees!

Have fun, be safe, and share the knowledge!

I know, I said I was going to cut back.

But it's just too much fun.

Golly Gee Willikers did it rain this morning?  Talk about tropical rainfall!  I wonder if when it's raining THAT hard, when a dolphin comes up for air, do they choke a little.  I'm sure not, but it's something to ponder.  I mean, when access to your lungs is on the top of your head and it's raining.....hmmmmmm.

Anyway, since our downpour, the skies are clearing up.  There remains the chance for showers and thunder all day, again.  Of course the heat and humidity will be ever present as well.  And again the atmosphere is ripe for waterspouts.  So if you go out, keep your eyes open.

The entire weekend is setting up to be a carbon copy of today.  I hope many of you choose to schedule yourself some time on the beach.  The breeze is actually making it tolerable down there. And don't forget to say HI to the AmeriCorps Volunteers.

The beach is lovely.  The June Grass continues and has moved into the swim zone.  There are some clear areas out there, but for the most part, where there is JGrass, it's heavy.

The concrete kill of the well head is so far so good.  Let's continue to keep our fingers crossed for the effort and for the continued fair weather in the GOM so they can keep working.  We have been SO lucky so far on that front, it makes me want to go out and buy a lottery ticket !  They expect the relief well to be finished sometime next week. 

Snatched from the Santa Rosa Site- Turtle nest information

Turtle nesting from 6/22 (day 45 of 60 day incubation) Three turtle nests including a rare Kemps Ridley nest

Turtle nesting from 7/03 (day 32 of 60 day incubation)

Turtle nesting at P2 7/16 (day20 of 60 day incubation)

I was able to take advantage of yesterday evening's cooler temps.  The heat index was only 103', so I took the boy out fishing on the Pier.  King Mackerels are still hot for the lines.  The pompano are starting to make a better show.  The bait fishing was slow the first hour, but really picked up the second and third.  We pulled in over 25 LARGE hardtail, over 10 inches nose to notch, and 5 12 inch plus ladyfish.   The guy next to us, only halfway down the pier, was shark fishing.  Again, that warm fuzzy feeling.  Yes, I know they're OUT there, but I don't want to KNOW they're out there! LOL!  I think I've watched too much SharkWeek this week.  Do you think bull sharks can come up the shower drain? hmmmmm.........

I'd like to wave to our imaginary friend that's logged in from furthest away so far, HELLO SOUTH AFRICA !

Ladyfish

On that note, I'm going to pop off line to vacuum, dust, and do the laundry.  See?  I'm NOT at the beach all the time! Have a wonderful weekend, stop by the firehouse and sign up for a couple of shifts, stay safe and have fun!

All the IDs are now completed.  They are at the firehouse.

A small leak in a hydraulic line during a test for static kill has delayed the attempt.  We've waited this long, I guess we can soldier on longer.

 

The beach looks fabulous again today.  The mini gnats are in full force.  The June Grass is in the swim zone down by WO1 and 2, but much clearer down by 3 and 3H.  There are storms just off the coast this morning, but I didn't hear any thunder.  The rain yesterday certainly didn't cool us down, but my house geckos and tree frogs are enjoying the explosion of flying insects.  SPEAKING of which, what's up with the migration and mating frenzy of the dragonflies the last couple of day?!  Cool, eh?  OH, and looks like we are up to turtle nest #6, with a nest to the EAST of WO 1.  It's clear up on the dune line.

 TS Colin is now swirling amok in the Atlantic.  As things stand now, a frontal system should, hopefully steer it off the east coast of the US, and back out to sea, and a dry slot may keep it a Tropical Storm.  BUT we all know that can change in the blink of an eye.  So we'll do what we always do, hurry up and wait. 

Today we have an Excessive Heat Watch.  Which means we've gone from Dangerously Oppressive, to Repulsively Sticky.  Heat indexes will continue to be in the 105-113 range.  You know the drill: Water, loose fitting clothing, sunscreen, and take it slowly.

Unless I think of something amazing this afternoon, that's all I've got for you.

Have a great day!

Hot Cha cha cha!

Yes, another blazing HOT and HUMID day awaits us.  I am as tired of it as you are.  Especially as I got my Gulf Power Bill Friday.  WOW.  But worth every penny.

Thank you to Mindi for taking on the new SURF facebook page.  I told her she could take her time hooking it up and then run with it.  As soon as she has it up and running, I'll link the blog to it.  For those of you that have cells that Internet, I love facebook for that up to the minute stuff. 

The Gulf remains dreamy.  There just isn't anywhere cool to escape too.  Even the water is more than bathtub warm.  We tried escaping to the pool yesterday, when the heat index hit 119, but the pool water was 98 and felt less like a chill spot and more like cannibal stew.  But the company was good.

BP intends to start the kill shot today.  We'll see how that goes.

Beyond that, it was a quiet - albeit- crowded weekend at the beach.  Tourist were surprised to spot sharks.  Hey, it's their ocean. We don't keep them in a jar somewhere.  One lady squealed like a stuck pig when she was touched by a small school of bait fish. I thought she was going to jump right out of her suit.  They were just looking for shade.  "OMGosh" "It's a FISH!" Giggle....

And here's a great story from CNN.  Just a cool story that shows the power of the currents in the GOM.  http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/07/28/pkg.backpack.lost.cuba.wwl?hpt=T2

Weather in the Atlantic is perking up, or down, depending on your view of the whole hurricane season.

So there ya have it. It's hot, slow, and sticky.

 Is it muscadine jelly season yet?

Today's one of those days I tip my hat to our ancestors.  It's 9am, and it already feels like 98 with the humidity.  No wonder the Spanish moss just hangs off the trees! It's too hot and sticky to hug them!  Imagine yourself in 1860, a time before AC, regular bathing, a good Maytag Machine, deodorants, and shampoos.  Now imagine getting up in the morning, putting on under garments, stockings, pettipants, a corset, a shift, several layers of skirts and then an over dress.  No wonder they were all tiny people, they lived in their own sweat boxes!  Just the thought of all that makes me cringe.  As for the men, if you were LUCKY you had a cotton suit of clothes for the summer, but odds are it was wool.  Oh, well you say you can go with out the jacket if it gets hot!  That would have been downright indecent !  LOL!

I mean can you just imagine?!  It makes me want to wilt just thinking about it!

If you're going out today, make sure you take it slowly and drink plenty of water.

Tomorrow is another round of training for newcomers, from 1-2:30 at the science station.  So if you know anyone interested, have them call the number listed in the green area above.  Some of the AmeriCorps volunteers will be there as well. 

With the well head capped, we have noticed a significant number of the questions shifting away from the oil and anything to do with it, and more towards local life, things to do/eat, and local animal life, especially turtles turtles turtles.  The training will reflect that.  Remember this is a year round volunteer opportunity.  We plan on providing a service to the beach long after the oil.

That said, the beaches look fabulous, the water continues to be clear, and this weekend is shaping up to be a great beach weekend.  We are currently at GREEN Flag for water conditions. Y'all be safe and have a super day!

Sunny Saturday Morning to you!

As I sit and write this the sun is blazing on my workstation. As I switch over to the web cam and radar, I see it's POURING at the beach, just two miles away. Amazing isn't it?? Expect it to be that way all day. Some of you will be sunny, some up to your armpits in liquid sunshine. Hang in there. Please head towards safety if you hear thunder or see lightning.

A special Hail and Farewell to the Kohlers, who are now head back home to the great state of Georgia. Thank you for sharing your vacation with us and taking the time to come down and support our beaches. We hope you take home great memories and experiences. Stay in touch and feel free to join up with us again. The turtle safe life is always on.

Since no one has emailed or phoned in any more questions/concerns/ or great stories in the past couple of days, I'll share mine.

After checking the 12 +1 WO yesterday, and sneaking a peek at some of you in action :) (great job everybody!), I wandered out to the pier. I had a lovely conversation with a family from Belgium. It was during this conversation that we saw a rather large, large, shark only 200 yards off the beach, swimming FROM the beach. (That always gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling.) We saw large rays, a couple of Tarpon, a pod of frolicking dolphins, and they were amazed at the strings of bait fish coming in and the size of the mackerel. I spoke with over 30 people on my short walk out and back, fixed one fishing reel, and removed the hook from the back of a pair of shorts from a wayward cast. It seemed that all conversations were pleasantly devoid of the whole oil topic. I must say, I found it a refreshing change. A smaller 4 foot shark just off the piling, almost dead center of the photo.

June Grass continues to plague the surf zone to about 100-200 yards out. Yesterday it was clumping, so some beach areas were actually clear of the Neptunian snot.

Keep up the great work everyone. Please remember to stop by the firehouse and sign up for future shifts. The book is starting to look a little blank. Also, tell your friends and neighbors about the program. Chris plans to have another training session when she gets back into town. So tune in here for that date.
Dolphins enjoying an Atlantic Croaker afternoon snack. (do not enlarge to fill screen, not a high enough resolution to see it well)