Upcoming events, seafood safety

Join the Great Florida Beach Walk November 6th in Santa Rosa County! In order to promote Florida’s beaches, Visit Florida and coastal counties throughout the state are organizing the Great Florida Beach Walk.



Walkers are asked to walk one mile on Navarre Beach, take a picture at the mile marker flag (we will have these placed on the beach) and upload the picture to visitflorida.com/beachwalk between 6 am and 10 am. Then vote for your favorite beach and get a chance to win a Mazda Miata and a $5,000 gift card.

Registered participants for Navarre Beach will receive a t-shirt. The registered participating group with the
most participants will win $250.00 and a trophy! Sponsored by SAFER Santa Rosa and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

****You will need to register at www.volunteerflorida.org. You can register as an individual or a group by November 4, 2010.

Saturday November 6, you will check in on the Navarre Beach at the pavilion just to the east of the Navarre Beach Pier between 6 am and 9:30 am for breakfast and a map of where the flags are located and beach access points.

For more information contact Brenda Roland at 983-5200.


Register by 5 pm Eastern, November 4, 2010!!!!!!!!!! http://www.volunteerflorida.org/.

*********************************************************************************And check out:

First Meeting of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force

Monday, November 8, 2010 --- 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory Street, Pensacola, Florida


Please RSVP at http://yosemite.epa.gov/r1/videolen.nsf/GulfCoastTaskForce

The meeting space is fully accessible. If you have special needs or require translation, please note in the


registration form. Please visit www.restorethegulf.gov for more information. If you have questions please email gulfcoasttaskforce@epa.gov or call 1-800-241-1754.


The Executive Order Recognizing the Gulf Coast as a national treasure, on October 5, 2010 President Obama issued an Executive Order creating the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, continuing the Administration's ongoing commitment to the region. The mission of the Task Force is to efficiently integrate Federal efforts with those of local stakeholders and state and tribal governments so as to better implement Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration and to facilitate appropriate accountability and support throughout the restoration process. The President's Executive Order establishing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/05/executive-order-gulf-coast-ecosystem-restoration-task-force

And Finally,
Check out this announcement from the FDA on Seafood Safety!
FDA NEWS RELEASE


For Immediate Release: October 29, 2010

Media Inquiries: Meghan Scott, FDA, 240-507-0466, meghan.scott@fda.hhs.gov; Christine Patrick, NOAA, 301-713-2370, christine.patrick@noaa.gov

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

NOAA and FDA announce chemical test for dispersant in Gulf seafood

All Samples Test Within Safety Threshold

Building upon the extensive testing and protocols already in use by federal, state and local officials for the fishing waters of the Gulf, NOAA and FDA have developed and are using a chemical test to detect dispersants used in the Deepwater Horizon-BP oil spill in fish, oysters, crab and shrimp. Trace amounts of the chemicals used in dispersants are common, and levels for safety have been previously set.

Experts trained in a rigorous sensory analysis process have been testing Gulf seafood for the presence of contaminants, and every seafood sample from reopened waters has passed sensory testing for contamination with oil and dispersant. Nonetheless, to ensure consumers have total confidence in the safety of seafood being harvested from the Gulf, NOAA and FDA have added this second test for dispersant when considering reopening Gulf waters to fishing.

Using this new, second test, in the Gulf scientists have tested 1,735 tissue samples including more than half of those collected to reopen Gulf of Mexico federal waters. Only a few showed trace amounts of dispersants residue (13 of the 1,735) and they were well below the safety threshold of 100 parts per million for finfish and 500 parts per million for shrimp, crabs and oysters. As such, they do not pose a threat to human health.

The new test detects dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, known as DOSS, a major component of the dispersants used in the Gulf. DOSS is also approved by FDA for use in various household products and over-the-counter medication at very low levels. The best scientific data to date indicates that DOSS does not build up in fish tissues.

“The rigorous testing we have done from the very beginning gives us confidence in the safety of seafood being brought to market from the Gulf,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., Under Secretary for Commerce and NOAA Administrator. “This test adds another layer of information, reinforcing our findings to date that seafood from the Gulf remains safe.”

“This new test should help strengthen consumer confidence in Gulf seafood,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. “The overwhelming majority of the seafood tested shows no detectable residue, and not one of the samples shows a residue level that would be harmful for humans. There is no question Gulf seafood coming to market is safe from oil or dispersant residue.”

The 1,735 samples tested so far were collected from June to September and cover a wide area of the Gulf. The samples come from open areas in state and federal waters, and from fishermen who brought fish to the docks at the request of federal seafood analysts. The samples come from a range of species, including grouper, tuna, wahoo, swordfish, gray snapper, butterfish, red drum, croaker, and shrimp, crabs and oysters.

Previous research provided information about how finfish metabolize DOSS, and at FDA’s Dauphin Island, Alabama lab, scientists undertook further exposure experiments on fish, oysters and crab; similar experiments on shrimp were held at NOAA’s Galveston, Texas lab. These exposure studies further support that fish, crustaceans and shellfish quickly clear dispersant from their tissues, and provided samples with known concentrations for use as standards for validating the methodology. Samples undergoing chemical analysis are always accompanied by standards with known concentrations of DOSS, to verify the equipment continues to measure the compound accurately.

Nearly 9,444 square miles, or about 4 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf are still closed to commercial and recreational fishing.

Dont' forget to get out to the beach this weekend! The weather has been beautiful! There are still lots of events happening during the Beaches to Woodlands all month long. For more information check out:
http://www.thebeachestowoodlandstour.com/

The Oct. 9th weekend brings the chili cook-off at Juana's and the annual Monarch Madness Butterfly Festival at the Butterfly House located at the NW side of the Navarre Beach Causeway. For more information check out: http://www.panhandlebutterflyhouse.org/

Also, if you feel like traveling a few miles north on Hwy. 87, check out the solar house on Blackwater Bay. it is a beautiful and peaceful house completely off the grid! The house will be open from noon until 4 pm. For directions and more information check out:
http://www.solarfloridahome.com/

Enjoy our local natural resources and the beautiful fall weather!

Check out these exciting upcoming Events on Navarre Beach!!!!

There are a number of exciting upcoming events on Navarre Beach!! Check these out:

Friday, September 24 through Sunday September 26 is the Navarre Beach Sand Sculpture Festival. Come down and watch the masters build their sculptures or compete in the amateur event on Sunday! For more information and to register for the amateur event check out:

http://www.navarresandsculpting.com/

Coastal Clean-Up Saturday, Sept 25, 8 am - noon, Navarre Beach Public Parking Area

Coastal Clean-Up Scheduled in Santa Rosa

This year's International Coastal Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, September 25. Any group or individual should meet at 8 am on either Saturday at the Navarre Beach Public Parking lot directly south of the Navarre Beach Bridge. Allied Waste is sponsoring the event, which celebrates the 25th year that the International Coastal Conservancy has sponsored the event throughout the world.

For information on the international coastal cleanup and marine debris check out:

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/ 

Coastal Encounters: Open House at the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station and  Kids Fishing Clinic at the Navarre Pier!

This event is part of the Santa Rosa County Beaches to Woodlands Tour

WHEN:   Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010

                Coastal Encounters: Open House at the Marine Science Station 10 am - 2 pm

                Kids Fishing Clinic, 8am - noon at the Navarre Fishing Pier


WHERE:   Navarre Beach Marine Science Station

                 8638 Blue Heron Circle, Navarre Beach, FL.

                 Navarre Beach Fishing Pier, Navarre Beach, Florida

COST:      Free admission

CONTACT:  Chris Verlinde 623-3868

                     Debbie Holland 983-5359

Join us for Coastal Encounters: Grand Opening of the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station Celebration on Saturday, October 2, 2010, 10 am until 2 pm. The Navarre Beach Marine Science Station is located at the county park on Navarre Beach. The Kids Fishing Clinic will take place at the at the Navarre Pier, 8 am until noon. Join us for this fun filled day!

As part of the Beaches to Woodlands Tour, this event is one of many throughout Santa Rosa County that will showcase the coastal and natural areas of our county. Navarre High School Marine Biology students will present many hands-on activities such as: shark myths, eat an estuary, marine debris, fish painting, shell identification, sea turtles, and more!

In addition, environmental education activities and displays will be provided by local organizations, agencies, and schools. Participants will be able to tour the Marine Science Station and learn about opportunities of how they can support the station. Several displays will focus on various issues such as protecting area waterways and coastal habitats. Information on sharks, water safety, disaster preparedness and other local environmental issues will be included. Learn about live marine critters at the touch tank, experience kayaking and fishing. Arts & craft activities will include making sea turtle maracas, fish painting and more!

The kids fishing clinic will take place at the Navarre Fishing Pier from 8 am until noon. The first 75 children, ages 5-12 will receive free access onto the fishing pier and a fishing rod and reel!

And a little moonlight shall lead the way......

TURTLES TURTLES AND MORE TURTLES !

 For those of you that missed the great hatching of our show off, fancy pants loggerhead turtle nest ( this was the turtle that came ashore in the day to lay eggs, with a great audience, at the bottom of the BUSIEST WalkOver Ramp on the beach - she's a show stealer), which I'm guess was MOST of you.  I bring to you the following photos and video.  This is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nest that was at Navarre Beach, WalkOver 3, the handicap ramp in the main parking lot.  This nest was laid, oddly enough, in the day time instead of night, on July 3rd.

Setting up for the LONG wait.

Hard to see but the depression is forming in the center of the staked area.

The nest was showing signs of activity and scratching at around 6:55 pm, movement was noted at 7:10, and again at 7:14, and 7:19. At 7:23 the first major movement was made, and at 7:35, just after sun down, WHOOSH!, 24 little hatchling burst forth and strode off to the sea.

The marine science students had dug and smoothed us a lovely pathway for the critters trip.  Which made the journey much quicker, as those little legs didn't have to dodge footprints.  We only had three turtles get confused as to their direction, due to the brighter lights from the local condos, but human bodies did a great job blocking that light for our little travelers.  24 made the journey this go around. ( loggerheads lay anywhere from 80-120 eggs, only 1 in 1000 eggs will make it back to lay eggs on the home beach, and it takes 25 to 30 years for a turtle to reach maturity)

The nest had sounds of further movement, but then went quiet again. We think it is done for the night, but will be "caged" for the night and checked repeatedly for more hatchlings all night long.  If not tonight, maybe more tomorrow.  IF you come to a turtle hatching, PLEASE PLEASE NO BRIGHT LIGHTS. This confuses the hatchlings and they waste energy walking the wrong direction.  It also messes up our night vision.  This includes all flash photography, glo sticks, and CELL PHONES.  (Photos on this site were taken in daylight, or with flash with NO TURTLES present.  Video was taken with red light, which goes unseen/noticed by turtles.)  Thank you.  We also need you to be very quiet, and limit your movement.  The hatchlings can feel the vibrations in the sand from over 50 feet away, and think it's a predator and will not come out.  It also makes it very difficult for us to hear the hatchlings beneath the sand.  We may set a perimeter of 50 feet from the nest for further viewing for the safety of the turtles, so be prepared for that.  We thank you for all of your consideration. 

And at the end of the run, we were left with this. So cute.

Now with that said, I'm going to hit the shower and wash off all this sand.

Now for your viewing pleasure, taken by me, a late night sea side video.While my camera takes great video, the sound stinks, so turn off your sound, and hum the music from 2001 a Space Odessy......Prepare to say Awwwwwwwwww

The video runs for about 5 minutes, but there's nothing to see past about 3.45

CLICK FOR VIDEO >>>   Sea Turtles Hatching

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu

It is with great sadness, regret, and disappointment that I make My final post on the blog.  Due to several factors, I find that I must resign from the SURF program as the Volunteer County Coordinator, and as a SURF Volunteer.  It's going to be hard to let it go, but it is a decision that I do not take lightly, nor came to quickly.

I have enjoyed it immensely.  I will continue to be on the Pier, fishing or with my watercolours, so feel free to stop by and say, hello.

I will be turning over the email, supplies, and the blog back over to the county as of close of business today.  The blog will soldier on, as will the SURF program, just with someone new at the helm.

I hope that I have not only served the program well, but the community.  I also hope that the blog brought a little bit of seaside education along with a giggle during your morning coffee break.

So with that, I'll ride off into the sunset.

See you on the white sand.

You see these little flaps on my head?  No?  Maybe your web camera isn't on.  Right here, behind my ears.  Still, no?  Huh? I thought I felt gills sprouting back there.  My mistake.

There should be.  Since it started raining around 3 am on Friday, we, in Navarre proper, have had 7.52 inches of rain.  That's in just over 76 hours.  Everything is wet.  The world smells damp and musty.  The electric box alarms are blinking and honking all over the neighborhoods.  I'm amazed we still have cable, phone, Internet, and electric. 

Last night's storms boiled up around 10:45pm and just kept forming over us, and then formed a long line of thunderstorms that trained over us for hours.  The hardest rain coming after midnight.  Mercy.  It sounded like I had a tin sheet roof!

I had to get up several times last night to turn off the rainfall rate alarm on my weather system.  It doesn't even THINK of beeping me out of slumber until we hit a rainfall rate of over 8.5 inches per hour. 

The rain was so bad this weekend that the local critters are using the road as high and dry ground.  I haven't seen the local bear and cubs yet, but she'll pull them out of the cedar swamp with far less rain than this.  While out driving yesterday, we came across this menacing beastie. 

He put on quite the show up against a large truck.  He and hit little friends were hanging out on the road, in the middle of the road.  Maybe it was his turn to play crossing guard, or maybe he lost a bet.  Anyway, after we got him home and put him in a large plastic drinking cup so he could travel North via Skype and freak out the cousins, HE starting dropping babies in the cup.  Huh, who knew?

The creepy critter clicked and snapped away every time you passed the counter in the darkened bathroom to go down the hall.  (Where we banished her to until the rain let up enough to put her back in the ditch.) Icky little mud bug.  You'll be happy to know that she and her little spawn are free again. 

Now if I can just get all the frogs out of the garage.  They're frogs, for crying out loud!  They're supposed to LIKE the water. 

Sigh.  My family up North joke that I'm living in a Mutual of Omaha world.  Pretty much.

Guess what?  It's going to rain today.  I know, how shocking.

It's better than the western Caribbean.  Hurricane Earl shifted further to the west last night and is predicted to become a major hurricane.  He should take a turn to the north later today or tomorrow thanks to a trough pushing off the East coast.  However, he may have gone far enough west to set sights on NC or further up the coast.  Time will tell.  Until he actually turns North, anyone is fair game.

Even if he missed a land strike altogether, the rip current risk is unbelievably high along the entire Eastern seaboard.  I was shocked to see so many people out in the water on the tv news.  Ridiculous!

We too are still at red flag.  Although I don't foresee many people going out in this weather anyway, sans the surfers.  Some day we will make it back outside to the sunny warm beaches!

Have a great day everyone.

Wow this is a pesky Non Tropical Low.  Since about 1am Friday, we've seen 4.34 inches of rain.  Granted, I'll take it over a hurricane, but at least those are in and out and we see the sun again !

SO, in lieu of a warm Sunday Morning walk on the beach, I bring you a warm sunset from Friday night.

Certainly the great fireball in the sky will return, and our slow lazy days on the beach will return.

I look forward to getting out there after the rains, as I love walking on the hard and squeaking sand.  Yes, our sand talks.  The regular crystal shape of our white quartz sand, when wet, rubs together as it is compacted and squeaks.  The Squeaking White Sands of the Emerald Coast takes on a whole new meaning now doesn't it?  LOL!

Needless to say, the ocean is still at RED Flag. 

For those of you visiting town, and stuck inside with the rain, we do have other things to do.  Check out http://weartv.com/sections/community/ for things to our west, and http://www.nwfdailynews.com/sections/showcase/ in the local and eastern area. 

And for the Awwwww factor...Come on now, practice your "Awwwwwww....." I bring you

And before you get TOOO overly excited on this cloudy, grey, dreary day, this cute little sea turtle isn't one of ours.  In fact, it's not a sea turtle at all.  "WHAT?" I hear you exclaim.  "what does she think it is?  A purple butterfly?"  Nope, I don't.  It's a ...wait for it....... ......... a CAKE made by Love to Cake !  Brought to my attention by my good friends over at cakewrecks!  (Sunday is for the NON wreck cakes)  So again, if your stuck inside, and cruising the net, and need somewhere else to go, go entertain yourself at http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

I hope to see you on the beach Monday, when the rain stops.  Have a great day everyone!

Couldn't stand it. I had to post picts from this morning's sunrise! Enjoy!

Click on any photo to make it larger.

It's Fish Bucket Time

B-U-C-K-E-T - pronounced Bouquet

-and if you don't know that silly reference, you don't watch enough British Comedy

While the beach was sure pretty to look at yesterday, it was dangerous to set foot in. So OC my son came home and announced that he wanted to go fishing. Sigh. I've created a monster!

I did ask him if we could wait until the heat index dropped below 100, to which he said "yes". So at 430pm we packed up and hit the pier. I love that Pier! Long story short, it was a super evening of fishing. We had super company and great conversation. (ICK ALERT) We also rallied when a woman put a two in long tri-hook into her index finger! I steadied her, while the Florida Fish and Wildlife guy pushed the hook all the way through, and then used my pliers to cut off the barb and then back the hook out. Phew. POOR thing. We watched as she and her DH left the night of fishing for a tentus shot.

While we went out for Kings and Spanish, there were only a few to be found. One man did take home a 42" plus King. So we opted for bait fishing. I'd much rather be catching bait, than nothing at all. Boy did I put my foot in it with that comment! We caught over 80 fish in 2.5 hours! All hardtails, but for one ramoray and one 10 inch hyperactive Bonita. We were giving out bait fish as fast as we could pull it out of the water !

Last night's sunset was stunning, and the moon rise was glorious! It was big, full, and BRIGHT orange!

Y'all have a great and safe day!


A big HELLO to our new visitors from Brazil, Germany, Russia,  and Austrailia! WOW! We're popular there!

Red Flag Rodney

Deceptively Dangerous Out Today!!!

Rip Current Risk HIGH

UV rating of 12 +

Low Humidity (dewpoint only 72')

Temp 92.

BUT OH SO PRETTY !

It never fails.  We finally hit green flag, the kiddies are in school, the water is still warm, the air is warm (OK HOT), and THEY show up.  You know, my favorite sea creatures.  Stingus De Mare.  Posideon's Sinus Infection. The Gooey Globs. The Pokey Annoyance.  The Oceanic Plague.....Otherwise, more commonly known as the Jellyfish.

Yes, folks that right, they came in over night.  They spent yesterday down on the beaches in Okaloosa county, and opting for a perfect beach, they've come to Navarre, en masse. (As of 11:00am the jellies are gone in any great numbers.)

Really, I don't HATE any creature.  I'm sure they have some great purpose in the food chain, some horrific thing would happen to the planet should they go missing.  I mean, what would dolphins have on their peanut butter sanwhiches if the jellyfish disappeared?  What would SpongeBob and Patrick chase with nets?  How would the stockholders of the BoilEase company put food on their table?  What would men poke with sticks on the beach? So much rides on this critters very existance!  All hail the jellyfish!

In all honesty folks, they are a true pain in the, well, everywhere.  The common sea nettle is just an annoyance.  The stingers can float around sans the main jelly and continue to fire/sting for days.  Scooping them out of the ocean is pointless.  It's like taking one fire ant out of a mound so the kids can play in the yard.  Burrying the "body" doesn't do any good either.  The bugger can continue to sting days after it's dead, as long as it's moist.  So kiddies digging in the sand ram into stingers.  So inform guests just to leave them alone.

I do get a kick out of the harder portion of the jellyfish bell/head.  When the jellyfish dies, this portion continues to float around the surf until it breaks down or washes ashore.  I remember the first year we lived here, there was a mass natural die off that happened to be followed by sea winds which washed thousands of these caps ashore.  It looked like a cargo ship carrying silcone breast implants capsized off shore, allowing the contents to wash up on the beach.  It was funny and pretty all at the same time.  This portion of the jelly does NOT sting.

If you've never seen how a jellyfish reproduces, I highly advise watching this >>>     It's a very intersting process, and explains why there are so darn many of them.

That explained, what do you do about stings?
Well there are several ways.  FIRST, use sand to rub the area that was stung to help remove any more stinging bits.  This will NOT help with the barbs that have already been injected into the skin, which continue to fire and fire and fire an irritating fluid into your epidermis.  You then have several options.  Hopefully you brought one of them to the beach. 
*Vingegar sprayed on the area does work, but only for about 20 minutes.
*Peeing on it, yes, it does work, but not only is it icky, but it doesn't work for long.  Plus, well, unless you're realllly talented or have a good friend, go with another option.
*Over the counter jellyfish sting aids.  These work, but are hard to find.  They are usually in the pharmacy area of the local Walgreens, CVS etc.  You may have to ask the pharmacist for them. (also benzocaine)
*Over the counter sunBURN sprays with Lidocaine.  This only works for about an hour.
*My PERSONAL favorite is BoilEase, found in the Hemmeroid section of ANY grocery/pharmacy/big box store.  It is 20% Benzocaine so it cannot be used by those allergic to that family of meds.  This works for hours and is directly applied to only the area of the sting.  Don't worry you won't miss it, it will be a red line, usually jagged that follows where the tentical brushed you.  If you can't find BoilEase, baby teething gel works too, which is also 20% Benzocaine.

"But it bother's me in my suit!" Yes, I hear you.  Sigh.  Dastardly buggers.  Like I said the sting can go on without the main jellyfish. So if a tentical breaks off and goes Rouge it can wash onto and INTO anywhere water goes.  ANYWHERE.

So with that happy thought, ENJOY the beach everyone!

OH and GO OUT AND VOTE TODAY !  There are NON partisan issues on the ballot today too, so if you are registered, exercise your privalage.  Hey, and get a free sticker to boot!

Can I even begin to tell you how much I am NOT a morning person?!  It's not that I cannot appreciate a stunning sunrise, but a sunset is so much easier for me to enjoy, seeing as I've probably been conscious for over 10 hours at that point.  Until now that is.  With the crisp Fall air, the rustle of leaves in the morning breeze, the sweet smell of dry corn on the morning mist, fresh picked apples on the kitchen table, kids in their cute little plaid skirts and long white socks and mary janes.........OH wait...wrong state.  I'm in flip flop country!

I begrudgingly fell out of bed this morning at 5:45, which is after the bedside alarm went off, but seconds before the loud and annoying alarm I use on my cellphone as back up went off.  I swear I heard my sleep number bed say, "what? Where are you GOING?  Is the house on fire?  Take me with you!"

No, the house wasn't on fire.  It's the first day of school.  I joyous time in thousands of households across the state.  (Unless you are a resident of the county next door, then you've been at this for two weeks already !)  Yes, that day were the smell of peanut butter sandwiches on fresh white bread pervades the house, new crayons, new pencils, where new clothes, fresh haircuts, and eager and sleepy faces greet the flash bulbs before the great yellow beast pulls up the haul them away for 8 hours. 

I'm lucky enough to have an older child.  Not old enough to let him drive to campus, but old enough that he can get himself up, dressed, and fed.  My job?  To make sure he's wearing pants, is somewhat colour coordinated, and has his book bag.  I also walk him to the bus stop.  It's a long walk, and even this time of year it was dark, the sun barely above the horizon.  The birds weren't even awake.  Heaven knows I'm not.  I do know he got onto a large yellow vehicle, I'm pretty sure it was the school bus, as our trash truck is blue.  It did have blinky lights, so it COULD have been a yellow UFO. Anyway, I think about my friends this morning.  Two have sent their kiddos off to college for their freshman year, one is either weepy at sending off that kindergarten bus, or is breaking out the champagne - I'll find out later.

What on Earth does this have to do with the beach?  Not much.  It's just one of those monumental days of the year.  There is a little known tradition on Navarre Beach.  The first day of school brings out the mommy brigade!  We come down in the morning with a fresh cup of heaven and just sit and watch the waves and enjoy the quiet.  The kids aren't there screaming.  The tourists have left, until the snowbird migration,  and we look forward to cooler weather and our beach. (Don't get us wrong, we LOVE our tourists! It's just a transitional break back to normality and a much slower pace for us.) Much slower and we'll be going backwards!  Sigh. 

Unless you are me, and then you are looking ahead to the peak of hurricane season.  Danielle is ramping up in the Atlantic as we speak. As of this point she is still PROJECTED to say out to sea.  A quick vacay in Bermuda may be a poor choice this weekend, but as of RIGHT now she has not set her sights on either US or the Eastern US coast.  We all know that can change.  And we all know how fast things can pop up in our own backyard this time of year.  The PEAK of the season is still three weeks away.

I see on the web camera that the BP crews are out today WEST of the pier.  Good to see them out there in the daylight again.  Today has another heat advisory stuck to it.  OC in this heat and humidity, everything sticks to everything.  We're looking at another day with a heat index of over 105!  So take care of yourself.

The surf looks pleasant for the day, the chance of rain the whole week is low.  (YAY, for our landscaper.)  Our turtles are still brewing under the warm sand.  I've had no reports of tar balls, except the occasional ones that pops up from surf.  Crossing fingers.  OH, remember the log book stop at the firehouse is no longer needed.  Just email your hours to me at the surfnavarrebeach@gmail.com link and let me know when, where, and how long you were out.  I'll email everyone the day before I send in the report to the county as a reminder in case you forgot to report some hours.

Here's a little shot of an amazing sunset from the other night.  I hope you got to see it in person, the very AIR was yellow, then orange, then FIREY PINK.  It was great.

So with that, I'm heading out with my cold bottle of water and join the other mommies on the sand.  Or maybe I'll drag out the fishing rod.....or maybe...YAWWWWN......would a nap be out of the question?

STARTING Monday 23 AUGUST

You can log your hours by email.  I'm going to cut a bit of time out of your day and pull the log book from the firehouse.  You can then continue to work whatever hours you want to/can and simply shoot an email to the surfnavarrebeach@gmail.com email address.  Be sure to give me a name, date, and hours worked and location.  You no longer have to schedule ahead of time, simply report hours after the fact.

I report hours to the county on the 1st day of each month, so please have all hours in prior to that to have them counted.

You are also not stuck with the 9-12 12-3 3-6 hour blocks.  Do what you can when you can and report the hours. 

Changing the logging method should save about 15 minutes of your day, and we all know that can add up over time.  I'd rather have you on the beach.  The IDs, if you haven't picked it up yet, and the vests and information books are still in the firehouse lobby.

Navarre, We have ALL the fun!

Pilot makes Emergency Landing!
======
This morning at around 8am a student pilot, Kevin Murphy of Milton,  on his third day of flying lessons, practicing stalls and dives in a Cessna 172, had to make an emergency landing on J. Earle Bowden Way (399) out by Navarre.  He stated that his engine started to sputter. There was an instructor aboard.  There were no injuries.

 Nothing but Blue Skies Mate! Glad you're OK !

Tuesday BONUS post

BP helps tourists come back to Navarre and other Gulf Beaches by providing accommodations vouchers for 50% off lodging.  for more information go to http://www.visitnavarrebeach.com/ for limitations, booking dates, and businesses supporting this offer.
=======
"$551,000 from BP for hotel vouchers


The Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council received an additional $551,000 from BP, said council executive director Kate Wilkes. Most of that money will be used to fund a voucher program to lure tourists to Santa Rosa County.

"If a bed tax collector rents a unit, we will reimburse them for 50 percent of the rent. It could change," Wilkes said. "We have to have it spent by Sept. 18."
The program is open to all bed-tax collectors, including hotels, motels, condominiums and campground.
"We're going (to use some of the money) to advertise it, too," she said. "Most (advertising) will be Internet, because we can change that out immediately, and radio commercials."
Individual accommodations may also promote the program, she said.
Wilkes expects the details of the voucher program to be finalized by the end of the week.
Before this allocation, Santa Rosa had received $1 million from BP. All of that has been used for marketing."
===========

This is also a great site to hit for more information on our county's Beaches to Woodlands event that is coming up in October !

Good morning all !

It seems we had 7 views from Latvia last night! Interesting.  Labdien! Kā jums klājas?
Thunderstorms should be bopping around our area all day.  Strong winds from the south will keep the surf high, but it shouldn't be AS bad as it has been the past few days.  The Rip Current risk is still HIGH.  And as for an added bonus, the temps are going to start climbing again, mix in the higher humidities from a surface low pressure system, and we're going to start looking at heat indext temps near 110 again.  I know, I know, just keep telling yourself it's AUGUST in Florida. 

Coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County are now reopened for harvesting of finfish, crabs and shrimp, but NO to oysters.

BP clean up crews continue to patrol the beach.  Yesterday they worked from late afternoon until the weeeeeee hours of the morning.  They are watching for and cleaning up any old weathered tar that comes ashore from our latest high surf action.

While out last night, I saw amazing things again.  People in the water, with red flags flying, no lifeguards in the towers (after hours).  These were not just the surfers that come out with every storm, but families with small children.  I kept waiting to hear screaming over the roaring surf.  Thank goodness it never came.  They were lucky. I don't know what the solution is, but there has to be one.  Maybe if the flags were lower, like at some of the condos so they actually smack people in the head? Force them to take notice?  Probably not.  Ocean blindness.

Anyway, on this slow day, I leave you with some closing shots of Navarre Beach.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Perfection.

Little 10 inch bonita.  You should have SEEN the number of baby sharks caught last night! I stopped counting at 10 in one hour.

WOW! This old TD5 is a royal pain in the patootie!  Not only has it angered my arthritis and an inner ear condition, which makes me fairly grumpy and therefor not much fun to be around, but it doing a number on our beaches!

High and rough surf has been battering our beach for days! We've had winds from all directions this week but due West.  That will come later today/tonight.   I noticed what had been a quiet slope to the water's edge down by the pier is now a drop of 3 feet, and that was Saturday.  Today the ocean is really rocking again.  Winds are HOWLING out of the South as the old TD travels into MS and LA.  Our sands are a shiftin' for sure! But that's what sand does! Semper gumby folks!

If you get out today, please continue to inform guests on the flag system.  RED flags continue to fly.  It continues to astound me that people either don't even SEE the flags, or don't know what they mean.  When visitors come to the beach, they get what I call "Ocean Blindness".  They are so excited to see the ocean, that they bound from the car, and focus on the water, blinders on, missing everything around them.  That includes the GIANT signs all over about the flags, the blinking super sign on the bridge, and the flapping flags on the beach.  There was a drowning this past week down near PCB, vacationer, family had no idea about the flag system.  His son and friend went in the water on DOUBLE RED FLAG.  He went in to save them and he drown.  It sounds like the lifeguard had no picnic trying to save him. 

Anyway, keep an eye out for old tar washing in.  With the surf as heavy as it is, it would be hard to spot before it was whisked out again, but the chance of old stuff washing in and up is higher with the wave action as it is.

On the fishing front, the Spanish mackerel are making their presence know around the pier, that is, when the water is in decent calm conditons to fish.  I had a lovely one on the line on Saturday, when one of those sharks with a cup holder, ummm I mean Dolphin, decided "Mackerel, it's what's for dinner!" took it, line, $8 lure, fish and all! ARGH!

Back to the blowhole gang that infests the Pier!  :) ( Doesn't that conjure funny images?  Upright dolphins, wearing short jackets, headbands, blowhole rings, and cans of spray paint in their flippers, tagging the pier ! HA!) Yes, I LOVE Dolphins, I really do.  When I"m NOT fishing!  BOY OH BOY did they have a show this week for the tourists on the pier!  Saturday night there must have been half a dozen.  While diving and rolling, chasing fish, stealing fish, and blowing porpoise hork in the air, a few decided to entertain the crowd with amazing leaps, twirls, and belly flops.  I was starting to wonder if the tank at the Gulfarium had a leak and an escapee or two.  The crowd of course enjoyed this free entertainment to no end.  I was, however, starting to wonder if the Dolphins have figured out that if they jump and twirl, the people cheer, take pictures and clap.  Hmmmm......who's entertaining WHO?

Sadly, I have no photos of that.  I was busy tying a new lure to the line.

Also on the beach critter front, we have two nests in the 40 day incubation area.  I will report back later on their move, IF they move.

On to the area of PEOPLE food.  I need a headcount for FRIDAY night's dinner.  It sounds like we're going to do pizza or sandwiches with salad.  But that head count is important.  I am going with whatever is in my email box by NOON on THURSDAY the 19th.  If you want to bring a dish to share, that's super too.  If the weather holds, we're going to get the kayaks to the sound and such, and you can bring your snorkels!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Due to what's left of TD#5 spinning over sweet home Alabama, my joints are screaming.  And, oh joy, it's going to spin there and twirls down over PCB, and across the GOM again, and then over LA again.  So, I'm making this easy on me today.  Here is the Santa Rosa County Action report from yesterday. Enjoy! (Now where's the Tylenol?)
==================
Deepwater Horizon Incident Update #75


(Highlighted sections indicate new information)
· As efforts to stop the oil spill have been successful to date and impacts to our area are expected to be limited to sporadic sightings of tar balls and oiled debris, Santa Rosa County's response to Deepwater Horizon oil spill incident will right-size efforts accordingly. The emergency operation center is expected to return to a level three activation, or monitoring phase, on Friday, August 13. Staff will remain engaged in daily operations as needed. Beach video updates, Mediacom Channel 27 presentations and news releases will end to correspond with the lowered EOC activation level. Web site updates will continue at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.
· Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners and their staff are committed to ensuring that long-term recovery efforts are taken to restore our shorelines and economic, health and environmental needs are addressed. In the event of any new major developments, emergency management will activate the emergency operations center and its support functions as needed and news releases will be issued as warranted to safeguard our county.

Situation Update· Navarre Beach and Santa Rosa’s entire coastline is open for swimming and fishing. Two links to live Web cams on Navarre Beach are available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the “Links for Visitors” tab.
· There are currently no swimming or fishing restrictions on Navarre Beach or anywhere in Santa Rosa County.
· Today, August 12, a post storm assessment by the BP contractor reported that tar balls were spotted on Navarre Beach. Clean up crews responded.
· BP will host an Oil Response Information Fair on Saturday, August 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gulf Breeze Recreational Center located at 800 Shoreline Drive. The fair is meant to create a comfortable environment for the public to have one-on-one conversations with representatives about oil spill response efforts. The fair is free to the public and will be catered by Billy Bob’s Beach Barbecue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information contact Molly Patterson at (850) 691-9116.

Health
For more information visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the “Health” tab.
· University of West Florida shoreline water samples for August 9 showed no dissolved petroleum contaminants detected above what is normal at the Navarre Pier or at Santa Rosa Island.
· The August 10 water sampling report from The Department of Environmental Protection showed that there were no dispersants found on Navarre beach and no petroleum-related contaminants found by Navarre Beach Park.

Booms
· All boom has been removed.

BP Claims
For more information, including how to file a claim, visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the
“Claims” tab.
· BP claims in Florida total 37,835 with approximately $68,278.617.48 paid.
· BP claims in Santa Rosa County total 5,170 with approximately $9,645,146 paid.

Small Business Disaster & Bridge Loans
For more information visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the “Business” tab.
· Total Loan Applications: Issued: 756 Accepted: 258 Declined: 104 Approved: 49Loan amount approved: $4,715,700.00

Fishing

For more information visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the “Boating, Fishing and Wildlife” tab.· All Santa Rosa County waters are currently open to fishing.
· NOAA re-opened 5,144 square miles of area it had previously closed for finfish only on August 10. Fishing for non-finfish species, such as shrimp, is still prohibited in this area. The area closed to all fishing now measures 52,395 square miles and covers about 22 percent of the Gulf of Mexico economic zone. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area. For more information visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under the “Boating, Fishing and Wildlife tab.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Friday, August 20th - from 4:30-7pm, we plan to have a volunteer appreciation dinner!  It will be held at the pavilion in the Navarre Beach park, next to and north of the Marine Science Station.

More details and the sign up to come!

All Watches, Warnings, and Advisories from TD#5 have been cancelled as of 3:05 pm CDT, 12 August 2010.  Rip current risk remains high for the remainder of today.

Wow, if only every tropical issue we had was as easy a blow as that, eh?  That pesky low still promises to give us on and off rains, some heavy, for the unlucky few. The breeze is fantastic as our temps and dew points are still way up there, leaving us sweating on the beach in heat indexes of well over 100 still.  So the breeze is welcome to help cool us off.

The surf is still rocking!  Our red flags are flying!  Be sure to educate those on the beach about the flag system.  We have a rip current issues all through tomorrow morning at least.

With the ocean churning, keep an extra eye to the sand to see if there is anything that needs reported.  You have phone numbers on the back of your ID card should you need them.

We have had to online visitors this week from England and France. I have a sneaky suspicion that those visitors are two of our very own checking up on their beach while they travel on their summer holiday!  Have a blast ladies!  We'll hug a jelly fish for you!

Please remember to sign in and out at the firehouse, even for those impromptu shifts.  I need to have something to report at the end of the month!  Also, any fun stories, or tales of the tide line, feel free to email me and we'll get them on here. Otherwise, you all are going to get really sick of my goofy stories.

I'll try to remember to get some TD5 photos up later today/this evening.  I love the cloud patterns brought on by our tropical weather.

Other than that: have fun, be safe, and share the beachy knowledge!

TD 5 Wednesday-dissapated

From NHS and NOAA; 4 PM CDT Wednesday

We now have a High Surf Advisory, A Flash Flood Watch, and a Coastal Flooding Message.

...HEAVY RAINS FORECAST TO OVERSPREAD THE GULF COAST THROUGH FRIDAY

AFTERNOON...

.THE BROAD CENTER OF A LARGE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO
MIGRATE NORTHWESTWARD OFF THE GULF AND SLOWLY INLAND THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS. WITH THE FORECAST CALLING FOR A SLOW MOVEMENT...THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN BANDS...TO REPEATEDLY
MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
EASTWARD INTO THE COASTAL COUNTIES THROUGH FRIDAY. AS SOILS BECOME
SATURATED THE RISK OF FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE OVER THE WATCH AREA.


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A



* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING AREAS...IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER
MOBILE...UPPER BALDWIN AND UPPER MOBILE. IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL OKALOOSA...COASTAL SANTA
ROSA...INLAND ESCAMBIA...INLAND OKALOOSA AND INLAND SANTA
ROSA. IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...GEORGE AND STONE.

* FROM MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
* THE HEAVIER RAINS ARE POSSIBLE GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
WIGGINS MISSISSIPPI TO CITRONELLE...BAY MINETTE ALABAMA TO
CRESTVIEW FLORIDA. LATEST FORECASTS CALL FOR STORM TOTAL RAINS OF 3
TO 5 INCHES DURING THE DURATION OF WATCH. A FEW AREAS MAY SEE LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS OF AROUND 6 INCHES.

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

MODERATE SWELLS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE BREAKING ONSHORE ALONG THE
BEACHES OF ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING...CREATING DANGEROUS RIP CURRENT AND HAZARDOUS SWIMMING
CONDITIONS.

THE HIGH SURF WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SOME MINOR BEACH EROSION...AS
WELL AS NUISANCE COASTAL FLOODING AS WASH MOVES OVER JETTIES AND
EXPOSED LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTLINE. MANY LOCATIONS
ALONG THE COAST...INCLUDING BAYS AND RIVERS...WILL LIKELY HAVE TIDE
LEVELS 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE
PREDICTION FOR HIGH TIDES NEAR 1 FOOT ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR AROUND
100 PM THURSDAY. THE NEAP TIDE CYCLE WILL HELP ALLEVIATE ANY
SIGNIFICANT COASTAL HAZARDS.
THE LOCATIONS MOST PRONE TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ARE ALONG THE OLD
MOBILE CAUSEWAY AND THE WEST END OF DAUPHIN ISLAND IN SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA...AND FORT PICKENS STATE PARK WEST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING

While this is, as of 11 am - Wednesday, CDT still tropical depression 5 ===============
....TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT


THURSDAY...

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...



...NEW INFORMATION...

ALTHOUGH THE DEPRESSION HAS WEAKENED...SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE

BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST ON THURSDAY.



...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...



FINAL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM TROPICAL

STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE CONDITIONS

DETERIORATE. THE ONSET OF GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS CAN CAUSE

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TO BECOME DANGEROUS. SECURE LOOSE OUTDOOR

OBJECTS WHICH CAN BE BLOWN AROUND. IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...

PLAN TO LEAVE IT FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.



&&



...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...

A STORM SURGE WILL ACT TO RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 2 TO 4

FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO THE

EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. WITH THE LATEST FORECAST

TRACK NOW BEING SHIFTED MORE EASTWARD...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THESE

VALUES MAY BE REVISED UPWARD A BIT BUT NOT MUCH MORE THAN ONE

ADDITIONAL FOOT. ALSO REMEMBER...ACROSS OUR AREA THERE WILL BE A

RANGE OF INUNDATION WITH THE HIGHER VALUES BEING GENERALLY WEST OF

PENSACOLA AND THE LOWER VALUES A BIT FURTHER EAST WHICH WOULD BE A

GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE STORM`S CENTER.



...INLAND FLOODING...

HEAVY TROPICAL CYCLONE RAINBANDS WILL SET UP ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA

AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY

AS THE CENTER OF THIS SYSTEM MOVES INLAND OVER LOUISIANA AND

MISSISSIPPI. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH

LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO NEAR 10 INCHES IN BANDS OF PERSISTENT HEAVIER

RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST REGION.



...WINDS...

AS TROPICAL DEPRESSION FIVE APPROACHES AND STRENGTHENS TO A

TROPICAL STORM...PERIODS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...MAINLY

IN PASSING SQUALLS...ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN ALONG THE COASTAL REGION

BY LATE EVENING INTO EARLY THURSDAY.



...TORNADOES...

TORNADOES WILL BE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS ONCE

THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION PASSES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF COASTAL ALABAMA

AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. REMEMBER...TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP MANY MILES

AWAY FROM THE TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTER OF CIRCULATION.




Expect higher surf 6-6 feet, and higher tides 2-3 feet above normal.  Help inform guests of the flag warning system.  As bad weather approached, leave the beach for your safety.

The BIG Move

Well here they go.  Tonight we, Florida Fish and Wildlife- The Turtle Patrol- a DEP member- and I, moved two of our turtle nests.  The Kemps Ridley at 12, and the Leatherback at 4.  They were carefully recorded, dug up, and extremely carefully packed.  The coolers hold a thick layer of sand, no more than 60 eggs, and then more sand and a temperature probe.  The coolers are then closed and placed in a specially designed holder that keeps them elastically suspended.  These nests and others from GulfBreeze, with be put on a specially designed FedEx truck, climate controlled, special suspension, the works, and driven to the hatching facility in Cape Canaveral and then will be released.

I was at the nest on WO 12.  Sadly the FFW people do not give this nest a high probability of hatching.  While it was HIGH at the top of a dune, which protected it from the surf, it was in the vegetation.  Sadly, it's our precious sea oats that are a problem.  The root system that protects the dune, sucks so much moisture from the sand that it also effects the eggs.  Instead of being white and full round with turtles near to hatching, they were sand toned, and soft like a newly hatched eggs.  FFW will continue to incubate the eggs to the 70 incubation date.  Those that don't hatch will be examined for a reason. It is possible that the eggs were laid, but not fertilized.  Circle of life.

As soon as I get some kind of word from those down at WO 4 on that nest's condition, I'll pass that on.  I heard they did have quite the crowd of on-lookers as that is a very busy part of the beach! Well enjoy the photos and the video !

Notice the egg in the cooler.

The hole was only about a foot deep.

Toodle Loo our Turtles!

The summer has flown by and the first of our turtle nest to be laid, are close to hatching time.  The news came to me this morning, that to increase the survival rate, and decrease exposure, our turtle nests will indeed be moved.

The Kemps Ridley Turtles at Walk Over 4 and 12 will be the first to be dug up, carefully packed, and shipped to the East coast of Florida, where they will be hatched, and then released.

We don't know exactly HOW turtle hatchlings imprint on their home beach, so it is unknown if these hatching will call the Emerald Coast home or the Space Coast home.  10 or 15 years will tell the tale.

In the meantime, we will continue to support those that are doing what they think is best for the continuing survival of these fantastic reptiles.  We wish you well little guys and hope to see you again.

for more on sea turtles visit : http://www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/stsr-index.htm

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!