Shoreline Users Resource Force S.U.R.F. volunteers will be stationed on Navarre Beach to provide information on beach and water safety, coastal habitats, wildlife, clean-up response, beach condidtions, coastal habitats, seafood safety and the county Leave No Trace Ordinace to visitors.
Volunteers will work hours of their own design on the beach, answering questions from visitors to the beach. Volunteers can choose to be at any county access point, including the park and near the Navarre Beach Pier.
*Train Volunteers to provide accurate, fact based information to visitors to Navarre Beach *Promote a consistent message of the current conditions of the beach
*Promote beach and water safety
*Provide knowledge of coastal systems, habitats, and wildlife
*Provide a positive message of what makes Navarre Beach special
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!! To sign up for education/training class, please call The Santa Rosa Help Thy Neighbor Volunteer Center at 850-983-5223.For more information Email surfnavarrebeach@gmail.comorChrismv@ufl.eduor call (850)777-7884 to find out how to sign up and support our beach!
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.
Monday, August 30, 2010
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.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
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!
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!
-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!
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!
Monday, August 23, 2010
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?
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
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.”
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!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
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!
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.
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.
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 !
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.
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!
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!
BP says it has started to pump cement down the throat of the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of sealing it for good.
The company said Thursday it started to shove cement down the well at 9:15 Central time from pipes attached to ships a mile above.
Crews on Wednesday had forced down the oil in the well with mud sent down from the pipes.
BP engineers had wrestled with whether to send cement down the well immediately as part of the so-called "static kill" or wait until an 18,000-foot relief well is finished this month.
Either way, federal officials said they planned to pump the mud and cement down the well to forever suffocate the source of the oil.
Just for giggles, and to show we aren't JUST about the beach. We have other critters here too.
Have you ever had one of those nocturnal critters of Florida just about drive you insane while you try to count sheep? I have. Whether it's the bear cub trying to get into the trashcan, the 82 billion frogs of 7 million species that live around my house, the armadillos, the cotton rats, the chuck-o-widow bird that only does his version of a scratched record,the shrieking of a 10 year old when they find a scorpion, the mating call of the geckos, or the catbird nest next door, I'm always amazed at what I find when I go to investigate what is making the noise. (Read: make it STOP making noise.)
Last night, or rather this morning, while trying to drift off at 1 am I was being kept from the city limits of slumberland by what sounded like a 42 pound frog sitting in the middle of my kitchen table. OK, maybe not 42 pounds, maybe 80. Sometimes a frog does manage to get into the house. I haven't figured out HOW yet, but they do. I usually find the dried up little bodies in the middle of the floor the next morning. Anyway, I'm wandering the house on the prowl for the sweet little amphibian. Surprise, he's not on the kitchen table. Certainly I would have noticed 200 pound frog on the kitchen table. No, now he sounds like he's in the living room, and getting bigger as I play "hot and cold" with something that has a brain the size of a proton. Nope, he's not nestled on top of the TV or kicked back with a cold one on the lazy chair. About to give up, I walk past the door to the Florida room. What a great creation the Florida room. A glassed off extension to the house meant to keep in the AC, but keep out the wilds, except the spiders, snakes, scorpions, and frogs. Anyway, I open the door and am greeted with the deafening thrum, nay shrill trill of a frog. I flick on the light, because I want to be able to dodge the sofa sized tongue that is sure to fly from the mouth of this school bus sized frog and grab me for it's late night snack. Flick. Nothing.
Now it's personal. I MUST find this noise. Maybe it's an alien space ship landing in the back 40, and it has it's cloaking device on. So I unlock and slide open a door, wary of an impeding alien abduction.
The noise stops.
Huh.
Dead quiet for 5 minutes.
So I lock up and trudge down the hall. ::::::TRRIILLLLLLLL::::::
UGH.
I go back to the Florida room, flick on the light, and open the window. Dead quiet. OK, seriously?
I get the super maglight out. You know the one cops used to carry before they invented LED lights. It's about 2 feet long, weighs 3 pounds, and makes moths burst into flame as they pass the beam? I can't find a darn thing. As I'm turning off the light, and shutting the window, there it is. I just happened to be looking in the right direction.
Really ???? Apparently when it comes to a girly frog, size DOESN"T matter, but a good voice does ! LOL !
1X4 lego for comparison
Please excuse my messy window sills, I'm waiting for it to cool off to pressure wash.
The beach is clean, except for JuneGrass, still. But we're rockin' and rolling this morning with storms (as if you hadn't noticed), so none of you should be out there. :)
How about that crack of thunder at 6:30?? Mercy! Thunder is an all day possibility as are waterspouts. Take care.
Have a great day everyone!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Good Sultry Morning to you !
Yes, it's going to be another sizzling hot and humid day. We have a better chance for pop up showers today than in the past couple of days, so be prepared for that. Colin struggles to be anything more than a tropical wave at this point. But he'll retain him name until the absolute end. Again, we watch and wait.
Static Kill was started late yesterday afternoon. So far so good, knock wood. In a few days they will start the hard kill from the side relief wells.
Fishing off the Alabama coast is now back open. Recreation Fishing and shrimping have been given the go ahead in Mobile Bay as water tests continue to come in clear. So we can all hope.
The first batch of relocated sea turtle eggs (not ours) have hatched and been released on the East coast of Florida. Fair well our little green flipper friends. We hope to see you back in 10-12 years! Fair winds and following seas.
The beach looks great, ignoring the June Grass....grumble grumble. The BP crews are working down WEST of 12 today, and then clear down at the other end. They have less than 30 people on our beach today, which is great news. They're down there cleaning up stuff that is old and being uncovered by wave action. They were debating on what to do with a dead suckerfish. I asked if it was oiled or just dead. It was just dead. Circle of life, something will come along and eat it. I wonder if they stick going down? Seriously, the nicest group of people considering they are dressed like arctic explorers, but are working in the sub tropics.
One of the crews spotted a swimming larger turtle, heading towards P'cola, OC. I didn't see it, so I've got no ID for you.
D'OH ! I was so busy chatting and meeting with BP that I forgot to get an ocean shot today! Sorry about that.
I hope you are all having a wonderful time when you do get out. Let me know if there are any questions, concerns, or areas you'd like to see addressed.
Stay safe and have fun!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
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.
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.
-285.gif)
