Time to go (July 30, 2021)

Mailbox manatee met us each time we turned into the HomeAway driveway at 14425 Innerarity Point Road in Pensacola. 

Micah and Otis took Uber to the Pensacola Airport as neither the Asheville Lewises nor we had an inch of space left in our vehicles to give them a ride.  Why the noodles?  Perfect packing for Micah and Otis's fishing rods.

Through the I-10 tunnel in Mobile.  I-10 stretches from Jacksonville, Florida, to Santa Monica, California.  As far as I can tell, the only other I-10 tunnel is in Santa Monica.  Heard a lot of honking horns as we whizzed through.

 On Highway 290, almost back to Austin

Hanging out at the house (Thursday, July 29, 2021)

Amon

Papa and Piper on the dock

 Karate kids

Last day at the beach (Thursday, July 29, 2021)

River, Amon, Mya, Tom, Brandy, Ryder, Otis

 River, Amon, Mya, Tom, Piper, Sharon, Ryder, Otis, Brandy

Cleaning our fish (July 27, 2021)

Deckhand Bryant cleaned the king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and red snapper for us.  He separated the fillets into freezer bags for us.  Thanks, Bryant!

River wanted his photo taken with the sunset behind him.

Fox waits for the fish fillets.

Mya and Fox are ready with freezer bags.

Pelican at sunset.  At Koka Charters in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
 

Fishing with Captain Chase and deckhand Bryant on the No Doubt (July 27, 2021)

We took turns, youngest to oldest, pulling in fish that bit on trawling lines.  Here's Piper with her first fish held up by deckhand Bryant.  

Fox pulled in the biggest fish, a king mackerel.

Renee

Otis pulls in a fish.  

Micah

Papa Tom

Captain Chase gave each kid a turn at the wheel (in the boat equivalent of "park," of course).

We each had two turns and each caught two fish.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next few days.  

Hanging out below deck as we return to the dock.
 

Pensacola morning (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)

Renee blended school work with vacation time

 The HomeAway is in Florida, but the Florida/Alabama state line is right outside. The island on the left is in Florida; the island on the right is in Alabama.

Chorizo man (Monday, July 26, 2021)

Micah made chorizo and egg tacos for all of us for dinner.  
 

Birthday margaritas on the beach (Monday, July 26, 2021)

On our way back from Fort Pickens, we had to stop along the miles of beach at the Gulf Island National Seashore to partake in birthday margaritas.  I'd secretly brought them along in my "water" bottle to surprise Tom and Renee.  Still icy and perfect after our hours-long visit at Fort Pickens. 

Good company, salt air, frothing waves...does it get any better?

The water was fine.
 

More Fort Pickens (Monday, July 26, 2021)

Enslaved people spent 5 years constructing Fort Pickens.  The American commander did not turn it over to the Confederates during the Civil War (there's an oxymoron).  The fort was instrumental in helping the Union win. The fort was so well built in the 1830s that it survived Hurricane Sally's 14-foot storm surge (!) that rolled across the island in September 2020.  The nearby discovery center was washed sideways and has since been repaired.

Renee wearing her very cool COVID mask that doubles as sunglasses, I think.

Renee and Tom at the edge of the fort's parade grounds.

Papa Tom and Mia

Too small to read, but info is about converting cannons from the 1830s version to the more powerful later version.

Renee in the shade. Ferns thrive in cracks in the walls.  Yes, life will find a way.

Papa Tom.  How long has that gate been rusting there?  Faster than usual, due to salty sea air?

Cannons must have been placed between each set of arches at one time, judging by ports facing the sea.

Stalactites cling to the tops of the arches.  Formed over the years by dripping water?
 

Fort Pickens (Monday, July 26, 2021)

Tom, Renee, and I visited Fort Pickens on Monday, July 26.  Ramzi and Siobhan flew back to Los Angeles that morning.  Everyone else wanted to stay at the house, out of the sun, or take a walk at a nearby state park to possibly see birds, otters, foxes, and other animals.  We spied an osprey and his/her nest on the road to Fort Pickens.  Everyone else said the only animals they encountered on their walk were bugs, lots of bugs.

 
At the Fort Pickens discovery center we learned about how long it takes for trash to degrade in the ocean. Too long!  

A good reason to use reusable bags when shopping

450 years for regular disposable diapers v. 1 year.  Much better to use biodegradable disposal diapers.  Or cloth diapers?

 

Pensacola (Sunday, July 25, 2021)

Donna and Destry had to head back to New Orleans early Sunday.  Some hung out at the house: Fox and Otis were too sunburned from Saturday on the beach to even think about getting on the water. Amon and Micah stayed at the house with them. Renee continued working on her project. The rest of us took a pontoon out of the bay to the Gulf at Fort Pickens.  We stopped to swim a few times.

River, Brandy, and Ramzi.  Tom and I thought the bay water was too murky so stayed in the boat.

But once we turned into the Gulf, the water was swimming pool clear!  Mya and Tom found sand dollars.

Ramzi and Siobhan organized the trip.  Many thanks!

I thought I was photographing dolphins.  There was so much glare on my phone I couldn't tell that I was in selfie mode.  Darn!

Captain Ryder

Peace to Papa Tom too

River and Mya back in the bay

Piper and Brandy.  We're chugging back to the pontoon rental place.