Day 212 Have a Heart

Day 211 Pickin'

I enjoyed listening to D.D. Freels (guitar and vocals) and Larry Hadley (dobro) tonight at San Roc Cay. Thanks to them for the great music and for putting up with the paparazzi while they were playing.

Day 210 Standing Tall

Day 209 They Are Everywhere

This post is for Laura Delegal who has a thing for mushrooms. I've been out of town and have heard that it rained every day I was gone. Not only is my grass a foot taller, but there are mushrooms popping up everywhere! I shot this one just as the sun was coming out a few minutes ago.

Day 208 Along the Way

Here's a quick shot I got of one of the roadside scenes during an early morning trip through some Alabama countryside.

Day 207 Legendary

This is Frances Smiley, who is legendary for her work in tourism promotion efforts in Alabama. Thanks Frances, for all you have done and all you continue to do! I am honored to be your friend.

Day 206 I'm Alabama

The finals for the Alabama Tourism Department's  Songwriters Contest was held tonight at the beautiful Ritz Theatre in Sheffield, Alabama. After great performances by all the contestants Joseph Baldwin, with his original song I'm Alabama, was chosen the winner. After the announcement Joseph (holding the one-of-a-kind Alabama Jammer Gibson guitar) and the other contestants, along with Emcee Dave Johnson and Alabama's Rock Star Tourism Director Lee Sentell, posed for some pictures as fans looked on. Congratulations to Joseph and to Lee and his staff for another great promotion that will surely bode well for Alabama tourism.

Day 205 Road Trips

Today the Alabama Department of Tourism gave us a glimpse of a very cool Cadillac that I'm sure we -- and the rest of the world -- will be seeing a lot more of next year.

Day 204 Handy Festival

This is my new friend David Hood, playing with The Decoys tonight as part of the W.C. Handy Festival in Florence. Thanks to Debbie Wilson I met David and Judy and got to hear some great music tonight at Crocodile Ed's.

Day 203 Sharp as a Tack

. . . or in this case, sharp as a push pin. I'm running low on ideas this week. Maybe some new scenery tomorrow will be inspiring.

Day 202 On the Waterway

I drove through The Wharf on my way home tonight looking for a shot. Folks seemed to be having a good time at Shuckers.

Day 201 Better Days

I think this old truck has seen better days, but it still looks pretty cool to me.

Day 200 Rehab

This Royal Tern looked a bit out of sorts so the good folks at the Gulf State Park Nature Center were keeping an eye on him (or her) today, offering a comfy spot to rest and some food and water. I don't blame him (or her) for taking advantage of a little R & R. I would have hung out a while longer myself if I could have.

Day 199 Gull

Day 198 Malayne's Celebration

Malayne is now six years old and she had a celebration today with her cousins and her new friend Jelly Beans.

Day 197 Raindrops

Finally! It's been a wonderful day of rain at my house. The plants are soaking it up.

Day 196 Burger

I probably could have gotten a better shot if I hadn't been in such a hurry to eat the props.

Day 195 Green Heron

This little guy fishes in my back yard a lot, but he is very hard to get a shot of because he's so good at hiding in the trees or the shadows and is very skittish. According to my bird book he's a juvenile Green Heron.

Day 194 Chief Howard

We celebrated the retirement of Orange Beach Fire Chief Forney Howard today. He's been a great leader for our community and we wish him all the best as he takes on new adventures and spends more time with his family.

Day 193 Curly Locks

I had some great boys and girls to shoot tonight, but when choosing a shot for the day I just could not resist Skylar's bright eyes and curly locks.

Day 192 Checking the Mail

Day 191 Chance

Today was all about Chance Colton Courtney who was baptized this morning. Apparently even while he was resting before the ceremony he knew it was going to be a good day because he gave me thumbs up.

Day 190 Floral

Day 189 Sculpture

Biloxi's Katrina sculpture project began in January 2007 when Mayor A.J. Holloway and Public Affairs Manager Vincent Creel spoke with Mississippi “chainsaw artist” Dayton Scoggins about sculpting marine-related figures from the dozens of standing dead trees in the median of Beach Boulevard in Biloxi. The trees were victims of the saltwater storm surge of Hurricane Katrina 16 months earlier. Scoggins's initial five sculptures inspired Fort Walton Beach, Fla, sculptor and frequent Biloxi visitor Marlin Miller to approach the city about donating his time and talent to sculpting more standing dead trees in the center medians in Biloxi. Miller's efforts represent the majority of the 20 works of art in Biloxi. 

-- http://www.biloxi.ms.us/Sculptures/index.htm

Day 188 A Rose

Someone sent me flowers today. What a sweet surprise!

Day 187 Incoming

I met a lady in Bayou La Batre today who told me about the hundreds of pelicans she sees flying along the coast almost every day this time of year. After I left her I got the chance to see it for myself. This is the first of three waves of pelicans that passed by me as I drove along the shore. It was an amazing sight. I wish the photo did it justice.

Day 186 Lisa Christian

It was a lovely night at the Sunset Cork Room. I enjoyed spending time with friends and Lisa Christian, as always, was very entertaining.

Day 185 Flags Flying

Flags are flying everywhere in celebration of Independence Day. Happy 4th of July!

Day 184 New Neighbor

This is one of three four-legged neighbors I have this weekend. When the two-legged neighbors are away, he guards the perimeter of the carport.

Day 183 Sew

Sew . . . So what? So, we are halfway through the year! Thanks for all the support so far. Let's have some fun in the next 182 days!

Day 182 Wyatt Waters

I met artist Wyatt Waters today. He was painting a street scene in downtown Fairhope. Check out his website (www.wyattwaters.com) or visit his gallery if you happen to be in Clinton, Mississippi. His work is beautiful.