Here There and Everywhere

Pensacola Visitors To Fort Pickens

You ask where I have been. We’ve just had two weeks and three weekends of house guests. Now, before you groan, I have to tell you that it was two different visits, with less than 24 hours in between, and both visits were old and dear friends. Our visitors are people we treasure and who are easy easy guests to have around. We’ve had two weeks of great visits and great conversations, and I apologize if you are feeling a little abandoned. I didn’t really abandon you; I checked the blog almost daily, but . . . I had a lot on my hands. I can only do a few things at a time, and do them well. I chose to focus on my guests. I hope you will forgive me. 🙂

So I am going to share with you some beautiful sights from nearby Fort Pickens. When we first went there, about a year ago, we discovered they have a Senior Lifetime Pass for only $20. There was only one Senior in the car at the time – me – so the pass is in my name, and gets us into every national park in the United States, me and up to eight people in the same car with me. How is that for a bargain? We’ve already used it four or five times worth the original payment of $20. What an amazing deal!

Fort Pickens is out along Pensacola Beach, and is a long narrow strip of land barely above sea-level. We could see it with our eyes, and when we measured it with our iPhones, it gave us a range from below sea level to 33 feet above sea level. (iPhones must be nearly out of fashion because all my friends have them and we are OLD! If we have them, there must be something out there newer and faster and better that all the trend-setting youngsters are buying . . . so what is it?)

Oops! I got distracted! What I want to do is share some photos of what a truly gorgeous place Fort Pickens is:

I think these are trilliiums:

Aren’t these pretty berries? I don’t know if they are edible – or poisonous!

Perfect weather for a walk, and this is the walking trail, .7 miles each direction:

Fort Pickens was constructed to protect the shores from invaders, so this is one of the fortress walls”

A Heron along the nature trail:

A Turtle (we can’t agree on whether it is a Gopher Turtle or a Snapping Turtle):

We finished up with a walk along the beach, where our visitors talked with the fishermen along the shore. These are the lines they have out trying to catch some fish, but I really want you to see how clean and beautiful the beach, sand and water are looking 🙂 :

This week, I need to get some things done in the garden, before the weather starts getting too hot!

April 9, 2011 - Posted by intlxpatr | Aging, Beauty, Environment, Exercise, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Florida, Friends & Friendship, Living Conditions, Pensacola, Photos, Travel