Monarch Migration

I love this time of year between October and November on the Gulf Coast.  These beautiful little butterflies stop and have a little nectar to nourish them for their long journey to Mexico for the winter.

For information on monarch migration, native plantings, and where you can see them locally, check out the following websites:

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Hugh Branyon Back Country Trail

A great day to fly a kite...

It has been a year since I lost my Father to lung cancer. It seems like only yesterday we were flying a kite on the beach at the Alabama Gulf State Park. It was actually Spring Break 25 years ago, and my family's first visit to Gulf Shores. I can remember it so vividly, because it was one of the happiest times of my life.
                                                        
My parents, my sister, my cousin, and I camped in a tent, cooked out at the campsite (feeding the raccoons the crock pot macaroni we did not want to eat), took the wooded nature paths to the beach, and played in the ocean. It was a marvelous experience, and one that I will never forget.

My Dad loved the beach, and so do I. That love of the beach is one reason why I moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is also a beautiful place to experience some of the things I think are really special in life. People and nature.

Today is the perfect day to fly a kite. I think that is how I would like to honor my Father today. He would like that.