Shrimp Boatin'

PATRICK TOURS A SHRIMP BOAT AND TAKES A BOAT RIDE
There are lots of shrimp boats in Bayou le Batre [which is a waterfront town very close to Dauphin Island] In the Springtime, there is a "Blessing of the Fleet" Sunday-all the boats are really decorated up, there is a boat parade, and the shrimp boats are blessed by the priest. A good friend of my grandparents took us on a tour of his shrimp boat, and even took us for a boat ride.

Seeing Mr. Perry's boat made us understand why when something is really clean, people say it is "ship-shape"-just look at how everything is so spanking clean that it gleams and shines and is "ship-shape"-! That is me in the door, "helping" a deck hand.

Maybe one day I can be a captain and take a boat out to sea- - - - - - - -


Yes ! Maybe I can!

I talked to one of the deck hands

----while he was taking a break before our boat ride--

Look at all the complicated rigging on a shrimp boat! How do they EVER know what goes where? The lights are in the rigging because shrimpers shrimp at night also. My parents and grandparents say that Alabama wild caught shrimp are the best in the universe! I think so too.

Shrimp boat lit up at night in the Gulf of Mexico, off Dauphin Island
In the daytime, Seagulls follow the shrimp boats hoping for a tidbit or fish.


Mr. Perry let me steer the Wheel, and even let me sit in the Captain's chair and try it out- maybe I CAN be a Captain someday like him!

YES !!!!!!!!!!! Maybe I CAN !!!!!!!!!


After our day on the shrimp boat, Mr. Perry and Ms. Jan took us to eat at the Lighthouse-I had fried crab claws. Later there was a pretty sunset---It was a VERY fun day!

All of us enjoyed that day as much as Patrick did- thanks again Jan and Perry! Perry's boat is no longer shrimping, but is now a biological research vessel- but I am 100% sure that Perry and his crew are still keeping it "ship-shape".

See the sunset- below!!



'Til next time------------Love, DD

RAINY DAYS AND RAINBOWS--

I am not on the island today, and it is raining and raining

I want to be on the island- perhaps here, at Billy Goat

Hole-where on a clear blue day, except for this small spit of

sand, it is difficult to distinguish blue water from blue sky-

I LONG TO BE THERE .............

However-I just spoke by telephone with a friend on the island
who informed me that it is raining there too---it is lovely there
when storm clouds start rolling in over the Gulf of Mexico
and the sun is still shining on the water from the direction
opposite the clouds, it makes the water shine like sterling silver-

--and even tho' it is raining on the island today---

I STILL LONG TO BE THERE ............. It is even lovelier when the clouds break, and a

beautiful rainbow appears as the dark clouds lighten

and blue sky again begins peeking through-

I LONG TO BE THERE .........

Once, at BullyGoat, a HUGE rainbow appeared in the

sky, beginning over the waters of the Mississippi Sound

and arching over the island to end in the Gulf of Mexico on the

other side- I climbed up into the crow's nest to take a picture

the whole huge arc was visible, too big to capture in one picture-



THE RAINBOW BEGAN IN THE SOUND--

AND ENDED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO--
It was magical- I would imagine that only on an island or
a desert or at sea can one see such a wonderful thing as the whole unbroken arc of a rainbow--here you see it end in the Gulf of Mexico-

THE RAINBOW IS PARTLY DOUBLE HERE!


.......... I LONG TO BE THERE ...........

If I could only fly- like this beautiful gull--

-I could ride the air until I was once again on the island, l looking out my upstairs window at this beautiful view of the Mississippi sound and that lone little palm tree- it survived katrina, but the house it was planted beside did not-

I LONG TO BE THERE ...............

- I am SOOO homesick for the island ----but----very soon my 'sickness will be cured because---

NEXT WEEK I WILL BE THERE-------!

'Til next time--Love, DD

The first July 4th on Dauphin Island after Katrina--

The year after Katrina, since BullyGoat was gone, [see entry below this one] we had to rent a house in order to continue our tradition of celebrating July 4th on Dauphin Island-and even though it wasn't OUR house- it was "our house" for a week, so we red-white-and blued it up, and had a fine time anyway! The day dawned bright and clear!

IT'S GONNA BE A BRIGHT, BRIGHT, BRIGHT, SUNSHINEY DAY!

--nothin' like the sweet smells of salt air, and of ribs cookin'! YUM YUM!

Cottages up and down the beach were decked out for the holiday,with Old Glory flying in the balmy sea breeze.

----and Michael was all ready and decorated himself for the celebrating, putting a flag in each back pocket !

-We didn't want to miss a moment of this gorgeous Dauphin Island day--so--

ALL GRABBED A TOWEL----

AND ALL HIT THE BEACH!

By the next year, we had moved a house to the lot where BullyGoat once

stood,[ now THAT is another story, for another day!] -so we are once again celebrating holidays in our own abode!

'Til next time, Love, DD

WHAT IS SO RARE AS A SUMMER'S DAY--

Since it is July- I decided to backtrack some years and post some memories of past July 4ths spent together on Dauphin Island-will start with 2005-and the holiday spent at BullyGoat- our house that hurricane Katrina later cruelly swept away---

July 4th 2005

The day started with Rosemary folding bandanas into festive pinwheels
that we would use for napkins at our end of the day feast-


--while Patrick, before HE even got dressed, made sure that Loki the dog was properly attired for the 4th-Loki looks to Patrick for approval , got it, and also got a treat--







I AM THE BEST DRESSED [FOR THE 4TH] OF THE WHOLE BUNCH!

I AM ONE SMILIN' HAPPY DOG!

A highlight of every July 4th at BullyGoat, was that at the house across the street, the gentleman pictured below, would, around sunset time ascend to his crow's nest, face the sunset, and begin "playing the sun down" on his bagpipes- everything from "Scotland the Brave" until he ended with "Amazing Grace" as the sun was sinking below the horizon in another of the glorious sunsets for which Dauphin Island is famous. As he played, people all along the beach would come and stand outside to listen, and as the last haunting sounds of the bagpipe, and the sun, both faded away- applause could be heard all up and down the beach. Sadly, Katrina took his house and therefore this tradition- away too- We have ever since bemoaned the loss of his beautiful 4th of July "sunset serenade" on the bagpipes--



After sunset--Time to eat !! part of the crowd- ready to "chow down" on barbecued boston butt, Ribs, stuffed eggs, Mack's famous 'tater salad, baked beans, crusty bread, and then if there's room- desserts!




After this traditional July 4th meal, fat and happy, we climbed the stairs to the crows nest to watch the fireworks from all around- could see the Island fireworks, the ones in Mobile across the bay, and the ones from fort Morgan in Gulf Shores across the other side of the bay, and fireworks by individual families as well- we were surrounded by fireworks everywhere we looked--wish I had a picture of that! We miss our crow's nest--I guess Katrina put it in "Davy Jone's locker" at the bottom of the sea- hope ole Davy and King Neptune enjoy that crow's nest as much as we did!
Thanks for reading my blog!
'Til next time- Love, DD

A DAY ON THE ISLAND-

ON DAUPHIN ISLAND- WE FORGET TO COUNT THE DAYS-------

"3 amigos" in the crow's nest!


A restful place upstairs for an afternoon nap
in the seabreeze----



The sunrise on Dauphin Island was beautiful-the air so
fresh,the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore,
and the sky the colors of opals--as Yaya says-
"AHHHHH, Island Time!"

Take a boat ride out to Sand Island Lighthouse,
which has stood guard over Mobile Bay for 129 years
it was constructed in1873 by noted lighthouse
builder Winslow Lewis

It's DECK time- pull up a chair, sip a frosty
drink and relax while anticipating another gorgeous island sunset-- As the shadows lengthen, another beautiful day on beautiful Dauphin Island begins drawing to a close--we will sleep to the sound of the waves. Love, DD

Coastal ramblin'---

DAUPHIN ISLAND, ALABAMA
shelling on the island's west end-


Dauphin Island sunset-May 2008



My friends suggested that I start a blog because I am a "photoholic"- who loves to ramble around coastal Alabama photographing any and everything that catches my interest--love to take pictures, love to share them--love Alabama.

I am willing to give it a try---SO- I am inviting you along on a 'ramble" around my favorite place in the whole world--Dauphin Island, Alabama--the first capitol of the Louisiana Territory, a place rich in beauty and history, one of the top birding spots in the USA, a barrier island surrounded by Mobile Bay, the Mississippi Sound, and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Hope that you enjoy the pictures I will be posting as much as I enjoyed taking them! "Til next time-Love, DD