Nature Journal: Pelicans

Pelicans have been on my mind recently. They are such fascinating, funny-looking creatures. I'll never tire of watching them lazily sunning on posts or flying over the bay and diving into the water to fish.

Pelicans often hang around the causeway and the I-10 bridge. As I drive over the delta into Mobile once a week for a work-related errand, I admire their freedom, out in the fresh air, surrounded by shimmering blue waters and open skies; knowing that it will only be a brief few days before I'm out on the water in my kayak, just as free to roam and explore.

When I stop to reflect on the personality traits of pelicans, I think of them as unapologetic and confident in their every action. Have you ever seen an indecisive pelican? I haven't. Maybe I'm drawn to them because I would like more of my own day-to-day interactions with the world to reflect the laid back, cool as a cucumber, blasé confidence of the pelican. 

My inspiration for this watercolor sketch came from a photo of a brown pelican taken by photographer Greg Lavaty.

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

I'd Rather Be Kayaking

Just a little quickie post here. We have a new sign on our fence!

Purchased on Etsy: The Lizton Sign Shop

Until next time.

Carpe diem, my friend!

Magnolia River, Magnolia Springs

I think I'd rather do a little less telling and more showing today, if that's alright with y'all. Follow along in the video below as we explore the Magnolia River in the sleepy little town of Magnolia Springs, Alabama. Some highlights of this trip were: me not getting my feet wet at the put-in (lol) and a little discussion about the mailboxes on the river.

If you've decided to put-in at this location, please consider that there are only four designated parking spots. One might think it looks rather innocent to park on either side of the quiet gravel street, but the people who live on the street say otherwise. My advice is to be aware and to be respectful of the residents' wishes for people to not park on their property; have a plan B kayaking adventure in mind if all of the spots are taken.

You can find the location of this public launch on the Go Paddling App or here on paddling.com.

There are no portalets at this location.

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Bohemian Park to Big Daddy's

I'll admit that the words "never again" did roll off my tongue after paddling the upper Fish River last fall. At that time, the water level was much higher than it is now. For perspective on how high the water can get on the Fish River, below is a photo from our paddle on Saturday. The arrow is pointing to a log of driftwood lodged in the tree branches. So, when I previously described the upper Fish River as having areas of deep, black water, it was probably, indeed, rather deep. It's hard to fathom the water ever getting that high, but I guess that's why all of the houses on the Fish River are built on stilts.

This trip down the Fish River was much more relaxed. There were about twelve of us in a group, and our leader knew the Fish River well. He even took measures to clear a path for us ahead of our paddle.

It was such a fun day out on the water, and such a great group of people. The entire length of the paddle was about six miles. The bonus to this paddle was getting out at Big Daddy's Grill and enjoying a well deserved icy cold beverage and a hearty meal among new friends.

Bohemian Park is located on County Road 48, Fairhope, AL. Google Maps will lead you there with no issues. There's plenty of parking on an average day. There are two portalets--the doors are kinda broken and no toilet tissue, but they're still functional and smell surprisingly okay.

Big Daddy's is located at: 16542 Ferry Rd, Fairhope, AL 36532. It's best to pop in and ask if it's okay to leave your vehicle parked there. They prefer that kayakers park their vehicles in the grassy area along the fence, so patrons can park in the paved spots.

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Sunrise Paddle on Mobile Bay

Sunday was the perfect day to just piddle-paddle about and peacefully bob around on the open waters of Mobile Bay at the Fairhope Municipal Pier / Beach. We bobbed along and explored the inverse of some of our favorite views from the shoreline.

The sun rising over the live oaks, flowering magnolias, and long-leaf pines was beautiful. I've said this before and I'll say it again and again: sunrise is my favorite time of day. My neighborhood is nestled under a canopy of green year-round. The evergreen trees provide shade, privacy, and a continuous sense of well-being in my soul that doesn't does go dormant in the winter along with the deciduous trees. I can't see the sun rise from my front porch like I could in the mountains, but I can strap a kayak to the top of my vehicle and be on any number of rivers, creeks, or bays surrounding my county and catch the sun rising over the water. I'd say that's a rather fair trade off.

As we were loading our kayaks, the most Fairhopian vehicle that I have ever seen pulled into the parking spot across from us:

A golf cart with a kayak strapped to it's passenger side! If you asked me to submit an image that embodied #fairhopelife, it would be this. Fairhopians love puttering around downtown in golf carts, enjoying a carefree evening. Some folks even use them to drive to work every morning. Other Fairhopians enjoy going down to the bay to walk, fish, paddle board, or kayak. This person obviously enjoys it ALL to the fullest, and, I must say, I am quite green with envy!

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Morning Paddle on Nolte Creek

It was worth every penny of the $5.00 fee to park at the Nolte Creek boat launch. Not very crowded on a Sunday morning, ample parking, and a clean portalet. Left of the launch feeds into the Magnolia River--open water with the occasional speed boat. Right of the launch is Nolte Creek--a lovely, partially shaded little stretch of creek that's perfect for a quiet, slow meander. We spotted lots of jumping fish and an array of birds. Swallows were busy building their mud nests under the bridge, pelicans were sunning on posts, and hawks were circling above the pines.

The launch address is:
13214 County Road 26, Foley, AL 36535

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Caribbean Adventure 2019

If you didn't already know, Mobile, AL has a cruise ship terminal. It's just a quick Uber ride from the Eastern Shore to the terminal. If you book a cruise out of this port, be aware that the drop-off traffic can be congested and somewhat confusing. If we take another cruise out of Mobile, we'll just get dropped off in the parking lot a block over and walk in. We pack light, so this would be easy for us.

This year, for spring break, my husband, son, and I took a five day Caribbean cruise. Our first port was in Progreso, Mexico where we journeyed into the Yucatán to explore the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá and a nearby cenote.

The following day we docked on the island of Cozumel. We took an excursion out on a catamaran to a coral reef where we snorkeled and saw lots of colorful, tropical fish.

After snorkeling, the catamaran took us to a beautiful, white sandy beach. There was something for everyone at the beach: a food bar and shaded tables or hammocks, lounge chairs, kayaks, paddle boards, water slides, etc.

Of course, the first activity I headed for was kayaking. Paddling in Cozumel was so much fun. Caribbean blue has long been my favorite color; now the brilliant hues of the Caribbean sea paint a landscape of fond memories with my family.

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Melissa Anne