(Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino)

Well actually driving to New Orleans.

We spent yesterday walking in New Orleans.

This is just a quick update and I’ll tell you more later.

See y’all 🥰

(The Irish Rover – The Irish Rovers)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone.

This is how I celebrated this morning.

Richard says he’ll celebrate St. Patrick’s Day when the Irish celebrate St. Georges’s Day. Whatever Richard.

I know. What? Mimosas? Certainly not an Irish drink. But I’m not really a beer or whiskey drinker. Plus the champagne was $6.99 and had to give it a try. Wasn’t bad at all.

We went for a walk along the Gulf Shores Beach boardwalk and saw this interesting machine on the beach. I’d never seen one before.

It’s a Surf Rake or colloquially called a Sandboni. Too funny, right.

It drags a raking or sifting device over the beach sand to remove rubbish and other foreign matter. That’s why the beach looks so pristine.

During our walk we were sure taken by surprise by the number of people all decked out in green clothes, beads, green sparkly headgear etc. I just never expected to see such an Irish display down here. I don’t know why I thought that. Apparently St. Patrick’s Day is universal. Of course this is Spring Break for a lot of places so there were lots of partying students but the ‘oldies’ were more dressed up than the young’uns. The Hangout, a restaurant on the beach boardwalk, was rockin’ the Irish tunes.

https://www.thehangout.com/

As you can see it’s party central there for the month of March.

We opted for a quieter time on our deck. Good decision.

Nite y’all 😴

(Prince Edward Island is Heaven to Me – Hal Lone Pine)

We had planned to go to an outdoor BBQ and Blues Festival today but it’s raining 🌧 so I did the gym 🏋️‍♀️🧘‍♀️and came back to our home away from home. I wrote earlier this week about going to see the movie The Wizard of Oz. Remember her poignant there’s no place like home? Truer words were never spoken.

I have loved our winter here in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It’s much warmer than home and there’s no snow. We’ve had a terrific time. It’s been fun being in a new place and experiencing new adventures. During our stay here I’ve had many people ask me about where I’m from. So today for those reading my blog who are not from PEI I chose to share info on my sweet province, PEI.

I love my province and I love being an “Islander”. PEI has my heart. ❤️

There’s so much I could tell you but I’ll just share a few things I found online: information, pictures, and websites for you to peruse at your leisure.

Prince Edward Island is one of eastern Canada’s Maritime Provinces, off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The island is marked by red-soil, sandy beaches, lighthouses, and fertile farmland, and is renowned for seafood like lobster and mussels, potatoes, and Anne of Green Gables.

https://www.tourismpei.com/

Charlottetown is the capital of Prince Edward Island. It’s on the southern coast of the province. The Province House National Historic Site hosted the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, spurring the country’s birth. There are many shops, restaurants, and historic walks. The Confederation Centre of the Arts (Le Centre des arts de la Confédération) is a cultural centre dedicated to the visual and performing arts. The musical “Anne of Green Gables” is entering it’s 55th consecutive summer there.

https://www.charlottetown.ca/

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/pe/provincehouse

https://confederationcentre.com/

Summerside is the Island’s second-largest city. Harbourfront Theatre attracts world-class entertainers and plays host to many great festivals and events. A boardwalk allows visitors to shop and dine beside the ocean and at the College of Piping, performers show off the Island’s Celtic roots with energetic displays of dancing, piping, and drumming.

https://summerside.ca/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/best-of-prince-edward-island/index.html

https://welcomepei.com/blog/the-nudge-you-need-to-visit-pei/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=NudgeYouNeedTravelPlanning

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g155022-Activities-Prince_Edward_Island.html

https://welcomepei.com/blog/49-travel-tips-from-pei-locals/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=49LocalsTravelTips

Just a small sample of PEI’s beauty.

The following pictures were taken by Richard from his home in Borden-Carelton. PEI.

This is just a small taste of PEI. Come visit and see all that my beautiful island has to offer.

Nite y’all 😴

(Not Today – Imagine Dragons)

Well today was the day to visit Dauphin Island. The blue dot is where we’re wintering.

https://dauphinisland.org/

Dauphin Island is a town in Alabama, on the Gulf Coast island of the same name. It’s known for stretches of white sand, like Public Beach. At the entrance to Mobile Bay, 19th-century Fort Gaines features original cannons and a blacksmith shop. Migrating birds can be seen in the forest, dunes and swamp of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Estuarium offers aquariums and a living marsh boardwalk.

We decided we’d take the Mobile Bay Ferry that runs between Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island.

http://mobilebayferry.com/

Not today.

We arrived at the ferry terminal. PEIers, it does not resemble the PEI ferry terminal. It’s a very small booth, a little bigger than the potato stands we see on the side of the road in the summer, and has one person selling tickets.

Not today.

The crossings were cancelled due to weather/high waves.

We didn’t allow that to stop us from having a good day. We decided to do our last visit to the Tanger Outlet Mall.

https://www.tangeroutlet.com/foley

After enjoying our Starbucks we spent a few hours at the mall and we both bought a few things. Not many. Lunch time had come and gone so we decided to have a lunch/supper at Lambert’s Cafe.

https://throwedrolls.com/lamberts-cafe-iii/

We’d read about this place. The servers throw rolls to you. And yes they do. The rolls were whizzing around the room. And some dropped on the floor. When they came to me they just passed a roll to me. Hahaha. Guess they thought I’d never catch it. They were probably correct. Servers also walked around offering you unlimited amounts of their Pass Arounds. These include rolls, fried okra, boiled cabbage, black eyed peas, fried potatoes and onions, macaroni and tomatoes, apple butter, and sorghum.

I had a roll (hot and very good) and we also tried the fried okra. Richard liked that but I didn’t. We passed on all the others. I noticed a lot of tables had extra take out dishes on their tables and were putting food into them. No thanks.

Richard had the largest serving of liver and onions that I’ve ever seen. He said it was good but there was so much he couldn’t finish it.

I had catfish. Wasn’t great.

I’m glad we went to experience this unique concept but both of us have no desire to go again.

A few more pics. Drinks were served in these huge mugs.

We missed our gym workout today but we enjoyed a long, lovely, late afternoon beach walk.

A very nice day.

Nite y’all 😴

(That’s the Bag I’m In – Fred Neil)

I was excited about today.

Richard had seen an ad in the local paper a few weeks ago for today’s event called Purses with a Purpose and knowing my love of bags he mentioned it to me. Sounded good to me so we decided to go. Now Purses with a Purpose was a silent auction of over 100 “lovingly used ” purses that were donated. It was held at Saint Andrew by the Sea, a non- denominational community church with the proceeds going to support their Outreach Programs.

They also provided a light lunch at a cost of $5 per person. Prior to going we talked about what the lunch would be. If it was on PEI I thought it would have been lovely little tea sandwiches and sweets with tea and coffee. Not quite the same here. It was a little packed lunch of two small wraps, two cookies, a bag of Lays chips and a small container of grapes.

There was also a choice of sweetened or unsweetened iced tea, water, or hot tea. It was different but nice.

Now to the purses.

When you entered the hall the first table had quite a few designer bags e.g. Coach, Michael Kors, Dooney and Bourke.

The other tables had an assortment. All in all there were a lot of bags. Although they advertised these purses as “lovingly used” I did notice that quite a few had tags from local stores and seemed new. I also noticed that some bags had things inside them like gift certificates, jewellery, soaps etc. as additional bonuses.

I was hoping to find a nice clutch but no luck, so I restrained myself and did not place any bids.

A duo provided musical entertainment. Very nice.

Although I didn’t get anything it was fun to have a different kind of day, plus we supported their cause.

I really loved the idea of this silent auction with purses and think it could go over well on PEI. So if your group is looking for a unique fundraiser this might be it.

SOUTHERN RECIPE #10

Miss Myra’s Banana Pudding

On quite a few restaurants’ menus down here we’ve seen Banana Pudding listed in the desserts section.

Now that would never be my dessert choice. Where’s the chocolate? But as I’m trying to make some southern recipes I made it to have with tonight’s supper.

Banana Pudding is a classic southern dessert made of layers of vanilla wafers, banana slices, and custard and topped with whipped cream or meringue. The recipe I used called for meringue.

It’s not difficult to make. The main part of the pudding you make the previous day and then add the meringue before serving it.

Well Richard thought it was ok. I didn’t like it but that’s understandable as I’m not one who likes fruity desserts. I won’t make it again.

I hope all of you had good day.

Nite y’all 😴

(We’re Off to See the Wizard (The Wizard of Oz) – Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg)

Not quite a normal day. Didn’t get a ton of sleep last night. We found two cockroaches last night. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. 😝 Yes, they’re now dead. Slept with the lights on as I was petrified of going to the bathroom in the night. The landlord said they’re normal for down here. I know. I know. I still don’t like it. 😠 He said to spray the baseboards if we wanted so that’s what we just finished doing. 🤞🏼

We did get to do our normal gym and Starbucks.

I’m excited about tonight. We’re going to the movies to see The Wizard of Oz.

It’s hard to believe that Richard’s never seen it. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve seen it. The movie I’ve watched numerous times plus I’ve also seen the stage musical several times as well. He’s such a great sport. He said he’d love to go. Too bad it’s not a singalong. I’d really love that. Who thinks we should have a singalong The Wizard of Oz in Summerside?

So first dinner and then We’re Off to See the Wizard.

Nite y’all 😴

(Oops I Did It Again – Britney Spears)

Today started off well. Richard dropped me off at the gym for cardio and a Pilates class while he headed off to a Bird Walk.

When he picked me up I learned there were 23 on the walk when there was supposed to be a max of 12. The guide spoke so softly they couldn’t hear her plus they saw no birds. How disappointing. 😢

Then I was off to my hair appointment. It went so well last time that I wasn’t concerned. Not one little bit.

Oops.

Colouring and cut were done and she was blow drying it. That’s when I noticed that the hair down the part was much darker than the rest. Yup. She used a wrong colour on the upper part. 😧 She called the owner over and they agreed to redo the top. Great. So another hour later I’m finally done. Not even an I’m sorry. No discount for the trouble. But they did charge me more than my first appointment. Ahhhhhh. 😠

I’ll be so happy to get back to The Style and have Jason doing my hair. I always knew he was great. Now it’s confirmed. Thanks Jason for being such an amazing stylist. I appreciate all that you do.

Nite y’all 😴

(Yes We Can Can – The Pointer Sisters)

Just a regular day today. But regular days are always great. Gym and then Starbucks. We tried a new snack. Money on Honey. Wildflower Honey Caramel in dark chocolate topped with sea salt.

It was delicious and yes, we were very good. We shared it.

Back home we sat on the deck reading and drinking tea for quite a while. It wasn’t overly sunny but it was nice and warm.

Every weekend we buy a weekend copy of the local paper, The Press Register. It’s the Mobile newspaper. With the weekend paper we also get the sales flyers and the part that I love is the crossword puzzles section. It’s eight pages of puzzles. There’s a crossword puzzle for each day from Monday to Saturday plus the LA Times, and the New York Times, a crypto-quote, and a few other word puzzles so this lasts me all week. I like to do them at breakfast.

This week’s paper had an interesting article entitled When you reach a certain age, you realize its time to update your mama’s advice. One thing she mentions that I’m sure you can relate to is the Clean Plate Club. I’m sure some of you were told or did the telling of ‘you can’t leave the table until you’ve cleaned off your plate’. I know I grew up being told that, and sadly I said that to my own children. She thinks this club’s charter should be revoked and I wholeheartedly agree. It gets ingrained in you. I still have a difficult time leaving food on my plate. Sigh.

One of her pieces of updated advice women learn by the time they reach middle age caught my attention. I’d never heard this name before. In discussing the fact that life is too short to wear bad bras she states,”A middle-aged woman knows the importance of supporting the Pointer Sisters.”. What? Have I been living under a rock? I’ve heard many names in the past but I’ve never, ever heard them called that. You?

Hope you got a laugh out of the name she used. I know I did.

After reading this article I knew I had to use The Pointer Sisters in my music selection for today’s post.

Another amazing Alabama day.

Nite y’all 😴

(Nature Boy – Nat King Cole)

Today we went on a guided bird and nature walk: The Pine Beach Trail at Bon Secour.

I found this information online.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge was established by Congress in 1980 for the protection of neotropical migratory songbird habitat and threatened and endangered species. 

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge encompasses some of Alabama’s last remaining undisturbed coastal barrier habitat. The name Bon Secour comes from the French meaning “safe harbor,” very appropriate considering the sanctuary for native flora and fauna the refuge provides. 

Pine Beach Trail is a 5.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Gulf Shores, Alabama that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible year-round.

This is some of the best beach habitat left along the Gulf Coast around here. There are some amazing dunes at the end, but before you get there you get to see the transition of ecosystems from a pine forest to a stunted live oak maritime forest to the scrub of the back dunes and then the sea oats on the fore dunes. This hike is a great way to experience what the coast looked like before all of the condos and parking lots. Gator Lake is fresh and has lots of alligators, and the basin on the other side of the trail is brackish and has fish and crabs.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bon_secour/visitor_activities/trails.html

https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/brochure/bon-secour-national-wildlife-refuge-pine-beach-trail-guide.pdf

Although Richard may be a nature boy I am definitely not a nature girl. I enjoy being outside (when it’s warm). I love walking. I do not enjoy poking along. We were walking slower than bridesmaids and the bride walking down the aisle. I kept singing to the guide in my mind,” Hey bus driver speed up a little bit.”. Way too slow for me. We saw no birds, no animals, no reptiles, and no amphibians but the guide did point out a few plants. Good Lord. I think when they say that it offers the chance to see wildlife what they actually meant was not a chance in hell you’ll see wildlife. Lol. That’s probably my first and last guided nature walk.

Nite y’all 😴

(Waves and Sun – Carpoolparty)

Just a short post.

Richard look this video this evening and I just had to share it. You can really hear the sounds of the waves and the wind. Enjoy!

Nite y’all 😴