Linda and I have occasionally done business with Eastern Shore ACE Hardware in Spanish Fort over the years. Linda first discovered it while looking for nice wharf chairs for friends in Point Clear. I remember her telling me how nice the owner was, She did indeed have some chairs made and delivered, and they were a big hit, and are still in use today.

Did you know that there are 15 million people who live close enough to drive to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in a day? That’s a lot of folks who can enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches and warm temperatures for pretty much the entire year.

At the end of a long, hot summer, a group of eight friends journeyed to Italy and France in late August for a fantastic two-week experience. I will not bore you with all the details, but we were fortunate to have a seamless vacation with no problems with air travel, local transportation, food, or accommodations. We are very thankful for that!

It’s been my experience with so many Southerners possessing a discerning palate, that your average restaurant will be just a flash in the pan, or part of a conversation that goes something like, “What was that place before it became whatchamacallit?”

I thought about telling our three adult (and married) daughters, “If your dad ever retires, we’ve decided to move to Alaska and become homesteaders” just to see their reaction. Would they just roll their eyes, and talk among themselves about how their parents had lost their minds?

I’m beginning to better understand the nuances and relationships of the many organizations involved with conservation efforts in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. One that has been on my radar for a while is Coastal Conservation Association-Alabama. I met to get up to speed with its Executive Director, Blakeley Ellis at The Sloop in Gulf Shores.