Huey on the Courthouse Square

In Monticello, Florida on Veteran's Day.

Blackbird, Swinging in the Dead of Night

B noticed something moving in this utility tower in downtown Monticello, Florida. With binoculars, we could see that they were dead buzzards (or possibly crows ) strung and swinging. We had seen this once before in a pecan grove. Apparently, it is an old practice to use dead birds as scarecrows.

Where Cicadas Go to Molt

On Saturday, we had the joy of joining our toddler grandson and his parents on a hike through woods that are just beginning to look like fall. The fall colors are spotty, but nice when you can find them. 

We found a pine that had no fewer than thirteen cicada shells on its lower trunk and around the base of the tree.

See, Grandmama?

 What fun to go exploring together!

Santa Rosa Island

On our way back from Pensacola, we drove out to and along Santa Rosa Island. Because it was a cold morning, few others had thoughts of going to the beach. The water was perfectly gorgeous, as was the beach and sky. 

We only stayed a few minutes, as we needed to find lunch and continue our long trip home but the beauty of this place soothed my soul and refreshed my weary spirit.  

Thank you, Lord, for this gift!

I want to go back!

Pensacola's Plaza De Luna

Right down by the port in Pensacola, Palafox street ends in a circle. It was a cold Sunday morning when we took a look around. We were intrigued by the large pole near the center of this picture. Our guess is that it can be used to hold large fish for photographs and perhaps weighing.

Mailbox Monday: Mailbox For the Pensacola Lighthouse

In the shade of this large oak on the left, stands the mailbox for the lighthouse.

Antiquing and Uniquing in Pensacola

There are dozens of antique shops and malls in Pensacola. We wandered through about a dozen, some of which were quite large.

In one nice shop, we came upon this unique mirror.

Yes, those are BOTTLE CAPS!

Fort Barrancas in Pensacola

It had been many years since we had been to Fort Barrancas in Pensacola and we could not have asked for a prettier day to go back. It is an interesting  place and we recommend a visit to anyone who has not been.

Spain had a fort very nearby that they constructed in 1698. The British built on this site in 1763. The Spanish built new fortifications and Andrew Jackson seized the forts in 1814 and 1817. The fort saw its final action in the Civil War and was abandoned by Confederates in 1862. It remained part of the coastal defense until the end of W.W. II. Now it is part of the National Park system but admission is free.

We all but had the place to ourselves, so I took a lot of pictures. 

The mechanism that worked the drawbridge.

These are entrances to long passages from just inside the main entrance.

We opted to go up first.

The Pensacola Light as seen from atop the fort.

A nice view of the bay from atop the fort. At one time there were three forts---one on each point---that protected the bay.

Yup!!

The ceiling was quite low through this passage.

The plasterwork was ornate over these doors, causing us to wonder if it was the quarters of the highest ranking officer.

Back inside one of the passages:

These loopholes were for shooting through and the higher openings were to allow smoke out.

Cannons pivoted on these stone arches on the floor.

 I loved the ceiling in this room.

B noticed these little measuring devices attached at various places on one corridor.  It is our guess that data is being collected to document the separation of these two walls over time. The gap varied in different rooms. 

Pensacola Air Museum

While we were in Pensacola for the quick over-night, we drove out to the Naval Air Station. We ducked into the Air Museum for a quick spin. We have been before and expect to return with B's Scouts soon, so we only stayed a few minutes. It is a very cool--and free!---place and, if you have not been, it is a "must see"! It is a huge collection of aircraft.

We went in to find a plane that our grandson's great-grandfather helped to position in the museum. It is a Corsair. We found it and sent some pictures to our daughter-in-law. 

Holy Ship!

At the Port of Pensacola, we happened upon a behemoth, the Global 1200. It is a 532 foot long service and construction ship for deepwater derricks. B pointed out the helicopter pad on top. The website states that it can provide living quarters for 264 people, has a gymnasium, a full movie theater, satellite TV and an internet cafe. 

http://www.ship-technology.com/projects/global1200pipelayves/ 

This link shows a picture of this ship with its enormous cranes extended. 

 http://www.shipspotting.com/photos/small/1/0/4/1567401.jpg

 The ship's flag is from Vanuatu. (I had to Google that!) That is a collection  of islands in the South Pacific between Australia and Fiji. I learned that it was the location for a Survivor show. The ship has been in port since September and is due to leave in mid-December. I would love to see the port bill for fees. For a start, I understand that dockage is determined per foot length of the ship.

A second large ship was not quite so visible. It is the Boa Olympic of Norway and is in a similar business. It also has a helicopter pad. This ship was just over half the size of the Global 1200.

McGuire's Million

More than once, my brother-in-law has mentioned that sometime we must eat at McGuire's in Pensacola. Now B and I had not been to Pensacola since before Katrina went through, but last weekend I needed badly to just get away and regain a little sanity. To say that school is hard this year is a grave understatement.

So Saturday morning, we got my car serviced, voted "early" and headed out on I-10. It was noon (their time) when we arrived in Pensacola and we headed straight to the restaurant.

What a fun place and the food was yummy. We were glad we decided to split a hamburger when we saw what a 3/4 pounder looks like! We could barely finish that and took the delicious bread for a snack later. It is a microbrewery and they make their own root beer, as well.  I tried the root beer and  it was good.

But about the million:
The story goes that co-owner Molly McGuire took her very first tip, a dollar bill and tacked it up behind the bar for good luck. Friends and supporters began to put up a dollar, also. Now, the entire ceiling of the entire restaurant is covered with dollar bills, most signed by the person who put it up with a staple gun that the restaurant provides upon request.

When B asked our server about the validity of the sign below, she said that the bills now come to closer to 1.5 million. 

I was amused to hear people talking about when they dust the money. Apparently, it gets dusty hanging up there and, every so often, they have to dust the money. It is not a favorite chore of the employees. I guess that is different from money laundering?

Thanks, Tom, for the recommendation!