Orange Beach Journal

November 22
Almost packed to leave.
Almost ready to return
To real life, almost.

November 21
Music of the waves
Soothes my ear and mind and heart,
Enriching spirit.

Beach walk at sunset.

Soles chilled by cool sand and waves.

Soul warmed by God's gifts.

November 20

Days are running out.

Sunset tide is running in.

Biggest Redfish yet.

Redfish #20 - At 28 pounds, the biggest yet.

November 19
Back to the jetties.
Chasing the mangrove snapper.
Not catching any.

November 18
Rhythms of our days
Dictated by weather news.
Kept inside again.

November 17
Weather report fair.
Fishing report not too good,
But at least we're out.

November 16
One more windy day.
Running out of things to say.
Supper with old friends.

November 15
Horizon obscured.
Water and sky merged into
One foggy grey form.

November 14
Down a wooded path
Filled with birdsong and heartbeat,
Took a fall day walk


November 13
From inside looking
Outside seems sunny and fair.
Can't see the strong winds.

November 12
Gray snapper today,
Four in the boat, but lost count
Of the ones thrown back.

November 11
Another supper,
First Sheepshead bite this season.
Redfish landed, too.

November 10

Gray snapper, mangrove

Or black, whatever their name,

Hope they're good to eat.

Gray Snapper. Smallest is a legal 12 inches.

25 pounder

Fishing Buddies

Orange Beach Sunset

November 9

Football Saturday.

Home team suffered a beatin'

Rocky Top bad day.

View from the Balcony

November 8

No fishing today.

Great lunch with old friends from youth.

Felt sixteen again.

November 7

Cool windy weather

Kept us inside all day long.

Nothing much to tell.

November 6

Our catch of the day,

Three catfish and three redfish,

No keepers to eat.

November 5

Pensacola Lighthouse:

177 steps to the top 

Spiraling upward,

Climbing stair-steps to the light.

View worth the effort.

Looking toward Pensacola and Pensacola Beach

Looking toward Ft. Pickens the end of Santa Rosa Island, and Pensacola Pass

Zen of Fishing (II)

Empty of desire.

One with bird calls, breezes,

Rocking waves, myself.

He put up quite a fight.

November 4

Forty-one years wed.

Two people have become ten.

Love expands itself.

November 3

Right size to eat,

Redfish for supper tonight.

Potato Pancakes, too.

Perfect slot-sized Redfish.

November 2

Cruising offshore,

Searching for hidden reefs.

Caught a few snappers.

Offshore about 2 1/2 miles. Beautiful day!

A few small Red Snapper, to small to keep and not in season.

November 1

Rain, rain go away,

Please don't take the redfish, too.

Fish again later.

October 31

Surf's up, wind's blowing,

Storm's coming, weather changing,

Not a fishing day.

October 30

Double double day,

Twice two lines went zinging out.

Six Redfish in all.

20 pounds

19 pounds

October 29

Two fish on at once,

Fishing fantasy come true.

Three for the day.

Bill hooked the first one. 24 pounds, 35 inches

Jane Clark hooked the next one. Also 24 pounds and 35 inches.

Almost immediately, Bill's line was taken, too.
We fought them together for quite a while. Bill's finally came in at 26 pounds, 40 inches. 

October 28

Johnson Beach morning,

Sun and wind, sand, surf and driftwood,

Birds for company.

The story of the day

Is the one that got away

Big Red broke the line.

October 27

First red of the trip,

Hope it's not the last one.

May lines keep zinging.

24 pounds, 34 inches
Caught under the bridge at Perdido Pass

Catch and release

October 26

Big game on today
UT hunting elephants
Fishing has to wait.

October 25

It's not twenty-nine,

No mountain chill at the beach.

Fifty-nine, rising.

October 24

Pink, yellow, orange,

Blue infusing sunrise sky

Beach day one begins.