Friday, November 22, 2013
Broken Treasures
Broken treasures,
Beauty and purpose entwined,
Formed together slowly over time.
Twists and turns made a life.
Eventually, slowly or suddenly, broken.
Outer layers cracked, meaning eroded
Till only beauty remains.
Beauty is purpose enough
For broken treasures.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
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.
November 20
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.
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
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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.
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Gray Snapper. Smallest is a legal 12 inches. |
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25 pounder |
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Fishing Buddies |
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Orange Beach Sunset |
November 9
Football Saturday.
Home team suffered a beatin'
Rocky Top bad day.
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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:
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177 steps to the top |
Spiraling upward,
Climbing stair-steps to the light.
View worth the effort.
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Looking toward Pensacola and Pensacola Beach |
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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.
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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.
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Perfect slot-sized Redfish. |
November 2
Cruising offshore,
Searching for hidden reefs.
Caught a few snappers.
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Offshore about 2 1/2 miles. Beautiful day! |
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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.
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20 pounds |
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19 pounds |
October 29
Two fish on at once,
Fishing fantasy come true.
Three for the day.
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Bill hooked the first one. 24 pounds, 35 inches |
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Jane Clark hooked the next one. Also 24 pounds and 35 inches. |
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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.
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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.
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.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Allison Clark
Friday, August 30, 2013
Big South Fork
Trip Log: Aug 28
Drip drippity drip
A cave is formed from eons
Of drippity drips
Left Cumberland Falls a little after 2 pm headed for Big South Fork. Made Leatherwood Ford in BSF about 4pm. Steep hairpins curves going down to the Big South Fork River crossing and the same back up the other side. Found a great campsite, 34D with no one near. At 7 pm stew is simmering and we have the campground to ourselves. The evening was amazingly quiet. Darkness came slowly. With no clouds or haze or light pollution, the night sky was amazing.
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Leatherwood Ford, BSF |
Bandy Creek Campground
Bats flying softly
Across open span of sky
Night falls quietly
Starlight ascending
Rising from the earth twinkling
Firefly mating dance.
Full darkness reveals
A heavenly host of stars
Incomprehensible.
Trip Log Aug 29
Drove to the west side of BSF to hike Slave Falls Loop. Made the full loop including spurs to slave falls and needle arch. Indian rock house was very impressive. Total distance 4.2-4.5 miles. Too hot.
Traveled home by way of Jamestown and Crossville.
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Slave Falls was just a trickle. |
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Needle Arch |
Drip drippity drip
A cave is formed from eons
Of drippity drips
Cumberland Falls trip
Trip log: Aug 27-28

Beautiful views on a short hike around the falls. Hot. Bill remembered a family vacation to Cumberland Falls when he was 7-10 yrs old. We found the beach below the falls that was a swimming area before the pool was built in the 60s. He also remembered Dupont Lodge. We walked around the lodge and admired the great fireplace and log beams of the common room that was the dining room when he visited in the 50's. The new dining room overlooks the Cumberland River far below. Left CF little after 2 pm headed for Big South Fork.

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This used to be a swimming beach. Now even wading is prohibited. |
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Dupont Lodge, Front View |
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The back terrace overlooks the view below. Bill remembers seeing a play on this terrace in the 1950s |
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View from the terrace and dining room of Dupont Lodge |
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