Good morning to you all. I trust you had a wonderful weekend and what an absolutely amazing Saturday for college football. At the end of the day we have two teams from the SEC headed to the “Big Dance!” Congratulations to the University of Georgia and University of Alabama on their selection to the College Football Playoffs. Both Universities hold a very special place in my heart.
Two weeks ago I was in Florida celebrating birthdays of two very dear friends and loving every minute of watching sunsets and eating my fair share of seafood on the gulf coast in Cape San Blas and Perdido Key. There is nothing better then eating fresh oysters and steamed shrimp and there is no better place to get them then Apalachicola, Florida’s oyster capital.
If you have never visited, Apalachicola is a coastal city with a vibrant seafood and art community about 1½ hours east of Panama City. The town sits at the mouth of the Apalachicola River and is best known for one of its namesake seafood exports. Over 90% of Florida’s oyster production is harvested from Apalachicola Bay. The town is a very eclectic mixture of restaurants, art and antique galleries that is bolstered by a very historic fishing community. Aging fishing trawlers dot the landscape and marinas and reflect the many years of wear and tear from their many trips out to sea. Quite a few have seen better days. As an artist I find myself visually attracted to the character and beauty of these aging vessels.
The group made it’s way to the city on a couple of occasions and after eating our fair share of seafood, we took a side trip to one of the larger marinas. The weather was not cooperative on the first outing so I knew I was destined to come back on a better “art” day. With a game plan in mind I talked one of my other partners in crime, Tom Fricker to accompany me. Tom, as well as his wife Lisa, is an exceptional artist and both were working on daily projects of plein air paintings. Tom and I headed out to the marina and part of my art day exploring these magical boats included capturing him in action. Unbeknownst to either of us, the name of one of the boats he was painting was the “Crimson Tide”. I thought how fortuitous with the Iron Bowl one day away. Little did I know it turned out to not be a lucky charm.
The rest of our time in the area was spent with multiple visits to the Indian Pass Raw Bar best known for its seafood and it’s very hospitable self-serve beer policy. For anyone visiting the area it is a must. All in all it was a great trip to Cape San Blas to celebrate a birthday. During our stay Mother Nature felt very inclined to show out every evening with one spectacular sunset after another. I felt it was my mission to capture her beautiful artistry, one stunning sunset after another. ENJOY!
