Greetings From Lower Alabama

As we are getting prepared to move East to Florida I thought I should post some pictures from our relatively uneventful, but restful, beginning of winter, 2012-13.  Since we have been here a few times before, we  have just about seen all the touristy attractions in the area and reported on them previously.

On Friday the 15th of February we will drive to Rocky Bayou State Park near Eglin Air Force Base between Pensacola and Panama City Beach.  We will stay there for a week.  Our stop after that will be at Falling Waters State Park where the highest water falls in Florida is located.  It is a whopping 73 feet high and falls into a sinkhole.  There is Seminole Indian and Civil War history from the region and we will explore that for a subsequent report.  We will be there 5 days before heading to Ho Hum Campground literally on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico near Apalachicola.

So enough with the travel schedule, here are some pictures.  When we are here we always get absolutely the freshest Gulf Shrimp right off the boat at Billy's Seafood in Bon Secour.  The harbor there is just off of Mobile Bay and is a safe harbor for shrimpers.

We have not seen any new birds this trip, but some of our old favorites appeared again.  In a couple of cases the picture is taken through the window since they are very skittish and apparently camera shy! 

Below is the Yellow-rumped Warbler who show the yellow splash at the base of the tail and on the sides usually in winter.  They are busy and seem to find sustenance in the live oak trees lining the rows of RV parking spaces here at the Rainbow Plantation.

Blue birds were frequent visitors this winter too and could be seen diving from the trees to the grassy areas catching bugs.

The American Kestrel was normally perched on utility lines along fields of sod which are a common crop in this area.  On trips to town or for propane, we would always see them and frequently did not have the camera along!  I went prepared one day and wasn't disappointed, but it was impossible to even get out of the car to photograph them as they would fly off as soon as the door opened.  So, this the best effort, was taken through the windshield. 

And finally some recent pictures of Dixie, who gets a lot of sleep, day and night!  Looks like she is ready to nod off right here!

She is so good at sleeping, she can even do it in strange positions as here...

or here.

And occasionally she is actually awake and especially if there is food around.  Here she is in her favorite spot on the dashboard where she can keep track of all of her friends as they pass by outside on their daily rounds.

That is it for now.  I will have more, original photos in the coming weeks as we make our way to Orlando for an Easter meeting with Kendalyn and her Mom and Uncle Randy.