Politics and Christmas

Not a State Park


Florida snowflakes in the trees














We have moved to Santa Rosa Beach, near Destin, at the western end of the Florida panhandle and baby its cold outside. Well cool actually. Daytime 68F but, at night it has been getting down to the low 40’s or even high 30’s. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

Yesterday, we blew the better part of a beautiful warm, sunny, Saturday watching the Liberal leadership convention and, for politics, it made for compelling television. Brenda was cheering for Bob Rae (I’m seeking help for her) and, I was supporting Gerrard Kennedy. So…..we’re both losers! I suspect the big winner may have been Stephen Harper. I could just never get my head around Mike O’Shaughnessy with his arm around Bob Rae!!!

We also visited Sandestin yesterday which is the first entire town we have even seen which is totally “gated”. Total access control in a town that looks like Inter-West moved one of its ski villages to the beach – a bit contrived but well done. But…..we got in!

We expected this part of Florida to be less developed and perhaps a bit backward. Wrong! We did not expect a “crane convention”! Wow…. If there is a bit of vacant land somewhere, someone will put up a building. Fortunately, the Florida State Parks have secured huge tracts of the best beach land and created State Parks that stretch for mile after mile, on island after island, leaving the beaches and surrounding dunes in their native condition. Some barrier islands are uninhabited. You cannot even drive to within a ½ mile of some of the beaches. This is a major breeding area for sea turtles and Florida Parks is doing an excellent job of protecting their terrain. The sand is snow white, leading Brenda to prod me into taking pictures every time we see the beach “because it’s Christmas and the sand looks like snow”????? The beaches and dunes are magnificent. One can often look down the beaches for miles with not a soul on them.

Speaking of Christmas and, thanks to Brenda’s excellent research, we did all the Christmas stuff Florida style. After a beautiful sunset, we attended the community Christmas tree lighting at Fort Walton Beach, complete with choirs and a tent shrouded ice skating rink. It was fun watching the locals in blankets, toques, ski jackets and scarves. I was in shorts. The ceremony was followed with a Christmas Boat Parade, which we watched from the comfort, and warmth, of a waterfront restaurant. Most boats, up to about 60 feet, were draped in thousands of lights. Even the police boats escorting the parade participants were decked out in lights to the extent that it was difficult to see their flashing blue beacons. Santa is an adaptive gent.

We will spend the next few days here foraging for food, internet connections and sunsets after which we will hit the road for Mobile Alabama on Tuesday. We are at a beautiful State Park but, from now on no more locations without Wi-Fi. The next post will likely be next Tuesday or Wednesday.