Wrapping Up January, and Moving Into February

                                                          
                                                    January 24, 2017

Normally, Gulf Shores beaches don't have many shells, but this day we woke up to lots and lots of shells. Many were broke, and most were small, but still a lot more than normal. There were a few gems to be found.

My grand daughter Madalena and grandson Noah joined the swim team this year. But Noah dropped out after being on the team for the first session. Maddie stayed on the team. She is in Kindergarten and so tiny for her age. (One one on the end)

I put my 3 younger grand kids in swim classes for the last couple years, and what an improvement they have made, but Madalena has improved the most with her being on the swim team.

Here is Maddy with her obsession with glasses. Her mom had the same obsession at her age. Didn't know glasses obsession was an inherent gene!

Usually the gulf is not calm with no wave action but this AM. It was like glass. It reminded me of back home on the lake with most sunrises and sunsets.

I put Lennox back in swim class this year. Madelena and Noah  didn't need lesson since they had been swimming all fall on the swim team. Below is Lennox (on the end in baby blue swim trunks) organizing a synchronized pool jump with his class.

Another sand shelve made over night from the tides.

 February  3, 2017  
We came across  what looked to be an attempted to build a very large moat and castle. Can't blame them for not building the castle after all that digging of the moat!

A nice February walk with my Nana Boy 2 Lennox.

A February evening of clouds.

Storms can be beautiful and intriguing in their own right.

February 9 
We were on our way back to Gulf Shores. We had driven 3 hours NE the day before to Dothan, Florida, so I could see a holistic dentist. My regular dentist back home in Boyne City had recommended a crown. The only problem was to get the crown out, the original filling had to be removed which was mercury. Being a retired hygienist, I was trained that mercury fillings were the best, being the strongest and long lasting. Unfortunately, after being a dental hygienist for 15 years, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. After working as a hygienist for a year in extreme pain, I was forced to retire. Since then, I have been searching for what causes Fibromyalgia. The only thing, I know for sure is it is caused by a toxic body. For the last 10 years I have tried to clean and detox my body. Most dentists believe that mercury filings are not harmful, but some believe they are extreme harmful. I had my mercury filing remove by Dr Pfister. He has special equipment that took out the filing making sure I didn't or anyone else in the room inhale the vapor fumes of the mercury. Because the exam,  removal of filling, and crown could not be done in one day we had to stay in a hotel for the night. I have one more amalgam filing to be removed, which I will have done next winter. But be aware, a lot of the procedures are not covered with insurance. My bill was pretty hefty. The crown and exam should be covered. Unfortunately it still hasn't gone through because the dental office made a few mistakes filling it and I had to do it myself just recently. To me health is worth the cost. There are many sites on the web about the dangers of amalgam fillings. Here are just a couple: http://amalgam.org/education/scientific-evidenceresearch/results-removal-amalgam-fillings/  and https://iaomt.org/safe-removal-amalgam-fillings/ 

On another day, we walked over to see a house for sale just a few blocks from our condo. It is an adorable house, but I think I am a condo lover while in the south. The main reason we took a look at this place is because our son in law, Blake, just became a Real Estate agent when his previous employer sold the business and the new owner wanted to start out with all new employees. He was having an open house.

As we got closer to March, the beaches started to get more crowded. Love this picture of a father chasing his little girl on the beach!

We started see more women in swim suits and shirtless guys.

On this evening we had the most spectacular sunset views

as we walked the beach.

Enjoy the walk.

It was a warm evening,

and walking barefoot in the water with this view was like

what Heaven must almost must be like.

Sorry so many pictures, but I had a hard time picking between them.

Believe it or not, I did remove many more.

During the evening we could see how many condo's in our building were actually rented out to snowbirds.

January 2017

                                                        January 1, 2017

                                                                            

While we were in Gulf Shores, construction continued back in Michigan. The paneling, ceiling and carpeting was removed from what we called our mudroom.

The old attached garage was changing with new ceiling and walling off an area for a closet and making the very small 1/2 bath larger.                                                           

New Years Day continued with good beach walking weather.

When we walked west, we walked about 2 miles to the cut where the water enters into a Lagoon area.

Looking back, it looked like we might be walking back in rain, but it never seems to be what it looks like on the gulf!

The next day I went to get my hair cut in Foley, the next town north. During my hair cut, the weather turned really bad. I pulled up the weather on my I-phone, and saw that we were under a tornado warning. It got extremely dark, with high winds and rain. I told the hairdresser I was heading to the bathroom. She came in soon too. I told her I had called my angels, and said a prayer. She told me she was going to do the very same thing, which led us into a deep conversation on our beliefs.

On my way back home I saw a lot of damage.

Signs down,

Out houses turned over,

and as I pulled into our condo parking lot, the siding on the building next to us, was all over our parking lot. Once home I heard a small tornado went over Foley and through Gulf Shores. Our electricity was out most the day. Joe had been home and oblivious of the tornado that went through just a few condo's from ours. Our condo is like being in a cocoon of cement.

We celebrated Alisha's 38th (NOT- wishful thinking) 40th Birthday at her place. Jamie made her a cake and she had added candles that said 38.

Tiffany and Lennox

Enjoyed getting more Vitamin D on our patio. One of my favorite things to do.

 January 3rd- Alisha's actually birthday, we had a walk on the beach

and Noah in shorts and no shirt.

Then they braved the unheated pool. Alisha didn't last long in it.

Thank goodness for a hot tubs to warm up in.

The kids were in and out of the cold pool though. To be young and warm again!

There was always something to watch out our sliding door while living on the beach.

On this day there was a taping for the reality show, Buying An Island Home! A short video of part of it below. Just showing how they where directing the buyers to do and redo whatever. Unfortunately we could not hear the conversation:

On another day I went with Alisha as she did numerous photo shoots of beach rental houses.

Alisha does contract work for realtors.

View from one of the homes of  the swamp area. The beach is off in the distance. I am sure in the heat of the summer, alligators can be seen down below.

On yet another day, after Joe came up from the beach, he told me that there was a women on the beach standing over a bird and calling someone. I went down to see if I could help. She said it had been flopping in the water and someone helped it to the sand. She and I called numerous places trying to find a rescue for the bird. I called Alisha, and she posted on Face Book and soon had a rescue on the way. Mean while I went upstairs and emptied one of my boxes that was being used as a end table next to my bed. I gave it to the women, and another guy wrapped the bird in a towel and placed it in the box. I soon found out the women owned a condo a few doors down from us. She carried the bird in the box up to her place until the rescue arrived. Anyone know what kind of bird this is? I think it was some kind of Loon.

On January 16 we had 75 degree temps, and the continue un-believable weather for this time of year. I became my mom this year, by being a garbage collector as I walked the beach.  My mom hates garbage and picks up garbage. A few years ago, she and Joe joined groups that picked up trash along interstates. I always brought 2 sacks on our beach walks. One for shells and one for garbage.  Unfortunately our beach has few shells and more garbage.

January 18, deep fog but temps of 75.

But still a good day for a walk and pick up trash.

As you can see it was warm enough for shorts for Joe.

During this time there was this most disgusting foam on the beach and or in the water, making it creepy to walk barefoot for me. I was hopping here and there trying to avoid it touching my feet. This nasty stuff is called sea foam! I was so glad when it was gone.

There had been a Great Heron I had seen earlier this year with fishing line wrapped all around its foot. I had tried that evening to call rescue people but it was on a Sunday and every place was closed. I had been watching for it every time we walked the beach since I had a number now to call, after the last bird incident. But this Great Blue Heron was not it.

In January I took the girls out for their birthdays. Tiffany had a coming birthday February 23, and Alisha January 3, so I took them out between their special days.

Happy Birthday to my two beautiful girls! Alisha 40 and Tiffany soon to be 36.

We had drinks and hors d'oeuvre, plus the bread and garlic dip that came with the meals.

We went to Grazie, an Italian Restaurant this year. I had the Lasagna,

and the girls had this and the next picture, but cant remember what they were.

I barely touch my entree, so I got a doggie box and shared it with Joe for another meal. It's always an expensive night for me, with it being over $130 with a tip! Below is a video I found on my phone when I started to upload pictures for this blog. You never know what you will find when you have grand kids!

I thought we were going to have another tornado as I watched the clouds collide and form a hook, but then it died down and disappeared.

Near the end of the month we got a few pictures as the Michigan construction continued. View of mudroom as you enter the door, going to the door to the dining room. Paneling down and new dry wall and ceiling.

View from dining room door to our side door, which is our front door. Our home was originally a garage and a log cabin joined together with a addition in between the two. It is a non conforming home and very unique!

The old garage door gone, window in, dry wall up and ceiling  replacing old garage walls/ceiling, with more insulation added.

On the other end of the man cave we saw the dry wall up with door to a closet and a door to a new larger 1/2 bathroom. The only access to the airline bathroom before, was through the mudroom. Now it is accessed from the man cave and mudroom. The space between the doors will have a TV above and desk below.

Back in Michigan, Lake Charlevoix was froze over. I found this picture on Facebook.

This beach walk was a bit different! It was extremely windy.

Lennox's other grandma and grandpa from Iowa came south for a few weeks and Kathy joined us on the walk. The walk was uncomfortable with sand beating our bare legs with a sting!

Walking west again the clouds got dark,

but east the sun shone through the clouds.

Early evening brought rain from those clouds.