




"All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt."— Susan Sontag







Travel Day. Got off to a very late start to begin with. Tons of traffic. Seems everyone who skipped the beach last year because of the oil spill is making up for it this year. Rain off and on and then the floodgates opened pretty much when we crossed the Alabama/Florida line and stayed open all the way. Several traffic accidents along the way. Blessedly, none involved my peeps. Saw a van that had flipped over on its roof on the interstate in the downpour. Took alternate route into Destin when traffic got so backed up we couldn't move. That made the trip seem like an eternity. (It was.) We ended up going through the toll booth and across the bay bridge. Almost eight o'clock by the time we finally arrived. Daughter Holly treated us all to a homemade (Dad's sauce) spaghetti dinner. So good! What a blessing after this mind-numbing day. Looking forward to sunny days ahead and sharing some cool beach fun pics with all of you. I'm keeping my fingers (and painted toes) crossed! 

The Lantana is attracting butterflies (as advertised) and the bees seem to love it, too. The last picture is a little pink Dahlia blooming in the back yard. I love these (this one didn't want to show its pretty face), but they aren't doing too well this summer. Hubby Neil says you have to dig them up and separate the bulbs. I think that might be a job for the gardener in the family (Neil? Hello?).