No, Jack West did not build my house at 901 Captain O’Neal Drive in Daphne which I recently purchased, but his influence and guidance, and what I learned from the late owner of the infamous Judge Roy Bean (1977-2005) is immeasurable. The house at 901 was built 35 years ago by Dick and Beverly Swanson and I was their neighbor at the time… living at 801 Captain O’Neal.

Oyster farming has always fascinated me. I remember as a boy going fishing out of Dauphin Island and seeing small skiffs with men with long tongs pulling up wild-grown oysters from the oyster beds and piling them up on the decks of their boats. It looked like hard work, which it was. They would take their harvest to Coden or Bayou La Batre for processing, whether sold by the bag or shucked in pints, quarts, or gallon containers.

Al Graham owns 5-Star Event Photography in Pensacola and is an electronics wiz. He spent his 12-year active Navy career in Aviation Avionics, graduating top in his class. He was teaching micro-miniature repair under a microscope, which is an unbelievable task. It’s safe to say he knows electronics and has an array of photography equipment and a professional set stage to highlight any event.

With our four-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter, Penny, Linda and I ventured to Coden, Alabama, to visit an oyster farm operation. It was fascinating, to say the least! Penny was visiting for a few days from Athens, Georgia, and we were taking her to stay with her other set of grandparents after spending five days in Fairhope with us.

As a lifelong resident of Mobile who spent my summers, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, in Point Clear, Alabama, I’ve seen much change in my lifetime in the waters surrounding the Scenic 98 Coastal area. These changes are a cause for concern, and I’ve tried to gain a better understanding of what has happened and what can be done to preserve and protect these waters that we all enjoy.

You don’t see the word artisan associated with pleasure boats very often, but that is the exact word that fits the Caribiana Sea Skiff being manufactured in Foley, Alabama.

Zach Sierke is somewhat famous around these parts for his creative pottery, special hand-made kiln, and his deep knowledge of the native clays and their properties. The Eastern Shore is a mecca for artisans sculpting works of art, because of its clay.

With the Fourth of July celebration behind us, we are in peak grilling season, and nothing says summer like hamburgers and hot dogs. If you are looking for a good hot dog or hamburger in the Pensacola area without having to fire up the grill, look no further than The Dog House on Palafox Street.