Without question, we have some of the most spectacular sunsets in the world. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. I challenge anyone, anywhere, to prove me wrong. I’ve seen many beautiful sunsets in other places, but consistently, the spectacular Scenic 98 Coastal sunsets are incredible.
For the first half of my life, I was Jim, and then, increasingly, I was Jimmy Lee. It's a nickname I gave myself in 1993, and I encouraged it to stick. It's been confusing at times, but looking back, I wouldn't change a thing.
Sahada Buckley has accomplished a lot in her 29 years of life. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in Violin Performance and Music Theory. Currently, she is a member of the Illinois Symphony and the founder and Artistic Director, along with her husband, Trace Johnson, of the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival. “I have always dreamed of bringing classical music to Fairhope,” Sahada says. “There are musical events in the area, but one must travel to larger cities to experience live classical music. This is our third year of bringing classical music to my hometown.”
Summer is in full swing throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal community, although it doesn’t officially start with the Summer Solstice on June 20th. The extra daylight hours are a welcome opportunity to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty of our community, whether it's biking, fishing, sailing, playing sports, or just relaxing on the beach!
You never know what you’re going to get when you sit down with someone for the first time. I mentioned to my friend, Jack Wallace, that we had received an inquiry from the Pink Pelican Art Gallery owner about an event they are having in late May. He said, “That’s a great art gallery. We love going there, and they are great people.” I decided that I would like to meet Tamara Scott, the artist who owns the Pink Pelican Art Gallery in Orange Beach.
Once they’ve been to Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, many people think, “Ok, been there, I’ve done that, I’ve been to The Bahamas.” While, about five decades ago, I was a part of this category of people, once I discovered the “Out-Islands,” also known as “The Family Islands,” I fell in love with an entirely new and unique aspect of true Bahamian island life.
Most people traveling along U.S. 98 probably breeze through the little town of Lillian with little more than a passing thought, but Curry Weber isn't like most people. The audio engineer and archaeologist moved to this community on Perdido Bay nine years ago, and he's determined to find out as much as possible about its past.
Something that even some of my friends don't know about me is I'm into birds, and have been for over 30 years. The preferred term is "birding" for people who are seriously into it, but I've never quite put myself in that category, even though I do own a handful of reference books, some nice binoculars and even a high-powered spotting scope.
Many moons ago, after a significant family event, I found myself taking our small Stauter-built boat down to Seacliff on Mobile Bay to gather some local clay in a bucket. I proceeded home to sit on the wharf and work the clay to soften and get the pebbles out. It was almost July 4th, and as I was kneading the clay, I was inspired to sculpt the Statue of Liberty from memory. What I found is that sculpting is amazingly therapeutic. It was just what I needed, and I have deeply appreciated the benefits of sculpting ever since.
It was a glorious Wednesday last week when Linda and I decided it would be a good idea to take some old friends and newly minted Fairhopians on a day trip to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We have been several times, but this was their first encounter. They were blown away!
It was a gorgeous day for a road trip to Ocean Springs and we made the most of it beginning with lunch at Maison de Lu Restaurant and Bar. We had to dive right in with “Best in State” bloody marys. A pretty confident claim to fame and it delivered! The goat cheese tart would have been plenty, but we did not stop there. Pieces of warm pita scooped up the goat cheese with a pesto base and sun-dried tomatoes floating on top.
Anna Cowart has always loved to cook. She grew up cooking with her dad, Mark Ryan and through him, she learned how to blend ingredients for sauces, what foods work well together, and how to season and cook meats. Her “real” job is that of a speech therapist at Springhill Memorial Hospital by day and she is a chef by night, who offers customized menus and wine pairings for private dinner parties in clients' homes.
Michelle Prouty, the owner of Corner Copia Garden Center, wears a t-shirt that says “Plant People” when she sits down to talk with us in the beautiful courtyard of her garden center at the corner of Highway and US 98. Her passion for plants and the business she created is evident because the dream of “doing what you love“ is now a reality for her.
On a tip, I contacted David Van Der Like, owner and executive producer of Hellcat Productions in Pensacola, to see what they were all about. It turns out that David and his son, Ben, operate a busy production studio and event space, Hellcat Hangar, with their hands on lots of interesting things. The building in which they operate is a quirky old 4,000 SF Quonset hut on U.S. Highway 98, that I’ve passed by many times.
Twice this past week we had out-of-towners in for a visit and wanted a nice, leisurely breakfast place to enjoy good food and company. Two Sisters in Fairhope hit the spot—both times! In a beautiful outside setting, we sat on the deck sipping coffee under a magnificent old Live Oak while our breakfast was being prepared.
Bryan and Courtney Fitzsimmons had been working in the hospitality industry for 27 and 20-plus years respectively when they decided they were ready for a change. At the time, Bryan was director of operations for Another Broken Egg overseeing seven states. Bryan’s dad, Frank Fitzsimmons, was living in Pensacola where he has been a business broker for 25 years.