I have several blog entries started…one really whiny one because I’ve been in a terrible mood all week and a not whiny one about my brother-in-law’s beautiful garden.

But, last night I went down to my beloved beach and I wanted to share a few pictures with you.  The effects of this oil spill are devastating.  Right now, it seems to me though, that’s what is devastating is not what IS on the beach but what is NOT on the beach.  Namely, people.  The primary industries in this county are tourism and the Navy (yea! Navy!).  While, in the long run, the oil may kill the precious natural resources of our beaches, it’s killing the economy a lot faster.  And, that is unfortunate because I think it is somewhat premature.

I will be bluntly honest with you…I am no longer swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, nor am I letting my babies swim.  I am probably being abundantly cautious…I probably expose them to more concentrated chemicals in the Capri Suns I let them drink than I would if I let them swim.  But, there’s just not enough information readily available for me to make an intelligent decision.  The local governments are deeply concerned about lost revenue and I think they could be throwing caution to the wind in order to keep the local waters open for swimming.  So, I have to make the individual decision for my family.  Okay, that’s a lie…Steve made the decision for our family…I was going back and forth about letting them swim and Steve took a firm stand that I now completely agree with.    But, just because we’re not swimming doesn’t mean we’re not going to the beach.  I have been three times this week and the girls have been twice.  We walk the shores and see the waves crash and talk about the sea turtles and watch the crabs scurry back and forth.

And here’s the thing about this town of mine…there’s a lot more to do here than swim in the Gulf, although I readily admit that swimming in the Gulf is something I enjoy immensely.  There are museums (many of them free), beautiful hotels with wonderful swimming pools, and awesome restaurants (yes, some of them have had to adjust their menus because of fishing restrictions).  And the beach is still here…you can still hold hands with the person you love and walk down the beach and watch the sun set.  I guess what I’m getting at is if you’re planning a Gulf Coast vacation, don’t trash your plans, at least not yet…

Because as sad as this is,

right now, this is even sadder…