Really hopped up on drugs, I took on the Pensacola Pier. Initially, Paul wanted for us to go sailing (something he’s been wanting to do since forever), but the combination of low wind and my still pretty rough back ruled it out. Instead, we used the medicated afternoon (usually I just medicate mornings in order to handle kids and beach, but today was an exception) to use the kids’ naptime to explore.
Pensacola Beach Pier is very long, almost 1500 feet. According to the sign, it’s the “longest and friendliest” in the Gulf.
We walked pretty slowly, so it took awhile. 
It is pretty long — you don’t realize how quickly you’ve gotten far away from the shoreline.
The water is still quite clear: clear enough to see lots of fish… and jellyfish! Including several of the largest, most GI-NORMOUS jellyfish I’ve ever seen. Bigger around than a tire… HUGE… and terribly frightening. I didn’t take pictures of them and wish I had. They were unbelievable!
A very, very, very pretty beach.
Puddinhead | 16-Aug-07 at 11:47 am | Permalink
I’ve been thinking “pier” lately myself…as in trying to figure out how to plant the idea of converting a portion of the northbound I-10 Twin Span into a fishing pier after the new bridge opens, rather than demolishing all of it along with the southbound span.
Chris S. | 16-Aug-07 at 2:33 pm | Permalink
Thems big arse things might not be jellyfish … they might be Portuguese Man of Wars … and if you get stung by one, you’ll wish it had been a jellyfish. Used to see them by the bucket loads up on the Chesepeake Bay.
Cold Spaghetti | 16-Aug-07 at 4:39 pm | Permalink
Definitely not man-of-wars… they were actually swimming in the water, rather than floating, and were just like the little ones also swimming around. Except that these could have swallowed a car.
Have I mentioned that I am absolutely terrified of jellyfish?
In the story that starts: “The Day Paul Walked On Water,” Paul was once stung by a huge jellyfish in the Chesapeake Bay. He was being dragged through the water with his sister (he was about 10) at a slow speed for fun. He saw it first, but there was no way to get out of its path… it hit him on the chest (where he was wearing a lifejacket) wrapped around him and slid down his entire body — covering him in stings. He remembers the gooey feel of it (gross, huh?) He doesn’t remember much of the rest, only being put into a cooler, that the family left Amy (Paul’s sister) in the water totally freaked out, and that at some point, a medical professional checked him out on a beach somewhere and figured that if he’d survived so far, he’d be okay.
Cold Spaghetti | 16-Aug-07 at 4:40 pm | Permalink
…LOVE the idea of the I-10 Pier!!
Scott | 17-Aug-07 at 8:47 pm | Permalink
Dear cold spaghetti,
I’m happy to check in on the vacation and see that you have been mobile. Sorry that it takes so long to get places, but also grateful that the worst of the times are being spent somewhere with a lot of help, it seems.
Hope all is well.
Scott -your PA
dangerblond | 17-Aug-07 at 8:58 pm | Permalink
I hate jellyfish, too! I hope we will see you at the Rising Tide 2.
————– Kim
The second annual Rising Tide conference will be held August 24-26, 2007, at the New Orleans Yacht Club. This is a NOLA blogger-organized and supported conference featuring speakers, panels, breakout sessions, and other dialogs on the future of the city of New Orleans.
This year’s emphasis is on ground-level, grass-roots efforts. It has become clear to those of us in south Louisiana that we will have to watch the watchmen, as well as take the upper hand in setting the city back on track. To that end, there will be presentations on local politics and how to influence them, making civics sexy, sustainability, levee engineering, and media outreach.
The keynote speaker is Dave Zirin, author of Welcome to the Terrordome, published by Haymarket Press, a columnist for SLAM Magazine, a regular contributor to the Nation Magazine, and a regular op-ed writer for the Los Angeles Times. Timothy Ruppert, president of the Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will give a comprehensive report on the status of our levee protection two years after the failure of the federal levees brought catastrophe to New Orleans. Matt McBride of Fix the Pumps will present via video conference. Panelists will include community activists Karen Gadbois of Squandered Heritage, Bart Everson of B.Rox, and Peter Athas of Adrastos, muckraking blogger Mark Moseley of Your Right Hand Thief, New Orleans political sage Michael Duplantier and author Joshua Clark (Heart Like Water).
On Friday, August 24, there will be a party at Buffa’s Lounge featuring the work of New Orleans videographers, and Sunday is reserved for a hands-on service project in aid of the NOLA school system. At the Buffa’s party, we are serving cocktail party-type food, but there will be a cash bar.
The weekend’s events costs $20 per person. This includes admission to the Friday night party at Buffa’s, Saturday’s events at the New Orleans Yacht Club (including morning coffee and croissants and lunch from Dunbar’s), and participation in the Sunday service project. Please register to attend using the PayPal link on the website. If you don’t use PayPal, feel free to call or e-mail me to reserve your space at the conference and, more importantly, your lunch from Dunbar’s. We have no problem with people paying at the door, we just need to know that you are coming.
There will, of course, be liveblogging of the event, and materials available online. If you can’t come, there is also a paypal link if you’d care to donate (this is a non-profit endeavor). Feel free to contact us through the website, or ask questions by replying to this e-mail. Rising Tide’s toll-free phone number is: 866-910-2055.
Although I am sending this e-mail to over 200 people, I’m sure I’m missing some. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested. Unless they have a blog or have expressed interest in the past, they are probably not on my e-mail list. Also, bloggers, please spread the word on your blogs!
Thanks for your support, Kim Marshall