OB Seafood Fest

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - This weekend's OB Seafood Fest takes place just a short walk over the OB bridge from our house. This is an endeavor which combines two of our favorite things:  walking and an interesting lunch.  On the lunch front there were a number of choices.  One: crawfish and corn and Two: paella with rice; mussels; shrimp; crawfish and a bit of  fish or mac and cheese with shrimp. I would have liked a combo of all three, but it was the paella which won out.  Tasty.
 

Bromeliad

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Among the many flowering species we have  around our house are / is bromeliads.  We apparently have the pyramid wing of the family...which includes about 75 relatives as widely varied as Spanish moss and pineapples.  Go figure.  When we moved in 27 years ago there was a small clump of plants in one backyard location.  Now, we have LARGE  clumps in a number of backyard locations.  No problem.  Now, if we could only train the bromeliad crew to strangle the invasive bamboo shoots we'd be fine.
 

Hurricane Nicole...the day after

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Hurricane Nicole has headed north up the Eastern seaboard to inflict what's left of the rain and wind on more folks.  OB got off pretty light. A short distance to the South the pounding of the waves undercut beach side areas badly enough to drop at least 12 houses off foundations  and force evacuations of a couple of  damage-stressed condos.  To the north about 12 miles, the waves damaged parts of A1A (our main ocean side drive) enough to close some sections.

     This view looks North from the Granada approach. While it may look like this area of beach got spared, it didn't.  All the nice, deep sand where it was great to stretch out is gone.  It looks just as flat to the South, but more erosion is also evident around the accommodations fronting the ocean.

     Check the previous blog for a look at the Halifax River storm surge one block from home.

Hurricane Nicole

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Two officers from our OB fire department showed up Thursday afternoon to get a first-hand look at the street flooding a  block from our house.  It looks bad here while a couple of blocks up there's no flooding although the  Halifax River and the 20mph plus wind was trying hard to overcome higher (inches) elevation.  The building pictured is the OB city attorney's office...a great location until Mother Nature conspires.

     One block south lies Ames Park, a great place for a picnic or hanging out.  Not today.  Check the center background and you'll glimpse the OB bridge.  Not much happening there 'cause of high winds / waves and the hurricane / tropical storm madness.  The bridge access was closed...there was a mandatory evacuation yesterday, but not many people left their homes.  It's funny to think that the area just across the Halifax is considered  an island.

Seasonal scenes

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It's a nice, sunny 78-degree Spring day in the neighborhood.  Oh, wait...it's November 3.  Yet, the shrubs and flowers are having a blooming time and the Royal Terns are turning to face the slightly off-shore breeze. The water fountain decorations are spurting in the nearby park and there are plenty of colorful plantings around another nearby park.  However, a cool front is moving in and it will be a chilly 68 on of these nights.