Summertime Glow

Often we find a bottled solution to a summertime glow if we can't make it to the beach for a tan. However, Meyer Real Estate has made the possibility of a beach vacation in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, Alabama and Perdido Key, Florida very attractive this summer with a wide variety of specials.

Even if you did not plan ahead, we have last-minute 25% off specials for vacationers arriving within 12 days and staying from 4 days to a week. Web surfers can save $50 - $100 by reserving their vacation online. Later in the summer, during the "Thunder on the Gulf" Powerboat Races(August 17-20), there is a special rate for the weekend - 3rd night FREE in condominiums and 4th night FREE in beach houses.

During June (May 25 - June 23) we have designed a "Fun with Father" package with entertainment for the entire family. Activities range from go-cart rides at The Track, waterslide fun at Waterville, viewing the newest tiger cubs at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo to historic Fort Morgan and mini-golf at Pirate's Island. No doubt Dad would love this family beach getaway a whole lot more than a tie for Father's Day. Prices for a two-bedroom gulf front condo for a family of four start at $1064 for three nights including entertainment. Call 800.964.4683 if interested in this "Fun with Father" package or any custom package.

Another Father's Day idea is visiting our coast and attending the 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley, Alabama during the dates of June 16 - 18. In fact that weekend provides a different kind of summertime glow when the 50+ Hot Air Balloons light up the sky in their evening glow spectacular. I'm looking forward to seeing this beautiful sight since I was in attendance last year and found this portion of the Festival my second favorite event. My favorite time was watching the balloons land at the Festival site on Saturday during one of their Rally races. The grace and beauty of these awesome balloons is breathtaking.

So, come on down to the coast and start glowing.

More Sand for One and All

The sugary white sand of the Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama and Perdido Key, Florida area has delighted beachgoers for years. However, over time the elements and occasional storms take their toll on the width of the beach lying between the structures and the waterline. A much needed beach restoration was performed beginnin in 2005 from Perdido Pass Bridge in Orange Beach to the end of West Beach in Gulf Shores, for a total of approximately 16 miles of coastal frontage. The process of pumping the sand from a harvest site just offshore with compatible sand the size, shape and color of existing sand was amazing. Over the 18 months of the project 7.1 million cubic yards of sand was deposited on shore which is equivalent to 470,000 truck loads of this precious material.

Sand fence is still being installed and native grasses (sea oats and panic grass) are being planted to build back the dune system.

The results of this expensive project are incredible and have resulted in very wide, much improved beaches. The project was designed with future erosion in mind, assuring a much bigger beach for years to come.

National recognition was recently bestowed on our beaches by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, when we were named one of six "Top Restored Beaches in America for 2006." The other beaches receiving the 2006 award are Assateague Island National Seashore, MD; Captive Island, FL; Pinellas County Beaches, FL; Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, DE; and Sea Bright to Manasquan Beach, NJ.

As long as I can remember I've loved to feel the clean, soft, white sand under my bare feet and hear the squeak this unusual sand makes as I make my way to the water's edge. I usually sit for long periods of time gazing at the waves, watching the many birds and sand crabs and just sifting the sand through my fingers. If possible I stay for the brilliant sunset because it reminds me of the grandeur and beauty of our world.

Red Snapper World Championship

The third annual Orange Beach World Championship Red Snapper Tournament opened last Friday (April 21, 2006) in Orange Beach, Alabama to record crowds. The largest number of participants in a single day, a total of 1500, fished on opening day. And no wonder with cash prizes in the thousands. In fact the first prize winner will be awarded $25,000 and winners of second through sixth prize will receive a total of $36,000. In the event someone catches a new world record red snapper $500,000 will be given to that lucky angler. A Nissan Titan truck will be the prize for a new state record red snapper. I'd say these are pretty good incentives to buy a $5 ticket and pay for a deep-sea charter.

I was unable to attend the opening day events but one of my team members went out on a large charter boat, "Miss Celeste", from Zeke's Marina. He reports a fabulous day of fishing and photography. No one on that boat caught the largest fish of the day but he captured some shots of some large catches at the weigh-in at Zeke's Marina in Orange Beach. My plans before the tournament ends on May 21, 2006 are to visit the weigh-in station to view the exhilaration as the boats arrive with their big fish.

It really is exciting that our community hosts the world's largest bottom fishing tournament. Lots of media are present, both TV and various publication representatives, to report from the event.

Before the fun ends make your plans to visit the Alabama Gulf Coast and contact Meyer Real Estate for accommodations. You will be happy you found time to fish in this fun event or at least that you watched the fish arrive at the dock. Maybe you'll catch the big one and go back home with extra cash.

Water and Woods

With signs of spring surrounding us and summerlike weather in the high 80's and low 90's occurring lately it's very hard to sit at my desk and work. In my new office surroundings I can almost see the beach. It's two miles away but because of the larger condominium buildings in Gulf Shores (Alabama) being visible from my window it brings the coast closer to me. On any given day I ride along the waterfront on the way to a routine business meeting in Orange Beach (Alabama) and watch the waves lap at the shore. It definitely puts me in a peaceful state of mind. What I've done in the past, and should start again, is take my lunch to the boardwalk at the public beach in Gulf Shores. Just those few minutes gazing out at the waves and watching vacationers walking the beach is so refreshing. Day in and day out the scene changes either from a gulf so calm you could water-ski, to a rough wave day that is so awe-inspiring. Most days if you sit long enough dolphins appear in the waters just off shore. This is especially easy to see from the balcony of a condominium or even the deck of a beach house.

I really think I have the best of both worlds because the shore is so wonderful and inland just a few miles the residential areas are lush with greenery, flowering shrubs and trees. The woodlands in our county are so abundant. In fact an aerial view such as the one I experienced this past summer at the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival brought this back to mind. At that Festival, because Meyer Real Estate was a Corporate Sponsor, I was privileged to ride in a hot air balloon and see first hand how the business and residential areas are just carved out of the woods. And the water, oh my goodness we have such an abundance of water throughout our coastal area not just the gulf waters but bays, bayous, lagoons, rivers and an intracoastal waterway.

Sense of Pride

On a recent Saturday at Meyer Real Estate we were bidding farewell to our winter guests from cold northern states and welcoming families for spring break. I volunteered to assist with the welcoming process and found myself for the first time able to work in our newly completed lobby at the corporate office in Gulf Shores, Alabama (my office is located on the fourth floor). The original office building is currently undergoing extensive renovation and the new lobby, which is absolutely awesome, has recently opened for vacation rental and real estate sales services.

Our arriving customers are treated to a beautifully landscaped courtyard entrance which allows them to climb out of the car after a long drive and unwind while one person takes care of the business inside. Inside I found that customers were happy to wait in the new surroundings for one of the staff to become available because there is so much to see now. Beautiful paintings depicting life at the beach line the walls and our sand display from around the world has a special area of it's own. We even have a large art display of a "blinking" fish and an even larger sculpture of a blue heron.

It was definitely with a sense of pride that I spent the afternoon interacting with our visitors and watching their reaction to the new office building. We all look forward to the completion of both buildings for a combined total of 36,000 square feet of office space. And we especially appreciate the new opportunities to serve all of our customers in a manner that better addresses their needs.

Flowers and More

We had such a mild winter in Alabama this year at Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan. This phenomenon proved quite confusing for our flowering shrubs. Last week I visited Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, Alabama with our winter guests during one of our tour activities. The azaleas were absolutely breathtaking as were the daffodils and other beautiful flowers. There were indications that some of the plants had bloomed prematurely and were now blooming for the second time. The effect was nonetheless aweinspiring to see these well-groomed gardens in full bloom. The only disappointment was that we were too early for the magnificent rose garden. Each season of the year boosts a wide variety of flowers at Bellingrath but spring is undoubtedly the most spectacular.

Our group also took the Delta Cruise on the Southern Belle and the captain gave an extremely informative presentation regarding the history of the delta region. We learned not only about the estuary but also about the history of Mobile itself.

This event concluded our Winter Guest actities which began and ended at Bellingrath Gardens and Home. In some ways the time flew by and I will miss so many of our guests. I will keep in touch with them via email newsletters and several have promised to call me after they return home.

Playful Dolphins

As our guide and boat captain left the dock last Friday in search of dolphins he guaranteed we would find them. And find them we did, plus they were in a playful mood. The captain, Chris Eberly of the Southern Rose, stated that in two years he had never failed to find dolphins in our bays and backwaters. What entertainment for the 101 Meyer Real Estate winter visitors who were being treated to the free dolphin cruise as part of our 26 Winter Guest events this year.

So there we were on a beautiful day in February, with the sun shining brightly and a brisk breeze blowing as we began looking on the left and looking on the right for these amazing creatures. The Southern Rose is equipped with underwater cameras which provided our first dolphin glimpse. Soon two dolphins broke the surface of the water to our delight. The captain made sure he circled the creatures so that the crowds gathered on each side of the boat could get a good look and try their hand at capturing dolphins on film. Personally I never managed to snap the photo at the appropriate time, so I got lots of photos of water and only one photo with a visible fin in the frame. As we moved to locations frequented by the dolphin families, we saw more and more of them and watched as they raced the boat and played in the warm waters.

The two hour cruise had plenty of sights to enjoy, in addition to dolphins, as the captain described some of the more outstanding structures we were viewing and told some inside info about the property owners. Sometimes I like to play tourist and enjoy the area amusements available to our visitors. This was a grand opportunity for me to do so and I enjoyed the afternoon very much. I would highly recommend a dolphin cruise on the Southern Rose in Orange Beach, Alabama when you visit our coast.

Winter and Spring Break Golf

Since I've always lived on the Alabama Gulf Coast, I've never experienced that cabin fever and frustration of not being able to play golf in the winter. This winter has been especially warm and beautiful and on January 31st our Winter Guest Golf Tournament began with 100 participants teeing off at noon. The Cotton Creek at Craft Farms course was in fabulous shape and the sun enhanced the experience as the three other players and I proceeded to play good but not great golf. We ended up even with a 72 at the end of the tournament which did not earn us one of the top three slots but I can tell you all four of us went away happy.

As we approach spring season I always think about the guys who play what I call "spring break golf." Each year when I attend the Golf Show in Chicago in February I get amused at the excitement of show attendees who describe their upcoming golf trips. It seems like a great escape from the winter weather, the day-to-day routine and maybe even the stress of being the responsible adult in the family. Now don't get me wrong I don't think for one moment that a break is a bad thing, in fact I'm of the opinion it is a most healthy way to relieve stress.

Our Golf Coordinator at Meyer Real Estate is much more familiar with the motivations expressed by our customers in all seasons who reserve golf packages. Sometimes the golf packages are designed for a couple who need a weekend getaway, or the foursome who travels some distance to play golf one or sometimes two times a day. Often the golf group, especially in spring, is 16 guys or more who play "serious golf."

I need to clear my schedule more often to play golf myself at one of our many championship courses. Some people are so impressed with our gulf coast area they call it the golf coast. And here I am in the heart of this golfing community and I don't get out of the office to play nearly enough.

Animal Planet's "Little Zoo that Could" Premiers

As a member of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo Board of Directors it was with great pride that I watched, along with millions of other viewers, the premier of the Animal Planet series entitled "The Little Zoo that Could" last Wednesday night. This 13-part series was filmed last fall while the production crew stayed in two Meyer Real Estate condominiums at Admirals Quarters in Orange Beach.

All of the film crew who visited during the production were very impressed with the beauty and laid-back atmosphere of our area. They became part of the everyday scene for 5 months as they followed the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo Director, Patti Hall, and zoo staff documenting their every action.

The series was proposed last summer and our Board of Directors approved the project. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has struggled since Hurricane Ivan to find the funds to continue operations and repair the Zoo, which reopened 13 months after the devastation. Without gate receipts and with expenses continuing and mounting it has been a difficult time. However, the community has rallied to assist with the expenses and many donations were received following the publicity of Chuckie the Alligator escaping during the Hurricane. The donations will no doubt increase due to the Animal Planet exposure to our needs. The funds will be used for operations, continued repair and improvements and future relocation of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

You can be sure I will not miss a single episode, which will air each Wednesday at 8 p.m. Central Time, as the story of our "Little Zoo that Could" unfolds week after week.

I Forget

My day-to-day responsibilities sometimes cause me to forget just how wonderful our coast can be. But then I look out of my new office window located on the fourth floor of the newly constructed 24,000 square foot office building that joins our existing corporate headquarters which is undergoing major reconstruction. From this vantage point, the tallest in downtown Gulf Shores, I can see the buildings lining the shore. The buildings themselves represent progress, upscale amenities and more substantial construction.

One day this week the weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and 70's, and the temptation to drive down to the beach was too strong to resist. After a great lunch at DeSoto's Restaurant, that included my favorite blackened catfish dish, I gave in to that temptation. My only regret was the lack of a camera because it was a picture perfect day. The trip from Highway 59(Gulf Shore Parkway)west to the end of West Beach Boulevard in Gulf Shores gave me a better perspective about the progress of new construction. It was exhilarating to see Crystal Shores West and Crystal Towers coming along so well. There were other new condominiums that are in the pre-construction phrase and at least one on the lagoon that I had missed completely before this week. I've really got to get out of the office more just to keep up the pace of our island progress.

Although I did not take the time or have the proper attire, a walk on the beach would have completed my experience of renewal and relaxation. I'll have to pencil in a time for that experience soon - I find it absolutely inspiring.

A lot of my blogs contain a reference to my eating habits but I think I write about these experiences because of our unique choices. We have a new choice of a new "take out" restaurant called the Wheel House, located in one of the oldest buildings in Gulf Shores. The newly renovated building is located across Highway 59 from Waterville. According to the press release about the new eating establishment their specialty is "fish and chips", now that's a new twist for our coast, although very popular in Great Britain.

Even though I momentarily forget the coastal wonders, they are not far from my mind and I have easy access to refresh my memory.

Anticipation

As a tough year ends and we look hopefully toward the new year on our island the anticipation of better times ahead is invigorating. As a life-long resident of Baldwin County I believe the changes to our coast will enhance our lifestyle. The quality of life is already such a blessing and now we are beginning to enjoy the development of dining, shopping and entertainment venues previously only found in the nearby cities of Pensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama.

For example, just a year ago something as common as a movie theatre was not convenient. Our closest theater suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Ivan and the owner took the opportunity to undergo a major remodel project to add stadium seating. When the Starcoast Riviera Cinema 12 reopened residents and visitors to the area once again could view the latest movie releases in a neighborhood setting. In late summer the newest theater opened in what is the beginning of an upscale shopping center at Craft Farms - The Pinnacle. The Cobb Pinnacle 14 Theater is a stadium seating facility with all the latest comforts located within three miles of the beach.

The holiday season brings families from far and near to our coast to celebrate quality time together. Closely following those vacationers we are anticipating an active winter season with our friends from northern states. To enhance the experience of our visitors this winter we have expanded our Winter Guest Activities to include some new events. Tuesday (Dec. 13, 2005) as we opened the registration for these activities hosted exclusively for Meyer Real Estate guests, we learned quickly that our roster of events are meeting the needs of our customers. In fact, one event was completely reserved the first day and another event filled to capacity the second day. We are anticipating a great two months hosting the fun and getting to know our winter customers better.

Animal Planet films in Gulf Shores

A year ago it all started with the escape of Chuckie the alligator from his compound at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo during Hurricane Ivan. Once the media learned about the missing Chuckie the word spread literally worldwide. Soon the attention focused on the Zoo attracted a special national report regarding the evacuation efforts and dedication of the Zoo director and her staff. Once Chuckie was located and returned to a makeshift habitat the news coverage continued. By summer there were rumors of an Animal Planet production and in August the project actually began. The end result after several months of filming will be a 13-week program featuring the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The program is tentatively scheduled to begin airing in February. Today the Zoo was visited by Jack Hanna who presented a gift of a young spotted leopard named Katrina because of the date of her birth the day Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast. At the press conference this afternoon Mr. Hanna was very complimentary of the positive attitudes, hard work, dedication and devotion of the Zoo director and staff. He encouraged the community to embrace the project of funding the relocation of the Zoo to a facility not vulnerable to the ravages of the gulfwaters during hurricanes.

I have no doubt that our communities of Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan, Foley, and Orange Beach will indeed take the action needed to provide a safe, secure home to these wonderful zoo animals who have been through so much. Not only was their home devastated by Hurricane Ivan but they were evacuated again in July for Hurricane Dennis and again for the third time in August for Hurricane Katrina. The Zoo has finally reopened after 14 long months of recovery. Amazingly the staff report that the animals have missed the human interaction of the visitors. It's great to see the restoration after 14 feet of water covered the entire zoo. And now the world will see the story of our community and the heroic efforts of a team of people who truly love animals and make the necessary sacrifices to do what is right.

Make sure you make plans to spend some quality time at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo on your next visit to the coast. Meyer Real Estate has a great family entertainment package featuring the zoo, mini-golf, and a trip to Fort Morgan. Call our Vacation Package Specialists at 800.213.9544 for details.

A Chill is Okay

There is a term "half-back" that refers to those people from the Northeast who moved to South Florida but later move "half back" to North of South Carolina. The reason is usually that they miss the seasons. I can understand that reasoning because we've had unusually cold weather for November with highs in the 80's or at least high 70's most days. All that changed as a cold front with rain on Tuesday night moved through and left us with 60's in the daytime and 30's at night.

The amazing point is that the chill in the air is really okay, even at the beach. When you are sitting on your balcony overlooking that gentle curl of a wave lapping sleepily at the shore it is a wonderful sight for the eyes. The smell of salt air is also refreshing and then there's the wonderful sound to delight the ears. Besides the gulf front there are fabulous sights and sounds on the back bays, which are abundant in our area of the world.

Even my rare opportunity to play golf this week was not at all hindered by the cooler weather, it was indeed very pleasant. We are so blessed to play golf year round on some of the most beautiful courses in the whole world.

Fishing is abundant now too with lots of tournaments occurring both inshore and in the gulf waters. In fact one group just left our area and the tournament winner is going back home $75,000 richer. And it never seems to ever get to chilly to fish.

Basically our gulf coast region consisting of Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach (Alabama) and Perdido Key (Florida) have the variety of seasons without the severity. So right now the chill is okay and soon it will be warmer.

Music Fills the Air

Ever heard the creator of a song actually perform their music with the passion only the songwriter could evoke? For two weeks each year on the gulf coast a variety of venues come alive with music. All the famous spots such as Florabama, Lu Lu's, Live Bait and Beach Club will play host to the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. There are also some local favorites like Pirate's Cove, Bama Keys and Tin Top Restaurant where the music will fill the air during the 10 days of the Festival. It is definitely worth checking out when you visit the coast. The event has grown every year and continues to attract talented songwriters to perform their special tunes to an appreciative audience. As always the scene is relaxed and comfortable. To find a complete list of venues and the schedule for this year's event, that ends November 13th, visit http://www.fbisf.com.

Recently my husband and I experienced a unique musical treat when we met friends from New Orleans for dinner. We began the evening at Louisiana Lagniappe with one of the most delicious meals possible. The seafood dishes at this wonderful restaurant in Orange Beach, overlooking the SanRoc Cay Marina, are as close to the New Orleans cuisine as possible on the gulf coast. Because we had not seen these friends since their traumatic Hurricane Katrina experiences we were in no hurry to order our meal. The waiters were very aware of our demeanor and allowed us the time together without pushing us to finish our meal. In fact they were very attentive without being pushy and we spent 3 hours catching up and enjoying our four course meal.

Other good friends had recently recommended a new music venue, Bama Keys, so we all decided to try it out since we weren't ready to go our separate ways yet. Well, it was just the kind of music mixed with comedy that we all needed. The dueling piano players involve the audience in a variety of ways - all fun and funny. They have preset routines but the most fun is watching their improvisation to the song requests from the crowd. Located at 24252 Canal Road, Orange Beach, this rockin' interactive dueling piano bar is worth trying.

Looking back on the evening it had a decided New Orleans flair with both the food, music, restaurant and piano bar atmosphere. We had not intentionally planned to recreate a New Orleans experience but our friends told us later that it was just what they needed since they are missing their favorite spots in their hometown.

Good Golf

In August the Gulf Shores, Alabama community was shocked to learn that a deal was pending to sell one of the most popular golf courses in our area. The Woodlands course, developed 11 years ago, was a spectacular course that fronts the main artery (Hwy. 59)into our resort area. The owner of the course also owns two other popular courses and has worked with other courses to form the Gulf Shores Golf Association. This partnership with 9 golf courses and 14 accommodations companies, including Meyer Real Estate, has proved to be a powerful marketing tool to promote Gulf Coast golf. The marketing campaign has been more comprehensive as a joint venture than any one company could have accomplished on our own.

As a generous gesture to pay back the community for years of support, The Woodlands owner offered four days of free golf to area business owners and employees. Even though I did not think I could find the time to play I worked out my schedule and took off one afternoon in mid-October to celebrate the last few days of the course.

What a glorious day it was. My playing is no better than it usually is but that was not the point. Just being outside, enjoying nature, the perfect fall weather and the extraordinary beauty of this golf course was the point.

So what happens next? Well the developers who purchased The Woodlands plan to build retail developments along the Highway 59 frontage and create a wonderful area for homesites with lots of common area greenspace on the balance of the acreage.

The customers who frequent The Woodlands will be given the opportunity to play the other two Craft Farms courses, Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend. Both are fabulous golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer and are in excellent condition.

Another nearby course in Perdido Key, Florida has been undergoing redesign and upgrading since major damage last September from Hurricane Ivan. This wonderful golf course, Lost Key, also designed by Arnold Palmer will open by Spring 2006. The course was formerly judged by the average golfer as just too hard to play and commonly was called "lost ball" because of the narrow fairways and abundant wetland hazards. The redesign has taken all these negatives into account and will be much more user friendly.

We are so blessed to have mild weather so that we can enjoy the game of golf year round. And we are blessed with so many great golf courses at reasonable prices. To learn more about Meyer Real Estate's golf packages click http://www.meyerre.com/rentals/packages.htm.

My next opportunity to play golf will come soon when the annual Zoolabration Golf Tournament will be played at Peninsula on November 16th. This fun event will benefit the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo which opened last Friday after a year of repairs from Hurricane Ivan, Dennis & Katrina.

So golf is good in the coast and I'm finally able to take advantage of this fabulous area amenity.

Come on down!

Well if I had not seen it with my own eyes, during my lunch break today, I would not have believed that the City of Gulf Shores could perform the miracle they did to finalize beach preparation for the 34th Annual National Shrimp Festival. Not only were all the fine arts and arts and crafts booths set up but all the food vendors were up and running today as well. Just beyond the food booths where the usual food fare was back along with new seafood and non-seafood delicacies are the customary boardwalk with benches. It's so much fun to sit beachside with the breeze blowing to soften the sunny temperatures. In fact it was so breezy that my paper umbrella flew out of my "Maui Wowie" drink (a non-alcoholic concoction of orange & mango juice). Beyond the boardwalk, thanks to a multi-million dollar Beach Nourishment project, lies a much wider beach that has been sifted and combed to perfection. The powder-white, soft sand literally squeaks as you walk thru the dry area before reaching the water's edge. Not to miss an opportunity the sea gulls were flocking overhead waiting for the eventual handout and in case you are wondering I was a sucker once again to their begging. This time with no ill consequences to any festival attendees or myself.

The weather today was nearly perfect with low eighties in the day and sixties at night. The good news is that weather will last all weekend with no showers in sight. So, I'm telling you just throw some casual, comfortable clothes in a small bag and COME ON DOWN! Meyer Real Estate has rental properties nearby the Festival site in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Or you may chose to settle in a little farther from the action by renting a beach house or condominium in Fort Morgan or Orange Beach, Alabama or just across the Florida line in Perdido Key. Make your reservation online on this site or call us for reservation advice (800-213-9544).

Even though I only had a short time to visit the Festival today I was able to park nearby and accomplish my mission which was twofold. I found our favorite watercolor artist, Chris Hartsfield, and discovered he has some wonderful new additions to his art offerings. And I had my "pistol fix" which is not a drug but rather a delicious pastry filled with seafood and a wonderful cream sauce. At two for $5.00 this is a bargain for a taste sensation that cannot be purchased anywhere other than the Shrimp Festival. I'm sure as I visit again this weekend there will be more consumption of seafood pistols.

The music on both stages will no doubt prove to be fabulous and I'll dance in the streets with other business people in our area. As I've explained before this Festival is a big beach party for locals as well as visitors. To learn more about the Shrimp Festival, including the entertainment schedule,visit www.NationalShrimpFestival.com

Falling for Festivals

Don't you find that as the weather becomes milder a type of fall fever strikes again - you know that urge to get outside after months of warm or even hot weather. No one really calls it fall fever like we do spring fever but it is the same feeling. Fortunately there are lots of fall festivals that give us solid reasons to spend leisure time outside.

In our area we have a great music festival, BayFest in Mobile, Alabama, coming up this weekend (Oct 7-9) featuring among the many artists the band Widespread Panic, American Idol runner-up Bo Bice and legendary B.B. King.

The following weekend (Oct. 13-16) Gulf Shores will celebrate that great crustacean -the shrimp. The 34th Annual National Shrimp Festival started as a way for locals to get together for a big beach party after the summer season. It soon evolved into a way to attract beach-goers back to the beach after the busy season. Then it grew and grew and more beach area was used to display fine arts, arts and crafts and of course local restaurants sold shrimp delicacies. The food list grew until the consumer can now find a wide variety of both seafood and non-seafood items plus lots of sweets. One of my favorite food vendors sells the most delicious fudge in a huge range of flavors. Not just chocolate and vanilla but truly an amazing variety. Check out the pistascio nut, it's very tasty. There's even a vendor selling homemade ice cream that is cranked by a John Deere motor. The festival extends well into the evening as the music gets into high gear at two stages.

This year we are promoting the Shrimp Festival by offering our vacation rental customers a FREE NIGHT during the festival. Click http://www.meyerre.com/shrimpfestival/index.htm for details. We will probably experience lots of last-minute reservations as we approach the festival. It looks like we will have great weather and that usually makes the Reservation Hotline phone ring at 11th hour so to speak.

Now's the time to pack your bags and head our way because here on the Alabama Gulf Coast we are ready for fantastic fall festival fun.

Good Times

Despite unusual tropical weather activity our gulf coast is still a great location for good times. Any level of activity desired can be experienced. In fact a solitary walk on the beach is guaranteed to remove all your cares. This time of year you might not see another human for miles but you will be accompanied by sandpipers darting in and out of the surf for a meal. Out of the corner of your eye you'll see movement that seems deceptive because it's hard to spot the creature that's scurrying around. It's just an almost transparent sandpiper emerging from his sandy nest for a meal. Seagulls will always be nearby or overhead looking for a handout. Don't be tempted. I made that mistake just once, in public no less. I was enjoying a funnel cake at the big beach party called the Shrimp Festival. Then in an unclear moment I fed the seagulls which was fun for a brief period of time. Soon other festival attendees began to experience aerial bombs and needless to say I was the most unpopular person at the Festival.

This year's Shrimp Festival (Oct. 13-16) is just want the coast needs. Food, fun, music and arts & crafts. One of the artists returning this year to display his fabulous watercolors was completely wiped out in Pass Christian, MS from Hurricane Katrina. His home and art studio were destroyed but he has a thankful attitude because he and his family are okay. I'm sure there are many more stories of this nature which is why I'm anxious to attend the festival. Also, there is just nothing to compare to the fresh seafood delicacies eaten with the sounds of the surf and smell of salt air surrounding you.

Good times for many means the month long fishing tournament in Orange Beach. For me the delight is watching the charter boats arrive back with their daily catch. San Roc Cay Marina in Orange Beach is excellent for viewing this sight. Plus the center contains great boutique shopping and wonderful restaurants.

Fall is without a doubt one of the best seasons for good times, good food, good bargains and no crowds.

Intense Summer

Where do I begin? My last post chronicled the bizarre tropical weather in June with the arrival of Tropical Storm Arlene to our shores. Although coastal dwellers realize the Hurricane season officially spans the time period of June 1 to November 30, no one EVER expected three tropical systems to disrupt our summer.

The disruption, thankfully, did not result in physical damage to properties, at least none that was significant. It did, however, take a toll on our energy level and nerves. The fact that Hurricane Dennis was predicted to make landfall on our section of the coast as a possible category 4, unheard of for July, was indeed more than distressing. All of our preparation systems worked smoothly at Meyer Real Estate as we said goodbye to customers during our busiest week of the year and readied our properties for the storm winds and water. Most employees were compelled to flee the area since a mandatory evacuation order was issued by Alabama's governor.

The Hurricane was predicted to make landfall on our portion of the coast at 3:00 p.m. on that bizarre Sunday and mid-morning it began to move more northward rather than northwest. The final landfall 40 miles to our east spared our coast. Relief is not a strong enough word to describe our elation at having been spared more property damage.

After our management team formed a game plan during a large conference call on Sunday night, we were prepared to resume intense activity the next day. No one that night however could have predicted just how intense. Phone calls the next two days peaked to levels not experienced before, namely 3,500 on Monday and 4,000+ on Tuesday of that week. We began to receive panicked calls from customers displaced from their planned vacations on the coast to our east from Pensacola to Destin. Most of our customers wanted to return or reschedule their visits and property owners wanted and needed property status reports.

So, very soon we began operations as usual but not really usual. We are still challenged by a coastal area in recovery. For example, not all buildings have reopened and in many open buildings the pools and other amenities have not opened. Beach nourishment, so necessary to restore and enhance our coast, brings it's own special issues. Although we published the proposed project schedule, so that our customers would be aware of the possible effects on their vacation, the three storms of summer delayed the project. Now some of our arriving guests are unhappy with the project's effect on their time at the beach.

Bottom line, we are making great progress in the Hurricane Ivan recovery process but the intensity and challenges are still abundant. Along the way though we've had wonderful expressions from our guests and property owners who have empathy for our experiences. We are rewarded by the manner in which our business contributes to the quality of life of our customers. Even though intense, we are committed to the vacation rental, real estate sales and property management industry.

Fire Drill

When I was a young girl, growing up in the small town of Loxley Alabama, my elementary education occurred in a quaint building that housed grades 1-9. In the third grade I remember a fire drill that was very frightening. Of course the plan was to calmly exit the classroom but my focus was saving my desk, so I was frantically trying to get help throwing it out of the ground floor window. My teacher quickly corrected my ambitious attempts and refocused my attention on the critical issue of practicing how to save my life. To this day I don't know why I wanted to save my desk but I do have an antique school desk in my home, so there must be some odd connection that I feel to this piece of furniture.

Recently our gulf coast experienced a sort of fire drill in the form of the first Tropical Storm of the 2005 Hurricane Season. There we were the first week of June faced with a weather system targeted to make landfall on our coast and faced with the media storm of interest in the first named storm - Arlene.

I have never been more proud of our Property Management and Service teams who are understandably weary from 9 months of Hurricane Ivan storm recovery. As they assembled to review the newly revised Storm preparedness and Recovery Plan somehow they found the energy to devote to this approaching weather system.

All customers scheduled to arrive for vacations on the day "Arlene" was predicted to make landfall were notified of the weather conditions. These vacationers were given the opportunity to arrive a day later and receive a one-night refund. A small percentage decided to delay their arrival, although no one felt there would be danger or property damage.

So the day dawned for Tropical Storm Arlene to arrive and other than a small amount of wind, moderate rain and some flooding in low lying areas, the weather system was little more than a summer thunderstorm. Our arriving customers were treated to a beautiful Sunday as the weather system quickly moved north of the coast followed by sunny skies for the balance of the week.

So we survived our first weather system of the season and utilized this as a fire drill to examine once again our processes and procedures. We found a few areas that need more attention during times of high property occupancy. This is a rare situation since most tropical systems do not make landfall until after Labor Day. As always we are striving for continuous improvement, so this situation was a learning experience. It was also a bonding experience as our teams worked cooperatively to accomplish our mission of providing STAR Treatment.