"You Are Here" --- (and "How To See" The Bon Secour River Like You've Never Seen)

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS 

The title of the photo to the left is "Tilted Sign" by professional Gulf Shores, Alabama photographer Michael Thomas.

How would you have titled this photo?

What do you "See?"

Is your eye led to the tilted sign? The pelican atop the pole? The foggy mist at sunrise? Or do your eyes zero in on the Ombre colors of the water?

Mr. Thomas managed to create art by (by making a point to be at the right place at the right time) observing all the above --- including the drooping sign.

In 2004 I bought a book entitled "Wanderlust" published by Chronicle Books of travel photographs by Troy M. Litten.

 It is a paperback no larger than six inches tall and nearly as wide, with roughly 200 pages of random photos ranging from foreign menus, airline departure signs, bus and subway signs, motel decor, to coffee mugs filled with coffee from around the globe.

Out of the entire book there are only two pages with text, and they read in part:

 "When I travel, the destination is not really the point. I'm fascinated by the transient places of travel ... " "Traveling faster and faster through this increasingly interconnected world, many of these everyday experiences that fill a journey get lost in the rush of getting from 'You Are Here' to wherever you are going."

Litten suggests that if we open ourselves up to the seemingly mundane details of travel, "the familiar becomes unique, the ordinary extraordinary, and the over-looked worth a second glance."

We have now been in business long enough to have kiddos that were "knee high to a grasshopper" phone in reservations of their own choosing --- drive up in their own vehicles --- to kayak the same river they were introduced to by their parents.

Some guests have returned year after year --- many increasing the size of their brood to include grand-kiddos!

I'm always curious if our returning guests are filled with the same sense of "wonder" as we are when we go out and paddle.

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY DIANE DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- It is not unusual to see shrimpers on the Bon Secour River. What is unusual in this photo is the Oleander shrub. Many huge shrubs froze to their death a few years ago and several affected homeowners have chosen not to replace them.

Will you "see" something new? Will you appreciate the changes? Will you still "feel" the mystery of the river? (the list of questions that swirl in my head goes on ... ba leeve me).

In an attempt to seduce you again to the mysteries of the Bon Secour River, I spent the night rounding up some of my favorite images from local professional photogs so I could showcase them --- with the hope that you will "see" in a new way why this Bon Se-Cure River (the local pronunciation) has such a hold on us "L.A. River Dwellers."

I hope you enjoy the photos. I also hope you will be inspired to take a fresh look to "See like you've never seen" when you return.

For those who have never paddled with BeachnRiver Kayak Rentals --- I hope you will. But you better hurry! The 2016 Summer season ends Aug. 14.

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- This photo captures what it must be like to awake to the foggy river after the shrimpers have returned from a hard night (or week) of shrimping. I feel a sense of repose when I see this photo. I also hear seagulls and can feel the thickness of the air. Can you?

PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION LYNN JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED  ---- Most folks recognize this as "Billy's Seafood" --- the State's only open-air fish market. But are you aware this site played an important role in the Civil War? This location is memorialized on a plaque as part of the Civil War Trail and is also listed as a destination on the Coastal Scenic Byway and Coastal Birding Trail.

PHOTO BY BEACHNRIVER KAYAK RENTALS (Foley, AL) ---- You will not be able to find this scene. I love the "architecture" of it. I have other photos of this dock where the light streams through the skeletonous slats --- but since the structure was demolished, I feel it necessary to show you the black and white version.  It was dangerous to get a photo because I only have a point-and-shoot camera and the weeds surrounding it were as tall as the roof.  I was nervous about (you know what) but I never came across any dangerous creatures and managed to get the shot. The dock has been replaced by a nice, tidy one in front of a brand, spankin' new river home. 

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- It takes dedication to be a professional photographer. See the storm clouds to the upper left corner of the photo? Most kayakers do not paddle out this far. But if you get seafood at Aquila's you will drive by this (now a Bon Secour River landmark) boat that was beached during Hurricane Ivan. I'm convinced there are ghosts hiding in the hull. But that is just my imagination working overtime.

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY LYNN JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- Ms. Lynn  not only has a keen photographic eye, she has a genuine love for these shrimping boats. She knows each boat by name, knows the shrimping family, and can usually tell when the boat has left and returned.  I know first-hand what it feels like to be in a kayak and have a shrimping boat pass by. I almost shudder to hear the lumbering sounds of the engine. I get the same shudder when I see an elephant walk by.

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- Everything about this photo screams vintage postcard scene. I've never witnessed a sunrise at this location. You would have to embark on a paddle while the sky is still dark to catch a sunrise at this location via paddling from our location. See the oyster shells that line the bank? The hanging Live Oak provides a canopy of shade to an otherwise sunny portion of the river. This photo was taken near a seafood processing plant --- Bon Secour Fisheries.  Just up the street from this scene is the Swift Cole Tidewater Mansion. Can you envision what it must have been like to grow up along this bank with the river your swimming pool and the over-hanging trees your jungle gym? 

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- It is not fun to have to drive through fog, but it sure is beautiful to look at when it lifts near water. The water is like glass. Locals call this river "Bon Se-Cure" but it was named Bon Secour because it is a "Safe Harbor" for fishermen. It has always been considered a "working man's river."

THIS PHOTO IS USED BY PERMISSION AND IS FOR SALE BY MICDESIGNS AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED --- I present this photo last because it sums up the whole reason why I posted these photos to begin with. When you kayak with BeachnRiver Kayak Rentals you will not witness this scene. But it happens.

Photographers like Mr. Thomas and Ms. Lynn  are disciplined in their approach to photography. They have a vision of what the image might look like when they look through the lens.

They are prepared with the proper equipment and they capture the moment in time that may never happen in this way again.

You can relive the "feelings" of your kayaking experience by purchasing photos from these photographers to commemorate your adventure. They will make excellent gifts.

Then make plans to (kayak) or return to kayak with BeachnRiver Kayak Rentals with a refreshed eye so you can capture an image of a scene that announces, "You Are Here."

Sincerely,

"Beachin' Betty"