The island comes alive and ready to welcome another day. School buses have already hauled kids off the island for their first day back in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. A few cars and trucks putter up the street while a bicyclist heads the other way towards the beach. 

My todo list is now multiple pages, as I return to work today. Editing, marketing, promoting and photographing are all in my future this week. Taking these few moments this morning are some of the most important. Awareness. Thankfulness. Gratitude.

Oh, where do I even begin? After a week of cancelled flights and staying several extra nights in San Jose, we journeyed over 30 hours to return home to hurricane damaged Tybee. It was a miracle that our home three doors from the ocean was not damaged, although there were many others on the island and all throughout Savannah that were not as fortunate. The island has buzzed with the sound of chainsaws and hammering nails for over a week as our neighbors have cut their way back into their homes and patched up their open roofs. Flooded with trucks from power companies, tree services, insurance adjusters and contractors from states away…you name it, our little island was far from the looks of the summer tourist town we saw for the past five months. Fall is the time of year when we love to get back to our small town community feel. And even though hurricane Matthew tried to destroy our little island town, it is in the hard times like that the community is made even more strong and impenetrable. Kudos to our wonderful Mayor, Jason Buelterman who went above and beyond for the people if Tybee. He was making personal phone calls to people that had decided to stay, pleading them to evacuate. Afterwards he secured a helicopter to ensure that ten new pumps were delivered to restore our sewage system in a matter of days. 

And there’s nothing (including a tree fallen across the Bull river bridge and a police car chasing him, can keep Eric Thomas owner of Hucapoos from coming back on the island. Only hours in the wake of Matthew, he fired up the generators and pizza oven to serve free food and provide comfort for anyone that was left on the island.

Thank you all that reached out in concern for our family and friends. Please continue to pray for all of those that are still dealing with the devastation in the wake of Matthew. The media is quite neglectful in covering the aftermath of this monster if a storm that ripped through Haiti, the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

We just had our internet restored at an acceptable level yesterday. So my blog posts have not been as frequent as I’d like, but in the big scheme of things…just a mere blip in my life. I have a few backlogged pieces that I’ll post in the coming days. I have written online reviews for each of the places we stayed in Costa Rica that I want to share with you. I’ve received several messages from readers that are thinking of traveling to Costa Rica and I’d love to help you plan your trip!!

In addition to trying to get our life back to normal, I photographed two full weddings and two vow renewals in the the past week. Most all of the restaurants and businesses are open and ready for guests to return. So if you want to have a fall beach getaway, now is the time to do it. The weather is beautiful here and at least 90% of the island is ready for you!

Tuesday morning, we left the Southern Pacific Region of the country or where we had been calling home for the past five days. We drove up the coast then headed inland towards the Arenal volcano. Google maps said the trip would take five and one half hours. Well, Google was wrong. While I appreciate the super advanced technology of having any kind of information at your fingertips, Google does not take into account things like an impassable truck overloaded with lumber in front of you for 58 kilometers climbing a mountain. That will make all anticipated travel times fly out the window and just make you happy to arrive whenever you do. The afternoon rains followed us inland as we corkscrewed up the winding mountains through the town of San Ramon. We kept inching closer to La Fortuna and our final destination of El Castillo, the small town that sits between Lake Arenal and the Arenal volcano. We were ready for a full meal and restrooms when we stopped at a nice restaurant perched on top of the mountain. Our normal routine when stopping is to immediately obtain wifi passwords as our overnight accommodations font always had great signal and are part of the connected generation.
Once connected, my phone was pinging with alerts to be aware of a storm brewing in the south with possible projections of making an impact on our home island. Texting back and forth with our friends that have been pet sitting and enjoying their island retreat. I was typing out a list of the most important things to grab if an evacuation was ordered. Our black book that contains our important family documents, laptops, external hard drives, Sean’s cameras (mine are with me) and Sean’s mandolin. Most of this can fit in a plastic Rubbermaid container. We disconnected our wifi and continued to drive up the mountain till we turned the corner and saw the slight outline of the volcano faintly through the fog and clouds. Only few more kilometers, but traveling at 6 km per hour on a road made of softball sized rocks will still take a while. We then turned off the rocky road onto a beautiful hand laid stone paver road. This was definitely the most gorgeous road we’ve ever driven on in Costa Rica. Sean made a joke and said ” why don’t the do this all the way up?” A few turns later we busted out laughing as there was a while crew working on the road, in the rain at dusk hand laying each and every stone paver. 

One last turn and we arrived at our destination. The fog had lifted just in time for us to see the active volcano in clear site. White steam vapor clouds were emitting from the top of the massive volcano. It was a gorgeous site and we all scrambled to snap pictures in the last few moments of daylight.
Knowing we wanted to wake up with the jungle in the morning, we all turned in to bed rather early. What seemed like only few hours later, I awoke. (But I did get great sleep on an extremely wonderful mattress) I stumbled on to the ceramic tile deck where the hand woven hammocks were hung to see that Baylie was already up early sending out a Facebook live video. The view was just breathtakingly gorgeous. As the light changed by the moment and the sounds of birds singing, chirping and flitting all around us we were all just amazed. Water drops glistened from colorful flower petals as dozens of hummingbirds visited as many blooms as they could. There was a growing buzz that got louder as the morning progressed as bees were pollinating the rainbow array gardens. As if that was not enough just a gaze in the distance revealed the lake to our left with the clouds mirror images being reflected in the water. Then to turn my head to the right the pink morning clouds lifted from the peak of the volcano revealing the continual white steam of steam reminding is that this is an active volcano. Taking photos left and right with both my phone and my camera. Really deciding that my phone is doing a much better job capturing the scenes around me than my expensive professional gear. We all continued to gasp as this was clearly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever viewed. It was soon time to move up to the front house, high on the knoll looking down into the lake valley. That is where our homemade breakfast was to be served. By now the sun was shining in full brightness and sunglasses were definitely needed. We continued to breathe in the beauty, not wanting to leave our location for the long drive ahead of us. We could hear Juan and his staff working in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. The aroma of fresh coffee being brewed permeated the air.Imagining that it is being made from beans that were plucked from only a few mountains over. 

Our host explained that since we were only there for one night he wanted us to experience a very typical special Costa Rican breakfast. It was incredible! Starting with fresh pressed tropical fruit juices.He then cooked our eggs to order and made special corn cakes with natilla (kind of like sour cream) the pinto gallo (beans and rice) were presented on our plates in the shape of a volcano with a side if queso Blanco (white cheese). They really did go above and beyond to make our one meal with them extra special.  After breakfast we had to pack up and hit the road as we had a long drive back to the city ahead.

Further reports were coming in about the impending storm headed to Tybee. We made our last texts of communication for a while and aaid Wed check back. Y evening. 

Rainy days, there have not been too many on Tybee this year. Really, only a couple since spring, and even those were just an occasional shower, not an all day soaker. There were a few in the forecast, but they seemed to scoot around Tybee either to the East or West of us. Locals refer to this phenomenon as the “Tybee Bubble”. Just a couple weeks ago as Hurricane Hermine pummeled across Florida, Georgia and up the East coast, Tybee received some high winds, but very little rain.

This summer, we’ve had such little rain, Ava and I had to give up on our garden. We did harvest a few perfect mouth watering tomatoes and some really pretty sunflowers before the sun had fried everything to a crunchy brown. 

The “Tybee Bubble” was good for the local businesses as tourists came for summer getaways spending year long savings on food and drinks as well as fun island experiences. Fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, souvenir shopping… all of these summertime activities create revenue that keeps the island above water the rest of the year.

Summer ended over a week ago with the last hurrah labor day party including live music and fireworks on the pier.

As the aroma of coconut suntan lotion fades away, the beaches are quiet again. Available parking is found anywhere on the island. A nine and a half mile traffic jam  no longer connects Tybee to the mainland. Locals stroll into favorite establishments and intimately know every single person in the room. Shopping at the IGA takes longer than five minutes only because you stopped to chat with a neighbor while picking up the best steaks ever. 

I can only describe the feeling like this… imagine you had friends staying in your home for three months, and they just left. You were happy they came to visit, but you also let out a sigh of relief that they’re gone and you get to sit in your favorite chair again.

The island is not only quite again, but it is expected to be a 100% rainy couple of days.

No “Tybee Bubble” this week, just a much needed soaker. Where one can probably start and finish a good book while curled up on the sofa under a soft fuzzy blanket. We all need these kind of days every once in a while, and I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s Tybee’s turn.

It’s 10am Saturday morning. The sun is casting it’s rays and throwing diamonds across the sea. Birds are serenading the droves of tourists walking down 14th Street as cars speed around them. Everyone is in a big hurry to get to the beach to swim, surf, and worship the sun. As all of this beauty and commotion is going on, I am lying in my bed wiping sleep fron my eyes as I wake up from a late morning nap.

I love naps on mornings like this. Just a few hours ago, I was on the beach with my camera snapping pictures, as the sun rose up through the horizon spreading tangerine, fuchsia and periwinkle paint through the buttercream clouds. This was the backdrop as Jeff and Jessica professed their love for each other and two families blended perfectly into one.

I enjoy photographing sunrise weddings on Tybee, but I never sleep well the night before. Even though I always set two alarms on my phone, and have never slept past one of them, I still have this great internal fear that I will over sleep and miss or be late for the wedding.

Last month, Ava and I planted a garden at the Tybee Community Garden. Most of us, here on the island don’t have enough land to plant a garden. So, thankfully we have a place where we can rent space and exercise our green thumbs.

After this morning’s wedding, I stopped by our garden to weed and water it. I noticed that some of our radishes are planted too close together which is keeping them from growing big and round like they are supposed to. It makes me think about our lives and how sometimes when we try to do too much in not enough space it will stunt the growth of everything.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a big advocate of doing everything you want to do and doing it when you want to do it. I’m not a big fan of putting it off till “someday”. Because”someday” just might not arrive. I do believe that with a little bit of planning, you can make room for “everything” you want to do.

Last week, when I checked our garden, I also found several plants growing that we did not plant. They looked like something intentional as they were bright green and had healthy strong stalks. However, they were really just pretty weeds that were keeping our intended plants from growing. I removed the weeds and now this week our plants are growing and getting healthy as they have plenty of room now that the soil’s nutrients are no longer being sucked up by the weeds.

I believe a major key to getting
what you want from your life is to take inventory of your life’s garden, making sure you are growing what you intended to plant. If you have too many “good” plants in too small of a space, spread them out so they can each grow healthy. Look for weeds in your garden, disguised as intended plants, they may look beautiful, but they are strangling and choking out the good stuff. To bare good fruit, you will have to get ruthless and remove the weeds from your life.

Tonight I have a sunset wedding, which may sound like a lot, to have two weddings in one day. But they are both small intimate ceremonies taking just about an hour each. The rest of the day, I can take a nap, relax at the beach and hang out with my family.

Surrounded by some of my closest friends, we wiggled our toes in the sand for a glorious beach day. Feeling the salt air stick to our skin and hair as the cool breeze wrapped around us we just enjoyed the moment, and the opportunity to be.

About an hour into our basking, a little boy came up to us. His hair was wet and he shivered as the breeze had a slight chill in it. He tried hard to keep from crying, but obviously was a bit shaken. His voice quivered as he asked if we could help him find his Mommy. We all immediately hopped out of of our beach chairs and started looking for who would be his mommy. He said she was wearing a black swimsuit and sunglasses. Do you know how many women are on the beach on any given day wearing a black swimsuit and sunglasses??

We located ocean rescue and took him to them as we continued to search for Mommy. Only a few minutes passed till we found the one woman in a black bathing suit with sunglasses, frantically looking for her missing little guy. We could all only imagine the thousands of worrisome scenarios that were going through her mind. It was a happy moment for both of them (and all of us) as they were reunited.

It made me think about us as we each wander through our lives. The little boy was never that far from his Mommy, but it can be so easy to get lost in the crowd and lose site of who we are looking to follow and stick close to. He just needed a little help and to not be afraid to ask. How many times have we lost site of our purpose by the thousands of distractions that surround us. Some of those distractions can even appear to look similar to our purpose, dressed up to look just like it, but still not be the real thing. It can be so easy to get caught up in the sights, sounds and smells around us that the next thing you know is you’re lost and surrounded by everything you are not looking for.

Sometimes we have to stop, evaluate our situation, maybe even seek help or ask someone near to help us to get back on track and reunited with our purpose. When that moment happens, we know right away, that everything is going to be OK.

Warm sunshine spread across the island like golden sweet honey being poured out as a rich indulgent gift to everyone who felt it. Locals began to gather at the area we call “down front”. Groups of four dressed in outlandish costumes to identify themselves as a team. Each team represented a restaurant, bar, family or just a crazy group of friends. They were all about to compete to be the first to drink the taste of sweet victory from the highly coveted Kevin Carpenter Cup. Which is a wooden hand turned trophy created by award winning wood turner Steve Cook. This is the prize of the first annual Tybee Bar Olympics.

One year ago, beloved friend and restaurateur, Kevin Carpenter passed away unexpectedly at the young age of thirty-nine. In addition to creating two successful Tybee restaurants, Kevin had a vision to teach teenaged kids fine culinary skills, at no cost to the teens, through a program called Teen Cusine. This was put together through the Tybee Island YMCA. Kevin’s business partner A.J. Baker and a handful of close friends and colleagues wanted to carry on Kevin’s dream in his memory. In order for this to happen, funding for this program was needed. A.J. and friends felt that creating an annual fundraiser would ensure the success of the Teen Cusine program.

In three short weeks this team of friends pulled together a plan for the first ever Tybee Bar Olympics. The overview was there would be twenty teams consisting of four member each. The teams would travel by foot, bicycle, or chauffeur to several Tybee establishments and compete in bar activities such as quarters, flip cup, hot dog and ghost pepper wing eating contests, and consumption of beer provided by Bud Light.

The event organizers gathered donations from all over the island. Whenever Kevin’s name was mentioned, the reply was unanimously “I’m In.” days before the event My friend Carolyn Williams’ house was filled with prizes worth thousands of dollars to be raffled and auctioned off at the event.

A date was set and a simple Facebook event page was started. Three weeks quickly passed, and the eighty contestants plus hundreds of on-lookers are assembled outside of Tybee Time to kick off the opening ceremonies. A toast to Kevin and the national anthem sung by none other than our multi talented friend Jennifer Smoot.

It was a most perfect spring day filled with laughter and friendly competition as each team grappled to not be eliminated and make it in the final competitions at Hucapoos.
Navigating their way at stops in eight bars and restaurants from the south end to the north end. Flipping quarters, red solo cups, throwing basket balls and riding toddler bicycles in the park…this was serious business and Kevin’s spirit was present through the day as laughter and a love for life and community carried through the air.

The final stop was at Hucapoos, where the sounds of In for a Penny came bouncing down the stairs from the open air wooden deck hidden under the live oak trees.

Points from the day were tallied and the teams that made it to the finals were announced and instructed to gather behind the pizza joint where a food industry relay was to be completed by the top teams. Successfully serving a heavy tray of water filled glasses, running through tires, speed trash takeout, rolling silverware and bartending skills were put to the test. This relay put the Hucapoos  and 80 East teams on top.

After nearly seven hours of tough competition, the two finalists continued to battle it out for nearly an hour over a game of giant beer pong, which was played with trash cans and a volleyball in the parking lot of hucapoos. My son Bryce was on the Poo crew, so there were obviously some hilarious proud mama moments through the day. The final winning shot was made by 80 East, which appropriately was one of Kevin’s restaurants.

Everyone gathered under the stars on the Hucapoos deck to celebrate the winners and all of us being able to live in this generous community. Eric read off winning raffle tickets as prizes donated were passed to the winners. I walked away with the best prize I’ve ever won, a Fat Tire Beach cruiser! Over $7,000 was raised which will be an amazing start to keep the Culinary program moving ahead.

Here is a link to a gallery of over one thousand images from the day. We really do live here on this crazy little island where we have larger than life personalities and people love each other more than words can express. I lay my head on my pillow each night thanking God that we are so blessed to call this silly, loving, little island home.

The end January came and after our travels we were at hucapoos for the crazy rodeo night, complete with a mechanical bull. The place was packed and was standing room only. Kelly and Eric saved a table and invited Sean and I to sit with them. We picked up where we left off a few weeks ago and started making plans to get together again in the coming weeks. Eric invited us to join them at the Kentucky Derby in the spring. I checked my calendar as we were sitting there, but I had a wedding scheduled that same weekend. He said, “Well, they will just have to get another photographer, cause you two have to come with us.”

Sometimes friendships just come together in a matter of minutes. Eric asked when Sean’s band, In for a Penny, was playing next. Sean replied, “Two weeks from tonight on Feb 13, here at Hucapoos” Eric’s eyes lit up behind his black rectangle glasses, as he exclaimed that was his birthday night.

The next two weeks flew by and Eric’s 48th birthday arrived. We danced and and laughed and tried to keep warm huddled around the propane heaters on that cold February night.

The next day was Valentine’s day. Eric and Kelly had frequented the restaurant that my daughter Baylie worked at and she would always serve them. When she arrived that evening, there had been a sweet single rose Valentine left for her by Kelly and Eric. This had totally made Baylie’s day.

Just one week later, the night we returned from our cruise, I logged onto Facebook and my heart sunk as I read a post from Kelly. I read with disbelief that Eric had died the night before from a massive heart attack. She went on to say that they had the most wonderful day at the beach together, just prior to this horrible event that ended his life.

I immediately saw his smile, the dimples in his cheeks, and the joy he brought to our too few conversations in the past couple months. In a flash sadness washed through me knowing Sean and I wanted to spend more “couple time” with our new friends and now that was never going to happen.

Two days later, a handful of us gathered around a table at hucapoos to toast our friend and say “see ya later”. Mike prepared a round of Eric’s favorite drink, cranberry and vodka, and spoke from his heart of his brief friendship with a wonderful man. Kelly told more stories of his sweet and funny life and how he treated her with such kindness and love.

We are saddened by the loss of a friend we all wish we had more time to have gotten to know. But also blessed for the few times we had together. A reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow and to grab life with zest and fervor making each day count as if it were our last.

Cheers to you my friend. I look forward to our days together on the other side. Thank you for the joy you brought to those around you.

“O Lord, help me understand my mortality and the brevity of life! Let me realize how quickly my life will pass!” Psalm 39:4

Here is the beautiful poem Kelly wrote to her love…

In the spring and summer, I usually wear a light cotton printed sundress or pastel capri’s to stay cool. But on Saturday, I had to wrap up like the kid in A Christmas Story wearing thick socks, leather boots and mittens.

The sky was clear and crisp. Winds nipping with each blow did not stop the uniting of two souls coming together and blending a family forever. I consider it a great privilege to witness and document hundreds of couples each year that make a commitment of love on the sands of this little island.

Later that night, Sean, Henny and Jeremy showed up at the Poo to bring a little Irish-ish music to our souls.

Friends new and old huddled a little closer and danced with more enthusiasm to heat up the room. Winky, lit propane heaters that we clung to like moths to a porch lite on a summers night. Keeping a balance between iced cold drinks and warm hearts. Kelly and Eric joined us to celebrate Eric’s latest spin around the sun.

Never missing a beat the band played on for three hours as the wooden deck boards shook and chattered beneath our feet.

Buddy led his Mom in a jig and
Baylie and I twirled around the room laughing and dancing. While Sean plucked the strings to the mandolin my grandfather, Beecher Raines, gave to him nearly twenty four years ago. I’m sure he was in the room smiling over us and tapping his foot with every beat at our family affair.

Before the night was over, Bryce was shoulder to shoulder with his pop, belting out lyrics from ages ago. Kyleigh even stopped in after a night of babysitting to catch a few songs with her ol’ man.

What more could I ask for? Getting paid to do what I love, followed by weekend nights with family and friends that I love to be with. Kids that are truly a delight and I am blessed to call my own.  It certainly makes a cold winter Valentine’s weekend one that I count as a great memory where I feel so loved.

Yesterday was February 1st, for me that was like my January 1st in terms of a New Year’s fitness resolution. I really did intend to be more active and planned to log in several miles on bikes, kayaks and long walks when we were in Key West. The weather did not cooperate with my good intentions. I am guilty and the first to admit, that the first thing I turn to for comfort, is food in any form. Mostly snacks, and sweets, but no limits on quantity. Combined with very little activity and no self control, somehow once again, my pants have shrunk.

Finishing off month One with week long birthday celebrations and I finally reached a point where enough is enough. It’s time to get serious. Beach days are coming soon, and I am in no way physically ready for them. Mentally, yes…I’m ready to squish my toes into the sand and today.

I finally calibrated and synced my new Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker and dug out my workout clothes from the bottom of my drawers. Last year, they were always on the top, because I practically lived in them.

Sean is ready for a new fitness commitment too. So we laced up our sneakers together and hit the beach for day one of getting physical fitness started in 2016.

Whenever I step onto the beach after a long absence from it, I say to myself, “How can you not be out here everyday?”

There was a light breeze blowing in from the sea that brought with it salt air to greet me with a kiss, quickly reminding me just one of the reasons we moved here.

Walking on the beach provides a different workout than walking on the sidewalk. For a while we chose the soft uneven sand for a little more strenuous hike. We said to each other how walking in the deep soft sand in shoes instead of bare feet felt as close to walking in inches of snow as we want to feel. After a while I had to stop and dump the mounting sand out of my shoes.

Snapshots quickly flash to the front of my brain. Only months ago this same beach was packed with thousands of tourists. Moms and dads that plan and save every penny all year long to claim a little square patch of oceanfront property for a week. Today the beach was not totally empty, as a few families were out beachcombing. Passing an occasional fully clothed child, running in circles or building a sand castle.  Definitely a far cry from the crowd’s that gather during the summer. It’s a shame more people don’t take advantage of the great deals that are available during the winter season.

We passed a surfer, covered head to toe in a black wet suit. He owned every wave that came to him.

For the next mile, we traveled just below the high tide line where the packed sand beneath our soles provided a more stable surface to walk on. We walked under the pier and down to the south end where the Back River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. We stayed on the sand as far as we could, till we reached Alley Three. This is where we come to watch the sunset on countless evenings throughout the year.

The beach stops at Alley Three and we turn right onto the hard blacktop pavement. Continuing around Chatham Avenue that hugs the Back River till we reach the marsh. Every few steps, the tall palms reaching to the clouds frame a picturesque scene. The silent shutter in my head snaps away and my imagination paints canvases with the details of a snow white egret flying low over the brown winter marsh grass.

Soon we are back in the little strip of the Back River neighborhood with rows of cottages and beach houses on either side of us. We stop and talk to Bill, who is walking his dog. We enjoy talking to Bill and his wife Dorothy, every year as they come to Tybee, annual snowbirds escaping the brutal Michigan winters. They are smart people, just saying.

Before ending our walk we go a few blocks north so we can stop at the IGA to gather salad fixins for a healthy lunch. Entering the parking lot from the back of the store, we run into Matt, the butcher. Matt always has a smile on his face and a kind word to welcome us.

After paying for my selection of fresh veggies, we headed back to 14th street, our little piece of paradise. A car pulls up beside us. It’s my friend Diane, who owns a vacation rental company here, called Mermaid Cottages. (If you plan to visit Tybee, you really need to check out these adorable family and pet friendly cottages.) She rolled down her window to tell me that Sean and I looked like a picture of ultimate Tybee living. Walking with the love of my life in one hand and a sack of groceries in the other. The sun continued to shine down on a most glorious day. We made our last turn to complete our circuit, looking at my tracker I see that we reached 3 miles. Not too bad for day one.

Up the stairs to our little bare bones 750 square foot apartment, Sean and I give high fives and say to each other, “another day that doesn’t suck to be us!”