Dennis - Stunned at the damage photos

[jennyrae]

I have been on this board for hours looking at the damage. I posted in another thread that it looks like sand several feet deep, if not yards, has literally been taken off the beaches. From what I see, it's along the entire coast on 30 A. I am so sorry for all of you that live there as well as the property owners. No wonder you guys don't want to deal with renters asking if they can get to the beach! I just had no idea, from the news reports, that South Walton was so badly hit. I apologize for an earlier post wondering why you guys seem unfriendly and I can see how wrong I was. You were worried sick about what was coming.

The beaches were not this damaged from Ivan, I know. My husband was down after that one to help with whatever he could, and damage was mostly structural then. Beaches and dunes are a whole different matter. )o:

I wish you all the best. From the photos, I don't think some of the houses will make it, perched on the edge of the new cliffs made by Dennis. I just cannot believe how the beach changed in a moment's time. And the Dunes. I love those Dunes.

I will be back to your area as soon as I can get there, hopefully in October. And again I am sorry for looking at this from a visitor's point of view.

 

[beachbunny]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

I will be down july 23rd ,and I will be pitching in anyway I can.I am praying for all affected.

 

[Cork On the Ocean]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

Bunny - Our arms are open. Hopefully, the public areas will be cleaned up for your arrival but anything that you do, even pick up something left on the beach, is greatly appreciated. You are the type of visitor we love.

Jenny - Thank you for your sensitivity. It's real scary. Even though we know it could happen, you never think it will. There's never an excuse for being unkind or unfriendly. It's definitely not the rule on 30A but I'm glad they you understand that most of us were freaking. It's a very helpless feeling. Hope you get down in October and everything is back to normal.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

The beaches were not this damaged from Ivan...

Maybe not, but we tend to think in snapshots, when life is always moving and changing. The damage after Ivan was not as bad perhaps, but without Ivan, the sand cliffs (dunes) would be in better shape today. Beaches and dunes are a ever-evolving processes, not a fixed point in time. One of the things I like so much about the beach is that it is one of the few places on Earth where I can see years of change occuring in only a few days. It reminds me that nothing is permanent, and that the things I hold dear to my heart have nothing to do with things.

 

[Kurt]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

Keep in mind as fauxtojournalists, or photojournalists, we tend to seek out the worst. The vast majority of gulf front homes, and virtually none of the non-gulf front homes, are not damaged.

The beaches are not pristine and perfect like last Summer, but awesome and beautiful nonetheless. The beaches should be but a part of the experience here, and one you can still enjoy.

 

[seagrovelover]

so true about the beaches kurt :clap_1: theres lots more to enjoy!!!

 

[Paula]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

Maybe not, but we tend to think in snapshots, when life is always moving and changing. The damage after Ivan was not as bad perhaps, but without Ivan, the sand cliffs (dunes) would be in better shape today. Beaches and dunes are a ever-evolving processes, not a fixed point in time. One of the things I like so much about the beach is that it is one of the few places on Earth where I can see years of change occuring in only a few days. It reminds me that nothing is permanent, and that the things I hold dear to my heart have nothing to do with things.

Well said, Smiling Joe. For comparison, I went back and looked at photos I took of the beach a few days after Ivan (looked horrible) and then photos of the beach 5 months later, and the beach looked very nice (soft white sand, softened dunes -- though not yet as nice as they were before Ivan). Some of this was brought back naturally, others by county intervention. So, though the damage to the beaches/dunes this time seems/may be worse than Ivan, I'm going under the assumption that nature and the county will soften the beaches again in a short time (may seem long as we wait).

And, from what I understand, much of the beach clean-up, walkover repair, etc., is funded by the tax that visitors pay for their vacation rentals when they are here. So, Jennyrae, Jayne and Beach bunny, you already help by staying in our lovely community -- thanks!

Smiling Joe, "the things I hold dear to my heart have nothing to do with things." So very well said. That's exactly what I've been feeling since Dennis.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: Stunned at the damage photos

Smiling Joe, "the things I hold dear to my heart have nothing to do with things." So very well said. That's exactly what I've been feeling since Dennis.

Wish I was clever enough to be the first to say that, but I have seen it written so many times, I do not know who to credit for saying it first.

Just yesterday, I picked up a book and found a few words striking close to home. I would like to quote a brief passage from the book, The Heart Aroused, by David Whyte, regarding the light and dark side of things.

"In preclassical Greek thought, the light-filled part of existence was represented by Apollo. If we want to imagine the Apollonic in our lives it might be to think of ourselves, one August day, whistling happily as we work, painting a white picket fence in Dade County, Florida, proud of our home and our plans and happy that God is in his heaven. The Dionysian is Hurricane Andrew the very next day, blowing your fence, your house, and your kids' future, without qualm or conscience, off God's green earth.

It is the part of life that carries passion, sound, and fury, or frightening emptiness, and often no immediate meaning of the cruel. It is the part of life at which we might gladly shake our fist. It is Job lamenting at the peridy of God's justice. It is everything we were afraid could be true about existence, and astonishinly, and despite everthing we would wish to the contrary, it seems to be an energy without which we cannot appreciate the gift of the light-filled, ordered world; remove it, and our soul life becomes puzzingly empty and impoverished."

Really gives you a great view of the world. Everything is not always peaches and cream -- such is life.

 

[Kurt]

 

[Fanceenan]

My family and I have been visiting the SoWal area for over 40 years. I remember staying at Grayton as a very young child. My husband and I have owned a place for almost 20 years. The reason I preface my remarks with this statement is that we own a condo in Blue Mountain Villas. OH, NO!! If you are locals, you know what that means. Our units are undermined or sitting very very close to the edge. We went down there Friday to see the damage for ourselves. Renters, the damage is almost completely on the beach. Very little interior land damage is visible. Please come on down! It is a special, magical place! I found several beach accesses open: closest to us is public BMB. I saw many people on the beach Sunday. It was a gorgeous day! The beach will come back! The dunes may be another story. You can still shop, walk the beach and eat at our many fine restaraunts. We ate at Goatfeathers, Red Bar, Don Pedros and 331 while we were there. The immediate problem is the dunes! I pledge to become much more vigilant into the county activities. I believe more could have been done after Ivan to prevent this, but, I'm not here for rock throwing. I want to know what my tax dollars and county politicians are doing to FIX the problem. Even if I must move there and register to vote. South Walton is the tax base and politicians should be accountable! I didn't mean to ramble,but my family loves this place. I hope the dunes can be rebuilt. If not we will tear down and rebuild. We are more fortunate than many in that we own the land behind us. I want to spend my retirement years sitting in my hammock chair, drinking wine, listening to the Phantom of the Opera and watching my grandchildren on the beach!!

Fanceenan Montgomery AL