Nothing brings the child in a person out like sand castles. There have been a number of sand structures along the Emerald Coast from Panama City Beach to Pensacola marking the anniversary of the Gulf oil spill and celebrating the beautiful beaches and the beginning of the tourist season. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin commissioned such a structure on the beach in front of Finz Restaurant. I couldn't resist a trip to view it and photograph it. Hope you enjoy the photographs and maybe it will inspire you to come on down and try your hand. We have beautiful sand to work with and beautiful weather to enjoy it.

One thing about living along the Emerald Coast of Florida is that there is always somewhere interesting within a short distance. As a photographer, I never run out of sights that intrigue and amaze me.

Sunday, I drove to the Weeks Bay Pitcher Plant Bog outside of Foley. Gulf Coast pitcher plant bogs are among the most diverse habitats for flowering plants in North America. Bogs bring together an unusual combination of water, soil, and environmental conditions. Bogs contain very little organic material. Coastal bogs are highly acidic and very poor in nutrients. The carnivorous pitcher plants obtain their nutrients by capturing and eating insects and other small creatures. Many of the plants found in the bog are found nowhere else on the Earth. More than 90% of bog acreage along the Gulf Coast have already been destroyed or damaged. They have been drained or filled to make the land available for agriculture, roads, and construction.

The bog is located on County Road 17, one quarter mile north of U.S. Highway 98.