Going to the beach!!....and sharks!

We are so excited! We are leaving in the morning for the beach! Since we live in Alabama, a trip to the coast is the customary vacation for most Alabamians. There are so many beautiful beaches within just a few hours drive. We go every year, at least once. Usually about two or three times. I was talking with the hubby last night about a very particular beach trip we took in 2004. We were vacationing with some friends of ours from Nashville, and we had a house right outside of Seaside, Florida. We were the first guests to stay in this brand new, beautiful house. Well, one day the hubby and I decided to go to the beach, and for some reason it was just the two of us. Literally, you could look both ways down the beach, and it was just us. It was almost like being on an island somewhere. Maybe like being on the show Lost; only there were no "others" or hatches buried in the sand. Anyways, it was really hot, so the hubby decided to take a dip in the drink. I don't really like the ocean, so he was all by himself in the water. Well, as I am laying on my towel cooking in the heat, I suddenly hear voices. What is that? I think to myself. I sit up and notice a group of people running down the beach toward me. What are they doing? Why are they looking at me? Why are these people yelling? I look closer...Are they pointing? Towards the ocean? Towards my HUSBAND??? At this point, things started happening in slow motion. I turned my head toward my hubby who is neck deep in the ocean. I see this horrible look of terror on his face as we both realize what is going on. Then I see it: There is a huge black shadow swimming toward my husband. Directly towards my husband. He heard the voices as well, and by the time he could figure out what was going on he saw something huge in the water coming straight for him. By the time I could get up off my towel and try to do something the hubby was basically almost out of the water. The look on his face I will never forget. As he comes ashore, the people make it down to us. What is that?? We ask them. Well, it turns out that is was not a shark as we all thought; ironically, it was a brown seal. Where he came from we don't know, but obviously he was lost. The people who came down the beach told us that the sheriffs department had told them there was a brown seal swimming around in the gulf. The sheriff told them that he would probably not last long, and that the sharks would get him. Anyways, after the hubby caught his breath, we looked down the beach to watch where this seal was going. Way down the beach there was a group of girls on rafts. Where's the camera? The hubby yells; then he takes off with camera in hand. Here is the picture he took:

This is the group of young girls on floats; To say they freaked out when they saw the shadow is quite an understatement. The water parted like the red sea is more like!

I zoomed in so you could see the shadow, but it doesn't show up very well. But, its right there on the left. The seal was pretty large; He looked to the hubby, (as he saw him in pretty close range,) to be at least 6 feet or so.

Here is the house where we stayed; The Camelot.

Here we are posing on the highest deck towards the ocean.

Here is one of our black and white beach shots. This was obviously, pre-kids.

Well, I have always been fascinated with sharks. I would love to go to south Africa and do a shark dive with great whites. Yes, it sounds crazy. I would only do it if I was in a cage. Cage diving only, people. (Mom stop freaking out...) Anyways, I think that would be really cool. I have actually looked into it and they do them in California. Maybe I will do it one day. They say sharks are really like little fluffy baby kittens. And I love little furry kitties!

I think I will call him whiskers...