We Say Merry Christmas, Tree Lighting

The Christmas Spirit filled the air with smells of pine and cookies arousing our senses. Hundreds of people came to watch as their children and their neighbor’s children sang carols on platform risers with smiles on their faces and sugar rushing through their veins.

Churches and schools from all over Panama City Beach served sweets of all kinds on decorated tables. The choice of beverage was consitently a clear soda mixed with a sherbert and fruit concentrate. A few had cake, but most had cookies.

Young boys and girls walked around with overflowing plates of treats, surely spoiling their dinner, but nobody cared, it’s Christmas. I had my fair share of sweets, and definately spoiled my dinner.

This time of year always seems to bring such joy. Smiles were everywhere and so were friends.

Santa arrived in his lighted chariot with a huge motorized ladder attached to the top, ideal for boarding his sleigh should Rudolf be reluctant to drop below an altitude of 100 feet. As he walked in, kids of all ages gleamed with dreams of presents under the tree.

The tree was lit with much fanfair and excitement. As the lights came to life, the eyes of lookers-on sparkeled. Christmas is officially here, the tree at Frank Brown Park had been lit.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Photos from You – Beach Clouds, Hermit Crabs, and Pier Park

Every week we’ll feature photos from you, the reader, of anything from crowded streets at Pier Park, to finger crabs scurrying across the beach. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, share your words with pcbdaily.com. Submit your photos and share your Panama City Beach pictures.

Submitted by Kerry Hulber

Clouds on the Beach

Submitted by Cora Busch

Pier Park for the Holidays

Kids and the Gulls

The Train in Pier Park

Ellen Kilough from the Visual Arts Center of Panama City

Don’t touch my Heine

Submitted by Lori Duncan

Deliciously Clear

Submitted by Jason Koertge

Clusters of Hermits

Herds of Hermits Crabs at Alligator Point, Panama City Beach

Weary of the Hand

Moonlight and Clouds

Huckabee – Romney's a Big Fat Spender

As droves of people waiting in weaving lines around the interior of Borders Books and Music in Pier Park, Mike Huckabee slowly made his way through “torrential” rain in his tour bus on Highway 98. Adorned with a huge image of himself, Huck’s bus sported his colors of blue and yellow. Team Huck is promoting his new book, Do the Right Thing.

I haven’t actually read the book, but a review I read described that it was more of what not to do, specifically using Mitt Romney’s expensive campaign to non-nomination.

All that perceived profligacy and ineptitude appears to delight Huckabee to no end and few pages in the book pass without a mention of ‘ol Mitt’s mistakes. In fact, Romney appears more in “Do the Right Thing” than any person except Huckabee himself, according to the book’s own index, and about 99.9 percent of Romney’s appearances ain’t pretty, of course. – Jason George

Many came with their already-owned books, many others purchased the book that night. Some were supporters, others still were just there to see a previous (and possible future) presidential candidate.

The buzz was great and the energy high with representatives from all the major local news stations.

Mike was accompanied by two others wearing Team Huck colared shirts that resembled the uniform of a race team.

The book is out, I probably won’t read it, but you can. Do the Right Thing is available at Borders Books and Music.

Enjoy the pictures of the event!

Clear Blue

Locals know this to be a fact, but many outsiders have a hard time believing the sand on our beaches is really this white. This is an untouched photo of a sand dune on Shell Island. The contrast of the blue sky, deep blue gulf and the sugar white sand creates a strong image. The sand here is so pure and clean that it actually squeaks when you walk on it. Visit Shell and Crooked Islands when in PCB to see the “untouched” side of our beaches.

See more nature photos of PCB at Sand between Your Toes

Teddy

Huge Hole in Sidewalk at Pier Park

With 24 peices of art and over 15 artists, the Emerald Coast Street Painting Festival (aka Madonnaro 2008) held at Pier Park in Panama city Beach this weekend was a huge success. There were artists from as far as California, but most were local to our area.

Signature artist, Tracy Stum returned this year to share her interactive talent with the crowds that often surrounded her performance. I say performance, because all weekend, the artists could be viewed creating their work. I have to say, it was one of the coolest events I’ve been to all year. The energy of being outside, with beautiful weather all weekend, with all the people was amazing.

This was her second year to come to Bay County for this event. Last year she did a painting of the Dalai Lama that actually looked like she was sitting next to him. This year, she did a Alice in Wonderland piece where it actually looked like there was a huge hole in the ground with colorful cartoon mushrooms planted in the bottom. The caps looked as though they were level with the pavement, it was amazing.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2267878&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Madonnaro 2008 – Street Painting Festival in Panama City Beach from Jason Koertge on Vimeo.

Jeanie Burns did a painting of a scene from Jack and the Beanstalk. The detail was amazing, regardless of the rough and pitted surface. The colors were vivid and the effect was amazing.

Ellen Killough, from the Visual Arts Center, painted a recreation of Lord Frederic Leighton’s Fisherman and the Siren. The detail was amazing, the colors perfect, and the size was actually quite enormous.

Other paintings included an excavation site, beautiful parrots with an azalea, a portrait of Edgar Allen Poe, and the logo from the Panama City Beach Seafood Wine and Music Festival just to name a few.

My day at Pier Park – Madonnaro Street Painting Festival

I believe this is the first time I’ve spent almost all afternoon at Pier Park. The weather was perfect, people were everywhere, kids were laughing, it was a great time.

Today and tomorrow is the Madonnaro Street Painting Festival, hosted by the Visual Arts Center of Panama City. Local artists and a few from out of town gathered on Panama City Beach to create art that will inevitably wash away, only to be preserved in pictures and video.

The day started out cool and overcast, but around noon, I watched the clouds be pushed away by crystal clear blue sky. The air warmed to nearly 80 degrees. Artists shed layers as they crouched on their knees smoothing and blending fresh chalk with their hands.

Lunch time brought an original Viking Hot Dog. Stuffed in a fresh baget with a hole in the middle the all natural dog had a crunchy skin, and perfect inside. The flavor was exceptional, but the price for how it filled my belly was twice too much at $5. The cart was from Seaside, out here for the weekend.

As the day wore on, the artists knees and backs grew sore, but the paintings grew more vivid and elaborate.

Tracy Stums flew in from California to share her talent with The Beach. Last year, she created an interactive piece of the Dali Lama that, when looked at from a specific angle, appeared to be sitting next to her. This year, she is painting an Alice in Wonderland scene. Other paintings include Jack and the Bean Stalk, Iron Man, and a dinosaur excavation site to name just a few.

The street painting festival brings out an interesting culture, something I was very glad to be a part of. Who knows, maybe next year, I’ll paint something.

Last night rain washed away most of what was created yesterday, but tonight, all that threatens is cold, expected to get in the high 30’s tonight. All afternoon, we could feel the temperature dropping, most likely a 25 degree change from this afternoon to 5 this evening.

Tomorrow, the artists will all return to finish off their paintings. Provided we don’t get any rain, many will last for a couple weeks.

Madonnaro has begun!

This weekend’s street painting festival at Pier Park in Panama City Beach began yesterday with artists from around the county and around the country. High school students started their paintings yesterday, despite the threat of rain, and the two signature artists are beginning their paintings as I write this.

As they cordoned off their square many of the artists spoke their concern of rain, as it threatened the entire festival this weekend. Today is overcast with a chance of rain. The temperature is a almost perfect, but a little chilly 65.

The artists will be out all day, painting in various spots around the main boardwalk area of Pier Park, and bring the kids, as there will be a special kids painting section.

The Modannaro Street Painting Festival is put on by the Visual Arts Center of Panama City.

3000 Cars at Emerald Coast Cruizin Classic Car Show

There were people everywhere. There were cars everywhere, classics, muscles, customs, rat-rods, you name it, it was there.

The Emerald Coast Cruizin Classic Car Show was awesome.

Words can’t do the pictures I got justice, you have to see them for yourselves.

Bayou Shrimp Boat

This is a photo of an authentic and dying part of the Emerald Coast. Homemade shrimping and oyster boats are all but a thing of the past along the coastal bayous and bays of the panhandle. During their hayday, you could see dozens of these boats trolling St. Andrews, Port St Joe and Apalach Bays. Now it is rare to even glimpse a single vessel of this granduer (in my humble opinion).

This shot was taken just off Hwy 30-A on the road to Cape San Blas. Many of you know 30-A as the road to Seaside to the west of PCB. I had a “lifetime local” tell me that wasn’t 30-A, but according to the sign and all maps it’s FL Hwy 30-A just east of Port St Joe off of Hwy 98.

Description: This is one of my favorite photos. The “homemade” shrimp boat was sitting in a quiet bayou near Cape San Blas. As the sun rose it created a beautiful mirror image of the vessel. Note the bright red hand-painted boat number.

**Click on the image to see a closeup of the details in the photo.

Visit my photo blog Sand between Your Toes .

Teddy

Photos from You – Sunsets and Local Paintings

Every week we’ll feature photos from you, the reader, of anything from crowded streets at Pier Park, to finger crabs scurrying across the beach. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, share your words with pcbdaily.com. Submit your photos and share your Panama City Beach pictures.