Musings

By Sean Dietrich There is a faint smell of smoke in Walton County this morning. It’s a little hazy, but not too bad. I can see charred pine trees and an ocean of black soot. Walton County is my home. My first kiss was on the shore of the Choctawhatchee Bay....

By Rick Moore Years ago, in downtown Mobile, Alabama, the City Council debated whether or not to allow people to continue feeding the squirrels in parks such as Bienville Square. This had been a tradition for old and young alike for over a half a century. But concerns over human...

By Sue Gambla When a Massachusetts photographer decided she wanted to capture this unsettling time of quarantine and social distancing, she and a few other local photographers came up with a grand idea called The Front Steps Project (FSP) or #thefrontstepsproject. FSP is a volunteer photo session that allows families to...

By Rick Moore After months of cool weather, and weeks of feeling cooped inside, many of us start to hear the call of the waves. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to picture the sandy beach calling you ashore. The feeling of the warm sun beaming down on your...

By Sean Dietrich I have here an email from a woman named Ella who lives in New York City. Ella writes: “I turn 76 years old in two days... I’m trying not to lose my mind, but being trapped inside this little apartment and self-quarantining with my daughter and her roommate,...

By Rick Moore A few years ago, in one of America’s larger cities, a diverse group of seventy adults were asked to grade the artwork scattered throughout their town. Using an app, their grades and personal remarks were accumulated in order to influence what future artwork would be placed in...

from Mel and Mona Ponder, Business Empowered: Isaiah 59:19b – “When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” - hope Psalm 91 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow...

By Sean Dietrich I went to the mailbox today and found a package. Before I opened the parcel I already knew what was inside. And it brought my whole life back in a moment. Sometimes, my memory can be foggy. But sometimes it can be remarkably clear. On rare occasions I...

By Sean Dietrich Do you remember when we met? I do. It was a Barnes and Noble bookstore. I was reading; you were with friends. You waltzed through the door with that determined walk you have. That I-can-take-care-of-myself walk. There are some things a man never forgets. You wore a baby-blue sweater. Your...

By Rick Moore The most traveled road for locals and visitors alike throughout the Emerald Coast is Highway 98. Many are surprised to discover Highway 98 extends through several states. Decades ago, I would travel that road several times a year from my home in Mobile, Alabama, through the state...