My wife Deborah and I stood in shorts and t-shirts on a wildlife viewing platform in the midst of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge near Gulf Shores, Ala. The platform roof shielded us from the heat of mid-afternoon sun on an October day with temps in the 80s, but allowed a refreshing salt breeze to blow across us. A kilometer to our south, fine white sand beaches stretched out of sight in both directions along the Gulf of Mexico, and pelicans sailed low over the waves, occasionally dropping into the wate … (read more)
