Neighborhood Beach

I found out this morning that we’re within walking distance to the beach!  Well, it is 2.5 miles, but that is walking distance.  However, as I mentioned, I haven’t been walking lately.  So after walking to the beach, I developed a blister.  Luckily John was able to save me by driving down and picking me up for a ride back.

I’m not actually sure if anyone swims here.  There a small parking lot, but no signs about swimming.  Matter of fact, to get to the beach you have to cross a set of railroad tracks and go through a section of bamboo plants.  The beach itself is only 10 foot wide or so.  But it is sand and it is on water (Escambia Bay).

 

I liked the look of the trees here.  Very cool roots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chimneys built by water creatures. 

 

This is a brick ‘thing’ in the water.  There’s a cement pipe out to it.  I’ve never lived near the water.  Maybe everyone has one!  What is it?

 

 

 

Chimney Park

Within walking distance from our house is Chimney Park.  The park is not very big, but it’s interesting.  In the 1850’s, the Pensacola area was full of saw mills and brick factories.  The area was growing plus the naval yards were thriving.  The Hyer-Knowles Planing Mill was built here using bricks from a local brick factory that used slaves.

 

In 1862, the Confederate army was leaving Pensacola to Union forces.  They were ordered to destroy anything that would help the Union, especially saw mills.  So, the equipment was put on a barge and the mill was burned down.  The night the mill was destroyed there was a big storm.  The barge with all the machinery sunk in the bay.  The largest thing left was this chimney from the steam plant.

The park has a very rough path to the side.  Several small sections of brick walls can be found among the plants.  Nice to have a historical place like this within walking distance.

 

Pensacola Ghoul

I’m not sure why, but since living in Pensacola I haven’t taken a morning walk.  However, the weather is perfect for walking (50-60’s in the morning) so I decided to see what is within walking distance.  It turns out one of Pensacola’s oldest cemetery is nearby.  Roberts Cemetery was the beginning of a bizarre story.

 

Back in 1957, someone snuck in and opened up a grave from this cemetery!  A few days later, another body was moved in nearby Whitmire cemetery giving the name Ghoul of Whitmire Cemetery.  In total, graves from four women/girls were opened and their clothes were found disarrayed starting rumors of necrophilia.  One instance was a 14-year-old girl who had been recently buried.  Another was an 11-year-old whose body was taken and found nearby.  The story was kept very low-key (the back page of the paper).  One theory was the perpetrator was related to a prominent citizen who suppressed the story.  However, rumors spread.  Large slabs were lifted that weighed over 1000 pounds, so one rumor was that the ghoul (technically a monster associated with graveyards who eat human flesh) had supernatural strength. No one was ever arrested for the crime. 

The cemetery has stones starting in 1860 and is still used today. 

Fifty-nine of the 800 gravesites have the last name of Nobles.  The cemetery is sometimes listed as Nobles Cemetery.

 

I just liked this grave.  Besides the name Bilbo, I thought the phrase was interesting. “Stop dear friends as you pass by, as you are now so once was I, as I am now so you must be.  Prepare yourself to follow me.  My family’s love I carry with me for I am dead.”