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Focus on the Coast Photo Contest Winners

Friday, December 4th, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS to each of our twenty finalists in the

Meyer Real Estate 2009 Focus on the Coast beach photo contest!

Our winning photo, submitted by Melanie Plum of Amory, MS!

OUR WINNING PHOTO! Submitted by Melanie Plum of Amory, Mississippi.

Our winning photo, decided by public vote, was submitted by Melanie Plum of Amory, Mississippi, who has been awarded a 3-night stay in a 2-bedroom gulf-front condo for spring 2010. The photo was taken by Blake McCollum, who is a family friend of Melanie’s and an art student at Mississippi State.

Upon being told the good news, an excited Melanie explained that the family was in the midst of a photo shoot, but this winning photo was a candid shot of the girls simply enjoying the warm July beach and their flowing, colorful costumes.

Congratulations to Melanie and everyone involved in this award-winning photograph!

We are also very pleased to name as Honorable Mentions our 1st, 2nd and 3rd places as voted by the public:

HONORABLE MENTION: 1st runner up. Submitted by Molly Canter, Murray, Kentucky.

HONORABLE MENTION: 1st runner up. Submitted by Molly Canter of Murray, Kentucky.


HONORABLE MENTION: 2nd runner up. Submitted by Shellie Benson, Speer, Illinois.

HONORABLE MENTION: 2nd runner up. Submitted by Shellie Benson of Speer, Illinois.


HONORABLE MENTION: 3rd runner up. Submitted by Cheryl & Rusty May, Madison, Mississippi.

HONORABLE MENTION: 3rd runner up. Submitted by Cheryl & Rusty May of Madison, Mississippi.

You can see all the Top 20 photos on our Facebook page.

Subscribe to this blog to stay informed of future contests, terrific specials and Hot Deals, area activities and opportunities, and much more.

Posted in Activities, Alabama, Arts, Arts Visual, Beaches, Birding, Boating, Fishing, Florida, Nature and Wildlife, Other Sports | 1 Response »
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Rescued Dolphin on the Mend

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
A young dolphin rescued in Gulf Shores, AL is healing under the care of experts in Gulfport, Mississippi.

A young dolphin rescued in Gulf Shores, Alabama is healing under the care of experts in Gulfport, Mississippi.

While enjoying a beach walk the day following a storm, it is common to find an unusual shell, large clumps of drying seaweed, or sometimes a completely cleaned shoreline.

But on November 10, beach walkers on the island of Gulf Shores, Alabama happened upon something much bigger – and it was fortunate that they did.

It is assumed that the strong winds and waves from Tropical Storm Ida were responsible for separating a young bottlenose dolphin from his family. Found 150 yards from the shore, the 2-year-old, six-foot-four-inch, 190-lb. dolphin was in serious condition after being out of the water at least 4 hours. The walkers contacted the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for help. The MMSN then called for a dolphin ambulance from the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Mississippi.

A team of 20 at the institute has assisted with nursing the dolphin over the past three weeks. Although not completely out of the woods, he has shown marked improvement. After two weeks of being fed through a tube, he now will take fish from the staff and even play with his toys.

Returning him to his natural habitat is the goal. But finding his family may not be possible, and he may be too young to survive on his own. Training and assessments are ongoing, and the final decision on release will be made by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

To learn more about dolphins, visit the websites of Dolphinkind, Animal Planet and National Geographic.

For your next Gulf Shores-area beach vacation, consider the great variety of 1800+ accommodations and the STAR Treatment you’ll experience with Meyer Real Estate.

Posted in Alabama, Beaches, Nature and Wildlife | No Responses »
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Who’s at the Top?

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

It’s not too late to get involved in the Meyer Real Estate “Focus on the Coast” Photo Contest!

Between October 19 and November 13, nearly 900 photos were submitted. Each person sent us their favorite shots of the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan (AL) or Perdido Key (FL) areas, with the hope that his or hers will be chosen as the winner and therefore receive a 3-night stay in a gulf-front condo this coming spring.

Our committee narrowed the list to 20 finalists. It was quite a task, since there were SO MANY wonderful images. But we made ourselves choose just 20 of the best so that you could enjoy the final stretch. Public voting began on Friday, November 20. Have you voted yet?

We can tell you at this moment that there is one clear leader.  We thought that was the case a couple of days ago, yet today it’s a different photo leading the rankings. At this point, with more than a week remaining to vote, anything could happen and any photo could emerge as the winner. That’s why we encourage you to join in the fun!

It’s simple. Just assign a ranking to EACH of the 20 photos. You don’t even need to choose a favorite – you can give more than one photo a rating of 5 (or any other number).

Tell all your friends and family members about the contest so they, too, can enjoy the photographs and share their rankings. Voting will close at noon on Friday, December 4, so don’t wait too long to cast your opinions into the net. And of course, stay tuned to learn who the winner is!

Don’t miss out on information regarding Meyer Real Estate’s great specials and hot deals, area activities (to help you plan and to help you once you arrive) and our other contests:

Subscribe to our Coastal Currents newsletter.

Become our friend on MySpace.

Become our fan on Facebook.

Become our follower on Twitter.

Subscribe to both of our blogs: Meyer Muse and Discover Alabama Beaches.

Meyer Real Estate “Focus on the Coast” Photo Contest

Posted in Activities, Alabama, Beaches, Florida, Nature and Wildlife | No Responses »
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Sea Turtle Efforts are Year-Round

Friday, November 6th, 2009

It’s November – the season is over. Sea turtle season, that is. The designated dates of May 1 through October 31 allow time for laying the eggs through hatching. But the work to help protect them knows no season.

Sea turtles are an endangered species. The Share the Beach program hopes to change that, with your help.

Sea turtles are an endangered species. The Share the Beach program hopes to change that, with your help.

Share the Beach is a program established to help preserve the last of these ancient reptiles. As an endangered species, they are protected by law. But lack of education can result in curious folks disturbing their nests or inadvertently creating other hazards.

Flashlights, flash photos and lighting from houses and condos confuse the hatchlings as they make their way to the water. Trash and personal items left on the beach overnight act as barricades to the baby turtles’ pathway.

Only a few of the 100 hatchlings in each nest will survive to adulthood. The Share the Beach program hopes to increase sea turtle awareness and therefore make the world a safer place for these delicate 1- to 2-ounce babies to mature.

There are ways you can help. A volunteer program offers interested individuals opportunities to talk to school and civic groups, search for nests and assist hatchlings.

You can also take part in the Adopt-A-Nest program. In exchange for your tax-deductible donation, adopting sponsors receive a certificate, information about sea turtles and their nests, and a report at the end of the nesting season.

For more information, visit the Alabama Sea Turtles website, call 251-540-7720, or e-mail adoptanest@yahoo.com.

Posted in Activities, Alabama, Beaches, Events, Florida, Nature and Wildlife | No Responses »
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