Note

Obesity, diabetes and heart disease became death sentences for too many people battling Covid. While genetics predispose some to these illnesses, many can be managed or eradicated by lifestyle changes. I’d like to focus on making healthy choices while still enjoying the bad-for-you good stuff in moderation.

June 2023

Owner Malcolm Ballinger

Publisher Malcolm Ballinger malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com

Executive Editor Kelly Oden kelly@ballingerpublishing.com

Art Director Ian Lett ian@ballingerpublishing.com

Passion and Joy

It’s June in Pensacola and the heat is on! Like many people, I find myself less interested in cooking large meals in the summer. It’s just too hot to sweat over the stove after work, so I sometimes grab a salad or order take out. Tacos are a favorite for me because, well, they are delicious, first of all, but they also have so many variations that I can often satisfy all of my cravings in a single meal. Plus, I can order two or three or four depending on my hunger meter, which can go from slightly peckish to hangry in a flash.

The fact is, virus or be symptoms. That is community, stay possible--leaving the idea, too, rather than social via world—phone encourage tribe. We bring and something this.

What has suspect it mental time positive experiences. resolutions Instead, brought home have uncertain. my community. health is our knew it.

in our will see that community groups and safe ways difference distancing. I must outpouring amongst my toilet paper more than to make up applause for our already? assure you equally— alone. it—the I’m over on a word: over Only suspect. pandemic the stress, distancing and many things can provide more return. Society has had fostering know that always a sweet kitty sounds check page 34. for our with some first responders and hospital workers? Thank you for putting yourselves on the front lines to keep us as safe as possible. Also, a big shout out to all the teachers out there scrambling to put together online lessons to keep our kids engaged and learning instead of worrying about things they cannot control. We appreciate you! incredible special-needs pets and owners and she discovered that while these precious babies may take a little more care, the love they give in return is worth every second.

Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator

Kelly Oden Executive Editor

I don’t know about you, but 2020 offered far too little of either of these to me. I was so consumed with my mom’s illness and then with surviving the grief of her loss and the anxiety of the pandemic and the sorrow of so many national news stories that I took little time for myself.

This month, we enlisted Randy Russell—chef and owner of Nomadic Eats, world traveler and taco connoisseur—to break down the beloved taco. His story on the history, meat varieties, cooking methods, salsas, topping and more is both entertaining and informative. We hope you enjoy his article, Art of the Taco, on page 26.

Alana Cox advertise@ballingerpublishing.com

Editor Morgan Cole morgan@ballingerpublishing.com

If exotic animals are more your thing, head on over to the brand spanking new and significantly enlarged Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The new location features all the hands-on, up close interaction as the previous location plus added attractions, amenities and experiences that will make for a wonderful family day out.

This year, I hope to explore creative and personal endeavors that help me rediscover myself and discover new outlets for personal expression.

If Randy’s article makes you hungry, don’t fear. Check out our taqueria roundup, Tacos We Trust, for a sampling of amazing taquerias in the Pensacola area. We have quite a few and they each have their own unique approaches to this versatile cuisine. The list starts on page 31.

Procrastination

On that note, I encourage you to read our COVID-19 Resource Guide, which provides resources for food, business, community and more. The ever-changing nature of this crisis necessitates that I mention that these resources may or may not be available to you by the time you read this issue. I hope it will provide a place to start, some ideas or some inspiration either way.

Assistant Editor Nicole Willis nicole@ballingerpublishing.com

Editorial Interns

Destiny Herbert Molly Callahan

If you’re interested in conservation, check out Dakota Parks story on local Panhandle Rooftop Nesting Biologist, Rebekah Snyder. Through her work with Audubon Florida, Snyder helps to ensure local shorebirds have safe nesting spaces in an increasingly overpopulated region.

And, what goes perfectly with a delicious plate of tacos? A tequila cocktail, of course! We’ve asked a few of our favorite restaurants and bars to offer up tasty tequila-based cocktail recipes for our readers and they didn’t disappoint. Check them out on page 23.

You may also notice that we have some nonpandemic related stories in this issue. We made the call to include already planned articles that might still be helpful, relevant or enjoyable for our readers. We hope you find them useful.

All of this, plus details on sea turtle nesting season—a very special and important part of life on the Gulf Coast. Make sure you follow the “clean, dark and flat” rules and respect the sanctity of this magical event. Learn all about it on page 20.

While many people made glorious headway on home improvement and personal projects in 2020, I did not. I did not organize anything. I did not fix anything. I did not learn a language or a new skill. Nothing. But that’s ok, too. I’m still here. That’s an accomplishment. However, in 2021, I’d like to lighten my load and empty my house of much of the clutter and unnecessary junk that fills it. It’s time to make room for something new.

All of this, plus a few DIY pet treat recipes and some good news from the Florida legislature regarding protection for pets in abusive situations.

Contributing Writers

DeeDee Davis

Jenny Diamond Randy Russell

Sales & Marketing

Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com

We also bring you the details on PensaPride’s annual celebration of Pride month. Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or you are an ally, be sure to go out and show your pride and support on June 24.

Geneva Strange, Account Executive ext. 31 geneva@ballingerpublishing.com

In this issue, we’ve covered all of these topics and more to help readers shift their own focus in 2021. We hope you enjoy. Here’s to your health!

So, turn off the news, put down your phone and enjoy these heartwarming tales and adorable of photos of local animals and the folks who care for them. When you’re done, give your kitty a little catnip and throw your dog a bone. It’s these simple pleasures that will keep us all sane.

As for us, Pensacola Magazine has been published under one title or another for more than 40 years. We have no plans on changing that. We will continue to publish and to bring you all the information we can for as long as we can. Please reach out to us with story ideas, inspiration or just a quick hello. We are all working from home and we are missing our water cooler conversations. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay strong, Pensacola!

There is also a new lodging option in town called Celestine Bed & Breakfast and our editor, Morgan Cole, brings you all the info on this unique addition to the North Hill Historic District.

And there you have it—our June edition in a nutshell. We hope you stay cool, eat some tasty tacos and enjoy the issue!

Kelly Oden

Executive

21 E. Garden St., Ste. 205 Pensacola, FL 32502 850.433.1166 | fax: 850.435.9174 ballingerpublishing.com

Kelly Oden Executive Editor

Kelly Oden Executive Editor

Editor

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/pensacolamagazine @pensacola_magazine subscription now online at www.ballingerpublishing.com: One year $14.95 and two years $22.75. your subscription now online at www.ballingerpublishing.com: One year $14.95 and two years $22.75. represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2023

DeeDee Davis, Contributing Writer

I like all kinds of music. And, I am really grateful for the fact that I have lived during the time of some of the greatest musicians in the history of the universe. Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Luciano Pavarotti, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin and Joe Cocker are but a few of the worthy legends I put in this category. I almost feel sorry for my grown kids when I hear the music they play. Amateurs! O.A.R.? Mumford & Sons? Oh, they are okay, just not what I would call “lasting.” They appeal to a small segment of the population and then disappear even faster than they emerged. The greats, on the other hand, transcend generations. Their music lives on and is re-recorded throughout eternity by appreciative artists. It also goes without saying that the best of the best certainly had plenty of drama in their lives and their personal transgressions have provided plenty of fodder for the press and the gossip-starved public. Drugs, alcohol, cheating, fast cars, dirt-poor poverty–you name it. A bad hand combined with even more bad decisions makes it tough to survive the business despite a megadose of God-given talent. And, while the list is long of those who checked out early on us, robbing us of more of what they had to give from their souls, one man stands in an absolute league of his own. Hank Williams died the year that I was born. You would never know it in our family. He was and is still discussed as if he lives on. And, I guess in a big way, he does. My family lived in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1950s. Any Southerner who knows that Lee fought for the South can tell you about the vast number of landmarks there are to tour in the capital of Dixie. The capitol building itself, the museums, the little capitol of the Confederacy–you get the picture. A salute to days past. When family and friends came to visit us, however, did we go and see any of the Frommer’s sites? Oh, no. We took them to see ol’ Hank’s gravesite. The only history that really matters is that they brought ol’ Hank back to his home state after finding him long gone in his baby blue convertible. Not many folks can name the presidents who are buried at Arlington, but I guarantee you they know where Hank is. To the credit of the wife he done wrong, she certainly didn’t spare a dime of his cash when it came to his monument. Nothing in Oakwood Cemetery Annex comes close to the lavish marble shrine towering over his final resting place. I am not sure who later added the astro turf around the site but they probably wear white shoes after Labor Day. It doesn’t matter what time of the day you stop by, either. Because just as certain as the sun will rise, his gravesite is always littered with fresh beer cans–some empty, some full, but all there as tokens of gratitude, appreciation and heartache. How one skinny bag of bones could deliver the music he did blows my mind. He was only 29 when the drugs and alcohol finally did him in. By that time, he had recorded a lengthy string of hits most can only dream of. What was it that made him so different? Groupies are a way of life in the entertainment business, but the cult following of Hiram King Williams has not died. Maybe it was the modest but memorable lyrics, and maybe it was the raw emotion that oozed from him every time he strummed and sang. Maybe it was his unique twang and the way he turned vowels into sentences. There is no doubt that he was one of the greatest musicians who ever lived, and you don’t have to like country music to appreciate his gift. He was, after all, inducted into both the country and the rock hall of fame. Even Elvis borrowed his songs. We grew up on Hank’s music. For my brothers and sister, we tolerated it at the time. Not that we had much choice. My father would put ol’ Hank on the stereo and almost go into a trance. Hank had that effect on people. My childhood memories are dotted with Hank’s music. I remember when my parents hauled the five of us out to Lake Martin’s Kawliga Beach for our one and only camping trip. My mother still swears innocence in this vacation disaster, and I do believe my electric blanket loving mom. Picture a thunderstorm, rocks under our thin sleeping bags, relentless mosquitoes, brothers with sticks and a yellow jacket nest, community baths and lake silt with a smell I will never forget. A long weekend turned into one miserable night, but Hank sang through it all on our transistor radio. No wonder early memories of him were unpleasant.

We always had Sunday dinner when we were kids. The big meal was at noon and our house was filled with warmth and the smells of mom’s good home cooking. Of course, Hank was always there with us. Talk about mood music. We get a bit nostalgic thinking of those days because so much good stuff just blends together creating good memories. Hank has been gone now for 70 years. I plan to do a lot this year as I turn the same number. I am still not sure of all that the year holds in store for me, but you can bet your confederate bonds that a trip to Montgomery with a six-pack of beer is high on my list.