Atlas Oyster Bar

The Atlas Oyster House stands by its name as "the place" to find delicious local oysters. Apalachicola Bay and East Bay oysters are harvested and driven to us fresh each day. Try them raw, baked, or steamed. The freshness and taste of these savory mollusks can't be beat.

Old style oyster bar in older harbour building.  Hardwoods and antiques.  A Pensacola tradition.

 

 

A cosmic convergence in the hills of Kentucky

by Mollie Martin on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 12:18pm

         The weatherman said it was going to be a rainy gathering. We were going to have 1 nice  day to get there and get settled but the forecast said rain off and on for the next 3 days after that. I really wasn't sure I wanted to go. I mean I love rainy gatherings as much as anyone, huddled under a tarp sopping wet and covered in mud, wading down muddy trails, wrangling muddy children who don't want to stay couped up in the tent for days on end. Sounds like fun right? But something was drawing me. I kept thinking, but you've never been to a Cumberland Gathering before; it is your home bio-region, you keep talking about how we need to gather closer to home.... now's the time. So despite my misgivings we packed up Shi's van and headed out to Salt Lick, Ky. It was a pretty but cool spring day, a  Monday. We made one stop along the way at Abraham Lincoln's birthplace for the kids to earn Jr Ranger badges and stretch our legs. By the time we got to Welcome Home it was a couple of hours till dark. We unpacked the tee pee and bedding and what we knew we would need the first night and headed in, kiddos running blissfully ahead on the trail. We were all so excited to be in the woods again. The trail was about a mile and a half, making a sharp left turn about a mile and a quarter in down a steep slope that was already muddy from the rain they had had the week before. In one of the biggest mud puddles we encountered Asher lost his shoe, sucked right off his foot, swallowed by the earth not to be returned by the mud spirits until a week later.
         We came to the first meadow and decided to make camp there for the night, planning to look around and move camp in the morning. But in the morning the rains came, making all the trails a muddy mess, and making it impossible to move camp for several days.
       Sometime Tuesday afternoon I finally made it to the kitchen. The kitchen was up a sloppy slope and was sparsely populated by rainbows around a bliss fire that was more smoke than fire when we got there. There was one sister there that kept drawing my gaze back to her. She was young and beautiful, but obviously a road kid, dirty and more than a little jaded. There was something about her that reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. When you've been to as many gathering as I have you just assume when there is someone there that looks familiar but your not sure how, that you must have seen them at another gathering over the years, and that is what I did at the time. I continued to see her over a couple of days, each time with the same nagging feeling in my mind that there was something about her I was supposed to notice. Sometime around Wednesday I heard someone call her Persephone. It suddenly shook me. Such an unusual name, I instantly suspected where I knew her from, but no, wait, that was sooooo improbable. Still as we walked away I asked Shi," how old do you think that girl is?".  Shi and I discussed my suspicion at length over the next day and a half but I had no idea how to figure out if I was right. I didn't want to interrogate her, freaking her out and making her not want to talk to me, but I did want to know.... was Persephone her real name?
     Thursday evening came and we had dinner with the family at main circle. It was far from the best rainbow meal I have had but it was tasty and filling and the first real meal we had had at main circle for the whole gathering. After dinner the kids played, and the drummers drummed, and marshmallows and glow sticks were enjoyed by anyone who wanted them. Soon it was dark and the kiddos were beat. It was time for bed and the trails were still a muddy mess, so we recruited Persephone to help tote the kids back to camp so we could put them down for the night. It always takes a while to get 5 kids ready for bed but Persephone stayed and helped and told riddles back and forth with the kids while I got the little ones to sleep. I don't know how long we sat up talking but eventually Shi asked the question I had been dying to know the answer to for days...was Persephone her real name? Her answer could not have been more mind blowing. I think my jaw actually hit the floor I was so stunned. She said " Well , yes it was the name on my birth certificate, but they changed it in foster care. My birth name is Persephone Cosmos". You see my oldest daughter Willow's bio dad is named John Cosmos, and I knew that he had given a child up for adoption some 10 years before Willow was born who was named Persephone. This girl, who looked so familiar to me, was actually Willow's long lost half sister. I knew it, with every fiber of my being I knew it to be true. She looked so like Willow with her thick dark eyebrows and her olive skin, plus there was something about the smile, this was definitely her sister. I blurted it all out in one breath. " I know your Dad ! His name is John Cosmos, he lives in Paducah , Ky. You two are sisters ! "  They flew into each others arms. The recognition was instantaneous for all involved, Persephone was skeptical to be sure, having lived 20 years knowing nothing about your family to suddenly have a stranger tell you that she knows who you are and that you have  a sister must be overwhelming. But she took it all in stride. She asked me how I knew him and if I knew anything about her Mom. I said no that I had no information about her but I could put her in touch with John and he could tell her all he knew. Eventually the girls stopped hugging and settled down to ask some serious questions before going to bed to think things over for the night. I for one could not get to sleep, my mind racing over all that had happened.
       The next morning Willow woke up with a mission to go find Persephone and get to know her. She had a million questions for her , I had only one. Do you want me to go out and call him and see if he can come here to see you both? The overwhelming response from both of them was Yes ! We were supposed to go home that day, Willow was supposed to preform with her school's drum ensemble the next day in Nashville, but we weren't going anywhere. This was too unbelievable, we needed to explore this further. Willow needed to get to know her sister, and with Persephone being on the road, I knew this may be our only chance for them to connect. So Asher and I hiked out to find cell service and make some phone calls.
      We had to drive about 12 miles away from the gathering to find service, but eventually we did find a spot to stop and make our calls. First I called my husband Jonathan to tell him we weren't returning that day and let him know what had happened, I didn't reach him, so I left a message but I knew he would not be surprised we weren't coming home right away, even if the reason why was shocking. Next I called my Mom as she was expecting us home as well and I knew she would worry if we were late. I filled her in on the basics of what had transpired and promised to take pictures and call her soon. Then I called John. I told him " I know you won't believe this, but I just found Persephone. She is here in Ky. with me and Willow at a Rainbow Gathering." I told him we were way off the beaten path and I knew without a car it would be hard for him to get there but that I really thought he should do everything in his power to get there before we had to leave Sunday night or Monday morning. He took down directions and assured me that he would do his best to get there and if for some reason he could not for me to please give her every bit of info on how to reach him I had and tell them he wanted to see them both. I assured him I would pass the info on , but encouraged him to do his best to get there, whatever the cost.
      I hung up and headed back to the woods not knowing if he would make it or not, but determined to give the girls time and space to get to know each other. I arrived back at the gathering to find them deep in conversation and more sure than ever that they really were sisters. I told them that I had done my best and given him all the information he needed to find us, now it was up to him. We all went about our day enjoying the sunshine and warm air for the first time in days and finally beginning to dry out and de-muddify from the rain. We went to dinner that night at main circle, and eventually it was bedtime. We all walked back to the tee pee and were getting the kids ready for bed. They were all exhausted and ready for sleep, especially Willow after her emotionally charged day. She had told me before we left the drum circle that she was so tired she was about to a a somersault into the fire. Suddenly I hear a familiar voice outside the tee pee saying " is that a pink tee pee tent?"  I peeked out the door and saw that he had in fact made it, and found our tent in the dark. John was at the gathering to meet his daughters. I went out and greeted him and met the fiance Jessica that had made the trip with him, then ducked my head back inside the tent to tell Willow he was there. All exhaustion must have fallen from her body as she jumped up and out of the tent to greet him. After some hugs she popped back in to get her shoes then grabbed his hand and drug him down the muddy path to take him to Persephone. I still had to get the rest of the kids to bed but told them I would catch up soon, as they disappeared down the trail.
      By the time I did catch up with them they were all deep in conversation around the fire and all doubts had been erased. He knew their birth dates, and told them that he celebrated them both every year. He knew Persephone's middle name, details about her no one could know, it all had to be true. They all stayed up till the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing around a small fire in the kitchen, each in turn staring at the others hardly believing who was in front of them. I can still barely believe it myself, but I know it to be true. Truly the stars must have aligned to make it all happen this way, but it all just goes to show that when you are open to the possibilities of the Universe, magic can and does still happen.

Barbara Chadwick



"Trust in your Heart"
wall house

 



"Happiness awaits"
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"Jump you might Fly"
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"Jump you might Fly"
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"Bloom"
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"Bloom"
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"We have a tale to tell"

  



"This way Home"

 



God: ‘I’ll End the World When I’m Good and Ready, Me Damn It’

Almighty Holds Rare Press Conference

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) – After a much-heralded End of the World failed to materialize on the appointed day, May 21, Almighty God held a rare press conference in New York to discuss the matter.
Dressed in His trademark flowing white robe and carrying a thunderbolt, God seemed visibly irked by the predictions calling for the world to end this Saturday.
“I’ll end the world when I’m good and ready, Me damn it,” He snapped in response to a question from a USA Today reporter.
When asked if He had a message for the faithful who had expected the world to end today, the Almighty cracked, “They should be grateful for the eleven years they’ve had since the world ended on Y2K.”
God was cagey about setting an exact date for the end of the world, saying only, “When I decide to end the world I’ll let you know the way I always do – on Twitter.”
After the press conference, a publicist for God confirmed that the Heavenly Father was annoyed at having to talk to reporters to address the end of the world rumors: “Honestly, I haven’t seen Him this pissed since Pat Robertson blamed a tsunami on the gays.”
Elsewhere, Harold Camping, the preacher who predicted that the world would end on May 21, issued the following brief statement: “”The world doesn’t end this week. Oprah does. My bad, sry.”

Atlas Oyster House-Pensacola

The Atlas Oyster House, located on beautiful Pensacola Bay only steps away from its sister restaurant, The Fish House, offers a waterfront dining experience that's a bit more casual than you'll find next door. Atlas is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.   The Atlas Oyster House stands by its name as "the place" to find delicious local oysters. Apalachicola Bay and East Bay oysters are harvested and driven to us fresh each day. Try them raw, baked, or steamed. The freshness and taste of these savory mollusks can't be beat.  Atlas  prepares locally caught fish and shellfish-such as red snapper, grouper, mahi-mahi, blue crab, and Gulf shrimp- in a variety of ways. The menu also includes cold-smoked steaks, chicken, and pasta entrées as well as daily specials, sushi, and a children's menu. In addition, many Fish House favorites are served at Atlas. The dessert list includes our famous key lime pie.  To complement  its main courses,  there's a comprehensive wine list, 12 beers on tap, a variety of domestic and imported bottled beers, and a selection of martinis and margaritas.    Don't miss Tuesdays for half-price sushi and $2.00 domestic draft beers starting at 5 p.m. and going until 10 p.m.

Upscale dockside dining overlooking beautiful Pensacola Bay and Seville Harbor. Just steps away from Historic Seville Square, our award-winning restaurant features an inventive menu of fresh, daily seafood selections, house-smoked steaks, sushi, a handpicked wine list with over 300 wines, and our world-famous Grits a Ya Ya: A delectable Southern specialty of our smoked Gouda cheese grits smothered with a sauce of fresh cream, sauteed Gulf shrimp, spinach, portobello mushrooms,  applewood-smoked bacon, garlic, and shallots. Full bar. Late night menu. Brunch on Sundays.

The Five Flags of Pensacola

These are the five flags that the city of Pensacola displays to represent Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy, and the United States (February, 2000):

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If it had not been for a hurricane, Pensacola might have been the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States. The Spanish fleet under the command of Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano that had arrived in the area of present-day Pensacola in 1559, was severely damaged by one of our little storms in 1561, and the remnants went back to Mexico.

The first settlement did not take root until 1698 with the founding of Presidio Santa Maria de Galve on what is now NAS Pensacola and the city was under Spanish colonial rulers until 1719.

The French took the keys to the city in 1719, but they gave it back to the Spain in 1722. (The wine was bad, no croissants, no cafes...)

The British tried their hand at holding the city from 1763 until they were forced to leave in 1781. Spain allied itself with France and the fledgling American Colonies and took the city with forces from Cuba. (This was payback. Britain got Florida from Spain by capturing and holding Havana hostage.)

Spain gave up Pensacola and Florida in 1821 to the United States. They never found gold or the Fountain of Youth, and the Spanish government was constantly being attacked by American groups.

Florida became a state on July 4, 1845, but decided that was a bad idea in 1861 and seceded.

In May of 1862 Pensacola was again under the control of the United States, and has remained under the American flag since. (The Confederate forces were never able to capture Fort Pickens at the entrance to Pensacola Bay, and local forces were needed to face U.S. Grant in the west.)

Pensacola calls itself the City of Five Flags, based on the Spanish, French, British, Confederate, and United States periods.

Historians pretty much ignore the French period and divide the Spanish period into two separate entities.

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These are the five flags that I would display to represent Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy, and the United States:

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What follows is my reasoning regarding the choice of flags.

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Isabella & Ferdinand: This was their personal flag, Spain did not have a national flag at this time. Isabella died before Florida was settled.



Philip I: This is the personal flag of the King of Spain when Florida was settled. It is the basis for the Florida state flag, but Philip never came to Florida, so neither did his flag.


Don Tristan de Luna: This flag is based of the Arms of the Luna family. If you were to use a personal flag, this would be the prime candidate



Second Spanish Period: A true, national flag that certainly flew over Pensacola.

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French King: Sometimes used in colonies to indicate they were the property of the king, but Florida was never really integrated into the French Empire.


French Navy: The normal flag used in colonies and certainly the flag that flew over Pensacola.

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Confederacy 1861: The original 'Stars & Bars'. In February, 2000, the City Manager of Pensacola replaced the Battle Flag of the Army of Tennessee with this flag. Having reviewed old photographs, he noticed that this was the only flag found in the photos. Escambia County continues to use the Tennessee flag.

Confederacy 1861-1863: The 'Stars & Bars' updated to 13 stars. This was the Flag of the Confederacy at its height.



Battle Flag of Florida Troops: This flag was known to have been raised over the Pensacola Navy Yard by Colonel William Chase, Commander of Florida Troops in 1861. This was originally the naval ensign of the Republic of Texas.


Army of Tennessee: The battle flag of the Army of Tennessee, a rectangular version, minus the white border, of the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. This flag certainly did not fly over Pensacola during the War between the States. This flag was later adopted by the Confederate Army in the West, but individual units fought under their own, state flags.

1^st Florida Infantry Regiment: This was the regimental standard, late in the war, of a unit from Pensacola, but it wasn't used in Florida. While similar, it has a fetching pink silk border and uses a dozen six-pointed stars, rather than 13 five-pointed ones.

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British Flag: A true, national flag and from the correct period (note the white saltire cross without the current red overlay).

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Period US Flag: The flag when Florida entered the Union, a more suitable choice for a display of historic flags, especially since the design only lasted a year and represents Florida's entry into the United States.

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Pirate Flag: This flag represents Fort Walton Beach's answer to the flag question. The area was settled by pirates looking for a hideout.