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March 1, 2026 Mamie Smith: February 6, 1890 – February 13, 1911 I knew my dad was from Anderson, Alabama. That was about it since the Smith family moved to a house on a hill off Savannah Highway in Florence later on – the house I identified with when it came to visiting my Smith grandparents and relatives. About the only other thing I knew about Anderson was that it was home to the Fish Creel – a favorite restaurant of ours that Dorinda and I visited many times. But last week

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, Feb. 27, 2026) Crowds line Alabama 59 during the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday. (Wayne Smith photo) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor The sign stopped me. It was my first time inside The Hangout, a few steps from the Gulf. I was there for a benefit Fat Tuesday breakfast hosted by the restaurant and the Rotary Club of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. You may be familiar with the words on the sig

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, Feb. 20, 2026) Dorinda and Wayne at the Braves’ first game in their new spring training complex in North Port, Florida, Feb. 22, 2020. (Wayne Smith photo) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Author's note: Part 2 of 2. Spring training games begin today in Florida and Arizona. It’s a sign that spring is near. That winter is loosening its grip. And the first pitch gives me a perfect place to finish this Valenti

(Feb. 23, 2026) A friend of mine went to see Heart in Huntsville on Sunday night. He called me this morning to tell me how much he enjoyed it. Then he added he’d never been around so many old rockers — both in the audience and on the stage. But make no mistake, Ann and Nancy Wilson still rock. Heart in Huntsville on Feb. 22. Still rocking. Ann is 75 and recovering from cancer. Nancy is 71. “Close your eyes,” my friend Gary told me, “and they sound just like they do on the rec

Gulf Shores, Alabama —Fat Tuesday Sometimes the slow moments fill the whole day.

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 2-13-26) Entrance to Page & Palette in Fairhope. (Photo by Wayne Smith) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Author’s note: Part 1 of 2. I’ll label this one as Part 1 of 2 because it wraps around Valentine’s Day, before and after. It’s another one of those difficult firsts for me since losing Dorinda in April, a hard column to write. But I envisioned her sitting beside me in what could have been one of her dream p

Valentine's Day, Gulf Coast sunrise. No edits needed. Some mornings the story is already written in the sky. Santa Rosa Island - Feb. 14, 2026 — Wayne Double W Wordsmith

(Feb. 12, 2026) Dorinda and Rhys during a 3 Doors Down concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Aug. 16, 2023. (Photo by Wayne Smith) Brad Arnold died Feb. 7 of kidney cancer. He was the voice of 3 Doors Down , one of our favorite bands — part of the post-alternative sound that helped define the early 2000s. His death stirred another poignant memory: seeing the band Aug. 16, 2023, at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Dorinda. My grandson, Rhys. And me. A memorable night. Some of those

“Here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage Ah, here I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page.”* Bob Seger, “Turn the Page” Rick Murphy performs one of Bob Seger’s classic rock hits during the Hollywood Nights concert Feb. 9 inside the Erie H. Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores. (Photos by Wayne Smith) By Wayne Smith A talented musician and his band from New Jersey brought the sound of Bob Seger to Gulf Shores last night. Two snowbirds from Wiscons

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 2-06-26) By Wayne Smith Gulf Coast Media Contributor Author’s note: Part 2 of 2. “Being apart is so very hard It hurts my soul, it hurts my heart You know I miss you, yes I do …”— “Together,” Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, (2020) It had been a long day. Cold. My legs were worn out. But I made it to the show. Waiting in the balcony of Mobile’s historic Saenger Theater for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo to take the stage, I

Feb. 4, 2026 Today—February 4, 2026—is World Cancer Day. It was established on Feb. 4, 2000. I’m sorry to say I had not paid much attention to it. Until this year. I lost Dorinda to cancer on April 25, 2025. I always thought she would get better. Always. Through 40 radiation treatments, six chemotherapy treatments, two surgeries, and more, I believed it. I know why now—it was because of her outlook. For her—at least the way she presented it to the world—it was always positiv

Alan Hunter, center, with his brothers, Hugh Hunter, left, and Randy Hunter, right during a visit to Gulf Shores last summer. (Photo courtesy of Alan Hunter) (First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 1-30-26) Author’s note: Part 1 of 2. “What ya tryin’ to do to my heart.What ya tryin’ to do to my heart.… you better run, you better hide.”— Pat Benatar, “You Better Run” Dorinda would be thrilled. One of the true pop culture icons of the 1980s — and one of her favo

Feb. 2, 2026 Well, the best laid plans … I had this Groundhog Day mapped out perfectly. Get on the road early, catch the sunrise in Orange Beach en route to Pensacola, and then onward to visit the Naval Aviation Museum – again. That’s because I barely scratched the surface of the museum when visiting last month. I had my laptop, planning to do some writing from inside the museum’s café when my legs gave out. But not today, at least at the museum. The museum was closed – thank

Jan.3 - Gulf State Park - Waiting out the storm (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 5 - Into the Mystic - Gulf State Park. (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 13 - Palm Sunset - Picnic Beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 14 - Sunny lunch spot - Picnic Beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 19 sunset - S in the sky - Morgantown Beach. (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 18 - Battleship in the cloud, Gulf State Park. (Photo: Wayne Smith) Jan. 16_Jelly fish at sunrise, Gulf

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 1-23-26) “Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve had only wonderful things happen to you.” – Mary Tyler Moore Jim Watson shared that quote with me recently. “This really resonates with me after caring for Brooke as she battled cancer for almost two years,” he said. I have some things in common with this new friend of mine. There is the obvious one — he lost his wife of more than 40 years, Brooke, to cancer i

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 1-16-26) Editor’s note: This column is part 2 of 2 “Let the wind carry you homeBlackbird, fly awayMay you never be broken again …”— “Blackbird,” Alter Bridge A couple of nights before Dorinda came home for hospice care, a rainbow appeared outside her hospital window — a moment I’ve written about before, and one I have carried with me ever since. I lost my wife two weeks later. So when another rainbow appeared — briefly —

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 1-09-26) Part 1 of 2. “Goodbye stranger. It’s been nice. Hope you find your paradise.”— “Goodbye Stranger,” Supertramp Sometimes we see what we want in the clouds. Other times, what we see is exceedingly clear. Such was the case, at least for me, on the first day of this new year. Sitting on my balcony after a call with a friend, a patch of wispy clouds against a crystal-blue late-afternoon sky caught my attention. And th

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 9-5-25) Sometimes, things happen for a reason. Sometimes, people and things seem to drop into our lives at an appropriate time. Angels among us? I’ve certainly had some encounters over the past year that loudly echoes the Bible verse of Hebrews 13:2 saying “some have entertained angels unaware.” For example, in July 2024 in Brooklyn, New York, Dorinda and I met a stranger inside a restaurant. My wife – my Bear – was in th

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 8-29-25) This week’s column will take a side road, a divergent of sorts. If you’ve read by first two columns for Gulf Coast Media, you know that the focus is me navigating Gulf Shores alone, moving here after losing my wife, Dorinda, to cancer in April. And while Gulf Shores isn’t the focus of this trip, it’s still geared around a beach town. And my Bear. This column and next week’s will focus on my road trip to my hometo

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 11-14-25) My 4-year-old grandson loves wearing what he calls “neck shirts.” You and I call them tank tops. Whenever I visit, I have to be sure to pack a neck shirt to sleep in, per his request. He thinks it makes me look cool, like him. So, on the morning of Nov. 6, I smiled and thought of my grandson when I saw a third-grader at Gulf Shores Elementary School – wearing a tank top, mind you – smile and say, “This is so coo