As the anniversary of the BP oil spill approached, I decided to check out the recovery of beaches that are near and dear to my heart. So after the annual meeting of the Alabama Historical Association, which was held in Daphne, I scooted down to the coast.

The new “Hangout” at Gulf Shores is up and running. The Flora-Bama is getting ready for the Mullet Toss, which is held at the end of the month. And over on the Florida Panhandle, Seagrove Beach is still resisting the “populist prettifying” associated with its upscale neighbor Seaside.

As for BP and the oil.

I didn’t see either.

During the summer BP workers were everywhere, picking up tar-chips, tar-balls and tar-patties. Last weekend there was not a picker-upper anywhere.

Recently the Mobile Press-Register editorialized on the need to “Remain vigilant against tar-balls,” and took BP to task for not being out there at it – which as I mentioned, they aren’t.

The only evidence I saw of BP’s former operation was a shiny new 4-wheeler driven by a lifeguard patrolling the beach. Although he sped away before I could confirm my suspicion, the vehicle looked identical to the ones BP used to ferry water to hot and thirsty beach-cleaners.

I did not see any oil, either. No tar. Not a chip, not a ball, not a patty.

Some say it is there. A recent “State of the Beach” soil test on a stretch of Panhandle coast revealed that the sand was “still tainted by the presence of oil and dispersants.” Problem is, you can only see the bad stuff under ultraviolent light, and ultraviolent lights are not standard beach issue.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Which seems to make tourists and tourist promoters happy.

Most people who visit the coast are “aesthetic environmentalists.” They want clean sand and clear water. If it looks OK, it is OK.

As for what can only be seen with special lights, “A whole segment of the population doesn’t even want to know this,” noted Dan Rauschkolb, Seaside restaurateur and environmental activist.

He is probably right.

Giving credit where credit is due, BP has done a good job on what I have seen of the Alabama and Florida coasts. The Redneck Riviera looks good and, being something of an “aesthetic environmentalist” myself, I am ready to hit the beach.

Yet there remains a nagging concern that despite all BP’s talk about “making it right,” it ain’t right yet.

It is “righter” than it was a year ago and if we keep the pressure on BP, on tourist-promoting Chambers of Commerce, and on coastal politicians, in time it will be righter still.

We just can’t let up.