January 13, 2016. A Normal Day HIghlighted By Victory!

 

 

 

 

January 13, 2016.  A Normal Day Highlighted By Victory!  Today was much like other days here in Gulf State Park.  We got our exercise by taking the trash and recycling to dumpster row.  That's about a two-mile walk, round trip.  It is our daily routine.

The weather was nice during the walk.  The temperature was nearly 60 degrees and the air was still.  The sky was cloudless and the sun shined warmly on us.  We sat outside this afternoon and discovered that the wind had picked up.  It wasn't blowing hard, just enough to cause the 59-degree air to feel much colder than it was.  The pictures above tell the story.

As you would imagine, a large number of campers here are Alabama residents.  They are displaying National Champion stuff.  The Crimson Tide has won the championship four of the last seven years.  Like 'Bama or not, it is hard to quarrel with their success.  By contrast, my college has never won a National Championship.  In fact, it has enjoyed a number one rating only twice in my memory.   Immediately after achieving that ranking, they lost
the next game.

Victory!  After waging a seventeen day, sometimes ferocious, battle with the local ewspaper we emerged victorious.  You'll recall that we initially placed an ineffective vacation hold on the paper.  While we were away, the carrier threw the paper six consecutive days.

We then called again to remind them about the hold.   Assured the the hold was in place, we left town again.  The paper was thrown again.  Frustrated with the inability to execute a simple hold order, I cancelled my subscription to a newspaper I have been reading for 45 years.  I mistakingly thought that would solve the problem of papers stacking up in the drive while we were away from home.  

But, not so.  Papers continued to be thrown. I called again and again.  I sent emails.  I lodged a written complaint with the customer service department.  Finally, yesterday, Annie got local phone number.  I called the number and complained again.  I also got the number for the carrier.  It was the phone call to the carrier that yielded results.  No paper today,  Hurray!

So, after phone calls too numerous to count to call offices all over the world, emails, written complaints, local calls and plain-spoken request, we won!  No more newspapers.  

I will continue to read the digital version of the paper.  Old habits die hard, so I don't think I can get by without reading the local news.  But, I can do that without worrying about the effectiveness of vacation holds.  No one can predict the number of trees will be saved in the process. 

 

No gator hunting today.  Maybe tomorrow.  I sure would like to get a picture of one for you.  Today's pictures feature another stump which looks somewhat like a gator from a distance.  My heart jumped when I first saw it.  I understand how Annie could have mistook the stump she spotted two days ago.  So far, two stumps, no gators.  I'll keep looking for you, though.  So far, they have been more rare than birds on National Bird Day.