January 25, 2018. Winding Down.

January 25, 2018.  Winding Down.  We have two more days before heading north.  I told the folks at the office that this has been the most relaxing trip we've had.  It probably has something to do with staying in one place and not constantly moving around.  The only "negative" is that I have become lazy.  I get up early still but I don't do much.  I read, watch the news, eat and exercise.  That's about it.  I have had jobs since I was seven years old.  I feel a little guilty, but not much.

This is the next-to-last blog for this trip.  I will announce the quiz winners Saturday and we leave Sunday.  I won't blog on the way home.  You have seen enough barn pictures.  We are trying to figure out how to avoid Atlanta traffic on the way home.  At the moment, the plan is to circumnavigate it.  Another option is to veer further west and bypass it altogether.  However, that could add several hours to the drive home.  We've made no decision, yet.  But, we are agreed that we don't want to drive directly through Atlanta.

We made a final trip to the beach today.  We found evidence of the amphibian man again.  I know the grandkids will remember him, the guy with six toes.  I'm not sure why I assume he is a man.  There could be an amphibian woman, too.  The foot appears to be medium sized.  It could be a small amphibian man or a large amphibian woman.  But, if it is a woman, wouldn't she be a mermaid?  I don't know.  If you do, feel free to comment and tell us all.

We saw a couple of osprey today.  One was sitting next to its nest, looking for food, I assume.  The other had food in its talons.  He was clutching a very big fish.  I'd guess its weight at five pounds.  The osprey actually lost altitude on the upstroke of its wings.  It was a good day for the osprey, a bad day for the fish. 

Another picture shows a blue heron who greeted me in the early morning half-light.  The lighting makes him appear lighter than he actually was to the naked eye.

Annie has been having problems with the battery in her iPhone.  So, we took it to UbreakIfix, a locally owned repair shop about a mile from where we are staying.  An hour and $40 later, her phone is as good as new.  She has a 90-day warranty on the new battery.  That probably won't be of much use to her.  In another week, we will be 1400 miles from here.  It is a nice thought though.  At least the shop thinks the replacement will last 90 days.  In any event, it was cheaper than a new phone.

You may have missed the kiteboarder above.  He is in the photo with the three palm trees, between the two trees on the left.  I am surprised we didn't see more kiteboarders.  There was a good breeze today and it looked like fun, skimming over the water using the power of the wind.  Maybe I'll try that . . . someday.

There is a picture of my feet in the Gulf and a picture of Annie's arm as we walk the beach.  I included those so you would be deluded into thinking I am artsy.  Did it work? 

The final picture I will comment on is the man walking with the boy.  The man appeared to be the boy's grandfather.  As we passed them, I heard the man say, "Then, we lived in Sedalia for five years . . . "  I was tempted to ask him what state Sedalia was in.  There are Sedalias in several states including Missouri, Colorado, Indiana and Texas, among others.  However, I didn't want him to think I was eavesdropping.  But, of course I was.  A grandpa ought to be able to pass on family history to his grandson without the interloping of a complete stranger.  So, I stayed my tongue, a rare occurrence.

So, that's it for now.  I apologize for my low energy this trip.  On past trips, I did daily blogs. In fact, the ticker on my dashboard says this is the 427th blog since March of 2011.  You'll be glad to know that I have books containing each blog through 2016.  I'll do 2017 when we get home.  See what you have to look forward to - someday you'll have to decide who gets the blog books.  I expect a big fight.

Goodnight.