May 16, 2018. To the Beach, After a Diversion.

May 16, 2018.  To the Beach, After a Diversion.   We need a keeper.  We need someone to look after us and take care of us.  We have been traveling three times per year for the last seven years.  You'd think we'd have packing down to a science by now.  And, we've made progress.  For example, when I pack clothes, I think of myself getting dressed and I pack from the inside out;  socks, tee shirts on out to shoes, pants, hats, etc.  It takes less that ten minutes and I forget nothing.

There are two of us.  Between us, we have two heads.  And, we have two bicycles.  A few years back, Annie Farkley decided we should wear helmets when we bike.  She thought we might fall off, hit our heads and die.  That seemed a bit alarmist to me.  However, I've learned over the last 50 years not to resist her on issues of safety.  When she decides that we need to do something to keep us safe, I say - say it with me - "Yes, dear."  So, we bought bicycle helmets.  And, we wore them, no matter how ridiculous we looked.  I have pretty well mastered the ridiculous look.  The helmet looks like it's pinching the top of my head inward while my jowls are squeezed out below.  I look like a fleshy triangle.

That worked okay until several years ago when we forgot to pack our helmets.  Don't get ahead of me here.  So, back we went to the bike store and bought two more so we could bike on that trip.  When we got home, we were still two persons with two heads and two bikes, but we had four helmets.

It is hard for you not to jump to chapter three, isn't it.  You got it.  We forgot to bring any of our four helmets on this trip.  So, this day began with a trip to Walmart to buy helmets five and six.  We are still two people, we have only two heads . . . you can finish that thought on you own by now.  And, that was our diversion before we went to the East Beach this morning.

There was a dog on the beach which reminded us of Quincey.  He/she greeted us when we arrived.  We didn't see a human companion, but there were several in the area who may have been his feeder.  We saw a crab trying to dig into the sand, I freed him and he swam off in the next wave.  Four pelicans flew within camera range.  And, as we were leaving, we crossed a field of horseshoe crabs which were left high and dry as the tide receded.  A couple and their child were picking them up by their tails and carrying them back to the sea.  I thought it was a nobel, crabitarian project.  Quincey bade us goodbye as we departed.

Goodnight. 

May 15, 2018. Our First Day on Saint Simons.

May 15, 2018.  Our First Day on Saint Simons.  Today was a rest day for the most part.  Some of us slept late while others scoured the news, both national and local.  We sauntered out before noon and looked for a place to eat.  There is a Bonefish Grill not far from where we are staying.  We discovered to our disappointment that it doesn't open until 4:00 PM.  That was okay.  We prefer to sample local cuisine when we travel anyway.  There are a couple of Bonefishes back home.  Nearby, we found a local barbeque called Southern Soul.  The parking lot was full, so we stopped and tried the pulled pork.  It was really good.  The meat is smoked with oak wood.  I could taste the smoke in the pork.  I don't recall that ever happening before.  I love almost any barbeque but it is usually the sauce which makes the difference.  Today, I really tasted the smoke and it was excellent.

When last I wrote we were north of Nashville in Tennessee.  The following day we drove to Dublin, GA, where we spent the night.  I really expected the drive through Atlanta to be easy since we approached after noon on a Sunday.  And it was, until we reached downtown Atlanta.  I have no idea what happened.  However, six lanes were suddenly filled with vehicles.  We crept along at ten miles per hour for the next half-hour.  Traffic seemed to clear some, then twenty miles south of Atlanta, we hit another backup.  Again, three lanes slowed to ten miles per hour for another thirty minutes.  We never saw the cause for either of the jams.  We concluded there were just too many vehicles and too little highway.  Why would anyone want to live near Atlanta?  Life is too short.

We arrived on Saint Simons Island about noon Monday.  We settled into the condo and went to the grocery store.  That brings you up to date.

After lunch today, we returned to the Winn-Dixie grocery store to pick up a few things we forgot yesterday.  Winn-Dixie is a regional grocer with stores in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.  Things are laid out a bit differently than the local Hy-Vee back home.  But, I think we finally found everything.  Shopping in a different store results in a higher bill.  While you are looking for something you need, you see lots of stuff you don't need, but want.  I think the stores know that and purposely lay out their stores in a different pattern.  Stinkers.

Tonight we tried to get our bearings geographically.  Saint Simons lies between Sea Island and Jekyll Island.  Together, they are known as the Golden Isles.  They are so named because they were discovered 400 years ago by Spanish explorers looking for gold. Instead of gold, they found beauty, mild weather and a naturalness that resulted in the name.  There are beautiful beaches on each of the islands.  We will do some exploring on our own tomorrow.

I don't have many pictures for you tonight.  I figured you were tired of barns and traffic isn't very photogenic.  Above are pictures of a rest stop in Tennessee, the Nashville skyline, the Cumberland Plateau, and Atlanta traffic.  Finally, there are a couple of mallard ducks cleaning up under the bird feeder hanging from a tree in front of our patio.  I assume they are nesting here since one is a drake and the other is a hen.  See the curled feathers on the tail of the drake?  Those are found on all mallard drakes.  They actually consist of four feathers which twist together to form the two curls.  Bet you didn't know that, did you.

I am done.  Goodnight.

May 12, 2018. Headed Southeast Again. Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

May 12, 2018.  Headed Southeast Again.  Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  Our destination is Saint Simons Island, GA.  The total distance is a little over 1100 miles.  We have made the front end of this drive several times, most recently, last December.  The route takes us through Atlanta.  Atlanta was a challenge in December.  This time, we will be passing through on a Sunday, so maybe the traffic won't be as bad.  Instead of going directly south from Atlanta, as we did in December, we will angle southeast to the southern coast of Georgia.

Saint Simons Island is just north of Jekyll Island.  The girls will remember Jekyll from our trip to Disney World in the mid-1980s.  We had dinner in Savannah, GA, then drove to Jekyll, arriving after dark.  The girls rushed down to the beach from our motel room and waded in the Atlantic.  The next morning, before we departed, they returned to the beach and did cartwheels in the sand.  They will recall the trees near the beach were bent landward from the constant wind coming off the ocean.

We haven't been to Saint Simons before.  We have passed by several times, but haven't stopped.  Over the years, we have returned to Jekyll twice.  We have also stayed on Amelia Island.  Only 60 miles separate the three of them.  I expect Saint Simons will be much like Jekyll and Amelia.

We were planning to drive from Saint Simons to Plains, GA, to attend Jimmy Carter's Sunday School Class while we were in the neighborhood.  The drive is about four hours, which is a pretty large neighborhood.  According to a schedule I viewed six weeks ago, the former President was scheduled to teach on May 27.  However, I just looked at the schedule again and it has changed.  His next appearance is June 10.  We will be home by then.  I regret that.  I was looking forward to attending.  Annie Farkley was, too.

That's all I have for tonight.  The next time you hear from me, we will be on the island.  I'll try to have some more pictures for you.  Goodnight.

January 27, 2018. Quiz Results and Ibises Return to Say Goodbye.

January 27, 2018.  Quiz Results and Ibises Return to Say Goodbye.  The quiz results are in and we have a winner.  Actually, we have seven winners.  Each of the three families of grandchildren correctly identified the source of all ten cutout photos displayed in the quiz.  That means that all seven grandchildren win money.  Annie is pretty good about awarding the cash rewards, but if we forget, please remind us.

We spent several hours today cleaning Villa Jazmin.  It has tile floors which show each speck of dirt and each crumb.  We swept, vacuumed, wet-mopped, did dishes and washed towels.  The rental fee includes a modest amount to clean the unit after we leave.  Still, Annie doesn't want the cleaning staff to think we are slobs.  She is the kind of woman who would spend hours cleaning before the housekeeper came.  I love that girl.

As we cleaned, scores of ibises flew over the house and landed between the pool and the canal.  They appeared suddenly, fixed their wings and settled onto the lawn.  It was as though a puffy white cloud blew over the house.  At one time, there were 106 ibises behind the villa.  They disappeared as quickly and as mysteriously as they arrived.  Nice of them, don't you think?

So, this stay ends tomorrow.  We will leave here before sunrise and hope to spend tomorrow night somewhere around Atlanta.  We might stay south of Atlanta, then leave early Monday morning, before the morning rush hour.  Who knows.  One of the fun things about the way we travel is the freewheeling nature of it.

This blog will close out this trip.  We'll be back on the road in May-June.  At the moment, we don't have a destination.  Chances are that it will be somewhere north of home, maybe Minnesota, Wisconsin and/or Michigan.  We might venture into Canada again.  You know that I speak Canadian, eh?  Until next time, goodnight and goodbye.

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.

January 20, 2018. Grandchildren's Quiz.

 

January 20, 2018.  Grandchildren's Quiz.  Hello, my favorite grandchildren. There are ten photos above. The contestants must identify the day of the blog in which the picture appears.  Some are easy. But, some will be more difficult to find.

You can again expect I will grade gently because I want everyone to win.  The deadline will be next Saturday at 8:00 PM, one week from today.  Of course, you don't have to wait until Saturday to submit your responses. If I get them all early, I'll announce the winner(s) early.

First place prize is $30, second gets $20 and third place gets $15. Good luck to all.

January 19, 2018. The Puffy Coat.

January 19, 2018.  The Puffy Coat.  It has been cooler the last several days.  The thermometer showed the ambient air to be in the lower 50s yesterday in the late afternoon.  So, what did we do?  We bought Annie a winter coat, a puffy coat.  The coat was offered by North Face at the Miromar Outlet Mall.  The mall is large, offering more than 140 stores.  It appears to be fairly new and covers a lot of ground.  Even if you aren't shopping, it is a good place to take a walk. 

The mall is decorated with flowers, fountains and sculptures.  Of course, it offers a number of eateries, none of which appealed to us.  I would show you a picture of Annie in her new puffy coat, but she forbids it.  She is shy, you know. 

We are approaching our final week in southwest Florida.  The weather prediction for the next week is exactly why we came to this area.  The temperatures will be in the mid-70s with a couple of days as high as 80.  February in the Midwest will be a shock for these two snowbirds. 

The grandchildren's quiz will be offered tomorrow.  Gotta go now and create it.  Goodnight.