Weekly Update

Been a busy week for us.  We've enjoyed being down here and watching the weather in the northeast on the Weather Channel.  It's been good weather so far.  And given the pollen that's now falling on everything, it's been good weather for the local plants & trees.

We went shopping in Daphne & Spanish Fort on Wednesday.  It was a good excuse to drive the new beach connector all the way to I-10 and see how it worked out.  Donna got a new computer, and she's now learning how to use it.  The old (ancient?) iPad just wasn't cuttin' it for the things she wanted to do online.  Lunch at Panera Bread, shopping for clothes and a stop at a local frozen yogurt shop rounded out the day.

Donna continues her long rides with the Folks-on-Spokes group.  Today they loaded up & took a drive over to Florida.  Donna says they got in a 25 mile bike ride before coming back.  That left me here to hang out at the trailer, play with the neighbors' dogs, take a couple of long walks, and wait for a package that never arrived.

Let's just say that neither FedEx's web-based status page nor its website make it intuitively-obvious-to-the-casual-observer on how to contact them on just where the package is.  They know it's not here.  We know it's not here.  They know where it's at.  Unfortunately, we don't.  Why do they make it hard for the customer to contact them to find out where the darn thing is?  Anyway, tonight the status is for us to contact the local post office or FedEx to arrange for delivery.  I'm still wondering why FedEx is suggesting we contact the local post office for a package that was suppose to be delivered to our campsite here in the state park.  And I've watched our neighbors receive deliveries from FedEx at their campsite, so we know it's being done.  Oh, well...

We've also moved a little farther along in our summer planning.  We've extended our departure a little bit later into March.  And we may go to NC's outer banks vice SC on our way back to VA.  We now know we've got three weeks at Two Harbors, MN this summer vice a month as we had originally planned.  That may cut into our ability to get to Isle Royale Natl Park, but may leave us time to visit the Apostle Islands.   Or do something else.  We'll see.

So that's it from here.  Until next week.  David

Pollen!

Imagine my surprise to find pollen on the hood of our truck this morning after the dew dried off.  Last year we didn't get into any pollen until late May/early June up at Voyageurs Natl Park.  Given it's warm, we'll deal with it!

We're fine.  Donna continues her long bike rides with Folks-on-Spokes.  My butt can't handle those long rides, so I go walking.  We had our normal Friday lunch at Mikee's with friends.  Then we were presently surprised that Steve & Susan were in the local area, and we went to dinner at Cosmos on Saturday.  New for us, we tried Moe's BBQ in Orange Beach, yesterday.  I don't think there's a bad BBQ restaurant down here.  Weight Watchers gives me 30 points a day for food.  I think I ate 31 points worth of food for lunch at Moe's.  I'll tell the Weight Watcher's software to "stick-it" when it responds to my weight update next week.

As I said in the first paragraph, we've been warm and enjoying the weather.  A lot of people are getting out and washing their rigs.  I've gotten on the roof and cleaned our vents.  Found one of our AC shrouds was cracked while I was up there.  So we got a replacement (arrived today) and got it on before the rain starts tonight.  When I threw the old one off the trailer to the ground, in shattered into a bunch of pieces as it hit the grass.  That doesn't bode well for the shroud on the other AC.  Probably should have gotten two shrouds.

Lastly, we've gotten somewhat serious about planning our "Exodus" from the gulf.  We have a hard date of June 1st for the trailer's servicing in Lagrange, IN.  Started working backwards from that date.  As usual, we plan on a stop in Shenandoah Natl Park.  Of course the few sites we can fit in are booked the weekend that works best for us.  So we find dates that are close, make our reservations and plan around that.  So far only Fredericksburg, VA and Shenandoah NP dates are booked.  Rest of the early planning has us leaving here going to Birmingham, AL.  Then Stone Mountain, GA followed by a stop in HIgh Point, NC.  We're thinking of going to SC before we arrive in VA.  We'll see.

Anyway, that's it from here.  Later, David

Weekly Update

We're fine.  Donna's gotten out visiting yarn shops and other shopping.  I'm slowly recovering from my head & chest cold.  Felt like getting out Wednesday, so I did a few odd things and got a haircut.  Wasn't too motivated to do much else, so I've hunkered back down in the trailer.  Today's a rain day, so we're both hunkered down in the trailer.

I did get out & attend a presentation on how Hurricane Ivan affected the state park.  We've had a lot of people tell us how pretty the place was before the hurricane.  From the pictures the presentation showed, it was pretty.  Reminded me of those thick, lush forests you see around the old plantations in South Carolina.  Or maybe the campsites at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness.  Even after the cleanup from the storm, it didn't look too bad.  But like a lot of things, the best intended actions lead to long term unintended destruction.

Apparently, a quick road repair to the beach connector (Highway 182) removed any chance that the saltwater that had flowed into the swamps and lakes during the storm could flow back to the gulf.  Saltwater isn't all that great for pines and oaks & that started the damage to the trees.  A long drought ensued that didn't help.  And as things began to recover, the need to remove the dead undergrowth became evident.  What today would be called a "prescribed burn" to remove the dead undergrowth became uncontrollable and burned out of control (hence the name "Controlled Burn" isn't used anymore by the Nat'l Park Service).  That sealed the fate of the park's trees and leads to the lack of trees that's seen today.

We still love this little park, but I do understand why some people seem so sad over it.  And if you're familiar with the park, they say a new conference center and hotel are planned.  Just don't know when.

That's it for this week.  Later, David

Cold

Gulf State Park, late January 2014

We didn't get the rain & ice like we did last year & it only got down to 21* F or so, but we got cold.  We did our normal preparations for the cold by taking up all the water lines.  Then the water pump gave us a scare as it just stopped working.  Kinda countin' on that water pump as we're not getting any city water until the temp rises to around freezing.   That 70 or so gallons of water in the fresh water tank we'd planned to use is pretty useless unless you can pump it out.  Couldn't figure out why the pump just stopped, then noticed it would pump when I moved the wiring around.  Fuse seemed OK, so I checked all the connections and ensured they were tight.  It worked from then on, but not sure if it's just a loose wiring problem, a bad wire or connections on the water pump itself are bad.  Anyway, now I don't trust it.  May just be time for a new water pump.

Jessica and Robin made it down and spent Saturday night with us.  We went out to Lambert's (home of the "throwed roll") for a great dinner.  They got an early start on Sunday morning for a long drive back to Virginia.  We're glad they came.

I'm finally getting over my cold.  Since retiring, these things are normally just head colds for a day or so.  Not this time.  I began to lose my voice shortly after Jessica & Robin left and by Sunday night it was in full coarse as both a head & chest cold.  Trying to keep it from Donna.  So far, we're successful.  Today was the first day I really felt like getting out since early last week.  Unfortunately, I think the chest part is going to hang on for a few days longer.  I guess I'll keep drinking hot liquids and let it run its course.

So that's our week.  Everyone stay warm.  David

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone is doing well, and your favorite football team won.  After a pretty nice December, we're into a rainy Christmas and New Year's.  It stays relatively warm, and that lets storms build out in the gulf and then come ashore.  Just as long as there's no ice we'll be fine.

We got out to Mikee's for lunch, but all the specials were off.  Talk about the "Grinch That Stole Christmas" feeling.   Donna still out taking long bike rides. The campground at the state park is now pretty much full.  Got my new cap for a tooth.  Been trying to get this thing since late last year.  Unfortunately, everyone in the dentist's front office was sick.  So here it is three days later, and now I'm trying to fight that stuff off & not give it to Donna.  The Papa Johns pizza we got for New Years does help, though.  Remember, it's the little stuff that counts!

So that's our week.  Later, David