Somebody has got to do it

Now we're talking!  Weather so nice here there is no good reason to be inside.  I know you folks up north, both in the US and Europe are having a cold, cold winter but I think relief is on the way.  Spring has sprung, so the calendar says so keep your fingers crossed.  We'll be headed your way soon enough so we're hoping a warm spell is not far off.

I'm slowly getting the coach ready for travel again ... checking battery condition is one of the more important duties as if there is any one thing that will ruin a trip is problems with batteries.  Along with checking the oil and coolant levels, and tire pressures make up the majority of things I look at before heading out.  The last thing any rv'er wants are coach problems while on the road.

I had a chance to set up my ham radio equipment and a 40m vertical antenna and have enjoyed listening around the bands.  People wander by and ask what that big tall pole in the yard is for and I usually tell them it's for long distance fishing.  I usually get a blank stare from them before telling them it's just an antenna.  They just nod and walk off ... probably wondering why we were let into the park in the first place.

Today was enjoyable as the weather was so nice and just sitting on the patio with my camera taking pictures of anything that came by was appealing.  Since our backyard is mostly jungle-like undergrowth, there is lots of critters out and about. The first thing that scooted by was a little gecko.
He'd hold still for about a second before darting off to find something to eat so I had to be both quick and lucky.  Measuring only about 5 inches, they probably eat their weight in bugs every day so we like to have them around.  My guess their life span is pretty short however as I think a number of birds eat geckos as well.

Face to face with the monster gecko.

Speaking of birds ... here are a couple that landed near my perch in the easy chair.

A Michigan favorite, the Cardinal strikes a colorful pose.

I'm fairly sure this is a Brown Thrasher, but without a name tag I'm not positive

Brown Thrasher II

So there's a little update on what little we've been up to here on the Gulf Coast. The temperature is going to take a nose dive for the next few days thanks to that cold jet stream air finding it's way here.  Not as bad as the Midwest but cold for this place. The winds has been upwards to 25mph so the surf is up and this brings out the wind surfers.  Similar to the shores of South Haven, our summer nesting place, the surfers are a tough lot braving the cold waters and evil rip tides ... but fun to watch.

Still livin' the dream alongside the sugar white sands of the Gulf.

Phil

A random act of kindness

Today we had something special happen.  Something that may be insignificant to others but it was a thoughtful gesture by a group of young Christian college students.

A very small piece of paper was stuck in the door jamb of our coach the other day.  On it were several items that were available, free of charge to the 500 residents of this state park. Listed were a free pancake breakfast, a free RV wash and several other items.  I originally didn't pay much attention to it but Sharon mentioned it again so we stopped at the registration office to find out what was going on. As luck would have, several other folks had asked the same question but none of the office help seemed to know anything about it.  I persisted with one of the clerks and she finally agreed to make a phone call to a supervisor to get the details.  She made the call and found out that a group of young Baptist college students were spending their Spring Break helping out travellers at this RV park.  I asked the clerk to get out a note pad and start a list as I thought getting my dirty coach cleaned was a swell idea.  Though the cost was free, I knew I could make a donation to help their efforts.

A van pulled up to our site promptly at 8:30am this morning and out piled 5 kids ready to tackle washing my coach. I quickly learned that this was their first wash job and none of them had ever washed an RV before and ... I was the first of 20 they had scheduled today.  The supervisor dumped a pile of hoses, buckets and brushes out the back of the van .. gave a few instructions ... asked if I would be staying outside with them (yes ... of course, I said) and off he went to get another crew started.  I helped them get my ladder out, extra hose nozzle, and towels and they went after that dirty old bus like a swarm of bees in a clover patch.  Water was being sprayed everywhere, soap suds were oozing from every corner, and most of all the kids were having a good time and actually doing a pretty good job.

After about an hour they finished up their work and wanted to know if I was pleased with the job they had done.  I said I was most definitely happy but wanted to make a donation to their organization for the fine work they had done.  Very firmly and without a waver, they all said no ... we are doing this because they wanted to do something for others on their time off from college.  Money was not why they were doing this, they said.  I again pressed the offer of a donation and they again said we will not accept any.  In a few moments their supervisor drove up and gathered all the kids around and asked me if there was anything that they could pray with me about.  Completely caught off guard and more than a little embarrassed, I muttered some not-so-clever thing about world peace ... they said they would pray... then moved off to their next rig to wash.  They were all probably wondering if I was off my meds or in the sauce after my little request, but thinking fast on my feet ... or doing anything fast is but a distant memory.

We've been blessed with many good things in our lives but this little gesture of kindness from this unknown group of young Baptist college students was very special and very thoughtful.  It made our day.

My thanks to Caleb, Chris, Hannah, Everett, and Casey from Barefoot Ministries. (www.barefootministries.com)

Here's some real teamwork going on.

Incidentally readers... this is my 300th blog entry.  Thanks for staying with me for these past 7 years.

So another day on the retirement trail and still livin' the dream.

Phil

More than Fair....

In previous years we've just forgot.  With so many things to do in the Gulf Shores area, we're tugged from many directions and getting it all in is usually impossible. But not this visit.  One thing we did not want to miss was the city of Fairhope (Alabama) Art Fair .  It was a must-do activity early on.  The three day affair is well known throughout the South and is one of the areas big events of the year.

We were going to go Saturday afternoon but since it was a little warm and very humid we thought early Sunday would be our best bet.  Since early to rise is not our strong suit, extra effort was made and we hit the road east for the one hour trip. Arriving about 9:00am we were a little early but could quickly see long rows of white tents along every street in downtown Fairhope.  Since the fair did not open for another hour we thought we'd stop in for a coffee somewhere.  Bad idea. Everyplace we went was full-up with a line waiting.  So much for a little hot starting fluid this morning, I thought.

Anyway we wandered around watching the artists getting their displays ready and chatting amongst themselves.  Lots of friends meeting old friends on the art circuit I'd say.

One of many clogged streets

One of the first displays that caught my eye was the photographic fine art of Paul Christopher James (www.european-images.com). A Michigan native who makes the long trip south to exhibit his technical excellence and artistry each winter.  His European travels have taken him to places most of us will only dream of seeing and his keen sense of composition and style are the hallmark of his work.  A very approachable man who was kind enough to share some of his techniques with me and I am greatly appreciative.  You can see his work in person at this year's Ann Arbor Art Festival in July or check out his website for more images and show dates.

I met another artist who gift was working with exotic woods.  Exquisite jewelry boxes of rare wood combinations.  Their buttery smooth finishes and shapes where ... well ... almost sensuous.  We chatted for some time learning of this lifelong craft and his single-minded purpose of creating art with wood.  However I made two mistakes after our talk.  One ... I forgot his name and two ... didn't take a picture of his work. Shame on me so I'll have to do a little digging and learn his identity and share it with you later.

As most of you already know ... art is in the eyes of the beholder.  What defines art is the artist and what the observer sees in the work.  So this art fair ... like most, has something for everyone.  One man's art is another man's junk ...  to put it indelicately.  So here are a few examples of 'art' that I discovered.  We saw and wanted far more than we could afford or even carry for that matter.

Something to go with that Easter bonnet?

A real cutie name Maddy with some new butterfly art

Food court bonanza ...artistry in food???

We had some much needed exercise, met some very interesting artists, saw some extraordinary art, and witnessed people enjoying a distraction from the troubles of the time.

Still livin' the dream and enjoying others dreams in Fairhope.

Phil

More catching up

We've been busy ... so I need to back-track a little and show you a little of what we've done the past week or so.

First, while in Kemah Texas we had the chance to get reacquainted with Sharon's three cousins.  John and his wife Brenda, Dan and his wife Cindy and son Zachary, and finally Robert and his wife Kim and son Robert Jr.  Robert and his family stopped over to our campsite and even though Sharon had not seen him in over four decades, it was as if they had been our neighbors for life.  Recalling memories of their childhood, it was one of those evenings that just didn't last long enough.  A couple of days later we had lunch with John, Dan and their families.  Again a gathering that just didn't last long enough.  We thank them all for their hospitality and love.

Sharon, Robert Jr., Robert and Kim

Cindy, Dan, Sharon, John and Brenda

Next I'd like to highlight Sharon's camera work as we neared Mobile Alabama.  I'm trying to keep the coach between the white lines and she's grabbing a few shots as we approach the town from the west on I-10.

The first neat thing she saw was the wounded Carnival Cruise Line ship Triumph parked at an out-of the-way repair dock off Mobile Bay.  When an engine room fire stopped her dead in the water somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean, her passengers suffered from lack of water, food and functioning bathrooms.  You know ... one of those unforgettable cruises.  Anyway the Triumph finally got unceremoniously towed to Mobile for a much needed repair and cleanup.  The Triumph will now need a lot of TLC and a media schmoozing to get folks on board again.

Cruise ship Triumph at the repair dock.

Just a mile or so down the road she takes at neat shot of Mobile's skyline.

Too bad we had so many bugs on the windshield.

Finally we take the deep dive into the I-10 tunnel under downtown Mobile.  If you're a little claustrophobic and happen to be driving 40,000 pounds of RV into a narrow two lane tube that looks more like a soda straw, then you know what this experience is like.  White knuckles are protruding from my hands as I have this death-grip on the steering wheel ... and little beads of sweat are dripping from my temples as we enter the tunnel.  I think Sharon, after taking the following shot, closes her eyes till we exit the tube.  I would have liked that as well ... but didn't.

Hang on!  Why aren't those fools going the speed limit?

About an hour and half later we pulled into the Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores Alabama.  A 500 site beauty, with extra large sites, pool, store, laundry, miles of walking trails, alligators, and quiet ... lots of quiet.  All-in-all a very nice place to stay.  We're here for a month.

Here's our large semi-circle  site.  BTW the guy behind us lives on Hubbard Lake near Alpena MI

We got the car unhooked, the coach set up and headed out to see what had changed since here last time here about two years ago.  While poking around we ran across a neat view of the Perdido Bridge that, when heading east, will get you on your way to Pensacola Florida.

How can you not like this place?

So there you have it.  A quick look at what we've been up to lately.  But the best is yet to come.  Our Iowa friends Jim and Carol will arrive later the same day and our Maine friends Bob and Carol will show up a day or so later.  This is turning into a trip of reunions, and it's fun!  It won't be long before our Michigan friends Bill and June will also be rejoining us in this little Shangra La as well.

Still livin' the dream ... this time on the white sandy shores and azure blue waters of the Caribbean and not a single BP oil cleanup crew anywhere to be seen.

Phil

Headin' east

We've made a quick two day stop at the Hollywood Casino RV Park in Bay St Louis Mississippi and we're now settled some 150 miles East at the Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores Alabama.  We have a great site (pictures next time), weather cool but sunny, the WIFI works great, and best of all ... our RV friends Jim and Carol will be arriving at their condo late this afternoon and we've already made dinner plans.

So you've got it right ... We're still livin' the dream ... Now on the Gulf coast.

Phil