Winter Wonderland visitors

It took Mother Nature to get them going, and none too soon. Our old friends Bill and June just barely escaped the cold grip of winter and left their home as the snow flakes were licking at their heels. Though headed for Texas, they took a bit of a detour and stopped down our way to spend a few days in the Gulf Shores area with us.

They barely had their power cord plugged in and we showed up at their park unexpectedly. I guess we were anxious. They probably had plans to relax a little before socializing but no ... we had to drag them out to one of the areas better shrimp dinner places Fish River Grill #2 (http://fishrivergrill.com/Home.aspx). Starting off with some 'swamp soup',  fried pickles, and a round of drinks, we worked to cram in as much 'catching up' as possible. Since we do go back a long ways, old memories surfaced as fast as we gobbled down the fried shrimp. It was good to see them.

So the next few days were spent sightseeing, jabbering and trying out new places to eat. Bill and June had been through this area a number of years ago and remembered a place near the causeway to Mobile. The Oyster House (http://www.originaloysterhouse.com/) has been around a while, and by the looks of the crowd there, still very popular. We all enjoyed the food and the great view.

Bill and June at the Oyster House

As their visit came to an end we still had to make two more stops. First was lunch at the Tin Top Restaurant in Bon Secour near Gulf Shores (http://tintoprestaurant.com/ourmenus/bonsecour-menu/). A repeat visit for them and a multiple repeat stop for us, we were once again not disappointed.

Following a leisurely lunch, our final stop was a short ride out to Billy's Seafood shop (http://www.billys-seafood.com/). Located on the Bon Secour River, this local fresh seafood legend is the place to go for fresh shrimp and fish. Billy's is not your normal brick and mortar shop but a dockside jumble of flimsy walls covered with aged plastic film, extremely friendly and knowledgeable help, and mounds and mounds of fresh seafood on ice. They'll answer all your questions ... tell you about all the different variates, explain how to cook it, or even cook it for you. And if you want some sent to you great aunt in Seattle, they can do that too.

We'll be eating this red snapper in a few days

June had her eye on this little beauty. Looks like a hybrid bluegill to me.

Maybe something a little different for Thanksgiving?

With Royal Reds (that tastes like lobster) deep water shrimp in the foreground, Bill is trying to figure out how many he can carry in his cooler. Everyone nearby must get to his Texas camp soon before they are all consumed.

Let me get this straight ... you want 5 pounds of each type?

And so it goes. Their time here was too short but it's always good to see them. They have several short stops along their way to Texas and they were off once again this morning. Safe travels friends.

Bill and June

The weather here is like most of the country east of the Mississippi. Cold ... cold .... cold. This morning it was a crisp 23 degrees. Fortunately headed for the 70's in a few days but devastating on the tender plants in the area. I wonder what happens to all the butterflies as well.

We're still upset with Gulf State Park in that their formally excellent WiFi system is not working in this end of the park. I hear "they're working on it" everyday as I pass the entrance gate attendant. Three weeks has passed and it's pretty sad that a state facility can't get it fixed. I've talked with others and it's really a sore spot with most of them. I'm sure we're not the only ones considering leaving and not returning. On site Internet availability is no longer a luxury but a necessity for most of us.

But considering that I have no snow to shovel, like back home, this still is a pretty nice place to be. We're very fortunate and still livin' the dream.

Phil