More fun! to Friday, April 30th, 2021

We are the luckiest people on earth, Jimmy and I.  We've been on this west-to-east trip for over five weeks and have had terrific adventures and met up with wonderful people; family and friends from California to Florida.  To say we're filled with gratitude is an understatement, but oh-so-true. The pandemic showed us how much we value our "peeps" and how bereft we are when we can't see/hug them, so we are making the most of this road trip!  While we were in Alabama a couple of weeks ago, Jimmy's former (sail)boat mate, Thomas, invited us to park Tergel at their new beach house in the Town of Perdido Beach, Alabama on our way home.  We took him up on the invitation.

We go back a few years with Thomas and Carriann!  Thomas and Jimmy sailed together for years.  One story we love to talk about together is the time 15 or 16 years ago at a pancake breakfast when their first daughter Caroline, maybe three then, was happily clunking around in a tutu outfit and fancy high-heeled shoes, much to our amusement.  Reminds me now of Everly Rose!  These are really nice folks we're happy to call friends.

This beach house is almost completed -- it's really well built and it has an outstanding layout.  Thomas put in a 30amp and a water connection for their RV'ing friends.  You see we pulled Tergel right up to the connections, with our dinette window facing the water.

Gorgeous white sandy beach behind the new seawall.

Sad to say, last year's destructive Hurricane Sally tore up his boathouse and pier, as well as others in the area.  He plans to rebuild.

A cool breeze off Perdido Bay kept us cool and was ideal for sailing. 

Scenic viewer from local SeaCoast Mfg in nearby Fairhope AL enabled Jimmy to get a closer look.  These fine viewers can be found all over the globe.  Look for the Fairhope label the next time you stand at one of these long distance binoculars.

What's a person supposed to do when you're close to the beach?  Go!  The sky was overcast (and then ominously dark) on Thursday, but Jimmy and I wanted to walk along the soft singing white sand of Gulf Shores State Beach (while our hosts were at work).  Above, a squadron of Brown Pelicans approaches.

Laughing gulls and a Sanderling hangin' around.

You see fishermen and women and the pier in the distance.

We were parked at the Pavilion and were walking toward the pier, but that sky!  Having been doused already once this trip, we chickened out and turned around, walking the other direction for another mile (to be closer to the car if/when the rain began).

We kicked off our sandals and carried them for a while.  Finally we set them next to an empty lifeguard station and picked them up as we returned to the car.  It never did rain, but it threatened! The air was warm (not hot) and the sand felt cool.

Not many birds to be seen this time of year.

L - R, a Wilson's Plover, Willet, and Laughing Gulls.

Another tradition is eating at Lulu's at Gulf Shores.  Lulu is Jimmy Buffet's sister, and my Jimmy fancies Jimmy Buffet's music a lot.  No surprise they play JB's music at the restaurant!  We sat outdoors overlooking the Intercoastal Canal and enjoyed our lunch.

After lunch and heading back to Thomas', we were driving along on a country road interspersed with a house here and there.  I caught a glimpse of these from the corner of my eye and called out, "Stop, turn around!"   Jimmy asked, "Why?"  I couldn't quite describe why.  Because in an empty field in the middle of nowhere I saw these statues, four of 'em maybe 50 ft tall?, that seemed so out-of-place.  We stopped.  We looked.  We couldn't figure it out, and still wonder, why?

Is there an answer?

Back at the ranch, we went a-walkin' along the waterfront, eyeballing this heron standing on a floating board.  Not a stable board, either ... the heron was rockin' in the water!

Jimmy and Thomas -- Thomas is a big man with an even bigger heart.  The two are long-time friends.

Here are the five of us Friday morning before Jimmy and I left.  Thomas, Carriann, daughter Chelsea, me and Jimmy.  Chelsea is six (I think), ready to be seven, of course.  She and I had fun together, taking pictures and talking.  She visited us in the RV the night before, intrigued by our little house on wheels, examining every inch.  "You have everything you need," she said, after her scrutiny.  Yes, indeed, Chelsea.  We do have everything we need.

Thanks to all of you.  We enjoyed our visit very much.