11/15/14

Surviving at the Shore


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It is 72 degrees and a bright sunny day as we arrive at our campsite in Gulf State Park.  Our bodies, already accustom to cold weather, are hot.  The sun is relentless and we are scrambling to get out the awning.
But the forecast is ominous!  A deep freeze is coming and we will not be able to escape.  Tomorrow will be our best chance to get out in the kayaks….we have a rule…if we carry a toy with us, it must be used!  And I have no intention to paddle  in 40 degree wind chills!        
There are 3 lakes at Gulf State Park separated by canals.  We decide to start in one of the canals.
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After a couple of hours we are ready to quit….and, with the sun setting at 4:55 PM, dinner must be grilled while there is still daylight.
The next morning I get up and take a shower! (not my normal routine while camping)… Preparing for a special day! This is the day we will meet up with Carla and Jerry,  blogging friends that I have never met in person!
While walking from the bathhouse a big truck passes, I look in the window and there they are…..recognizing her face from the two years of reading the blog!
We immediately start talking and can’t quit!  They offer to show us around town and we head for the beach.
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After a tasty lunch and a quick trip to see their lovely fifth-wheel home, we say good bye….knowing we will meet again somewhere down the road.  Maybe we will get in another visit before we head north!
The promised rain arrives the next morning.  We make plans to eat lunch with our egg group.  There are now two other Casitas, one Escape and an Egg Camper just a few sites away.  This is not an accident but the sharing of plans at a rally last month.  Two couples had reservations at Gulf Shores in November.  The rest of us just thought it an excellent idea!
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Boardwalk to gulf….just across from park.
The survival part of the trip starts right after the rain!  We are not winter campers!  Except for lower Florida and Arizona! 
There is full bright sun which makes the cold a bit more bearable but the wind is merciless.   We decide to check out Fort Morgan, not realizing that the breezes are gale-force out on the point.
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Nothing is very pretty….don’t enjoy taking photos of ugly…but anything historical is educational.  Fort Morgan guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay during the Civil War.  This is where Admiral Farragut made the famous quote “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”  (At that time, a mine was called a torpedo.)
The Gulf is blustery and cold.
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Today is another cold day with plentiful sunshine!  We may ride our bikes…many, many bike trails lead out of the park.  Tomorrow it will be warm again but rain and cold are heading back soon.  Thinking it will be time to leave before another round of survival-type weather.
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12 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place for the kayaks! I'm enjoying one last day at Government Wash before heading back towards the barn.

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  2. John, this is a great kayaking place..just the wrong temperatures. Imagine that you are ready to roll...bet the temps are dropping back home.
    I am very behind with my blog reading....trying to spend face to face time with friends instead of net time. Will catch up on your adventures soon!

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    1. So great to see a post from you, Lynne. I love the beach, but am not so fond of it when it is cold and the wind is whipping. I hope the southwest treats you a little more kindly!

      I am so glad you met Carla and Jerry. The friends we make out camping are precious. Wishing you warm, sunshiny weather ahead. :)

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    2. We had the warm today...stayed 70 all day but no sunshine. But loved being out with short sleeves.
      My camping family is my "real family". Feel so lucky to have so many sharing the same interests and values. And my blogging friends are even closer kinfolks.

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  3. Glad you got to enjoy some good weather before the cold,windy weather changed things. Not much colder than a cold breeze off the ocean. Glad you got to meet up with Jerry and Carla, we follow their blog too.

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    1. We are not beach people....usually prefer to spend our Florida time in the interior around the springs...so the cold wind was a rude awakening to our beach time.
      CJ has a large following...a dedicated blogger and well versed in different mediums. She has lots of creative energy.

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  4. What a magnificent place....Of Course I am bias :).... Good to see you Guys and Carla and Jerry met up....I think I need to invest in a kayak....seems like a super way to get some neat photo's......which you have gone...thanks for sharing's....Horst sends

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  5. It was a great meeting! I had been wanting to meet her for quite a while. Fun to watch the guys talking!

    The problem with the kayak, I am always afraid to take the good camera, fearing that it might get drenched.

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  6. Hope you made it home safely...24 this morning!!! This just isn't right...fun to look back at your photos. Hope SW comes soon....

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  7. David keeps saying that he is ready to go to Arizona....18 here this morning but our house furnace is doing a great job. We really, really enjoyed our time with you and Jerry!

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  8. I thought Winter had finally arrived for good, last weekend. We barely beat the rain back home Saturday, and it was 24 here yesterday morning. 80* forecast for tomorrow. Go figure. Think we need to have a Zion area gathering next Fall. Appears many are having way too much fun out there the last couple of months.

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  9. The many Utah photos have been amazing! We thought we would hike the narrows at Zion a few years ago....wrong! That water was way too cold for me!

    We were happy to explore a new area....also happy to return to a warm home! Hope you have some great trips this winter!

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