A Very Nice Bike Ride and Farewell Dinner

Thursday March 20, 2014
Foley, Ala

     We woke up to a beautiful last day in Alabama.  Guess it is trying to make an impression on us so we will come back.  Al did a lot of the last minute checkups, put aways, etc, and we loaded up the bikes to find the Back Country Bike Trails.
    

      A stop along the trail to have lunch.  The trail is an amazingly well kept path.  All along the path are benches and swings.  We stopped at one on a little lake.

    We rode about 9 or 10 miles, which was good for me, since I hadn't ridden any kind of mileage.  A few laps around the rv park does not really get you ready.  We were so glad we finally had a day and the time to do this.   We had asked two couples to have a farewell dinner with us at the Original Oyster house.  Ginny and Phil and Terry and Anna May met us there for an early supper.  Ginny is my dirty martini drinking partner.  They were good.
  
     Friday:  We planned to leave around 9.  Ginny and Phil came down to send us off.   It was a little sad going into the office and giving our name tags and gate pass back.  Everyone keeps asking if we will be back next year.  Hard to tell them, hell no!  We are going somewhere warm and where it doesn't rain.
     Ginny took some pictures as we were leaving.

    We were driving away about 9:15.   Stopped for gas in Foley.  It was an easy in and out and then we were on the road.  Uneventful drive except for the traffic around Jackson, Ms and the truck traffic on I-20.  Luckily, we were not on it for long.  Arrived at our campground in Vicksburg.  Found they had a 50 amp slot we could have.   When I reserved we had to take a 30 amp.  It was actually "hot" when we pulled in.  Glad we stopped early, as by 5:30, the park was pretty full.   Went to our favorite Walnut Hills restaurant for more of their fried chicken and coconut cream pie.  I don't really eat coconut cream pie, but this one I devour.  Al ordered a piece to eat there and one to take home.  A blues combo was playing in the bar, so after we ate dinner we went in there and listened while Al ate his pie and I had another glass of wine.
Came home to watch basketball, but we did not make it much past 9:30.  Did not stay awake to see Kansas State lose. 

A Day at the Beach, Finally!

Wednesday,  March 19, 2014
Foley, Ala.

     We finally woke up to a really, really nice day.  We rode our bikes around the RV park a little and Al continued his waxing the iHome.  After lunch we loaded up and headed to the beach.  Paid the $5 parking fee and joined all the spring breakers on the beach.  The picture I took was definitely different from the one a few weeks ago.  No more beach to ourselves.
                   Before:

       After:

    In the parking lot we finally found some fellow Okies.  The first we have seen the whole time we have been here.

     This just happens to be the college our youngest son graduated from.  Glad to see the education process at work.  I am sure they must be studying marine biology.
   We unfolded our chairs, grabbed our Kindles and settled in.  It was hard to read as watching the spring breakers was so interesting.  There was a group of 4 guys in front of us playing a game of some kind of beer pong, but all the red cups were half full of sand.  They took turns tossing the ping pong balls into the cups.  Not sure the point of this, but it seemed to enthrall the four of them.  When they tired of that, they drew a circle in the sand and had some kind of a wrestling match.  That did not last long, as it seemed to really tire them out!
    Next two us were 3 girls in bikinis, (only one of them should have been) who had huge bottles of liquor that they were mixing together in a plastic tub.  I was hoping they did not pass out and wake up a few hours later burned to a crisp.
    Also in front of us were two young girls with their mothers.  I was surprised they let their mothers sit next to them.
    A young couple brought a chair out and sat over to the side of us.  They were probably 19 or 20.  She sat in front of him and they talked for at least an hour.  Just sat there and talked.  I asked Al if we had ever just sat and talked like that, but he couldn't remember either!
    Then we noticed a very young couple, didn't look over 18, walking together down the beach with about a 4 month old baby.  I told Al they were probably hired by parents to walk up and down the beach to remind all these young spring breakers that this is what happens to them if they don't practice birth control!  They were sitting with her young parents.
    We got some reading and people watching in and packed up and went to the Pink Pony and had a beer and fried pickles.  We were so glad that we finally had a really, really nice day at the beach.
    There was an RV open house at the new RV of one of our new friends.  They arrived with one RV, and are going home with a bigger, better one.  Made the mistake of going to the RV show in Biloxi a few weeks ago.  We all brought drinks and snacks.  Karen had fried fish outside on the grill.  An undertaking I would never consider, but she seemed to enjoy it!
    

     Thursday is going to be another great day and we plan to ride our bikes on the trails that we have not gotten to do.  Last minute bucket list check offs!

Party, Party, Party

March 19, 2014
Foley, Ala

     Tuesday:  It has finally quit raining.  Still a bit cool, but at least it is not raining, raining, raining.  We finally remembered it was Tuesday and the model train museum was open.  Everyone we talked to here said it was a "must see".  It really was a lot of fun.  The pictures do not do it justice.

   The drive in movie was showing a Lucy show.  Many of the buildings are replicas of real buildings.  The train club provides the volunteers and it is a free museum.
   Got home in time to go to an open house at one of the lots.  It is owned by the hosts and they provided brats and beer.  We all brought a side dish.  They have a nice screened in gazebo, huge outdoor kitchen, and big fire pit.  It was a nice social get together.

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Foley, Ala

     After Dan and Anne left on Saturday, we had a couple more hours of no rain, then the drizzle started.  Decided it was a good day to go to the new Rouses grocery store down by the beach.  It was so interesting watching all the spring breakers in the store stocking up for the week.  Beer, beer, mixers and more beer.  This is what the guys bought.  The girls were getting bread, meat, cookies etc.  Hope they all got together so they could share.  One kid bought himself a chicken dinner.  One of his friends asked him if that was all he was buying and his answer was "I'm hungry now".  Course the kid who asked him had very red, spaced out eyes.  :)))   Ah, to be young and have enough money to spend spring break on the beach.
    We were after the scallops and picked up a filet also.  By the time dinner time rolled around, it was drizzly and cold, but Al persevered and grilled up the scallops and the filet and the asparagus.  I microwaved a potato!
    It was a fine dinner:

      The filet was really not that over done.

     Sunday:  More Rain, rain, rain.  The only good part of this is I am able to watch Justified on Amazon Prime, non stop!  I am in season 4.  Will definitely be a sad day when I have watched all the seasons.   I love this guy.

     Sunday afternoon there was green beer at the club house.  Not a big crowd, as it was pouring down rain and no one wanted to get out.  I talked to two ladies that were here from the Chicago area that were looking at lots to buy.  In fact, they had been interested in the lot our iHome was on.  We talked to them about the pros and cons of this lot.  Biggest con is how wet it is.  Lots of water seems to drain into it from the dog park.  We saw them the next day and they had decided on a lot further around in one of the undeveloped areas.  I had put split peas and ham hocks in the crock pot in the morning and we had a delicious meal for supper.

    Monday was St. Patrick's Day.  We made a run to Walmart as I had signed up to bring desserts.  3 dozen cookies were soon in our cart.  Also went to the Dollar Tree to find something green to wear.  The only thing left in the store was one bunch of green plastic carnations.  Better than nothing!   I put the cookies on a platter and cut the carnations off the stem and tucked them in around the cookies.  I guess I neglected to take a picture.

     I found it rather amusing that as we were finishing this fine lunch, I noticed several women had green carnations in their hands.  Looked at my cookie platter and my carnations were gone.  Have to say, this is the first time my table decorations have been taken by lunch goers.  Glad I only paid a dollar for them!

A Week of Just Some Fun

March 17, 2014
Foley, Ala

    We have had a mixed week of fun, saying good bye and rain.  One day we met Anne and Dan at the Beignet Cafe.  Dan had not had a beignet before.  A lot of picture taking ensued and this is what happened!

     Luckily, he was able to take the cover off and most of the powdered sugar was on the cover.  I have to admit we all had a good laugh over it.
     After the breakfast and a quick trip into Walmart, Al and I drove past one of the trailheads and decided to stop.  It had been misting when we left the cafe, but it stopped for us to take a nice 2 mile walk.

     Needless to say, we stayed on the path.

     I had ordered a stove top cover for your range from Amazon.  Love Amazon Prime.  Ordered it Monday afternoon and it arrived on Wednesday.  This looks much better as a cover than the sink cover I had been using.  Gives me extra counter space.

      We played cards Monday night with Anne and Dan.  Wednesday Dan and Al and another RVer played golf.  I did laundry, walked, rode my bike and read outside.  It was a nice day.  Decided it was a good evening to eat some more seafood, so we all went to the Original Oyster Grill.  This alligator greets you at the entrance.  Forgetting that spring break had hit, we found that we would have to wait about 45 mins for a table.  Luckily, there were a few shops open and the beeper for the restaurant worked in all the shops.  We really only waited about 20 minutes.

     I finally got some shrimp and grits, and red beans and rice, and turnip greens!  A true southern meal.  Everyone's meals were delicious and the service was great.   We were pleasantly surprised because the place was packed.  Lots of cute sunburned college kids.
         We had some exciting news from our traveling friends, Becki and Gene.  They have bought a bigger travel trailer.  Took there other one in for some heater repairs and fell in love with a new one.  Can't wait to spend evenings in it having happy hour and playing cards.

     The couple I had mentioned before, Terry and Anna May who travel with 6 dogs, (they will always be known this way!) asked us to play golf on Friday.  I did not bring my clubs but said I would ride around with them.  When we got to the course, the club had rental clubs for $20, so I said what the heck, I would give it a try.  Of course, I then had to buy a golf glove for $17.50, so my round got much more expensive.   We had a great time and it felt good to get out on the course again.  For about 9 holes anyway, then everything began to hurt, but I made it through and had a good round.  Also proves you don't need expensive clubs.  Seems any old clubs will do! 

      While on the course we saw these strange squirrels.  Looked them up and they are masked face fox squirrels.  They definitely wanted us to feed them, even though the signs forbid it.  They were cute in a creepy kind of way.

      Terry and Anna May.  Good golf foursome.

     Saturday was the day that Anne and Dan were leaving, so we all went to dinner at the Caymen Grill.  Once again, spring break had happened and we couldn't get reservations til 7:30.  Three weeks before, there were empty tables everywhere.  I splurged and had a dirty martini and the baked oysters. 

     Saturday morning we got up to see Dan and Anne off on their trip home to Maine. 
   

      A few of the friends gathering to see them off.  We, obviously did not bring Cujo and Cujoette to this gathering.

Beignets and Beach

Sunday, March 10
Foley, Ala

     Saturday evening we made plans to meet the couple with 6 dogs, 4 of them standard poodles, at the beignets cafe.  We had a really enjoyable time discussing traveling with dogs, the how tos, the disadvantages, etc.  We spent at least two hours drinking lots of coffee and talking.
     After we parted we decided to stop at the beach.  It was a nice day and we wanted to see if we could find some more shells.  We did find a nice deserted beach without the spring breakers.  We watched the waves and found dolphins.  Walked up and down the beach and did some digging, but no luck with the shells.
    

    Al had been to the Coleman store in Foley and noticed a nice motor cycle cover for only $30.  Not that we have a motorcycle (nor will ever have), but it was the perfect for our two bicycles.  When it rains, he has put a tarp over them which was ok, but not perfect when it was windy.   Now we have an easy cover to put on and take off.  And we look so stylish.

     And any man riding by might just think Al has a nice Harley under that cover.

     We pulled out some of our green Mardi Gra beads and decorated for St. Pat's. Day.