Tuesday, May 25, 2021

May 19, 2021 When life deals a lemon, make lemonade

 

May 19, 2021
 

I really like this place and my humans let me sniff all around.  But something came inside and chased me, and I couldn’t see what it was.

Woke up to winds, what a surprise.  We are somewhat sheltered behind the Elks Lodge, but you can still feel it and definitely hear it.  At one point, my door slammed shut even though it was secured in the open position.  Then Rudy started running all over.  I think those folks in the cemetery were having fun with us.

The skies were threatening so I brought my rain poncho with me on my walk, but never really needed it.  I weaved through the neighborhoods in the opposite direction from yesterday, keeping away from the beach because of the winds.

We readied Hannah for the short drive to Mobile, Alabama.  Some friends told us about a great WW!! Museum there so we figured we would check it out.  It is roughly 60 miles from Biloxi.  I notice a state park right outside of Mobile so we headed to Meaher State Park… Only the inn was full.  WHAT?   All of these large RV spaces with killer bay views are taken? This is a first!  I think this is the beginning… 

We see another state park about 7 miles away so we headed there.  Actually, the GPS said it was 5 miles and deposited us at an overgrow dirt road with a gate that hadn’t been opened this century, but we kept going because I SAW A SIGN and knew it was here.   Blakely State Park had an opening for 2 nights so we took it even though we wanted 3 nights.  Oh well…  Casey, the attendant that helped us get the spot was so totally enthralled with Rudy.  Oh, he can charm the ladies!

I looked online for the WW!! Museum, but nothing jumped out at me.  We had asked Casey and she did not know of it.  So we called Jim and Terri…  Oh, it is the best… but maybe it wasn’t in Mobile.  Oh, that’s right, it is in New Orleans…  Never mind…

When life deals you a lemon, make lemonade.  Much to our surprise, we are camped in a place where the last battle of the Civil War took place.  We have a huge woodsy campsite with a fire ring and full hookups (no WI-FI).  It is kind of weird reveling in our good fortune on land that had so much bloodshed.  I envision one of the soldiers looking down and thinking that we are camping in the same spot where he ‘got his leg all blowed off’!  We toured the battlefield and the exhibits.  Seeing the entrenchments (redoubts) and bunkers allows you to visualize how it all came down.  No modern technology… no satellites, cell phones, etc.  Just one on one decimation.  The Confederates got real good at making landmines (they called them torpedos).  The north felt that was so uncivilized… as if war is civilized in any fashion! 

It is lush and green with long leaf pines, magnolias and sassafras trees.  Did you know that dried sassafras leaves are what is used for file in gumbo? 

Back at camp, Spouse started a fire in the fire ring.  When we got here, he scoured the vacant campsites and collected all the firewood that had been left behind.  He is such a scrounge!  He just can’t help himself! The wood is kind of green and isn’t burning the best.  But dried magnolia leaves really help!

 

Thwack thwack pffft!  Thwack!  THWACK!  PFFFFFT!

Spouse, can you hear that?  Ha, he can’t hear a siren when it is right near his ear, he isn’t going to hear the assault on Hannah.

Spouse, it is big!  Can you feel Hannah rock?  I think it is a vampire!  Don’t open that screen door!  It will come in and eat us.

Spouse scoffed… it’s a June bug and a moth… 

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