If you read our blog you will probably recognize Jim and
Nancy. They are fellow Escapees, who like us, who sold their house in 2007 and headed
off on the road. The Escapee group then, was called the Class of 2007, and it
has dwindled over the years. Some have grown tired of the road, some have grown
sick, some have run out of money, and some have passed.
Jim and Nancy are still full time travelers, and Jim chronicles
their adventures in their blog, Running Down Our Dream, (It’s listed on the
lower right reading list). So when they contacted us and told us they were
nearby we planned a day together to relive memories, talk about visits with mutual friends, and share stories.
Our favorite place here is Fort Desoto and so we loaded up
and headed out for a day of walking and talking and just having a good time,
(we last saw them at Betty’s Rv Park in Louisiana). Our first stop at Fort
Desoto was a drive through the campground. While we would love to stay there
the cost is really high, much higher than our budget permits. It’s also a
campground with overhanging trees, not a place for our big rigs, (we are 13.2
feet high).
Our next stop was to Fort Desoto, the actual Fort itself,
and we strolled along the top of the embankment, before walking along the
batteries. The mortars are twelve inches in diameter and lobbed huge shells as
far as six miles away. One sign said that the guns recoiled twenty eight inches
after being fired and I can’t imagine the noise and fear such a shot would
produce.
As we strolled along the top, a large number of osprey’s
wheeled above us. Usually solitary birds they seemed to be performing, at least
for each other, and, enjoying the strong winds, soared back and forth across the
width of the island.
North Beach was another place we wanted to show them and we
walked the beach to Bunces Pass. It’s always a good day when you stroll on the
beach and we were joined by a pod of feeding dolphins. I showed them where we
had caught the sharks and where I had caught a large flounder last year. Jim shared
stories of their favorite beach, Cape Hatteras national Seashore in North
Carolina.
Noticing a tire was low, we still stopped at the fishing
pier. Nothing much was happening. but there was a gigantic school of greenbacks,
greenies, that probably numbered in the millions, (not an exaggeration) Such a monstrous
ball of bait surely must attract larger gamefish As we walked the pier common terns
dove into the massed fish, but no fished slashed through the resting biomass.
After Fort Desoto we ate a nice seafood place called the
Brass Monkey. We both opted for the broiled lemon pepper grouper and with such
good food and pleasant waiters it’s a restaurant to which we plan to return, (
some of the seafood places here serve basa, a Vietnamese catfish. Just what I don’t
want seafood from Asia in a restaurant along the Gulf Coast).
Returning home we discussed our travel plans for 2016. Every
day is a blessing and we were blessed to spend time with such nice people. One
of our fears about being full time rvers was that we would not meet new
friends. However that has not been a problem and we now have friends scattered
all over the United States! Clear skies
Great seeing you. See ya down the road.
ReplyDelete